Chapter 307: “Control”

Gu Ning’an’s words were calm and measured, yet to the ears of the cavalry, they struck like a thunderclap!

In that moment, scenes from just days prior surfaced in their minds—when they had hunted down and slaughtered the refugees.

Most of the refugees, upon seeing them, had even believed they were sent by the court to help.

But when their blades fell upon those very people, the looks in their eyes—confusion and fear—remained etched in their memories, haunting them.

Now, as Gu Ning’an brought it up again, their hearts couldn’t help but tremble!

“The blades in your hands, the armor on your backs, the fine warhorses beneath you… all of it comes from Great Wu’s tax revenue.”

“And who pays those taxes?”

“Isn’t it the very people of Great Wu?”

“You take the people’s taxes and forge weapons from them—fine. But when the people are in peril, you not only refuse to help them, you exterminate them. Why?”

At this, Gu Ning’an let out a soft chuckle. “Forget it. Speaking to you is pointless. In the end, you are nothing more than the royal family’s blade…”

The next moment, several fully armed cavalrymen dismounted, stepped forward in unison, and bowed deeply toward Gu Ning’an. Then, as one, they roared:

“Sir’s words shake our souls—we have slaughtered refugees!”

“We are unworthy to live in this world!”

Clang! Clang!

The sharp sound of swords being drawn rang out. A flash of cold steel—and blood sprayed into the air!

The cavalrymen who had stepped forward committed suicide on the spot!

Seeing this, some others immediately followed suit, letting out furious cries before ending their own lives. Some half-drew their swords, their hands trembling, their eyes filled with turmoil. Others, however, remained indifferent, gazing at the fallen comrades with a look of mockery.

“Step back three paces!”

The Third Prince’s sharp command snapped the cavalry out of their daze. Military orders were absolute—without hesitation, they all retreated three steps in unison.

The Third Prince then stepped forward, passing through the corpses of his own soldiers lying haphazardly across the ground. Yet, he didn’t spare them so much as a glance.

As if their deaths were nothing more than a trivial matter.

Once he stood before Gu Ning’an, he cupped his hands in greeting and spoke in a casual tone, as if chatting with an old friend:

“Mr. Gu, have you met with the immortal?”

“I have.”

“Excellent! Excellent!” The Third Prince clapped his hands and continued, “Mr. Gu, you now have two choices before you.”

“The first—return to the capital with me and inform the court officials that the immortal has chosen to support me.”

“The second—die here at the shores of this immortal lake. I will take the token from your corpse and ascend the throne myself!”

“One path leads to prosperity and glory for a lifetime. The other—dying in a foreign land, your body left to rot in the wilderness. Sir, choose wisely!”

Seeing his elder brother finally reveal his dagger now that words had run dry, the Fifth Prince couldn’t help but sneer.

Though the Third Prince’s words were directed at Gu Ning’an, they were equally meant for him.

The cavalry here were all under the Third Prince’s command, and in this moment, it was clear—his fist was the largest.

Even though they had sworn before the Ancestral Temple not to turn against each other…

Even though the civil and military officials had collectively submitted a decree stating that, regardless of which prince perished on this journey, the court would never allow the survivor to take the throne…

The Third Prince still intended to claim “absolute power” and secure the so-called “immortal’s support”—whether real or not.

At this thought, the Third Prince’s gaze flickered toward his uncle, who stood not far away.

He was eager to know—during this time, when they had all been vying for his support—what was their uncle truly thinking?

After all, among those being threatened by the Third Prince’s words, Royal Prince Ye was included.

As a witness to all this, how would he choose?

At this moment, Prince Ye stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze occasionally sweeping over Gu Ning’an and the Third Prince.

His eyes revealed little emotion, as if he were entirely indifferent to the Third Prince’s actions.

Seeing this, the Fifth Prince strode forward to the center of the gathering and spoke sternly:

“Third Brother, even if you’re vying for the throne, must you be so blatant about it?”

“Mr. Gu has at least met with the immortal. If you truly harm him, aren’t you afraid of incurring the immortal’s wrath and bringing disaster upon Great Wu?”

The Third Prince sneered. “Fifth Brother, at this point, not only have you refused to flee, but you even dare to stand up and challenge me. I must admit—I admire your courage.”

“To be honest, I’ve always thought quite highly of you… But for the sake of restoring Great Wu, today you must follow Father and Eldest Brother to the afterlife.”

“Uncle! You heard all that, didn’t you?”

“As the appointed witness, don’t you have anything to say?”

“Or… are you planning to side with my Third Brother?”

Faced with the Third Prince’s deadly threat, the Fifth Prince remained calm, redirecting the conversation to the ever-silent Royal Prince Ye.

“Sibling against sibling… Such is the fate of the imperial family,” Prince Ye sighed, his eyes filled with disappointment. “But I must say, you two have truly let me down.”

At this, the Third Prince cupped his hands. “Uncle has always been indifferent to power—who sits on the throne should make no difference to you.”

“If that’s the case, then I trust you know which choice will allow you to enjoy your remaining years in peace?”

“Heh…” Prince Ye let out a soft chuckle before clapping his hands. “Xuliu, you certainly have guts. I am your uncle, yet you think you can threaten me again and again?”

“Do you truly believe you can control me?”

The Third Prince’s brows furrowed slightly at Prince Ye’s calm demeanor. But then he recalled that his cavalry had already scouted the area—there were no hidden troops within fifty miles. That thought put him at ease.

“Uncle, you know how formidable my cavalry is,” the Third Prince said with a helpless smile. “I advise you not to be so stubborn…”

At those words, Royal Prince Ye reached into his sleeve and retrieved a jade flute, roughly the length of a finger. He brought it to his lips and began to play.

The next moment, an eerie tune spread through the air—not exactly pleasant, not exactly unpleasant, but deeply unsettling.

As confusion flickered across the Third Prince’s face, his nearby cavalry suddenly contorted in pain. Their faces turned deathly pale, veins bulging at their temples as they clutched their throats—struggling as if they could neither inhale nor exhale!

Then came the sound of disorderly hoofbeats. One by one, the cavalrymen foamed at the mouth and toppled from their horses, kicking up clouds of dust as they crashed to the ground.

Many of them struggled to get back up after falling, but after a few desperate convulsions, they collapsed, breathless and lifeless.

The horrific sight made the Third Prince stagger backward several steps!

Nearly two thousand cavalrymen had been reduced to just a few dozen survivors—all within moments of the flute’s eerie tune!

The music ceased abruptly. Royal Prince Ye stowed away his jade flute, then turned to his terrified nephew with a beaming smile.

“My dear Third Nephew, do you still think you can control your uncle?”