Claiming the Throne

"Lord Xie, it's been a while."

Yang Chuannan, his right hand resting on his knife, stood straight outside the fence, his voice deep and resonant:

"This winter has been exceptionally tough. I thought Lord Xie would die in prison, but I never expected you to pull through."

Xie Lu moved her head, her gaze passing through her disheveled hair as she looked at Yang Chuannan outside the fence, her voice hoarse:

"What are you doing here? Trying to persuade me to surrender to the rebels?"

Yang Chuannan nodded. "This is your only way out. Don't expect the imperial court to save you. A dignified provincial governor has been imprisoned for half a year, with no one caring about him. Lord Xie is a smart man; he should know what this means."

Xie Lu said slowly:

"Yunzhou has already broken away from the control of the imperial court. If I'm not mistaken, before I took office, the officialdom of Yunzhou was already under your control."

Yang Chuannan smiled and said:

"It's not under my control, but under the control of the city lord. Since I became the governor of Yunzhou, I have been secretly cultivating my own faction and supporting my cronies. It wasn't until a year ago, when the Witch God Cult led by Song Changfu was eliminated, that I finally gained complete control of the Yunzhou officialdom."

"The entire Yunzhou is now under our control, including your life."

The gentry, local prominent families, and scholar-official class of Yunzhou have all submitted to Qianlong City.

Some of them submitted voluntarily, without any choice, while others were secretly supported by Qianlong City.

The fact that Yunzhou, spanning thousands of miles, could quickly break free from the control of the Great Feng Dynasty demonstrates the profound foundation that Qianlong City has built up over hundreds of years.

"Lord Xie is a scholar who passed the imperial examinations twice and has a well-established reputation. Qianlong City needs talents like you. Lord Xie, a good bird chooses a good tree to perch on, and a good minister chooses a good master to serve."

Yang Chuannan earnestly advised, "Qianlong City is where you can truly showcase your talents."

Xie Lu laughed and said, "What a pity."

"Pity?"

"It's a pity that this seven-foot-tall body, though filled with knowledge of sages, can only wield a pen, not kill. Everyone says that scholars are useless, and I'm unwilling to admit it, but right now, it's truly the case," Xie Lu said regretfully.

Yang Chuannan's expression turned slightly cold as he said:

"Ten years of hard study is no easy feat. Lord Xie, you came from humble beginnings to reach this position today. Can you really bear to let most of your life's work go to waste in one day?"

"I can't bear it," Xie Lu murmured hoarsely, leaning against the cold wall and looking up once more at the sunlight streaming through the vent.

"But I fear even more that I will be despised by future generations a thousand years from now. Mr. Yang, do you know who I admire most?"

Yang Chuannan looked at him coldly.

"It was Zheng Xinghuai, the Provincial Governor of Chuzhou, who made all the scholars in the land understand what it means to 'sacrifice one's life for righteousness.'"

Xie Lu sneered, "Forget it, what's the point of talking to someone like you?"

Yang Chuannan nodded:

"Since that's the case, I won't waste any more words. Lord Xie has gotten what he wanted."

He drew his longsword and severed the iron chains.

Bang!

The cell door was kicked open, and Yang Chuannan stepped forward, thrusting his iron sword forward. The tip of the sword pierced Xie Lu's chest, pinning him to the wall behind him.

Xie Lu gripped the sword blade with both hands and struggled painfully for a few moments.

His hands were stained with warm blood, and his life was rapidly slipping away with the blood.

Yang Chuannan chuckled:

"I forgot to give Lord Xie time to write his will. If there's anything you want to say before you die, just say it, or you'll never have the chance again."

Xie Lu didn't have much to say, but he was reminded of the days when he studied diligently by lamplight in his youth.

At that time, the Battle of Shanhai Pass had not yet begun, and the late emperor had not yet begun his Daoist practice. The Great Feng Dynasty enjoyed favorable weather and peace.

However, everything changed after the Battle of Shanhai Pass. The power of the Great Feng Kingdom gradually weakened, and disasters occurred every year, with the situation worsening year by year.

Xie Lu was a man who had lived through a time of peace and prosperity. He witnessed firsthand how this country gradually declined and grew old.

Like many intellectuals, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to saving the country and bringing it back to its former glory.

But he couldn't do it, because he was dying.

In his final moments, Xie Lu said sternly:

"Someone will avenge me. You traitors and rebels will surely die without a burial place."

He stared intently at Yang Chuannan and began to mock him mercilessly.

The laughter reached its peak, then abruptly stopped.

Yunzhou City, the Commander-in-Chief's Office.

Yang Chuannan returned to his residence and strode towards the study. He pushed open the door and saw Ji Xuan flipping through the memorials.

"Young Master! The coronation ceremony is about to begin, why are you still here?"

Yang Chuannan frowned repeatedly.

