How can you rule the world if I'm just a substitute for you?

Lin Xian, the eldest son of Prince Su, instantly understood his father's thoughts.

He deliberately took two steps forward, his gaze fixed on Lin Mo. His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for most of the clan members around him to hear clearly.

"Oh, isn't this my disobedient and unfilial second brother, who was expelled from the Prince Su's mansion?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent, and countless eyes focused on Lin Mo.

Lin Xian grew increasingly smug, each word piercing back to painful wounds:

"Second brother is truly capable. He gave up the honor of being the second son of the Prince Su's mansion and the life of luxury, but instead chose to be expelled from the mansion and reduced to a lowly commoner without a family or clan for the sake of a commoner woman."

"What a pity, what a pity! All the care and education your father put into you has been wasted, and in the end, you've become such a useless person, blinded by love and lacking any sense of propriety!"

He scoffed, his tone suddenly turning harsh and vicious, directly mentioning Li Wanhe:

"Besides, that woman was incredibly fragile. She took her own life without hesitation. In the end, her death was pointless. Even if someone stood up for you, what good would it do? In the end, you couldn't even protect the one you loved, and she was left to die forever. It's utterly shameful!"

These words were like knives, tearing open Lin Mo's most painful wounds in front of everyone.

The surrounding members of the royal family all turned their heads to look, some whispering among themselves, others with mocking and sarcastic eyes.

Prince Su stood aside, watching coldly. Instead of stopping him, he had a faint hint of tacit approval on his lips, clearly condoning his eldest son's provocation and deliberate humiliation of Lin Mo.

He wanted everyone to see:

Lin Mo, expelled from the Prince's mansion, was bullied by everyone. Even if he lived, he could never hold his head high.

Lin Mo's blood and qi surged suddenly.

The pain of losing his wife, which had been weighing on his heart for days, was violently unleashed by these few sarcastic remarks.

His eyes instantly turned bloodshot, his knuckles clenched tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulged, and his chest heaved violently.

Wanhe's death, her lonely grave in the desolate mountains, everything she had given up, and all the pent-up suffering all rushed into her mind at this moment.

The person he hated most was right in front of him, aloof, cold, and ruthless.

They ruined his life with their own hands, and now they want to trample on his dignity in public!

Meng Yuanbao and Zhang Shitou, who were standing nearby, instantly showed anger and were about to step forward to argue.

Just then, a steady and strong hand gently pressed down on Lin Mo's shoulder.

Lin Xuan restrained Lin Mo, who was about to explode out of control, and spoke in a calm but extremely intimidating voice.

"The martial arts competition is about to begin. This is the royal grounds, so please refrain from making a fuss. Don't rush, you'll have a good chance to vent your anger later."

Lin Xuan knew it all too well.

Prince Su's tolerance of Lin Xian's provocation today was not merely a momentary slip of the tongue.

This is a protest.

It is an insult.

It's a blatant declaration to everyone that even if I force Li Wanhe to her death and destroy Lin Mo, I will still hold immense power and influence, and no one can stop me!

Seeing Lin Xuan step in to suppress him, Lin Xian became even more arrogant and sneered:

"It's no use even if His Highness the Crown Prince protects him. If he does something wrong, he should admit it. Does that mean people can't even point it out?"

Prince Su finally spoke slowly, his tone deliberate and measured, carrying the arrogance of an elder dominating a junior. His words appeared fair, but in reality, every sentence was a veiled attack:

"Xian'er, shut up, there's no need to say anything more."

It seemed like a reprimand, but in reality, it lightly brushed aside all the mistakes, and then coldly looked at Lin Mo:

"You chose this path yourself. All the humiliation and misfortune you suffer today are your own fault, and you have no one else to blame but yourself."

In just one sentence, he completely absolved himself of all responsibility for driving Li Wanhe to his death and forcing his offspring to commit crimes.

It was as if all the tragedies were solely Lin Mo's fault.

