The story begins with a power struggle among nine princes, but the protagonist doesn't vie for

"Tenth Prince, I...I heard that you specifically chose to learn a body-strengthening martial art to cope with my punishment?"

Emperor Xuanxi emphasized the words "heard," "specially," "selected," and "horizontal training method" with great force, making no attempt to hide his sarcasm and coldness in his tone.

The tenth prince frowned slightly, raising his head to argue: "Father, this matter..."

"Cao Jin!" Emperor Xuanxi raised his voice abruptly, not giving him a chance to speak.

"This servant...this servant is here!" Cao Jin was so frightened that his soul almost left his body, and his heart, which had just been relieved, jumped into his throat again.

"Go!" Emperor Xuanxi pointed towards the palace gates and shouted sternly, "Bring me the court flogging! Go now!"

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty..." Cao Jin's legs went weak. His Majesty was determined to take action! And right in front of the palace gates, in front of so many princes and palace servants!

"Go now!" Emperor Xuanxi shouted fiercely, his eyes flashing with malice.

Cao Jin dared not hesitate any longer and rushed into the palace. In no time, he came out with a black, shiny, bowl-sized, and obviously heavy jujube wood cane in his hands and presented it to the emperor.

The court rod was used exclusively for executions in the palace. It was made of hard and heavy wood and was used to strike the back, buttocks, and legs. Twenty strokes would leave an ordinary strong man with torn flesh, thirty strokes might cripple him, and fifty strokes or more would endanger his life.

Now that it is personally in charge of the emperor, its power and the imperial authority it represents are even more terrifying.

Emperor Xuanxi didn't even glance at Cao Jin, but reached out and grabbed the heavy court staff in his hand!

Although he was nearly fifty, he was still a first-rate master. He firmly gripped the court staff, and the end of the staff slammed heavily onto the blue brick ground, making a dull thud, as if striking everyone's heart.

"Today, let me personally test just how tough your 'specially' trained external martial arts really are!" Emperor Xuanxi stepped forward, the tip of his court staff pointing at the tenth prince, his voice icy cold.

"Father, you are wise! Father, you are wise! I have learned the external martial arts so that one day I can go into battle to fight the enemy, serve the country with utmost loyalty, expand the territory of my Great Xu, and protect the people!"

"It's definitely not because...to get a beating from Father! Father, please don't misunderstand! Don't misunderstand!" the tenth prince hurriedly explained.

Lao Shi never expected that just because he learned a body-strengthening technique, he would be hated so much.

"A misunderstanding?" Emperor Xuanxi sneered, his grip on the court staff tightening even more. "Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, let's not worry about that for now!"

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and his tone was resolute:

"Let me test your external martial arts skills first. See if they're up to par and if they're truly that 'hard'!"

Before he could finish speaking, Emperor Xuanxi stopped talking, gripped the heavy jujube wood cane tightly with both hands, and raised it high! Then, with all his might, he brought the cane down hard on the back of the kneeling Tenth Prince!

"Bang--!!!"

A heavy, teeth-grinding thud exploded in front of the silent palace gates!

The cane struck the tenth prince squarely on the back!

"Ah—!!! Father, spare me!!!"

Although the tenth prince had practiced external martial arts, firstly, his skill was still shallow and he was far from being invulnerable to swords and spears; secondly, Emperor Xuanxi was attacking in anger at this moment!

After a beating, the tenth prince cried out in pain as Emperor Xuanxi beat him until he was tired and had vented his anger, at which point the court rod was handed to Cao Jin.

Seeing the pitiful state of the tenth prince lying on the ground, Emperor Xuanxi felt much better and instructed Cao Jin:

"Take him away and let the imperial physician treat him. Once he's healed, make him hurry back to his palace."

"Yes..." Cao Jin quickly replied, then waved his hand behind him, and several eunuchs immediately carried the tenth prince away.

Emperor Xuanxi stood on the palace steps, his gaze slowly sweeping over the eight princes who were still prostrate on the ground—the eldest prince (Prince Zhi), the crown prince, the third prince (Prince Cheng), the fourth prince (Prince Yong), the fifth prince (Prince Heng), the seventh prince (Prince Chun), the eighth prince, and the ninth prince.

Finally, he glanced one last time in the direction where Luo Zhaotang had been carried away.

"I originally intended to severely punish those responsible for today's events to set an example," Emperor Xuanxi said slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears. "However, considering that you are ultimately my sons, my princes, and that this matter... has its own causes and effects."

