Your Majesty, please stop messing around.

In a quiet and dim room.

Chen Xu fell to his knees, looking embarrassed and horrified.

Behind him stood two guards. In front of him sat a young man in a brocade white robe. He was about twenty years old, but he seemed to have a natural temperament.

The young man's eyes were calm, but he seemed to be able to see through his details, so Chen Xu didn't dare to look him in the eye.

At the same time, his heart suddenly sank.

He never thought... He had been targeted for a long time!

When he found that there were strange guards in his house, Chen Xu realized that something was wrong. He was not unfamiliar with the young man in front of him!

Prince Lin, Lin Jiangnian!

How could there be anyone in the Linjiang City family circle who didn't know what the Prince Lin looked like?

This face was so familiar!

So familiar that it even made people feel a little scared.

At this moment, Chen Xu had already vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

How could the Prince Lin come to him for no reason?

Thinking of this, Chen Xu's heart suddenly sank, and in his sight, he caught a glimpse of a figure following behind the Prince of Lin.

It was a girl in her teens, wearing a white dress, holding a sword tightly in her arms, standing behind the Prince of Lin with an expressionless face. She looked cold, as if no strangers were allowed to enter.

Although her face looked a little childish, she exuded a faint cold murderous aura.

This murderous aura fell on Chen Xu from time to time. This made Chen Xu's heart hairy and terrified!

This sword-holding girl... is definitely not simple!

"Your name is Chen Xu, right?"

When the atmosphere in the room gradually became dull, the Prince of Lin in Chen Xu's sight suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. He spoke in a relaxed tone, with a smile on his face, looking down at him.

Chen Xu suppressed the strangeness in his heart and looked normal: "Your Highness, that's right."

"Do you know why I'm looking for you?"

Lin Jiangnian looked at him.

Chen Xu's heart was shocked, but his expression remained unchanged: "I wonder why His Highness is looking for me today?"

Lin Jiangnian stared at him for a few times, and suddenly chuckled: "Everyone in the Chen family says that you are very smart, much smarter than your useless cousin. Since you are a smart person, why do you have to pretend to be stupid in front of this prince?"

Faced with the sudden statement of the Prince of Lin in front of him, Chen Xu was a little caught off guard.

Chen Xu said: "I don't know what Your Highness means, please tell me clearly."

Lin Jiangnian looked at the guy in front of him.

The young man who can be favored by the Chen family is not a simple person. The boy in front of him is an ambitious person.

"You must be very unwilling, right?"

Lin Jiangnian laughed.

After this, Chen Xu was stunned and looked at Lin Jiangnian, as if he had expected something.

"You are obviously better than that loser Chen Junru, more capable, and more talented... You are obviously better than him in every aspect, and you are better than him in every aspect. However, you have always been inferior to him all these years!"

"Chen Junru is not as good as you in every aspect, but it is because he has a good family background, is a direct descendant of the Chen family, and is the future heir to the head of the Chen family. Therefore, you can't compare with him!"

Lin Jiangnian spoke in a relaxed tone, staring at him.

When he said this, he could clearly see a strange flash in Chen Xu's eyes.

That is, an unwilling look!

Lin Jiangnian understood in his heart.

He must be very unwilling!

He is better than Chen Junru in every aspect, but he has to be honest and hide his shortcomings in the Chen family. He can't show too much talent, otherwise, he will definitely be targeted by Chen Junru!

Even so, Chen Junru still didn't let him go.

It seems that he has long realized that Chen Xu is his biggest threat, so Chen Junru has always looked down on him. In the past, he was often called upon and dismissed at will, and he was often scolded and humiliated.

This was undoubtedly a great humiliation for Chen Xu.

He was also a child of the Chen family. He was obviously better, so why did he have to endure the humiliation of a waste?

He was unwilling!

And Lin Jiangnian was very clear about this.

He looked at the silent Chen Xu in front of him and suddenly said: "You should want to replace him, right?"

Chen Xu was shocked when he said this. He was about to speak, but was interrupted by Lin Jiangnian.

"You don't need to quibble with me, don't say you don't have this idea, do you think I will believe it?"

Chen Xu's words were abruptly blocked.

"You are a very ambitious person, I admire you very much!"

Lin Jiangnian looked at him with a gentle and slightly admiring look: "Since Chen Junru got into trouble, you have been working hard in secret, right?"

"You deliberately approached Chen Hongsheng to please him, pretending to be harmless, trying to win his favor... You know very well that once Chen Junru gets into trouble, you will be the most suitable heir to the Chen family, right?"

Chen Xu trembled slightly, with horror in his eyes.

The Prince of Lin in front of him had already said everything he thought and planned in his heart.

