CHAPTER 503: CHAPTER 503 : (EXTRA) THE DETHRONED CROWN PRINCE (3)

One by one, they came like arrows flying toward their targets, hoping to pierce his defenses and win his acceptance. Unfortunately, their conversations all followed a predictable path of destruction. The Golden Dragon Palace specifically took note of the particularly disastrous meeting between Xie Jianshen and Prince Zhou Yanghuan from Qingyuan Palace.

On the day they first met, a pristine morning unfolded before them. A clear sky, bathed in sunshine, seemed to echo the auspicious hope for a successful match between the alpha and the omega.

"Most certainly, Prince Xie. If you do not want to give birth or attend to the marital duties, no one can force you to," Prince Zhou Yanghuan adopted a conciliatory approach, initiating the conversation in a friendly manner. Coming from a clan that gave rise to suave alphas who knew how to manipulate omegas’ hearts, he understood that acquiescing to Xie Jianshen’s demands, at least initially, was the most effective strategy to draw him into a more cooperative dialogue.

Xie Jianshen’s lips curled up into a smile.

"I am glad that Prince Zhou understands."

"In fact, this is more than a reasonable demand. Prince Xie, you do not need to concern yourself with such trivial tasks at all. I will have my concubines take care of them."

A glacial chill overtook Xie Jianshen’s eyes, faster than winter icing a still lake.

"What concubines?"

"The... The side wives?" Prince Zhou cocked his head to the side. Surely Xie Jianshen knew what concubines meant?

Xie Jianshen scoffed in disdain.

"I do not marry men who take side wives."

The maids swore they saw Prince Zhou turn as red as a beet, but most claimed that the poor prince merely lost his composure a little bit.

"But Prince Xie... the alphas from the mermaid clan often have a wider circle of companions."

"The abominable practice of alphas from the mermaid clan is none of my concern," Xie Jianshen’s smile broadened. "Can you or can you not accept my terms?"

In stark contrast to the darkened faces of the maids who had to listen to this painful interaction, Prince Zhou suddenly whipped up a happy smile.

"Of course. You will be my one and only wife."

"Wonderful."

With a single clap, Xie Jianshen summoned a maid. She glided forward, a wooden box cradled in her hands. Inside, nestled on a bed of silk, lay a lone pill, its surface radiating an otherworldly glow.

"Kindly swallow the pill, and we will get married within this week."

Prince Zhou stared at that pill.

"Uhh... Prince Xie, what is this?"

"This is my special creation for my future husband, so to say a wedding gift from me," Xie Jianshen caressed the outlines of the box with a long, slender finger. "After consuming this pill, you will not be able to maintain an erection at all."

At this point, all eyewitnesses agreed that Prince Zhou turned as pale as a blank paper.

"But... why?" the mermaid prince sputtered. "Why would you do that?"

"Why not?" Xie Jianshen asked. "You are not going to have concubines to pamper anyway, and I don’t think that I plan to sleep with you anytime soon. What is the problem with ingesting this pill?"

"I still have to sire an heir," Prince Zhou reminded the omega. "So naturally..."

"So naturally, you plan to fuck all omegas you can seduce into your bed and make them give birth to your heir?" Xie Jianshen finished Prince Zhou’s sentence with a bone-chilling smile.

"I... I do not plan to do that, of course," Prince Zhou stammered.

Xie Jianshen took the wooden box from the maid and shoved it under Prince Zhou’s nose.

"Then eat this pill now."

"... N-no, I won’t."

"Why not?"

"No self-respecting alphas would do that to themselves!!!" Prince Zhou screamed at the top of his lungs. "Prince Xie, you are asking too much!"

The wooden box fell shut with a sigh.

"You are right," Xie Jianshen said. "Certainly, I shouldn’t have forced you to ingest this pill."

Blood had barely begun to creep back into Prince Zhou’s face, the aftershock of fear still lingering, when Xie Jianshen issued another curt command to Head Eunuch Wang, "Head Eunuch Wang, take Prince Zhou to the royal physician’s chamber. I need him castrated before the wedding takes place."

The legend recorded that Prince Zhou tore from the hall in terror, a trail of disrupted air marking his frantic escape. Incoherent ramblings, laced with unconcealed fear, echoed through the corridors as he babbled about not wanting a castration and a desperate plea to retract his marriage proposal to Xie Jianshen.

An hour later, the extremely displeased Heavenly Emperor summoned his eldest prince to his study. To his greatest dismay, Xie Jianshen did not show the slightest bit of remorse. He even pretended to be surprised over the unexpected summon.

"I don’t know what you are trying to do here, Jianshen," the Emperor shook a finger at his son. "But you are making enemies out of all the good-hearted alphas who came into the palace and trampling over their goodwill toward you!"

Calmly, Xie Jianshen met his father’s glare and said, "If that’s the case, I am relieved that I am no longer in line for the succession of the Dragon Throne."

Xie Jianshen’s sharp tongue landed him back in the dungeon, yet he remained unbowed. His demeanor suggested a temporary relocation, not punishment. Here, he demanded the same pampering he received in his childhood chambers.

The dungeon had never seen such a demanding prisoner, yet no guard dared complain to the Emperor or defy Xie Jianshen’s wishes. After all, whispers about Xie Jianshen’s unforgiving nature echoed through the most remote corners of the Golden Dragon Palace. His revenge was swift, merciless, and absolute. He didn’t do things halfway.

After he terrorized the dungeon wards for one whole week, Xie Jianshen was released, only to find another marriage proposal awaiting him. This time, it came from Jiang Rufeng, the reigning Shuiran Palace Master.

Attached to the formal proposal was a personal invitation to visit the annual Lion Parade at Shuiran Palace.