I picked up skill fragments in the demon world.

Chapter 1049 Demotion
Zhong Xiang smiled gently and said, "Husband, we are now quite prosperous. Zhang Xiang has eight sons and four daughters. In the future, our branch will surely spread throughout the world."

Zhang Chen remained silent with a dark expression, listening intently as Zhong Xiang raved about his grandson, making Zhang Chen want to bite someone.

Just as countless thoughts were flashing through her mind, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, and Zhang Xiang rushed in from outside the courtyard in a panic: "Mother, something has happened! A terrible disaster."

When he rushed into the courtyard, he saw Zhang Xiang combing Zhang Chen's hair. He stopped in his tracks, staring blankly at Zhang Chen and Zhong Xiang. The words were on his throat, but he couldn't say a word.

"What kind of behavior is this, all flustered and panicked? No matter how big the disaster, it won't collapse in front of your father! Your father is back, so even if it's a huge problem, he will naturally take care of it for you," Zhong Xiang reprimanded the other party.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiang stood there stammering. Seeing this, Zhang Chen coldly snorted, "Useless piece of trash."

After speaking, he grabbed the comb from Zhong Xiang's hand, then stood up and went into the house. Zhong Xiang was a quick-witted person, and upon seeing this, he knew that something was wrong, so he asked, "What serious thing happened?"

Zhang Xiang said with a bitter expression, "It was all caused by that unfilial son, Zhang Yu."

Then Zhang Xiang recounted what had happened. Zhong Xiang listened in stunned silence, especially when he heard that Zhang Yu had actually used a chisel to chisel at Zhang Chen's head. He couldn't hold back any longer and angrily rebuked Zhang Xiang: "You wretched son, what a terrible child you've raised!"

"Mother, you always love Yu'er the most, you must help him this time. Father is really angry this time, if you don't help Yu'er, I'm afraid this child will be skinned alive." Zhang Xiang quickly knelt down and begged for mercy.

Zhong Xiang stood in the courtyard, her eyes filled with anger, but after all, he was her own grandson. She couldn't just ignore him now that things had come to this. However, she didn't know how to plead for him.

“Your father is a ruthless and decisive person. In the past, just to establish his authority in the North, he slaughtered hundreds of millions of demonic beasts in Jinling City. This time he is furious, and it will be difficult to quell his anger.” Zhong Xiang felt a headache coming on, especially when she thought about how she had stupidly said that Zhang Chen’s hair was messy. She wished she could give herself a good beating.

Zhong Xiang glared at Zhang Xiang: "Go and tie that unfilial son up immediately, and have him beg your father for forgiveness."

At this point, Zhong turned around and said, "I'll go and sound out your father's opinion."

As they were talking, a guard reported from outside the door: "Your Majesty, Xie Xuan, Xie Lingyun, Zhong Wubai, Zhou Qiucheng and others are requesting an audience."

Zhong Xiang's pupils contracted upon hearing this: "Why did they come together?"

These people had long since withdrawn from the political arena in the North, each of them living in seclusion, cultivating their minds, and enduring the years in hardship. How could such a thing happen?
“These people are reinforcements I invited; they’ve come together to plead for Yu’er,” Zhang Xiang said.

Upon hearing this, Zhong Xiang's pupils contracted, and he immediately rebuked, "Are you out of your mind! It's one thing to not cover up such a shameful thing, but to spread it around everywhere? Are you afraid that your father's face isn't shameful enough? Your grandfather was hit on the head by his grandson, how can you spread such an unfilial act?"

“This…” Zhang Xiang was dumbfounded: “I felt that the situation was critical and lost my composure for a moment. I never thought that I would do something bad.”

Zhang Xiang was also at a loss: "Should I send them back?"

"Since they're already here, the news can't be kept secret any longer. Let them in." Zhong Xiang shook his head helplessly. "Please invite them in so they can come with me to see your father."

Zhang Chen sat upright in the room, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes, pondering the rise and fall of dynasties. Who could escape the tide of history?
"Although children and grandchildren have their own blessings and dynasties have their own destiny, as long as I live, I will never allow such a thing to happen in the North." A cold glint appeared in Zhang Chen's eyes.

Just as he was thinking this, he saw Zhong Xiang push open the door and walk in, followed by Zhou Qiucheng and others with a full head of silver hair. At this moment, everyone's expressions were tense, making it impossible for Zhang Chen to tell what they were thinking. However, when their eyes met, he could see the smiles that they couldn't hide.

"You've all come to laugh at me!" Zhang Chen sat there with a dark face, not getting up. "This unfilial son is a complete pig. He's spreading this laughingstock everywhere. Does he think I'm not shameful enough?"

“Which family doesn’t have a few unfilial children? Besides, Yu’er is still young, just a child. As long as he knows his mistakes and can correct them, that’s fine.” Cheng Yu chimed in from the side, looking Zhang Chen up and down.
"How old are you? Why bother arguing with a child?"

Zhang Chen glanced at Cheng Yu. Even after decades, this little devil's personality hadn't changed at all, and her first words were full of sarcasm.

"Senior sister, it wasn't your head that was being chipped away! Luckily I still have some skills, otherwise I'm afraid that bastard would have ripped me open." Zhang Chen said irritably.

