Qin Yining’s face was deathly pale, her stomach churning. She nearly vomited on the spot.

On the journey here, she had been thinking about how to negotiate when they met Li Qitian, and how to deal with Li Qitian’s family members. She never expected that Li Qitian would become so vicious as to kill even his own mother and wife! And using such cruel methods!

“You’ve come?” Li Qitian stood up, fresh blood dripping from the blade and hem of his robes onto the pool of blood below, making dripping sounds.

He walked forward stiffly with rigid steps, his eyes vacant and his voice lacking much vigor, yet the dagger remained tightly gripped in his hand.

“Why? Why must I end up in such a state! I am the Son of Heaven, I am the master of this realm! You traitor, I should never have trusted you from the beginning. Ten years ago, I should have killed you! Killed you!” Li Qitian suddenly raised both arms high and laughed maniacally toward the sky.

Huzi, Tang Xiu, and the others immediately pounced from behind him, cleanly disarming him and pressing him to the ground with his arms pinned. The sensation was truly unpleasant – when Li Qitian struggled, his hands were so bloody that holding him was like grasping a slippery fish. The two men had to exert considerable additional force.

With half his face pressed against the ground, Li Qitian continued to struggle violently, his throat emitting howls like a cornered beast: “Treacherous ministers and rebels! You have wronged me! I merely built myself a mausoleum, and you called me incompetent! I merely guarded against treacherous ministers, forbidding rebels from bringing troops into the capital, and you spread rumors that I feared loyal ministers! You are all blind, all stupid! Do you still acknowledge me as your emperor!”

He screamed himself hoarse, his voice breaking at the end. He had vented all his defiance and resentment on his relatives and concubines, but that blood had not washed away his anger as he had imagined. Instead, it had become guilt that wrapped around him like vines. The more he tried to struggle and forget, the clearer he remembered – how his mother looked in disbelief, how his wife begged for mercy, how the eunuchs who served him closely tried to hide and resist before being caught…

Li Qitian could no longer scream. His eyes bulged as he suddenly twisted his neck to look left, then right, continuously muttering: “Go away, all of you get out! I am the Son of Heaven! I will pacify the world!”

Pang Xiao maintained the posture of keeping Qin Yining behind him for a long time, looking down at the now seemingly mad Li Qitian with silent sighs.

“He’s gone mad.”

“Your Highness, why not give him a quick death?” Yu Ziqiu stepped forward to advise.

Pang Xiao looked at Yu Ziqiu and shook his head: “The man is already like this – killing or not killing makes no difference. We cannot ask what we want to ask, nor can we make him say what we want him to say.”

Qin Yining also nodded. She felt Pang Xiao was right not to personally kill Li Qitian. There was no need to bear the stigma of regicide for this person – it would become a stain that would follow him for life.

Pang Xiao said: “Keep him well guarded and assign people to serve him.”

Those below immediately understood. Huzi personally selected people to supervise Li Qitian. Though they called it serving, they actually assigned layers of guards, absolutely not allowing Li Qitian any chance of escape.

Li Qitian was led away with his arms held.

Pang Xiao took Qin Yining’s hand and turned to leave the Hall of Mental Cultivation, ordering: “Have someone clean this place and bury the deceased with honor.”

“Yes.” Yu Ziqiu immediately nodded in agreement and diligently ran to relay the message.

The group walked far away, until they could no longer smell the thick scent of blood in the air. Only then did Pang Xiao say: “It’s time to invite the Northern Ji prince into the palace.”

Both Qin Yining and Ji Zeyu nodded in agreement.

Song Quan and the other Northern Ji surviving officials all felt very surprised.

In their imagination, after capturing the current emperor, Pang Xiao would certainly take the throne himself. Not to mention the support of those around him – even among the common people, Pang Xiao would likely be the people’s choice. All that earlier talk about supporting the Northern Ji prince in proclamations, restoring Northern Ji’s state and seeking welfare for the people – that was all high-sounding rhetoric, a face-saving measure for the new emperor.

They never expected that Pang Xiao would not be eager to ascend to the throne.

The group left the palace. On the streets, some curious commoners were now poking their heads out, not daring to approach and inquire directly, but hiding at street corners to gather information.

Song Quan looked at Pang Xiao, pondered for a moment, then said in a voice that was not quiet: “Who would have thought that Li Qitian would take his own life in fear of punishment before Your Highness even entered the palace! Truly unpredictable.”

The Northern Ji court officials who had come with him all reacted accordingly.

“Yes. I suppose he knew his vile deeds were exposed and had no face to continue occupying that position.”

“But before taking his own life, he even killed his own mother and wife, along with all the palace concubines. This can no longer be described with just the four words ‘utterly conscienceless’!”

…

These Northern Ji surviving officials chattered away, spreading this half-true, half-false version as they walked. Nearby commoners heard every word clearly.

Qin Yining lowered her eyes and sighed silently.

This group had all been immersed in official circles for many years and knew best how to read their superiors’ intentions.

Speaking this way externally completely removed Pang Xiao’s group from the affair.

The palace was occupied by ministers who could not stand the tyrant’s actions.

The emperor was so frightened that he took his own life.

Even the Empress Dowager, Empress, and concubines were all killed by the emperor’s own hand.

From beginning to end, Pang Xiao had merely returned triumphant from campaign and approached the city gates. Without doing anything, the current emperor had already killed himself.

“Who would have thought that he didn’t spare even the newly entered concubines, killing them all together… One can see what a brutal nature that person had.”

“Yes, yes! Considering his past actions, ending up like this is truly his just deserts!”

…

Among the commoners, quite a few were already discussing the matter. Those quick with news had already run off to spread word in their neighborhoods.

Pang Xiao turned around with his hands behind his back and smiled: “You are quite perceptive.”

Song Quan nervously bowed in salute: “Your Highness, this humble official is merely stating facts.”

As the group spoke before the palace gates, an ornate vermillion-wheeled carriage with flowing tassels approached from the distance.

The carriage was pulled by four robust, tall horses, followed by ten guards and ten strong servants hurrying toward them.

Qin Yining looked up and saw the carriage stop not far away. From it stepped a handsome young man dressed in jade-colored arrow-sleeved brocade robes, wearing a golden crown with a face like jade. Though his frame was slender and he clearly had not yet fully matured, every gesture exuded refined nobility.

Pang Xiao’s eyes flickered, and the hand holding Qin Yining’s seemed to playfully scratch her palm. Then he immediately bowed in salute: “Minister Pang Xiao pays respects to Your Highness the Prince.”

Song Quan and the other Northern Ji court officials almost failed to react, all examining the newcomer and indeed seeing some resemblance to the Northern Ji emperor in his features.

“Unthinkable, truly unthinkable… Heaven has eyes – the previous dynasty’s emperor actually has bloodline remaining in this world!”

The Northern Ji court officials all knelt and saluted in unison: “We pay respects to Your Highness the Prince!”