The Dust Settles; Humble Origins Are No Disgrace

Squad after squad of soldiers surged into the hall like a tide.

They were all powerfully built, with long spears in hand and heavy iron armor on their backs. Their steps were steady.

On closer inspection, the armor was exceptionally heavy, weighing more than thirty catties. Black from head to toe, it radiated an untouchable menace.

Taotie Patterns adorned both sides of the armor.

The Black Iron Army of the Five Northern Army Commands!

Within Kyoto, tangled factions stood in a clear three-way balance. Besides the elite Golden Mace Guard under Dong Jie, the city-gate troops commanded by Dong Lu could not be underestimated. Then there was a third force, descended from the eight commands of old, of which only five remained.

Within the Five Northern Army Commands, the struggle for power grew fiercer by the day. The Jiangnan Noble Clans and powerful ministers at court were its chief contenders, each harboring hidden designs.

Of the three forces, the city-gate troops were strongest thanks to the Grand Empress Dowager's favor. The Golden Mace Guard, established by the emperor himself, was somewhat weaker and ranked last.

Yu Chen had spent years in officialdom and knew the inner workings of every faction. Something struck him as strange.

Ordinarily, at the emperor's command, the Imperial Forest Army should have mobilized alongside the Golden Mace Guard.

Yet it was the Five Northern Army Commands. Something was amiss.

Yu Chen could feel the undercurrents stirring ever more fiercely in Kyoto today.

An invisible pall seemed to hang over Kyoto. The contest between the emperor and the Grand Empress Dowager had become a struggle over the nation's fate and the transfer of power.

The fall of the Western Depot was like the emperor's opening move. With that single piece placed, storms rose over Kyoto again, and