The abdication of the Heaven Dou Emperor, the empress's ascension to the throne, and the purge of the nobility
spread out from Heaven Dou City in every direction.
But what truly sent shockwaves through the various powers wasn't the change of emperor. It was the eight edicts that came along with the news.
Abolish fiefdoms, end hereditary titles, establish commanderies and counties, hold imperial examinations, reclaim military authority, unify the laws, establish a secret police force, introduce the Twenty-Rank Military Merit System...
Each one was like a knife, driven straight into the vital points of the old order.
The first to receive the news was naturally Spirit Hall.
Pope Palace, council chamber.
Qian Xunji sat in the seat of honor, holding a secret report in his hand, his brows drawing tighter and tighter.
Compared with the coronation of a female emperor, the fact that a woman had taken the throne—
what truly left him uncertain and astonished were those eight edicts.
He stared at the handwritten copy, studying it word by word.
When he finished, he remained silent for a long time.
"This woman..." Qian Xunji set down the report, his voice low. "She intends to turn the Heaven Dou Empire upside down."
Abolish fiefdoms, reclaim military authority, establish commanderies and counties.
She meant to uproot the nobility.
Hold imperial examinations, introduce military merit ranks.
She meant to win the common people's hearts.
Unify the laws, establish a secret police force.
She meant to seize every ounce of power for herself.
"Ruthless methods." Qian Xunji rose and walked to the window, his gaze dark and thoughtful.
He was no stranger to the world.
Spirit Hall had stood firm on the continent for a thousand years by keeping the various powers in balance.
But this woman wanted to shatter every balance the moment she took power.
"Your Holiness, how should we respond?" asked the intelligence chief kneeling in the chamber.
"Let's not rush." Qian Xunji pondered for a moment. "Keep a close watch on her, but don't make any rash moves. This woman is a hundred times more dangerous than Xuelan."
He paused.
"Also, find out who else is behind her.
"She appeared out of nowhere, without a trace of information. There must be other forces and entanglements behind her.
"Otherwise, how could she have taken control of all Heaven Dou City by herself?"
"Yes."
The intelligence chief withdrew.
Qian Xunji leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.
He had a feeling—
this empress would change the balance of power across the entire continent.
And what forces might be hiding behind her—
that made him all the more curious.
"Yan Lingji. A name I've never heard before. What else are you hiding?"
The second force to receive the news was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
The old sect master, Ning Yuanqing, was drinking tea in his study. After hearing the scout's detailed report, he held his teacup suspended in midair, never setting it down for a long while.
"End hereditary titles? Hold imperial examinations?" He lowered his cup, a complicated glint in his eyes. "This woman intends to dig up the nobility by the roots."
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had built its standing on commerce, and was best at navigating between the various powers.
But this time, he couldn't quite see through it.
"Sect Master, should we send someone to Heaven Dou City..." the steward beside him asked in a low voice.
"We should." Ning Yuanqing stood and walked to the window. "But not to watch the spectacle. We're going to see what's behind it."
He turned around, his gaze deep. "If this woman really can enforce those eight edicts, the Heaven Dou Empire will become a beast unlike anything the world has ever seen.
"When that happens, whoever picks a side first will get the biggest cut."
"But what if she fails..."
"If she fails, all we'll lose is the cost of a gift."
Ning Yuanqing smiled. "Business always involves a little risk."
At the same time, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan also received the news.
After reading the secret report, sect master Yu Yuanzhen furrowed his brows.
"Abolish fiefdoms? Reclaim military authority?" He snorted. "Has this woman gone mad? Does she have any idea how many private soldiers those nobles command? Besides, she's only taken Heaven Dou City. There are still the four kingdoms—and Marshal Tian Hao, who commands a million troops."
He tossed the report onto the table and paced back and forth across the hall.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had never meddled in imperial politics, but this time, Yu Yuanzhen sensed that something was amiss.
"Send someone to keep an eye on Heaven Dou City," he said gravely. "Don't get involved, but make sure we understand which way the wind is blowing."
"Yes."
The Clear Sky Sect's reaction was the coldest, and the most subtle.
After reading the secret report, sect master Tang Zhen was silent for a long time.
"End hereditary titles, hold imperial examinations..." he murmured. "This woman intends to do what no one before her has ever done."
"Sect Master, should we..." one of the elders beside him asked tentatively.
"No." Tang Zhen shook his head. "Let her change her system. We'll just take care of our own affairs."
He paused, then added, "Still, have someone keep an eye on things.
"If this woman really succeeds, we'll have plenty of dealings with her in the future."
Flames devoured the secret report. Tang Zhen closed his eyes and continued cultivating.
But the contents of those eight edicts kept circling through his mind.
Meanwhile, the news spread through noble circles and set off an uproar.
After reading copies of the eight edicts, the local nobles untouched by the purge reacted in every way. Some were so furious they smashed their cups, some turned pale as paper, and some cursed aloud on the spot.
"Abolish fiefdoms? She's cutting off our roots!"
"End hereditary titles? Why should my son have to take exams alongside commoners?!"
"Reclaim military authority? Those are private troops our families have raised for generations!"
