At night, beneath scattered pinpricks of moonlight and starlight, Jiang Mingyang held the exhausted Qian Renxue as they slowly fell asleep.
Unlike Jiang Mingyang and Qian Renxue, who slept soundly, the leaders of the other factions could not sleep a wink.
Around the same time the Heaven Dou Empire received the news, most of the major factions had already learned of the Balak Kingdom's rebellion the previous afternoon.
Each faction reacted differently to the rebellion. Those who supported Jiang Mingyang were naturally worried, while those who opposed him were naturally pleased.
Most factions, however, were content to watch the show.
After all, the cause and effect of the matter were simple enough.
In short, the Balak Kingdom, one of the kingdoms under the Heaven Dou Empire, had seized the chance presented by Jiang Mingyang's regency to rebel openly under the banner of righteousness.
And this time, the Balak Kingdom had a strong case.
Yesterday, most factions had remained perfectly calm. It was none of their business.
Until... this morning.
This morning, Xue Qinghe had appeared at court and decided to personally lead the campaign.
The moment the news reached them, the major factions of the Heaven Dou Empire were shaken.
If Xue Qinghe personally led the campaign, he would very likely regain command of troops.
Even if Jiang Mingyang kept a firm grip on military power, a small portion was bound to fall into Xue Qinghe's hands.
And for an emperor with legitimacy on his side, even a small force opened up far too many possibilities.
That was why the factions were shaken—the emperor was back, and the Heaven Dou Empire might be reshuffled once again.
Spirit Hall
In a magnificent palace, Bibi Dong sat atop a raised dais, her eyes cold and commanding, as though she looked down on