Exiled to the Frontier, He Became the Empire’s Most Powerful Lord - Chapter 4

“Your subject has no reason to fear death.”

Zhou Lingfeng also shook his head calmly.

Seeing the deposed crown prince so composed, several senior officials felt inexplicably ashamed.

The prosperity of the Great Zhou Dynasty in recent years was indeed achieved by people like Tie Xuan who sacrificed their lives.

“I’m giving you a chance! If you can persuade Tie Xuan to relinquish his military power, resign, and retire, I will reward you.”

“Take any woman you like, then make her a king and grant her a fiefdom!”

Emperor Yuanwu’s heart softened, and he suddenly spoke.

He figured that given Zhou Lingfeng’s personality, he would immediately kneel down to express his gratitude and happily take Chang Ningshuang, the most beautiful woman in the Great Zhou, away in debauchery.

“Your subject cannot do it!”

Zhou Lingfeng refused without even thinking!

What a joke! If it weren’t for Tie Xuan’s 300,000 Northern Army soldiers, he would have been reduced to ashes long ago.

Even if your sister-in-law is the best, you still need to be alive to enjoy her!

“You’d better think this through, I’m not joking with you!”

Emperor Yuanwu suddenly looked at him coldly.

“If Father is not joking, why would he think I can persuade the Grand Marshal of the State to relinquish his military power?”

Zhou Lingfeng felt the terrifying pressure emanating from Emperor Yuanwu, but he was naturally unafraid to be touched!

Emperor Yuanwu, a supreme ruler who reigned for thirty-eight years, was, in some ways, no different from a god and almost devoid of humanity.

Everything he weighed in his mind was nothing more than self-interest!

Now, he is certain that Emperor Yuanwu will not dare to kill Tie Xuan!

Because that would severely damage the Great Zhou Dynasty and alienate the people!

Tie Xuan dared not actually start a large-scale civil war, because that would mean that the Tie family would become sinners in history, causing widespread suffering and rebellion.

“Very well! It’s been a long time since anyone dared to speak to me like that! Seventh Prince, do you really think I wouldn’t dare to kill you?”

A murderous intent suddenly surged from Emperor Yuanwu.

“I’ll ask you one last question: are you willing to try and persuade Cheol-hyun to surrender?”

Emperor Yuanwu never imagined that the most pathetic deposed crown prince would be so much like him in the past.

“Your subject is not afraid of death, nor is it unwilling; it’s just that I simply cannot do it!”

Zhou Lingfeng shook his head.

“Very well! Let me see just how tough your bones are!”

Emperor Yuanwu sneered.

“Imperial decree! The Seventh Prince, Zhou Lingfeng, has shown no respect for his emperor and father, colluded with rebels, and has repeatedly refused to mend his ways. He is hereby demoted to commoner status and expelled from the royal family. Zhou Lingfeng is hereby ordered to beg for a living in Shengjing, and no one is permitted to shelter him!”

After Emperor Yuanwu finished speaking, even several senior officials showed signs of reluctance.

This was once the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty, a man of noble status!

Now that he is disabled and has to beg for a living, the huge contrast must have broken Zhou Lingfeng’s mental state, and he might even harm himself.

It seems His Majesty is truly angry; he’s about to kill someone.

“etc……”

Princess Zhaoyang seemed about to plead for mercy.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Yuanwu gave him a cold stare, and he immediately fell silent.

“Your son thanks Your Majesty for granting your wish!”

Zhou Lingfeng sneered inwardly. It seemed that Emperor Yuanwu wanted to humiliate him and provoke Tie Xuan into making an impulsive decision!

This is truly the mind of an emperor; he’s even willing to scheme against his own son, without caring about the dignity of the royal family.

“Guards, take him away!”

“Give him a good beating.”

At Emperor Yuanwu’s command, an armored guard entered and roughly pulled Zhou Lingfeng off his wheelchair.

With a thud, Zhou Lingfeng fell to the ground in a disheveled state.

The armored guards dragged him directly outside without any hesitation.

“Your Highness!”

Hong Jiuming, who was waiting outside the door, saw the prince’s body being dragged like a dead dog, and his eyes turned bloodshot. He wanted to take action!

Unexpectedly, Zhou Lingfeng slowly shook his head at him, his gaze utterly calm.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, Hong Jiuming quickly disappeared into the palace.

A moment later, he packed his bags with Mo Li and quietly left the palace!

Having spent so many years in this ruthless imperial palace, Hong Jiuming naturally had his own people.

“Your Majesty, isn’t this going a bit too far?”

At this moment, the Left Chancellor Chang Yan spoke up.

And he is Chang Ningshuang’s father!

Zhou Lingfeng’s refusal relieved him; he naturally didn’t want to sacrifice his daughter.

“This rebellious son has changed quite a bit. I wonder what Tie Xuan has been saying to him all these years!”

“Could it be that they’re planning a rebellion?”

Emperor Yuanwu said calmly.

“What I am most worried about right now is that the Turks will take advantage of the standoff between Tie Xuan and the Marquis of Champion to suddenly launch a counterattack!”

Chang Yan continued.

What they couldn’t figure out was Tie Xuan’s thoughts. After all, the 300,000 uncontrolled elite Northern Army was a thorn in the side for Emperor Yuanwu, and he couldn’t possibly feel at ease with them.

“I’ve heard that several sects haven’t been behaving themselves lately. Let the Imperial Advisor handle this matter! Warn them if necessary, and kill them if necessary!”

Emperor Yuanwu then addressed Princess Zhaoyang.

“knew!”

Zhao Yang Ruyue nodded.

She appears to be charming and alluring, yet she controls the most dangerous agency in the Great Zhou Dynasty: the Surveillance Department, which houses numerous martial arts experts and secret agents.

