The Demon Prince

The Great Xia Dynasty, the Golden Palace.

Civil and military officials lined up on both sides.

Xiao Xingyue stood in the middle, calmly looking up at the palace. The dragon throne was hidden behind twelve beaded curtains, and only a blurry but majestic outline could be seen.

But the oppressive feeling of being the emperor over all the world enveloped the entire hall.

That person is none other than His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty!

His sworn brother, Xiao Junlin's deceased father, and Xiao Xingyue's father-in-law, is Li Chengqian!

"Xiao Xingyue! You haven't just ruined me, Gu Linyuan! You've ruined the integrity of the scholars of Great Xia!"

A wail came from behind.

Xiao Xingyue glanced over and saw Gu Linyuan lying on a stretcher, being carried into the center of the main hall by several eunuchs.

"Your Majesty! Please do justice for me!"

As he shouted, bloodstains were faintly seeping from the white cloth wrapped around Gu Linyuan's crotch.

Upon witnessing this scene, all the officials shrank back, gasped, and began to criticize Xiao Xingyue, who was standing below the throne.

"Your Highness! You've gone too far this time!"

"Yeah! You can't cut there! Oh my god!"

Before Xiao Xingyue could speak, thirty poets dressed in Confucian robes entered one after another.

"You vulgar man! How can you bear the title of Crown Prince!"

The elderly man with the goatee who was leading the group immediately began lecturing Xiao Xingyue:

"Do you know that Lin Yuan is a man of unparalleled talent and is the leading figure in the literary world of our Great Xia?"

By crippling him, you have severed the cultural lineage of my Great Xia! This crime deserves death!

"that is!"

The fat poet beside him quickly chimed in.

"Your Xiao family has been a military family for generations, and all you know is fighting and killing. Now you have produced such a lawless and wicked child!"

If your eight elder brothers could know this in the afterlife, they'd probably jump out of their coffins in anger!

The other twenty-odd people were also filled with righteous indignation:

"Your Majesty! If this villain is not eliminated, the scholars of the world will surely be disheartened!"

The reputation of our Great Xia, a land of propriety, will be ruined!

"Xiao Xingyue! You are a disgrace to the Xiao family! How can you still stand in this court?"

"Kneel down immediately and atone with your death!"

Insults, accusations, curses...

Like waves, they crashed against Xiao Xingyue one after another.

"Please calm down, everyone, and allow me to say something fair!"

An elderly minister, with white hair and beard, dressed in the robes of a duke, could not stand it any longer and stepped forward to speak:

"After all, the Ninth Prince is the only son of the Xiao family! And the Xiao family has made unparalleled contributions. I don't think the situation is beyond repair."

Xiao Xingyue raised an eyebrow. "So at least one of you is reasonable?"

But then the old Duke turned towards the dragon throne and bowed deeply:

"Your Majesty! This old minister suggests that we simply add Gu Shixian's fate to the Ninth Prince's, and this matter will be settled."

Upon hearing this, many officials burst out laughing.

Xiao Xingyue's face twitched.

"Old Deng! I knew you were up to something!"

"What, Old Deng!"

The old Duke pointed at Xiao Xingyue with trembling hands, "You're being noisy! Back then, your father, Xiao Junlin, was arrogant and suppressed us civil officials. Today, I, this official, will uphold justice!"

"Screw you! Why make it sound so nice to use 'using public office for personal revenge'?"

Xiao Xingyue didn't indulge him at all.

But soon a sinister voice rang out.

"Your Majesty! I believe that it is precisely because the Xiao family has made outstanding contributions and has a distinguished reputation that Xiao Xingyue's actions are even more unforgivable!"

He represents not just himself, but the face of the entire Zhenguo Palace!

His brutality tarnishes the reputation of his Xiao family as a family of loyal martyrs!

If he truly possessed even a fraction of the Xiao family's integrity, he should have died to prove his loyalty!

Your Majesty, I humbly beg you to grant him death, so as to preserve the reputation of the Xiao family for their loyalty and valor!

Xiao Xingyue narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Good heavens, you're even more ruthless! Who do you think you are? Did my dad dig up your ancestral graves too?"

The other person's face twitched.

"Your Highness, watch your words! I am Cao Bi, the Minister of War!"

