Seeing the heavy cavalry enter the imperial city first, the nobility of Wei whispered among themselves.

It wasn’t until the war chariot carrying the Yan Emperor rolled forward on golden light that they all stopped talking, arranged their clothing, and prepared to put on airs, ready to negotiate terms with the Yan Emperor later. These old aristocratic families of Wei would never accept the new policies of the Yan Kingdom.

The Yan Emperor’s war chariot stopped beneath the high platform built of white jade. Feng Yao hurriedly stepped forward, opened the carriage door wide, took Murong Yu’s hand from Xiao Rongyan, and helped Murong Yu down from the war chariot.

Murong Yu’s breathing was rapid. Standing at the bottom of those high steps, he looked up at the majestic great hall above and the countless steps, his vision beginning to blur again.

He was the Yan Emperor, representing the Yan Kingdom. If he couldn’t climb these steps, it would inevitably make these surrendering ministers doubt whether the Yan Kingdom could truly govern the Wei Kingdom.

Murong Yu’s back was already soaked with sweat. If not for today’s heavy ceremonial robes, others would surely see his current state of distress.

He released Feng Yao’s hand…

“Master!”

“Father Emperor!”

Feng Yao and Murong Ping were deeply worried.

Murong Yu looked up at the great hall, squinted his eyes, gripped the sword at his waist with one hand, held his breath, and lifted his foot to walk toward the high steps.

Xiao Rongyan followed behind Murong Yu, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. Standing right behind his elder brother, he knew how difficult each step was for his elder brother.

The blazing sun was dizzying. Murong Yu’s vision went black, and his steps faltered slightly…

Xiao Rongyan immediately stepped forward, supporting Murong Yu from behind. It appeared as though he casually stepped up two steps and then supported Murong Yu’s arm, using all his strength to hold up Murong Yu.

Even though his vision was spinning endlessly, and it felt as if heaven and earth were revolving, Murong Yu knew he couldn’t stop to rest.

Once he stopped, he would never be able to move again!

He lifted his trembling leg, his foot barely touching the jade step with no strength to climb up—it was entirely Xiao Rongyan gritting his teeth and helping him up.

All of Murong Yu’s weight was on Xiao Rongyan. His strength was only enough to lift his legs; without Xiao Rongyan’s assistance, he probably couldn’t climb even one step.

Feng Yao and Murong Ping followed quickly beside Xiao Rongyan. Though they knew Murong Yu couldn’t hold on anymore, they didn’t dare support Murong Yu from left and right with Xiao Rongyan, lest these newly surrendered Wei people notice something amiss.

“Escort His Majesty directly into the great hall. The moment His Majesty enters, immediately close the hall doors! Send someone to summon the imperial physicians through the side entrance!” Xiao Rongyan commanded in a low voice.

“Yes!” Feng Yao responded, suppressing his heartache.

“Deploy heavy troops to surround all these old aristocratic families’ residences. Anyone who forcibly attempts to enter or exit shall be killed without question—not even a bird can be allowed to escape!” Xiao Rongyan instructed Murong Ping.

“I obey!” Murong Ping responded.

Feng Yao, the Yan Emperor’s grand eunuch, stepped forward first and shouted: “Kneel!”

The Yan Emperor climbed the final high step, and Xiao Rongyan was already covered in fine sweat…

“Long live His Majesty! Long live the Yan Kingdom!”

The soldiers shouted.

The old aristocratic families looked at each other, unsure whether they should join in the shouting.

Taking advantage of the old aristocratic families’ inattention, Murong Ping supported Murong Yu’s left side, joining Xiao Rongyan in helping Yan Emperor Murong Yu walk quickly toward the great hall.

The moment the Yan Emperor entered the hall, the hall doors closed one after another. Murong Yu finally couldn’t hold on anymore and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, falling straight forward. Xiao Rongyan, who was holding Murong Yu, fell to the ground with him.

“Father…”

Murong Ping was so frightened that he knelt on the ground. Before he could cry out, Xiao Rongyan pushed him away: “Shut up! Where are the imperial physicians?!”

