Everyone was dazzled by the bright yellow object in Prince Mu’s hands. As Prince Mu slowly unfolded the item, a large group fell to their knees with a rustling sound.

Prince Mu looked sideways at Wei Wuxie: “Director Wei, surely you recognize what this is?”

Wei Wuxie examined it repeatedly. With his intimate familiarity with imperial edict materials, he confirmed it was undoubtedly a genuine imperial edict and had no choice but to kneel.

Prince Mu handed the object to Grand Secretary Xu Mingda, who was kneeling at the front of the ministers: “Please have Grand Secretary Xu proclaim Father Emperor’s testament.”

Upon hearing this, everyone was even more shocked, staring intently at the object in Prince Mu’s hands.

A testament? How could Prince Mu have a testament?

Why would the late emperor—bah, His Majesty—have written a testament?

Xu Mingda received the “testament” with both hands and stood up. His fingertips trembled slightly as he opened it. Under countless gazes, he hesitated for a moment, then read in a trembling voice: “Prince Mu, Our sixth imperial son Yu, possesses noble character and greatly resembles Our person. He will certainly be able to inherit the great succession. Let him succeed Us and ascend the throne, inheriting the imperial position…”

Xu Mingda stared intently at the jade seal’s great stamp, his heart growing colder the more he looked.

It was real! His Majesty had written a testament long ago, passing the throne to Prince Mu!

The ministers kneeling on the ground were silent as death, their hearts similarly stirred by towering waves.

At this crucial moment, Wei Wuxie suddenly stood up. The initial shock upon seeing the “testament” faded from his expression as he said expressionlessly: “This servant is the brush-wielding eunuch who never leaves His Majesty’s side. How would I not know when His Majesty wrote such a ‘testament’?”

“Is Director Wei questioning the testament’s authenticity?” Prince Mu looked furious. “Then please have Director Wei open his eyes wide and examine it carefully!”

Wei Wuxie unceremoniously moved closer. After reading the testament in Xu Mingda’s hands, he suppressed his inner shock and said sternly, “This testament is fake!”

The ministers’ feelings at this moment were like walking a mountain path, having experienced countless twists and turns, leaving their faces numb instead.

Heaven was about to change. At this time, they had better be quiet, low-key subjects.

“Director Wei, you are the brush-wielding eunuch—surely you’re familiar with Father Emperor’s handwriting? And this jade seal’s great stamp?”

“This servant is naturally familiar with them,” Wei Wuxie replied without hesitation.

“Then, please have Director Wei touch his conscience and say whether the handwriting and jade seal’s great stamp on this testament are fake?” Prince Mu’s tone was aggressive as he looked at Wei Wuxie with a cold smile.

Wei Wuxie surveyed the ministers once, finally returning his gaze to Prince Mu’s face, sneering: “So what if the handwriting and jade seal’s great stamp aren’t fake? Objects are dead, but people are alive. His Majesty is currently in seclusion and will emerge in two days to summon everyone. Won’t the truth be clear then? Or is Your Highness so eager to produce this so-called testament and storm the palace because you intend to force the palace and usurp the throne?”

“Wei Wuxie, how dare you! What are you to dare slander this prince with such baseless accusations? Don’t forget—this prince is Father Emperor’s son after all. What are you?”

“Whatever this servant may be, I am the brush-wielding eunuch personally appointed by His Majesty and concurrently serve as Eastern Depot Director. Now that Your Highness harbors ill intentions and endangers His Majesty’s safety, this servant will fight to the death to stop you!”

As the atmosphere grew tense with swords drawn, Xu Mingda spoke up: “May I ask Your Highness how you came by this ‘testament’?”

Prince Mu looked at Xu Mingda and said indifferently, “Naturally, someone secretly delivered it to this prince on Father Emperor’s orders.”

“Who was that person?”

Prince Mu hesitated.

Wei Wuxie sneered: “At such a time, why can’t Your Highness name that person? Or is it that this person couldn’t bear the light of day and harbored sinister intentions in creating this fake testament?”

Wei Wuxie had barely finished speaking when a calm voice came: “That person was me.”

As the palace gates opened, a person dressed in eunuch attire walked out.

Wei Wuxie’s expression immediately changed.

