Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

Chapter 354: 354 Strong Empress

The one speaking these words was naturally Yun Xiao. With the soul of the reincarnated Long Xiao Battle God, he wouldn’t be too concerned about a mere Xuanyue Empress and as he stated, in the presence of others, reasoning had to prevail. Blind partiality was entirely inconsistent with the vaunted title of a virtuous Empress.

”What do you count as? How dare you meddle in the affairs of the Royal Family?”

Little did he know, as soon as Yun Xiao finished speaking, the Empress, known for her virtue in the Xuanyue Empire, flipped him a cold look and spoke as if she didn’t even regard this unknown wretch as worthy of her attention.

In fact, the Empress had already reached the Peak of Spirit Vein Realm, a presence that could stand equally against Xuan Haoran. In the eyes of such a powerful figure, a mere cultivator at the Late Stage of Meridian Rushing Realm had no right even to speak.

Had it been any ordinary cultivator at the Late Stage of Meridian Rushing Realm, perhaps under the Empress’s fierce glare and anger, they would’ve retreated and dared not speak again.

But who was Yun Xiao? Not to mention an Empress from an empire of the Hidden Dragon Continent, even the previous Nine-layered Dragon Cloud Canglong Empress had to treat him with utmost respect and dare not offend him.

”Tsk tsk, the Empress really holds great authority. Today I have indeed witnessed it. Does handling state affairs in Xuanyue Empire depend on your voice being loud and fists being strong?”

Under the piercing gaze of the Empress, Yun Xiao couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head, his tone filled with mockery. It made not only the Empress furious, but even Xuan Haoran’s face looked a bit unnatural.

As someone titled as a virtuous Empress, she naturally wouldn’t be unreasonably troublesome. However, since this matter involved her most beloved eldest son, she intended to suppress this nonsensical fellow with her authority first.

Little did she know, her usually triumphant royal majesty not only failed to suppress him but resulted in an extreme rebound. Such a matter shouldn’t be brought to light publicly. Now that it was broken apart, the reasoning became untenable.

”Empress, do not be disrespectful. This is Mr. Bo Ku. Jing’er’s illness was controlled by him!”

At this point, Xuan Haoran finally had no choice but to intervene and mediate, especially now when Ran Xing had become a formidable enemy to the Royal Family and Jing’er’s illness depended solely on Bo Ku, someone he couldn’t afford to deeply offend.

Moreover, given that today’s incident originated from the Crown Prince’s fault, the Empress unleashing her fury upon arriving, if this spread, not just the Empress’s reputation as a virtuous Empress would be at risk, but his title as a wise ruler would also face great danger.

But what Xuan Haoran didn’t realize was that his words not only didn’t soothe the Empress’s anger but made her view on this so-called ’Bo Ku’ even worse.

Though the Empress didn’t know that Jing’er fell into a coma because her beloved son had been meddling in secret, she had seen over the years how Jing’er’s mental cultivation grew, increasingly posing a threat to the Crown Prince.

Jing’er’s mysterious severe illness was indeed a pleasant sight for the Empress. She would’ve preferred if Second Prince met King Yan sooner. Just at this crucial moment, an unknown person revived him, how could she possibly be pleased?

”Empress, this time, it’s truly Jiuding’s fault. Our Xuanyue Royal Family has always been fair and strict, we cannot distort right and wrong!”

Xuan Haoran, seeing the Empress’s expression and knowing she was still unsettled, had to uphold justice even though it involved his most beloved elder son, especially in the presence of others, he wouldn’t condone favoritism.

”Empress Dowager...”

Hearing Xuan Haoran’s stern words, Xuan Jiuding’s heart jumped severely. But just as he began to speak two words, he was interrupted by the Empress waving her hand.

”Fine, since you all want to talk reason, then I will talk reason with you!”

The Empress shot Yun Xiao a sharp glance, then continued: ”I ask you, can any evidence prove that Jiuding covertly planned to harm the Second Prince, and who has personally heard Jiuding and Ran Xing’s conspiracy?”

The assertive Empress spoke smoothly, and these questions made even Yun Xiao frown slightly. Such matters, unless directly involving Jiuding and Ran Xing, how could outsiders know?

”If there’s no such thing, then you are slandering. Hehe, slandering a dignified Crown Prince, what punishment should be meted out?”

Towards the end, the Empress’s voice suddenly rose, turning defense into offense. Her gaze piercing fixedly on the calmly standing Yun Xiao, intending to crush this troublesome man with one heavy blow.

Within a few words, the situation reversed; the Empress demonstrated her adept handling for the first time in front of Yun Xiao. Her intelligence was perhaps much stronger than even Xuan Jiuding’s.

”Empress, although we indeed don’t have the evidence you mentioned, it is true that Jiuding invited Ran Xing here, and his actions against Jing’er were personally witnessed by me. Surely this can’t be denied?”

