Chapter 410: The Throne
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
"Your filial piety is admirable. However, you should know what your father thinks about this war. The war is coming to an end and the defeat of the Great Xia Dynasty is inevitable. This is all your work. Do you really want to let your useless father rule for the next decade?" The man in black clenched his fists as he smirked.
"So what? He is my father, the one who took care of me!" Shan Ling's gaze was filled with determination.
Even though he had committed multiple sins to become the Crown Prince...
But...
The battle for the throne was always a brutal one. As such, he was doing no wrong in fighting for it.
Furthermore, he would never let his two elder brothers rule this land. They were lacklustre and had no ambition.
The Southern Region was a natural fortress.
However, it was equally dangerous. It was only right that they tried to ensure the safety of the population, but they had no idea how to prosper.
Only when one was powerful could one best protect this treasured land.
Shan Ling fought for the position of heir for this ideal. The Southern Region also began to prosper under his leadership.
That was how they managed to get here.
But, killing his own father!
That was something he could not bring himself to do.
It would make him no better than a beast.
Even his most loyal subordinates would not do this for him. The only way to do it was if he did it himself.
However, if he was found out, he would never be able to show his face in the Southern Region ever again.
"Haha... and now you're talking about kinship? What about the time you setup your eldest brother, Shan Jia? Where was the kinship then? What about the time you chased your second brother away?" The man in black snickered.
"What are you talking about? My eldest brother committed a sin. He got what he deserved, what does that have to do with me? Furthermore, he escaped on his own, and took away..." Shan Ling's expression changed, sweat breaking out on his forehead.
"You want to say that he took away the prized jade flute of the Southern Region?" A jade green flute appeared in the hands of the black-robed man.
"This... you... how did you..." Shan Ling's eyes widened. He knew that this was Shan Jia's property.
The Jade Bamboo Flute.
One of the treasures of the Southern Region.
This was an heirloom. It could rally beasts into an army. However, it had disappeared with Shan Jia over a decade ago.
"10 years ago, you were not even 20 years old, yet you could think of such an ingenious plan! That is admirable! What was the plan? Oh, yes... you got Shan Jia drunk, that had him sleep with your father's favorite concubine. Then, you had your second brother catch them in the act. However, you knew that they were close, so your second brother would never rat him out. Shan Jia could never stay in the Southern Region after that incident. He left the region and your second brother lost the trust of your father. Are you not afraid that your father will strip you of your title if he found out?" The black robed man recounted the incident, toying with the flute in his hand.
"Impossible! All of the elders are loyal to me and he is a mere figurehead. My position is as stable as a mountain. Furthermore, I will let him be Emperor whilst I conquer lands for him. He will be able to enjoy his old age! What... what else could he possibly want? Is a lady worth more than all these?" Shan Ling's tone was agitated.
"The throne? Do you really think that your father wants this position? If I am correct, your father is currently meeting with the Minister of Rites from the Great Xia! They are probably talking peace terms!" The black robed man chuckled icily.
Shan Ling's expression froze as he fell silent.
In fact, he did not need the black-robed man to remind him. He had known about this from the moment the Minister of Rites entered the city.
But, what could he do?
Peace!
Without his approval, there would be no peace!
"Crown Prince, my 50,000 strong Demon army is already at the gates of your city. Your 20,000 men will never hold them. Half of the city is already in my control. If you resist, your men will be torn apart. That would not be good for relations." The black robed man advised.
"Relations? The Demons went back on their word, and now you want to talk about relations?" Shan Ling knew that he could not hold the city.
"That's where you are wrong. The Demons have always kept their promises. However, my lord is not comfortable with your father ruling. We... are just thinking on your behalf." The black robed man continued.
"Hahaha... you have a 50,000 strong army sieging my city and you claim to be thinking for me?" Shan Ling chuckled.
"We are just afraid that you will not agree to our terms. Actually, it is very simple. As long as you kill the king, we will leave immediately. You will become the king of the Southern Region, and we will be allies. What do you think?" The black robed man added sincerely.
"Bullsh*t! Do you really think that I am dumb? If I kill the king, I will always be threatened by the Demons. King... hahaha, even if I was king, I would just be a puppet!" Shan Ling burst out laughing.
"I do not understand what the Crown Prince means. What puppet? You will still have control over your army and we will not interfere. We already agreed to be allies for life. If you have no intention of taking advantage of us, why are you afraid of us?" The black robed man shook his head.
Shan Ling bit his lip.
He wanted to take advantage of the Demons, but he could not say it.
"Do you really think that your 50,000 soldiers will threaten me? You are not wrong, the six elders are all here. However, are you certain that I do not have a backup plan?" Shan Ling raised his head after a full 15 minutes of thought.
"The Southern Region is vast, but you have few people. You have about 450,000 soldiers in total. 30,000 of those are garrison forces. You have about another 80,000 soldiers in each of the four major settlements. That accounts for about 350,000 of your soldiers. There are 20,000 guarding the city right now for a total of 370,000. If I am not mistaken, you are referring to Princess Shan Yu's 80,000 elite soldiers to the east?" The black-robed man's eyes glimmered.
"You... I heard that the Young Master of the Demons could account for all variables. I never expected that you already accounted for my trump card. So what? I have already given the order and the army is coming to reinforce. As long as I can hold out for an hour and 15 minutes, they will arrive and pincer you in. Don't forget that this is the Southern Region. Even though the Great Xia controls the Icy Monkey Settlement, they will not hold it for long. When my 320,000 soldiers take it back and charge towards this city, how many of your soldiers will live then?"
"Hahaha..." The black robed man chuckled loudly when he heard this, almost as though he had just heard the greatest joke. "You know that our Young Master has accounted for all variables? Hahaha... since you know that, you should know that we know all your plans. Why are you so naive?"
"Naive? You... what other schemes do you have!" Shan Ling's expression changed.
"Crown Prince, if I were you, I would obediently go to the throne room and kill the Minister of Rites. Hang his head on the city wall, then kill your useless father. Finally, choose a prosperous date to take the throne. I'm sure you'll see that that is the best option." The black robed man sat back down and waited patiently.
Shan Ling's expression was solemn, his fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly. Blood was trickling from his lips.
He did not know...
He didn't know what the Demons were up to this time.
"Sister... sister, you are my last hope. Nothing can happen to you!" Shan Ling looked out the window and heard the sounds of death.
Shan Ling.
He was a person who would do anything for the throne.
This time, he had placed all of his cards and faith into one person, his sister.
Princess Shan Yu!
One of the most talented people in the country. Someone who should have been the heir but could not because she was female.