"Father, may I ask why you summoned me?"

The Fifth Prince was puzzled when the King of Great Zhou suddenly called him to the palace.

After all, he had been busy preparing for the upcoming engagement banquet. Could it be that his father wanted to discuss something related to that?

"I recently received some news about the Chen Family."

"You should be aware of the past relationship between the Chen Family and the Liu Family, right?"

The King's words sent a jolt through the Fifth Prince's heart. He hadn't expected it to be about this matter.

"Yes, Father, I am aware of it."

"But rest assured, I have already arranged for someone to handle it, ensuring it won't affect anything."

"You know, Mengyan is quite talented and is being specially trained in the Shangqing Sect. Moreover, we are deeply in love."

"Although the Liu Family once had some agreements with the Chen Family, that was a long time ago, and those agreements are now merely nominal."

"Father, I hope this matter won't give you a bad impression of Mengyan."

"I..."

Before the Fifth Prince could finish, the King raised his hand to stop him.

Seeing his father's furrowed brows, the Fifth Prince felt extremely anxious, fearing it might affect his relationship with Liu Mengyan.

"Take a look at this. It's a message sent by Wu Chengfeng, the Governor of Beiyuan County."

The King of Great Zhou tossed the letter from Wu Chengfeng to the Fifth Prince.

After reading the contents, the Fifth Prince laughed.

"So, it's about this."

"Father, I'm aware of this. Don't worry, it's just a scheme by the Chen Family."

"As for that so-called ancestor, I think it's a joke."

"I've already asked my uncle to help eliminate the Chen Family. By now, he should have succeeded," the Fifth Prince said with a smile.

Hearing this, the King's frown did not ease. Instead, he stared intently at the Fifth Prince.

"Did you notice another piece of information in there?" the King asked.

"Hmm? What else?" the Fifth Prince asked, puzzled.

"A dog!"

"A talking dog!"

"Are your eyes just for show?"

"How could you overlook such important information?" The King finally lost his temper and shouted.

A dog?

What dog? And it can talk?

The Fifth Prince was stunned, his mind blank from the King's outburst.

"Father, this..."

Suddenly, the Fifth Prince's heart skipped a beat. A talking dog? A demonic beast?

A demonic beast capable of human speech must be above the fifth rank. This...

A fifth-rank demonic beast alone could destroy the Great Zhou Kingdom, let alone one above the fifth rank.

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Why hadn't Liu Mengyan told him about such important news?

"Father, is this information true? Mengyan never mentioned it to me," the Fifth Prince asked nervously.

"Wu Chengfeng wouldn't dare lie to me."

"So, this talking dog must exist."

"If Liu Mengyan didn't mention it, there are two possibilities: either she doesn't know, or she's deliberately hiding it."

"She must not know. Otherwise, she would never deceive me," the Fifth Prince said firmly.

Hearing this, the King sighed helplessly.

The Fifth Prince was the most talented among his many sons and the one he favored the most.

Yet, unexpectedly, this outstanding son fell head over heels for Liu Mengyan, to the point where even his mind seemed clouded.

"Never mind, whether she knows or not is no longer important."

"How do you plan to handle this?" the King asked.

The Fifth Prince frowned slightly, pondering deeply.

By now, his uncle should have acted against the Chen Family. The best outcome would be success; the worst, failure.

If they failed, the Chen Family would not let it go.

"Father, in my opinion, we need to prepare on two fronts."

"Regardless of whether my uncle succeeds or not, we must be ready."

"On one hand, prepare for negotiations to appease the Chen Family's anger. We can blame it on my uncle, pretending we knew nothing."

"On the other hand, if the Chen Family is aggressive, we cannot sit idly by."

"Even if it means mutual destruction, we cannot just wait for death," the Fifth Prince said after a moment of contemplation.

Hearing the Fifth Prince's words, the King nodded in satisfaction. It aligned closely with his own thoughts.

After all, this was the son he favored, and his mind was indeed exceptional.

"Your uncle is very fond of you."

"Aren't you afraid that after this, your uncle might hold a grudge against you? Or even lose this uncle who cares for you?" the King asked.

"Although my uncle cares deeply for me, I am a member of the royal family. In my heart, the royal family is the most important."

"If there's no other choice, I would have to sacrifice my uncle. I believe he would understand."

"Though it may seem heartless, those who achieve great things must know how to make choices," the Fifth Prince said solemnly.

"Indeed, you should know how to make choices, but your thinking is still somewhat immature."

"Oh? What insights do you have, Father?"

"The Shangqing Sect can be considered our royal family's greatest support. Although your uncle is only the Third Elder, don't forget, your grandfather is one of the Supreme Elders."

"His strength is comparable to our royal ancestor, so abandoning your uncle is not an option."

"Moreover, for your engagement banquet, I've also invited people from the Aristocratic Families."

"No matter what, the establishment of our Great Zhou Kingdom has always been backed by these Aristocratic Families. They won't stand by idly."

"If the Chen Family is willing to accept an apology and reconciliation, then all will be well."

"If not, then unite all possible forces to destroy the Chen Family!"

"But... that is the last resort."

People from the Aristocratic Families?

The Fifth Prince, being young, didn't know much about the Aristocratic Families, only having heard bits and pieces, but he wasn't aware of the specifics.

"Father, are these Aristocratic Families our backing?"

"But I've always heard that we were supported by..."

"The Shangqing Sect, right? That's false. Our true support comes from the Aristocratic Families."

"In the Northern Region, the real power lies with those few great Aristocratic Families."

In the Northern Region, the Aristocratic Families reign supreme, but their internal conflicts often lead to significant losses. Eventually, they devised a method.

The Aristocratic Families set the stage, while the dynasty plays the game!

Minor disputes among the Aristocratic Families can be settled through the conflicts between dynasties.

This way, the losses of the Aristocratic Families can be minimized.

"I see. So, we're just a pawn for them?" the Fifth Prince said, somewhat dissatisfied.

"What else can we do? If we show any disloyalty, the Aristocratic Families could change the dynasty of Great Zhou by tomorrow."

"Alright, this isn't something you should be concerned about right now."

"Relay my orders to gather all the troops near the Capital City, just in case."

"Yes, Father!"