At this moment, the last vestige of familial affection in Lin Mo's eyes vanished completely.

He didn't struggle, he didn't roar, he just kept his head down, his long hair covering the overwhelming hatred surging in his eyes.

Every word of the verbal altercation that took place outside the hunting grounds reached the ears of Emperor Qian on the high platform.

He sat upright on the dragon throne, his expression indifferent, his gaze gazing vacantly down below, neither uttering a word of protest nor showing the slightest ripple of emotion.

Looking at Lin Mo, who was suppressing his emotions, with bloodshot eyes, and almost losing control due to the constant sarcasm, Emperor Qian felt only deep disappointment and contempt.

In the eyes of this emperor, love was the cheapest thing, and human life was the most insignificant.

Throughout the world, there are countless women, and beauties are everywhere.

The death of an ordinary woman was nothing to him.

In his view.

Lin Moshen, being a commoner, abandoned her royal status and was deeply mired in grief, unable to recover for a long time. She was easily swayed by a few sarcastic remarks.

Too narrow-minded and too weak-willed.

One person can disturb one's peace of mind.

One love can ruin one's entire life.

With such a temperament, one is hardly fit for important tasks.

He didn't feel at all that Li Wanhe's claim was due to Prince Su's coercion or the coldness of imperial power.

He felt that the woman was narrow-minded and didn't appreciate her good fortune, and he also felt that Lin Mo was indulging in private affairs.

In the eyes of emperors:

All living beings under heaven are merely pawns in a game of chess.

Love for one's children is utterly useless.

At this moment, Duke Qin Lie stepped forward, bowed, and announced in a loud voice:

"Your Majesty, all members of the royal family, nobles, and soldiers accompanying the hunt have arrived. The military drill may begin."

Emperor Qian nodded slightly and said calmly, "Let's begin."

The Duke of Zhenguo turned around and shouted loudly:

"The Royal Warm-up Martial Arts Exercise has officially begun!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Third Prince Qin Fu, standing to the side, sharpened his eyes and stepped forward.

Holding a long sword, he stood arrogantly and shouted, "All men, form ranks! Draw your swords!"

Three hundred elite guards stepped forward in unison, their steps perfectly synchronized, their armor clanging.

Swish!

Three hundred longswords were drawn simultaneously, their cold light reflecting the sun, their metal clanging, creating a powerful and imposing sight. A chilling aura of slaughter instantly swept across the entire hunting ground.

Immediately afterwards, the three hundred elite soldiers performed martial arts as ordered, changing formations neatly, advancing and retreating with measured steps, their moves fierce and exuding a murderous aura.

The officials on the sidelines nodded in approval.

Vice Minister of War Gao Song stroked his beard and laughed, "The Third Prince's personal guards are disciplined and exceptionally strong; they are truly the elite of our Great Qian!"

The other officials echoed this sentiment:

"With the Third Prince in charge, our Great Qian will surely emerge victorious in this six-nation hunt!"

"Such military might is far beyond the reach of other countries!"

On the high platform, Emperor Qian looked at the orderly and imposing military formation and at Qin Fu's composed leadership. He showed obvious satisfaction in his eyes and nodded repeatedly.

A moment later, the martial arts demonstration ended.

The three hundred guards sheathed their swords and returned to their positions, their imposing aura still formidable.

Thunderous applause and compliments erupted instantly in the hunting grounds.

Qin Fu stood at the front of the formation, listening to the praise from the crowd, his face showing undisguised pride and arrogance.

He turned his head, his arrogant gaze sweeping defiantly over Lin Xuan beside him, as if he were certain of victory and had the crown prince in the bag.

Faced with such a shocking military display, Lin Xuan remained calm and composed.

He glanced casually at the three hundred elite soldiers, making his own judgment in his heart.

Undeniably, these three hundred men were indeed elite soldiers, handpicked from among the best, with strong physiques, strict military discipline, and disciplined fighting style, far surpassing ordinary soldiers.

but……