After all, what monarch would willingly place themselves in danger when they could safely watch from the sidelines?

Feng Miaojun had exploited exactly this psychology, successfully countering him.

Fu Lingchuan closed his eyes, his face showing complete resignation:

“Fine, I surrender.”

He was still alive, but severely wounded and unable to escape; he still controlled the army talisman, but was trapped at White Horse Lake, far from his private forces; he was still the State Preceptor, commanding the Kingdom’s elemental energy, yet unable to defeat the cultivators before him.

He had lost. From now on, everyone would know that New Xia belonged to Queen Changle, and had nothing to do with Fu Lingchuan anymore.

As he spoke these words, a small blue light silently gathered in his clenched fist.

He had lost, but Changle could hardly claim victory. He still had one final, desperate move:

Mutual destruction.

Decades of painstaking planning, only to become another’s stepping stone. If he couldn’t have her, perhaps he could take her along with him.

He didn’t fear death; he only regretted not seeing the future glory of New Xia, built through countless hardships.

Feng Miaojun shook her head: “I will not kill you.”

Fu Lingchuan, having resigned himself to death, was slightly taken aback: “What?”

“You committed treason by plotting against your sovereign—a grave offense; yet New Xia was built by your hand—a great achievement,” Feng Miaojun spoke slowly, her voice reaching the ears of everyone present. “Your merits don’t entirely offset your crimes, but your offense doesn’t warrant death.”

As the sovereign, she rewarded merit and punished crimes. Both rewards and punishments must be clearly defined.

His crime didn’t warrant death? She wouldn’t kill him? Fu Lingchuan lowered his eyes, his voice bitter: “What do you want?”

“Surrender the Imperial Artifact,” she said calmly. “Relinquish your position as State Preceptor and your command of the military, and I will allow you to remain in the royal court.”

At these words, not only Fu Lingchuan but everyone behind her stirred in agitation. Hu Yanbei and Zhao Hongyin couldn’t help but speak up: “Your Majesty! This must not be allowed!”

Feng Miaojun raised her hand slightly, silencing everyone.

Fu Lingchuan stood motionless for a long while before finally looking at her with disbelief: “What does this mean?”

“How could I not utilize my cousin’s great talents?” She smiled and said, “You cannot let go of New Xia even in your thoughts, so why not continue to serve it? Internal troubles and external threats remain unresolved, and I am still Queen—these two facts remain unchanged. How is this different from before?”

Of course, there was a difference. If he wanted to live, he would have to relinquish power and would no longer be State Preceptor Fu.

Fu Lingchuan gave a cold, hollow laugh: “And if I refuse?”

“Rest assured, even if you refuse, I will still spare your life. However, New Xia will exile you, declare you a traitor, and everyone will despise you!” Feng Miaojun said softly. “If my cousin has a change of heart, there is still a chance for eternal glory. Otherwise…”

She emphasized each word: “Your beloved New Xia will hate you to the bone!”

Fu Lingchuan’s body trembled.

Having devoted his entire life to restoring the nation, his lifelong dream was to support this great cause. How could he endure the shame and pain of being driven from his homeland and despised by his countrymen?

She persuaded gently: “The road ahead is fraught with obstacles. Since you cannot part with New Xia, why not stay and contribute to its greatness?”

She was certain of one thing: Fu Lingchuan’s obsession with New Xia was deeper than anyone else’s, and his love for it was more intense than anyone else’s—far exceeding even his feelings for her.

Becoming the object of hatred and contempt in the eyes of his greatest love would be a devastating blow to him.

Fu Lingchuan gazed at her unblinkingly, his eyes complex, but the fierce light from before had disappeared.

The small ball of blue light in his palm slowly dissipated.

Dozens of paces away in a large tree, someone had been concealing themselves among the dense branches, bow drawn and arrow nocked, the cold gleaming arrowhead aimed at Fu Lingchuan.

Only after confirming that he had withdrawn his elemental energy did this person lower the bow and arrow, sitting back down and placing a leaf between their lips.

In front of the study, Feng Miaojun extended her hand toward Fu Lingchuan, palm facing upward.

This small hand was perfectly proportioned, with slender fingertips, as if carved from white jade. Fu Lingchuan stared at it in a daze for a long time, finally letting out a long, deep sigh:

“So be it.”

With these words, his spirit waned, and he suddenly seemed to age ten years. “Whom do you want to take the Imperial Artifact?”

What he was asking was: who would succeed him as State Preceptor?

This question stirred everyone’s hearts, and all present listened intently, especially clan leaders like Zhao Hongyin and Hu Yanbei. With Fu Lingchuan stepping down, they had a chance. Even if they couldn’t compete due to their current positions, they still had candidates to recommend.

The State Preceptor wielded supreme power.

But Feng Miaojun smiled: “Me.”

Everyone was moved. Zhao Hongyin couldn’t help saying: “Your Majesty! Taking on both roles might be too taxing…” Both the sovereign and State Preceptor were overwhelmingly busy positions—placing both responsibilities on a single person would be crushing!

In today’s world, only the King of Yan possessed such capability. As State Preceptor, Fu Lingchuan had previously controlled both military and civil affairs, resulting in extreme exhaustion.

If Feng Miaojun were to follow suit, she would likely suffer greatly.

Wang Yuan immediately interjected: “Urgent matters require immediate action; we can discuss this further later.” At such a critical moment, the most important thing was to take power from Fu Lingchuan’s hands; everything else could be addressed later. This blockhead Zhao Hongyin still didn’t get it at such a crucial time!

Fu Lingchuan nodded: “Entrusting it to you is indeed best.” Publicly, she was the sovereign, most free from selfish motives; privately, as the last traces of the An Xia royal bloodline in the mortal realm, he naturally felt more at ease giving it to her than to anyone else.

Fu Lingchuan extended his hand, and blue light gathered in his palm, forming a small cauldron. His voice carried indescribable desolation and bleakness: “I, Fu Lingchuan, have failed heaven’s grace and cannot bear the prosperity of the Imperial Artifact. Today I return it to my Queen, praying that one of virtue may possess it, helping New Xia… achieve flourishing fortune!”

This was the most special way of transferring the Imperial Artifact:

When the State Preceptor voluntarily steps down, he must surrender the Imperial Artifact.

Originally, this object belonged to the state, merely operated and controlled by the State Preceptor. Now it naturally returned to its rightful owner, for the sovereign to entrust to a worthy person. If someone had challenged Fu Lingchuan while he was in office, they would have had to undergo a series of trials before being qualified to compete with him. But now that he was voluntarily stepping down, if Feng Miaojun wished to take the position herself, she only needed to follow the first procedure.

With her cultivation, Fu Lingchuan believed it would be merely a formality.

The second item he surrendered was the Dragon Gold Talisman. This symbol of military authority allowed the sovereign to control the armies within New Xia’s borders.

Compared to the Imperial Artifact, Fu Lingchuan’s expression was much heavier when handing over the Gold Talisman. From now on, military and political power would be far from his reach.

Holding it in her hand, a great weight finally lifted from Feng Miaojun’s heart. Tens of thousands of troops were stationed in the capital and surrounding areas, answering only to Fu Lingchuan’s commands. This had always been the basis of his autocratic rule and one reason why Feng Miaojun had not dared to act rashly before.

Now, after only a covert struggle, without riots, without large-scale bloody conflicts and casualties, the military authority had been successfully transferred—this was the most ideal outcome possible.