Reincarnated as the Death Spider Queen, sacrificing Bibi Dong at the start

Qian Renxue replaced him, and the probability of being exposed was ridiculously low.

Or rather, even if the current "Xue Qinghe" has undergone some subtle changes in personality and behavior, no one will care, and no one will discover that this docile eldest prince has actually been replaced.

Nan Feng thought about it and realized that since he was already here, it would be unreasonable not to meet this "first prince" who was disguised in the heart of the enemy country.

He waved away the palace maids who were following him at a distance, pushed open the half-closed courtyard gate of Changchun Palace, and swaggered in.

The study was brightly lit by candlelight.

At this moment, Xue Qinghe was bent over his desk, dealing with today's lessons and policy essays.

The princes' studies were extremely demanding. The Star Luo Empire revered martial prowess, and their princes were raised from a young age, almost like raising poisonous insects, with a focus on developing their practical combat abilities as Soul Masters.

The situation is quite different for the Tiandou Empire. Due to its earlier founding and the influence of its elaborate rituals, Tiandou values ​​etiquette and governance. Therefore, they place great emphasis on "civil administration" and imperial strategies in the upbringing of their princes.

Upon hearing the door open, Xue Qinghe immediately raised her head warily. However, upon seeing the person's distinctive black trench coat and the appearance of a little girl, she was first taken aback, and a look of extreme surprise flashed in her eyes.

"teacher?"

Qian Renxue quickly put down her vermilion brush, strode forward, and lowered her voice: "Why did you suddenly run into the inner garden of the Heavenly Dou Imperial Palace?"

"Don't be nervous. It was that old man Xueye who personally sent someone to invite me in as an honored guest." Nan Feng found a large armchair, jumped up and sat down, his two short legs swinging leisurely in mid-air.

Qian Renxue was even more puzzled: "The old emperor? He invited you? Why?"

"The specifics are a bit complicated, and I'm too lazy to explain them." Nan Feng waved his hand. "In short, there will be some activity in the court in a while, and you'll find out then."

"I came by on my way here tonight to ask you about your plans for the position of Crown Prince of the Heavenly Dou Empire."

"Let me guess, are you planning to assassinate all the other princes who are currently enjoying great influence?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue's eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't try to hide anything from this unfathomable "teacher" and nodded frankly: "This is the simplest and safest way."

She sighed and calmly analyzed the current situation: "The Second Prince has the support of the Empress's maternal family and is extremely skilled in governing the country; the Third Prince is an exceptional genius with innate ninth-level soul power. Xue Qinghe's background is too weak. He has neither money nor power. If he were to compete with them for the throne through normal court politics, it would be too difficult, and he would have very little chance of winning."

"Only by making them disappear 'accidentally' can I rightfully become the sole heir."

Listening to Qian Renxue's self-evident "assassin logic," Nan Feng couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Sure enough, the first thought that comes to mind for people from the Spirit Hall is always physical annihilation.

"Simple and crude, but extremely stupid," Nan Feng commented without reservation.

Qian Renxue frowned slightly, somewhat unconvinced, but still respectfully asked, "Teacher, what makes you say that?"

Nan Feng tapped on the desk and began the lesson with earnest words:

"Xue Qinghe has many ways to inherit the throne. Assassination may seem like a quick and easy solution, but it is too risky. With royal family members dying one after another, do you really think that old fox Xue Ye is blind? This could easily cause great suspicion and turmoil within the Tiandou royal family."

"The imperial court has its own rules, and politics has its own way of playing games. If you resort to banditry and infighting to deal with your political enemies and physically eliminate them, the empire's instability is inevitable."

"In fact, if you're not careful, before you even inherit the throne, this already unstable Heaven Dou Empire will have already fallen apart because of your own actions. What use is a mess riddled with problems?"

Qian Renxue lowered her head thoughtfully, lost in thought.

"Remember, the core of politics is leveraging power and exchanging interests."

Nan Feng jumped down from the armchair and walked up to Qian Renxue.

"The Spirit Hall is now so powerful that the entire continent is struggling to breathe. The Heaven Dou Royal Family is like an ant on a hot pan, desperately needing to find a powerful ally to fight against the Spirit Hall."

