This was clearly Great Qi's auspicious omen, Great Qi's divine maiden!

Time seemed to freeze in the Hall of Heavenly Mandate, which fell into a deathly silence.

Some even thought their hearing had failed them.

Or... or perhaps this was another expression Chacha used that they couldn't understand, and they had misunderstood.

How could they... how could their dynasty fall in its second generation?!

They had worked themselves to the bone piecing this shattered land back together. Even if the years of peace had gradually given rise to selfish desires, they were no muddleheaded ministers who would bring down a nation.

Besides, Great Qi was now strong in arms and had no fear of foreign enemies.

Could something have gone wrong with the imperial family?

Every minister looked at Xiao Yanchen, who was destined to become the second emperor.

The princes all turned to their eldest brother in disbelief.

Xiao Yanchen's face went deathly pale in an instant. He stood stunned for a long moment before looking up at his imperial father on the dais, meeting his gaze.

If he truly was the ruler who would lose the empire, if the disaster that destroyed it lay with him, then he would certainly step down as crown prince.

But he... didn't believe it.

Emperor Hongyaao didn't believe it either. Xiao Yanchen was the son he was proudest of. The princes trusted and respected him, the ministers submitted to him, and even among the imperial consorts and their relatives, who were the most likely to harbor selfish desires, none had ever shown any ambition.

That was to say nothing of his reputation among the people. Xiao Yanchen often went out to the provinces to handle affairs, provide disaster relief, investigate and punish corrupt officials, and comfort the people.

Thus, in the eyes of the common people, Emperor Hongyao was the majestic ruler who had conquered the land, while Xiao Yanchen was the benevolent ruler of the future.

They all believed that their lives would improve once Xiao Yanchen inherited the throne, so they dearly loved him as their crown prince.

One could say that Xiao Yanchen's position as the most secure of crown princes rested not on the emperor's favor, but on his own excellence and wisdom, which gave people confidence in entrusting Great Qi's empire to him.

He would become a benevolent ruler, an enlightened ruler, a sage ruler. He could never be the ruler who lost the empire.

In the space of a few breaths, many people, unable to accept this answer, lost control and opened their mouths to demand an explanation.

Even Emperor Hongyao could no longer spare a thought for anything else and opened his mouth to call out to Shen Anxin.

But just then, they all discovered that they couldn't open their mouths. It was as though an invisible force blocked their throats, preventing them from speaking of the thoughts they had heard.

They even had a vague feeling that if Shen Anxin and Chacha discovered they could hear them, something terrible would happen to them.

This frightened them, but it also left them frantic with anxiety.

They had to get a clear answer about Great Qi's future!

Fortunately, Shen Anxin didn't believe it either and hurriedly pressed for an answer.

Shen Anxin: [Th-this is impossible!]

Chacha: [This is what happened in the original history. After unification, Great Qi lasted only thirty years. It's currently the fifth year after unification. Emperor Hongyao will rule for another twenty years, and the empire will fall five years after the second emperor takes the throne. After that, Great Qi will cease to exist.]

Emperor Hongyao: Thirty years? Only thirty years?!!!

The crowd couldn't believe it. They even began to suspect that everything happening now was nothing more than an absurd dream.

Shen Anxin still found it incredible. Great Qi really was doing well now. Compared with the ancient dynasties in the history of her original world, it counted as a fairly good ancient society.

Even if the four foreign peoples wouldn't submit and the ten thousand nations wouldn't come to pay tribute in the future, it shouldn't have collapsed so easily.

Shen Anxin: [Let me think. Could it be that Emperor Hongyao grew muddled in his later years, becoming foolish and suspicious? Or did he start taking pills in pursuit of immortality and rapidly ruin the country, leaving even the second emperor unable to save it? Or was the second emperor a tyrannical madman who managed to destroy a country in just five years?]

Emperor Hongyao's face darkened. Shen Anxin's analysis was quite apt, and, truth be told, he actually thought the first possibility more likely.

After all, he couldn't accept that the son he had raised would destroy Great Qi in five years.

In fact, Emperor Hongyao wasn't the only one who thought so. The other ministers had also realized it.

The empire's fall in its second generation wasn't necessarily the second emperor's fault.

Chacha: [Host was right about one thing. Great Qi's second emperor was a tyrannical madman, and he was considered the main cause of its fall.]

At that, everyone fell apart. Some even went weak at the knees and nearly collapsed to the floor.

All color had drained from Emperor Hongyao's face. Did Xiao Yanchen change in the future, or had he never truly seen through his eldest son?

The princes' eyes reddened with anger, aggrieved on their brother's behalf. They didn't believe it, absolutely didn't believe it. The eldest brother they admired could never be a tyrannical madman.

Xiao Yanchen's mind went blank for an instant. Was it really him? Would he become a madman in the future?

Xiao Yanchen swayed, but ultimately steadied himself. If that really was the case, measures had to be taken while he was still in his right mind.

Shen Anxin: [Chacha, I don't know the crown prince, but he's so handsome. How could he possibly be a tyrannical madman?]

Although judging by appearances was wrong, a person's bearing and the look in their eyes did have something to do with their nature.

Although she had acted on impulse when she snatched him up to marry into her family, she had genuinely looked him over and decided he didn't seem like a bad person before making her move.

