“Why not?” Her eyes became wide open: “Young Master, you’ll have so much authority and influence after entering the court. If you don’t like anyone, just cut him down, how amazing is that? Also, you can pick whichever princess too. Who knows, maybe you can marry several…” 

She beamed with joy as she spoke as if she could already see Li Qiye reaching the peak of his life. 

“The second princess of Vajra is definitely a great beauty; she has the same mother as the crown prince. How about her?” Yang Ling began planning for Li Qiye regarding the most suitable princes.

She contemplated for a bit before adding: “But then again, the seventh princess is rumored to have the best personality, very gentle. I haven’t seen her before but she’s famous for her beauty too. That’s probably better, gentle and pretty, perfect for you, Young Master.”

“Okay, stop letting your imagination run wild.” Li Qiye shook his head, having never thought about this matter.

Back during the meeting with the carriage driver, he told the guy to kneel and beg for mercy. Unfortunately, the driver didn’t grasp this opportunity. As for this ancestral saber or whatever, it meant nothing to him.

“Fine…” Yang Ling sighed after seeing a lack of interest from Li Qiye.

“How’s the crown prince doing in the court?” Li Qiye changed the topic.

Yang Ling who was eating stopped. She looked around to check that no one was listening to them before whispering: “I heard from Father that he’s not doing too well. Things aren’t going according to his wish…”

“Looks like the competition is fierce.” Li Qiye smiled.

Yang Ling remained cautious and spoke softly: “I don’t know the details but my father keeps on chattering about it. So, the third prince still wants the throne. He has great contributions and military feats in the frontier. On the other hand, the crown prince is always staying at the main branch, never leading the troops for one day. Some even said that the crown prince hasn’t achieved anything, that’s why many actually support the third prince.”

She actually didn’t care for the royal competition in the slightest. Alas, she was still a noble and her father was a marquis who was always attentive about the minute changes in the court. Thus, she learned a few things as well. [1]

“It’s normal for a crown prince to protect the capital.” Li Qiye said.

“But, I heard Father said that whoever wants to become the next king needs the support of the five divisions. Otherwise, they wouldn’t last very long. That’s why the third prince is trying to recruit the other four.” Yang Ling elaborated.

Vajra was in charge of the holy ground and acted as the representative of Sacred Mountain. Though Sacred Mountain never directly interfered, it still had a final say whenever a new king was appointed. Prior to this, the next-in-line also needed the support of the other divisions.

For example, Duality Academy usually spoke for Metropolis; Divine Ghost Division had Myriad Blood Sect.

“So he has supporters already.” Li Qiye smiled.

“I’m not sure.” Yang Ling responded: “All in all, I believe many nobles in Metropolis are backing him up, especially the military clans such as the Li. However, my father said that Duality and the dean matter the most when it comes to Metropolis.”

“The crown prince is in trouble then.” Li Qiye nodded. No wonder why the guy left so early. It seemed that he wanted to curry favor from Phantom Sacred Child.

“Right, the third prince has been in the spotlight in recent years.” Yang Ling said: “It seems that he and the Minister of War, Sir Sima, are very close. Sir Sima represents the Mortal King Division, one of the strongest out of the five. Moreover, he’s winning considerable support in Divine Ghost too. It depends on Eight-Tribulation Blood King for this one.” 

Yang Ming paused since she needed to swallow her food before continuing: “As for Buddha Emperor Division, the ancestor of the royal clan also likes the third prince. That’s why everyone is saying that in just two years, the king might replace the crown prince.” 

“The king of Vajra, huh?” Li Qiye smiled.

“His Majesty isn’t well.” Yang Ling remained prudence as she spoke with a low volume: “There are rumors of him being enamored with eternal life, no longer caring about anything else. He either trained in isolation or tried to find pills and longevity methods. That’s why certain officials don’t respect him. The court and other administrative businesses are carried out by the minister and national teacher.” 

Li Qiye only smiled after hearing this.

She continued to eat for a bit before taking a break. Her eyes flashed as she asked: “Young Master, if you were to join the court, who will you support?”

“Who do you support?” Li Qiye answered with a question.

Yang Ling tilted her head in rumination. She eventually said: “I don’t know, but definitely not the third prince.”

“Why not?” Li Qiye asked.

“I don’t think he’s a good person since he destroyed many sects by the border. When he becomes king, he might destroy us and Duality Academy too.” Yang Ling replied.

“Silly girl.” Li Qiye chuckled: “If a single king can destroy Duality, it wouldn’t be here right now nor would it be Vajra’s turn. Sacred Mountain would have done so long ago.” 

“True.” Yang Ling agreed with this logic. She then said: “But he might destroy my clan though. It’s within the realm of possibility.”

“Then destroy him first.” Li Qiye said.

“No way!” Yang Ling looked around again before whispering: “If others hear this, they might spread it and the court will massacre my clan.”

Yang Ling’s reaction was understandable. The punishment for being a traitor was death. Plus, her clan only had a minor title, not an influential military clan like the Li or a civil clan like the Zhang. These two clans had immense resources and foundations.

“It’s no big deal, just take the initiative.” Li Qiye casually responded.

Yang Ling stuck out her tongue and didn’t dare to speak anymore. If her father knew that she was out running her mouth, he would definitely scold and ground her forever.

Little did she know that this casual conversation just now had sealed the fate of the third prince.

Of course, the ambitious prince himself had no idea. He was gathering forces everywhere, thinking that he would definitely become the next king - the lord of this region. Unfortunately, this little girl’s comments made it impossible for him.

“Okay, I’m sure you’re full now.” Li Qiye said.

He only had a few bites even though the table was filled with food. The girl ate virtually everything.

Her stomach was round by this point. She secretly rubbed it under the table while feeling a bit embarrassed: “Young Master, am I a fatty?” 

“At least you know yourself.” Li Qiye chuckled since she looked so cute.

“You can’t blame me for this, it’s because the vegetarian food here is too good, anyone will eat until they can’t move.” Yang Ling turned red from embarrassment; her words became quieter towards the end, almost like the sound of a mosquito buzzing. Li Qiye didn’t eat that much so her argument failed.

Li Qiye smiled and paid the bill. Yang Ling followed right behind him.

“Young Master, I know the sixth princess, actually. Do you want me to introduce you to her?” Yang Ling asked.

Who knows if she didn’t give up or just felt bad about eating too much and wasting Li Qiye’s money so this was reparation.

“No need.” Li Qiye refused right away and joined the crowded street.

1. Her father could be a marquis or a duke, this isn’t clear. The latter seems right given her title as a princess. Marquis is a lower-ranking noble ☜