Noble Houses Hold the Board, Dynasties Are the Pieces

"Father, may I ask why you have summoned me?"

The Fifth Prince was puzzled by the sudden summons from the Lord of the Great Zhou Kingdom. After all, he had been busy preparing for his upcoming engagement banquet. Could it be that his father wished to discuss something related to the event?

"Recently, I received some news concerning the Chen Family."

"You are aware of the past ties between the Chen Family and the Liu Family, correct?"

The Lord's words sent a jolt through the Fifth Prince's heart. He had never expected this to be the reason for the summons.

"Father, I am aware of the matter."

"But rest assured, I have already taken measures to ensure it will not affect anything."

"As you know, Mengyan is highly talented and is being groomed as a key disciple in the Supreme Purity Sect. Moreover, we share a deep mutual affection."

"Though the Liu Family once had a pact with the Chen Family, that was so long ago—the agreement is now nothing more than an empty formality."

"Father, I hope this matter will not tarnish your impression of Mengyan."

"I—"

Before the Fifth Prince could finish, the Lord raised a hand to silence him.

Seeing his father's furrowed brow, the Fifth Prince grew anxious, fearing this might strain his relationship with Liu Mengyan.

"Read this for yourself. It is a report sent by Wu Chengfeng, the governor of Beiyuan Prefecture."

The Lord tossed the letter directly to the Fifth Prince.

After scanning its contents, the Fifth Prince chuckled.

"So it's about this."

"Father, I already know of this matter. Don’t worry—it’s merely a scheme concocted by the Chen Family."

"As for their so-called 'ancestor,' it’s nothing but a joke."

"I’ve already asked my Maternal Uncle to deal with the Chen Family. By now, he should have succeeded." The Fifth Prince smiled confidently.

Yet the Lord’s frown only deepened, his gaze piercing as he stared at his son.

"Did you overlook another crucial detail in the report?" the Lord asked coldly.

"Hmm? What else is there?" the Fifth Prince asked, confused.

"A dog."

"A talking dog!"

"Are your eyes just for decoration?"

"How could you ignore such vital information?" The Lord finally lost his temper, roaring in anger.

A dog?

What dog? And it could talk?

The Fifth Prince was stunned, his mind blank from the outburst.

"Father, this—"

Suddenly, realization struck him. A talking dog—a demon beast?

Only a fifth-tier demon beast or higher could speak human language. If true…

A single fifth-tier demon beast could bring ruin to the entire Great Zhou Kingdom, let alone one of a higher tier.

Why hadn’t Liu Mengyan told him about this?

"Father, is this information reliable? Mengyan never mentioned anything about this," the Fifth Prince asked nervously.

"Wu Chengfeng wouldn’t dare lie to me."

"Therefore, this talking dog must exist."

"There are two possibilities for why Liu Mengyan didn’t inform you—either she didn’t know, or she deliberately concealed it."

"She must not have known! She would never deceive me!" the Fifth Prince declared firmly.

Hearing this, the Lord sighed in resignation.

Among all his sons, the Fifth Prince was the most gifted and the one he held in highest regard.

Yet, ever since falling for Liu Mengyan, his usually sharp-witted son seemed to have lost his edge.

"Never mind whether she knew or not. What matters now is how you plan to proceed," the Lord said.

The Fifth Prince frowned, deep in thought.

By now, his Maternal Uncle should have already acted against the Chen Family. The best outcome would be success, while the worst would be failure.

If they failed, the Chen Family would surely retaliate.

"Father, I believe we must prepare for two scenarios."

"Regardless of whether my Maternal Uncle succeeds or fails, we must be ready."

"First, we should prepare for negotiations—to appease the Chen Family’s anger. We can shift the blame entirely onto my Maternal Uncle and claim ignorance."

"Second, if the Chen Family refuses to back down, we cannot afford to wait passively."

"Even if it means mutual destruction, we must not sit idly by."

The Lord nodded in approval. His son’s reasoning aligned closely with his own.

Indeed, the boy he had placed such hopes on still possessed keen judgment.

"Your Maternal Uncle dotes on you greatly."

"Are you not afraid this will drive a wedge between you? That you might lose his affection?" the Lord asked.

"Though my Maternal Uncle cares for me deeply, I am a member of the royal family. In my heart, the kingdom comes first."

"If forced to choose, I must sacrifice him. I trust he will understand."

"It may seem heartless, but those who achieve greatness must know when to make hard decisions."

"Good. You understand the need for sacrifice. But your approach is still somewhat naive."

"Oh? What wisdom does Father have to share?"

"The Supreme Purity Sect is our greatest ally. Though your Maternal Uncle is only a third elder, do not forget—your Maternal Grandfather is one of the sect’s Supreme Elders, equal in strength to our kingdom’s Ancestor."

"Abandoning your Maternal Uncle is not an option."

"Moreover, I have invited representatives of the aristocratic families to your engagement banquet."

"After all, the Great Zhou Kingdom was founded with their backing. They will not stand by and watch."

"If the Chen Family accepts an apology and reconciliation, all will be well."

"If not, we must rally every force at our disposal to annihilate them."

"But—that is the absolute last resort."

Aristocratic families?

The Fifth Prince was young and knew little about them, having only heard vague mentions.

"Father, are these families our true backers?"

"But I’ve always heard that our support came from—"

"The Supreme Purity Sect? No. The true power lies with the aristocratic families."

"In the Northern Region, true control rests in the hands of those great clans."

In the Northern Region, aristocratic families reigned supreme. However, direct conflicts between them often led to heavy losses. Thus, they devised a solution.

The families became the board, and kingdoms—the pieces.

Minor disputes between families could be settled through proxy wars between their vassal kingdoms.

This way, the families minimized their own casualties.

"So… we are merely pawns in their game?" the Fifth Prince said indignantly.

"What else can we do? If we defy them, the aristocratic families could overthrow the Great Zhou Kingdom by tomorrow."

"Enough, this is not something you should be worrying about right now."

"Relay my orders—gather all nearby troops and station them near the capital, just in case."

"As you command, Father!"