Zhang Tuowei chimed in, "Brother, I think that child is good at heart, but he has gone astray. We can guide him back to the right path in the future. Now that you're back, why don't you take him under your wing and teach him yourself? It'll be a chance for him."

"I'm your own brother. My head's been hammered, shouldn't you be on my side?" Zhang Chen retorted irritably. His gaze swept over the group of people in the room: "You've really lost face today."

His gaze swept over Zhang Xiang, over the Queen, over Zhang Yu who was kneeling on the ground with a pale face, and over Zhang Guan who was watching the melon in the corner. He raised his hand to interrupt everyone's attempts to dissuade him: "You are all old acquaintances of mine, and you naturally know my temper, so there is no need to continue to persuade me."

"Now that things have come to this, I've already made up my mind. As the saying goes, 'It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature.' A person's nature cannot be changed by any means. Zhang Yu is already fourteen years old this year, at the age to settle down and start a family. He's not young anymore. How can you still call him a child?" Zhang Chen slowly stood up, a hint of authority on his face. "If he were an ordinary family's child, at most he could only harm the neighbors, and then the government would naturally punish him. But if he ascends to the position of the King of the North, who can punish him in the future?"

Upon hearing Zhang Chen's words, Zhang Xiang seemed to realize something, his expression changed, and he subconsciously called out, "Father..."

He wanted to plead for mercy, but Zhang Chen glared at him and shut him up. Zhong Xiang, who was standing next to him, also changed his expression: "The position of crown prince is of great importance and cannot be changed lightly, otherwise it will surely endanger the country and the nation."

“Zhang Chen, think it over!” Zhou Qiucheng chimed in from the side.

The others wanted to plead for him as well, but Zhang Chen raised his hand to interrupt them before they could speak: "No need to say anything more, and no need to continue to persuade me! Immediately abolish his position as crown prince, remove him from the Zhang family genealogy, expel him from the Zhang family, and never allow him to return to the clan."

As soon as Zhang Chen finished speaking, everyone's expression changed. They hadn't expected Zhang Chen to be so resolute, leaving no room for maneuver whatsoever.

"Grandpa, I was wrong! Please give me another chance." Upon hearing that Zhang Chen had deposed him from his position as crown prince and expelled him from the Zhang family genealogy, Zhang Yu turned pale with anger, tears and snot streaming down his face as he knelt on the ground, sobbing and begging for forgiveness.

He knew things were serious, but he never imagined they would be this serious.

The queen, standing to the side, turned deathly pale and tried to plead for mercy, but was glared at by Xie Xuan, an elder from her own family who was trying to persuade her.

“Kid, you’re not regretting it, you’re scared!” Zhang Chen sneered. “The deep-seated flaws in your bones can never be eradicated.”

After saying this, Zhang Chen turned his gaze to Zhang Guan in the corner: "Good boy, come here!"

Zhang Guan was hiding in a corner watching the drama unfold when he saw Zhang Yu being deposed. He was stunned and his eyes were filled with disbelief: the heir of the North, the crown prince of the North, had actually been deposed just like that.

How many powerful forces and stakeholders are behind a crown prince? If the crown prince is deposed, a major earthquake will surely occur in the north, with countless powerful figures rising and countless others falling.

However, he didn't think too much about it. After all, he was just a son of a concubine. Even if Zhang Yu was deposed, there was still the second legitimate son. No matter what, the throne would never be his.

But he never expected that the eldest son of the northern lands would be rendered useless by Zhang Chen's casual words, leaving even his own father unable to refute him or offer any room for maneuver.

Upon hearing Zhang Chen call him, Zhang Guan immediately stood up and went over, kneeling respectfully on the ground and calling out, "Grandpa."

“I think this child is good. He will be the crown prince of the North. Ten years from now, when Zhang Xiang abdicates, this son will inherit the throne,” Zhang Chen said, his words leaving no room for argument.

“But he is just an illegitimate son. This is against the rules, and I’m afraid it will cause trouble in the future…” Zhang Xiang still wanted to try his best, after all, he really liked Zhang Yu.

"Rules? Whose rules? Are they your rules?" Zhang Chen stared coldly at Zhang Xiang, who forced himself to say, "It has always been so. Only the eldest son can inherit the throne. How can a son born out of wedlock inherit it?"

"Is this the rule since ancient times? Then you should be the king of 'since ancient times'! What's the point of being the king of my northern lands?" Zhang Chen said coldly, directly shutting down Zhang Xiang's words.

"In heaven and on earth, I am the only one who reigns supreme. My words are the rules, and I rule my own territory. If you have the ability to conquer a territory on your own, then who inherits the throne will naturally be up to you, and no one will be able to question your rules." Zhang Chen looked coldly at Zhang Xiang. He was very disappointed in Zhang Xiang. It was bad enough that his son had been raised to this extent, but he was even bound by the rules. It was simply too disappointing.

Zhang Xiang was so shocked by Zhang Chen's words that his face turned pale, his body trembled, and he couldn't say a word.

"If you're not satisfied, I'll strip you of your throne and just install any member of the Zhang family. Do you think that because you're my son, the throne of the North is yours alone?" Zhang Chen coldly looked at Zhang Xiang. "I'm still young. I can continue to rule the North, and I can have many more sons to inherit its legacy. So now you know whose decision you're questioning, and whose words you should listen to?"

(End of this chapter)