Daily life of a cultivation judge-Chapter 1092 - The price of loyalty (2)
1092: The price of loyalty (2)
1092: The price of loyalty (2)
Because of his interest in their “produce,” Yang Qing had read extensively about the Spirit Emerald Pod Kingdom, far more than the information contained in Duan Ting’s slip.
From his research, Yang Qing discovered a remarkable pattern: the kingdom consistently produced a palace realm expert approximately every thousand years.
While the number of experts they produced at any given time was not particularly high, the consistency of their achievements was astounding.
With the kingdom’s history spanning 68,000 years, this meant they had produced at least 68 palace realm experts.
However, Yang Qing knew from additional records that the actual figure was closer to 130.
Compared to the larger scale of the continent and the longevity of the kingdom, this might seem modest.
But such an evaluation would miss the true brilliance of the Spirit Emerald Pod Kingdom—their unbroken consistency.
In Yang Qing’s eyes, the ability to sustain such achievements every millennium was far more valuable than sporadically producing a large number of experts at once.
Many forces could claim a moment of brilliance, but few could maintain it for tens of thousands of years.
Not many places on the continent could boast of producing a palace realm expert every millennium, yet the Spirit Emerald Pod Kingdom had done just that.
By his count, it had only been 330 years since the kingdom lost its last palace realm expert.
And according to circulating rumors, they were due to produce another one soon.
“Why did he leave that place?” Yang Qing murmured, curiosity flickering across his face as he read through Duan Ting’s information.
Duan Ting had held the rank of viscount, and from his interactions with him, Yang Qing knew Duan Ting to be a dutiful and steadfast individual.
Someone like that wouldn’t abandon his post without a compelling reason.
Something significant must have driven him to leave the kingdom.
As he delved deeper into Duan Ting’s history, Yang Qing found his answer.
Duan Ting had been a member of the prestigious Duan family, one of the most prominent noble families in the Spirit Emerald Pod Kingdom.
Renowned for their loyalty, the Duan family had served the royal family for countless generations, putting the interests of the crown above their own.
They had no ambitions for power, dedicating themselves to roles ranging from military service to civil administration, always in unwavering support of the royal family.
Duan Ting himself had served as a royal tutor to the crown prince, a position of honor and responsibility traditionally granted to the Duan family as a testament to their steadfast loyalty. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
However, everything changed overnight when, in their unyielding devotion to the crown, the Duan family overstepped their bounds.
The king, for reasons unknown, suffered a severe injury during his cultivation that gravely impacted his vitality and damaged his foundations.
He chose to keep this injury a secret, not even revealing it to his most loyal vassals or closest subordinates.
Aware that his time was running out, he made the critical decision to name his heir.
As was customary, most assumed the title would go to his eldest son, the crown prince, who had already been publicly recognized as such.
However, to the shock and dismay of many, the king bypassed tradition and selected his youngest child, the fourth prince, as his successor.
The kingdom was stunned by the decision.
Yet, few dared to openly challenge it, as the king was the strongest expert in the realm—the sole Palace Realm cultivator at the time.
Instead, the discontented nobles and officials turned to the influential Duan family, hoping they could gently persuade the king to reconsider.
Their argument was rooted in concerns about the kingdom’s stability: the fourth prince was far too young and inexperienced, and the crown prince, still alive and by all accounts highly capable, seemed the more logical choice.
The crown prince’s qualifications were undeniable.
His age, cultivation realm, accomplishments, and impeccable conduct made him a prime candidate for leadership.
Many even believed he had the potential to surpass his father in time.
Thus, the king’s unexpected choice of the fourth prince left the court baffled.
At the time, the fourth prince was only a teenager.
While he had shown glimpses of promise, it was nowhere near enough to outshine the crown prince.
With the overwhelming majority of the kingdom opposing the king’s decision, it was not difficult to sway the Duan family into intervening.
Their position was further influenced by Duan Ting’s personal connection to the crown prince, having served as his royal tutor—a role that likely instilled a measure of bias in their counsel.
The head of the Duan family, adhering to the utmost propriety as a vassal, humbly questioned the king’s decision.
He voiced concerns that the choice of successor might harm the kingdom’s stability.
However well-meaning the intervention may have been, it sealed the doom of the entire Duan family.
The king reacted with ruthless decisiveness, not only removing the family from his inner circle but also stripping them of their noble status.
Their titles and territories were confiscated, and their influence erased.
The king used the Duan family as an example—a sacrifice to demonstrate the seriousness of his decision.
It was a calculated move, akin to “killing the chicken to scare the monkey.” The message was clear: if he was willing to destroy a family with millennia of proven loyalty to the crown, what fate awaited lesser dissenters?
The strategy worked.
Fear rippled through the kingdom, silencing all opposition.
Some even argued that if it hadn’t been the Duan family who raised the complaint, the consequences might have been far worse.
Bloodshed, they believed, would not have been beyond the king’s consideration to make his point.
Even the Duan family themselves were stunned by the severity of the king’s response.
With their noble status revoked, their years of loyalty disregarded, and their ancestral home seized, they found themselves with no other choice but to leave the Spirit Emerald Pod Kingdom.
The decision to leave was driven by pragmatism and a lingering sense of duty.
Remaining in the kingdom would not only put them at risk of attacks from opportunists seeking to curry favor with the king or settle old grudges, but it would also strain relations further between them and the royal family.
Their departure, though bitter, was their final act of loyalty.
By leaving, they removed a potential source of awkwardness or unrest for the king and his chosen heir, ensuring a clean break for all involved.
The family scattered as they left.
Some chose to remain together, seeking to rebuild their lives as a unified group, while others ventured out on their own to forge new paths.
Among the latter was Duan Ting, whose journey eventually led him to the doors of the Bluefin Spine-tailed Escort Agency.
