The second day after the spring rain was beautiful weather.

The new emperor’s coronation – from the third watch, civil and military officials had been waiting at the altar gates.

The auspicious time arrived, the enthronement ceremony began, and the grand consecration ritual commenced.

The heavenly sacrifice used the ritual of worshipping the Taiyi God, with a three-tiered altar surrounded by altars to the five emperors in azure, red, white, black, and yellow. White deer, pigs, and white yaks were slaughtered as offerings. Mao grass with three ridges from the Jianghuai region served as divine mats, sealed with multicolored earth. Rare beasts and precious birds were placed throughout the mountain to show auspiciousness.

Great drums, Taihe music, and long flutes played. The young man standing on the high altar wore bright yellow robes with true dragons on his sleeves that seemed ready to soar. Yet his face was calm, holding the imperial jade seal, his gaze sharp and profound.

Directly below him, court minister Xiao Shao wore official robes of red ground embroidered with white pythons, holding the late emperor’s testament, proclaiming the coronation edict word by word. Though the young man was usually taciturn and cold, at this moment his voice was clear and steady. Each sentence struck the hearts of all present like iron, providing silent support that made listeners’ hearts tremble.

Palace musicians played as a high-ranking eunuch helped the Great Jin Dynasty’s new master slowly ascend the dragon-carved, phoenix-decorated throne. The moment he mounted the imperial seat, all music ceased abruptly. All officials paid homage, bowing down and crying out in unison: “Long live Your Majesty! Long live! Long live!”

The young emperor sat upright in his high position, his gaze sweeping lightly over the ministers’ heads. It was a look that surveyed all living beings – even without raising their heads, the courtiers could feel an indescribable pressure. The young man proclaimed loudly: “Rise, all ministers!”

When the courtiers looked up, the young emperor’s refined features had completely shed the last trace of harmless nobility from his daily demeanor – or rather, shed the last trace of pretense, appearing extremely sharp. Like a lazy young beast finally showing its gleaming white fangs, a wave of his claws revealed chilling killing intent.

This was the pressure that only those in supreme positions could bring, the composure that came from witnessing grand occasions. At this moment, it manifested in a teenage boy. Among the courtiers, many ministers who still harbored doubts couldn’t help thinking the same thought: this youth was a born king – cunning, decisive, cruel, benevolent, and naturally cold.

This was the natural aura of a king.

The Great Jin Dynasty welcomed its new master. The youth sat upright on the imperial throne, his voice still carrying youthful clarity, yet his tone was already solemn, full of unshakeable confidence. He declared: “By imperial decree, grant amnesty to all under heaven!”

“Those who follow me shall prosper, those who oppose me shall perish!”

“I am the Son of Heaven, I am the realm!”

Three sentences, each resounding like bells, as if they were prophetic maxims passed down from primordial times, floating ethereally between heaven and earth. The Great Jin Dynasty had no other master. This youth was the current Son of Heaven of the Great Jin Dynasty – the former useless prince, Xuan Pei!

The golden dragons on his robe seemed ready to soar to heaven. The youth’s lips curved in a smile – clear yet vague, making all who saw it feel a chill, unable to guess the emperor’s thoughts. The Grand Tutor standing on the right showed complex emotions on his face. This chess move had finally been played correctly. This youth indeed possessed the aura of a true dragon as he had thought, though he hid it deeper than imagined. But he still didn’t regret it. In one’s lifetime, there are perhaps only one or two chances to live for oneself. Supporting Xuan Pei’s ascension to the throne – this was what he wanted to do.

At the moment the coronation ceremony concluded, a guard captain suddenly rushed in, saying: “Your Majesty, trouble! The Eighth Prince has rebelled with a group of ministers. Half the Imperial Guards have turned coat and are now surrounding the capital from outside.”

The young emperor on his high seat smiled slightly, seemingly unsurprised. Xuan Li hadn’t attended today’s coronation – this was something everyone tacitly understood. As a loser, Xuan Li couldn’t watch the throne fall into another’s hands without resentment, much less witness the coronation ceremony’s completion with his own eyes. But choosing this moment to act – was it impulse or complete preparation? It was quite reckless.

