The whiplash was jarring.
Though the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince had been a constant nuisance, Zhao Ci had at least considered Zhao Huan a pillar of support.
But as it turned out...
This father he'd inherited was the greatest threat of all.
He reviewed the contents of the *Organ-Swapping Secret Manual* in his mind. According to the manual, a person's vitality was strongest around the age of eighteen, making it the ideal time to harvest their blood and marrow.
He recalled that, indeed, a few princes with mediocre talent had suddenly fallen gravely ill right after turning eighteen.
Several others had met the same fate around the age of twenty-five.
And these princes, without exception, had all just recently opened their Divine Treasures and formed high-grade Divine Patterns.
Their organs were being transplanted along with their Divine Patterns. Compared to that, the sliver of vitality in blood and marrow was hardly worth mentioning.
To outsiders, it simply looked as if these princes weren't talented enough and had been crushed by the Martial Emperor's draconic aura.
Zhao Ci was the Tenth Prince, with nine older brothers before him. Besides the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince, who had powerful maternal clans, and the Ninth Prince, who was close to his age, the other six had all met a terrible fate.
But why had the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince been spared?
'If he just needed to leave an heir, wouldn't keeping only the Crown Prince be more stable?'
'No, that's not right!'
Zhao Ci suddenly realized something. With the *Organ-Swapping Secret Manual* in hand and having hollowed out so many of his sons' bodies, even if Zhao Huan had suffered a grievous injury in the past, he should have fully recovered after the transplants.
According to the manual's descriptions, the Zhao Huan of today couldn't possibly be ill, much less so decrepit. He should be far younger than his peers, with physical functions that might even surpass his own sons'.
An Emperor like that would have no need to even consider the matter of succession.
But the current situation was that, to the outside world, his health was deteriorating by the day. And while the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince were outwardly civil, they were secretly locked in a life-or-death struggle.
'Is he just bored with Great Yu's stability and wants to watch his two most outstanding sons fight like caged animals?'
'Or perhaps...'
'He wants to let his two sons—or rather, the powers behind them—beat each other to a pulp so he can reap the benefits?'
'Forget it! That's not what I should be thinking about right now.'
'I can't run. The moment I show any sign of wanting to escape, they'll bleed me dry instantly!'
'If I keep lying low and playing the part of a useless waste, I can probably delay the bloodletting until I'm eighteen.'
'If I manage a cultivation comeback, I might buy a few more years, but as soon as I form a Divine Pattern, they'll gut me like a fish.'
Zhao Ci fell silent. 'So I'm screwed no matter what, is that it?'
'Is there really no chance of escape?'
'No!'
'I have to get backup!'
The only person he could think of now was his mother, Princess Consort Jing, the full-blooded sister of Marquis Zhonglie, Xiang Tiange.
Given how much favor she held, she would surely be able to help.
Princess Consort Jing had always been cold and aloof, and Zhao Ci's memories of her were filled with reverence. But under the circumstances, mother and son had to be on the same side.
He quickened his pace and soon arrived at Wangshu Palace.
He hadn't expected to find the main hall of Wangshu Palace crowded with people when he arrived.
The air in the hall was fragrant with curling incense.
A screen stood before the main seat. Though the figure behind it was indistinct, one could tell at a glance that this was a rare beauty. Her figure was as graceful as a young maiden's, yet her every gesture exuded the charm of a mature woman.
There were constant rumors in Lingge that Princess Consort Jing possessed a face that could topple cities.
Zhao Ci knew this was no exaggeration. After transmigrating, he had seen Princess Consort Jing several times and was indeed struck by her celestial beauty. Otherwise, she wouldn't need to put up a screen when receiving guests, purely to avoid causing a commotion.
'Too bad I transmigrated as her son.'
'With the "family filter" on, I'm kind of desensitized to her looks.'
'But what kind of meeting is this, so early in the morning?'
'The guests are all women. Isn't the screen a bit much?'
Zhao Ci was anxious to ask for a plan, but Princess Consort Jing was quite strict with him. Rashly interrupting her important business would only backfire.
He found a chair in a corner and sat down quietly, planning to wait until the meeting was finished.
After sitting down, he instinctively sized up the guests. He found them rather familiar—they were all female relatives from the families of major herb merchants, minor pill-refining clans, and merchant guild leaders.
'It seems Zhao Huan has entrusted the crisis facing the Royal Pill Workshop to Princess Consort Jing.'
The Great Yu Imperial Family's cultivation techniques focused on the Gold and Earth Divine Treasures, making it difficult for them to have an affinity for the Fire and Wood elements. This led to a scarcity of alchemists. Although the Royal Pill Workshop employed a number of alchemists, they were far inferior to the major pill-refining clans in both quantity and quality.
Pills were a vital resource for cultivators, something that had to be fought over. Relying on the major clans for production capacity meant having to make concessions in other areas.
With the Gongdan Conference approaching, the Imperial Family was desperate to break free from the great clans' stranglehold on pill production.
'But the text floating above their heads...'
[Chu Ni's Current Wish: I hope I get another chance to see Princess Consort Jing's beautiful face and ask her for makeup and hair advice. Reward for Fulfillment: Insight +1, Makeup Manual x1.]
[Li Shu's Current Wish: I really want to touch Princess Consort Jing's boobs. If only mine were this big. Reward for Fulfillment: Insight +1, Breast Enlargement Talisman x1.]
