Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1800 - 1793: Conspiracy to Usurp the Throne

Chapter 1800: Chapter 1793: Conspiracy to Usurp the Throne

"Your Majesty uses power to pressure me, thinking that this would make me submit. However, now I am merely five steps away from Your Majesty. If I decide to act, what can Your Majesty do? Or does Your Majesty always believe that I am just a weak scholar who only speaks big truths?"

Luo’er’s words were steady and calm, yet filled with murderous intent. After all, having seen the big world, Emperor Wu was mistaken in trying to oppress Luo’er with power.

"I only want to clarify my thoughts and do not intend to interfere with Your Majesty’s family affairs. Your Majesty can rest assured on this point," Luo’er continued.

"Has the National Advisor been entrusted by the Cabinet?"

Emperor Wu still appeared very cautious.

"I am not familiar with the Cabinet; is Your Majesty worried that I am intentionally prying? If this is the case, why would I go through this trouble?"

"Alas..." Emperor Wu sighed gently, shook his head, and said, "It is better for the National Advisor not to know. If the friend of the National Advisor is indeed a royal noble, it’s best to let him stay away from this place of trouble and not get further trapped in the mire."

"Why does Your Majesty say this?"

After a moment of silence, Emperor Wu looked at Luo’er and asked, "Can I trust the National Advisor?"

"Of course." Luo’er nodded without thinking.

"Will the National Advisor inform the official records of today’s conversation?"

"Your Majesty seems to have a strong opinion on Ichuan Fei."

Luo’er laughed lightly, while Emperor Wu stared at him intently, expressionless and silent.

"I promise, I absolutely will not. I have no entanglement of interests with Ichuan Fei or the Wen Family."

"So the purpose of the National Advisor’s visit is..."

"Our purpose for this journey is solely for long-term peace between Kyushu and West Outer Heaven. If Your Majesty can decide, I would not need to seek help from the Cabinet."

"I am also helpless; it seems the National Advisor will have to depend on the Cabinet,"

Emperor Wu spread his hands, showing a bitter smile.

Although he could use some means, even causing a scene, to force the Cabinet to agree to his requests,

Regarding international affairs like ending disputes with other countries, he had no room to intervene whatsoever.

And most importantly, Emperor Wu had already been practically stripped of administrative power.

Currently, Emperor Wu was only the emperor of the Wu Family. So if he openly opposed the Empire’s continued military actions against West Outer Heaven, it would most likely offend the Wu Family, the basic support that could still uphold him.

In other words, the role of the villain could only be played by the Wen Family Cabinet.

If Emperor Wu also stood up to publicly oppose the conquest of West Outer Heaven, then the Wu Family would definitely believe that Emperor Wu had already completely become a vassal of the Wen Family, although that was already the fact.

Under such circumstances, it would be strange if the Wu Family didn’t cause trouble.

As mentioned before, the Wen Family Cabinet had taken over almost all national functions, handling all sorts of matters independently, even without needing an emperor.

The reason for retaining Emperor Wu was entirely to stabilize the regime. At the very least, to show the Wu Family that the emperor of cultivators was still the highest entity of the Empire.

Looking at Luo’er’s sincere expression, Emperor Wu took a deep breath, sighed again, and shook his head, saying, "In fact, many times, I have many things I want to say, but I can’t find a trustworthy person around me."

"As you can see, the entire palace serves as the eyes and ears of the Wen Family, monitoring my every move and word."

"Even though we are in-laws, I’ve never felt that Ichuan Fei regards me as his uncle. Before my sister married the Hundred Chiefs, she still understood to defend me, yet she soon turned into one of the Wen Family. Whatever grievances I shared with her, they could be passed on to the Hundred Chiefs in the next moment."

"What can I do? There isn’t a single person around me that I can confide in. Any troubles, confusions, or sorrows must stay bottled up inside. Because even if they surfaced on my face, Ichuan Fei could immediately see through them."