Had she really been that blind?

Everyone was utterly exhausted. At a time like this, no amount of good looks could help!

Chacha: [Of course he isn't. I never said the second emperor was the current crown prince, Xiao Yanchen.]

Everyone: Wait!

What had they heard?

The second emperor... the second emperor wasn't Xiao Yanchen?!

How was that possible?!

Could the emperor have intended to appoint another heir?

The ministers looked at Emperor Hongyao. His initial shock had turned to a sinister chill, and he swept a cold gaze over the princes in the front row.

He would never depose the crown prince of his own accord... so who was it?

Who had seized the crown prince's position and then gone on to ruin his Great Qi?!

At that moment, the princes' thoughts were remarkably unanimous: It wasn't me, it wasn't me! The next emperor definitely wasn't me! I've never wanted to be emperor! Imperial Father, Eldest Brother, I'm innocent!!!!

Shen Anxin was a little baffled. [The second emperor wasn't Xiao Yanchen? Didn't the rumors say he was the most secure of crown princes? That no one else had any ulterior motives? An imperial family really is an imperial family. No matter how peaceful things look on the surface, there are still raging currents underneath. That's how struggles for the throne have always been. Tsk, tsk, tsk.]

The princes: It wasn't me, I didn't do it, don't talk nonsense! You might as well accuse me to death! Boo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!

This time, even Xiao Yanchen was dazed. His imperial father had always been busy, and he had always been the one to fulfill a father's duties for his younger brothers. The saying that an eldest brother was like a father was no mere figure of speech.

He was certain that his younger brothers loved and respected him too. What on earth had happened?

Chacha: [That's not it. Xiao Yanchen's position as crown prince really was secure, and the others had no ulterior motives either.]

The princes: Heaven sees the truth... oh, no, Chacha sees the truth! Ahhhh!

Everyone else breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't infighting in the imperial family... Huh? Then what was the story with that madman of a second emperor? Had one of them suddenly gone mad?

Who on earth was this second emperor?!

Shen Anxin asked the same question.

Chacha: [Great Qi's second emperor was the seventh prince, Xiao Yanzhang.]

The moment the name came out, everyone's head buzzed.

The seventh prince? Xiao Yanzhang?! That baby who was still in swaddling clothes and needed to be burped?!!!!

Absurd. Utterly absurd. The order of seniority had to be observed, and there were six normal princes ahead of him!

Unless Emperor Hongyao showed extreme favoritism, or the seventh prince and the forces behind him were extraordinarily ambitious, there was no way the seventh prince could have had his turn!

Of course, there was another possibility, one they didn't even dare contemplate.

Shen Anxin: [The seventh prince?!! That baby who can't even talk yet? Uh... what on earth happened?]

Chacha: [Don't be impatient, Host. Melons have to be eaten one bite at a time. It all starts with Great Qi's unlucky national fortune. In short, there were natural disasters and man-made calamities, troubles at home and threats abroad.]

Everyone steeled themselves. Write it down, quickly!

Emperor Hongyao glanced toward the diarist and the diarist aide. Their faces were already contorted as they ground their brushes and poised them over the paper.

Chacha: [Starting next year, a major natural disaster will strike Great Qi almost every two or three years. The first will be an earthquake that kills two hundred thousand people and devastates several major cities in the east.]

Everyone drew a sharp breath. An earthquake! Two hundred thousand people! What a terrifying number. No disaster of such magnitude had occurred in nearly a century, and merely thinking about it was enough to make their legs tremble.

Although the Capital lay in the central region and wouldn't be directly affected, a disaster of this magnitude would pull one hair and move the whole body of the nation. It was impossible to imagine how many disaster victims there would be, or how much money and grain Great Qi would have to spend.

Besides that, people who could no longer survive might pour out of the region and take to the mountains as bandits, forming rebel forces. They would have to suppress them while also providing disaster relief. It would undoubtedly be a major drain on the nation's strength.

Most frightening of all, Chacha had said this wasn't the only major disaster. One would come every two or three years.

At the pace of reconstruction after a major disaster, the next would arrive before the wounds left by the previous one had healed, one after another without end.

That alone would be enough to hinder Great Qi's development, exhaust it with disaster relief, and even make it difficult to maintain its current strength.

Everyone's hearts were in turmoil. Did Heaven despise them? Was Great Qi's national fortune truly so terrible?

When Shen Anxin heard about the earthquake and how many people would die, her heart began to pound.

Shen Anxin: [Natural disasters can't be stopped, but... but we can take precautions, right, Chacha?]

Chacha: [That's right. You can take precautions.]

Their hearts, shocked into deathly stillness, suddenly jolted. It was as if they had fallen from a great height and should have been smashed to pieces, only to be caught by a soft cloud.

Yes, a disaster like that was indeed terrifying, but if they knew the details in advance and gave notice to evacuate the people and their property, they could reduce the losses to an unimaginable degree.

It would even be easier to get through than a small disaster that couldn't be predicted.

As long as... as long as Shen Anxin and Chacha were there!

The gazes they turned on Shen Anxin grew fervent in an instant. How was she some outrageously bold girl who had put the heads of all nine branches of her family on the line?

She was clearly Great Qi's auspicious omen, Great Qi's divine maiden!