“Warriors and officials of the Great Jin Dynasty, now there are treacherous rebels. In the previous dynasty, there was the Eight Princes’ Rebellion, which Prince Hongxi single-handedly quelled, not hesitating to die wrapped in horse leather. Now facing this situation again, coinciding with the coronation ceremony, I am the current Son of Heaven and shall fight alongside you. Take up your weapons! For the Great Jin Dynasty’s stability and prosperity, drive out the bandits and secure our Great Jin! My empire permits no one with ulterior motives to touch it. Whoever covets my empire, I shall trample their bodies. Mighty Great Jin, heaven’s authority belongs to us alone!”

He showed no panic or confusion from the sudden news, even using this situation to raise the morale of civil and military officials. Using the previous dynasty’s Prince Hongxi as comparison, each word expressed the young emperor’s confidence and determination. Yet with such arrogant words, no one felt he was boasting. Instead, they felt his words carried weight, as if what he said could be accomplished. Thus, in moments, a military general shouted: “Swear to defend Great Jin’s territory to the death! Swear to follow Your Majesty to the death!”

With the first person speaking, more and more were affected by this passionate emotion, their blood boiling uncontrollably. They knelt down requesting battle, their shouts growing louder and louder, reaching the sky. Finally, only the deep voices of hundreds of men could be heard echoing through the altar: “Swear to follow Your Majesty to the death!”

Xuan Pei smiled with satisfaction, slowly standing. The golden dragons on his robe glared furiously as he declared firmly: “Battle!”

Battle!

…

Xuan Pei’s speed in winning hearts was much faster than anyone expected. This youth not only gained the people’s support but also quickly established prestige among civil and military officials. Shortly after the coronation, someone revealed a secret: previously in the Great Jin Dynasty, there had been shops that yearly provided relief to poor people – the greatest charitable benefactors. Who knew that now it was discovered those shops’ true master was Xuan Pei? The people naturally felt grateful for this. Having a benevolent Son of Heaven was better than anything. Moreover, this emperor had the late emperor’s succession decree, so they naturally supported him without hesitation. Xuan Li leading troops in rebellion was inherently treasonous. These days, wars around the capital had caused people to suffer. Xuan Pei sent people with supplies to comfort injured civilians, again winning much popular support.

As for the court, many old ministers already supported Xuan Pei, so his days weren’t too difficult. Moreover, he had his own unique methods for winning people over. For ministers still unconvinced in their hearts, he used both kindness and authority, achieving remarkable results. Furthermore, the longer they dealt with this newly ascended Son of Heaven, almost all ministers felt the same thing: Xuan Pei didn’t seem like a newly crowned teenage emperor at all. Everything he did, including his methods for handling state affairs, resembled a seasoned political veteran. Even the most thorny situations could be cleverly resolved when placed before him. This feeling was as if he wasn’t ruling for the first time, but had been emperor for many years. He was so skillful that he didn’t even need guidance from surrounding ministers. With this recognition, ministers would be more wary of the emperor, making the ruler-minister relationship more stable.

What these ministers didn’t know was that Xuan Pei had died once before. In his previous life, though he was a useless prince, he had spent many years with Xuan Li, observing Xuan Li’s methods. After being reborn, he had been planning for today from long ago, naturally making everything go smoothly. He didn’t realize that his behavior, in those ministers’ eyes, became proof of the “heaven-sent true dragon Son of Heaven” theory.

If there was anything particular, it was that Xuan Li’s people were even more difficult to deal with than imagined. Though they’d known he had secretly bought many people, seeing them all surface now was still shocking. Among them were many veterans of two dynasties, pillar ministers. Even half the Imperial Guard commanders now had forces under Xuan Li. This enabled such a long stalemate with Xuan Pei. Moreover, their scattered forces were converging – not just the capital, but many places were seeing rebel troops. Among them were many Southern Frontier people. Southern Frontier agents lurking everywhere had also mobilized, with most Southern Frontier forces quietly transferred here. Overall, Xuan Li had invested heavily this time.

