whonovel Chapter 1201 - 16: Seed Candidates
Chapter 1201 - 16: Seed Candidates
Royal Capital, Iron Hand Mansion, 9 a.m.
Today is a beautiful day. In this unpolluted world, the blue sky and white clouds are particularly vivid, and the air is also very fresh.
Clatter...
The sound of water came from the courtyard. Su Xiao, who had just woken up, opened the door, surprised by the scene before him.
"Don’t they need rest?"
Su Xiao looked at the two little girls cleaning the courtyard, then glanced at Bubu Wang, who was drooling in his sleep inside the room; their diligence was not even in the same dimension.
"Mmm~"
Bubu Wang, who was dreaming, let out a whimper. Judging by his blissful expression, he must be having a sweet dream.
"Sir, you’re awake. Breakfast is ready. Today’s breakfast is..."
The elder of the two little girls quickly ran over. Her name is Dilulu, and her sister is named Silulu. Who knows which slave trader named them; the two sisters have over 99% similarity in appearance. Their hair color, height, and body shape are identical. If not for their different hairstyles, Su Xiao wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.
Su Xiao doesn’t distinguish them by name but by hairstyle. The elder sister has twin tails, and the younger sister has a side ponytail, which makes them easy to differentiate.
"A lighter breakfast."
Su Xiao had killed many people last night, and now everything he smelled carried a bloody scent.
"Yes."
The two little girls immediately went to make arrangements. From the current situation, these two sisters are very useful. First, they solve the food problem, and secondly, they can also clean the courtyard, warm the bed, and manage accounts, among other things.
After waking up Bubu Wang and having a not-so-luxurious but substantial breakfast, Su Xiao left the mansion with Bubu Wang. A Mu, due to his size and appearance, couldn’t enter the Royal Palace.
This morning, Su Xiao received another summons from the Old King, or rather, all middle and upper-level officials in the Royal Capital were summoned. The reason was that the first batch of princes and princesses had arrived.
There were a total of ten heirs to the throne arriving in the Royal Capital this time, six princes and four princesses.
The Old King has a total of 49 legitimate offspring, and as for illegitimate children, there are many more. After all, the Old King has many women, and as long as his body could bear it, having offspring was just a matter of probability.
The illegitimate children, of course, have no right to inherit the throne. Only the children born to the queens are the Old King’s legitimate issue.
There is not just one queen, of course. Each of these queens has her own background, either being the daughter of a powerful minister or the daughter of a wealthy merchant.
The 36 combined queens represent a vast network of power. The center of this power network is the Old King, surrounded by powerful ministers and wealthy merchants, with these queens connecting the two.
They are an essential component of the power structure, though they don’t hold actual power, or rather, they shouldn’t hold actual power. They only need to act as a link. Once they gain power, things become problematic.
Queens without real power generally play a minor role in power struggles. The rise of a new king doesn’t significantly affect them. A new king also needs them to maintain the surrounding powerful ministers and wealthy merchants.
Royal authority is like a spider web. The further out you go, the more complex the structure. The Old King is the spider at the center of the web. He must frequently shake this web to check for damage and to know if prey has been caught.
Out of the Old King’s 49 offspring, not all will partake in the power struggle. Eighteen have already withdrawn, not because they lack ambition but because they were edged out early, losing the capital to compete. Nonetheless, they will still come to the Royal Capital.
Of the remaining 31, 16 have adopted an attitude of ’don’t meddle with me.’ They won’t actively concede but won’t compete for power either. If a prince or princess gains an overwhelming advantage in the struggle for power, these 16 will support that side, hoping to secure a significant but powerless position, commonly known as a Prince, after the victor ascends the throne.
These 16 non-competing princes or princesses are relatively young and aware they can’t surpass their older siblings, thus temporarily giving up.
Do not assume these individuals are entirely harmless; they are mostly harmless. If a heaven-sent opportunity arises, they can suddenly transform into the next king, although this possibility is low.
Through layers of elimination, before the power struggle even begins, only 15 competitors remain. From a young age, these individuals know that their siblings are enemies. If they don’t eliminate or drain their foes of power, they will meet their demise.
Among the 15 remaining competitors, five are most favored. If nothing unexpected happens, the new king will likely emerge from these five.
Su Xiao received a document from Kingdom Finance Officer, Rowen, Harvey, detailing information about these five individuals. This document is highly credible, and its contents are as follows:
Big Prince
Age: 43
Character: Steady and experienced, never loses temper, governs territories that are extremely prosperous, almost becoming the Kingdom’s economic lifeline.
Financial Power: ★★★★★ (Five stars full)
Connections: ★★★★
Leadership: ★★★
Overall: ★★★★
...
Third Prince
Age: 40
Character: Ruthless and decisive. His territory is near the Wall of God, and he is almost stationed at the Wall of God year-round, well-supported by legion commanders from various war zones.
Financial Power: ★★
Connections: ★★★★★
Leadership: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
...
Seventh Prince (Wing of the Kingdom)
Age: 26
Character: Witty, humorous, and humble. The first Wing of the Kingdom in history, over 70% of the Holy Warriors in the Kingdom won’t refuse his command.
Financial Power: ★
Connections: ★★★★★
Leadership: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
...
Second Princess
Age: 42
Character: A ’Medusa,’ maintaining a good figure and beautiful appearance even past forty, the most dangerous beauty snake in the current power struggle, leader of the Dark Flower Snake Organization (undisclosed), territorial state average.
Financial Power: ★★★
Connections: ★★★★★
Leadership: ★★
Overall: ★★★
...
Sixth Princess
Age: 27
Character: If there were a devil in the world, the Sixth Princess would be the devil. She is the exact opposite of one of her sisters; one is an angel, and the other is a devil. Territorial state average, but she is extremely aggressive.
Financial Power: ★★★
Connections: ★★
Leadership: ★★★
Overall: ★★★
...
The information Rowen Harvey provided is quite interesting, even listing the detailed comprehensive abilities of the five individuals, giving Su Xiao some insights into these ’seed candidates.’
The Big Prince has the strongest financial power and excels in territory management.
The Third Prince has extensive military connections and is well-supported by legion commanders in all districts, able to summon responses with a call.
The Seventh Prince holds a title conferred by the kingdom, with most Holy Warriors supporting him, boasting numerous powerful subordinates.
The Second Princess has vast connections among politicians, the military, and underground forces, and she is the leader of a large underground organization.
The Sixth Princess is ruthless; her financial power is weak, her connections are sparse, her leadership average, but her only expertise is taking down her competitors.
"These five people... interesting."
Su Xiao tossed the document to Bubu Wang.
"Bu Bu, who do you think is promising?"