He suddenly burst into loud laughter again, laughing while clutching his chest and coughing, “Good heavens, using Precious Consort Bao to threaten me? What a brilliant idea you came up with.”
With a crack, he smashed the medicine bowl in his hand out of the imperial palanquin, “That cup of poisoned wine I drank in her place that day already repaid her kindness. After that, whether you kill or torture her, please feel free!”
The medicine bowl struck Eunuch Chang standing below the palanquin on the head. Eunuch Chang’s expression didn’t change, and he didn’t even wipe the blood slowly flowing down his head.
As for the officials, they had already been so startled by this smashing that they fell to their knees again with thuds.
Murong Yao’s gaze slowly swept over the shattered medicine bowl. For the first time, he smiled slightly, “Fine, let’s say you don’t care about your mother. But… before you returned, I moved the Sun family’s grave.”
Murong Yi’s expression changed drastically.
For an instant, his eyes were vicious, as if ready to devour someone.
Then he smiled coldly, “Trying to trick me?”
Murong Yao remained unmoved, “My old father-in-law was a cunning old fox. With the craftiness of a rabbit having three burrows, he even laid false trails for his burial place after death. There are several tomb sites, and the false tombs are all filled with countless traps. Many of my elite died… But everything in this world leaves traces when it passes. If you really want to find it, you can always find it.”
Murong Yi narrowed his eyes at him. Murong Yao dipped his finger in tea water and casually drew several lines on the table.
Murong Yi’s face seemed to suddenly don a mask. The rage from being threatened with his mother vanished completely, and he looked at the table expressionlessly.
But the temperature inside the palanquin seemed to drop to freezing.
Murong Yao seemed completely oblivious, drawing another line on the table surface, “Previously you laid out moves against me. Now it’s my turn to lay them out for you.”
“Your mother consort is one move.”
“Whether your grandfather’s remains can be properly buried or will be disturbed after your death—that’s another move.”
“When I learned the secret guards couldn’t take you away, I ordered them not to return to Great Feng and dispatched the most elite secret guard unit with a death order: Stay in the capital, await opportunities to assassinate Tie Ci. The mission is permanent, lasting until death.” He said, “Another move.”
Murong Yi remained motionless, but his fingers hanging beneath the table slowly clenched into fists, exerting so much force that his knuckles made sounds as if about to crack.
“I also sent another group to Yongping, the capital, Haiyou, Hanli Khan Desert, Western Rong… to kill Di Yiwei, Rong Pu, Dan Ye, Qi Yuansi, Shen Mi… Same conditions—permanent mission, lasting until death.”
Murong Yao slowly drew another line, staring into Murong Yi’s eyes, saying flatly, “I don’t believe Tie Ci can stay in the palace forever, never have oversights, never relax her guard for life. If she truly can do this, such a life would be painful enough for her. I even less believe that ordinary people like Qi Yuansi can receive the same protection as Tie Ci, can survive assassins’ persistent attempts day after day for decades. My requirements aren’t high—as long as one of these people dies, I’ll be satisfied.”
Emperor Qianhuan’s death was already an insurmountable chasm between Murong Yi and Tie Ci. If another of Tie Ci’s close friends died at the hands of Great Feng assassins, then between Murong Yi and Tie Ci, there would be no resolving their conflicts, no bridging the heavenly divide.
The palanquin interior was silent as death. Outside, the officials also vaguely sensed the suffocating atmosphere and trembled as they prostrated on the ground.
One was an emperor of great talent and strategy, the other a ruthless and fearless crown prince. Yet they were incompatible as fire and water. If these two truly clashed, what would happen to Great Feng? What would be their own fate?
Inside the palanquin, Murong Yao coughed softly, gazing at the several moves he had drawn.
He knew that this Great Feng, this imperial throne, and even he himself could no longer control Murong Yi.
Now he had lost all trusted allies, ministers’ hearts had turned away, and public opinion was divided. This throne might not even need him to pass it to Murong Yi—as long as Murong Yi was willing, he could overthrow him and take the seat himself at any time.
Fortunately, this mad person still had weaknesses, still had people he cared about.
To make one final gamble with Murong Yi, to preserve Great Feng’s foundation, he had sent out all the elite he had cultivated for years. Now his surroundings were full of holes like a sieve.
Murong Yi could kill him with one move.
Of course, compared to Great Feng’s foundation, his life and death had never mattered.
He had been forced by Murong Yi into a corner, compelled to choose him, but absolutely couldn’t watch him hand over Great Feng to the Great Qian Female Emperor with both hands.
If he had lost before, now it could only be Murong Yi who would lose.
Because he was about to die.
A person about to die was one without weaknesses. Whether relatives, life, or reputation—none of it mattered anymore.
Such a person was truly the strongest.
Opposite him, Murong Yi remained silent, looking at him with eyes that made one’s heart tremble.
Murong Yao picked up his ginseng tea, slowly drinking it, knowing there was no point waiting for him to yield, and he himself couldn’t afford to wait.
He said directly, “I’ll give you the throne, give you Great Feng, but I want you to swear that my Murong descendants will never leave Great Feng territory for life, never see Tie Ci again, never hand over Great Feng to Great Qian. Until your death, Great Feng must remain independent.”
“As long as you agree, I’ll immediately recall all the assassins and secret guards I sent out, return your mother consort, and tell you where Old Master Sun was reburied.”
After a long silence.
“Fine, I swear.”
“Swear on Tie Ci’s life.”
“No.” Murong Yi immediately refused, “I will never do anything to harm her in my lifetime, not even use her as an oath.”
“Then swear before your subjects that if you violate this oath, your mandate of heaven will not last, you’ll fall into Avici Hell after death, and never see your beloved in life.”
