The Emperor’s unnatural death and how to handle the corpse was a major matter. Xiao An had proposed taking charge of the arrangements, giving her several days’ time to produce a corpse showing no sword wounds. Seeing her full confidence, he thought she would have people find someone with similar appearance, so he didn’t interfere, only taking responsibility for blocking Quan and Ai’s faction.

Quan Feitong soon entered the palace for an audience, but was blocked under the pretext that the Emperor had gone to a traveling palace to recuperate from injuries. He had often seen the Emperor’s handwriting, so the forged calligraphy was extremely similar, practically indistinguishable from real. The Emperor’s hand-written decree stated his illness had worsened and he would see no one during his recovery.

Quan Feitong and Consort Ai were not yet prepared at that time, so naturally couldn’t break with him openly. When news of the Emperor’s death at the traveling palace was announced, what appeared before everyone was indeed a complete corpse with no other suspicious wounds.

At the time he had thought this was a corpse with extremely high resemblance to the late emperor. Later, after experiencing Gu Xiluo’s matter, he immediately understood it was Hong Gu’s masterwork.

They had found a corpse with similar build, or even killed a living person, and made it look like the late emperor. During the burial, no wounds were visible. Afterward, he successfully ascended the throne.

This Wang Lun was fake. At the time, the assassins they sent returned with Wang Lun’s severed head – how could they have fabricated death reports?

Creating a fake Wang Lun now wasn’t impossible – Hong Gu could do it, as could that mysterious Huichun Hall.

The secret edict was real though. The late emperor was deeply scheming and had written the secret edict earlier that evening. When Wang Lun left the palace to find Quan Feitong, he brought this thing along, not hidden in the palace as the fake Wang Lun claimed. The fake Wang Lun also couldn’t have possibly witnessed the late emperor being killed. Saying the late emperor was smothered to death was the best flaw, because at the time, the late emperor died from sword wounds.

And the prior circumstances of the late emperor wanting to kill the Empress and Crown Prince would never be mentioned.

…

When Lian Yu recalled these later scenes in detail, it was already five hours later, inside his military tent. Outside the tent, black curtains hung low, with dark, cold, precipitous mountains in the distance.

In the valley flatland, countless tents sprawled with lights bright as day. The air faintly carried the scent of food and… blood, mixed together into an indescribably eerie and strange smell.

But battle-hardened soldiers paid no attention to such things. Even wounded soldiers, as long as they could still sit, continued heartily devouring the currently abundant food.

No one knew how long this battle would last. What came next – would they still joke with comrades, or be wrapped in horse leather and buried?

Five hours ago, not far from here, a rather intense battle had occurred.

That was when Wang Lun’s words had just ended. The calm surface of long-existing undercurrents was finally completely torn apart. The situation changed dramatically in an instant, with court officials dividing into several factions – those supporting Quan and Jie, those supporting him, and those at a loss.

Chao Huang quickly led Lian Jie away. Lian Jie’s face was grim but he didn’t resist.

Dark clouds blocked the sun, lightning rolled in the sky – at the mausoleum entrance, countless soldiers poured in behind Quan Feitong, led by Qiu Jing. At the same time, from the depths of the mausoleum, Murong Ding emerged with soldiers like a tide…

Both sides had secretly hidden armies without showing their hand.

Seeing this, Quan Feitong raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Your Majesty indeed has excellent methods, discovering that this minister would act today. Very well, this is the last time I’ll address you thus.” His voice deepened slightly. “I, Quan Feitong, together with General Chao Huang, today lead troops vowing to clear the imperial side, execute the usurping traitor Lian Yu, avenge the late emperor, and support Seventh Prince’s ascension.”

“Execute the usurping traitor Lian Yu, support Seventh Master’s ascension!”

Behind him, countless soldiers roared like thunder with magnificent momentum.

Xiao An’s eyes nearly split with rage. Just as she was about to respond, Lian Yu stopped her and slowly replied, “The late emperor was tyrannical, causing people’s suffering. For twenty years the people have complained bitterly. Whether I am a usurping traitor, future generations will judge. Today, Lian Yu vows not to abdicate. No matter what, I will not hand over the Lian family’s century-old empire to treacherous ministers. Prime Minister Quan, Minister Quan – bring it on!”

Wind swept by, blowing his temple hair slightly disheveled, but his eyes were extraordinarily clear and bright. Quan Feitong curled his mouth disdainfully.

Soon, both armies surrounded their respective main figures and successively withdrew from the mausoleum. Firstly, the mausoleum was an ancestral burial ground, and secondly, this wasn’t suitable terrain for deployment.

From the initial formation of just hundreds of people, at a mountain location several li from the mausoleum, countless troops killed their way out from north and south directions.

Chao Huang wore maroon iron armor, while the Murong family wore lake-blue green armor – both sides’ soldiers were quite distinguishable. Not only had they set ambushes inside and outside the mausoleum, both sides had secretly transferred all their troops respectively stationed in the capital suburbs at Luoling and Fuyang, deploying heavy forces in the mountain forests.

Chao Huang laughed heartily, raising his great sword. Murong Ding shouted loudly to meet the enemy, and both armies immediately fell into fierce combat…

Chao Huang’s soldiers shouted slogans of “Clear the imperial side, execute the traitor,” fighting more courageously, while Lian Yu hadn’t denied the regicide accusations, leaving his army’s morale lacking in confidence. Compared to Murong Ding, Chao Huang was better at battlefield command and more valorous in combat. Lian Yu also sent people to protect third-party ministers who didn’t know how to position themselves in the chaos. With all these factors, despite having numerical advantage with 100,000 against 80,000, plus over 3,000 Imperial Guard escorts who came with Lian Yu, the Murong army began showing signs of defeat.

