Chapter 71: Chapter 67: The Emperor Falls Gravely Ill, the Empress Steps Down

「At the entrance of Qianyuan Hall.」

Heavy guards stood vigilant on both sides, making it impossible for even a fly to get in.

One of the Four Great Tributors, Ren Tu, was an elegant man in a long, black robe. He sat in a tree with his eyes closed in meditation, bearing no resemblance to the “Human Butcher” his title proclaimed.

Under the tree, Zhao Xuanwu and a one-armed Sword Cultivator were exchanging a few, idle words.

“Tell me, Old Zuo,” Zhao Xuanwu said, “you could clearly regrow your right arm. Why do you put it off?”

The one-armed Sword Cultivator replied flatly, “It’s a reminder to myself. Until I have slain the Western Barbarian Demon Race and the one upon their throne, I must never forget this lesson.”

Zhao Xuanwu scoffed. “Right. So you’re just being high and mighty!”

Beside the dragon bed, Empress Guo was diligently tending to the Emperor.

The once-majestic Emperor Yong’an now lay on the bed, his hair white and his face aged, wracked by violent coughs from time to time.

He spoke to the Empress at his bedside, his voice barely a whisper.

“I’m afraid my days are numbered.”

“Your Majesty, don’t say such foolish things. The Imperial Physician is on his way.”

Empress Guo’s eyes reddened with anxiety. She was, at heart, a simple woman. Though she was the master of the Harem, she never meddled in politics, and most affairs of the imperial household were managed by Empress Dowager Liu. Now, seeing her only pillar of support collapsing, she was filled with panic.

“The reason I chose you to be my Empress was because you are thoughtful, caring, and not prone to endless scheming. Looking at it now, the first person to be at my side… is still you.”

A faint smile touched Emperor Yong’an’s lips, as if he were already giving his last instructions.

Empress Guo was both moved and saddened by his words.

She was moved to know she held such a high place in the Holy Emperor’s heart, but also saddened. ’Is this… his final testament?’

Emperor Yong’an gazed out of the hall, his eyes filled with a desolate sorrow.

’Even someone like him, in the end, could not defy fate.’

He had ascended the throne as a young man, full of heroic vigor. He purged seditious factions at home and projected military might abroad, striking at the Demon Country in the north and holding back the Demon Race in the west. In his hands, the Great Yan had been guided from peril to peace. He had successfully reversed the National Fortune, sweeping away the gloom and decay of the previous dynasty. He transformed a land once fractured by warring dynasties into the single greatest nation of the Central Plains, an empire no other dared to provoke.

’If not for that fourth attempt to break through the Dragon Gate, he could have lived for another decade.’

’But what good would a mere ten years have done?’

’He needed fifty years, or even a hundred, to completely eradicate the threat of the Demon Country and to see the worlds beyond the Central Plains World. Now, he wondered who could ever fulfill that wish for him.’

’Could he really count on those good-for-nothing sons of his?’

Emperor Yong’an sighed deeply.

Even the majestic, illusory Red-Eyed Golden Dragon atop Saint Ming Hall, the Palace of Ten Thousand Palaces, seemed to dim in response.

“Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, arrives!”

The announcement came from a eunuch.

TAP. TAP. TAP.

The dignified and elderly Empress Dowager Liu, leaning on a Phoenix-headed Walking Stick, slowly approached Emperor Yong’an’s bed.

Seeing her, Empress Guo curtsied lightly. “Greetings, Empress Dowager.”

“Mother, you’re here.”

A faint smile appeared on Emperor Yong’an’s face as he saw his mother, whom he had not seen in a long time.

The two of them only saw each other once or twice a year, usually for a brief meal when he paid his New Year’s respects. The Empress Dowager never came here of her own accord; she was careful to maintain her distance and not get involved in matters of the Imperial Court.

“I have been an unfilial son. I never had the time to visit you.”

Ever since coming of age, his relationship with Empress Dowager Liu had grown distant. For one, he had no time; for another, he was a mature Emperor and could not run to his mother for advice on every little thing.

There was no trace of blame on Empress Dowager Liu’s face. Seeing her son in this state, her expression was instead one of pure heartache.

“I have never blamed you. You have simply worked too hard all these years, giving everything for the sake of Great Yan. I told you long ago to let yourself rest, to not push yourself to the brink, but you refused to listen.”

“These old bones of mine are still here. How could you possibly leave before I do?”

“Now, with your health failing, it is time to name a Crown Prince.”

As soon as she spoke these words, all the surrounding eunuchs and palace maids withdrew, pulling the great doors shut behind them.

Only the three of them remained in the room.

Emperor Yong’an shook his head. “It’s not just you, Mother. Many ministers have spoken to me about this, but my decision is final.”

“Whoever can win the support of the Three Religions will be the Crown Prince.”

Empress Dowager Liu sighed. “Isn’t that an overly harsh requirement?”

But Emperor Yong’an was serious. “Choose the worthy, not the eldest. That is the rule set down by the Grand Ancestor, and it continues to this day. I, too, followed that path to the throne. If a man cannot win the support of the Three Religions, then naming him Crown Prince is a meaningless gesture. Look back over the centuries—what has been the fate of any who defied this principle?”