“Fine.” Murong Yi didn’t hesitate.
The palanquin curtains were raised on all sides.
Officials looked up to see the father and son sitting opposite each other in the palanquin.
They saw Murong Yi place one hand on the table and raise the other.
They heard the Crown Prince declare loudly, “Murong Yi hereby swears: In my lifetime, I will not leave the nation’s soil, will not betray my subjects, will not hand over Great Feng to others. I swear to defend our territorial integrity unto death. Should I violate this, may my mandate not endure, may I fall forever into Avici Hell, never to see my beloved in life or death!”
They saw the emperor’s brow move slightly, as if he smiled, one hand slowly rising as if wanting to stroke his son’s head.
To do what he had never done in the past nineteen years.
However, at that moment, Murong Yi slightly turned his head away.
His eyes were cold and indifferent.
Since it was never given then, there was no need to receive it now.
The resentment of this life would not be forgiven until death.
Murong Yao’s hand paused slightly, then lowered. When he extended it again, his left hand held a bright yellow silk scroll, his right hand a purple sandalwood box with a jeweled cover.
Upon seeing those two items, all ministers knelt down.
Murong Yi stared at the imperial edict and jade seal before him.
He had once pursued these two things with single-minded dedication.
Later, all he wanted was a place beside that person.
In the end, he was still driven by fate, circling back to return to the predetermined path.
Everyone held their breath waiting, both surprised yet expectant, for this unusual palanquin succession ceremony.
They hadn’t expected His Majesty to value this Crown Prince so highly that he couldn’t even wait for a proper ceremonial succession in the great hall.
But after waiting a long time, they still didn’t see the Crown Prince accept the edict.
Everyone’s scalps tingled.
Really? He was this unconventional?
Even when the throne was offered to him, he wouldn’t take it?
The few remaining princes prostrated on the ground, hearts filled with both jealousy and helplessness.
The one who wanted it couldn’t get it; the one who didn’t want it was being force-fed.
But they only thought this—they didn’t dare even glance at the jade seal, fearing being discovered and accused of harboring covetous intentions.
That would mean death.
On the palanquin, Murong Yi didn’t even look at the edict, saying directly, “What about recalling the secret guards as promised?”
Murong Yao smiled helplessly, set down the edict, and pulled another silk scroll from his sleeve, “The edict recalling the secret guards, your mother consort’s whereabouts, and the reburial location are all here.”
Murong Yi took the scroll, pulled out the secret edict, glanced at it, then turned and said, “Old Chang.”
Eunuch Chang was surprised and quickly stepped forward.
Murong Yao looked at his back, more bent than usual.
“Handle this personally.” Murong Yi handed him the secret edict.
Eunuch Chang bowed to receive it, then turned to look at Murong Yao.
This old eunuch who had followed Murong Yao his entire life, accompanying him through countless battlefields, his lips trembled as tears welled in his old eyes.
“Your Majesty…”
This trip would take several months; he couldn’t accompany the emperor on his final journey.
Murong Yao closed his eyes slightly.
His iron-hearted son wanted him to understand the taste of being utterly alone and abandoned by all in his final days.
He wanted him to walk alone at the last moment, seeing no one around him.
Murong Yi’s revenge was constant, never ceasing until death.
He said, “Go.”
Then added, “After completing this task, give him his freedom.”
Murong Yi said flatly, “As he wishes.”
Eunuch Chang prostrated in the snow, performing a grand salute, “Your Majesty, this old slave departs.”
As he rose and turned, he raised his sleeve to wipe away tears.
Officials kneeling on the ground watched the desolate back of Eunuch Chang, who had once been deeply trusted and powerful, feeling chilled to the bone.
Murong Yi read another note and handed it to Mu Si below the palanquin.
Mu Si led people away on the order. Soon, a firework shot up in the distance.
This was confirmation. Only then did Murong Yi turn back.
Opposite him, Murong Yao slowly set down his tea cup and picked up the edict and jade seal again.
His movements were very slow, as if those not-heavy objects weighed more than a thousand jun.
Murong Yi stared at his fingers, listening to his increasingly labored breathing, counting his gradually uncountable heartbeats in the suffocating silence.
He slowly extended his hand.
Just as his palm reached below Murong Yao’s palm.
Murong Yao’s hand suddenly convulsed, then abruptly released.
The edict and jade seal fell simultaneously into Murong Yi’s palm.
At the same time, Murong Yao’s body leaned back slightly, his eyes turned skyward, and he exhaled softly.
Then fell into eternal silence.
Wind and snow howled between heaven and earth.
Murong Yi sat motionless, gazing at that eternally peaceful, naturally dignified face opposite him, his eyes showing neither joy nor anger.
Today’s wind and snow seemed like the snow from that night at Chongming Palace.
Bone-chillingly cold, endlessly mournful, rolling in with heavy clouds from the horizon.
As if this sky would never clear again.
…
No one knew how much time passed before a wail of grief awakened the stunned crowd.
“His Majesty has passed away!”
Cries of grief arose as officials removed their cap ribbons and prostrated in the snow, bidding farewell to the first emperor of the Great Feng Dynasty.
On the palanquin, Murong Yi slowly stood with the edict in one hand and jade seal in the other.
Officials kneeling changed direction like a tide, bowing down.
“Long live our Emperor! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand times ten thousand years!”
On the twenty-seventh day of the first month in the first year of Xiansheng, Emperor Murong Yao, founding emperor of Great Feng, died less than two months after establishing the nation, on the imperial palanquin outside Ruzhou, the capital of Great Feng.
Crown Prince Murong Yi ascended the throne before the palanquin.
The era name: Chongjiu.
…