"Confidential? Prince Wen, you forgot that you made a business deal with a criminal of the Empire. Moreover, what proof is there that you aren't lying to hide the bribe?" The Crown Prince took the chance and pointed his finger at him. He felt like he was really on a roll today, first his third brother and now, the second brother.
Unfortunately for him, Shang Wen isn't like the third prince who keeps everyone shut their mouths with his intellect. The second prince is a completely straightforward type.
He gave a quick reply with a bold question, shaking the hearts of everyone present in the courtroom, including his father, "Proof? Let me ask you a question. I want to ask you. Is there proof that you are his majesty's real blood? You haven't awakened our famed Phoenix Bloodline. So, why shouldn't we assume that the Empress had committed adultery?"
"You bastard… How dare you insult my mother?" The Crown Prince was naturally infuriated. The ether energy erupted from, revealing his beginner stage six-circle realm cultivation.
He didn't care about his surroundings.
"Stand down, Zexi." The Emperor's roar filled the entire courtroom. Everyone shuddered for a second.
The Crown Prince stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at his father, who himself looked very angry. On the other hand, the second prince calmly stared at the Emperor as if nothing fazed him.
"Shang Wen, I know what you are hinting at. But, your choice of words is inappropriate. After this, you'll come with me and personally apologize to the Empress." The Emperor's voice turned cold while he's barely controlling his rage.
The second prince then stared at his father and replied, "You haven't even listened to my words completely. Once I'm finished, you can judge whether my words are appropriate.
I'm not insulting the Empress. But, I'm asking a question. The proof of your blood, the blood of ancestors is certainly the Phoenix Bloodline. But, what if one doesn't awaken the bloodline? What proof is there? It's the character, Your Majesty. One's actions throughout their lifetime decide what kind of person he/she is.
Whether it is the Empress or the Queen consorts, their upright moral character and loyalty to the Emperor state that whether any children of the Imperial family is indeed your child whether they awakened the ancient Phoenix Bloodline or not."
The second prince then turned towards the crown prince whose anger isn't subsidized yet, "you became a crown prince just because you were born the eldest. However, I didn't become a General because I was a prince. I worked hard and through my actions, I proved myself to the Empire and became the General of the South.
Whether it is a member of the imperial family, a noble, an official, soldier in my regiment, or even a commoner living in the outer sector, everyone knows about my character. I never lied in my life.
Living far away from my home, I spent my life there on the border, protecting the Empire from the beasts, bandits, and hostile forces all my life.
And you asked me the proof that I didn't take the bribe? In my eyes, this is the same thing as asking you about the identity of your blood.
As for confidentiality, do you report to the Emperor about every garment that you bought in a store? Do you report every food that you eat at the restaurant? It is the same for me. It is my money, earned by my efforts and hard work. I paid it in exchange for something in return. Why do I have to report to you or the Empire for that matter regarding the details?
It's not like I'm required to pay the taxes like others to report my financial status.
And dealing with a criminal? For god sake, you are a crown prince of the Phoenix Empire. The Emperor is the soul, the Grand Secretariat is the brain, the Supreme Commander is the heart, and the Crown Prince is considered as the face of the Empire.
Can you not embarrass your position by asking such a foolish question? There's a huge difference between an accused and a criminal. Where did all those lessons you learned from the Grand Tutor?"
Amid the gazes of everyone, the second prince started to lecture him in a direct tone for such a simple accusation was all he needed to reveal the truth. The third prince would only try to win the argument with his wits but the second prince wouldn't stop until the crown prince hung his head in shame in front of everyone.
The Crown Prince was shivering from top to bottom with his eyes becoming red and blood rushed to his face and neck. It is evident he was barely controlling his rage.
On the other hand, the third prince was laughing inside, enjoying the crown prince's misery.
Meanwhile, the Emperor became calm. He addressed the courtroom, "anyone wishes to speak?"
Everyone went silent, not having the courage to argue against the second prince.
"General Wen, you are dismissed." After the announcement, the Emperor's tone suddenly turned soft as he spoke to his son, "it's been a while since you last visited the home, Wen. Go and visit your mother."
As the second prince bowed and left for the Imperial graveyard to visit his mother's grave, the Emperor heave a sigh of relief and gave a sharp stare to his eldest, "Crown Prince Zexi, your brother returned to the city after a year and the first thing you did is to drag him to the court with a baseless accusation instead of welcome him with wide arms, and even then, you couldn't keep your argument and made yourself a laughing stock. Don't make trouble."
"Yes, I apologize, Your Majesty." The Crown Prince bowed in reluctance.
The second prince talked with her mother's grave for a while and went to the Imperial training grounds located behind the Barracks where new soldiers are being trained in formations. The Second in command also known as the Assistant to Supreme Commander is training them.
The Prince asked the ground for a day. The second in command didn't understand why he needed 200 thousand sq. ft of land alone but he still accepted the request and vacated the grounds, leaving him alone.
The Prince finally took out four beast corpses. Three of them are the corpses of 6-circle realm fierce beasts, Orthus.
The remaining one is a normal 6-circle beast, a Giant Squid, which he eliminated when it came out of the ocean along with other oceanic beasts and invaded the southernmost land for some reason.
He summoned his semi-divine sword, Heart Striker, and then, started to cut off their chests, taking out an organ shaped in the form of a huge sphere with bones protruding out from several directions. It is the core located in the right part of the chest, hiding behind the lungs.
This is where all of its energy is stored.
He absorbed all of them in one go and then, went into meditation stance, refining them into his ether energy. Meanwhile, the sword hovered around him, protecting him from any possible ambushes.
The day passed away;
At around 7 o'clock the following morning, Mark opens his eyes.
*Ding!
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