Xuan Pei sat in the imperial study, countless memorials piled mountain-high to one side. In this already chaotic time, he still had the mind to review memorials one by one. Jiang Ruan had once told him: respond to change with constancy, let nature take its course. As a dynasty’s ruler, if he panicked, the entire court’s morale would collapse. He was naturally calm, and he believed this situation – Xuan Li would definitely fail to break through. He trusted Xiao Shao to resolve everything well. A monarch’s job was employing people, not personally doing everything. Now he employed people well. Though Xuan Li appeared to have the upper hand, he was actually at a disadvantage.

If Xuan Pei was most worried about anything, it was naturally Jiang Ruan. There had been no news of Jiang Ruan until now. This was exactly what Xuan Pei feared. He eventually learned of Jiang Ruan’s original plan. As Jiang Ruan had told Qi Feng, Xuan Li would definitely find ways to use Jiang Ruan to negotiate with Xiao Shao. Now that Xuan Li had raised the rebellion banner, his next step would naturally be using Jiang Ruan to exchange benefits with Xiao Shao. What Xuan Li wanted was nothing more than control of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. But several days had passed – why had Xuan Li made no move? At this critical time, it wasn’t about who could endure longer. Every moment was precious life. Xuan Li would definitely be eager to negotiate with Xiao Shao. With no movement despite this, there was almost only one possibility: Jiang Ruan wasn’t in his hands at all.

Why wouldn’t Jiang Ruan be in his hands? First, perhaps Jiang Ruan had escaped herself, so Xuan Li couldn’t find her. This matched what Jiang Ruan had said – she said she would find opportunities to escape. Second, perhaps Jiang Ruan was now in some danger. This was what Xuan Pei least wanted to guess. He told himself Jiang Ruan was clever and cunning – only she could scheme against others. Most likely, she had schemed against others and escaped safely. But thoughts inevitably turned to the worst possibilities. Xuan Pei also worried: what if it wasn’t as he thought? If Jiang Ruan had truly escaped, why hadn’t she found ways to contact them? Where was she now?

Thinking this, Xuan Pei felt irritated. He thought of something and suddenly beckoned Ming Yue standing nearby: “What has Xiao Shao been doing lately?”

Ming Yue answered: “The young master is pursuing Yuan Chuan.”

“Yuan Chuan?” Xuan Pei frowned. Thinking of Yuan Chuan as that masked man who liked following Dan Zhen, he asked: “Why is he pursuing Yuan Chuan? Is there news of the Princess?”

“No.” Ming Yue patiently answered: “Recently, Embroidered Uniform Guard reports say Xuan Li’s people are also hunting Yuan Chuan. Yuan Chuan is fleeing. The young master feels something is suspicious and perhaps can learn of developments from Yuan Chuan, so he’s been pursuing him.” Ming Yue was Xiao Shao’s person, but Xuan Pei had grown accustomed to using him. Regarding Jiang Ruan’s matters, Xiao Shao had instructed not to hide anything from Xuan Pei, so Ming Yue didn’t conceal anything, telling everything he knew.

“Xuan Li is also hunting Yuan Chuan?” Xuan Pei sat up straight, his expression becoming grave: “Why?”

…

Night was ink-black. On steep, treacherous mountain paths, two riders galloped through the mountains. The front horse and rider were obviously somewhat panicked, desperately whipping forward with all their might. The rear rider was much more relaxed, his mount glossy-coated with nimble, powerful hooves – clearly a precious steed.

The rear rider wore black clothes, almost blending with the night. Suddenly he leaped up, toes touching his horse’s back before flying toward the front. The person ahead sensed danger and tried to immediately turn his horse in another direction. But the rear person, flying diagonally through the air, suddenly shot a stone from his hand that struck the front horse’s leg. The leg went soft, and the horse immediately knelt to the ground, throwing its rider off. The black-clothed man flashed forward in an instant. Before the person could react, a dagger was already at his throat.

“Third Brother, wait for me!” Another slightly noisy voice came from behind, followed by chaotic hoofbeats as many people rushed over. Drawing near, they proved to be guards carrying torches. The two leaders weren’t dressed as guards – looking carefully, they were Mo Cong and Qi Feng.

