I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

"Don't kill them!"

Qin Xuanzhen immediately stepped forward.

Lu Yuan glanced at him.

The old Taoist priest didn't panic when facing Lu Cheng's fist.

Now that Lu Cangqiong has just mentioned killing, he rushes to stop him.

Qin Xuanzhen raised his whisk.

"Your Majesty, although the Second Prince has been corrupted by evil spirits, he is still of royal blood."

"The fact that the true dragon's energy has not yet been extinguished means that there is still a possibility that his mind can be restored."

"If he is executed now, the demonic energy will lose its physical body and may instead flow into the palace, continuing to plague other members of the royal family."

Lu Cangqiong frowned.

"What should we do then?"

"Your Majesty, please allow this humble Taoist to take the Second Prince back to the Celestial Master's Mansion."

Qin Xuanzhen turned to look at Lu Cheng.

"I will set up a dragon-suppressing altar to suppress the demonic energy with Taoist magic."

"It could take as little as three years or as long as ten years."

"As long as the Second Prince sincerely cultivates, he will have a chance to return to normal."

Upon hearing that he was to be taken away, Lu Cheng immediately knelt down at the foot of the imperial steps.

"Father, I don't want to go!"

"The Celestial Master's Mansion is located deep in the mountains. What's the difference between suppressing demonic energy and imprisonment?"

"Your subject is not possessed by any demon."

"Your son is your own flesh and blood!"

Qin Xuanzhen bent down and advised, "Your Highness, I am trying to save you."

"If you continue to stay in the capital, you will only make the demonic aura stronger."

Lu Cheng stepped back.

"roll!"

"I don't need your help!"

Lu Yuan kept observing Qin Xuanzhen's expression.

After going through all that trouble, the old Taoist priest only wanted to bring Lu Cheng back to the Celestial Master's Mansion.

That was Qin Xuanzhen's territory.

Once Lu Cheng leaves the capital, it will be very difficult for either the emperor or the Three Departments to deal with him.

The so-called demon-slaying might just be an excuse to save Lu Cheng's life.

Qin Xuanzhen did not break her promise to the Shen family.

He just used a different method.

Lu Yuan took two steps forward.

"Father, I believe this is unacceptable."

Lu Cheng was stunned.

All the officials looked at him.

Lu Cangqiong asked, "You don't agree to the Celestial Master taking the Second Brother away?"

"My second brother is, after all, a prince."

Lu Yuan grabbed Lu Cheng's arm and pulled him up from the ground.

"I do not understand the celestial phenomena, wooden plaques, and star charts that the Celestial Master spoke of."

"To conclude that Second Brother is a demon based solely on these things is far too hasty."

"There might be some misunderstanding here."

Lu Cheng looked at the hand supporting him, his eyes full of suspicion.

"You actually spoke up for me?"

"Don't misunderstand."

Lu Yuan patted him on the shoulder.

"I believe that the court should have evidence when dealing with matters concerning princes!"

"You can't just say that whoever the Taoist priest calls a monster should be taken away."

Qin Xuanzhen's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Your Highness, everything I have said is true and absolutely true!"

"I did not say you were lying."

Lu Yuan turned around to face all the officials.

"I simply want to preserve the royal family's reputation!"

"If my second brother is at fault, it should be dealt with by Father and the Imperial Clan Court!"

"If a prince is sent to a Taoist temple and imprisoned for ten years, what will people in the world say about the royal family?"

A glimmer of hope appeared in Lu Cheng's eyes.

"Ninth Brother is right!"

"Father, I am willing to accept the interrogation by the Imperial Clan Court."

"As long as we don't go to the Celestial Master's Mansion, your son is willing to cooperate with anything!"

Wei Zhengyuan stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is kind and compassionate, and cannot bear to see his elder brother suffer."

"But matters concerning demons and evil spirits are a matter of national importance; we cannot let personal feelings between brothers cause us to act rashly!"

Another censor stepped forward.

"The demonic aura emanating from the Second Prince has already infiltrated the palace."

"If he continues to retain his status as a prince, his demonic energy can grow stronger by taking advantage of the royal family's fortune."

"Your Majesty, I request that you strip the Second Prince of his title!"

Lu Yuan immediately waved his hand.

"No."