"However," Emperor Xuanxi's tone shifted, his voice turning stern, "a mistake is a mistake! One must admit a mistake, and one must be punished for wrongdoing! Especially you, as elder brothers, as heirs to the throne, and as important ministers of the court, should set an example for your younger brothers and be models for your subjects!"

Emperor Xuanxi's gaze, like a solid icicle, first pierced the eldest prince and the crown prince.

"Your Highness, Your Highness!" the emperor called out sternly.

"Your subject is here!" The two men were startled and quickly replied.

"You two, as the eldest of the princes and pillars of the nation, not only failed to set an example and quell the disputes, but you also got caught up in them, arguing endlessly, and almost caused a great disaster!"

Is this how you set an example for your brothers?! Is this how you share my burdens?!

Emperor Xuanxi's rebuke was merciless, heavily accusing him of "failing to set a good example" and "getting caught up in disputes." This was more serious than simply "taking action," directly addressing his character and responsibility.

"Your subject knows his crime! Your subject has failed your father's expectations!" The Crown Prince and Prince Zhi hurriedly kowtowed, their voices filled with fear.

"Confess your guilt? What good is confessing your guilt?!" Emperor Xuanxi said coldly, "Now you two are stripped of all your posts!"

"All of you, get back to your residences and reflect on your actions for three months! During these three months, stay behind closed doors, study, and quietly consider your mistakes. Think about what brotherly love and respect truly mean, what the virtues of a crown prince are, and what the responsibilities of a prince are!"

Remove him from all his duties! Confin him to his quarters for three months of reflection!

This is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the Crown Prince and the First Prince!

"Another three years' salary will be deducted! As a warning to others!" Emperor Xuanxi added.

"Your subjects obey the decree! Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy!" The Crown Prince and the First Prince kowtowed again, their hearts filled with mixed emotions. They had been dismissed from their posts, confined to their quarters, and had their salaries reduced. Their power had been greatly diminished, and their reputation had been utterly ruined, but... this was already a "lenient punishment."

The two of them even felt a faint sense of "fortunateness".

After dealing with the Crown Prince and Prince Zhi, Emperor Xuanxi's gaze swept over the Third Prince Cheng, the Fourth Prince Yong, the Fifth Prince Heng, the Seventh Prince Chun, the Eighth Prince, and the Ninth Prince.

"Third Prince, Fourth Prince, Fifth Prince, Seventh Prince, Eighth Prince, Ninth Prince," the Emperor's voice softened, but his imposing presence remained. "Whether you fanned the flames, fueled the fire, stood idly by, or were caught in the middle, you are all culpable!"

"Your subjects know their crimes!" The six men immediately prostrated themselves on the ground.

"They are all stripped of all their official duties and fined for three years! They are confined to their residences for one month and ordered to copy the Ancestral Instructions and the Court Precepts fifty times each!" Emperor Xuanxi announced their punishment.

"Your subjects accept the imperial decree and express their gratitude!" The six men quickly replied.

Finally, Emperor Xuanxi's gaze fell on the direction where Luo Zhaotang had been carried away. After a moment's contemplation, he added:

"Tenth Prince Luo Zhaotang, your salary is suspended for five years! After you recover, make him copy the *Classic of Filial Piety* and the *Regulations for the Imperial Clan* fifty... no, a hundred times! He must learn properly what filial piety and proper conduct mean!"

"Your subjects obey the decree! We thank Your Majesty for your great favor!" The princes kowtowed in unison, their voices echoing across the empty square.

This time, the "thank you" was tinged with relief compared to the previous fear. Dismissal, salary cuts, confinement, and forced copying of books... From this day forward, the court would inevitably undergo a dramatic change due to the collective, brief "exit" of these princes.

"Get out of here, all of you." Emperor Xuanxi waved his hand wearily one last time, as if he didn't even have the strength to say another word.

He glanced deeply at his sons, then turned and, supported by Cao Jin, staggered away, disappearing into the gates of the Qianqing Palace. His figure was desolate and forlorn.

The Crown Prince and the First Prince rose first, exchanging a complex glance. Their eyes held a mixture of shared sorrow, lingering hostility, and above all, a sense of desolation and wariness at the sudden loss of power. Surrounded by their respective officials, they departed in silence.

The other princes also rose one after another. They didn't say much to each other, but simply bowed to each other and went in different directions.

The area in front of the Qianqing Palace has finally returned to silence.

The brawl between princes at the palace gates, which shocked the court and the public, has thus come to an end.