The Tang Sect Raises Its Banner, Four Halls Take Their Places

Heaven Dou City remained under lockdown for seven days after the palace coup.

No one had died in the battle. Seventeen Royal Knights and twenty-one people from Spirit Hall had been seriously wounded, while the imperial physicians and palace maids had been protected by the Rosy Cloud-Aspect Garment. Xue Xing stared at the casualty list for a long time. He still hated Qian Renxue, but he could not deny that Yuan Yu had stopped the melee and saved many lives.

Xue Ye did not reveal Qian Renxue's identity for the time being. The Royal Family announced that Crown Prince Xue Qinghe had suffered a sudden relapse of an old illness and died in the Eastern Palace despite treatment. Everyone who knew the truth understood that the story would not withstand prolonged scrutiny, but it could at least keep the city stable for now.

Xue Beng was named the new crown prince.

He traded his usual flashy clothes for formal court dress and stood in the royal court for the first time. Faced with ministers who had suddenly begun currying favor with him, he still grew nervous and picked up the wrong memorial several times. Xue Ye did not scold him. He simply had him start by learning about grain taxes and city defenses.

In a side hall of the palace, another negotiation lasted two days.

Xue Ye, Xue Xing, and Ning Fengzhi represented Heaven Dou. Tang San represented the Tang Sect, which had yet to put up its signboard, while Yuan Yu held the list of Spirit Hall personnel Qian Renxue had left behind. Bibi Dong did not attend in person. She used the papal seal to confirm only two points: Spirit Hall personnel would withdraw from the palace, and those who knew about the poisoning would undergo a joint