Chapter 846: The Fourth Prince's Scheme

The Fourth Prince had planted an informant among the Second Prince’s retainers, so he knew everything that had transpired during the Second Prince's banquet for Lu Yang that day with absolute clarity.

"Lu Yang was able to turn the tables on his host in an incredibly short span of time; such calculation is truly admirable, and even Second Brother, always known for his meticulous cunning, fell into his trap."

Knowing that Lu Yang was a difficult adversary, the Fourth Prince had spent several consecutive days sending gifts to the Meng manor to demonstrate his goodwill.

By now, he felt his goodwill had been sufficiently demonstrated, and he could proceed to the next step of his plan.

"Brother Lu Yang, I have long heard your great name, and seeing you today, your demeanor is indeed extraordinary!" Just like the Second Prince, to show his high regard, the Fourth Prince stood at the entrance to welcome him, though he greeted him with the etiquette of the martial world, appearing less like a noble prince and more like a chivalrous outlaw of the greenwood.

The world rumored that he acted with magnanimity and befriended others without regard for their high or low status, but in truth, everyone he associated with served a purpose for him, and to that end, he had even sworn brotherhood with many utterly unremarkable cultivators to mask his true intentions.

Meng Jingzhou had entered a temporary secluded cultivation, so the Immortal Fairy had not called upon him.

Furthermore, the Immortal Fairy felt it made little difference whether she called Meng Jingzhou or not, for within her spiritual space, she had the Second Boss to strategize for her.

Though the Second Boss's wisdom was inferior to her own, he could still serve as a reference.

The Fourth Prince secretly observed the Immortal Fairy’s demeanor, only to find her entirely unmoved by his praise, which he inevitably found somewhat peculiar.

The Immortal Fairy also thought the Fourth Prince was peculiar, wondering why he was speaking so much truth right to her face—was this not something everyone already knew, and wasn't it rather tedious?

The Fourth Prince felt that Lu Yang was indeed elusive, leaving him with no choice but to continue, "Brother Lu, please, come inside quickly."

The Fourth Prince’s official residence featured winding streams, landscaped gardens, and musicians playing melodies that harmonized perfectly with the surroundings, creating quite an elegant ambiance.

Not a few cultivators were gathered here at the Fourth Prince's residence, among whom the scions of prominent families formed only a small fraction; the majority consisted of brothel owners, teahouse masters, painters, physicians, and even matchmakers.

These were all friends who had shared life-and-death bonds with the Fourth Prince and were absolutely worthy of trust.

Distinct from the atmosphere of the music played by the musicians, the Immortal Fairy could sense that upon her arrival, everyone looked at her with a highly tense expression.

The Fourth Prince invited Lu Yang to the seat of honor next to his, while he himself took the host's central seat.

Once the Fourth Prince was seated, the atmosphere seemed to ease considerably, and fine wine and delicacies were served as if they cost nothing, a spread even more sumptuous than what she had eaten at the East Sea Old Dragon Emperor's birthday banquet.

Of course, this was partly because the Fourth Prince did not have as many guests as the Old Dragon Emperor's banquet.

Although the standard of these spiritual foods was average and the Immortal Fairy regarded them with much disdain, considering that eating these things could indeed help Lu Yang increase his cultivation base, she could only resolve to eat them.

Cups clashed and conversations flowed, and from time to time, performers used magical arts and divine abilities to enliven the atmosphere, filling the hall with continuous laughter and joy.

Suddenly, stirred by the scene, the Fourth Prince set down his bronze wine cup and let out a long sigh.

"What a pity, I fear it will be very difficult for us to have such gatherings in the days ahead."

The moment these words were uttered, the atmosphere in the hall grew instantly heavy, and the guests all put down their chopsticks, staring in unison at the Fourth Prince.

Before coming, they had roughly guessed the reason why the Fourth Prince had gathered them here; this was to conspire for a great matter.

"Why does Your Highness say this?" someone asked loudly.

The Fourth Prince looked at everyone with a complex gaze, then cast a glance at the Immortal Fairy, who kept her head down eating, before snatching up his wine cup and throwing it back in a fierce gulp.

