Imperial Guards in gleaming armor stood in formation from the main gate… extending straight to both sides of the red carpet leading up to the high steps of the great hall, welcoming Bai Qingyan’s imperial carriage.
Wherever the carriage passed, warriors knelt on one knee in welcome, their armor making uniform sounds, creating an extremely imposing presence.
Below the high steps of the great hall, Chancellor Lu and other court ministers stood in formation on both sides of the red carpet. Hearing the ceremonial music begin, they straightened their court robes and caps, following Chancellor Lu forward a few steps, facing toward Wude Gate, preparing to respectfully welcome the Great Zhou Empress.
Within Wude Gate, the drumbeats and horn sounds shook hearts and lungs. Standing behind the great drums and officials were all Bai Family Army soldiers holding high the black sail, white python flags. The warriors’ expressions were solemn and stern, their murderous aura intimidating—they were truly formidable troops and brave lions.
Envoys from various nations stood alongside Great Zhou court ministers on both sides of the red carpet, standing in the brilliant golden morning light, watching as Bai Qingyan’s carriage slowly entered through Wude Gate, watching as Bai Qingyan in black coronation robes stepped down from the carriage with commanding presence.
“Long live Your Majesty! Long live Great Zhou!”
“Long live Your Majesty! Long live Great Zhou!”
“Long live Your Majesty! Long live Great Zhou!”
Facing the wind and golden light, under the proudly fluttering black sail white python flags, the Bai Family Army warriors knelt in unison, thrice shouting long life. The warriors’ shouts amid the drumbeats and horn calls became even more resonant, imposing and magnificent, shaking heaven and earth, echoing throughout the capital, inevitably stirring hearts and minds.
Chancellor Lu led the hundred officials in kowtowing to Bai Qingyan: “Congratulations to Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! Long live Great Zhou!”
Among the foreign envoys… those of noble status like Great Yan’s Ninth Prince, Flame King Li Zhijie, and the Rongdi Ghost-Faced Prince only followed their own nations’ protocols, either striking their chests with fists and nodding, or performing deep bows to the ground.
Bai Qingyan stepped down from the carriage with Bai Qingjue’s support, her gaze falling on Bai Qingyu in full Rongdi attire wearing a mask and bowing respectfully. Her gaze then shifted imperceptibly to the masked Great Yan Ninth Prince, finally settling on Xiao Rongyan standing behind the Ninth Prince.
Their eyes met. Xiao Rongyan’s profound, smiling eyes looked at Bai Qingyan as he gave her a slight nod.
The shrewd Li Zhijie looked toward the multi-eaved great hall atop the white jade steps, its glazed tiles gleaming golden, magnificent, and imposing, wondering… how Prince Baishui’s preparations inside the hall were going.
Inside the great hall.
Hearing the horns and drums outside the hall, Bai Jinxiu, in military dress with sword at her side, had a grave expression. She sheathed the cold, threatening azure sword in her hand, wiping the blood from her face with an unperturbed expression, full of murderous intent.
The Imperial Guards and Bai Family Army had completely slaughtered all the assassins Prince Baishui had arranged in the great hall.
At this moment, the Bai Family Army and Imperial Guard warriors were dragging the assassins’ corpses out of the hall and cleaning the blood traces inside.
Prince Baishui, dressed in coronation robes, had been tied up securely, his mouth stuffed with cloth, trembling uncontrollably with a blade at his throat.
He had never imagined such an outcome. He had prepared everything properly, never expecting… that he would be betrayed by the Imperial Guards!
However, he hadn’t completely lost yet. The armies of the five feudal princes must have already reached outside the capital. He still had a chance!
Despite thinking this, Prince Baishui was still afraid…
How could so many highly skilled Western Liang assassins and the jianghu assassins he had paid for be so easily slaughtered by the Bai Family Army?
Could it be that these Bai Family Army soldiers were all from the Bai Family Army’s Tiger Eagle Battalion?
Bai Jinxiu turned her head, her cold gaze looking toward Prince Baishui. Seeing Prince Baishui trembling all over, yet still putting on an expression of not admitting defeat and not fearing death as he met her gaze.
