Volume One: The Emperor's Decree Chapter Thirty-Three: A Court Full of Ministers

The severed head rolled several times across the hall before coming to a stop at the Empress Dowager's feet. In the front row, a sharp-eyed official immediately recognized whose head it was.

"Ah! His Majesty!" Several people fainted on the spot, while the Empress's expression remained unchanged, as if she had known all along.

Prime Minister Xue stood in the foremost position, hands at his sides, taking in the demeanor and actions of those around him. After decades of navigating the ups and downs of court life, he could read their hearts as clearly as day.

He saw the officials beside him, some gripped by terror, others seething with rage. Some whispered in hushed voices, others blanched and changed color. The so-called pillars of the Iron Dynasty now revealed their true, disgraceful selves.

It was obvious—the old emperor was well and truly gone. The Crown Prince, though his head was bowed, smiled faintly at the corners of his mouth and said, "Mother, please restrain your grief."

"The emperor has passed; it is proper to observe seven days of fasting and for all officials to don mourning garb," the Empress replied calmly. "But the country cannot go a single day without a sovereign. Prime Minister Xue, what should be done now?"

The old prime minister staggered back three steps, flung away his cane, and fell to his knees with a crash, tears streaming down his face. "Alas! Woe is me! For over three hundred years, our dynasty has enjoyed fair winds and timely rain, the people living in peace—never has such a calamity occurred! I, your old servant, have served through three reigns and failed to protect the emperor—death is too good for me!"

With that, he lunged forward, trying to dash his head upon the stone floor. The officials on either side were alarmed and quickly pulled him up. "Prime Minister, it need not come to this!"

Five monks stood at the doorway, watching the spectacle unfold in silence. They could not help but sigh inwardly—the Iron Dynasty, though resplendent on the surface, was rotten to its core. It was high time for a change.

"Prime Minister Xue, you are the dynasty’s senior statesman and pillar of the realm. Please, take care of your health. If you will not speak, then allow me to do so—I shall proclaim the successor!" The Empress's expression hardened, her majestic authority as the principal wife on full display.

The Xiao family, to which the Empress belonged, was a powerful faction in the current court. Openly and in secret, many had used her status to rise in rank. Of those standing in the Hall of Heavenly Light, fully a fifth owed their place to the Xiao family.

As the Empress stepped to the dais, the Xiao officials unconsciously straightened their backs. Their good days were about to begin.

A eunuch approached, holding the Imperial Seal in both hands. "Crown Prince Liao Heng, step forward!"

The Crown Prince hastened to his feet and strode quickly to stand before the Empress, clasping his hands and bowing.

"It is right that the Crown Prince obey Heaven’s will and become the successor!"

"Wait! I have something to say!" A deep voice resounded from outside the hall. The man entering wore a purple python-embroidered robe and gold boots. He was broad-shouldered and barrel-chested, his square face set off by two thick, sword-like eyebrows and skin as dark as polished ebony. At his waist hung a sword of black iron.

It was none other than the old emperor’s younger brother, Prince Qin, wielder of great military power.

"I heard my brother was murdered last night. Was it not these wicked monks who did it?" Prince Qin glared at the five monks standing by the door as he drew his sword, sending them scrambling backward in fright.

The Empress frowned—why had he come at this moment? In recent days, she had schemed tirelessly to maneuver the palace guards, all to give the Fourth Prince a chance to make his move.

With any luck, she could assign him blame and swiftly remove him from the stage.

Prince Qin had never liked such power struggles. Even when the old emperor was still Crown Prince, Qin had refused to vie for the throne, choosing instead to guard the borderlands.

But now, it seemed, Prince Qin was the shrewdest of them all. Years of campaigning had allowed him to gather military power step by step, hollowing out the Iron Dynasty’s elite troops.

The officials hurried to restrain the furious Prince Qin, while his bodyguards fanned out, surrounding the Hall of Heavenly Light inside and out.

"Empress Xiao, I find it rather improper to let Crown Prince Liao Heng succeed, don’t you think?"

