These past few days, the court had been far from peaceful.

The commander of the Imperial Guards had been replaced by the newly appointed Prince Regent with someone from his maternal Lin family.

The current Grand Mentor remonstrated bitterly with the Emperor to dismiss the Prince Regent and was sent by the Emperor back to his hometown to retire. This vacancy was filled by someone the Prince Regent arranged.

Even a first-rank Grand Mentor had been dismissed. Combined with an official dying by striking his head against a pillar in the great hall without changing the Emperor’s decision, no one in court dared remonstrate anymore.

Someone from the Ministry of Rites took the lead in proposing that during the Mid-Autumn full moon, a heaven worship ceremony be held.

Generally, altars for heaven worship were only opened during disaster years or bad times. The Ministry of Rites’ current reasoning was that with the Emperor’s health poor, they would worship heaven to pray for the Emperor’s recovery.

The court was vaguely divided into three factions.

The first was the faction newly promoted by the Prince Regent—this faction still had shallow roots in court.

The second was the vast majority of officials who didn’t know the inside story—the so-called neutral faction.

The third was the Eastern Palace Party led by Yun Chu, who privately rallied the neutral faction to jointly petition for the heaven worship.

Those officials who didn’t know the inside story also discovered that the Emperor’s health was getting worse and worse. During court sessions, officials standing close could see the Emperor’s eye sockets deeply sunken, his cheeks emaciated beyond recognition, and the hands extending from his sleeves like sticks.

A heaven worship truly needed to be held.

Thus, under the Eastern Palace Party’s maneuvering and with the approval of the vast majority, the Mid-Autumn night heaven worship was decided.

The Emperor didn’t appoint any consort to manage the Phoenix Seal. This matter was left to the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department to jointly handle.

In the blink of an eye, the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived.

Before the sky darkened, the moon appeared—a round moon hanging at the horizon, symbolizing reunion.

Red lanterns were lit throughout the palace. The largest Hall of Supreme Harmony was full of people with civil and military officials arranged in ranks, Imperial Guards standing in formation, and the Emperor at the very top.

The night wind blew, the dragon robe outlining the Emperor’s emaciated form on his body. Consort Yin couldn’t help feeling distressed. How could she feel—the Emperor had just turned sixty, yet he seemed like an eighty-year-old man…

Grand music resounded in the great hall, announcing to heaven that the ceremony was about to begin.

A blazing fire was lit in the great altar.

Two palace attendants supported the Emperor as he walked forward step by step. The Emperor threw paper talismans inscribed with scriptures into the great altar to burn.

Lord Xiang and Lord Nie standing below exchanged glances.

Lord Nie threw something from his sleeve, dropping it on the ground.

Those standing behind him saw it and passed signals outward one by one.

Soon, an Imperial Guard came to report: “Reporting to the Prince Regent, unidentified persons have appeared at the palace gates. Please instruct!”

Chu Rui’s eyes narrowed: “You take some men to investigate. Do not affect the heaven worship ceremony!”

“Yes!”

The Imperial Guard took a detachment and left.

Chu Rui’s gaze shifted left and landed on Yun Chu.

He was very clear that this heaven worship ceremony was pushed through by Yun Chu’s efforts alone. She must be using the ceremony to do something.

Too bad…

A smile appeared on his face.

His smile was like a poisonous snake crawling up from Yun Chu’s ankle, making her hair stand on end.

She immediately looked away, shaking off this terrible feeling.

She turned to look at Yun Ze not far away.

As a member of the Yun family, Yun Ze stood in the first row, very close to the Emperor.

When a piece of talisman paper fell to the ground, he bent down to pick it up and also walked toward the great altar with his head lowered.

When he was only half an arm’s length from the Emperor, just as he was about to act.

“Eight-hundred-li urgent report—report!”

A voice, from far to near, interrupted the ongoing ceremony.

Generally speaking, eight-hundred-li urgent reports were related to battles at the front lines—matters of utmost importance that must be reported immediately.

