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"Your Highness, what does this mean?" Xue Beng asked with a face full of confusion.
Standing beside him, Dugu Bo suddenly understood, his expression thoughtful.
Davis answered calmly, "It's simple. You are nothing more than bait. After you spread the news, I will immediately order Ye Lingling and President Yang Wudi to head to the Heaven Dou Empire to treat Emperor Xue Ye.
If everything goes smoothly, President Yang Wudi and Ye Lingling will help Emperor Xue Ye regain consciousness. With Emperor Xue Ye's protection, you will naturally be safe."
After a brief pause, Davis continued and revealed the second possibility.
"Of course, Xue Qinghe—who is desperate to inherit the throne—will definitely not sit by and wait for us to heal Emperor Xue Ye. He will certainly send his spirit masters to assassinate Ye Lingling and President Yang Wudi.
At that moment, we will turn his plot against him—fishing for lawbreakers. I will personally escort them to the Heaven Dou Empire.
If Xue Qinghe truly sends people to kill them, we will capture the assassins, then follow the trail to weaken Xue Qinghe bit by bit, until we completely overthrow him!"
"Brilliant! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
Upon hearing this, Xue Beng's eyes lit up instantly. His previously miserable expression vanished, replaced with unrestrained joy.
"As expected of Your Highness! This strategy is ingenious! With this, no matter what my elder brother does, he will be doomed. That means this prince will remain absolutely safe!"
While Xue Beng grew increasingly excited, Dugu Bo offered another perspective.
"This is indeed an excellent plan. But what if Xue Qinghe refuses to allow people from the Star Luo Empire to treat Emperor Xue Ye? What then?"
"That's easy," Davis replied. "At that time, Prince Xue Beng only needs to say one sentence:
'Does big brother not want Father to get better?'
This single sentence will leave Xue Qinghe speechless and will even help repair Xue Beng's reputation as a frivolous wastrel in the hearts of the people."
Hearing this, Xue Beng's emotions surged again and he repeatedly nodded.
"So that's how it is… it can even be used like this!"
Seeing Xue Beng's astonishment, Davis added another instruction for Dugu Bo:
"Senior Dugu, once Prince Xue Beng does this, it will certainly infuriate Xue Qinghe. He may even become desperate and try to attack Xue Beng directly. So during this period, I must trouble you to protect him at all times."
"That's no problem," Dugu Bo replied. "Not only me, I will also have Prince Xue Xing bring guards to protect the Fourth Prince at all times."
"That would be best."
After clarifying several details, everyone began acting according to plan.
To make the act convincing, Davis deliberately arranged to meet Xue Beng in the busiest, most crowded tavern in all of Heaven Dou City.
There, Xue Beng immediately knelt before Davis, crying and pleading for him to send Star Luo's imperial physicians to save his father, Emperor Xue Ye.
He even declared his willingness to travel to the Star Luo Empire as a hostage as long as Davis would agree to send help.
This dramatic sight was witnessed by many.
News of Emperor Xue Ye's critical illness had already spread through the city, since Xue Qinghe had been handling all governmental affairs recently—anyone with a brain could tell something had happened to Emperor Xue Ye.
Now, seeing Xue Beng kneel and beg the Star Luo Crown Prince for the sake of his father's life, countless people began to reevaluate him.
Some even felt that this ordeal had forced Xue Beng to finally mature.
Inside the tavern, Xue Beng begged relentlessly for half an hour.
When the number of onlookers exceeded ten thousand, Davis finally reluctantly agreed to his request, promising to send Ye Lingling and Yang Wudi to treat Emperor Xue Ye.
Of course, it was not entirely altruistic.
If the treatment succeeded, not only would Xue Beng have to go to Star Luo as a hostage, but they also had to offer gold soul coins and soul bones as payment.
Xue Beng publicly promised that he would ask the current Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe, to provide the gold soul coins and soul bones as Emperor Xue Ye's medical fees.
With Xue Beng wailing in the tavern for half an hour, the news—
"The Fourth Prince of Heaven Dou kneels to the Star Luo Crown Prince to save his father"
—spread like wildfire.
Within a few hours, the entire city was in an uproar.
Many who knew Xue Beng remarked,
"The prince has grown up! He finally knows how to care for his father!"
After the spectacle, Davis and Xue Beng parted ways. Davis returned to the Star Luo Empire to bring Yang Wudi and Ye Lingling back, while Dugu Bo escorted Xue Beng to meet Xue Qinghe to explain everything.
At this point, the matter had already spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred, and throughout all of Heaven Dou City.
Even if they wanted to hide it, it was no longer possible—so they might as well admit it openly.
"This is what happened, big brother. I've already asked the Crown Prince of Star Luo to send people to save Father!"
Inside the Crown Prince's manor, accompanied by Dugu Bo, Xue Beng stood before Xue Qinghe and spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, explaining everything openly.
As expected, after hearing that Xue Beng sought out Davis and asked him to send help, Xue Qinghe's expression twisted.
The smile on his face froze unnaturally, and deep within his eyes flickered a faint—almost imperceptible—killing intent.
"Fourth Brother," Xue Qinghe said slowly.
"I am relieved that you've grown up and know how to care for Father. But have you considered… can the people of the Star Luo Empire truly be trusted?"
Then his tone suddenly shifted.
"What if the ones they send harbor ill intentions and harm Father instead? Would we not be responsible for Father's death?"
Just as the Crown Prince predicted—big brother indeed rejected the proposal!
Truly, His Highness is a master strategist!
Xue Beng's heart brightened. Everything unfolding now had already been foreseen by Davis.
With this realization, his confidence soared.
In the past, he would only nod timidly in front of Xue Qinghe.
But now, with Dugu Bo guarding him, he felt no fear at all.
"Big brother, you are mistaken," Xue Beng argued.
"The imperial physicians have already said they can do nothing for Father's illness. Since that is the case, why not let the Star Luo Empire try?
You know well that Ye Lingling's spirit is the Nine-Hearted Begonia—the strongest healing martial soul in the world!
And President Yang Wudi of the Alchemist Association is the strongest known alchemist on the Douluo Continent. If they intervene, Father's condition will surely improve.
Why not let them try?"
"But…"
Before Xue Qinghe could finish, Xue Beng pressed forward anxiously:
"Could it be that big brother doesn't want Father to recover as soon as possible?"
"You—"
Xue Qinghe choked on his words, then hurriedly explained,
"Of course not! I simply do not trust people of the Star Luo Empire. If they attempt to harm Father, I would be held responsible!"
Xue Beng countered immediately,
"If they fail to heal Father, we don't have to pay them. We can even accuse them of attempting to harm him.
In the future, once the Heaven Dou Empire becomes stronger, we can use this as justification to retaliate against the Star Luo Empire.
But right now, Father lies unconscious and the imperial physicians are helpless.
We have no choice but to try everything we can—don't you agree, big brother?"
(End of Chapter)