Many of the shady dealings that Emperor Yuanwu needed were handled by Zhao Yang Ruyue!

An hour later, a prison cart slowly drove up.

Zhou Lingfeng was stripped of his shirt and made to wear a sign that read “By Imperial Decree, I Beg for Life,” and was paraded through the streets as a public spectacle.

The place where he was was surrounded by people, many of whom were just ordinary people!

Among the crowd were some people who had been arranged to do so, and they threw countless rotten eggs and leaves at the prison van.

Zhou Lingfeng was disheveled, his eyes were closed, and he looked extremely weak.

After the parade, he was thrown into the slums of Shengjing, where many places were muddy, filthy, and had a pungent smell.

He quickly sat down against the wall, his expression calm!

Although the environment was harsh, it meant nothing to him.

At this moment, he had to think about what Tie Xuan would do if he found out that he had been reduced to a beggar.

What should I do next to leave the capital in the best possible way and obtain a fiefdom?

Having transmigrated to this world, Zhou Lingfeng was naturally unwilling to be left out and wanted to compete for a share.

Otherwise, with his current abilities, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to leave the capital and roam the world freely!

Of course, this is on the premise that Princess Zhaoyang’s surveillance department is not keeping an eye on him, otherwise it would be quite troublesome.

So all Zhou Lingfeng needs to do right now is wait!

We await the outcome of the duel between Emperor Yuanwu and Tie Xuan, the two chess players.

Meanwhile, a hundred miles away from Shengjing, a group of knights were galloping along!

The man in the lead was dressed in a blue robe and had a handsome face, like a scholar.

Suddenly, a carrier pigeon flew down from the sky and landed in the hands of a knight.

“Marshal, His Highness has been demoted to a beggar and paraded through the streets as a public spectacle!”

“His Highness is already disabled; further humiliation might cause him to become despondent!”

The knight hurriedly went to the man in blue and handed him the information.

“He has the blood of the Tie family in his veins, there is no way he could be so weak! Besides, the fact that he was able to endure the humiliation of Chang Ningshuang for three years shows that he is a man of great wisdom!”

Tie Xuan said calmly.

“Let’s go, follow me to Shengjing!”

Tie Xuan pushed off with his legs, and the horse beneath him galloped away in a cloud of dust.

“The Seventh Prince has remained remarkably calm so far, merely sitting against the wall?”

Inside the Censorate, Zhao Yang Ruyue finished reading the secret report and asked with great interest.

“Yes! He only drank a few mouthfuls of swill, and no one dared to come near him!”

The spy knelt below and said.

“Interesting! He’s adaptable and resilient; three years of confinement have actually changed his temperament. It seems everyone underestimated him!”

“It’s a pity he’s that woman’s son. I’m already being kind by not kicking him when he’s down!”

Zhao Yang, dressed in a light veil, wore a strange smile.

“By the way, the Fifth Princess Consort also came, but she only took a quick look from afar and left.”

The spy had another idea.

“Chang Ning Shuang? Tie Jia Yuan Yang let her have a taste first…”

“This woman has no idea how much of a bargain she’s gotten!”

Zhao Yangruyue frowned.

“My Supreme Forgetfulness Technique is still a bit lacking; his life must be spared.”

The ancient cultivation technique she practices requires the special bloodline fusion of the Tie family.

Throughout history, only two members of the Tie family have direct bloodlines.

One is Tie Xuan, and the other is Zhou Lingfeng!

“The Inspection Department doesn’t need to get involved in this matter. Whatever happens is none of our business! Understand?”

She gave her final command, and her figure instantly appeared at the First Prince’s residence.

…

“I never imagined that the former crown prince would fall to the level of a beggar! So all the titles of crown prince and prince are meaningless; only by sitting on the supreme throne can one control one’s own destiny!”

Inside the Crown Prince’s residence, a grand celebration of singing and dancing was underway.

Until a veiled figure appeared, the eldest prince, with a dazed look in his eyes, pushed aside the beautiful woman beside him and sternly ordered everyone to leave.

“Imperial Advisor, what brings you here?”

The eldest prince stared intently, his voice trembling.

“I want you to do something for me.”

Zhao Yangruyue spoke in a cold tone.

Please give your orders!

The eldest prince nodded vigorously.

“I know that among all the princes, only you have a second-rank retainer!”

“Have him secretly protect Seventh Brother. He doesn’t need to worry about ordinary matters. But if anyone tries to kill him, you must protect his life at all costs!”

Zhao Yangruyue gave the order in a deep voice.

“But Father hates this the most…”

The eldest prince was so anxious that he was sweating profusely.

He was naturally aware of Zhou Lingfeng’s situation.

In fact, when he was young, he was just the son of a palace maid. He was abused by the eunuchs and palace maids and never had enough to eat.

He would always remember Zhou Lingfeng secretly bringing him some food every night. Although it was just two steamed buns and a chicken leg, it was the best food he had ever eaten in his life.

But he was also worried about Emperor Yuanwu’s wrath!

“Actually, I can do anything for you if you’re willing.”

Seeing that the other party did not speak, the eldest prince suddenly made up his mind.

“Your Highness, you should know that His Majesty has always been concerned about my health.”

Zhao Yang smiled slightly, as if the moon were a gentle breeze.

“Yes, Father Emperor loves you too!”

The eldest prince suddenly woke up and found his face almost touching the other person’s!

“Your Highness, do you want to see what I look like?”

“Once this matter is settled, you can come find me at the Hall of Mental Cultivation!”

Zhao Yang smiled slightly, her fingers slowly lifting her veil.

In that instant, the air suddenly froze.

Beneath the veil was a face so beautiful it took your breath away.

The eldest prince swallowed hard, remembering only how alluring the red mole on the other person’s face was.