Murong Ping understood Ninth Imperial Uncle’s meaning, bit his teeth tightly, and crawled on his knees to the Yan Emperor’s side. Suppressing his tears and keeping his voice low, he called softly: “Father Emperor!”

Two imperial physicians carrying medicine boxes hurried over, knelt beside Murong Yu, one taking his pulse while the other administered acupuncture.

“How is he?” Murong Ping asked the imperial physician to take Murong Yu’s pulse; his eyes were red.

Under Xiao Rongyan’s fierce gaze, the imperial physician hurriedly kowtowed and said in a low, tearful voice: “Your Highness, Second Prince… His Majesty has… his lamp has run out of oil!”

Xiao Rongyan’s grip on Murong Yu tightened, and an icy, murderous aura suddenly emanated from him.

After the acupuncture, Murong Yu regained consciousness. He raised his hand to grip Xiao Rongyan’s wrist: “A’Yan… your brother must break his word. I can’t go propose marriage for you!”

Xiao Rongyan bit his teeth hard and remained silent, his eye sockets swelling with unbearable pain, his heart feeling as if a fierce wind was tearing his internal organs to shreds.

“A’Ping…” Murong Yu looked toward his second son.

“Father Emperor!” Murong Ping crawled forward on his knees and grasped Murong Yu’s trembling hand, reaching toward him. At a loss, he could only keep calling Murong Yu: “Father Emperor! Father Emperor!”

“Your eldest brother is mediocre, and while you are brave and invincible, you are not a great talent for governing the Kingdom! The third brother’s talents lie in poetry and literature. A’Li is precocious but too young! Your Ninth Uncle has ambitions to unify the realm. His vision, perspective, wisdom, and strategic thinking surpass all of you by countless measures. Only by placing the Yan Kingdom in your Ninth Uncle’s hands… can your father rest assured! Whether it’s your eldest brother, you, your third brother, or A’Li… all of you must wholeheartedly assist your Ninth Uncle! Help our Great Yan… unify the world!” Murong Yu’s vision had completely darkened, yet he still used all his strength to grip his son’s hand tightly.

Murong Ping glanced at Murong Yan, who wore a silver mask with thin lips pressed tightly together, his emotions unreadable, then nodded with difficulty: “Your son knows! Your son… will assist Ninth Uncle!”

“Uncle Feng!”

“This old slave is here! This old slave is here! Master… this old slave is here!” Feng Yao knelt beside Murong Yu, responding tearfully.

“Bring ink and brush to draft an edict. The throne… passes to Ninth Prince Murong Yan!” Murong Yu struggled to swallow the fresh blood about to spill from his mouth, his voice extremely weak, his words filled with the gurgling sound of blood blocking his throat. “After my death, keep it secret and do not announce mourning. Wait until… Wei is destroyed, and the situation is stable, then proclaim it to the world.”

Xiao Rongyan felt his entire body go cold. He knew… his elder brother’s time had come.

Feng Yao personally drafted the edict and took out the Yan Kingdom’s jade seal to stamp it. Murong Yu had Murong Ping retrieve his private seal from his blood-soaked chest and stamp it beside the jade seal.

“A’Yan… your brother is going to see mother.” Murong Yu’s eyes had become unfocused. He gripped his younger brother’s arm tightly, the corners of his lips lifting slightly as if in relief. “The Yan Kingdom’s… unification… depends on you…”

As his words fell, Murong Yu finally slowly closed his eyes, and the hand gripping Xiao Rongyan’s arm slipped away.

Inside the great hall were the restrained, low sobs of everyone present. No one dared cry aloud.

The Yan Emperor had just set foot in the Wei Kingdom’s capital and died—this would give those Wei people who were already unwilling and intended to rebel against Yan an excuse… claiming it was Heaven’s will, or claiming they intended to follow Heaven’s mandate to rebel against Yan. Then the Yan Kingdom would truly face endless troubles.

Feng Yao wept until his back trembled, but he didn’t dare make a sound. He only held the imperial edict and jade seal high, respectfully kowtowing in Murong Yan’s direction: “Young Master…”

Murong Ping took a long breath, suppressing his heartache as he looked toward Xiao Rongyan, who wore a silver mask concealing all his emotions beneath it.