Perhaps the words to follow were too treasonous, requiring the courage born of wine to proceed.

"Imperial Father’s lifespan is dwindling, yet as his son, I can offer no help at all; watching Imperial Father grow older day by day, I find no peace in sleep or food."

"In my slumbers, I often dream of Imperial Father’s passing, and of Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother fighting for the throne until the people have no livelihood left; I awaken in the middle of the night, drenched in a cold sweat of terror."

"I often think that Imperial Father loves his people like his own children and would certainly never wish to witness such a scene; I desire to change all this, but alas, I am isolated and weak, so how can I interfere in the struggle for the throne?"

"When that time comes and the Great Xia falls into turmoil, we who care for the world, how can we sit here drinking and making merry?"

As the crowd envisioned the scene described by the Fourth Prince, they bowed their heads one after another, and some even shed sorrowful tears with genuine emotion.

The Immortal Fairy lifted her head slightly, unable to fathom how they had suddenly begun putting on a play out of nowhere.

Forget it, it had nothing to do with her anyway, so the Immortal Fairy lowered her head again to continue helping Lu Yang eat.

The Fourth Prince, naturally, did not know the Immortal Fairy’s thoughts; seeing Lu Yang look up, he assumed Lu Yang was beginning to take an interest in them.

Below, a middle-aged gentleman who appeared quite learned spoke up, "If we speak of a method, there is actually one, but this method is treasonous and cannot be implemented."

The Fourth Prince said urgently, "Mister Lu, please speak."

"It cannot be spoken." Mister Lu continued to shake his head.

"No matter how treasonous it may be, can it possibly compare to the well-being of the myriad citizens of the world?" Under the Fourth Prince’s continuous pressing, Mister Lu finally revealed the plan.

"If we desire peace in the world, then there must be an undisputed common master of the realm to inherit the throne, which should rightfully be His Highness the Eldest Prince; however, the Second Prince and Third Prince will certainly not sit idle, and thus the struggle for the throne arises."

"As long as the three princes lose their eligibility to compete for the throne, this throne will naturally belong to you."

Hearing this, the Fourth Prince wished to voice a protest, but as if Mister Lu had long known what the Fourth Prince would say, he continued, "I know Your Highness has no desire to vie for the throne, but for the sake of the common people, it must be so."

The Fourth Prince opened his mouth, wanting to utter words of refutation, but when the words reached his lips, they seemed utterly powerless; moreover, with his staunch friends gazing at him with expectant eyes, how could words of refusal be spoken?

"Let it be, let it be." The Fourth Prince bowed his head as if resigning himself to fate.

Immediately after, he asked again, "But how are we to make my three brothers give up the throne?"

The crowd fell silent; this was the most difficult part.

The Fourth Prince turned his head to inquire of the Immortal Fairy, "Brother Lu Yang, do you have a solution?"

Hearing herself being questioned, the Immortal Fairy slurped a mouthful of noodles and looked up at the Fourth Prince, "It's very simple, wouldn't a rebellion do the trick?"

Lu Yang originally thought the Fourth Prince would reveal a shocked expression, but unexpectedly, the Fourth Prince looked as though he had long anticipated the Immortal Fairy would answer this way, and continued to ask.

"Then are you willing to help me?"

The Fourth Prince had been waiting precisely for this answer from Lu Yang; according to the intelligence gathered from the Second Prince's side, Lu Yang frequently used rebellion and the establishment of a new dynasty as a rhetorical pretext to cleverly evade the issue of vying for the throne, leaving the Second Prince too intimidated to converse deeply with Lu Yang.

But the issue was that he truly harbored the intention to rebel!

Without a rebellion, he had absolutely no chance of inheriting the throne.

If Lu Yang answered "unwilling," it would prove he was merely talking big, and he would have other means to force him to choose a side.

If Lu Yang, for the sake of appearances, insisted on saying "willing," that would be even better; it would directly drag Lu Yang into the mire and force him to stand on his side.

"Sure." The Immortal Fairy agreed readily, for this suited her intentions perfectly.