The sixth prince's shout startled the other princes, but they all reacted and stepped forward to respond.

"Father, you didn't make it clear before you left that one of us brothers would succeed you to the throne!"

Qin Feifan watched the brothers put on a show, feeling a mix of emotions. It seemed these brothers still wanted to give it their all.

"Second brother, third brother, sixth brother, eighth brother, I don't want to waste any more words. Lord Li and Lord Wang are listening in this hall. If you don't obey the imperial order, you will be cutting off your ancestors."

Unfazed by the threat, Qin Feiming stood up and shouted, "Fourth Brother, Father ascended to heaven before he finished speaking. How can you say that the throne was passed to you? I think you're the one who wants to rebel!"

Qin Feifan was so angry he laughed. He had long since developed a decisive and ruthless nature while fighting enemies on the border.

"Since you have severed ties with your ancestors, don't blame me for being ruthless. Lord Li, can you hand over the Jade Tokens of the Hall of Offerings and the Imperial Palace Guards to me now?"

The two officials present were staunch royalists, utterly loyal to Qin Li. They immediately took out two jade tokens from their pockets and handed them to Qin Feifan.

"Fourth Prince, this is the Jade Token."

The Sixth Prince Qin Feiming and his companions exchanged glances, knowing they were in trouble. However, they also had a backup plan and were prepared to fight to the death.

Qin Feifan took the jade token and said to the guard captain outside the door, "Gather your men and imprison the four princes first. Then take this letter to my residence and give it to Mr. Yu. Lord Li, take the jade token to the Hall of Worship and have them all stand by around the imperial city. Be careful to prevent any disturbances during my father's funeral."

Then he said to the eunuch, "Summon the Minister of Rites to the palace to arrange my father's funeral. Order all military officials to come to the palace to see me. Those who do not come will be treated as rebels."

This day was destined to be extraordinary. Not only were there many people moving around in the palace, but soldiers could also be seen everywhere in the capital. As orders were issued from the capital, the entire Longgan Dynasty was in turmoil.

Several days later, Qin Feifan, dressed in plain clothes, was sitting in the palace, furious.

"What did you say? The barbarian army of 300,000 from the wasteland is attacking?"

"Fourth Prince, not only that, but the surrounding dynasties have also raised troops to invade the borders."

Qin Feifan has not yet publicly announced his accession to Heaven and Earth or held a grand ceremony to ascend the throne, therefore he cannot yet be called Emperor.

"Moreover, the three regional vassal kings have all issued proclamations, claiming... claiming that you..."

"Speak your mind, and you will be forgiven."

"They claim that you are cruel and unworthy of your position, and that you rose to power by altering the imperial edict."

"Nonsense! I haven't even taken personal control of the government yet, how can you say I'm tyrannical?"

"This is just an excuse. Two of the three princes support the second prince, and one supports the third prince."

"Hmph, I knew they wouldn't listen obediently. Now that things have come to this, I suppose the barbarians and the various dynasties are the work of my brothers!"

Mr. Yu's real name is Yu Dequan. He has now been officially appointed as the chief minister by Qin Feifan, and he is currently sweating profusely because of the current situation.

"Your Highness, the most terrifying thing is yet to come. According to our spies, the Sixth Prince has connections with the Northern Desert Empire. This is likely his biggest backup plan!"

Qin Feifan rubbed his forehead. He had been quite upset these past few days. Fortunately, all the powerful figures in the Hall of Worship supported him. With the dynasty's most powerful forces at his disposal, he was still able to handle the turmoil in the court with ease.

But now rebellions are raging everywhere, internal troubles have not been resolved, and external threats have come so quickly. He doesn't believe that the barbarians and the major dynasties would act so swiftly. He must have his brothers involved.

He might be able to handle these challenges even if he tried his best, since there were many experts within the dynasty and he had many connections with sect leaders in the martial arts world. Although it would be difficult, he still had hope.

What drove him to despair was that his sixth brother actually possessed the trump card of the Northern Desert Empire. If the Northern Desert Empire intervened, the entire dynasty would likely have no objections.

This is the authority of the empire. It usually doesn't bother with the major dynasties, but once it gets involved, it's the will of Heaven, and the will of Heaven cannot be defied!

Qin Feifan felt immense pressure. He thought of Meng Fan's peach orchard, gave many instructions, changed into plain clothes, and left the palace.

When I returned to this ten-mile peach garden, it was still such a quiet and elegant place, as if the turmoil in the capital had not affected it in the slightest.

"Brother Meng, I've come to bother you."

As soon as he finished speaking, the peach trees automatically parted, forming a path two meters wide.

Qin Feifan was already used to it and knew that this Peach Garden was actually a formation that made it difficult for outsiders to enter.

It was still that pavilion, and it was still Brother Meng, whom he couldn't see through. In fact, not only could he not see through Meng Fan, but he couldn't see through any of the people in this peach garden.

"Brother Meng, I..."

"Are you afraid that the people from the Northern Desert Empire will interfere in your internal affairs?"

"What? How did Brother Meng know what I was thinking! And how did he know such a secret matter?"

Qin Feifan had just sat down when he suddenly stood up, exclaiming in surprise.

"In this Azure Profound Continent, there's really not much that can be hidden from me."

Upon hearing this, Qin Feifan realized that he had once again underestimated Brother Meng, whom he had befriended. Brother Meng's status was probably much higher than he had imagined.

"Brother Meng, I've decided to leave my hometown and live a secluded life in the mountains. What do you think?"

"Since you intend to retire from the world, you wouldn't ask me about it. This shows that you haven't seen through the illusions of the world, but rather that you are extremely unwilling and helpless."

Qin Feifan gave a bitter laugh and said, "Brother Meng sees things clearly. I am powerless to change anything now. Once this news spreads, I'm sure my sixth brother won't even need to lift a finger. The entire court will be on his side. This sense of despair keeps me up at night."

"Your sixth brother promised to give the mining rights to three silver mines and one gold mine in the Golden Pine Mountains to the Northern Desert Empire. You must know the benefits involved."

"What! This is the very foundation of my Longgan Dynasty! How could he do this?"

"Compared to the pain of losing the throne, no one would refuse to give up such a benefit."

“But this is something that would betray our ancestors; we should not do such a thing, even if it means death.”

Meng Fan sneered, "For someone about to fall into the abyss, having someone lend a hand and bring them back to the light is more important than anything else."

Qin Feifan nodded in agreement. Even if he didn't intend to kill those brothers, the thought of imprisoning them for the rest of their lives would likely inspire anyone to rebel.

Seeing his increasingly somber expression, Meng Fan immediately shouted, "Think about how you used to be, full of vigor, conquering the wilderness as if it were a game of hunting, beating drums on the frontier as if it were nothing. But where are you now? Where has that Fourth Prince, who could hold up the sky with one arm and ride alone across mountains and rivers, vanished? If you want to achieve great things, you must have the capacity to encompass rivers and seas in your heart and the vision to see through the universe. Only then can you become a qualified ruler."