Chapter Eighteen: Xia Yong Town

  When they came out of the tent, a crowd of people were spirited and excited. Although the pre-war mobilization was limited to just a few words by Xia Wutang, those guys were as excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

  A dozen or so princes and princesses, when they came out of the tent, all surrounded a young man, including Xia Yongfang, who was no exception. Only Xia Tian stood coldly on the sidelines, not joining in.

  The young man surrounded in the center was named Xia Yongzhen, the eldest son of the current generation of the King's Mansion of Yongcheng County, and had been appointed as the Crown Prince.

  Xia Yongzhen was born to Xia Wutang's principal wife and was the eldest son, so his position as heir apparent could be said to be as stable as Mount Tai, with no one able to shake it.

  This early determination left no controversy over the next heir to the throne of Yongcheng, but it did not mean that there was no struggle within the palace, and in fact, it may have been even more intense.

  The resources of the palace are limited, and the next throne has been determined. The remaining resources are even scarcer. If you want to get more, it's hard to wait for them. You can only rely on fighting.

  "Xiao Tian, they all went to communicate with Xia Yongzhen, why don't you go and get along well with the young master, it will be good for your future."

  As she saw Xia Tian following closely behind her, Wang Su Ya said softly: "Besides, your brothers and sisters are also over there, it won't hurt to get along with them a bit more."

  Among a dozen or so princes and county masters, a small circle was formed, which can be said to be the top circle of Yongcheng County. Only by entering this circle can one grasp and divide the great power of Yongcheng County.

  For this small circle that many people want to enter, Xia Tian doesn't even give it a glance. His vision and Xia Yongzhen, Xia Yongfang are not on the same level at all, far too high.

  So, Xia Tian didn't want to go and join them together. If he guessed correctly, their interactions would inevitably involve some comparison and showing off.

  But things don't always go as one wishes, and often the opposite happens.

  "In summer, all of us brothers and sisters gather together, how come you haven't arrived yet, it's so unharmonious."

  "Calling out towards summer, Xia Yongfang said loudly, his voice almost deafening, as if afraid others wouldn't know."

  With Xia Yongfang's shout, Xia Tian immediately became the focus of everyone's attention, and more than a dozen pairs of eyes turned to him at once.

  At a glance, the distinction between the two sides was immediately apparent. Xia Yongzhen had gathered all the second-generation princes from the Wang Manor with his personal ability, except for Xia Tian.

  In this case, if it hadn't been exposed, that would have been fine. Now that everyone has noticed this point, if nothing is done to bring Xia Tian over, Xia Yongzhen will feel embarrassed.

  "It's summer, right..."

  His eyebrows furrowed slightly and then relaxed, just as Xia Yongzhen was about to greet Xia Tian, he suddenly froze.

  Turning to Xia Yongfang, Xia Zheng asked: "Yongfang, what is the ranking of summer among all our brothers and sisters?"

  "Ah, summer, this year is just eighteen, ranking fifteenth."

  Xia Yongfang replied quickly.

  "Good kid, you're really considerate of our brothers' situation. It's me, the big brother, who hasn't done a good job and didn't show more concern for the younger siblings."

  Gently patting Xia Yongfang's shoulder, Xia Yongzhen praised him highly, while also having a few words of self-reproach.

  Xia Yongzhen's praise made Xia Yongfang feel as if his bones had lightened by two pounds, and he opened his mouth wide with a smile: "Where, where, I just have nothing to do on weekdays, pay more attention to these things, unlike the young master who is busy with millions of things, can't pay attention to these small things, it's normal."

  "Haha, forget it, let's just drop it and entertain our 15th brother instead."

  A hearty laugh burst out, Xia Yongzhen looked very pleased, and was patted on the back very comfortably, but he didn't forget the main issue.

  "Fifteenth brother, you're eighteen this year and officially an adult. As a man, don't be so shy and always hiding under your parents' wings, or you'll never grow up. Come quickly, let's have a good chat between brothers."

  Xia Yongzhen enthusiastically shouted a loud greeting to Xia Tian, with an air of being the big brother in charge.

  When Xia Yongfang spoke to himself during the summer, he knew it was bad and had been noticed by those guys. Wanting to get rid of them easily wasn't that easy anymore.

  He deliberately didn't give Xia Yongzhen face, directly ignoring him, but this timing wasn't right. Coinciding with the day of the big competition, if things were to escalate, it would be bad for everyone involved.

  Although full of confidence and pride in summer, he wouldn't make any irrational moves, so he said a word to Wang Su Ya and walked over.

  Gently patting Xia Tian's shoulder, Xia Yongzhen said in a senior tone: "Younger brother, we rarely met before. I didn't expect you to grow up so big. By the way, are you here to participate in the year-end grand comparison? Isn't there still a two-year buffer period?"

  "The Crown Prince said, 'A few days ago, the Fifteenth Brother killed dozens of people and made some minor mistakes. He was punished by the Emperor and must participate in the year-end Grand Comparison this year.'"

  Xia Yongfang couldn't wait for Xia Tian's answer and hastily replied.

  Although he didn't openly slander Xia Tian, Xia Yongfang's words still contained a hint of malice, causing the few people who heard him to immediately look at him with new eyes.

  Xia Tian was aware of Xia Yongfang's thoughts, but he didn't think much of it. These young masters from wealthy families had never taken human life seriously anyway. Besides, Xia Tian wasn't concerned about their opinions either.

  "Good kid, impressive! I thought you were a shy and timid person, but it turns out you've already gotten your hands bloody. I underestimated you."

  Xia Yongzhen immediately changed his view of Xia Tian, and said with a few relaxed words: "It's good this way, I was worried that your performance in the Grand Comparison would be disappointing, but now I can rest assured, at least you can hold on for two rounds."

  "Heh heh, Crown Prince, you can rest assured. The 15th brother's cultivation has probably reached the late stage of the Post-Heaven realm. In the first few rounds of the Grand Competition, he should be able to pass through smoothly."

  He smiled lightly and looked at Xia Tian with an inexplicable gaze, Xia Yongfang said tentatively.

  He nodded slightly, and Xia Yongzhen's expression turned serious. He said solemnly: "Today's year-end competition is very crucial. As a member of the main vein, I hope everyone can work hard to achieve the best ranking according to their abilities. If they can break into the top 50, top 20, or even top 10, that would be even better."

  Last year's year-end competition, the main vein lost, the results were not good, and it was questioned whether it was necessary, but losing face was certain. Xia Yongzhen, as the young master, naturally hoped to improve this year with the spirit of being a host.

  "Your Highness, our strengths are all limited. It's already good if we can contend for a ranking within the top twenty. As for the top ten, it's not even worth imagining. Among us, I'm afraid only you, Your Highness, have enough ability to break into the top ten."

  Xia Yongfang's bootlicking is very serious and has completely abandoned low-level humor, with many methods.