The Second Prince did not find the Immortal Herbs that could extend one's lifespan in the East Sea.

But this did not affect his plan.

If he could find the Immortal Herbs in the East Sea and prolong the Emperor's life, his own stature in the Emperor's heart would rise, and he might even surpass his elder brother and be designated as Crown Prince.

If he failed to find the Immortal Herbs, it would still be fine, since the Emperor would see his filial piety. Compared to his elder brother, who did nothing, this was still a point in his favor.

Besides, going to the East Sea was truly dangerous, with the battle between two Immortals in the Dragon Palace. A slight repercussion and he would have died an untimely death. Having gone through such a perilous situation, the Emperor could not possibly remain indifferent.

Therefore, whether he found the Immortal Herbs or not was not important. What was important was that he had gone to the East Sea.

Even so, after he returned and waited a year, as the Emperor's health progressively declined, the appointment of a successor was still not announced, which made him somewhat anxious.

It was then that Lu Yang arrived at the Imperial City, and through the acquaintances from the East Sea, he invited Lu Yang to his residence for a chat, to connect emotionally, and for Lu Yang to help him ascend the throne—all of which seemed quite natural.

Very few knew that the Second Prince was a person of meticulous thoughts.

...

"Hmm, the second son of the Xia Family wants to invite this Fairy over?" Fairy Eternity received the invitation and found that the Imperial City was indeed bustling. She received invitations every day. Apart from the second son of the Xia Family's, there were also numerous poets and scholars' invites following one another, all of them inviting her to write poetry.

She rejected them all according to Lu Yang's advice.

"Your Majesty, you should call him the Second Prince," Lu Yang reminded her. Calling him the second son of the Xia Family in front of the Second Prince would mean waiting for a grimace from him.

"Oh, alright then." Fairy Eternity was a qualified Emperor, open to advice and amenable. Whatever Lu Yang suggested, she listened to it.

"Then let's go to the second son of the Xia Family's place." Fairy Eternity liked lively places, and the invitation said that the second son of the Xia Family would host a banquet for Lu Yang.

"Let's also call on Old Meng. He's more familiar with affairs in the Imperial City, so we won't be completely in the dark when we get to the second son of the Xia Family... the Second Prince's house," Lu Yang said, nearly slipping up and continuing with Fairy Eternity's designation.

Meng Jingzhou furrowed his brow upon learning that the Second Prince intended to host a banquet for Lu Yang. Based on his understanding of the Second Prince, this banquet was likely not going to be as simple as just having a meal.

However, since the Immortal wanted to go, he didn't dare to stop her. If any issues arose, he would just step in to shield the Immortal.

This time, Meng Jingzhou did not bring Meng Jingyu; this kind of occasion was not suitable for Meng Jingyu to attend.

The Second Prince's banquet was scheduled for three days later. After three days, Fairy Eternity went to the banquet accompanied by Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.

The Second Prince placed great importance on Lu Yang. On the day of the banquet, he personally greeted Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou at the entrance.

He saw them from a distance, hurried over, and with a warm but appropriate smile, he greeted them with a bow, "Gentlemen, since we parted in the East Sea, it has been a year since we last met, and I have missed you dearly."

Meng Jingzhou maintained a similar smile and returned the greeting with a bow, "Your Highness, the Prince, is too kind."

"Please, come inside."

"Please."

The purpose of the Second Prince's banquet was to welcome and catch up with Lu Yang. Now that the key guest had arrived, the banquet naturally started as expected.

Perhaps worried that the banquet would not be lively enough, the Second Prince also invited many young nobles. Lu Yang knew a small portion of them, but he had never seen even more of them, meaning that the young nobles the Second Prince had invited were not all of his peers.

As the three took their seats, the Second Prince initiated conversation, "I have long heard that Cultivator Lu Yang has arrived in the Imperial City. Unfortunately, I have been busy with official duties and could not entertain Cultivator Lu Yang. Today, I have finally found some free time to welcome and refresh Cultivator Lu Yang, and I hope you do not take offense."

"Cultivator Lu Yang has made quite a name for himself in the Imperial City, not only defeating all peer geniuses but also composing a poem at Lotus Pavilion that won universal acclaim. Even the great scholars of the Imperial Academy praised your composition, proclaiming that your poem possesses the ability to enlighten and reveal truth."

"Come, let me introduce these gentlemen to you."

"This is the grandson of the Minister of the Treasury, Hong Guanshan."