"What an arrogant name..."

Xiao Xingyue admitted that he was taken aback by his name and was thinking about how to retort.

A sigh suddenly came from the dragon throne, followed by a voice that was both majestic and tinged with a hint of reluctance.

"My beloved ministers, your words are reasonable."

Good guy!

Xiao Xingyue's heart tightened.

That damned emperor has probably wanted to get rid of my Xiao family long ago because of the rumor of "Nine Pythons Devouring a Dragon".

If I give him another chance to use someone else to do my dirty work, I'm truly doomed!

Xiao Xingyue quickly chuckled and interrupted the emperor.

"Your Majesty, please wait! I wish to ask a question before I die."

"ask."

The emperor answered.

The crowd stared coldly at him. No matter how a salted fish tries to turn things around, it's still a salted fish. Letting him die knowing why won't hurt.

Xiao Xingyue cleared his throat: "Your Majesty, I would like to ask you, have you ever been a man?"

"What! Xiao Xingyue! How dare you!"

"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, a true dragon! What are you saying?"

The ministers were in an uproar.

The poets sneered, all thinking that Xiao Xingyue was courting death.

I thought he could still defend himself a bit, but I never expected that he would stab himself in the back right away!

The emperor's face was gloomy.

"Xiao Xingyue, don't think that just because you are the descendant of a loyal minister, I dare not punish you!"

Xiao Xingyue smiled faintly, then abruptly changed his tone.

"What I mean is that Father is a real man and should be able to understand me."

After all, last night, Princess Jiu and I were newlyweds, and it was Gu Linyuan who appeared outside the bridal chamber before dawn, intending to take advantage of Princess Jiu!

"As a dignified and muscular man, what's wrong with me killing him?"

These words caused an uproar in the room.

So there was more to the story than I thought?

No wonder! What man could bear such a humiliation?

Gu Linyuan's face paled. "You're lying! I went to the princess to divorce you! You were consumed by jealousy and poisoned me!"

"Divorce?"

I just got married to the Ninth Princess, and you're already trying to trick her into divorcing me?

This marriage agreement was made by His Majesty and my father; is it some kind of child's play?

Xiao Xingyue looked at the emperor, "Father, is this your intention?"

Everyone present immediately changed color. Did the emperor have such a plan?

That's not right!

If we bring this up now, wouldn't that mean the emperor is two-faced?

"Outrageous! A ruler's word is law, not a joke. Gu Linyuan's actions are none of my business!"

The emperor immediately distanced himself from the matter.

Xiao Xingyue's lips curled up.

Gu Linyuan's heart tightened... Good heavens, it's coming for me!

"Your Majesty, the reason for the divorce is that I feel sorry for the princess marrying Xiao Xingyue!"

Gu Linyuan panicked and decided to give up entirely.

Xiao Xingyue!

Who in the entire capital city doesn't know that you are naturally frail and sickly?

"You're incompetent yourself, and you're ruining the Ninth Princess's life. What are your intentions?"

Seeing this, the other poets were about to chime in.

Xiao Xingyue suddenly chuckled, his eyes glancing playfully at Gu Linyuan's crotch. "Whether I'm capable or not, you can ask the princess yourselves, but Gu Shixian, you definitely aren't, are you?"

"you!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Linyuan was so angry that he immediately clutched his chest, but he still couldn't suppress his anger. He immediately coughed up two ounces of blood, his throat tingling with a metallic taste.

"Approaching the abyss! Approaching the abyss!"

"The Poet Immortal!"

The scholars and officials present were all taken aback.

The Hanlin Academy official immediately pointed at Xiao Xingyue:

"Ninth Prince!"

Even if Gu Linyuan broke into the Prince's mansion, you shouldn't have resorted to such a vicious act!

Gu Linyuan was the great poet of the Xia Dynasty, representing all the literati in the world!

By castrating him, you are making an enemy of all scholars in the world!

The poets realized what was happening and immediately echoed:

"That's right! Your Majesty, please punish this scoundrel severely!"

"This scoundrel has chilled the hearts of scholars throughout the land!"

"I risk my life to remonstrate! Execute the Ninth Prince!"

Xiao Xingyue sneered, "The Great Xia Poet Immortal? When did it become his place to Gu Linyuan? Did he even ask me?"