[Bai Jie's Current Wish: With a beauty like Princess Consort Jing, I just want to hold her and sleep soundly. Reward for Fulfillment: Insight +1, Sleep Aid Talisman x1.]
Zhao Ci: "???"
'There's something wrong with these women,' he thought. 'Maybe the screen wasn't an overreaction after all!'
It was true that a woman of sufficient beauty could make other women question their preferences, but this... was just absurd!
The meeting seemed to be winding down.
"Ladies!"
Princess Consort Jing's voice drifted from behind the screen. It was like the music of zithers and flutes, serene and calming to the soul.
"Since the Battle of the Huailing Mountain Range, where His Majesty struck fear into the nations of the Northern Territory, Great Yu has enjoyed eighteen years of peaceful development. Our nation is now prosperous and powerful, but this prosperity has also bred ambition in some."
"You are all well aware of the conduct of the great pill-refining clans. Not only do they ostracize you within the Pill Alliance, but they have repeatedly attempted to raise prices, forcing the Imperial Family to surrender its interests."
"The Imperial Family purchases these pills to strengthen our army, fortify our nation, and reclaim our ancestral lands. Every single pill goes into the mouths of our soldiers."
"Their actions not only chill the hearts of Great Yu's people but also leave all of you, with your loyal hearts, no outlet to serve your country."
"You may be women, but in terms of capability, you are not necessarily inferior to the men of your families. For this Gongdan Conference, I implore you all to exert every ounce of your strength!"
Her words were delivered at a steady pace, her tone calm and gentle, yet they were incredibly stirring.
Zhao Ci had heard of the Gongdan Conference. For the cultivators of this world, medicinal pills were of paramount importance.
Supplying an army required a massive expenditure on pills, far more than the Imperial Family could produce on its own. That was the reason for the Gongdan Conference.
In short, it was an open tender. The suppliers were reshuffled every year, and each reshuffle represented a massive shift in wealth and power.
Seeing the women sitting upright and attentive, he figured Princess Consort Jing must have already united these scattered, minor clans into a single rope. This mother he'd inherited certainly had some moves.
However, the women present all looked troubled.
"Your Highness! This concerns the rise and fall of our clans, as well as matters of the state. We will naturally do our utmost, but how can we possibly compete with the Feng, Zhu, and Yang families?"
"That's right! Our clans' hereditary Divine Patterns are mid-grade at best. We are short on talent, and in terms of both the quantity and quality of alchemists, we are leagues behind."
"Our merchant guild can handle the raw materials for alchemy, no problem. But as for alchemists... please forgive us, we are powerless to help."
Behind the screen.
Princess Consort Jing gave a faint smile. "It's alright. Just do your best. Even if we can't win a large share this year, as long as we can hold the line, things will get better and better from now on."
Her words restored the crowd's confidence.
After discussing a few more details, the women departed.
The hall fell silent for a long moment.
A soft sigh was heard from behind the screen.
Zhao Ci understood. 'Although she handled that very well, it seems the result fell far short of her expectations.'
'But what the hell does that have to do with me!'
'Saving my own skin is what's important.'
He stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Your son pays his respects to Mother Consort!"
Princess Consort Jing's voice was cool and detached. "Ci, you've come. How did it go? With Grand Scholar Kan's help, is the matter of your enfeoffment settled?"
Seeking Kan Tianji's help had been Princess Consort Jing's idea.
Zhao Ci felt a pang of frustration. "Mother Consort, may I come behind the screen to speak?"
The topic was sensitive; he couldn't risk being overheard.
Princess Consort Jing considered for a moment, then said, "All of you, leave us."
The palace maids took the hint and departed.
Soon, the great doors closed, leaving only mother and son in the hall.
Zhao Ci walked quickly behind the screen. Seeing Princess Consort Jing up close again, he was still struck by her beauty.
Her brow was elegant, her eyebrows shapely, her eyes bright, and her teeth like pearls. Her face was free of any makeup, yet he could find no flaw.
She wore a simple dress and was calmly brewing tea. The fragrance of the tea mingled with the rising steam, swirling around her styled hair and lending her an ethereal air.
She appeared at once aloof and noble.
Zhao Ci looked away, his heart a tangle of complex emotions.
'Good news: in this life, I have a mother as beautiful as a goddess.'
'Bad news: in this life, I have a mother as beautiful as a goddess.'
Princess Consort Jing looked at him with some confusion. "Why are your eyes red? And what of your enfeoffment? Did your Imperial Father agree?"
"Imperial Father was about to agree!"
Zhao Ci's face was etched with worry as he tried to figure out how to bring up the matter of Zhao Huan wanting to drain his blood and harvest his kidneys.
"Oh?"
Princess Consort Jing's elegant brows furrowed, and a line of blue text appeared above her head.
[Gu Xiangzhu's Current Wish: Zhao Ci needs to hurry up and go to his fief. With this useless son holding me back, when can I finally be free to revitalize the foundation of the Demon Sect? Reward for Fulfillment: Insight +10, Burden Talisman x1.]
Zhao Ci: "???"
'You're a Noble Consort, why are you trying to revitalize the Demon Sect?'
'And what kind of Demon Sect member calls their own sect the "Demon Sect"? How brazen!'
'Also, who the hell is Gu Xiangzhu?'
'Her title "Jing" comes from the Jing Chu Xiang Clan. Why would her surname be Gu?'
A terrifying thought surfaced in Zhao Ci's mind.
'An imposter!'
'The real Princess Consort Jing was replaced by someone from the Demon Sect!'
'I'm screwed!'
'My mom is gone!'