Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 317 : Succession To The Throne (12)

Chapter 317: Chapter 317 : Succession To The Throne (12)

Xie Jianyu felt extremely tired and sleepy.

He kept drifting in and out of sleep, like an aimless wanderer who had neither destination nor origin.

Excessive drowsiness clouded his mind, lulling him into the comfortable embrace of a dreamless sleep.

By chance, he was roused awake by his elder brother’s incredulous tone.

"Lock down the Golden Dragon Palace?"

Xie Jianshen stared at the alpha in front of him as if the latter had lost his mind.

"Correct. Jianyu is heir to the Dragon Throne, but he cannot ascend the throne right now. Not in his current condition. We need to safeguard the Emperor’s position for him somehow."

Xie Jianshen sighed.

"It does not work that way. You cannot just lock down the entire palace."

"And why not?"

"Do you think that the Golden Dragon Palace holds no practical importance within the Heavenly Realm?

As the nexus of authority within the realm, it bears the weighty responsibility of preserving the delicate equilibrium between all three realms.

If you lock down the palace, you might as well lock down the entire Heavenly Empire. And then, everything will fall into a state of disarray."

Zhang Fengxi snickered at Xie Jianshen. He had expected this kind of answer, after all.

"In that case, Brother-in-law, do you have a better idea?"

"..."

Xie Jianshen went silent.

Judging from his sour facial expression, Zhang Fengxi could tell that he had another solution in mind, but he was reluctant to say it out loud.

"I have a better idea," Xie Jianyu raised his voice all of a sudden.

A gasp escaped their lips as their gazes darted toward the omega lying on the bed, their eyes widening in shock and disbelief.

"Little Yu, how long have you been awake?" "Jianbao! Oh, my baby..."

Zhang Fengxi threw himself across the bed to hug his wife. "Baby, are you in pain? How are you feeling right now?"

Xie Jianshen clicked with his tongue in disapproval. He shoved Zhang Fengxi away none-too-gently.

"Don’t shake him too much. Move away, you are too big."

"....."

What the hell is wrong with the Xie siblings? Zhang Fengxi wondered. The younger one said that he was fat, and the elder one said that he was too big.

Xie Jianshen pressed his head against Xie Jianyu’s forehead.

"Your body temperature is normal," he remarked. "Now that you are awake, you should drink some medicine. I am going to ask Mingyu to bring you a bowl."

"Brother, wait."

Xie Jianyu pulled at Xie Jianshen’s sleeve when the latter turned to leave.

Zhang Fengxi hurried to support Xie Jianyu’s body when he attempted to sit on the bed.

Displeasure was seen across Xie Jianshen’s eyes.

"You just woke up. You need to rest."

"I have rested for an entire day. Brother, you cannot keep avoiding this topic."

"..."

"I need someone suitable to rule over the Heavenly Empire," Xie Jianyu said. "Big Brother, there is no one else but you."

A fleeting flicker of emotion, a ripple across the depths of his eyes, betrayed Xie Jianshen’s momentary inner turmoil at his younger brother’s words. But just as swiftly as it appeared, the disturbance vanished, leaving behind an impenetrable mask of composure.

"What if I refuse?" He asked.

Xie Jianyu’s face hardened.

"Then you need to give me a proper reason for the rejection. I do not take a ’no’ easily for an answer."

Xie Jianshen sneered at Xie Jianyu.

"Little Yu, I say ’no’ whenever I want to. Whether you accept it or not is an entirely different matter."

"Brother, please..."

Xie Jianshen held a hand up.

"Enough," he said. "I do not want to talk about it. I do not want to be an Emperor, and I insist that you keep that position to yourself."

Xie Jianshen left without looking back. Xie Jianyu’s heart lurched to the bottom of his stomach.

"Jianbao, don’t stress about it. Think about the baby."

Zhang Fengxi cradled his wife against his chest.

"I am okay," Xie Jianyu murmured. "Big Brother is not easy to persuade."

"I am surprised," Zhang Fengxi remarked in astonishment. "Originally, I was thinking of having you pass the throne to Jiang Muchen. You did it in our past life, so why did you not suggest it this time around?"

Xie Jianyu shook his head.

"I love Muchen dearly, but he is not yet ready for the burden. Besides, Big Brother has everything it takes to be a Heavenly Emperor. Just not the right gender according to past norms."

The Crown Prince smiled at his husband.

"This time, it is different. If the other eight palaces can accept me, an omega, as their Crown Prince, then they should be able to accept my brother as their Emperor."

Zhang Fengxi squeezed Xie Jianyu’s shoulder lovingly.

"Jianbao, I don’t think it is that easy. Remember that you won the throne fair and square in a large-scale martial arts competition. The acceptance did not come without a price."

Xie Jianshen’s participation in the competition would be a futile endeavor, a mere shadow amidst the formidable contenders.

Only if he could miraculously forge his words into a lethal arsenal of blades might he stand a chance of progressing beyond the initial round.

"It’s alright even if it’s just until I give birth," Xie Jianyu insisted. "My brother has to sit on that throne for the time being."

And possibly for a long, long time after his death. A furrow creased Xie Jianyu’s forehead as the specter of his impending demise once again encroached upon his fragile tranquility.

His gaze pivoted towards his husband, locking onto his eyes with an intensity that conveyed a silent plea.

"This is my wish," he said. "Fengxi, you will support me, right?"

Zhang Fengxi grabbed the back of Xie Jianyu’s neck and locked their lips together in a deep, all-consuming kiss.

"I will. Why wouldn’t I? I swore to serve you. Your will is my command."

While Xie Jianshen continued to express his disagreement toward sitting on the Dragon Throne as an acting Heavenly Emperor, Xie Jianzhi did not stop to rest.

He made use of the current state of disarray to spread a reign of terror, starting with Juhua Palace.