"Now we do not know where our father is, and the crown prince is already dead. As we know, the kingdom cannot operate normally without the emperor. I am the second prince, so I should be the one to ascend the imperial throne." The second prince uttered.
"Wait, there is no written rule stipulating that the successor of the imperial throne should be decided by the seniority in the family. Second Brother, your idea is totally groundless, isn't it?" Another prince retorted.
"That's right. In terms of merits and virtues, I have won extensive praises among the military officers and civil officials, so I should inherit the throne."
"Talk about merits and virtues now? I have started to learn literature at five years old, and won first prize in the literary examination at the age of fifteen, distinguishing myself among all the princes. There is also a written order of the imperial civil servants. Since our kingdom upholds the philosophy of literature and education, I should be the successor of the imperial throne. " The seventh prince said.
In the inner hall, the ten princes, coupled with their own mothers, colored up to the ears in the heated argument about the successor of the imperial throne. At this moment, there were some tense moments due to the fierce wrangling.
Feng Qianlong was always loyal to the imperial court, and he knew that he should not join in the competition for the imperial throne. Once he made a mistake, the disaster would immediately come to him, so it was wiser for him to remain neutral and be loyal to the one who finally became the emperor.
While other princes were fighting for power, Tian Xuezhi stood in the corner in silence. His mother, an imperial concubine of a lower status, had died a long time ago. He was also less favored by the emperor, and his forces were too weak to mention, compared with that of other princes.
"With the help of the cultivation method that senior gave me, I will reach the Sky Spirit Realm in some time, and then I will have absolute capital to fight for the throne, but at this point, it is just a silly dream." Tian Juechen mused.
He also was eager to fighting for the throne, but he did not want to behave as openly and wantonly as the other ten princes. If one of the other ten princes ascended the throne, the Kingdom of Dubhe would be a mess.
Standing behind the crowd, Gong Liang noticed that Tian Xuezhi seemed unimpressed by power, which he appreciated, but he wouldn't speak for Tian Xuezhi for he couldn't get involved in the affairs of the royal family.
He had said very early that he would not support any prince openly for he believed that every prince was qualified to be emperor, and this issue couldn't be decided by any outsider.
As the ten princes quarreled fiercely, some noise came from the outside, which increased gradually, and it was like someone was heading for this hall.
A current of cool air poured into the grand hall, chilling people inside to the bones, and they held their clothes closely round them.
Military officers like Feng Qianlong turned fluttered and shouted, "Who?"
They feared that the Kingdom of Dubhe would fall into a chaos if there was any interference by any outside force at this period of trouble in the imperial palace.
In the middle of the hall stood a young man who was the one that had killed the false emperor and Murong Fengjian. Shrouded in mystery, he was respected by three foreign immortals.
As a kung fu master, Feng Qianlong was sensitive to others' breaths. He could perceive that this young man was in the Post-celestial Spirit Realm with Pre-celestial spiritual power, which was hard to fathom.
"Gentleman, you have not left yet? My I ask what is going on?" Gong Liang arched his arms and said to Xiao Naihe.
Xiao Naihe smiled and replied, "I just brought a man here." After that, as the young man spread his palms, a golden light sparkled, and then a ghost spirit came out of the golden light.
Astonishment gleamed in everyone's eyes.
"It looks like the false emperor? Is it the spirit of the foreign envoy? " Someone uttered.
The sight of the spirit made eleven princes' hair stand on end for they had witnessed what that foreign envoy from Ghost Valley was capable of doing, and fear came over them.