Mo Cong carried a torch forward. Seeing the person on the ground, he couldn’t help exclaiming: “Third Brother, are you sure this is that Southern Frontier envoy? When I saw him before, though he wore a mask, he didn’t look like this, right? Who is this? He looks like a ghost.”

The man on the ground wore tattered gray clothes, his hair disheveled. Most terrifying wasn’t his slovenly appearance but his disfigured face. His face seemed burned by something, like half-torn wall plaster – skin mottled and patchy, some pieces hanging to reveal raw flesh beneath. Most horrible was a scar near his eye that seemed to have burned and split his entire eye socket. Looking at his whole body, all bore similar burn marks. Seemingly untreated, his entire body was oozing pus, giving off a foul stench up close.

“Where is she? Why is Xuan Li hunting you?” Xiao Shao ignored Mo Cong’s words, the dagger at Yuan Chuan’s throat not loosening at all. Initially, Embroidered Uniform Guard scouts discovered Xuan Li’s people hunting someone who looked very much like the former Southern Frontier envoy. After telling Xiao Shao, he immediately came to capture the person himself. Indeed, it was correct – Yuan Chuan was severely injured, naturally partly from Xuan Li’s people. If not for his severe injuries, given Yuan Chuan’s cunning nature, he might not have been so easily caught by Xiao Shao. But despite this, many questions remained. The Southern Frontier and Xuan Li had always been allies – why would Xuan Li suddenly kill his own people? If the alliance broke, why wasn’t Xuan Li hunting Qi Man? Moreover, no one had seen Dan Zhen for a long time.

Yuan Chuan must know where Jiang Ruan was, because Southern Frontier people had originally abducted Jiang Ruan. Xuan Li didn’t dare appear personally – Southern Frontier people had always been guarding Jiang Ruan. Now Yuan Chuan was being hunted. Could this be related to Jiang Ruan?

Hearing this, Yuan Chuan sneered: “Prince Xiao, you want to know why Xuan Li is hunting me? Do you really want to know?”

“Stop the nonsense,” Mo Cong interrupted before Yuan Chuan finished: “Hand over my third sister-in-law’s whereabouts, and I’ll guarantee you a quick death. If you don’t speak up, hmph.”

“I never intended to live anyway.” Yuan Chuan looked up at Xiao Shao, who stared at him coldly. By firelight, Xiao Shao’s features were extraordinarily handsome yet extremely cold. Yuan Chuan couldn’t help remembering Dan Zhen’s infatuation with this person, but this man’s heart held only that vicious woman Jiang Ruan. Resentment suddenly arose in his heart, and he smiled almost provocatively: “If Prince Xiao must know, I can only tell the truth. Prince Xiao knows Xuan Li always wanted to use the Princess Consort to make a deal with you, but I ruined this business. Do you know why?” He grinned, muscle movement making his scars appear even more ghastly: “Because I killed her. That woman is dead. Xuan Li lost a bargaining chip he could use with you, so he’s hunting me.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt the dagger at his throat suddenly advance an inch. A cool liquid seeped from his throat. He closed his eyes but felt the dagger didn’t advance further. Xiao Shao’s cold voice sounded in his ear: “You’re lying.”

Qi Feng and Mo Cong both breathed sighs of relief. Just now they’d feared Xiao Shao might stab Yuan Chuan to death in anger. If anything could make Xiao Shao emotionally unstable, it was only Jiang Ruan. Anyone hearing such curses about their wife wouldn’t feel good, especially someone as protective as Xiao Shao. Mo Cong angrily said: “What nonsense are you spouting? Do you think my third brother would believe your ghost stories? What ability do you have to kill my third sister-in-law? My third sister-in-law’s little finger is probably more than you can handle. Bragging shamelessly – simply ridiculous!”

Yuan Chuan suddenly burst into wild laughter, blood filling his mouth. Looking at Xiao Shao, he gritted his teeth and said word by word: “So what? I not only killed her, I also killed the bastard in her belly!”