"The number of refugees gathered is less than ten thousand, far below expectations," Ji Xuan said, putting down the memorial.

What happened?

Yang Chuannan said with a wry smile, "Yang Gong has sealed off the border of Qingzhou, so refugees can't cross over unless they cross mountains or go around to neighboring states to reach our Yunzhou. This Yang Gong is not easy to deal with."

Ji Xuan nodded.

Yang Chuannan urged again, "His Majesty's enthronement ceremony is in half an hour. As the Crown Prince, you cannot be absent."

Ji Xuan shook his head. "I will not attend the coronation ceremony; I have other plans."

Qianlong City served as a "hiding place" during the period of dormancy. Now that his father was about to ascend the throne as emperor, it was natural to make it public. The enthronement ceremony was held in the central area of Yunzhou City—the Baidi Temple.

Ji Xuan asked, "Is Xie Lu willing to submit?"

Yang Chuannan shook his head. "This subordinate has already killed him."

"It's better to kill him."

Ji Xuan spoke casually, "The greatest fear for a scholar is to lose his integrity in his later years; in a way, it's a form of fulfillment."

Baidi Temple.

Today, officials from Yunzhou City gathered at Baidi Temple, including officials from Qianlong City. The dark mass of people stood in the square, with civil officials on the left and officials on the right, arranged in an orderly manner.

Amidst the accompaniment of drums and music, a middle-aged man dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe and wearing a flat-topped crown slowly stepped out of the Baidi Temple.

Generally speaking, the ascension of the crown prince is a major national event with elaborate ceremonies. In particular, the transition between old and new emperors is often accompanied by funerals, so only whips are cracked and no music is played.

The new emperor must wear mourning clothes, kneel and kowtow three times and nine times before the spirit of the late emperor, and perform sacrificial ceremonies at the ancestral temple, etc.

However, these are not applicable to the current situation, so they are omitted.

After leading his civil and military officials in a sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, the emperor in his yellow robe stood on a high platform in front of the White Emperor Temple, looking down at the officials with an air of majesty.

A white-robed Warlock from the Bureau of Astronomy stood to the side and below, facing the officials, unfolded the imperial edict in his hand, and said loudly:

"Since Emperor Wuzong's rebellion, our ancestors hid in the mountains and fields, enduring humiliation and hardship, passing down their teachings from generation to generation to this day. I have never forgotten our ancestral teachings for a moment, and I am determined to work diligently to govern the country and reclaim the throne."

"The Great Feng court is now corrupt and the new emperor is incompetent, leading to widespread suffering and misery. As a descendant of the Ji clan and the legitimate heir of the imperial family, I am deeply grieved and feel it is my duty to rise up and call upon the people to turn the tide."

"I now proclaim myself emperor in Yunzhou, and have chosen the name 'Guangfu' for my country. I hope you will all loyally assist me and work together to achieve great things."

"The establishment of an heir apparent in a nation is based on the principle of primogeniture, for this is the foundation of the empire. My eldest son, Ji Xuan, is accomplished in both literature and martial arts, and is the will of Heaven. He shall be established as the Crown Prince and occupy the Eastern Palace."

After the white-robed Warlock finished reading the imperial edict, he put it away and stood silently to the side.

All the civil and military officials knelt down, shouting "Long live Your Majesty!"

Above Yunzhou City, the Wind-Riding Boat hovered silently.

Ji Xuan stood at the ship's railing, listening to the thunderous shouts below, which he could clearly hear even from high above.

The people of Yunzhou City gathered in the streets and alleys outside the Baidi Temple to watch the ceremony.

For them, who became emperor was irrelevant; what the people cared about was always "food and clothing." The emperor simply reduced taxes for three years, and thus easily won over the people of Yunzhou.

"If not now, when?"

A gentle voice suddenly rang out, and a beam of light rose, revealing Xu Pingfeng, dressed in white, inside the Wind-Riding Boat.

"We're just waiting for the Imperial Advisor!"

Ji Xuan laughed.

Xu Pingfeng nodded slightly, raised his hand, and grabbed at the air.

Those scattered strands of dragon energy let out a silent roar, unwillingly being absorbed into his palm.

With another flick of his finger, more than a dozen streams of dragon energy surged into Ji Xuan's body.

A golden dragon seemed to be moving in his eyes, shooting out brilliant golden light.

Xu Pingfeng then released two more invisible and intangible streams of energy, which flowed into Ji Xuan's body.

This is the fortune of the two Vajras, Du Nan and Du Fan. He used the skills of a second-grade Qi Refinement to transform these two fortunes into his own.

Of course, personal fortune cannot be compared with national fortune. Ji Xuan could not possibly absorb the Blood Pill and advance to the third rank by relying solely on a three-pronged approach.

That's why the investiture ceremony just now took place.

The Crown Prince of Yunzhou was naturally blessed with good fortune.