The great hall had been completely cleaned, though the heavy smell of blood had not yet dissipated.
Bai Jinxiu turned around and called out loudly: “Open the hall doors!”
The Imperial Guards at the door immediately opened all six doors of Qiankun Hall in unison. The moment Bai Jinxiu led the Tiger Eagle Battalion’s fifty elite warriors out of the great hall, Li Zhijie knew… Prince Baishui had failed.
Bai Jinxiu, in silver armor, leading the Tiger Eagle Battalion warriors, quickly descended the white jade steps from the left side and stood behind Bai Qingyan as guards.
Bai Qingyan gripped the hilt of the imperial sword at her waist, gazing at the white jade steps that seemed to reach straight to the heavens, her footsteps steady and firm.
Eunuchs holding feathered fans and precious banners followed behind Bai Qingyan. Bai Jinxiu, Bai Qingjue, Bai Jinzhao, and Bai Jinhua led the Bai Family Army closely behind. The hundred officials, led by Chancellor Lu, stood in formation on both sides as escorts. The magnificent procession moved toward the imposing great hall with its golden glazed tiles gleaming in the brilliant morning light and musical accompaniment.
She gazed at the dazzling golden palace at the top of the steps, remembering how her grandfather’s expression had been kind and smiling when he gave her the courtesy name “Mingshan.”
Grandfather had said, “When Zhou rose to power, the phoenix sang on Mount Qi”—this was the origin of the pet name grandfather had given her.
Grandfather had said that as long as she didn’t confine herself to the inner chambers in the future, she would surely compete for supremacy in this chaotic world, making her name on the battlefield as a woman, becoming a general like the Bai family predecessors whom future generations would revere, becoming the most brilliant woman in the Duke’s mansion and even in the great Jin nation!
Today, she had chosen Zhou as her dynastic name and stepped onto this path of emperorship. She didn’t know if she had already become the most brilliant woman, but she only hoped to become a granddaughter who wouldn’t disappoint her grandfather.
Grandfather had once said that Bai family daughters must have hearts broad enough to embrace all the people under heaven to realize the aspiration of unifying the realm.
From childhood, she had been taught by her grandfather. Although grandfather had never taught her what the way of emperorship was, through subtle influence… he had taught her to possess the heart of an emperor for the future.
Only those who could care for all the people under heaven could rule the world.
Peaceful seas and clear rivers, tranquility in all four directions.
This… was the generational wish of the Bai family.
Unifying the realm was the aspiration of the Bai family’s ancestors, generation after generation.
Assisting wise rulers, expanding territory, enriching the people, and strengthening the military, making the world unified.
This was what the Bai family had been doing for generations, but now… she would no longer bow in submission.
She would carry the Bai family’s inherited aspirations and ambitions, ascend to that supreme position, and protect the Bai family’s children to accomplish… what the Bai family had been doing for generations but had never successfully achieved.
On this path, no matter how muddy and difficult it might be, she was determined to complete this great unification.
She only prayed that the Bai family’s ancestors, grandfather, father, and uncles would bless her, so that today… more Bai family children and Bai Family Army soldiers could return to witness this moment!
From now on, the Great Zhou’s path to unifying the realm would begin in an entirely new way.
As Bai Qingyan continued ascending the high steps, the guards standing on both sides of the steps knelt one after another, respectfully welcoming the Great Zhou Empress.
Bai Qingyan lowered her eyes as she stepped onto the final step covered with red carpet, slowly turning around to face the hundred officials and all the warriors…
The morning sun had risen high, slowly dispelling the long shadows cast by the palace walls. Golden light enveloped the capital’s azure tiles and vermilion ridges, its layered towers and pavilions, seeming to bring the colors of the entire capital to life, as if reborn, shining brilliantly.
The hundred officials and Bai Family Army warriors looked up at Bai Qingyan standing at the highest point, her figure gilded with golden light. At the eunuch’s announcement, they knelt in unison and thrice shouted long life, their voices shaking the capital.