"Whom does Prince Qin consider suitable, then?"

"What about the Fourth Prince? Young, capable, and astute. I’d say he’s far better than this useless weakling who’s never accomplished anything!" Prince Qin spoke without the slightest courtesy, even in front of his own mother.

"Liao Shu? If the Fourth wants the throne, why doesn’t he come himself? Such a turtle hiding in its shell could never shoulder such a heavy burden!"

Another voice came from the front of the hall, accompanied by the thunderous drumming of hooves. Endless ranks of iron cavalry surged into the square outside the Hall of Heavenly Light, blocking the Blue Plume Guard, the Crown Prince’s men. The Red Tassel Iron Cavalry leveled their spears at the Blue Plume Guard, disarming them all.

The Fourth Prince, armored and sword in hand, entered the hall, followed by Master Zhineng and a host of monks. Zhineng pressed his palms together. "Amitabha. Benefactor Liao, we shall wait here; family matters are not for monks to involve themselves in."

Yet, despite his words, the monks in their robes all gripped their staff and lined up outside the hall. Master Zhineng and more than a dozen senior monks sat cross-legged on the ground, chanting the Buddha’s name.

"Brother, Mother, it’s been so long—I have missed you dearly. Truly, missed you to the bone," Liao Shu said with a smile that never reached his eyes, coming to stand beside Prince Qin. Behind him, armored guards brought forth a box.

Prince Qin opened the lid and found the Night-Galloping Horse statue inside. He was overjoyed and turned to the Empress. "The throne should go to Liao Shu. It’s best for all of us."

"And if I refuse?" The Empress stepped forward, staring down Prince Qin, unwilling to yield an inch.

"Empress, Prince Qin, allow me to say a word," Prime Minister Xue, seeing the moment was ripe, interjected, stepping forward. "The Iron Dynasty cannot withstand further turmoil—please, let us all calm down."

"Trust the old prime minister to know how to handle things. Otherwise, I might have already slapped someone," a shrill voice piped up from behind the Crown Prince.

Prime Minister Xue looked over in surprise. "Eunuch Nie, you returned quickly—didn’t linger to enjoy the scenery on the way?"

The men sent to intercept Nie Xiang one after another were all dispatched by Prime Minister Xue. With his cultivation at the first rank of the Solar Realm, Nie was the greatest threat in this struggle. Wang Xiuping was still injured, and none in the capital could match him.

So many experts had failed to stop him en route. Prime Minister Xue slipped his left hand into his sleeve, trembling slightly.

The Crown Prince, as if grasping at a lifeline, quickly withdrew a few steps. "Eunuch Nie, thank goodness you’re back—what should we do now?"

"Isn’t it simple? Either we fight, or..." Nie Xiang paused. "Let the Edict of Kings decide!"

The Edict of Kings! The whole court erupted in commotion. After all the debate, everyone had forgotten that the dynasty’s fate rested on those few tokens.

The next emperor must be one favored by the Mandate of Heaven, blessed with the dynasty’s fortune, guaranteeing peace and prosperity in the land.

Prince Qin nodded and drew a token from his pocket.

The Crown Prince had one; the Empress held another; the Fourth Prince had one as well.

Prime Minister Xue brought Gongsun Qi forward. "Sir, if you please, activate the Edicts of Kings."

Gongsun Qi, faced with such a grand display, trembled as he recited the incantation, pressing his fingers together and pointing at the tokens.

The four Edicts of Kings each released a golden dragon soul, which circled in the sky and then descended—two over the Fourth Prince, two over the Crown Prince.

Two to two! No one had expected their destinies to be so evenly matched; each was accompanied by two golden dragons.

Nie Xiang frowned and rolled up his sleeves, preparing to act. On both sides, armored guards drew their swords, and the monks clutched their prayer beads.

"Wait! There’s a fifth token!" An old beggar in tattered hemp robes drifted down from the rafters. From his body, another golden dragon soul emerged. Yet it did not linger above either candidate, but after circling twice, shot straight out of the Hall of Heavenly Light.