"This is the son of the chief historian of the Great Marshal's residence, Kong De."

"This is..."

The Second Prince introduced them one by one, while Hong Guanshan and others wore arrogant smiles, taking pride in their own identity.

Fairy Eternity merely nodded politely. She was not interested in the identities of these people, and terms like 'Minister of the Treasury' were also unknown to her.

Meng Jingzhou listened by the side, his expression changing subtly. Fairy Eternity might not understand what these people represented, but he certainly did.

These people were involved in all aspects of Great Xia: the military, finances, the security of Imperial City, and so forth. If they could all be utilized by the Second Prince, it would be an extremely formidable force.

This was the Second Prince introducing to Lu Yang just how many people supported him.

Fairy Eternity, growing impatient with the introductions, finally couldn't help but ask, "Why do you always have to mention their fathers and grandfathers when introducing them? Are they not well-known by themselves?"

"When I introduce myself, as long as I say I am Lu Yang, everyone knows who I am without saying anything else."

As these words were spoken, the smiles on the faces of Hong Guanshan and the others became stiff, striking a nerve.

Merely at a glance, he had made them feel utterly self-conscious. This ability to discern the truth was truly terrifying. No wonder the Second Prince was so eager to win over Lu Yang!

"And what does their status have to do with me?" Fairy Eternity asked, puzzled. She didn't care what these people were called, let alone who their fathers and grandfathers were.

She would rather the introductions be finished quickly and the banquet begin without delay.

Moved by this development, the Second Prince didn't believe for a moment that Lu Yang didn't understand the introductions. Lu Yang said he didn't care about their status. Was he implying that he didn't want to join this imperial power struggle?

Seeing this, the Second Prince simply stopped introducing his own supporters and started the banquet, following Lu Yang's lead.

The banquet proceeded normally with dancing girls for entertainment, toasts made amid laughter, and revelry with wine.

The dancers were graceful, but next to Ye Mengyin, they paled in comparison, and compared to Fairy Eternity, they were not even worthy to carry her shoes. Fairy Eternity wasn't much interested in dancing.

"Put on a show with Zhu Tian, and that might be worth watching."

Fairy Eternity wasn't too fond of drinking. She remembered the Time Immortal soaking his body in a vat of Immortal Wine, the aroma overpowering, causing even Transcendance Tribulation Stage cultivators to feel dizzy and as if they were in the land of immortals upon just a whiff.

At that time, Qilin Immortal and Immortal Jiuchong faced the wine vat and drank, acting like drunken fools afterward, in a most unseemly display.

Fairy Eternity, considering herself one of the top ten beauties of ancient times, felt she needed to maintain her status and could not engage in such undignified behavior, so she was somewhat resistant to wine.

"Oh, Xiao Yang, would you like to see the scene of Qilin Immortal and Immortal Jiuchong acting like drunken fools? I have the images retained," she offered.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yang quickly shook his head. Such a sight was a death sentence for anyone who watched; he preferred to live a little longer.

The Second Prince got thoroughly drunk, and, under the influence of the wine, he approached Lu Yang and began to pour out his woes.

"Lu Yang, my friend, my heart aches."

"The Emperor's time is running short, yet the succession remains undecided. My elder brother claims he has no desire to cling to the throne, but in the royal family, there are no true affections—who can say for sure?"

"And there are the fourth and fifth brothers, claiming indifference toward the throne, yet they prepare in secret."

The Second Prince shook his head and sighed, his voice filled with genuine sorrow, "The winds of change are unpredictable in Imperial City. You, being an outsider, see it all most clearly. Tell me, who in the end shall seize the throne?"

The people indulging in the feast overheard the Second Prince's drunken words and pretended to discuss among themselves while they secretly observed Lu Yang's reaction.

His Highness was using the wine to speak frankly, wanting to know if Lu Yang would join their camp.

Meng Jingzhou's expression changed subtly, realizing this as well. If the response were to be careless, it might drag both the Meng Family and the Seek Dao Sect into the competition for the throne!

And both the Meng Family and the Seek Dao Sect had always maintained a neutral stance, not taking part in the struggle for the throne!

Such a precedent could not be set!

Lu Yang also realized this was the Second Prince's true purpose in inviting him over.

He was being forced to take sides!

His response had to be cautious not to give the Second Prince any opening.

Just as Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were both considering how to reply, Fairy Eternity interjected with a surprised expression and asked:

"Does it mean that I get to decide who becomes the Emperor?"