The new dynasty stood firmly established, striking north against the Barbarian Tribe amid scenes of flourishing prosperity. The Sacred Heavenly Emperor ruled with folded hands, and our great Stone Kingdom enjoyed a court filled with upright men.
Within, the worthy Lin Xian held the reins of government; without, the virtuous Black Emperor controlled the army. Duan De, a Source Heavenly Master of his generation, openly presided over the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, occasionally arranging for auspicious omens to appear. In truth, he secretly ran the Black Ice Platform, monitoring both the martial world and the court, reporting even rumors.
Sometimes, though, the atmosphere grew a little too upright. One censor muttered, "Grand Secretary Lin controls the government, Military Adviser Gou controls the troops, and Tianjizi controls the inspectors-what about the emperor?"
"Keep your voice down! Do you have a death wish?" His companion's expression changed dramatically. He hurriedly clapped a hand over the censor's mouth and whispered, "Shh. The emperor controls the Heavenly Mandate, and the Heavenly Mandate must not be spoken of."
The three factions-Lin, Black, and Duan-maneuvered against one another, while the emperor played the referee. Sometimes, he even provoked infighting among them to keep control of the overall situation.
Yet some things were bound to happen, regardless of anyone's wishes.
At court the following morning, Military Adviser Gou submitted a proposal, asking the emperor to plan for countless generations by filling his harem and producing a flourishing line of descendants.
Only then did the civil and military officials suddenly realize that their illustrious Stone Emperor had never had a woman at his side, from the moment he raised his army until his coronation. It was simply unbelievable.
Thus, the three factions that usually fought among themselves, along with many neutral veteran ministers, jointly petitioned the emperor to marry.