Though Emperor Wu diverged more and more off-topic, Luo’er listened quietly without any intention of interrupting.

This respect from Luo’er gave Emperor Wu a sense of comfort, and it seemed to trigger a switch inside him.

After finishing, Emperor Wu was silent for a moment before speaking again, revealing the truth: "As the National Advisor suspects, I do indeed have a brother, only he..."

"Does Your Majesty have any concerns?"

"No, if it’s with the National Advisor, I have no worries. These words have weighed on my heart for so long, causing me discomfort day and night. Every time I dream, I see him..."

After pausing, he continued, "Does the National Advisor know why I am so eager to improve my level?"

"I do not know."

"Alas, my urgency comes from not wanting outsiders to know my true level..."

"I don’t quite understand. After Your Majesty ascended to the throne, you obey the current times and win people’s approval, why are you so concerned about the level?"

"The National Advisor may not know, but every Emperor Wu ascends by force. Though my brother and I share the same father, we are like brothers by blood. He was exceptionally gifted, having achieved Foundation Building in childhood and advancing to Golden Core in his youth. If nothing unexpected happens..."

"Your Majesty’s brother should become the current Emperor Wu?" Luo’er asked tentatively.

"Exactly!"

Emperor Wu nodded and continued, "But now, I have become Emperor Wu while he... I feel guilty towards him, knowing it’s impossible yet still doing it, ruining our brotherly bond."

"Could Your Majesty elaborate?"

Luo’er sensed he was about to touch on a grand conspiracy, possibly one related to Feng, and couldn’t help but continue to ask eagerly.

"My brother, named Bailong An, was remarkably talented and brave. I couldn’t match him, so I focused on literary studies. If nothing unexpected happened, he should have become the Wu Emperor after our father’s death. As for me, I would just quietly do my thing, and I believe my brother would not make things difficult for me."

"But... the Wen Family did not like him, so he was destined not to be Emperor Wu. My literary study was a personal choice, unrelated to the Wen Family. Yet, the Wen Family insisted that I was one of them, so they strongly persuaded me to participate in the duel before the throne to seize the throne from my brother."

"If it were just a duel, I wouldn’t worry, as I was no match for my brother. So it was just going through the motions, and I believe he wouldn’t make things difficult for his elder brother."

"However, how could the Wen Family allow this to happen? They used every dirty trick, poisoning my brother a day before the duel... On the day of the duel, I thought I could easily lose but didn’t expect to knock my brother down with one strike, becoming the present Emperor Wu."

"After ascending the throne, I felt uneasy but always thought this matter was over. Yet, my brother clearly wasn’t reconciled, publicly challenging me to another contest to reclaim the throne."

"The outcome could be imagined by the National Advisor, the Cabinet accused my brother of treason and waged war against him. My brother resisted desperately, resulting in the destruction of offices and dispersed private soldiers. Alas, my brother perished in the chaos, and even my newborn niece was missing..."

After listening to Emperor Wu’s account, Luo’er was furious, unable to resist pounding the table. Although he knew the Wen Family had their reasons, such actions were indeed deserving of contempt.

Evidently, the situation was as they expected: Emperor Wu did indeed have a brother brimming with martial virtue. Because of dissatisfaction with the Wen Family, he fell due to manipulation, ultimately uprooted by the Wen Family.

The Wen Family needed a symbolic mascot, not an Emperor Wu rich in martial virtue.

They feared such an Emperor Wu would further expand the power of the Wu Family, disrupting the political system they painstakingly controlled.

Over the years, many people knew about these matters, including members of the Wen Family and the Wu Family.

Thus, when Feng first showcased his skills on the East Continent, he was immediately recognized by the generals of the Wu Family.

During subsequent wars in West Outer Heaven, they were warned by the Wen Family commanders multiple times.

Clearly, these people knew that Emperor Wu’s brother was dead, but that princess was still alive and could return at any time to claim her uncle’s throne.

The reason for their fear is simple: Emperor Wu’s position could be seized at any moment.