When the battle reached its climax, another unexpected situation arose. Formation after formation of maroon armored soldiers charged from two nearby mountain valleys, using crane wing formations to flank left and right, intercepting the Murong army’s rear guard. Chao Huang seemed to have more than 80,000 troops!

Heads fell from necks, blood spurted from severed torsos, limbs and flesh scattered everywhere. The Murong army, already at a disadvantage, now had their military morale completely disrupted with casualties mounting. The green mountains and clear waters instantly turned into a red soup…

Three hours later, at Quan Feitong’s signal, Chao Huang sounded the retreat.

Both armies marched in different directions, each withdrawing ten li to establish camps.

After tallying, this battle saw over 10,000 Murong army casualties while Quan’s side had fewer than 3,000 losses.

In Lian Yu’s main tent, heavy bloody smell constantly drifted in. Lian Jie’s eyes like poisoned daggers when he left with Chao’s army still floated before his vision. Now this venomous look appeared again in Lian Qin’s eyes.

“Sixth Brother, my heart truly aches! Haha, this should have been the moment for us brothers to fight enemies together, but now I’m told… you’re the usurper! What can you explain? Speak! Speak!”

Lian Qin had always respected Lian Yu, but now he shouted publicly, disregarding that Xiao An, Murong Qi, Lian Xin, Yan Da, Murong Ding, and three or four attendants were present. Xiao An’s gaze darkened, furious beyond measure. “Lian Qin, if you want to be insolent, go elsewhere. You can follow your Seventh Brother to join the rebels! Your Sixth Brother’s desperation, your Sixth Brother’s hardships and pain – you don’t understand at all! Now at this life-and-death moment, instead of sharing his worries, you still—”

“Rebels – who are the real rebels? Empress Dowager, you don’t treat Father Emperor as a husband, but that’s my father!” Lian Qin laughed bitterly.

Xiao An was furious and about to scold, but Lian Yu waved his hand to stop her. He looked at both Lian Qin and Lian Xin. “Sixth Brother says again – what Wang Lun said isn’t the complete truth. Father Emperor wanted to kill us then. If I hadn’t acted, there was only death. Once Consort Ai and Quan Feitong gained power, they wouldn’t spare us. You and Xin’er couldn’t escape either.”

“I’ve said all I can. Whether you believe or not, whether you leave or stay – that’s your decision.” He gave Lian Qin one final heavy look, pinched his weary temples, slowly turned around, and clasped his hands behind his back, speaking no more.

Lian Xin bit her lip, her gaze changing several times before finally saying firmly, “I understand, Sixth Brother. Father Emperor treated me well before, considering the Murong family’s position, but if he wanted to kill you and Mother, if I had to choose between him and you both, naturally… I choose you.”

“Lian Yu, you speak as if it’s all for our benefit!” Lian Qin sneered coldly, said nothing more, lifted the tent flap and strode out.

Xiao An was so angry her eyes turned red, gritting her teeth as she ordered Murong Ding, “Send someone to follow him. Don’t let anything go wrong.”

“Mother, don’t monitor him,” Lian Yu stopped her. “I don’t want this only remaining brother to develop further resentment. If he wanted to leave, he would have gone with Seventh Brother just now. Let him calm down.”

“Sister Qi, Xin’er, go rest with Mother first. Prime Minister Yan, General Murong – Chao Huang’s reinforcements arrived strangely. Summon the military commanders. We need to discuss with Prime Minister Yan how to proceed next.”

“Yes, they’re discussing in the tent. This subordinate will call them immediately.”

Both immediately responded and left the tent. Having lost the first battle so tragically, everyone’s faces were shrouded with worry.

Murong Qi looked at Lian Yu with considerable reluctance. Xiao An scolded quietly, “Why don’t you come out with me? At a time like this, you’re still here causing trouble!”

Lian Yu lifted the tent flap to look out, his gaze slowly sweeping over the night camp and soldiers wolfing down food outside their tents. His bloodshot eyes took on a gray tinge. Gripping tightly the cheap jade pendant on his robe, he looked up at the sky.

The dark night held no stars.

“Huaisu, I’ve wronged these Great Zhou soldiers,” he thought with lonely, sorrowful laughter. “But this battle must be fought. If I said that by today, what drives me is no longer the ambition to rule the world, future historians wouldn’t believe it either. If I withdrew and let Seventh Brother ascend today, Great Zhou would sooner or later face several more bloody struggles for power. Each fight would plunge the people into boundless disaster. I am Great Zhou’s sovereign. Even if fate made an error and forcibly pushed something that seemingly didn’t belong to me onto me, since I bear the burden of being this nation’s ruler, this country is my responsibility.

“Meeting at sixteen, you taught me the importance of responsibility. Seeing you again, forced to come to the capital to take the imperial examinations for office – that wasn’t originally your purpose. You could have completely withdrawn from those cases, but you fought again and again. Because being in that position, some things gradually became our aspirations too.

“Mother and the others are royalty – today they must attend and face this. You’re different, so I left you behind. Not being by my side is safest. As long as there’s breath in me, I will definitely strive to see you again.”