Seeing Qin Ning’s inexplicable smile, Ming Yu couldn’t understand.
“I didn’t expect you to be so adorable!”
Qin Ning patted Ming Yu’s shoulder and said, “If you could change that worried, haggard look of yours, being an emperor wouldn’t be so bad.”
Being an emperor wouldn’t be so bad!
Hearing this, Ming Yu immediately covered Qin Ning’s mouth and whispered, “Just that one sentence from Young Master is enough to get you killed a thousand times over!”
“This is the territory of the Bei Ming Empire’s imperial family. As long as the imperial family doesn’t decline, my imperial father’s words are heaven’s decree.”
“Don’t say such rebellious things again!”
Ming Yu sighed, “This time, if Prince You saw it, I’m afraid he would hate me immensely.”
“What’s there to be afraid of!”
Qin Ning laughed and said, “If you want to be emperor, I’ll just make you emperor. If your old man isn’t qualified, I’ll pull him down from the throne.”
Hearing this, Ming Yu could only give a bitter smile.
Perhaps Qin Ning was so scared that he had gone mad?
The emperor, even to a prince like him, was a lofty and unattainable existence.
How could he be pulled down just because Qin Ning said so?
If Qin Ning, standing before him, were a master who had surpassed the Four Spirit Realms, then his words might hold some credibility.
Qin Ning didn’t say much more, looking at Ming Yu and then asking, “Your father is the current Emperor Ming Yong, so who is your mother? Where is she from?”
“My mother?”
Ming Yu was slightly taken aback, unsure why, but still answered honestly, “My mother is from the Qin family in Tian Yuan Commandery. She is now Imperial Concubine Shu to my imperial father, named Qin Shuyue.”
“As expected… the Qin surname…”
Qin Ning nodded slightly and said, “Tian Yuan Commandery, huh? It seems the Ming family can be considered fortunate in the future, not collapsing on its own. With descendants like you, the Qin family isn’t bad either.”
“But a prince like you, it’s hard to avoid being a little overshadowed, isn’t it?”
“Haha, to be honest, the ancestor of my mother’s Qin family was a person named Qin Tianyuan. Back then, he followed Emperor Ming Yuan in his southern campaigns and northern expeditions, achieving many military feats.”
“The Qin family back then was the first family outside the imperial family to be granted a princely title. But afterwards, the Bei Ming Empire declined, and my Qin family gradually withered. Things changed over time, and now, it’s only as large as a commandery!”
“That kid Qin Tianyuan…”
Qin Ning nodded slightly and said, “Don’t worry, your mother’s ancestral lineage is very powerful. Since that’s the case, I’ll just give you a hand!”
“Young Master Qin agrees to become my aide?”
But as soon as he finished speaking, the joy on Ming Yu’s face suddenly vanished. He sighed and said, “Unfortunately, it’s too late now. Young Master Qin’s life cannot be saved.”
“Who told you my life couldn’t be saved?”
Qin Ning chuckled indifferently and said, “Not only can my life be saved, but I’ll also ensure you become the current crown prince!”
“If your imperial father is unreasonable, I’ll depose him and make you the new emperor.”
“How about it?”
Hearing this, Ming Yu only felt that the person standing before him was not Qin Ning, but a madman.
Every word Qin Ning was saying now was… utterly insane.
“But, with the Qin family’s background, shouldn’t they not need to rely on the Ming family right now?” Qin Ning asked, puzzled, “Your mother’s Qin family ancestor cultivated the Four Spirit Transformation Scripture, which is enough for the Qin family to establish its own nation!”
Hearing this, a look of shock appeared in Ming Yu’s eyes for the first time.
The Qin family, on the maternal side, had Qin Tianyuan as an ancestor, who was Emperor Ming Yuan’s trusted aide back then. The Four Spirit Incarnation Scripture was the Qin family’s secret treasure, never to be passed down. How did Qin Ning know about it?
“That…”
“Huh?”
“Could it be that Young Master is an illegitimate child of my maternal Qin family?”
“…”
As everyone advanced, the enormous archway of the imperial palace came into view.
King You’s footsteps halted, and he looked at the people behind him.
“Enter!”
King You’s gaze fell on Qin Ning, filled with murderous intent.
Qin Ning acted as if he didn’t see the look and walked straight into the imperial palace.
Tens of thousands of years had passed since he last returned to this place.
The Northern Ming Imperial Palace!
Qin Ning looked around; everything was still very familiar.
He strode into the palace, walking along the grand avenues paved with red bricks and blue tiles, observing the armored guards moving back and forth like shuttles.
A wave of emotion suddenly swelled in Qin Ning’s heart.
“Ming Yuan’s idea, though implemented, his descendants couldn’t maintain it!”
Afterward, everyone stepped onto a plaza.
This plaza spanned several thousand square meters, with only eight stone pillars dividing it into four directions; there was nothing else.
Sheng Xinyue exclaimed in surprise, “This is my first time in the imperial palace. It’s so strange here. What are those eight stone pillars for?”
“Carved on them are… divine dragons?”
Hearing this, Ming Yu spoke with a hint of pride, “My ancestor was Emperor Ming Yuan. Emperor Ming Yuan was a disciple of the Venerable Qing Yun of old. That Venerable Qing Yun was the beloved disciple of the ancient Emperor Jiu You.”
“These eight stone pillars were personally gifted to my ancestor by Grandmaster Emperor Jiu You when my ancestor, Emperor Ming Yuan, built the imperial palace!”
Upon hearing this, Sheng Dengfeng and Sheng Xinyue gasped in continuous admiration.
Emperor Jiu You, the most powerful since ancient times. On this Jiu You Continent, no one had ever shone as brightly or caused as much sensation as Emperor Jiu You!
If Emperor Ming Yuan hadn’t been Emperor Jiu You’s disciple, it’s likely that the Northern Ming Empire back then wouldn’t have become the powerful Northern Ming nation.
Which martial artist living on the Jiu You Continent didn’t set Emperor Jiu You as their lifelong goal?
But from ancient times to the present, tens of thousands of years had passed, and no one had truly achieved that level.
“Charge!”
“Charge!”
“Charge!”
Just as everyone was feeling astonished, shouts suddenly echoed from all sides of the plaza.
Over a thousand imperial guards, at this moment, held swords, long spears, and crossbows, aiming at the group in the center of the plaza.
The imperial guards were the Northern Ming imperial family’s elite army; each person had at least a Spirit Sea Realm cultivation.
At this moment, over a thousand people appeared, creating an immense presence.
Seeing this scene, Ming Yu’s face turned pale.
Sheng Dengfeng, Sheng Xinyue, and Ye Yuanyuan also became more cautious.
“King You, what do you mean by this?”
Sheng Dengfeng looked at the black figure standing on the steps above and asked coldly.
“Palace Master Sheng!”
King You opened his mouth and said, “This…”