"Join forces! We can't let this madwoman have her way!"
Secret letters crisscrossed the noble territories, and one clandestine meeting after another was held deep within manor houses.
They were unwilling. They couldn't bear to see the fiefdoms, titles, and privileges passed down through generations snatched away by a single decree from a woman.
Yet some lesser nobles, especially those long oppressed by the old aristocracy, chose to wait and watch. Some even secretly looked forward to what might come.
They had seen "selecting officials through imperial examinations."
That meant their talented children, who had no claim to inherit a title, would finally have a chance to rise above their station.
They had seen "the Twenty-Rank Military Merit System."
That meant anyone willing to fight on the battlefield could earn the privileges once reserved for nobles.
"Perhaps... a change of times isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Underneath the surface, currents swirled, and the winds of change blew.
Balak City, the royal palace
The hall was brightly lit with candles. Prince Xue Ye sat opposite King Kundera of the Balak Kingdom.
Xue Ye had come to inspect the southern defenses and, along the way, to establish ties with his powerful uncle, strengthening the relationship between the imperial family and the four kingdoms.
Though the four kingdoms were nominally vassals of the Heaven Dou Empire, in reality, they had long been kingdoms within a kingdom.
That had also allowed him to escape disaster, free from Yan Lingji's control.
A hurried patter of footsteps sounded outside. A scout stumbled into the hall, his face deathly pale, and presented a sealed letter with both hands.
"Your Highness! Something has happened in Heaven Dou City!"
Xue Ye frowned as he took the letter and slowly unfolded it.
A moment later—
"What?!" Xue Ye sprang to his feet, crushing the letter in his fist. "Father abdicated in favor of a woman?!"
Kundera furrowed his brows and took the letter to read it closely.
The scout added in a trembling voice, "That woman... also issued eight edicts."
The scout then briefly summarized the contents of the eight edicts.
Each one was like a sharp blade aimed at the foundations of the old nobility.
After listening, Xue Ye's face turned ashen. He slammed a fist onto the table, sending wine splashing everywhere.
"Abolish fiefdoms? End hereditary titles? Reclaim military authority? She's trying to dig up the roots of the entire Heaven Dou Empire!"
Kundera remained silent, though a strange glint flashed in his eyes.
Xue Ye waved for the scout to leave, then paced back and forth across the hall, with nowhere to vent his fury.
"I've been crown prince for years! I guarded the southern border for him and won over the four kingdoms for him! And now some woman has taken my place!"
"Your Highness, please calm down." A low voice came from the side of the hall.
The speaker was Xue Ye's chief adviser, Gu Zheng. He had followed Xue Ye for many years and was the strategist he relied on most.
Gu Zheng emerged from the shadows, nodded slightly to Kundera, then turned to Xue Ye.
"Your Highness, I've already sorted through the news coming from Heaven Dou City.
"That woman usurped the throne.
"The emperor was forced to read the abdication edict.
"You, Your Highness, are the rightful heir to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family."
Xue Ye stopped pacing.
Gu Zheng stepped forward and lowered his voice, his words laced with temptation.
"And those eight edicts have made enemies of every noble in the realm.
"Fiefdoms, titles, private armies, financial power—that woman intends to take away everything they hold dear.
"Now, all Your Highness needs to do is raise the banner—"
His voice grew more emphatic. "In the name of restoring the rightful imperial line, summon the realm to join forces against the usurper!"
"Then, when Your Highness returns to Heaven Dou City and takes that throne, you will become—His Majesty Xue Ye, the new Heaven Dou Emperor."
When those final four words fell, Xue Ye's eyes changed completely.
He stared at the flickering candlelight, silent for a moment, then slowly curled his lips into a smile.
"Xue Ye, the Heaven Dou Emperor..." he murmured, ambition blazing in his eyes. "I've waited far too long for that seat."
Gu Zheng cupped his hands. "The Balak Kingdom has the strongest military of the four kingdoms. It guards the southern gateway to the Heaven Dou Empire, and King Kundera's support can serve as Your Highness's foundation.
"Marshal Tian Hao, supreme commander of the Heaven Dou military, commands a million troops. As long as Your Highness raises the banner of the rightful imperial line, he'll surely offer his support out of loyalty."
Xue Ye walked up to Kundera and cupped his hands in a salute. "Uncle, please lend me your support."
Only then did Kundera slowly rise. He picked up his wine cup and said solemnly, "Your Highness, you honor me. The Balak Kingdom has always followed the imperial family's lead."
He drained his cup, and that strange glint flashed through his eyes again.
The two men, each harboring their own thoughts, drained their cups.
Xue Ye turned to Gu Zheng.
"Draft the proclamation at once.
"Tomorrow morning, send it out to the realm in the name of the rightful imperial line.
"At the same time, send people to contact Marshal Ge Long, the other three kingdoms, and the principalities.
"Within a month, gather every force we can."
He turned to gaze at the night sky in the direction of Heaven Dou City, his eyes cold and resolute.
"Then—" His voice was low, filled with the ambition he had suppressed for years.
"Let that woman learn that the throne of the Heaven Dou Empire isn't so easy to sit on!"
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