With a warehouse full of supplies, I stood alone as king in this chaotic world, gun in hand.

But Bei Chenyan had no intention of letting him go.

"The Duke of Zhu is demoted to Earl, and his fief is reduced by half."

Upon hearing this, Duke Zhu was so angry he almost vomited blood. "Your Highness, I have not committed any grave error. Isn't this punishment far too harsh?"

He was merely making a suggestion, yet he was demoted in rank.

That was the glory our ancestors earned with their lives, and it was all gone just because he said a few words?

"If you can clear out all the Southern Frontier people in Nanyang Prefecture, you will have made a great contribution, and I, the Crown Prince, may restore your title as appropriate," Bei Chenyan promised him.

He sneered inwardly, thinking that once this good-for-nothing was out of the city, there was no way he would be allowed to return to Kyoto.

"Lord Zhu, please come with me!" A eunuch came to lead him away from the main hall.

A count is only a third-rank official and is no longer qualified to dine with the emperor in this hall.

Earl Zhu looked grim, but he had no choice but to slink away from the main hall with his family.

"Old King Yi," Bei Chenyan spoke again.

"This old minister is here..." A bad premonition welled up in the heart of the old King Yi.

Is the Crown Prince also going to punish him?

"It's your turn!" Bei Chenyan carried Xi'er and walked up to the old King Yi.

"If you hadn't come forward, I would have forgotten about you! I have some grievances against you, related to the Wan family and the deposed Prince Jing..."

"Your Highness, you mustn't speak nonsense!" The old Prince Yi was shocked and fell to the ground.

The expressions on everyone's faces in the hall changed!

The Wan family and the deposed Prince Jing are traitors, a taboo in Yulong City; anyone who mentions them will die. Now, the Crown Prince is saying that the old Prince Yi has connections with those two families, which is a serious crime.

"Old Prince Yi, for the sake of my imperial grandfather, I, the Crown Prince, will give you two choices. One, you can take your people from the Prince Yi's residence and leave the capital to take up your fief. I will pretend that you said nothing today and give you ten days to pack your things and move out. You are not allowed to return to the capital without my decree."

Otherwise! I, the Crown Prince, will hand over your secret letters regarding your private dealings with the Wan family and the deposed Prince Jing to the Censorate for a thorough investigation of your Prince Yi's residence.

"Your Majesty, you must do me justice!" The old Prince Yi knelt before Emperor Nanqi. "I once shielded the late Emperor from an arrow, and he issued an edict allowing me and my descendants to remain in the capital forever. That edict is still enshrined in my palace!"

"Stay in Kyoto forever?" Bei Chenyan sneered.

"Old Prince Yi, you saved the life of the Emperor back then, which is why the Emperor decreed that you stay in the capital and bestowed many gifts upon you. But that is not a get-out-of-jail-free card that allows you to disregard the law."

"It was because you were kind to my grandfather that I, the Crown Prince, suppressed the secret letter revealing your private dealings with the Wan family and the deposed Prince Jing. If you hadn't harbored such inappropriate thoughts today, none of this would have happened."

He could have let them go, but some people always seem to be courting death.

"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong! I beg for your mercy!" The old Prince of Yi then pleaded with the Emperor of Southern Qi, "This old minister is too old to travel to his fiefdom!"

"Then carry him away, and even if he dies, carry him to your fiefdom before burying him." The Emperor of Southern Qi showed him no mercy.

He had long disliked this Prince of Yi!

Upon hearing the heartless words of the Southern Qi Emperor, the old King of Yi fainted.

"Father."

The two sons of the King of Yi ran forward and helped him up.

"Since he's unconscious, send him out of the palace!" Emperor Nanqi waved his hand at Prince Yi's group. "You no longer need to enter the palace. Pack your things and leave the capital. As for your residences, the court will reclaim them!"

The two sons of the King of Yi exchanged a secret glance, filled with intense hatred.

They all felt that the Emperor of Southern Qi and the Crown Prince were too heartless.

All they did was suggest that the Crown Prince fill the harem, and they wanted to drive the whole family away!

"What? Judging from your expressions, you are dissatisfied with my decision?" Bei Chenyan asked coldly.

"Your subject dares not!"

"As you command, Your Majesty, thank you for your great favor!"

Even if they were unwilling, they had no choice but to leave.

One of the sons carried the old Prince Yi on his back, and the people from the Prince Yi's mansion left the palace banquet together.

"And you too!" Bei Chenyan then walked up to the ministers who had echoed his sentiments.

"Your Highness, please forgive me!"

These ministers begged for mercy!

Since both Duke Zhu and Prince Yi were punished, they couldn't escape either and could only beg for mercy.

"Crown Prince, punish those who deserve punishment, but don't delay the palace banquet," said the Emperor of Southern Qi.

With Huo Jing here, and these people daring to openly displease Nangong Wu and the three children, he had to show his attitude.

"Any official who seconded my suggestion to fill the harem with my own will be demoted three ranks and sent to a remote post!" Bei Chenyan coldly ordered.

These people have crossed his line, and none of them will get away with it.

"Your Highness, I merely seconded your suggestion; my offense is unforgivable!"

These officials were all greatly alarmed.

If they were demoted from first rank to fourth rank, or from second rank to fifth rank, all their hard work in this life would have been for nothing.

They knew how difficult it was to climb the ranks. Let alone the third rank, even the half-rank was hard to advance without connections and bribes.

Moreover, he was demoted and sent to a remote post, so he'll probably never be able to return to the capital in his lifetime.

"Seconding means you mean it. You have ulterior motives and are trying to force me, the Crown Prince, to compromise? I haven't dismissed you from your posts because it's New Year's Eve and I don't want to bring bad luck on you." Bei Chenyan's eyes flashed with a cold light.

"Your Majesty, please have mercy!"

These dozen or so ministers pleaded with the Southern Qi Emperor for mercy.

"Since you have made a mistake, you should be punished. If you have made achievements in your localities, I can give you a chance to make amends," said the Emperor of Southern Qi.

"Guards! Escort them out of the palace!" Bei Chenyan shouted, clearly not wanting to see these people at all.

A squad of imperial guards entered and took all the kneeling men away.

"Anyone who dares to interfere with my harem in the name of having offspring will face consequences far beyond demotion and exile!" Bei Chenyan shouted, his voice carrying the warning beyond the main hall.

Everyone in the hall was shocked and stood up.

"We dare not!"

Those officials who had been eager to send their daughters to the Crown Prince's palace all gave up on their plans at this moment.

"Hmph!" Bei Chenyan snorted and carried Nangong Xi back to his seat.

"Xi'er, now that Daddy has chased away all the bad guys, let's not be angry anymore."

"I love Daddy again!" Nangong Xi was no longer angry and kissed Bei Chenyan on the cheek.

"Thank you, Father."

"Hahaha!" Emperor Nanqi laughed a few times after seeing that the children had been appeased. He raised his cup to Huo Jing in apology, "Prince Zhenyuan, I'm ashamed of what you've done!"

"Every family has its own troubles, Your Majesty need not blame yourself." Huo Jing also raised his cup in return.

"Bring on the singing and dancing!" Eunuch Yu shouted.

The sound of wind instruments filled the air, and the hall returned to its previous lively atmosphere of clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.

Under the table, Bei Chenyan held Nangong Wu's hand. "Nangong Wu, I've said it before, you're the only one I'll ever have in this life. Anyone who dares to covet me, I won't let them get away with it."