[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starlight-professional":3,"chapter-starlight-professional-starlight-professional-chapter-663":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Starlight Professional",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2309323,4512,"Chapter 663: Regicide","starlight-professional-chapter-663",663,"\u003Cp>The night wind was cold and chill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing’s lips curled into a faint sneer, recalling historical novels where the crown prince, though already on the brink of ruin, dared not rebel—only wept and begged for mercy, or feigned noble integrity and offered his neck for the blade, all while trying to bind the emperor with kinship and reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he’d unveil one invention after another, one benefit after another, sparking astonishment and cheers—yet in the end, they were all reformists, utterly devoid of grandeur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was all so tedious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a prince to rebel was simple; for a crown prince, even simpler—once the emperor died, the crown prince became the new emperor!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for legitimacy, propriety, candlelight shadows, and all that nonsense—it was all garbage!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only by surviving first could one even consider other matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for court chaos? National turmoil? Peasants starving? He’d deal with them one by one later—after all, the dead couldn’t argue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperors are inherently selfish!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one is a saint; everyone makes mistakes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the wisest ruler, if he killed his own crown prince in old age and built ten “Pavilions of Regret,” what good would that do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, if one wishes to be emperor—or even a good emperor—one must first place oneself above all the people of the realm!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All men have selfishness, but the emperor is the most selfish—otherwise, how could he be called the lone tyrant of the world?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even those so-called “golden ages” of antiquity still had frozen corpses on the roadside, far worse than modern times…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heart and nature—heart and nature—it’s just one’s innate nature… Since I must be tested on my nature, I’ll act as my heart desires.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, for my own safety… I must assassinate the emperor immediately!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The longer the emperor lives, the greater my danger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If one day I’m actually deposed as crown prince, climbing back up will be far more difficult…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This world feels like a game of Werewolf—no position is safe, except the emperor’s, which is barely secure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing paced a few steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, several eunuchs and guards assumed the crown prince was worried over the court’s attacks, utterly unaware their beloved crown prince was already contemplating something profoundly treasonous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Warfare must be as elusive as darkness, as swift as thunder! To assassinate the emperor, one must strike without warning… I have a clear advantage now. After all, the crown prince’s former personality was weak, brainwashed by Confucian ideals of ruler-subject and father-son bonds… and he’d never been pushed to the brink. No one would ever suspect I’d suddenly decide to assassinate the emperor. That’s the foundation of surprise!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And killing the emperor has many methods—military coup is the noisiest and leaves the most lingering problems; best avoided if possible…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Or like Zhuan Zhu assassinating King Liao, the white rainbow piercing the sun—a single assassin does the job.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, that’s extremely difficult!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this world has no supernatural power—the strongest are merely ten-men fighters; no matter how skilled, a hundred guards surrounding you will chop you into meat paste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Spring and Autumn or Warring States periods, assassination might have been plausible, but as time progressed, security grew ever stricter—assassins might not even get inside the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worse still, if you entrusted the task to the wrong person, Zhuan Zhu might turn into Qin Wuyang, and the joke would be on you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The best assassin is actually the crown prince himself! After all, who dares search the crown prince’s person?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And in this world, there’s no supernatural power—so if you’re willing to risk your life, you can drag the emperor down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But this approach is hard to clean up… Prince Tai would die laughing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if the assassin succeeds and kills himself on the spot, according to conspiracy theory—who benefits most is the killer! The crown prince would still bear criticism, but it’d be far better… In politics, the difference between acting through intermediaries and wearing a mask is enormous!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, poison is best—preferably poison so subtle no one suspects it, making it look like natural death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For a modern person, this is simple: find a smallpox patient, vaccinate yourself with cowpox, then get close to the emperor and infect him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the more steps involved, the more likely something goes wrong… and even if you contract smallpox, you might not die—you might just survive with scars.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing was rapidly considering slow-acting toxins, ones that left no trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, he glanced at the back of his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Streams of silver light converged, forming the shape of the Gate of All Worlds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, an inexplicable warmth flowed through his body, and the mark of the Gate of All Worlds immediately faded…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve already opened a cheat code… now another one? I’m almost embarrassed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing silently sensed it—the cheat wasn’t much. It didn’t restore his immortal power, not even Qi Condensation level—just a single internal force in his dantian, turning him into a master of internal energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This internal force was of little use—it only sharpened his hearing and sight, extended his lifespan, yet couldn’t let him surpass the normal human limit, nor let his body withstand blades and swords.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if I’m going into battle, I’ll wear multiple layers of heavy armor… and use complex terrain for guerrilla tactics…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As the only supernatural being in this world… am I already invincible?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A small cheat isn’t cheating…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing muttered, then waited silently. When no furious World Spirit appeared to intervene, he let out a quiet chuckle—he knew the test had succeeded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The World Spirit had no authority to interfere in the trial…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highness?