Douluo: Purple Brilliance Shines, Sun, Moon, Mountains and Rivers Are Forever

Chapter 123 The Softest Pain in Orange's Heart
Outside the East Palace Gate.

The guard raised his hand, stopping the mysterious intruder, "Halt! Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to approach!"

The man was shrouded in a black robe, wearing a hood, his face hidden in darkness, and he kept his head bowed, holding up a golden token in front of the guards.

Seeing the Crown Prince's token is like seeing the Crown Prince himself.

The guards immediately made way and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

The man in black robes entered the heavily guarded East Palace as if it were empty, passing through layers of guards and arriving at the backyard of the East Palace, where Xu Tianran was leisurely fishing.

"See Your Highness."

"Orange, you're here."

Ju Zi removed her hood and raised her head. "Your Highness summoned me. What is the matter?"

Xu Tianran did not state his purpose directly, but pointed to the seat next to him and said, "Sit down and fish with me for a while."

"Yes, Your Highness."

She sat down on the bamboo chair, where a complete set of fishing gear, including fishing rods and bait, was laid out quietly to the side, as if someone had just been fishing there.

Ju Zi, unsuspecting, cast her fishing rod, creating ripples on the lake's surface.

Xu Tianran glanced at Ju Zi's profile and smiled gently. "Ju Zi, what's your decision? Have you decided to come and help me?"

"Your Highness, I...I haven't made up my mind yet. Could you give me a little more time?"

"I respect your decision, but there really isn't that much time left. To be honest, the current situation is far from as good as you imagine."

"How could that be? Isn't everything under Your Highness's control? Could it be that the Third Prince and the imperial family have caused some trouble again?"

"Not the third son, but the sixth son."

"Sixth Prince?"

Suddenly, a tall and strong figure appeared in Ju Zi's mind. She had witnessed the sword duel between Xu Tianze and Ji Juechen that day, which truly broadened her horizons.

Ji Juechen's skill in swordsmanship is beyond doubt. His reputation as a sword fanatic is well-known in the academy, and even I have heard of him.

There are very few people in the entire academy who can defeat Ji Juechen in close combat, and Xu Tianze not only defeated him, but also used the sword that Ji Juechen was most proud of.

Xu Tianran gave a soft "hmm" and continued, "I thought I had paid enough attention to the sixth prince, but I never expected that I would still underestimate him in the end."

In the past, because of the third, fourth, and fifth sons, and because the sixth son was still young, I did not pay much attention to him.

Little did they know that one wrong step could lead to another, and before they knew it, Lao Liu had unleashed his power into a state that was increasingly difficult to control.

"His Highness winning the championship also brings glory to the empire and the royal family."

"If he were not my brother, or if we had not been born into the imperial family at the same time, I would be very happy for him. Unfortunately, he is not only his brother, but also the only legitimate son left by the late Empress Linglong."

"Ju Zi, do you know how much of an eyesore it is to have both the legendary status of creating a competition and the identity of the Emperor's legitimate son! Add to that the Emperor's favor and his unparalleled talent, and his threat has even surpassed that of the third son."

These words shocked Ju Zi. She hadn't expected that the Sixth Prince, who was only fourteen years old, would arouse such great vigilance and defensiveness from the Crown Prince.

"So, Your Highness, are you going to turn your attention to the Sixth Prince instead?"

Xu Tianran shook his head, then suddenly exerted force on his rod, throwing a mandarin fish out of the water. Ju Zi immediately put down her fishing rod, helped Xu Tianran remove the fish from the hook, and put it into the water tank. Several large fish immediately splashed around inside.

He cast his line again, and the lake returned to tranquility.

"The sixth prince has left Mingdu again, this time to guard the border in the Mingdou Mountains. You wouldn't believe it, but Father Emperor even formed a new army for him, called the Shence Battalion."

As clever as an orange, it immediately and keenly sensed the unusual nature of the situation.

It's not unusual for a prince to lead troops, but the fact that a new army was formed and named after a prince is quite intriguing.

"His Majesty truly relies heavily on the Sixth Prince and bestows upon him great favor."

"More than that? It's common knowledge that Father Emperor is supporting the Sixth Prince. Do you know that the Sixth Prince has a confidante named Di Qiu'er?"

Following the unexpected death of the young marshal of the Di family three years ago, rumors circulated throughout the Sun Moon Empire that the Di family was on the verge of decline. But now, a daughter of the Di family has reappeared by the sixth prince's side. What does this signify?

Ju Zi stroked her chin, pondered for a moment, and said, "This shows that... His Majesty has not abandoned the Di family, nor does he want to change the situation in the Southern Military Region. He still wants to maintain the kinship ties with the Di family."

"You hit the nail on the head! If the imperial family is truly a family on the verge of decline, how could Father Emperor possibly allow them to become even closer to the sixth prince through marriage?"

Conversely, if the daughter of the Di family were to marry the sixth son, it would not only extend the life of the Di family by one generation, but also bind them tightly to the sixth son, so that they would share both glory and misfortune.

Even now, the Di family may be on the verge of decline, but it hasn't really gone downhill much; the Di family remains the sixth prince's strongest ally.

"In this light, the situation regarding the struggle for the throne is becoming increasingly clear."

Xu Tianran smiled slightly and nodded. He thought so too. The third brother and the others were just there to make up the numbers. The final round would definitely be between him and Xu Tianze.

This is the intuition between two equally matched opponents.

"The sixth prince is young and has no foundation. The officials, the royal family, and the nobles have long been divided up by his brothers. What chance does he have? Only by establishing himself in the military and gaining control of the military can the sixth prince have some capital to contend with me."

"May I ask, Your Highness, what exactly do you want Orange to do for you?"

Xu Tianran glanced sideways, their eyes met, and an eerie silence fell over the air.

He stared intently into Orange's beautiful eyes, as if trying to see through them to understand what was in her heart.

"Ju Zi, you saved my life, and you are one of the people I trust most. Come and help me, and I will do my best to help you establish yourself in the military and take charge of military power on my behalf."

"Does Your Highness want me to restrain the Sixth Prince for you?"

"Yes. The sixth prince is too far away from me. The best way to deal with him is to restrain him in terms of military power."

If you can share my burdens, I can take advantage of the time when the Sixth Prince is away from Mingdu to concentrate on dismantling the forces of other ambitious wolves and making all the high-ranking officials of Mingdu submit to me.

By then, the overall situation will be settled. With the Ming capital under my command and the military under my command, even if the sixth prince is capable, he won't be able to cause any trouble.

"Once the sixth prince falls from power, all military power in the Sun Moon Empire will fall into my hands. At that time, you will be my commander-in-chief, and you can launch a war of annihilation against the Star Luo Empire to avenge your father."

Xu Tianran is undoubtedly one of the people who understands Ju Zi the most, knowing her deepest pain and making precise cuts.

"I will obey Your Highness's orders."

(End of this chapter)