36: Chapter 36 Fourth Life, All-in Failure? Watch Me Turn the Tide (Thirteen)

Heir Xiao Heng respectfully withdrew from the Worship Hall, the stone door closing silently behind him, sealing away that profound depth and vastness.

He stood outside the building, gazing at the sprawling palaces of the Tianhuang Princes Mansion, and took a deep breath. The last trace of hesitation in his eyes vanished, replaced by a resolve to burn his bridges and fight to the end.

Time slipped by quietly amidst the varied preparations and power struggles of all parties involved.

Soon, the day marking two and a half months of King of Tianhuang Xiao Zhan's seclusion arrived.

During these two and a half months, Tianhuang City was like a frozen lake; seemingly calm and waveless, but in reality, undercurrents were already surging beneath the ice, as various forces engaged in silent, invisible power struggles.

Heir Xiao Heng appeared overwhelmed, becoming increasingly irritable.

During court sessions, the decrees he proposed were repeatedly met with soft resistance, either rejected on the grounds of "ancestral regulations" or indefinitely shelved with the excuse that they "required further deliberation."

When inspecting the local regions, officials were outwardly respectful, only to act in defiance as soon as his back was turned.

The expenses for the Heirs Courtyard also began to face inexplicable deductions and delays.

He seemed to have lost patience with these omnipresent obstacles, "losing his composure" and throwing tantrums in public on several occasions, smashing various objects.

Even when arguing in court with the Chief of the Household Bureau, he was left "speechless" after the other party refuted his points by citing classic texts.

As news spread, many neutral officials who had originally been taking a wait-and-see approach shook their heads in private.

"Ultimately, he is too young and cannot keep his cool."

"Compared to the composure of First Prince Xiao Jing, he is far inferior."

"He has the title of Heir, but lacks the ability to command respect. It seems this position will not be easy for him to hold onto."

Only Wang Shi, hidden in the shadows, knew that all this "embarrassment" and "incompetence" was a deliberately crafted disguise.

Beneath the study of the Heirs Courtyard, a massive intelligence network was operating with high efficiency.

Through secret agents planted years ago, as well as several generals who had cleverly defected and intended to pledge allegiance to a new master after Second Prince Xiao Ze fell from power.

Lin Lantian's unauthorized movement of troops, his clandestine stockpiling of siege weaponry, and even the approximate date of the mutiny and the deployment of forces were all laid out on Wang Shi's desk like an open chessboard.

In the secret chamber of the Garrison General's Mansion, the atmosphere was no longer filled with the initial fervor, but was instead tainted by a shadow of hesitation.

Second Prince Xiao Ze stared intently at the map, his brows furrowed: "Uncle, our men report that Heir Xiao Heng has been frequently mobilizing the mansion guards under the pretext of training and reorganization, reinforcing the defenses at several key positions. He has also been secretly making contact with several city defense camp generals who were originally ambiguous in their stance... Could he have sensed something?"

Lin Lantian stood by the window with his hands behind his back, his silhouette like a mountain, but his voice carried an unquestionable, ironclad certainty: "Your Highness is overthinking! He has merely sensed that the atmosphere is wrong and is struggling in his death throes like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow!"

"My thirty thousand border troops have long since been broken up into smaller units over the past half-month, infiltrating the city in batches under various pretenses such as merchant caravans, laborers, and visiting relatives, reaching their predetermined locations. Now that the arrow is on the bowstring, with provisions, weaponry, and morale all in place, how can we throw ourselves into chaos because of a few diversionary tactics from the opponent?"

He turned abruptly, his gaze burning with the oppressive intensity of a desperate gamble, fixing his eyes on Second Prince Xiao Ze: "Your Highness! To retreat now would be to face eternal damnation! Only if you take the lead yourself, raising the banner of 'Executing the Traitors and Pacifying the Family Crisis,' will we be the righteous army restoring order, a just cause that follows the will of Heaven!"

"Even if the world criticizes us, we will have our justifications. But if you hesitate now, wouldn't all our previous efforts fall short of success? The Third Prince, he might not necessarily let things pass as if nothing happened..."

He paused, his voice dropping, yet every word was like a blade: "If you do not step forward and all matters are handled by this subordinate, then even if we succeed, this subordinate will be nothing but a traitor and usurper. And you, Your Highness, will never be able to shake off the name of colluding with foreign generals and plotting treason! When the Old Prince becomes enraged and the forces within the province rise up to suppress us, we will truly have no place to be buried! Your Highness, you must make a decisive choice!"

