The Demon Prince

The sky over Kyoto grew increasingly dark.

Astute individuals have already sensed that a massive upheaval is brewing in Kyoto, but no one knows which mansion will be the starting point.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the Prince Zhenguo's mansion, Xiao Xingyue lay on the bed, his hands folded over his abdomen, exuding an air of utter despair.

Li Wangshu straightened his clothes:

"My lord, I must go to court today."

Xiao Xingyue's eyes looked somewhat unfocused.

"Let them move the imperial court here."

Li Wangshu fastened his belt for him:

"You are the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Zhen."

"No, I'm a pushover, a pushover you can exploit at will..."

"nonsense."

"This persimmon has been burning for five days straight, five days! Do you know how I've survived these five days? The horses have been running at full speed! You've been pedaling with all your might!"

"Are you a horse? Didn't we give you grass? Why are you still so weak?"

Xiao Xingyue propped himself up on the bed, his hair disheveled, his shoulders slumped, looking completely drained.

However, this weakness only remained on the surface. Inside his dantian, the dragon energy surged, and the Sacred Dragon Technique advanced to another level.

Now, he is a genuine eighth-rank master!

Li Wangshu reached out and gently tied up Xiao Xingyue's long hair.

The dual cultivation these past few days has also brought her considerable benefits; her originally somewhat weak aura has become much longer and more sustained.

Xiao Xingyue stood up, and Li Wangshu straightened his cuffs again.

Soon, footsteps were heard outside the door, and Li Taiping pushed the door open and entered.

She first looked at Xiao Xingyue, then at Li Wangshu:

"All packed up?"

"Alright." Xiao Xingyue yawned.

Li Taiping asked again in a low voice, "Where is Father?"

Xiao Xingyue simply nodded.

Li Taiping turned and left: "Go to court."

Xiao Xingyue followed:

"Don't you care about my health?"

"Stop talking nonsense."

Outside the Prince's Mansion, the carriage had been waiting for a long time. Before boarding, Xiao Xingyue glanced back at the depths of the mansion, then lifted the curtain and climbed into the carriage.

The court today will not be peaceful.

The carriage headed towards the imperial city, and as soon as it entered the palace gates, Xiao Xingyue saw Li Xuansi.

Li Xuansi was surrounded by many court officials, all with smiling faces.

Li Xuansi, dressed in a princely python robe, exuded power, yet he was approachable and friendly. He would occasionally nod to those around him, displaying composure, gentleness, virtue, and ease in handling situations.

Xiao Xingyue glanced at it and then looked away.

The "Records of Lost Things" compiled by Zhao Yuanbao did indeed uncover a lot of dirt on court officials, but the book was not omnipotent, and the dirt that could be found was ultimately limited.

Even considering the people he has secretly gathered these days, the number of court officials truly willing to stand on his side is less than half of those around Li Xuansi. Furthermore, the powers of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites are temporarily insufficient to cover the entire court.

He was well aware of this, but what many people don't know today is that he has already begun the final battle ahead of schedule!

He straightened his sleeves slightly, revealing a meticulousness he had somehow acquired.

His previous tired expression vanished, and his arrogant and unrestrained demeanor returned as he strode towards the main hall.

Even after seeing him, the group of people who sided with the Seven Wise Kings still didn't stop their discussion:

"Young Master Xiao still has the mind to attend court? He's about to die and he still doesn't realize it."

Xiao Xingyue, with his sharp ears, heard it and stepped forward, slapping the speaker on the shoulder:

"Keep it, and say it again when you die."

The official was stunned by the camera, his body stiff and covered in cold sweat. Several other officials around him chuckled as they watched Xiao Xingyue stride away.

"Arrogant."

"The Seventh Prince already has half the court officials by his side, how long can he hold out?"

The crowd became more and more excited as they talked, completely unaware of the difference between today's court and those of the past.

Inside the main hall, all the officials were already lined up.

According to etiquette and seniority, Li Xuansi sat on the prince's throne below the dragon throne, preparing to take charge of the court in place of the emperor.

Chancellor Zhang Erhe stood at the head of the civil officials.

Xiao Xingyue stood to the side of the military officer, and Qin Zhenyue appeared, standing beside him.

This general who conquered the west now exudes an undisguised aura of ruthlessness!

When Li Xuansi saw Qin Zhenyue arrive, he frowned slightly, but didn't seem to care. He raised his hand and said:

"Gentlemen, let us begin our discussion."

The hall was filled with solemnity.

But just then, a shrill voice suddenly came from outside the palace gate:

"His Majesty has arrived!"

The sound pierced through the entire hall, and all the officials looked up at the same time. The composure on Li Xuansi's face shattered instantly, and he wondered if he had misheard. Only a dozen days had passed, how could Li Chengqian have woken up?

