“Your Highness, this matter could be significant or trivial; I, Chu Yunlan, must weigh the options carefully.”
The Second Princess was the biological sister of the Crown Princess, but her capabilities were far inferior.
Chu Yunlan was well aware of the internal situation of the Immortal Dynasty. If she wanted to seize the throne, her chances of success were low.
Perhaps that was why the Second Princess had turned to him, the future Sacred Lord of Taixu, for help.
But the question remained: why should he help her?
She was calculating everything so loudly. To uncover her trump card, Chu Yunlan asked despite knowing the answer.
“Second Princess, I am somewhat confused. You evaluate Her Highness the Crown Princess in such a way, but for what purpose…?”
The smile in Ji Yumeng’s eyes gradually faded.
“Young Master Yunlan, I would like to ask you for a favor.”
Seeing that she no longer beat around the bush, Chu Yunlan was happy to relax.
“Please, speak your mind, Second Princess.”
Ji Yumeng unfolded a [Soundproofing Array] before speaking every word clearly.
“Soon, Xuanji City will host the God Hunt. I want you to sit with my sister.”
She tilted her lips upward.
“At that time, I will arrange for civil officials to submit memorials, impeaching the Crown Princess for colluding with the Holy Domain and conspiring to usurp power.”
Chu Yunlan frowned slightly.
“Second Princess, look at what you’re saying. As the Young Master of the Holy Domain, I have no intention of meddling in the affairs of the Immortal Dynasty.”
He couldn’t hide his contempt for this woman. Her level was far too low!
No wonder Empress Wuyue would appoint Ji Xuanyuan to the position of Crown Princess.
The two sides hadn’t even begun to negotiate terms, yet the Second Princess had rushed to reveal her plan.
Was she not afraid he would betray her immediately? As the saying goes, ‘Secrecy brings success.’ This woman was truly not the right material.
Of course, this also helped Chu Yunlan take the initiative.
He picked up his teacup and took a slow sip, his tone casual.
“Besides, I haven’t even agreed to help yet. Aren’t you afraid I’ll report this to the Crown Princess afterward?”
His thoughts raced. The Second Princess’s reckless revelation gave him leverage.
He could use Ji Yumeng to spy on internal intelligence within the Immortal Dynasty and maximize his benefits.
Even in the most ideal scenario, if they successfully brought down Ji Xuanyuan, he could use Ji Yumeng to control the entire Immortal Dynasty.
Lowering his teacup, Chu Yunlan looked leisurely at the girl who resembled the Crown Princess, feeling more and more that this was a good idea.
If the Crown Princess were truly suspected of usurping power by Empress Wuyue, her situation would be extremely dangerous.
Since ancient times, once a Crown Prince was suspected of having such ambitions, they were either deposed or sentenced to death.
Even if the ruler felt pity, between the safety of imperial power and family ties, the former was always the overwhelming choice.
In such a situation, if he secretly lent a helping hand and rescued Ji Xuanyuan before she was executed, couldn’t he have it both ways?
On the surface, he would continue to support Ji Yumeng to become the Crown Princess and eventually ascend the throne.
In secret, he would keep Ji Xuanyuan as his own.
Then, at the necessary time, he could create chaos in the territory of the Immortal Dynasty and use her to reclaim the throne.
In this way, the two Ji sisters would be toys in the palm of his hand. Chu Yunlan felt more and more that it was feasible.
Now he just had to see how to extract more benefits from this immature Second Princess.
Facing Chu Yunlan’s threat, Ji Yumeng burst into laughter, her body trembling with mirth.
“Heh! You? Report to the Crown Princess? Hahaha!”
Her smile remained charming and innocent, like a girl who knew nothing of the world.
But the words she spoke sent a chill down Chu Yunlan’s spine.
“Why would Her Highness listen to you? You aren’t even the true biological child of the Sacred Lord of Taixu.”
The hair on Chu Yunlan’s body stood on end, and the disdainful smile on his face froze.
“You… what do you mean?”
Her eyes were still curved, but the light flickering within them was no longer starlight; it was a cold gleam.
Since Ji Yumeng dared to reveal her plan in advance, she naturally had absolute certainty of victory.
Ji Yumeng tilted her head. The butterfly hairpin on her temple swayed gently under the candlelight, its golden fragments sparkling.
“Isn’t the meaning obvious? Young Master Yunlan, I have one question for you.”
“As a direct descendant of the Chu Clan, why haven’t you been able to activate the Taixu Bloodline yet?”
Chu Yunlan stood up abruptly, his face ashen.
“You’re talking nonsense!”
As the unique advantage of the Holy Domain, descendants of the Chu Clan could use the power of the bloodline to assist their cultivation from a young age.
Even the collateral branches of the Chu Clan in Xuanji City could benefit from the meager remnants in their blood.
However, as the only son of the Holy Lord, Chu Yunlan, who should have inherited the bloodline 100 percent, was completely unable to activate it.
This was absolutely a fatal weakness he dared not tell anyone.
In fact, as clever as he was, he had long sensed he wasn’t biological.
He simply hadn’t dared to face it and even tried to escape the truth.
He never expected that today, he would have it exposed by Ji Yumeng, this seemingly harmless Second Princess.
Ji Yumeng’s voice was still soft and sweet, but every word was like a needle stabbing his heart.
“Whether I am talking nonsense or not, you know best in your heart.”
“The bloodline in your body is maintained by secret arts, isn’t it?”
“Every 3 years, you need people to go to the Medicine King Valley to refine ‘Pulse-Sustaining Pills’ for you to suppress the backlash. Otherwise, you would have already…”
She didn’t continue, but Chu Yunlan already understood.
He stood there, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists, his face turning between red and white.
He wanted to argue that she was slandering him, but he couldn’t speak, because every word she said was true.
As for this matter, Ji Yumeng had her own Imperial Preceptor to thank for providing the intelligence.
With such a secret in hand, she could manipulate this fake young master.
As the one who revealed this information, Su Xuanxuan also had her own considerations.
The [Time-Peering Orb] suddenly turning blood-red had already given her a strong sense of unease.
Recently, the Crown Princess had been frequently getting close to Chu Yuan.
This forced the Fox Venerable to acknowledge the Holy Son and start the next training plan: the struggle for succession between Chu Yuan and Chu Yunlan.
If Chu Yunlan, who held his position illegitimately, did not want to lose his seat as the Sacred Lord, he had to rely on external forces.
To some extent, Chu Yunlan needed this deal today even more, and he hit it off immediately with Ji Yumeng.
After all, no matter how much weaker Ji Yumeng was than Ji Xuanyuan, she was still the biological daughter of Empress Wuyue.
Chu Yunlan, on the other hand, was not the biological son of the Sacred Lord of Taixu.
Watching Chu Yunlan become increasingly shaken, a flash of pity flickered in the depths of Ji Yumeng’s eyes.
“Young Master Yunlan, I have no ill intentions. I just want to tell you that we are the same kind of ‘person’.”
She stood up and walked to the window, her back to Chu Yunlan.
Outside was the main arena of the auction venue. Guests were entering one after another, and it was exceptionally lively.
But her graceful silhouette appeared lonely, like a wild goose that had left the flock.
Since childhood, her sister was better than her in everything—her cultivation was higher, her appearance more outstanding, and their mother favored her more.
When the officials mentioned the “Princess of the Immortal Dynasty,” they always thought of Ji Xuanyuan.
She lived like a shadow under her sister’s brilliance. To prove herself, Ji Yumeng had to seize the position of Crown Princess.
When she turned around again, she tilted her head back and looked down at Chu Yunlan in his seat.