513: Chapter 377 513: Chapter 377 Long Hong knew well that if there were taxation, officials from various City Lords might have already refused to collect taxes, as the laws of a country were already established.
Now, with the emergence of Supreme Elixirs, it was quite frustrating for him as the King that the City Lords, upon acquiring Supreme Elixirs, did not take the initiative to offer them up here.
He also knew that right and wrong must be distinguished; matters that the City Lords failed to handle could not be blamed on Ye Tian.
To punish at will would render him a foolish monarch.
More importantly, he still needed to seek help from others, and these words certainly could not be shared with the Princes.
Long Hong could only secure a promise of six Supreme Elixirs, which weren’t even enough for his own use, let alone to share with those useless Princes.
As a father, he was indeed selfish, of course he would share good things with them, but only for their eating, drinking, and merrymaking.
As for his position, he was not yet ready to pass it on.
The Crown Prince had not yet been appointed, just like every generation, it had to go through their constant struggle to select the most outstanding one.
It might not necessarily be the Crown Prince, nor would it have to be his favorite.
He himself had secured his kingship discreetly with his own talents.
With his current ability, and the aid of Supreme Elixirs, his life span was so long, he certainly wasn’t about to relinquish the throne so quickly.
If one day he reached a great height, and no longer needed the throne to obtain better resources, perhaps he would hand over the position to the next generation and focus on cultivating into an Immortal.
Long Hong waved his hand, and all the bustling houses had to fall silent.
“Ye Tian, General Shao, received my orders and went out on an urgent matter, so he can be excused for breaking the rules, but supplying the offerings was not his responsibility, this matter is unrelated to him.
Orders must be passed down, every city that needs to supply offerings?
They must supply them,” Long Hong declared.
“Father, without rules, there can be no square or circle, even if Ye Tian has made a mistake, he must be severely punished,” a Prince insisted relentlessly.
Long Hong shook his head, knowing too well his numerous sons, but he could still distinguish their names; this persistent Prince was the thirteenth Prince, a young, hot-blooded lad, not yet aware of the immensity of heaven and earth.
The other Princes also joined the uproar, saying that Ye Tian acted against the rules and that a minor offense was still an offense; nothing urgent should break the standard.
The more Long Hong listened, the more irritated he became.
This endless harping on one issue prompted an annoyed huff, “Am I not your father anymore?
I’m still seated in this position.
You all have so many opinions, usually I turn a blind eye, but Princes and commoners are equal in crime.”
With their father enraged, the Princes felt somewhat dissatisfied but dared not continue.
If the men didn’t dare to speak, the women certainly dared not.
Hence, after the father’s outburst, the great hall fell silent, and no one dared to stick their neck out.
No one was foolish; their positions and prospects all depended on the approval of their father.
To provoke their father’s ire was something no one wished for, to fall out of favor and be dismissed by him.
The Chief Eunuch, standing to one side, had been enjoying the spectacle, hoping the Princes would stir up trouble.
Yet he didn’t want the commotion to grow too big; if the Emperor got annoyed, he would surely delegate the responsibilities to the Chief Eunuch, who was busy enough without devoting more time to mundane matters.
Long Hong sighed softly to himself.
If it were in any other great family, his sons and daughters would certainly have gone out to gain experience, how could they be here bothering him instead.
Their noble status prohibited them from gaining experience outside, which had both its advantages and disadvantages.
It was for the sake of their sons’ safety that they didn’t need to go outside for resources or experience, keeping them protected.
But there were disadvantages to not gaining experience outside, they may plot against each other every day, but it is not a true test of their abilities in conflict.
The inheritance within the Imperial Palace was just so, not all of his Princes could cultivate.
Those who couldn’t engage in cultivation practiced other methods to strengthen their bodies.
A select few, more outstanding, were incredibly arrogant, not realizing that there are skies beyond their own.
They were all about punishing Ye Tian for his aerial flight earlier.
They failed to consider how powerful Ye Tian’s cultivation was, and if their family caused trouble over such a minor matter, he believed the royal surname would change.
Perhaps other families were as strong as Ye Tian’s family, but they did not seek the throne, nor did they need the King to threaten them.
Yet his Princes were unaware, and as the King, he had his own concerns.
There were two other forces; if it weren’t for the protection of Ye Tian’s family, the Cultivation World might have already descended into chaos.
Long Hong clearly understood that he couldn’t touch the General’s position, it was entirely for the sake of his own throne and the future of the entire Dragon Family.
“You may leave if there’s nothing else.
Don’t come here without being summoned; I’m not so idle!” Long Hong declared, issuing a dismissal.
The Princes and Princesses dared not speak any further and could only turn to leave.
But as they turned, they saw the Prime Minister and Chief of Staff entering.
The two men had flushed faces, seemingly not on good terms with each other.
Yet when they entered and saw the Princes and Princesses, the wheels in their minds began to turn again.
Liu Xu was in a terrible mood that day.
The Emperor had summoned others but not him, and in going to see for himself, he had run into that old fool, his frustration finding no outlet, exchanging barbs for half an hour, yet neither dared reveal their true status, avoiding a brawl on the streets.
“Wow, the Emperor, Princes, and Princesses are all here.
Oh, that’s not right.
When we came in just now, we saw Princess Long Feifeng running out.
What happened to the Princess Long Feifeng?” Liu Xu exclaimed.