The newcomer was Liu Chun, the Seal-Holding Eunuch, whose position was even higher than his own.

In the Ceremonial Directorate, the Seal-Holding Eunuch was traditionally the first person, called the Inner Chancellor. However, because Wei Wuxie enjoyed Emperor Mingkang’s deep trust and concurrently served as Eastern Depot Director, his influence had long overshadowed Liu Chun for many years, making him an existence no one dared provoke. Seal-Holding Eunuch Liu Chun had kept a low profile for many years to protect himself.

Liu Chun wasn’t as tall as Wei Wuxie and was advanced in years. At this moment, he looked like a dried-up old man with a clean, beardless face, but when he fully released his aura, he was not at a disadvantage.

He fixed his somewhat cloudy eyes on Wei Wuxie with deep intensity, though his heart wasn’t as calm as his surface appearance.

He, the dignified Inner Chancellor, had always been firmly suppressed by Wei Wuxie, practically becoming a laughingstock among all previous Seal-Holding Eunuchs.

Years of forbearance and waiting had finally brought him to this day. As long as he helped Prince Mu ascend to power, he would make sure Wei Wuxie died without a burial place!

The two great eunuchs faced each other silently while the ministers felt as if Mount Tai was pressing down on them, none daring to make a sound.

If the person who gave Prince Mu the testament was Seal-Holding Eunuch Liu Chun, then this testament was most likely genuine.

Just as the ministers were thinking this, Liu Chun spoke: “His Majesty felt his strength failing at the transition between spring and summer, and also perceived that brush-wielding eunuch and Eastern Depot Director Wei Wuxie was eliminating dissidents and monopolizing government affairs. Therefore, he secretly wrote this testament and entrusted it to this servant, instructing this servant that if His Majesty showed any abnormalities, to find a way to deliver this testament to Prince Mu, to prevent Wei Wuxie from bringing disaster to the realm…”

Hearing Liu Chun’s words, Prince Mu lowered his eyes to hide the joy within them.

With Liu Chun’s words, the ministers should have no more doubts about this testament’s authenticity.

“Liu Chun, stop spouting nonsense!” Wei Wuxie said sternly.

Liu Chun showed no weakness, sneering coldly: “On what basis does Director Wei accuse this servant of spouting nonsense? Though you are someone close to His Majesty, don’t forget that this servant is as well—when you were still a young eunuch, this servant was already serving at His Majesty’s side!”

Since faces had already been torn, it was either your death or my survival.

“But don’t you find your words absurd? If His Majesty had grown tired of me in the spring-summer transition, would he have kept me until now? Who in this world could make His Majesty compromise his will?” Wei Wuxie retorted sternly.

Liu Chun clasped his hands and bowed toward heaven: “This servant wouldn’t dare speculate about the Sacred Will. In any case, the testament was indeed entrusted to this servant by His Majesty. Yesterday, seeing that His Majesty had reached the day to emerge from seclusion yet didn’t appear, while Director Wei’s behavior was quite suspicious, this servant followed His Majesty’s earlier instructions and secretly sent it out to Prince Mu.”

Prince Mu spoke at the right moment: “Exactly so. Otherwise, why would this prince be so urgent to seek audience with the Father Emperor? Upon seeing this testament, this prince was heartbroken, because it represents that Father Emperor most likely had an incident.”

Prince Mu raised his sleeve to wipe tears: “Whom Father Emperor passes the throne to is not for others to question, but if Father Emperor had an incident yet treacherous people deliberately conceal the news, and we remain unmoved, then we would be guilty of ten thousand deaths!”

Upon hearing this, the ministers couldn’t help but nod.

Seeing the ministers’ expressions soften, Prince Mu struck while the iron was hot, raising his arms and calling out: “Esteemed ministers, now this prince has the testament in hand, with the Seal-Holding Eunuch as witness. What are you all waiting for? Could Father Emperor’s safety be less important than your gains and losses? This prince says once more: if Father Emperor is safe and sound, then this prince is willing to bear all consequences alone!”

Seeing that the ministers had been swayed by Prince Mu, and that Liu Chun’s interference had clearly affected the situation, Wei Wuxie secretly thought this was bad.