Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 820 - 820 0506 Crown Prince Bows His Head_1

Chapter 820: Chapter 0506: Crown Prince Bows His Head_1 Chapter 820: Chapter 0506: Crown Prince Bows His Head_1 Chapter 0506: The Crown Prince Bows His Head

“Prince Zhao, you truly have audacity,” a red-robed official standing by the Crown Prince’s side berated. “The Crown Prince is chosen by His Majesty from among many princes according to the ancestral laws. He is beloved and supported by all officials and citizens of the Great Zhao Nation. You claim to be purifying the royal side, but starting a rebellion is already wrong. Now, you even dare to covet the position of the Crown Prince and dream of having him cede his position as heir to you. You are truly disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unjust. The people of the world will undoubtedly seek justice against you.”

“Prince Zhao, he is the Crown Prince’s father-in-law and also the Minister of Rites, a staunch member of the Crown Prince Faction. Don’t listen to his nonsense,” Marquis Ma, standing next to Prince Zhao, hurriedly briefed the prince on the man’s background.

Prince Zhao wanted to reason with the Crown Prince further, but at this moment, Qi Tian was growing impatient. He stepped forward and said, “Listen, all of you on the walls, I don’t care what your former ranks were or what interests you have with the Crown Prince. I’m giving you one opportunity: those who are willing to surrender, come down from the walls now. Prince Zhao will not hold your past against you and can still keep using you. But if you continue to be deluded and insist on backing the Crown Prince, don’t blame me for giving you no chance. When the time comes to execute you, do not cry injustice.”

The Crown Prince had seen Qi Tian earlier. He had no intention of speaking, but when he heard Qi Tian’s warning, full of hatred, he could no longer contain himself. Looking down from on high, he pointed at Qi Tian and cursed, “Qi Tian, shut your mouth. In my entire life, I’ve never seen a shameless scoundrel like you. Ask yourself, if it weren’t for your underhanded tactics, how could the Great Zhao Nation have succumbed to such widespread and bloody turmoil, causing countless deaths? How many innocent citizens have been left homeless, their families torn apart and decimated, all because of you? You are the creator of this tyranny, and you must bear the karmic consequences.”

Qi Tian simply smiled faintly and said, “Crown Prince, the outcome today is the result of the malevolent seed you sowed with your past actions, which has led to this. Both you and I know the details, and I believe everyone on the walls is also aware of the reasons. I don’t want to waste words explaining further. I will reiterate one last time, if you persist in your delusions and wish to stand with the Crown Prince, I can assure you that not only will you die today, but your families will also join you in burial. If we find evidence of your corruption and miscarriage of justice, we will exterminate all your kin without mercy. Now, I will count to ten for the last time; choose for yourselves. Ten, nine…”

Qi Tian disregarded everything and simply began to count.

“Qi Tian, you are a cultivator; how can you extend your hand into the matter of the heir’s deposition and establishment? Aren’t you afraid of provoking the wrath of the entire world?” another red-robed official shouted.

Qi Tian did not respond to him and merely continued counting.

Prince Zhao shook his head secretly. These court officials were used to being high and mighty, yet they had forgotten a fundamental truth: this is a world where the strong prey on the weak. Setting aside the current incident, the Crown Prince handled affairs unfairly, previously sacrificing Qi Tian. Even without these events, with the strength Qi Tian possessed today, who in the Great Zhao Nation could stand in his way? The fact that the Crown Prince and his supporters were trying to reason with Qi Tian was not only foolish but also too late.

As Qi Tian was about to finish counting to ten, those red-robed officials exchanged glances uncertainly. They didn’t know whether they should heed Qi Tian’s words and leave the walls. There were two to three hundred people gathered on the walls, many of whom were princes and high-ranking officials of the Great Zhao Nation. The death of just one could shock the nation for half a year. If Qi Tian were to kill them all, wouldn’t the Great Zhao Nation fall into chaos?

Just then, a voice that no one expected to hear rang out, “Qi Tian, stop counting. I will listen to you; I am coming down now.”

Seeing the speaker, the Crown Prince almost spat out a mouthful of blood. No matter what, he could not have anticipated that among so many people on the walls, with no one else showing signs of movement, it would be his own younger brother, Prince Duan, who was the first to step forward, ready to submit and bow his head to Qi Tian.

Prince Duan, unlike Prince Zhao, was born of the same mother and father as the Crown Prince—a full brother and a prince personally appointed by Emperor Tian Rui. In terms of intimacy and blood relationship, one could search the entire court and still not find a closer candidate than Prince Duan. What was most unacceptable to the Crown Prince was the feud between him and Qi Tian, which had arisen not because of anyone else but precisely because of Prince Duan. Prince Duan once enslaved civilians, causing the death and injury of dozens. Qi Tian encountered this, taught Prince Duan’s subordinates a harsh lesson, and when Prince Duan complained, the Crown Prince, in order to protect his brother, twisted the truth and backed Prince Duan. He not only shielded Prince Duan but also aimed to severely punish Qi Tian, concocting several schemes to put him to death. This was the root of their deadly enmity.

For this reason, Prince Duan should have been the Crown Prince’s most steadfast supporter. Others might surrender and submit to Qi Tian, but Prince Duan could not. Yet, reality was harsh; while others had not yet shown any sign of surrender, Prince Duan was the first to step out and succumb to Qi Tian. How could the Crown Prince not feel rage to the point of spitting blood?

Qi Tian recognized Prince Duan and coldly stated, “Others can surrender, but Prince Duan need not bother. Gao Jinmei, Jin Jin, Wang Youjun, the time has come. Since no one is willing to surrender to Prince Zhao, then send them on their way.”