Chapter 633: Empress (3)
I knew it! Cultivators are also born to parents and must adhere to filial piety!
Yes, moreover, she is the Sixth Princess of the dynasty. Such behavior has a bad influence and she truly deserves her punishment!
My child, do you see? This is the fate of an unfilial daughter. You must obey your parents wholeheartedly from now on.
Passersby around pointed fingers, and some even applauded.
Lin Ran finally understood the insidious and malicious nature of her brothers. Arresting her in the street was clearly an attempt to ruin her reputation.
Lin Ran was extremely unwilling. As a princess, she was not afraid of death, but she was afraid of dying without honor.
Lin Ran was quickly escorted back to Consort Jin’s palace by a group of people. Millions of people had already gathered outside the main door, not only the entire court but also a large number of Imperial Guards.
Lin Ran felt like her heart had turned to ashes. The grand display organized by her brothers clearly intended to prevent her from ever recovering.
“Ran’er… *sniffle*… I told you to leave… why didn’t you listen to your Mother Consort?”
Consort Jin collapsed upon seeing her daughter being escorted back, covering her mouth and sobbing.
“What do you want?”
Lin Ran tried to calm herself and asked.
“What do we want?”
First Prince Lin Guo did not answer directly, but walked to the center and asked the assembled officials: “Distinguished ministers, I recall that according to the customs of the Xihui Dynasty, children should observe a three-year mourning period after the death of their parents before leaving home, right? Otherwise, they should be punished with a beating.”
“Yes, yes, that is indeed the case.”
All the ministers nodded subconsciously.
“Of course, this Prince is referring to ordinary commoners. Royal family offspring are also subjects…”
“What? Not only are they children but also subjects. If they leave the imperial palace without permission before completing the three-year mourning period, it is both unfilial and disloyal. According to the law, they should be severely punished without mercy!”
First Prince spoke eloquently and then turned to Lin Ran, saying: “Sixth Sister, is your elder brother correct?”
“You forced me.”
Lin Ran gritted her teeth.
“We forced you? Heh heh, who saw it? Who heard it? You even slander your own brother, which makes this Prince profoundly heartbroken!”
First Prince pretended to cover his chest, then his expression suddenly turned cold: “Distinguished ministers, our Father Emperor has only been dead for half a month, yet my Sixth Sister secretly sneaked out of the palace, and was seen by everyone in the city, which has an extremely bad influence. As a princess, she is disloyal and unfilial. Do you think she should be severely punished?”
What? Seen by everyone in the city? Then she has completely disgraced the royal family! What should be done?
If that’s the case, then of course she should be severely punished. If we protect her just because she is a princess, then who will take filial piety seriously in the future? Who will take the law seriously? In that case, won’t the Xihui Dynasty fall into chaos?
Yes, the Emperor’s passing has brought the Xihui Dynasty to an extremely difficult moment. If we do not severely punish her as a warning to others, then no matter which prince inherits the throne in the future, it is likely that the situation will be chaotic.
A group of ministers were incited and began to escalate the matter.
“I must remind you all that Ran’er is a cultivator, and the laws of the secular world cannot punish her.”
Consort Jin argued loudly from the side.
“What about being a cultivator? Aren’t cultivators born to parents? Can cultivators be disloyal and unfilial?”
Third Prince Lin Tai questioned loudly.
“Yes, I have not heard of any Immortal Alliance regulations that allow cultivators to be disloyal and unfilial, including my Sixth Sister.”
“She is staying at Broken Cloud Peak. This Prince incidentally learned that if they discover a disciple is disloyal and unfilial, they will immediately expel them from the sect.”
Fifth Prince Lin Min seconded.
“Indeed, if Broken Cloud Peak learns of your actions today, she will definitely be immediately expelled, and then she will no longer be an Immortal Elder. In this way, national and family laws can legitimately punish her.”
Seventh Prince Lin An added.
“The actions you took today, I will write a letter to Broken Cloud Peak later. Do you have any other questions?”
Lin Guo said with a cold smile.
“Heh heh… heh heh heh… You have gone to great lengths to convict me!”
Lin Ran showed a helpless smile on her face, as she knew the matter was already decided, and even her master could not save her.
“Nothing more to say? Then confess your guilt and submit to the law!”