Xuan Haoran, seemingly ignore the accusations from the Empress, extended his hand towards Xuan Jiuding, perhaps only a wise ruler like him could put aside personal feelings and rely solely on facts.

”What of it? At most, it can only be said that Jiuding misjudged people and recognized a villain by mistake, but the crime of secretly harming the empire’s prince is not something my son and I can bear!”

Empress’s almond eyes rolled, and her former assertiveness seemed diminished. It appeared she also knew that in the end, this matter could not be completely dissociated from Xuan Jiuding; she simply wished to minimize her beloved son’s charges.

As such, Xuan Haoran finally found a way out. He glanced at Yun Xiao then turned his head, speaking solemnly, ”Jiuding, this time you failed to discern a person’s true character and thus befriended a villain, I sentence you to three months of solitary reflection. Do you have any objections?”

”This...”

Upon hearing this, Xuan Jiuding hesitated. Previously, he held a position second only to one, and now he was being asked to reflect in solitude for three months—wasn’t that akin to relinquishing his power for such a time?

”You can disagree, but if that is the case, then I will turn the Xuanyue Empire upside down until we find Ran Xing and bring the truth to light!”

Seeing Xuan Jiuding’s hesitation, a flash of sharpness appeared in Xuan Haoran’s eyes. With these words spoken, the Crown Prince shuddered, no longer daring to defy.

”This son respectfully obeys the imperial command, thank you, Your Majesty!”

Xuan Jiuding was guilty; Ran Xing was not present to confirm the truth, but if, as Xuan Haoran said, they exhaust the nation’s resources to capture Ran Xing, even the Empress might not be able to plead on his behalf in the face of facts.

Furthermore, from Xuan Haoran’s words, Xuan Jiuding sensed an implicit meaning: if he admitted his guilt, perhaps Xuan Haoran would go easy on Ran Xing, thereby resolving his own crisis.

Indeed, that was Xuan Haoran’s intent. As the sovereign and a wise ruler, he knew the true nature of the matter. From today onwards, he feared he could no longer trust Xuan Jiuding like before.

Yet, as the King of Xuanyue, Xuan Haoran had to uphold the dignity of the Royal Family. News of such fratricidal strife, if leaked, could instantly make the Xuanyue Empire the laughing stock and even incite actions from rival empires.

Xuan Jiuding was indeed too ruthless at times, but his capabilities in governance over the years were undeniable. These Xuan Haoran had seen, and thinking of his limited lifespan, some matters indeed could not be handled impulsively as in his youth.

This verdict, undoubtedly, made the Empress somewhat dissatisfied but was still within her acceptable range. After all, Xuan Jiuding’s position as the Crown Prince was secured, and merely three months of solitary reflection was not too severe.

Truly dissatisfied, however, was Consort Su. Such an ironclad case was significantly downplayed after Empress’s intervention, nearly resulting in complete dismissal.

This disparity was created by status and power. If Consort Su had been the Empress, if she possessed the peak strength of the Spirit Vein Realm, today’s outcome for Xuan Jiuding would likely not have been so easily settled.

In contrast, Yun Xiao seemed indifferent to this royal strife. He wasn’t concerned about these royal conflicts—if not for his slight friendship with Xuan Jing, he probably wouldn’t have stepped into the Imperial Palace again.

Yet, as he witnessed the Empress and Xuan Jiuding leaving the bedchamber composedly, a glint flashed in Yun Xiao’s eyes. This mother and son being so dominant, if they truly came to power, it probably wouldn’t bode well for him.

”Mr. Bo Ku, my apologies for what you’ve witnessed!”

After seeing off the Empress and her son, Xuan Haoran turned around and spoke with some remorse. In his view, this matter indeed had little to do with Bo Ku, who only needed to cure Xuan Jing’s illness.

”Heh, it seems that although Your Majesty is the ruler of a nation, there are still times when you are powerless to act!”

Yun Xiao was noncommittal but made a pointed remark that embarrassed Xuan Haoran, clearly mocking his lack of impartiality.

”Alas, my poor Jing’er!”

Consort Su, standing aside, could say little, only lamenting the plight of the less powerful. Even with the moral high ground, they could only watch the perpetrator leave triumphantly, powerless to do anything.

Yun Xiao held no animosity towards this ruler of Xuanyue. He knew that Xuan Haoran did not have many years left and had to compromise for the sake of the royal family.

When Yun Xiao’s gaze turned to Xuan Jing on the bed, however, a different thought arose: compared to Crown Prince Xuan Jiuding, his impression of Xuan Jing was entirely different. Given a choice, he would rather have him as the next ruler.

But with the Empress as a strong backer for Xuan Jiuding, judging by the earlier situation where Consort Su dared not speak up in front of the Empress, the disparity was evident.

Since he did not have strong support, Yun Xiao was clear that if Xuan Jing wished to replace Xuan Jiuding as the heir to the empire, he had to rely on his own merit. Now, an opportunity lay before him; if successful, the fate of this Second Prince might quietly change.