"Second Brother was only corrupted by a demon, it's not like he wanted to become a demon himself."

"How can we abolish the title because of this?"

"The more the Crown Prince acts this way, the more it demonstrates your benevolence, filial piety, and magnanimity."

An official from the Imperial Clan Court came out.

"But we can't risk our ancestral temples."

"As long as the Second Prince's name remains in the imperial register, the demon will be linked to the royal family's fortune for that same day."

"Your Majesty, I request that the Second Prince's name be removed from the imperial register!"

The hope on Lu Cheng's face vanished once again.

"Are you all crazy?"

Lu Yuan looked at the assembled officials and said, "I am the Emperor's son. An old Taoist priest said I am a monster, so you want to expel me from the royal family?"

An official from the Ministry of War also stepped forward.

"The Second Prince defied the imperial decree to enter the court today and deserves severe punishment."

"The current rumors of demonic possession should be addressed immediately to separate the Second Prince from the royal family's fortune in order to prepare for the grand ceremony at the Imperial Ancestral Temple in three days."

As soon as he finished speaking, more officials expressed their agreement.

Some advocated stripping Lu Cheng of his title, others advocated imprisonment, and still others suggested keeping Lu Cheng locked up in the imperial mausoleum forever.

Every time Lu Yuan speaks up for Lu Cheng, more people stand up and demand harsher punishment.

In fact, they do not believe in demons or evil spirits.

They only saw that Lu Cangqiong had given up on Lu Cheng.

With Lu Yuan now in charge of the Crown Prince position, whoever deals with Lu Cheng will have the opportunity to demonstrate their loyalty to the new Crown Prince.

Lu Yuan pulled Wei Zhengyuan back.

"Lord Wei, that's enough. Your second brother is a close friend, a confidant despite the age difference. How can you kick him when he's down like this?"

Wei Zhengyuan was startled and quickly retorted.

"Your Highness is so magnanimous, I greatly admire you."

"But as an imperial censor, I cannot abolish the law for personal reasons."

"Expelling the second prince from the royal family is for the sake of the country and the nation."

Lu Cheng pointed at Wei Zhengyuan, his own body beginning to tremble.

"So you say you can't let personal matters interfere with official business! Your son committed a crime in Qingzhou, who sent the message to the Ministry of Justice on your behalf?"

Wei Zhengyuan immediately refuted this.

"The Second Prince has been controlled by a demon; his words cannot be trusted."

Minister Chen also took the opportunity to stand up.

"Your Majesty, I agree. The Second Prince has defied the imperial edict, colluded with court officials, and disrupted the order of the court. If this person is kept in the imperial genealogy, it will harm the fate of the Great Yong Dynasty."

As Lu Cheng watched more and more people kneel down, his chest tightened.

He has been managing the court for many years.

These people had given him money and attended his banquets.

He even patted his chest and expressed his willingness to help him ascend to the position of Crown Prince.

Now that the Emperor has just appointed Lu Yuan as Crown Prince, they are scrambling to expel him from the royal family.

Lu Cheng clutched his chest, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

His body leaned back and he fainted.

Qin Xuanzhen subconsciously walked towards Lu Cheng.

"Second Prince!"

Lu Yuan raised his hand to block him.

"Didn't the Celestial Master say that demons shouldn't be approached casually?"

Qin Xuanzhen also stopped in his tracks.

After seeing his unconscious son, Lu Cangqiong glanced at the officials kneeling in the main hall.

"Go immediately and summon the imperial physician."

Although he didn't like his second son, he was still his own son after all.

Two imperial guards helped Lu Cheng to the side.

Lu Cangqiong stood up and his gaze fell on the jade tablet held by the official of the Imperial Clan Court.

"Zhou Fu, draft the imperial edict."

"The Second Prince, Lu Cheng, defied the imperial decree to enter the court, formed cliques for personal gain, and was corrupted by evil spirits, which is detrimental to the royal family's fortune."

"From this day forward, the princes shall be stripped of their titles, removed from the imperial genealogy, and expelled from the royal family."

"This decree is proclaimed throughout the land."

Just then, an official from the Ministry of Justice rushed in.

"Your Majesty, the men from the Fuyuan Escort Agency have confessed. They say that His Highness the Ninth Prince ordered them to transport military equipment!"