A contemplative look flashed in Empress Dowager Liu’s eyes.

’She realized it was true.’

’Whenever an Emperor coexisted peacefully with the Three Religions, the realm enjoyed an age of peace and prosperity. But whenever one religion was alienated, or one grew to dominate the others, it always led to endless chaos.’

’What would happen if a Prince were named Crown Prince, only to be spurned by the Three Religions?’

’It would create countless hidden dangers, destabilize the government, and inevitably lead to turmoil.’

’So, the reason her son hadn’t named a Crown Prince in his more than sixty years on the throne… was because not one of his sons could meet this requirement?’

’It wasn’t that he wouldn’t appoint one, but that he didn’t dare.’

Then, Emperor Yong’an explained in detail, “The eldest son had the backing of many court ministers and Military Generals, and even the support of the Taoist Sect, but he failed to treasure it. Now he lacks the backing of a single top-tier Immortal Influence, and his own power is insufficient. The second son is calm and steady, capable of great responsibility, but he is a sinister man, and his followers are all practitioners of depraved and bizarre skills. The third son is obsessed with martial arts to the exclusion of all else; he is unreasonable and thus disliked by the Confucian Temple. The fourth is completely devoted to Cultivation, so let’s not even speak of him.

“The fifth and sixth sons are both ignorant and incompetent, with no aptitude for politics, and have neglected their cultivation. The Sixth Son is marginally better; he has been cultivating the Martial Dao as of late, but he was implicated in the affair with the Demoness of the Demon Kingdom. In the eyes of the world, he has no right whatsoever to inherit the throne.

“The seventh son delves into the arts of commerce. Though his wealth could rival a nation’s and he has used it to attract the Buddhist Sect’s attention, it has been of no use. The Eighth Son is exceptionally gifted in both literature and strategy and is a Disciple of the Saint of Reason, having been accepted by Li Sheng himself. He is the only one to have the support of the Confucian Temple, but without the backing of the Taoist Sect, he falls short. As for the Ninth Son, his birth is humble and he has no presence to speak of, so he is not even worth discussing.”

Empress Dowager Liu nodded slowly after listening. “He doesn’t necessarily need the support of all three houses.”

“I think the Eighth Son is a fine choice. The Confucian Temple’s status and influence in the Central Plains World are undeniable, and not just anyone can be accepted as a disciple by Li Sheng.”

But Emperor Yong’an still shook his head. “Li Sheng may be the only Confucian Saint to appear in the last five hundred years, and the most recent one, but his influence pales in comparison to the five great saints of the Confucian Temple.”

“Mother, you mustn’t underestimate the power of the three ancestral masters of the Taoist Court, nor the Buddha Bodhisattvas of the Buddhist Sect’s Holy Heaven. In the Great Frost Dynasty, the Buddhist Sect is the National Religion. The Confucian Temple has many Saints; Li Sheng’s influence alone is not decisive. If the Eighth Son becomes Crown Prince, he will surely face suppression from both the Taoist and Buddhist sects.”

Hearing this, Empress Dowager Liu was also at a loss. She finally understood Emperor Yong’an’s difficult position.

“Since you have your own plans, I will not insist.”

“Lu Changfeng remains in prison. It’s time you decided how to deal with him.”

At these words, Empress Guo’s body trembled.

Emperor Yong’an coughed several times, his voice weak. “That rebellious son… If you lack the ability, you shouldn’t do things that cross the line. He allowed others to gain leverage against him, yet he refuses to admit defeat. He stubbornly insists on his own reasoning and won’t admit his guilt. If he weren’t my son, I would have had him executed long ago.”

“In that regard, the Sixth Son is infinitely better than him.”

At this, a flicker of memory passed through Empress Dowager Liu’s eyes.

Suddenly, Empress Guo knelt before Emperor Yong’an’s bed.

“This servant admits her virtue is not worthy of her station! I am willing to renounce my title as Empress in exchange for my son’s life!”

Emperor Yong’an glanced at her, his eyes narrowing. “Why must you do this?”

With tears welling in her eyes, Empress Guo said, “Feng’er doesn’t know any better. As his mother, I cannot bear to watch him spend the rest of his life in prison.”

Silence filled the room for a moment.

Emperor Yong’an seemed to recall something. He waved a dismissive hand. “So be it. Since you insist on saving his life, I cannot disregard our history together. Your request is granted.”

“Relay my decree… The Eldest Prince is to be exiled to the Western Border, to fend for himself. He is forbidden from ever returning to the capital.”

After he spoke, a knowing look appeared in Empress Dowager Liu’s eyes.

’Both had taken the fall for a capital offense on the level of treason, yet the treatment of the Sixth Prince and the Eldest Prince was completely different.’

’Weren’t the Holy Emperor’s words just now a hint to Empress Guo?’

’Take the blame willingly, and this matter can be brought to a clean conclusion.’

However, she merely observed with a cool detachment, saying nothing more.

…

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