"And I, a level 98 Demon God Douluo, and the transcendent Seagod Island that I represent, are undoubtedly the greatest hope and lifeline for the Heaven Dou Royal Family at present."

"At this critical juncture when we desperately crave external assistance, if I, as the representative of Seagod Island, suddenly show that I have extremely high regard for the First Prince Xue Qinghe, and subtly express that Seagod Island prefers that the future Heavenly Dou Empire be inherited by a 'gentle and benevolent' monarch..."

"Do you think that, in order to completely win over the powerful force of Seagod Island, that old emperor Xueye might seriously consider putting you, the originally unfavored eldest prince, directly onto the throne of crown prince?"

Qian Renxue listened to Nan Feng's meticulous analysis of political maneuvering and pondered for a moment.

Undeniably, using the power of Poseidon Island to force Emperor Xueye to compromise was indeed an extremely clever and bloodless political move.

However, Qian Renxue still possessed the pride and absolute power-worshiping blood of the angel race. She raised her head, a hint of confusion and stubbornness flashing in her clear, cold eyes:

"The teacher's plan is indeed ingenious, and it can achieve its goal without bloodshed."

"But since I can directly send people to kill the Second Prince and the Third Prince, eliminating all competitors at the root, why bother going through such a roundabout process of political maneuvering and leveraging power?"

Chapter 152 I hope you have self-awareness

……

Qian Renxue looked at Nan Feng and retorted confidently, "Didn't you always teach me that 'having no other choice is the best choice for the enemy'?"

"As long as I am the only prince left in the Tiandou royal family, then no matter how unwilling that old man Xue Ye is, he will have no choice but to make me the crown prince!"

Why gamble on his vague "I'll think about it"?

Hearing this stubborn answer, Nan Feng stared at Qian Renxue for two seconds.

There was no anger or disappointment in his eyes, only a calm and indifference as if he had already seen through the ending.

"alright."

Nan Feng didn't continue arguing with her on this issue. He shrugged casually: "I'm just offering you a suggestion that's less risky and more rewarding. Since you feel that assassination is more to your liking, and you've already made your decision, then I won't say any more."

"You chose this path yourself. Whether the Heaven Dou Empire will end up as an empty shell because of your actions is your own business."

After saying that, Nan Feng turned around without looking back, put her hands behind her back, and strode out of the study.

Watching Nan Feng's resolute yet somewhat indifferent back, Qian Renxue suddenly felt a pang of panic. She instinctively took a step forward and called out to him urgently:

"Teacher, please wait a moment!"

Nan Feng stopped and turned his head slightly, but did not turn around: "Is there anything else?"

Qian Renxue bit her lower lip, her eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment: "Teacher, I don't understand... why did you suddenly come to tell me all this tonight?"

In Qian Renxue's preconceived notion, her "teacher" had always been extremely arrogant, even to the point of being described as violent and radical!

The lightning war that shook the continent launched by the Spirit Hall against the Clear Sky Sect was orchestrated by him.

Later, in order to help that woman completely regain control of the Papal Palace and the Elder Palace, he chose an extremely cruel and drastic method to crush her biological father, the high and mighty former Pope Qian Xunji, along with his last shred of dignity, into the mire!

In Qian Renxue's mind, Nan Feng was a cold-blooded tyrant who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals and regarded the world as worthless.

“Someone like you…” Qian Renxue stared intently at him, “yet you suddenly come and talk to me at length about ‘political maneuvering’ and ‘stabilizing the court,’ even advising me to abandon the most direct and effective method of assassination and instead take a protracted and unpredictable path of strategy?”

"This is completely unlike your usual style!"

Upon hearing these words, which were almost an interrogation, Nan Feng turned around, his heterochromatic eyes flickering in the swaying candlelight.

“I may act aggressively, and my methods may sometimes be quite unethical. But that doesn’t mean I’m like a barbarian who only knows how to wield a club, and that I see violence as the only way to solve problems!”

"In my eyes, violence, bloodshed, assassination... those things are merely tools to achieve a goal! Tools, you understand? They are shears used to trim excess branches, not a hammer used to smash the entire flowerpot!"