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, the purple-robed senior eunuch, Eunuch Ma, stared at the crown prince and, for some reason, felt something was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if years of gloom had been swept away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Return to your chambers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing sighed and returned to his own quarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highness?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the candlelight, a beautiful lady in palace attire waited—Sun Shi, the crown prince’s consort, daughter of Li Ruzhang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Shi came from the Marquisate of Wei; she was the marquis’s legitimate daughter and bore Li Ruzhang one son and one daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In addition, Li Ruzhang had two secondary consorts, both from scholarly families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several concubines were daughters of minor officials and merchants—all stunning beauties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The aristocracy, civil officials, merchants—all considered. Truly long-term planning…” “Back then, the emperor cared deeply for Li Ruzhang. No, perhaps he cares even more now—after all, a too-powerful maternal clan harms the imperial house. The current crown prince is just right. Prince Tai, Prince Kang, and others are merely whetstones—but people have limits. If sharpened too long, who knows if they won’t go mad?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing shook his head and stepped forward, grasping his consort’s jade hand: “How are Bao’er and Fuer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’ve both fallen asleep. When I heard Your Highness was standing in the wind, I boiled a bowl of ginger soup…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The consort brought the bowl—steam rising, clearly kept hot on a small stove, the fire never extinguished, the soup never cooled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing lifted a silver spoon, sipped: “You’ve worked hard… Don’t worry—I’ll write a petition of apology immediately. If Father sees my sincerity, he won’t punish me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The consort exhaled in relief: “It’s wonderful that Your Highness sees things clearly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rest easy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing sighed slightly. In this ancient world, the crown prince’s consort—and even other concubines—shared his fortune and misfortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he were deposed, their fates would be dire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, even if he rebelled, they had no choice but to follow—though it wouldn’t come to that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll be careful. I won’t let you, Fuer, or Bao’er end up ruined…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The consort froze, her eyes suddenly filling with tears…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After submitting the petition of apology, the emperor immediately summoned the crown prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Imperial Study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant bows before Your Majesty!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing performed the ritual bow with perfect precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this ancient world, one must adapt—wanted to score high, needed to fully embody the role.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Occasionally raising his head, he saw the emperor—a middle-aged man, strikingly martial, his face flushed with health—and sighed inwardly: “At least twenty years left. He must not be allowed to live.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor studied Fang Xing, then spoke calmly, radiating unfathomable imperial authority: “You erred first—now you come begging for mercy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing kept his eyes down, nose aligned with his heart—yet thought inwardly: “If I said ‘Your Majesty should address me as Crown Prince’ right now, what would happen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The image was too beautiful—he dared not imagine it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm? You’ve grown more composed…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor was slightly surprised, paused, then said: “I sentence you to three months of self-reflection in seclusion. Do you accept?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As Your Majesty commands!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing said: “Your servant was already planning to shut myself away and study…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being crown prince is hard—very hard. Do well, and the emperor suspects you’re building power. Do poorly, and he suspects you’re incompetent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless the emperor is a fool, things are slightly easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, constant reprimands are inevitable—and they call it “Thunder and Rain, Both Are Heaven’s Grace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? What have you been reading lately? Any progress?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor spread out a sheet of white paper, as if about to write.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing stepped forward and took the ancient inkstone, slowly grinding the ink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the purple-robed senior eunuch, Eunuch Su, who had been about to do it himself, was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When did the crown prince start groveling like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This suffering… truly changes a person…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The crown prince, born of imperial blood, has been driven to this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eunuch Su sighed inwardly, his face expressionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor, seeing this, felt pleased—he believed his discipline had succeeded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked up the imperial brush, dipped it fully in ink, and wrote in one swift stroke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This calligraphy, I bestow upon you, Crown Prince.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing thanked him, and Eunuch Su hurried forward to mount the scroll; his peripheral vision caught four large characters—“Self-Restraint and Return to Propriety!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hand trembled; he thought inwardly: “Self-restraint and return to propriety—suppress personal desires, align speech and action with ritual… Is this a veiled accusation that the Crown Prince overstepped? An unmistakable rebuke… If Prince Kang and Prince Tai heard this news, they’d be delighted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eunuch Su couldn’t resist glancing at the Crown Prince’s face, but saw no change in his expression: “Thank you, Father, for the gift of characters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the guise of bowing, he drew close to the Emperor and lightly brushed a palm against him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Heart-Shattering Force!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing used hidden force, like a gentle breeze—unseen, unheard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The key was to lie dormant; it would strike suddenly only after three days, shattering the heart meridians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that palm, he already regarded the Emperor as a dead man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Poison would work too, but gathering ingredients takes time and leaves traces… The more hands involved, the greater the risk of exposure!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But my internal force is unique in this world; this regicide, from start to finish, rots inside only my own belly—there’s no fear of exposure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing calmly accepted the scroll: “Your servant takes his leave!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1851,"2026-06-20T11:03:23.251Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","633b40c2723f598ead87f60daca9e72c1183063494025b15242ca89ea9873ff3","starlight-professional-chapter-664","starlight-professional-chapter-662",726,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarlight-professional-cover.jpg"]