He even knew everything about his movements in the Chen family. This inevitably made Chen Xu feel cold and scared. The spies of the Prince of Lin's Mansion might have already spread all over his Chen family.

Chen Xu's throat was a little dry and his voice was a little hoarse: "Your Highness... Why are you telling me this?!"

"You went to see Chen Junru with Chen Hongsheng in the first half of the night, right?"

Lin Jiangnian's understated tone made Chen Xu instantly shudder.

Prince Lin knew where he was going tonight? !

He suppressed his shock and wanted to deny something, but he heard Lin Jiangnian's voice again: "Since you have met Chen Junru, you should know what his current situation is, right?"

Chen Xu was silent, of course he knew.

After learning about Chen Junru's situation, he was ecstatic and couldn't wait to come back to share the good news with his father.

Once Chen Junru was abolished, he undoubtedly had great hope of being the heir of the Chen family!

Lin Jiangnian seemed to see through his thoughts and thought: "Once Chen Junru was abolished, it would naturally not be his turn to be the heir of the Chen family. You do have a chance."

"But do you really think you have a great chance?"

Chen Xu's face froze.

"You are not the only one eyeing that position. There are many collateral descendants of your Chen family, and there are many people eyeing that position. Your lineage is not conspicuous in the Chen family, and there are not many supporters. If you really fight for it, do you think you can compare with those other collateral descendants?"

Chen Xu's face turned pale.

Can you compare with him?

He was unsure!

He boasted that he was more talented and capable than the other collateral descendants of the same generation in the Chen family, and he was also appreciated by many elders in the Chen family.

As for the next head of the family, he was the most suitable person.

But Lin Jiangnian's words suddenly reminded Chen Xu... that alone was not enough!

Even if he was suitable, so what?

The competition within the family was far more cruel than imagined, and it was not just because he was capable. Otherwise, how could the position of heir have been occupied by Chen Junru, that waste, before?

It was because he was the blood of the main line of the Chen family, and it was legitimate.

And what about him?

A collateral descendant, so what if he was capable?

Lin Jiangnian's words were like a basin of cold water suddenly poured down, instantly extinguishing most of his joy and excitement.

"By the way, there is..."

Seeing Chen Xu gradually becoming pale, Lin Jiangnian added fuel to the fire: "Do you really think that even if Chen Junru is already useless, Chen Hongsheng will give up that position?"

As soon as these words came out, Chen Xu suddenly looked up.

"Chen Junru is indeed useless. He may not be qualified to inherit the position of the head of the Chen family, but Chen Hongsheng is not a simple person. Will he allow the power he has worked hard for many years to be easily given to you, the children of the side branch?"

"If I remember correctly, Chen Hongsheng is not very old now. He is in his prime, right?"

Lin Jiang's young and floating words sounded like a thunder, suddenly in Chen Xu's ears.

It made his face completely pale.

It's not that he hadn't thought about this problem. But he had never thought about it carefully before.

Chen Junru is Chen Hongsheng's only son. Once Chen Junru is useless, the Chen family will definitely find a way to finalize the next heir. It will take too long for Chen Hongsheng to have a few more children, which is too risky for the Chen family.

Therefore, the best way for Chen Hongsheng is to select a suitable bloodline from the side branch, adopt it to the main branch, and inherit the position of the future head of the Chen family.

But, after all, it is a child of the side branch, and Chen Hongsheng may not be able to accept this result.

What if he decides to have a few more children... At Chen Hongsheng's current age, this possibility is not impossible!

Chen Xu's face was uncertain, and he was silent for a while. Finally, he looked up at Lin Jiangnian again, and his voice was hoarse: "Your Highness, what is the purpose of telling me all this today?"

In his heart, he had vaguely guessed the purpose of the Prince of Lin in front of him.

"You are a smart man, you should have guessed it."

Lin Jiangnian looked at him, and did not beat around the bush, and chuckled: "I can give you this opportunity!"

"Help you become the next head of the Chen family, and by the way, you will be the bloodline of your side line and join the direct line of the Chen family."

"How?"

Chen Xu's heart jumped!

When he heard the words of the Prince of Lin in front of him, even if he had already guessed it, when he heard it with his own ears, his uneasy heart still jumped and twitched!

Become the next head of the Chen family?

Let them become the main line of the Chen family? !

These two conditions are the wishes that he and his father have dreamed of!

At the same time, it can only be a luxury!

For a family as large as the Chen family, unless something major happened, it would be impossible.

If anyone else said this, Chen Xu would think that the other party was fooling him. But the one who said this was the Prince of Lin in front of him!

He is different!

Maybe he really has this ability? !

