Flames of Ambition

41: The Emperor Fall

Chapter 41: The Emperor Falls

The Emperor naturally approved the deal.

Feng Zhengying and Feng Ming Li smirked secretly. Even at his age, the Emperor was still too blinded by greed for power to see through the scheme laid out before him.

Now, the two brothers began to explain the bottle's features.

“This information is too sensitive for others, but it could be used against your enemies,” Feng Ming Li began. “The bottle has a secret code that can only be seen with this device.” He handed the scanner to the Emperor and taught him how to use it.

The scanner was simple to operate—but only if one had the proper knowledge. To the ignorant, it was nothing more than a useless piece of metal.

“So, if someone tries to exchange the bottle or sell a counterfeit, it will be immediately detected,” Feng Ming Li continued. “Second, it has a purchase lock. The bottle can only be opened after it's been fully paid for. If the buyer hasn’t paid at least 1,000 big gold coins, it will remain sealed, no matter what force is applied.”

He gestured for the Emperor to try. Even with the full force of his internal power, the Emperor couldn’t open the bottle.

The Emperor couldn’t help but be amazed. These kinds of devices were beyond anything he had ever encountered.

“Third, the antidote is only effective for the first person who swallows the pill. If anyone else consumes it afterward, the antidote will backfire—possibly resulting in death.”

The Emperor nodded slowly, mentally taking notes on each point.

“And finally,” Feng Ming Li said with a sly smile, “the lady behind this has made it clear—she will not take responsibility for any misuse of the antidote. Just give her half the total profit after selling the bottles. But if you try to cheat her…” he paused, letting the threat hang in the air, “you’ll face the wrath of ZUGC.”

Feng Ming Li smiled faintly, knowing that the Emperor was likely already thinking of a way to cheat the agreement. But what the old man didn’t know was that Zexel had spies scattered throughout the palace.

They could be anyone—a eunuch, a minister, a palace maid, a guard, or even a high-ranking official. Feng Ming Li himself had no idea how deep Zexel's influence truly ran, but he knew enough to be certain it was vast, terrifying, and efficient. He wouldn’t be surprised if she even had connections in foreign countries.

The Emperor was already scheming, thinking of how to use the antidote to manipulate and control his enemies. Feng Ming Li could guess exactly what was going on in his father's head, but he didn't care.

Let the Emperor play his little game. It wouldn't affect Zexel or their group.

Eventually, those who craved power would destroy each other—and he would be left standing, ready to claim the spoils.

After all, he was just the “good-for-nothing prince,” and Feng Zhengying was the “crippled useless one.” No one ever saw them as threats. The Crown Prince, the eldest, was too busy fending off his ambitious siblings: the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Tenth Princes. The Eleventh and those below had long been written off as irrelevant.

The same dynamic applied to the princesses. Their rankings were also numbered, and they too clung to their maternal families, trying to win the Emperor’s favor.

Feng Ming Li and Feng Zhengying couldn’t help but chuckle secretly at the absurdity of it all.

“I will immediately issue the Imperial Edict declaring your marriage to Fan Lihua, the former daughter of the Prime Minister,” the Emperor said with satisfaction. He summoned his eunuch and had the edict written and sealed without delay.

The two princes received the edict with smiles. Their mission was complete.

The fifth phase of the plan was now on the board.

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Meanwhile...

Fan Yaoli was strolling casually around the Capital, pretending to be just another citizen.

She was looking for something to purchase—but in truth, her mind was elsewhere. She was planning to reopen the closed Herbal Medicine Shop as a new type of business entirely.

She felt the need to prove herself once again—not just as Zexel’s subordinate, but as her equal. Her master / sister / teacher / best friend had already done so much using knowledge from the modern world, and Fan Yaoli wanted to do the same—not by leveraging ZUGC’s vast network, but by achieving something on her own.

She sighed, deep in thought.

What business should she open next? Something independent… Something impactful. She already had the auction house, but it wasn't enough. Not yet.

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Elsewhere, Zexel sat in a private chamber, her eyes closed as she scanned through Fan Lihua’s future memories—carefully analyzing any events that were unlikely to change, even with all the interference and actions she had taken over the past year.

Then she saw it.

The invasion of the Capital.

According to Fan Lihua’s memories, this event had taken place four months after the start of the Epidemic Event. But in this current timeline, the epidemic had only lasted one and a half months so far.

Zexel narrowed her eyes.

Based on her calculations, the Emperor would begin selling the antidote within one to two weeks, assuming he had the intelligence to understand the danger of delaying any further.

She could only hope the Emperor moved quickly—because if not, the consequences would be even more catastrophic.

Ironically, the Emperor was thinking the same thing. He had already ordered his most trusted eunuch to manage the sales. He also came up with a clever plan: use the antidote to lure his enemies out.

But, of course, he withheld vital information—such as the consequences of misusing the antidote.

He simply gave strict orders for everyone to only purchase from his newly-established temporary palace shop as soon as the antidotes were delivered.

To be safe, the Emperor personally inspected every bottle using the scanner. Once satisfied, he finally allowed the sales to begin.

He laughed triumphantly to himself.

His plan was unfolding perfectly.

Little did he know… he was walking straight into Zexel’s trap.

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