Although this fortune is far from comparable to that of Xu Qi'an, who carries half of the fate of the Great Feng Kingdom.

"I can only let the dragon energy stay in your body for a quarter of an hour. Advance quickly," Xu Pingfeng said.

Even as a second-rank Warlock, he could hardly manipulate the dragon's energy; he could only exert influence, and for a limited time.

Ji Xuan took out the box from his pocket and opened it with a "snap," a pure ray of blood-red light reflecting into his pupils.

A vast amount of life force filled the Wind-Riding Boat.

Ji Xuan's hands trembled slightly uncontrollably as he heard his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

Once this blood pill enters the body, there are only two possible outcomes: either one becomes a transcendent martial artist, joining the ranks of the pinnacle of the Nine Provinces Continent, or one dies and vanishes into ashes.

The Imperial Preceptor once said that even with the dragon's aura, the fortune of the two Vajra, and the fortune of being the Crown Prince, the probability of successfully refining the Blood Pill is still less than 50%.

The time to gamble with one's life had come. Ji Xuan gripped the blood pill and closed his eyes.

What flashed through his mind were twenty years of enduring humiliation and hardship, the quiet cultivation he had done in private, and the expectations that Master Jiaoye held for him before his death.

Glug~

The blood pills transformed into a scalding hot stream, rushing into the stomach.

Ji Xuan's skin turned red at a visible speed. He clutched his stomach in pain and curled up on the deck.

Pain, excruciating pain

The pain, beyond human comprehension, overwhelmed him, and in a single instant, he lost most of his consciousness.

"Hehe."

Blood flowed from Ji Xuan's mouth, and blood also seeped from his eyes, nose, and ears.

The skin was torn open in large areas, and the flesh was ripped apart from the inside out.

If this continues, the collapse of the physical body will be inevitable.

Xu Pingfeng watched indifferently.

"Am I going to die? Is this death? My body has collapsed, my internal organs are damaged, and my life force is rapidly fading away. Why hasn't the Imperial Preceptor saved me yet?"

In his dazed state, Ji Xuan's remaining will was still trying to think; he wanted to call for help, but he couldn't make a sound.

Because the vocal cords were also destroyed.

The power of the Blood Pill was too domineering; a mortal's body simply could not withstand it.

"It's unimaginable how Xu Qi'an managed to get through it. If he could get through it, why can't I?"

The moment this thought crossed his mind, Ji Xuan's obsession became impossible to quell.

Xu Qi'an can do it, why can't I?

Are you willing to die like this?

Are you willing to just watch him shine so brightly?

Are you willing to let your future ambitions for power and dominance come to nothing?

"Heh, heh heh."

He let out meaningless roars, as if they were shouts of anger and resentment.

Blood was flowing from his eyes, and his eyeballs had melted.

Ji Xuan didn't see the golden dragon shadows wrapping around his body, nor did he see his shattered body showing signs of healing.

Flesh and blood break down, heal, break down, heal in an endless cycle.

After an unknown amount of time, Ji Xuan's consciousness, which was on the verge of collapse, gradually returned, and his mind became clear.

The sound of the Imperial Advisor's laughter reached my ears:

Congratulations on entering the realm of the extraordinary.

Ji Xuan opened his eyes and saw the light again.

A glimmer of hope for a new beginning!

Southern Frontier, Tiangu Tribe.

Granny Tian Gu walked out of the house with a courtyard, stepped onto the roof, and gazed at the sky.

"The Purple Star of the Emperor moves; the struggle for legitimacy in the Central Plains has begun. Old man, everything you predicted has come true. The Gu God is not far from its resurgence."

Granny Tian Gu sighed, remained silent for a moment, and then murmured to herself:

"Great chaos is imminent, who will be the gatekeeper?"

Jingshan City.

On a desolate mountain ridge, Salen Agu held a lamb in his arms, gazing southwest.

The mountains surrounding Jingshan City were drained of their Spiritual Qi by that battle, turning them into a wasteland.

Although Jingshan City has been rebuilt, the place is no longer suitable for habitation.

"Wei Yuan, the last breath you've given to the Central Plains is coming to an end."

Salun Agu pulled out a new sheep-driving whip from his waist and gently tapped it at his feet.

The next moment, a figure appeared as summoned.

It was Irber.

"Two things: deliver the Xuanming Gold Stone to Xu Qi'an; and gather refugees in Great Feng and bring them back to replenish the population of the Jingkang and Yan kingdoms."

Arun Agu instructed.

"Yes!"

Irbu bowed in agreement and rode away on the wind.

In the first year of Yongxing, at the end of November, a descendant of the Ji clan declared himself emperor in Yunzhou, establishing the state of "Fuxing," and Yunzhou officially broke away from Great Feng.

This further pushed the dynasty towards its demise.

When Xu Qi'an received Huai Qing's letter and learned about the matter, he was already on the border between Southern Frontier and Great Feng.