Mingdu had been especially lively lately.
The old emperor, who had long been gravely ill, had finally passed away, ending a reign of barely more than a decade.
But the vast majority of Mingdu's citizens knew nothing of his actual cause of death. His passing had almost no effect on them; they merely discussed over tea and after meals who would succeed him as the new emperor.
The illustrious Crown Prince had suddenly gained a powerful rival, making what had been a straightforward situation far more intriguing.
Silver Moon Douluo Kong Deming personally presided over the old emperor's funeral. Everything was kept simple, and almost all members of the royal family were barred from participating, including the princes, the Crown Prince, and the other imperial sons.
Huo Yuhao had been considering whether to pay Kong Deming a private visit, but after some thought, he abandoned the idea.
Kong Deming was currently keeping a solitary vigil over the old emperor's remains at the Sun Moon Imperial Mausoleum. He seemed to be using the funeral arrangements as a reason to stay out of the struggle for the throne. He refused even to see Xu Tianran, so it would hardly be appropriate for Huo Yuhao to visit him under any identity.
He probably would not reappear to oversee matters until the Heaven-Worshipping Ceremony, and even then, he likely would not intervene much.
The unspoken message was that the heirs would have to rely on their own abilities.
In Mingdu's Southern Suburbs, under the direction of the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Minister of Works, and other civil officials, an enormous structure was about to rise from the ground.
It was the Sun Moon Altar.
The Ministry of Works had already completed the initial design for the altar. It would cover more than ten