"Tools are meant to be used where they are most needed, not to be shown off or abused."

"I'm asking you." Nan Feng took a step forward, staring intently into Qian Renxue's eyes, "Back then, in the war between the Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Sect, if you, or your father Qian Xunji, had been in command, how would you have fought?"

Before Qian Renxue could answer, Nan Feng gave the answer for her:

"When you have the absolute upper hand, will you give the Haotian Sect a chance to breathe and negotiate? Even when you have the ability to completely annihilate the enemy, will you still leave Tang Xiao and those affiliated sects a way out, or even recruit them into your own forces?"

"No! You only care about the so-called glory of angels and absolute authority, and you will kill without hesitation, even if it means that the Spirit Hall itself is severely weakened and suffers countless casualties!"

"But what is the purpose of war? Is it to kill people?"

"What I seek is never simple destruction! I am trying to leave others a chance to survive and meet their needs while satisfying my own strategic needs at the lowest possible cost! This is called order! This is called united front work!"

"But what about you? Or rather... what about your good father, Qian Xunji?"

Upon hearing the name Qian Xunji, Qian Renxue's face instantly turned pale.

"You Qian family, you exude a disgusting arrogance to your very core!"

Nan Feng said calmly, "In your eyes, as long as you are doing well, as long as the glory of the Spirit Hall can shine on the continent, who cares about how the outside world is suffering from floods and devastation?!"

"Force is the only language you understand, and it's your only reliance! You could even say that you so-called descendants of gods simply cannot survive in this world without the deterrence of violence!"

"You are high and mighty, with yourselves as the absolute and only center. The slightest obstacle, and your first reaction is to draw your sword and kill. To put it bluntly..."

Nan Feng sneered, "He's just a bandit leader in a holy guise!"

"Back then, for a mere 100,000-year-old transformed soul beast, and to satisfy his own pitiful selfish desires, Qian Xunji didn't hesitate to completely break ties with the once-powerful Haotian Sect, causing bloodshed and mutual destruction!"

"So, looking at you now, it's really hard for me not to wonder what kind of person you'll become in the future?"

"If one day, you are presented with both a peaceful and stable world and the grand ambition you are willing to pay any price to achieve, you can only choose one..."

Nan Feng stared intently into her somewhat evasive eyes: "What would you choose?"

"If it were Qian Xunji, I have no doubt that the selfish guy would choose the latter without hesitation. Even if half the people on the entire continent died, as long as it could satisfy his ambition to rule the world, he wouldn't even blink an eye."

"And... what about you, Qian Renxue?"

The study was deathly silent.

Qian Renxue stared blankly at Nan Feng, who was standing in front of her and whose height was less than her waist.

Her mind was in complete chaos, and for a moment she felt somewhat dazed.

She really didn't understand.

She was a devilish teacher with the most radical, even insane, style of behavior, who frequently used "killing the whole family" and "massacring the city and exterminating the clan" as bargaining chips...

An executioner whose hands are stained with countless drops of blood...

At this moment, why would he be standing in the study of the Heavenly Dou Imperial Palace, speaking to her in a compassionate tone about "peace and prosperity" and "misery and suffering"?

Seeing the undisguised confusion and astonishment in Qian Renxue's eyes, Nan Feng's mockery subsided, replaced by an extremely indifferent and frank expression.

"Stop having all those random guesses in your head, and don't misunderstand me."

Nan Feng walked slowly with his hands behind his back, his tone calm.

"I am not telling you this to give you a moral lesson, much less to persuade you to lay down your butcher's knife and become a benevolent monarch who talks a lot about benevolence and morality."

“I don’t care what means you will use to seize power in the future, and I don’t even care what choice you will make between ‘peace and tranquility’ and ‘grand ambitions’.”

Qian Renxue was completely stunned: "Then you..."

"I just hope you can have at least a little self-awareness!"

Nan Feng suddenly raised his voice, his gaze sharp.

"I want you to know exactly what you want! To know whether your ruthless methods are for your own selfish desires or something else! And more importantly, to know clearly what the consequences of every decision you make will ultimately be!"