"Your Highness, our soul tool production efficiency has improved significantly in recent days. We can continue producing quite a number of these goods in the short term. I wonder if this interests you?"
Hearing Huo Yuhao's words, the Third Prince responded with interest.
"Oh? Is that so? Very good. But this so-called 'short term'—how long exactly are we talking?"
Huo Yuhao smiled as he watched the intrigued look in Xu Tianfan's eyes.
'You can't even rest easy with a short timeline? Looks like certain thoughts of yours are already beginning to stir.'
He wasn't surprised. The recent unrest within the royal family, along with the declining health of the old emperor, had all been within his observation. Just the other day, when chatting with Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen, he had even enthusiastically speculated about when a large-scale rebellion might break out.
"Half a year. We can produce the same quantity within that time. If we shorten the period, then the quantity will decrease proportionally. What do you think?"
Xu Tianfan thought for a moment.
"Half a year... still too long. Three months."
"Alright, three months it is. Deal."
Xu Tianfan nodded in satisfaction. He still had many matters to handle, and now that the agreement was set, he had no interest in staying beside Huo Yuhao—who had no royal blood, but relied on Kong Deming's prestige.
"In that case, I'll take my leave."
Just like that, the Third Prince turned and left without another glance, his guards in tow. Huo Yuhao, not lacking in etiquette, called after him.
"Take care, Your Highness."
After watching Xu Tianfan board the royal carriage and ride off, Huo Yuhao let out a cold sneer.
Ever since learning about Meng Hongchen's past, he had looked into the history of her father, Ming Hongchen.
Fifteen years ago, during a royal dispute surrounding the current Sun Moon Empire emperor's rise to power, the previous emperor had been assassinated. That allowed the current ruler—originally named Xu He—to ascend the throne. Xu Tianran's uncle, He Caitou, was one of those implicated.
Many were caught in the fallout of that royal conflict, including Meng Hongchen's father, Ming Hongchen.
At the time, Jing Hongchen was already a rank-nine soul engineer, and Mingde Hall was well established. By all rights, the prestige of the Hongchen family and the fact that Ming Hongchen—Jing Hongchen's only son—had little connection to Xu He's royal line should have kept him out of it. He shouldn't have been assassinated.
But Ming Hongchen had a personal grudge against a certain prince who supported the now-current emperor. He also had previous ties with Xu He's faction. Back then, Ming Hongchen was only a rank-seven soul engineer. Because of a plot initiated solely by that prince, he was assassinated.
When Jing Hongchen learned of it, he was furious. He personally sought an explanation from the current emperor, who had been unaware of the scheme. The prince's plan was exposed, and an enraged Jing Hongchen personally killed him, then wiped out everyone involved in the assassination—regardless of royal blood.
Even so, the emperor, upon hearing what had happened, pardoned Jing Hongchen entirely and even personally apologized. Only then was the matter settled.
Why was Huo Yuhao thinking about all this now?
Because the descendant of the prince who orchestrated Ming Hongchen's murder was still alive—and had close ties to the Third Prince.
"Hmph. Xu Rong... Third Prince, you'd better not disappoint me." Huo Yuhao murmured as he watched the royal carriage disappear. 'If you raise a rebellion, it'll be the perfect chance to deal with that prince's descendant. I won't let it slip by.'
Recently, Xu Muchen had been deeply troubled.
He remembered clearly how, just a month ago, Wang Shaojie had run to him crying with a broken arm. He claimed some brat from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy had beat him up badly and begged Xu Muchen to avenge him.
As soon as he heard the name Huo Yuhao, Xu Muchen felt something was off. When Wang Shaojie added that Huo Yuhao had shamelessly said he wasn't even afraid of the Third Prince, Xu Muchen's mind blanked.
He suddenly remembered who Huo Yuhao was.
In a fit of rage, he slapped Wang Shaojie across the room. After having someone treat the injury, he kicked him out and warned him never to provoke Huo Yuhao again—not if he wanted to maintain any contact with Xu Muchen.
'That's Kong Deming's god-grandson! Of course he's not afraid of the Third Prince.' As far as Xu Muchen knew, the Third Prince was still engaged in arms trades with Huo Yuhao. That being the case, compared to Huo Yuhao, Wang Shaojie was just an ant—alive or dead, it made no difference to the prince.
After the incident at Mingde Hall, the Royal Inspection Corps under Xu Muchen had been swamped due to the royal family's internal turmoil. Acting under the orders of his father—a prince allied with the Third Prince—he had been forced to carry out many irritating and complicated tasks.
Xu Muchen wasn't stupid. As things stood, the royal court was like a powder keg, ready to blow. Naturally, he had to stand with the Third Prince's camp.
But that was exactly what unsettled him. The Third Prince's opponent was the Crown Prince—whose means and influence were known to all. Xu Muchen worried that he might unknowingly become a pawn, only to be eliminated by some invisible hand.
What truly surprised him, however, was that Kong Deming's god-grandson was doing arms deals with the Third Prince. Even if just a god-grandson, could he be hinting at the position of the Grand Worship Hall?
But Kong Deming had always been known for staying out of royal conflicts, never taking sides.
And Huo Yuhao was also the last disciple of Jing Hongchen, head of Mingde Hall. His dealings with the Third Prince—could it mean that Mingde Hall had chosen a side?
Xu Muchen laughed at himself. 'What a joke. A power like Mingde Hall, unrelated to royal bloodlines, would never take sides... unless they were absolutely certain that one faction would win the throne. Otherwise, they'd remain neutral and stay on good terms with both. Right now, the Crown Prince's faction doesn't overwhelmingly outmatch the Third Prince's. A 60-40 split seems about right.'
'That's probably what the Third Prince thinks too. Makes sense.'
But neither the Third Prince nor Xu Muchen knew that Mingde Hall had already tied itself to Crown Prince Xu Tianran's chariot.
After all, Huo Yuhao possessed a prophetic sense of fate that Jing Hongchen believed in without doubt. The moment Huo Yuhao saw that Xu Tianran was destined to inherit the throne, Jing Hongchen made up his mind.
And with its rapidly advancing soul tool technology, Mingde Hall would become Xu Tianran's ace in the hole.
"Sir, His Highness the Prince wishes to see you."
At that moment, inside Xu Muchen's residence, a member of the Royal Inspection Corps stepped forward respectfully.
(End of Chapter)
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