Chapter 27: Probing

The Crown Prince’s plans were well-laid, yet he had fatally underestimated Wang Yu’s strength, causing his scheme to collapse at the very first step. Since even Xiao Buyu could not defeat Wang Yu, the Crown Prince found himself unable to execute any of the myriad ideas he had subsequently formulated.

Upon hearing that the First Prince had invited Wang Yu to today’s poetry gathering, the Crown Prince’s immediate reaction was that his brother intended to win Wang Yu over, thereby securing the influence of the entire General of the East’s mansion. It was this thought that prompted his sudden decision to make an appearance.

To defeat one’s enemy, one must first understand them. The Crown Prince intended to gauge what kind of person Wang Yu truly was before deciding on a strategy to deal with him.

In truth, the Crown Prince felt a fair amount of frustration. Confident that as a prince he could have any woman he desired, he had instead found himself in this awkward predicament. He had only himself to blame; his investigation into Bai Ruolan had been insufficiently thorough. Now, he was essentially pushing a formidable military power into the arms of his brothers—or, to put it more severely, pushing the throne itself toward his rivals. After all, none of the brothers had yet secured the support of the military, let alone a power as significant as the General of the East’s mansion.

"Reporting to Your Highness, that is indeed me!" Since the Crown Prince had helped him up, Wang Yu naturally ceased his kneeling.

At the same time, Wang Yu secretly observed his romantic rival. Compared to the First Prince’s gentleness, the Crown Prince possessed an air of greater authority, maintaining a stern and serious expression for the most part.

"Very well, everyone rise!" the Crown Prince said casually to the others still kneeling nearby.

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Faced with the Crown Prince, the crowd dared not be remiss. After shouting their gratitude, they rose cautiously and stood aside, waiting for the great man to speak.

"Cousin, this gentleman must be your bodyguard, correct?" It was only then that the Crown Prince shifted his gaze to Ling Donglai. Throughout this, Ling Donglai maintained his usual air of detachment, as if the world’s affairs were of no concern to him.

"It is a matter of protocol for a subject to pay respects to his sovereign. Cousin, you really ought to discipline your bodyguard better," the Crown Prince said, frowning.

This time, it was not merely an attempt to target Wang Yu. If a subject failing to pay respects to the sovereign were left unchecked, it would ultimately undermine the dignity of the Imperial family.

The Crown Prince could not simply let this slide. The fact that he hadn't immediately ordered his men to seize the man was already a sign that he wished to maintain his composure in front of the crowd.

"Reporting to Your Highness, it is likely that Mr. Ling is unable to pay his respects to you today," Wang Yu said with a hint of feigned helplessness, though he was secretly anticipating the reaction.

"A household has its norms, and a nation has its laws. Without decorum, a person cannot conduct themselves, a household cannot be managed, and a nation cannot stand. If this man refuses to bow before his sovereign today, what shall happen if others follow suit?" Crown Prince Huangfu Mingzhao’s voice carried a cold edge.

Of course, Huangfu Mingzhao’s logic held weight. If subjects ignored the Imperial family as Ling Donglai had, the prestige of the throne would suffer. If such behavior became the norm, the reverence for Imperial power would eventually erode. Naturally, this all rested on the premise that Ling Donglai was not a Celestial-level expert.

*Is it truly not him?* Wang Yu mused, observing the Crown Prince’s performance.

Celestial-level experts were not required to bow to any member of the Imperial family except for the Emperor himself. If the Crown Prince knew Ling Donglai was a Celestial, he likely would not have pressed the issue so aggressively. However, this did not entirely clear the Crown Prince of suspicion; it was not impossible that he was playing a double game. To identify the mastermind, Wang Yu would need to continue his observations and investigations.

"First Prince, shouldn't the poetry gathering begin now?" Having dismissed some of his suspicions regarding the Crown Prince, Wang Yu turned to the First Prince, who had been watching the scene in silence.

"Cousin, with the matter regarding the Crown Prince still unresolved, who would dare declare the gathering open?" The First Prince remained wearing his gentle smile.

Wang Yu, who had been carefully observing the First Prince, felt a wave of disappointment. His sudden probe had yielded nothing. He noticed that whenever the First Prince answered a question, there was a brief, almost imperceptible pause. Though it lasted only an instant, it was enough to prevent any subconscious slips. As expected, a member of the Imperial family could not be so easily tested.

"Your Highness, it is indeed a matter of protocol for a subject to pay respects to the sovereign. However, I wonder if a Celestial is required to bow before Your Highness?" Having failed his probe, Wang Yu had no choice but to offer an explanation, or else the matter would not be resolved.

The fact that Ling Donglai was a Celestial was not entirely unknown within the capital. Since it was not a secret, there was no need for Wang Yu to keep it hidden. In any case, with a God-tier talent summoning card in his possession, Wang Yu could summon a Celestial or even God-tier combatant at any time. He had been holding onto the card to ensure he didn't waste the opportunity, as the system’s potential benefits guaranteed that the first five summons—outside of using the card—would not produce anyone below the Peerless level, while the card itself guaranteed even higher.

"A Celestial is, of course, not required to pay respects to me," the Crown Prince replied, finally realizing the implication, though he still felt a sense of absurdity.

A Celestial-level martial artist? Even he didn't have such a powerhouse at his side. What right did Wang Yu have to possess one? Even as the Crown Prince, the Imperial family had only arranged for a peak Grandmaster to protect him—not even a half-step Celestial, let alone a true one. If this were the case for the Crown Prince, it was even more true for the other princes, who at most commanded a few Grandmasters they had recruited themselves or inherited from their maternal clans to aid their climb to the throne.

"Since a Celestial is not required to pay respects to the Crown Prince, then Mr. Ling should also be exempt," Wang Yu said, bowing with apparent sincerity.

As his words faded, a heaven-shaking aura suddenly erupted. It was not the fleeting spark he had displayed when meeting Lu Shenmo upon entering the capital, which had gone unnoticed by those around him. This time, the terrifying pressure descended like a mountain upon everyone’s hearts, leaving each person feeling an overwhelming sense of suffocation.