At that moment, King Perses stormed into the room, his face twisted with rage as he marched towards Jace, delivering a fierce slap to Jace.
"A prince who only knows how to sleep? You bring disgrace to the kingdom! Guards, drag him out and have him whipped!" King Perses' face was a mask of fury.
Jace's eyes widened in terror. “What? I just got here, and I’m already going to be beaten? .A whipping? That could kill me! ”Quickly, he tried to explain.
"Father, please don’t punish me! I was exhausted from weight training yesterday and overslept," Jace said, his voice laced with a mixture of fear and indignation.
Just then, the second prince, Simon, who harbored a deep hostility towards the fourth prince, Jace, stepped into the room, a smirk playing on his lips. "Father, a brother who spends his days sleeping is an insult to the royal family. He deserves to be punished," Simon sneered, his eyes glinting with malice.
Jace glanced at him, thoughts racing. The Persian Empire… This must be the Simon I've read about in history books—the second prince, a cunning and utterly ruthless villain.
Jace spoke up, "Father, I swear I'm not lying. Why don’t we settle this with a challenge between Simon and me?"
Simon’s eyes narrowed in contempt. "He’s just making excuses. If he dares challenge me, I’ll gladly accept!" Simon spat, his voice dripping with scorn.
Jace, refusing to back down, shot back, "Fine! A challenge it is."
Simon’s eyes gleamed with malevolent intent. "Very well, let’s make it a contest of strength—lifting a cauldron," Simon declared, knowing full well his own formidable strength. A cauldron: an ancient, iron-cast cooking vessel.
Jace knew that Simon was as strong as an ox, which is why he had suggested something at which he excelled. He had read about Simon's prowess in history books.
"Fine, we’ll lift the cauldron," Jace agreed, standing tall and preparing himself for the challenge.
"If you lose, you’ll leave the palace and become a commoner, forever barred from royal succession!" Simon snarled, issuing the ultimatum.
Simon then stepped onto the platform, removing his shirt to reveal an eagle tattoo on his chest. His muscles tensed as he channeled his full strength, gripping the massive cauldron with both hands. Veins bulged from his neck as he lifted the cauldron, a display of sheer, natural power.
The soldiers below watched in awe as Simon lifted the 500-pound iron cauldron. The onlookers whispered among themselves, impressed by the display of strength. "To have a prince like this in the Persian Empire is truly a blessing from the gods," they murmured. Even the emperor's face softened into a satisfied smile.
Simon slowly lowered the cauldron, then turned and called out loudly, "Your turn, brother."
Jace slowly ascended the platform, and the soldiers below whispered amongst themselves, "The fourth prince has always been frail and sickly. He can’t even lift 100 pounds, let alone 500. He’s definitely going to lose."
Just then, Jace called out to the soldiers, "Add another 1,000 pounds of iron to the cauldron!"
Everyone's eyes widened in shock. They couldn't believe what Jace was asking for. What is he thinking? If he fails, he’ll be the laughingstock of the entire kingdom! Simon, standing next to King Perses, felt a surge of joy at the thought.
Ignoring their jeers, Jace shouted, "Quickly, bring me a sturdy wooden beam and some rope!"
Jace then directed the soldiers to use the beam to build a lever system. They tied the ropes to the cauldron and the beam, creating a makeshift pulley system. The soldiers, though skeptical, followed his instructions.
Soon, the lever system was ready. Jace positioned himself by the beam, took a deep breath, and gripped the end of the beam. As he applied force, the cauldron slowly rose off the ground. The soldiers watched in disbelief as the 2,000-pound cauldron lifted into the air, their faces etched with shock.
Simon’s earlier smug expression vanished, replaced by astonishment. "This… This is impossible!" The crowd erupted in gasps of disbelief.
With one final push, Jace raised the iron cauldron to its highest point. The audience burst into cheers and applause, nearly paralyzed with awe at the sight of what seemed like a godly feat. "This… This must be a son of the gods! The fourth prince is surely sent by the divine to save our kingdom!" one man shouted, dropping to his knees.
The emperor, seated on his throne, observed Jace’s feat. "Well done, Jace. You’ve shown both wisdom and strength. Let this be a lesson to all of you—victory requires not just power, but the intelligence that Jace has demonstrated. Jace, you have won this challenge."
As the king finished speaking, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause. They cheered and clapped as Jace descended from the platform, basking in the adoration of the onlookers.
“I can’t believe it. From a struggling physics PhD student, I’ve traveled through time to become the fourth prince of the Persian Empire, and I’ve just bested Simon—the infamous villain of history. This is beyond satisfying!!!”
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