The ceremonial music for heaven worship stopped.

A small soldier in armor rushed to the very front, falling to his knees with a thud: “Report—! His Highness the Crown Prince has died!”

These words were like a bomb thrown into the crowd.

“What did you say?”

“The Crown Prince died—what does that mean?”

“Quick! Speak clearly!”

That small soldier prostrated himself completely, trembling as he spoke: “Not long ago, the one hundred fifty thousand troops arrived at Dongling Kingdom’s coastal area when suddenly an enemy force ambushed them. His Highness the Crown Prince personally led ten thousand cavalry in pursuit, but fell into an enemy trap—pierced by ten thousand arrows…”

“What…”

Yun Chu’s body swayed.

Chu Yi was dead?

Impossible!

How could a mere Dongling Kingdom take his life!

If it were the Dongling Kingdom ten years later, with powerful military forces, Chu Yi might not be a match!

But the current Dongling was hollow inside, completely vulnerable—how could Chu Yi possibly die there…

“Why did the Crown Prince personally lead troops to pursue the enemy?” Yun Ze rushed forward in one stride, grabbing the small soldier by the collar. “Speak clearly!”

The small soldier cried in collapse: “That day, all the generals leading troops had diarrhea, lying on their beds unable to even get up. Only His Highness the Crown Prince could personally go… After His Highness the Crown Prince died, General Weiwu took thirty thousand elite soldiers to retrieve His Highness’s body, but was still a step too late. That group threw His Highness the Crown Prince’s body into the ocean!”

“Pfft!!”

The Emperor spat out a mouthful of blood and nearly fainted.

“Imperial Uncle!” Chu Rui caught the Emperor, his face full of worry. “Please take good care of your dragon body, Imperial Uncle. If something happens to Imperial Uncle, who will avenge His Highness the Crown Prince? Moreover, now that the Crown Prince has died, the heir to the nation is gone. For the sake of Great Jin’s eternal generations, Imperial Uncle must also pull yourself together and select the next sovereign!”

As soon as he said this, the people present, who had just been grieving over the Crown Prince’s death, immediately began contemplating who the next Crown Prince would be.

Currently in court, only the Seventh Prince, Ninth Prince, and Tenth Prince remained. Which would it be…

Yun Chu looked below. Those officials of the Eastern Palace Party—their tears hadn’t even dried yet, but their gazes were already wavering.

The three lords—the Junior Mentor, Junior Tutor, and Junior Guardian—lowered their heads, conversing with each other about something.

She looked from afar toward Fan Ming hidden among the Imperial Guards, seeing Fan Ming shake his head, meaning the plan was cancelled.

So this was Chu Rui’s scheme.

With the Crown Prince’s death, she, the Crown Princess, was nothing.

The Eastern Palace Party automatically dissolved.

Yun Chu took a deep breath, forcibly supporting her form.

Even without evidence, she could be certain it was Chu Rui who had attacked people in the military camp, causing Chu Yi to…

“Deploy… deploy one hundred thousand more troops!” The Emperor gasped roughly, opening his mouth with difficulty. “Immediately campaign eastward, level the Dongling Kingdom, and avenge the Crown Prince!”

“Level the Dongling Kingdom!”

“Level the Dongling Kingdom!!”

“Level the Dongling Kingdom!!!”

In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, civil and military officials shouted in unison, their voices shaking heaven and earth.

“Pfft!!”

The Emperor spat blood again and fainted in Chu Rui’s arms.

“The heaven worship ceremony will be held another day!” Chu Rui ordered people to carry the Emperor. “The matter of deploying one hundred thousand more troops will be discussed at tomorrow’s court session! Everyone withdraw!”

Civil and military officials discussed among themselves and gradually dispersed.

Yun Ze rushed over in one stride, supporting the swaying Yun Chu: “Chu’er, are you alright?”

“Elder Brother, Chu Rui absolutely won’t arrange for one hundred thousand troops to reinforce them!” Yun Chu calmed her emotions before speaking. “Write to Father—I only trust Father!”