Chen Xu's eyes flashed with a trace of heat, and even his breathing became rapid.

But then, his face changed again. How could there be a free lunch in the world? !

How could the Prince of Lin in front of him help him for no reason?

He spoke in a low voice, suppressing the throbbing in his heart: "Your Highness, why do you want to help me?!"

"Because this prince admires you very much!"

Lin Jiangnian raised his eyebrows: "There are not many people that this prince can admire, and you are one of them."

"Although you are not a good guy, you are much better than Chen Junru. You know how to be patient, know when to advance and retreat, and know how to judge the pros and cons of the situation. You are a talent."

"This prince is a person who loves talents. I am willing to give you a chance and help you."

Chen Xu looked at the prince of Lin Wang in front of him and saw that he was looking at him. His eyes were bright and clear, very sincere... This made Chen Xu look a little dazed.

This prince of Lin Wang, actually admired himself?

He didn't want to believe it, but for some reason, he believed it a little in his heart.

... There was no reason for this prince of Lin Wang to lie to himself with such an outrageous reason.

"Your Highness!"

Chen Xu gritted his teeth: "Your Highness is willing to help me, but for what purpose?!"

"I will never betray the Chen family!"

Lin Jiangnian just smiled and asked him, "What do you think of the Chen family today?"

Chen Xu was stunned: "Your Highness, what do you mean?"

"How long do you think the Chen family can hold on today?"

persist in?

Chen Xu was keenly aware of the details in Lin Jiangnian's words.

He felt uneasy: "I don't know."

"You, the Chen family, can be regarded as one of the oldest families in Linzhou. Your Chen family has a share of the credit for the Linjiang Mansion being able to take root in Linjiang City and turning Linjiang City into the prosperous scene it is today."

"But at the same time, Prince Lin's Mansion also gave your Chen family several times the reward. Is this correct?"

Listening to this, Chen Xu was silent.

Indeed, although the Chen family was also a powerful family that was entrenched in Linjiang City back then, its size was completely incomparable to what it is today.

As Prince Lin's palace grew, so did the status of the Chen family.

"But, the head of your Chen family has other ideas, and he is leading your Chen family to a path of destruction!"

Young Lin Jiang sighed, his eyes gradually becoming colder: "The prince has given you such preferential treatment, but you aristocratic families are ungrateful and try to maneuver between the imperial court and Prince Lin's Mansion, waiting for a price."

"Even more... betray me to Prince Lin's Mansion!"

Lin Jiangnian's sudden cold tone made Chen Xu tremble all over.

A sudden oppressive aura caused his face to change slightly, as if he had realized something, and his heart was horrified... This Prince Lin, who looked harmless and thin, was actually a hidden master? !

He suppressed the shock in his heart: "I, the Chen family, will never betray or betray Prince Lin's Mansion!"

"You didn't, what about the others?" Lin Jiangnian stared at him: "Are you sure that Chen Hongsheng didn't?"

Chen Xu was speechless and silent.

"The prince has been indulging you because of your hard work for so many years, but you are ungrateful."

Lin Jiangnian stared at him: "Now, there is still this opportunity before you. Do you want to watch the Chen family perish, or..."

"You take your place and make meritorious service to save the Chen family!"

"The opportunity is right in front of you, it depends on how you choose!"

Chen Xu's face was pale and his whole body was trembling slightly.

At this moment, his mind was in a state of confusion, and infinite pressure suddenly hit him!

choose?

How to choose?

At this moment, the fate of the entire Chen family seemed to be in his hands, just with a single thought?

He could feel the purpose of Prince Lin in front of him... He meant it!

Lin Wangfu, I'm afraid they really want to attack the Chen family!

Not kidding!

So……

How should he choose?

After a long silence, Chen Xu looked up at Lin Jiangnian, gritted his teeth and asked, "Why me?"

"Your Highness, why did you choose me?!"

"Because you are very ambitious!"

Lin Jiang young smiled: "I admire you very much."

silence!

There was a long silence.

Still no answer.

Lin Jiangnian was a little impatient waiting.

Having said that, he has given the opportunity. If this kid doesn't know what's good and what's good, there's no need to waste any more time.

Lin Jiangnian stood up slowly and took one last look at him, "The opportunity has been given to you. Whether you want to be the hero who saves the Chen family, or you have to end up like Chen Junru, you have to make your own choice."

After saying that, Lin Jiangnian stepped forward and prepared to leave.

"thump!"

Behind him, there was suddenly a heavy kneeling sound, followed immediately by a trembling voice with a somewhat horrified tone.

"I……"

"I promise, Your Highness!"

"..." (End of this chapter)