The sound of orderly footsteps came from outside the hall. Da Lu walked at the front, followed by several eunuchs and physicians. The figure in the middle, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, was quite imposing!

Li Chengqian stepped into the main hall, still appearing weak, but he had indeed awakened!

As he stepped in, walking along the path parted by the officials, step by step toward the dragon throne, each step he took seemed to trample on the hearts of everyone!

The officials were completely speechless. Some were so shocked that they dropped their memorials to the ground, while others' knees buckled and they knelt down on the spot.

"His Majesty has awakened?"

"How could it be so fast?"

"It really is His Majesty."

Li Xuansi sat below the dragon throne, momentarily forgetting to move, the shock on his face not yet completely gone.

At least a month, according to Lu Ya's own calculations, and even with Xiao Xingyue gathering dragon energy every day, it would take Li Chengqian at least a month to wake up!

But only a little over ten days have passed!

Li Xuansi watched the approaching figure. Ten days, just ten days, and he would be able to become a Grandmaster! By then, it would be too late for Li Chengqian to wake up!

But Li Chengqian is now standing right in front of me...

How could this happen?

Li Chengqian walked up the steps, and Da Lu lifted the hem of his dragon robe a step ahead, allowing Li Chengqian to sit on the dragon throne.

His body had clearly not fully recovered yet; his back was leaning against the chair back and his hands were resting on the armrests. But when he sat there, the emperor's aura once again enveloped the entire hall!

The smiles on the faces of the court officials who had been surrounding Li Xuansi vanished. They lowered their heads, not daring to look at anyone.

Xiao Xingyue stood in the queue, his back straight and his expression arrogant.

Li Chengqian's gaze first fell on Li Xuansi. His seventh brother was still sitting below the dragon throne, his position unchanged, but the shock and bewilderment on his face had already been caught in Li Chengqian's eyes.

Li Chengqian was filled with mixed emotions. After waking up, he had already learned everything that had happened during this period from Da Lu and the Physician King.

To save him, Xiao Xingyue used the Nine Phoenixes Nourishing Dragon technique every day. Even the King of Medicine did not want him to endure that pain, but Xiao Xingyue persevered.

After returning to the Prince's Mansion in private, Xiao Xingyue continued to gather dragon energy, trying to find a way to awaken him as soon as possible.

The child deserves much credit for his quick recovery and should be rewarded handsomely.

In the imperial court, Xiao Xingyue once again faces a joint attack from Li Xuansi and Zhang Erhe.

But the child held on and did not hand over his comatose father.

Li Chengqian looked at Xiao Xingyue, who raised an eyebrow and smiled, making Li Chengqian smile back with a hint of annoyance, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

However pleased Li Chengqian was with Xiao Xingyue's smile, his gaze toward Li Xuansi was just as icy.

Now, Li Xuansi is surrounded by a large number of court officials; what he truly desires is no longer a question...

Li Xuansi lowered his head slightly, the shock in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a frosty expression.

What happens when Li Chengqian wakes up?

Most of the court officials in Kyoto were already on his side, he had taken control of the Sixteen Guards of the Southern Court, 20,000 elite troops were on their way, and some of the Imperial Guards of the Northern Court were also under his command.

If a coup is launched now, Li Chengqian will have no chance to regain control of the court!

Once he takes control of the capital and gets his ministers to express their opinions, who will continue to follow a patient who has just woken up?

The courtiers were the best at judging the situation; if they could bow down to him today, they could do the same tomorrow.

As for the Li Chengqian in front of him, it can be said that Xiao Xingyue hired someone to impersonate him. So many people in the capital know that the Sixth Princess Li Lingxi likes to tinker with strange and unusual things, and disguise is one of her most proficient skills.

Li Lingxi and Xiao Xingyue have a close relationship, and it's not impossible that the two of them might join forces to create a fake emperor.

As long as he makes the first move and wins, the truth will be decided by the victor, and history will be written by the winner!

Li Xuansi tapped his fingers three times lightly on his sleeve, a pre-arranged signal.

A trusted aide outside the hall looked up, saw the coded message, and immediately turned and left. The message would be delivered to various locations soon.

The sixteen guards of the Southern Court, the imperial guards that the Northern Court had already bribed, Lu Ya of the Astronomical Bureau, and the prince's own troops were all mobilized!

Li Xuansi felt the gaze and looked at Li Chengqian on the dragon throne, while Li Chengqian was also looking at him.

The two brothers faced each other across several steps, and no one spoke in the main hall.

After a long while, Li Chengqian raised his hand, his aura as deep and unfathomable as the sea:

"Li Xuansi, do you know your crime?"