Lin Guo smiled triumphantly and then loudly announced: “Lin Ran, as the Sixth Princess, you should have set an example and become a model for the royal family. However, during the mourning period, you secretly left the palace, you were disloyal and unfilial, and your conduct had a severely bad influence. According to national law, your crime is punishable. You are hereby demoted to a commoner and escorted to the Ministry of Justice prison to await sentencing.”
Lin Guo then continued to announce: “Liang Jin, as a noble consort, you were deeply loved by our Father Emperor. You should have diligently educated the royal offspring in return, but you have raised such a disloyal and unfilial daughter, which has truly failed our Father Emperor’s trust. It is reasonable to charge you with dereliction of duty! According to national law, you are now banished to the cold palace and will never be allowed to step out for half a step.”
“Clatter!”
Upon hearing this, Consort Jin immediately collapsed onto the ground. She knew very well what kind of place the cold palace was; once entered, it was worse than death.
“Heh heh, I truly regret it!”
Lin Ran suddenly tears streamed down her face as she sighed to the heavens: “I should have fought for the throne with all my might from the beginning. That way, I wouldn’t have ended up in such a state where I can be slaughtered at will.”
“Guards, hurry and bring me…”
First Prince Lin Guo impatiently ordered the Imperial Guards, fearing any mishap.
“Yes!”
The Imperial Guards took their orders and charged forward ferociously.
“It’s not too late for you to regret it now!”
A hoarse voice suddenly rang out, and Qi Huang appeared beside Lin Ran.
The group of Imperial Guards was startled and took two steps back warily.
“You…”
For a moment, Lin Ran felt as if she had seen a life-saving straw, her face flushing with excitement.
“How dare you! Who are you? How dare you trespass into the imperial palace, arrest her!”
Lin Guo ordered in anger.
The Imperial Guards snapped back to their senses and rushed forward again ferociously.
“Scram!”
Qi Huang casually cursed. A powerful spiritual sense swept out like a tsunami, knocking everyone around away. The princes were also affected, but they had masters by their side, so they were barely caught when they landed and were not seriously injured.
Consort Jin was not foolish. Seizing the opportunity, she quickly ran to her daughter’s side.
“Sixth Princess, do you see? If you don’t become the emperor, let alone protect the citizens of the entire Xihui Dynasty, you can’t even protect the people around you.”
Qi Huang glanced at Consort Jin and said.
“I want to be the emperor! I want to be the first empress of the Xihui Dynasty. Can you help me? I am willing to pay any price!”
Lin Ran pleaded with Qi Huang excitedly.
“With me here, you don’t need to pay any price. But I need to confirm one thing: if anyone tries to stop you from becoming emperor, do you have the courage to eliminate them all? For example, these princes!”
Qi Huang looked at the princes and confirmed.
“Yes! Since they disregarded brotherhood, I have no reason to reciprocate.”
Lin Ran nodded firmly.
“Very good, then I will take over from here!”
Qi Huang smiled with satisfaction, then stepped forward and forcefully announced: “Listen up, from now on, Lin Ran is the next emperor of the Xihui Dynasty. Those who obey me will prosper, and those who oppose me will perish!”
“Who do you think you are? Guards, arrest this rebel! No, execute him on the spot!”
First Prince Lin Guo felt his authority challenged and thus ordered in rage. He had no idea that his survival was purely due to the other party’s mercy.
“Die!”
Qi Huang glanced disdainfully at Lin Guo. Then, the latter’s body suddenly exploded like an overripe watermelon, scattering red and white everywhere. Those around him were also affected.
Everyone was shocked that the man in black dared to kill a royal offspring in plain sight. They were all stunned and stood there dumbfounded, like fools.
Lin Ran was no exception. She never dreamed that Qi Huang, who looked so “carefree,” would be so decisive and ruthless.
“How dare you! You dare to kill a royal offspring in plain sight! All of you, attack and avenge my eldest brother!”
Third Prince Lin Tai, having recovered, barked like a dog whose tail had been stepped on, without carefully considering why his brother exploded after being looked at.
“Yes!”
The Imperial Guards dared not disobey the order and charged forward again with their long spears, including the experts by the side of several princes.
“Then all of you die!”
Qi Huang showed no mercy, and his powerful spiritual sense crushed forward. Everyone who charged forward exploded, regardless of their strength, all turning into a bloody mist, like successive Lycoris radiata blooming on the earth.
