Mu Rufeng was 24 years old this year, while the eldest prince was already 36 years old, and his strength was not weak, both being at Level 7 Refining Acupoints Realm.
The second prince, who was the former crown prince, passed away at the age of thirty-five due to illness.
The third princess, now 33 years old, was already married off.
The fourth prince, now 31, was also at Level 7 Refining Acupoints Realm, naturally suspicious, cold-blooded and ruthless, with many cunning and abnormal schemes, making him a strong rival of the eldest prince.
The fifth prince, who was 30 years old, had drowned at the age of 18 and was Mu Rufeng’s half-brother from the same mother.
The sixth prince, now 28, was of average talent and an idle prince, indifferent to the affairs of the court and the world, spending his days taming beasts and parading demons, lingering in places of vice, at Level 5 Refining Organ Realm.
As the sixth prince would say, "Life is just over a hundred years, why not live it carefree and joyously."
If it wasn’t for Refining Organ Realm which strengthened the kidneys, how could he even cultivate?
The seventh princess, currently 26, not yet married and living in the palace, was a martial arts fanatic with exceptional talent, at Level 7 Refining Acupoints Realm.
The eighth prince, now 25, was frail and often sick, usually staying inside his residence and did not venture out, his strength unknown.
Mu Rufeng was the ninth prince.
As for the two younger brothers and three younger sisters below Mu Rufeng,
the Tenth Princess was just 13 years old, and the youngest, the fourteenth prince, was only seven this year, chasing small animals around the palace grounds every day.
All the princes were arranged to leave the palace and establish their own estates at the age of fifteen.
As for why the deceased second prince was the crown prince instead of the eldest prince, that’s a story in itself.
The eldest prince was born from a concubine, while the second prince was the legitimate eldest son from the queen.
Ultimately, the Emperor decreed the second prince as the crown prince, residing in the Eastern Palace.
Unfortunately, five years ago, for some unknown reason, the talented crown prince died of a serious disease.
Even though five years had passed, the position of the crown prince remained vacant. Although the eldest prince was temporarily overseeing the state, the position of the crown prince was not bestowed upon him.
Therefore, everyone harbored that thought, all aspiring to ascend to that esteemed position of supreme power.
Those who wished to see the ninth prince dead included but were not limited to the eldest and fourth princes.
The sixth and eighth princes were also in consideration! Which prince isn’t of an actor’s caliber?
Mu Rufeng had seen plenty of historical novels and TV dramas; those princes who feigned madness and acted foolish were plentiful.
Now, the imperial palace could almost be said to be the eldest prince’s territory. Regardless, he first had to return to his own residence.
Although his army had been completely annihilated, the guards at the mansion were still present, loyal without any issues, ensuring the safety of the residence was not a problem.
"So tired, so sleepy," Mu Rufeng brainstormed here, and suddenly felt exhausted.
"Forget it, let’s sleep for a while. Wait, no, I still need to exercise," Mu Rufeng was about to sleep when he suddenly woke up.
The talent he acquired from Golden City, [Exercising Will Make You Stronger], must not be interrupted.
He had had this talent since December 26th, and it had been 26 days now. With four more days, he could get the first month’s attribute bonus.
Absolutely, he couldn’t stop here.
But now, Mu Rufeng was feeling weak and lethargic all over, struggling even to think of exercising, let alone cultivating.
Mu Rufeng also recalled the cultivation technique originally practiced by the ninth prince, named "Heavenly Opening Technique."
It was the Imperial Divine Technique of the Da Li Dynasty.
However, Mu Rufeng had been severely injured before, and his cultivation was already ruined, which meant that even if the ninth prince had recovered, he would need to start over with his training.
This made Mu Rufeng feel even better.
Starting from scratch with the cultivation technique would allow him to avoid any flaws showing.
The Heavenly Opening Technique was an extremely powerful cultivation technique, strengthening both the body and Qi Blood Power, containing numerous powerful martial arts.
Each martial art, if taken out into the outside world, would cause great upheavals.
And this was branded deep in the soul, with no way of being revealed, not even by those Soul Searching Secret Techniques.
However, even if Mu Rufeng wanted to cultivate, he would have to wait until his body had completely recovered.
As for the Fierce Tiger Power, Mu Rufeng felt there was no need to cultivate that anymore.
Fierce Tiger Power could only be cultivated up to Level 7 Refining Aperture Realm, whereas the Heavenly Opening Technique could advance one all the way up to above the Level 9 Divine Realm.
Honestly, acquiring this cultivation technique was indeed a huge bargain for Mu Rufeng.
Ultimately, Mu Rufeng got up and then began to exercise laboriously on the ground.
Given his current physical state, even doing push-ups made Mu Rufeng sweat profusely.
Mu Rufeng lay on the ground, gasping for air, his body drenched in sweat.
It was tough, extremely tough, and very hard to endure, but fortunately, he had finished.
"Xiao Cui," Mu Rufeng took a moment to rest, then shouted outside.
"Your Highness," not long after, Xiao Cui pushed the door and entered.
But as soon as she saw Mu Rufeng lying on the ground, covered in sweat, she was greatly alarmed and quickly ran over.
"Your Highness, what happened to you? Your Highness? I will take you to the Imperial Hospital right away," Xiao Cui said, and immediately picked up Mu Rufeng.
And she did so in a perfect princess carry.
"Wait, wait," Mu Rufeng quickly waved his weak and soft hand.