Second Prince Xiao Ze's expression shifted as he listened to these words, recalling his revoked candidacy for Heir, the cold gaze of his father on that day, and the mockery of his elder brother who was likely lurking somewhere.

In the end, the lingering hesitation in his eyes was completely devoured by the ruthlessness and unwillingness to accept defeat of one driven to the edge.

He slammed his fist heavily onto the table, squeezing a few words through his teeth: "...Fine! Then let Father, let everyone see, who is the true King!"

First Prince Xiao Jing's Mansion, East Wing Study.

Under the candlelight, First Prince Xiao Jing finished listening to the secret report from his confidant, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold arc as he sipped his tea in a measured, leisurely manner.

"The Second Prince is jumping over the wall like a cornered dog, and the Third Prince is building a dam in vain. One truly believes he can trample over the rules with brute force, while the other thinks he can stabilize his position by playing a few petty tricks. Ridiculous."

He set down his teacup, his voice flat and waveless: "Pass down the order: our people are to proceed as usual. Do not meet anyone from the Second Prince's side. As for the overtures from the Third Prince's side, simply prevaricate and deal with them superficially. Strengthen the security within the mansion, but do not actively get involved. The more fiercely they fight, the more blood is shed, the more it will highlight... the benefits of sitting steadily on the fishing platform."

Within Tianhuang City, deep inside the mansions of many great families, their own choices were being enacted.

The truly established old families of the provincial city, whose heritage spanned hundreds of years or even longer, might even have records in their genealogies of an ancestor who had witnessed the terrifying power of the Princes Mansion's hidden foundation.

They knew deeply what kind of terrifying foundation that seemingly silent three-story stone building contained.

Faced with this sudden storm, they unanimously chose the safest course of action: closing their doors, restraining their disciples, and declining all visitors.

They respectfully declined all overt and covert solicitations and gifts from both sides, strictly maintaining their neutrality.

While the power at the center of the storm was certainly tempting, the long-term survival of the family was the fundamental priority.

However, there were always some upstart families that had risen rapidly over the past few decades or a century by seizing opportunities, whose foundations were not yet stable.

Whether out of a desire to advance further or fear of being purged, they were eager to place their bets in this upheaval, hoping to gamble for immense wealth and status.

Some of these families placed their bets on Heir Xiao Heng's "legitimate" title and the vaguely rumored favor of the Worship Hall, sending people and money to serve him in secret.

Others valued the "absolute military force" controlled by Second Prince Xiao Ze and Lin Lantian more, believing that whoever had the strongest army would be the King.

They secretly provided money and provisions, hid some of the infiltrating troops, and even mixed their own private family soldiers among them.

At this delicate moment, the attitude of Heir Xiao Heng's maternal family, the Song family of Jing'an Prefecture, was remarkably distinct, drawing everyone's attention.

The head of the Song family, Heir Xiao Heng's maternal grandfather, upon learning of Heir Xiao Heng's current predicament, disregarded the opposition of some within the clan and resolutely decided to stake the entire strength of the family on his grandson.

Not only did he mobilize all available military force and wealth of the clan and send them secretly into Tianhuang City, but he also staged a drama so convincing it could pass for the truth.

One day, a group of Song family members, dressed in plain white mourning clothes, carried a heavy black sandalwood coffin and entered a side hall of the Heirs Courtyard with sorrow and solemnity.

They claimed that the clan's Half-Step Silver Marrow Realm ancestor, whose lifespan was nearly exhausted and who had been clinging to life through secret arts, had heard of the Heir's danger and resolved to break out of seclusion, ready to fight to the death to hold the line for Heir Xiao Heng with his remaining strength.

He had even prepared his own coffin, demonstrating his determination to fight to the death!

This news was like a boulder hitting water, stirring up a thousand waves. No one dared to verify the authenticity of the coffin, but the Song family's stance of "staking everything on one throw" did indeed deter some of those who were wavering.

It also forced the plans of Second Prince Xiao Ze and Lin Lantian's side to account for this "desperate counterattack" force, adding a layer of caution and uncertainty to their actions.

Only Heir Xiao Heng and Wang Shi knew that inside the coffin, it was empty, purely a carefully orchestrated diversionary tactic.

After all, if the play isn't realistic, how would the fish take the bait with confidence?