Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 263 : Ties (2)

Chapter 263: Chapter 263 : Ties (2)

Head Eunuch Wang appeared not long afterward to pick Xie Jianzhi up.

"His Majesty is waiting to see Your Highness in his study," the old eunuch said. His words revealed nothing about the Heavenly Emperor’s current state of mind.

Xie Jianzhi’s steps echoed along the corridor as he walked behind Head Eunuch Wang. The head eunuch himself did not make any noise when he moved.

Xie Jianzhi held his breath and tried his best to calm down.

His father.

He was going to meet his father for the first time.

Xie Jianzhi did not know what he expected. Considering that this alpha abandoned him and his mother when he was only three years old, it might be unreasonable to expect a warm hug and loving words.

Xie Jianzhi tightened his fists so hard that his fingernails dug into his palms.

But he was the only alpha son this father had!

Surely that must mean something, right?

Surely his father would welcome him with open arms?

He was the rightful heir to the throne!

The door of the study opened.

Xie Jianzhi raised his head and stared ahead of him.

Sitting behind a lavish ornamental desk was none other than the Heavenly Emperor, the ruler of the Heavenly Realm. The imposing presence and intimidating aura that emanated from his figure suppressed Xie Jianzhi in a way he never expected.

That’s right, he thought to himself.

Xie Jianyu and Xie Jianshen -- particularly Xie Jianshen -- were intimidating in their own ways, but they were mere omegas. In the end, only alphas were fit to rule.

The Heavenly Emperor stared at his illegitimate son with an unreadable expression. When the door closed behind him, for a split second Xie Jianzhi was overcome with fear. He was suddenly not that confident anymore.

Alphas could sniff out fear from far away.

The Heavenly Emperor harrumphed and asked without any trace of warmth, "Why are you here?"

Xie Jianzhi braced himself and spoke, "Imperial Father, I am here to make a report. This morning, the Crown Prince left Fuxi Palace."

"..."

The Emperor pinned him with a stare but said nothing in reply.

"I... I am concerned," Xie Jianzhi ended weakly. "It seems that the Fuxi Palace has been abandoned by its master."

The Emperor scoffed.

"Don’t be ridiculous. Fuxi Palace Master is still the Crown Prince."

Xie Jianzhi was left speechless. Did the Emperor not hear the part when he said that the Crown Prince left the palace?

And then it dawned on him.

"I... I expressed myself inaccurately," he said in a voice that already lost half of his initial confidence. "What I meant was that the Crown Prince left and did not plan to come back."

A flicker of understanding that gleamed in the Emperor’s eyes encouraged Xie Jianzhi to continue speaking.

"Maybe the Crown Prince is unable to handle the burden for the time being. After all, he is pregnant."

Xie Jianzhi hoped that the Emperor understood what he was implying.

An omega was not fit to be the Crown Prince.

An omega was not fit to rule an entire palace.

He, Xie Jianzhi, the only other alpha of the Xie family, stood right there.

He could do it for sure.

Against Xie Jianzhi’s expectations, the Emperor did not jump to that conclusion. The elder alpha instead leaned back in his cushioned seat and stared at Xie Jianzhi.

"Is that all?"

Xie Jianzhi gritted his teeth.

"I can help," he offered himself with every bit of courage in his body.

"I... I am an alpha. I can serve as the Fuxi Palace Master for the time being."

And also the Crown Prince.

"Father, please..."

"Don’t call me that," the Emperor snapped, his words cutting into Xie Jianzhi’s heart like an ice blade.

"..."

Xie Jianzhi’s blood froze in his veins when he heard the Emperor’s cold words. Don’t call him "Father"? But...

"Fuxi Palace belongs to Jianyu," the Emperor emphasized, leaving no room for an argument. "And so is the Crown Prince position."

"He is an omega," Xie Jianzhi said, as if the Emperor was not aware of this fact.

"And?" The elder alpha stared at him. His eyes did not contain the slightest bit of fatherly love.

"Never mind," Xie Jianzhi said.

It was all for naught.

His hope.

His dreams.

Everything was crushed into dust when he met with his biological father.

Although Xie Jianzhi was an alpha, he was an illegitimate child.

An illegitimate child could not compare to a legitimate child.

This was why a mere omega such as Xie Jianshen looked down at him.

They knew.

They all knew.

Including Xie Jianyu.

Xie Jianzhi left with extreme disappointment weighing in his heart.

When he walked past the gate again, the two guards already had a complete change of attitude.

"Prince Xie Jianzhi, please do not take offense to our rude behavior previously," the guard who shoved him said. One could see that he was bathed in cold sweat the entire time.

"Yes, yes. We were just doing our job. Your Highness, please do not be angry at us," the other guard flashed him an apologetic smile.

Xie Jianzhi sneered at the sycophants in disdain.

"Be mindful of your actions in the future," he said. "Otherwise, your heads might just roll to the ground."

The two guards turned pale from fright.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

"We will take your advice to heart!"

Xie Jianzhi walked away from the gate.

He stood at the top of the stairway, overlooking the beautiful Golden Dragon City underneath.

So what if the Emperor did not pay attention to him?

He was still a prince, illegitimate or not.

Xie Jianshen was only an omega, and he already married into Shuiran Palace.

Xie Jianyu too, was married to Longjing Palace. He might be the Crown Prince, and a future Heavenly Emperor, but his child would be a tiger.

So who would succeed the throne next, a tiger or a dragon?

Xie Jianzhi smiled to himself.

The answer was pretty clear.

"Young prince."

Xie Jianzhi turned his head toward the cloud carriage that stood to his right side.

Liu Yichen pulled the window curtain aside and gave him a mysterious smile.

"Why don’t you come visit me now? Let’s have a little chat over at Wuyang Palace."