New Emperor

Xin Yi awoke to find the Heavenly Dao beside his pillow. He reached out in the darkness to touch it, momentarily unsure of his origin or destination. He had thought it would take him many more years to reach this point, but he had accomplished it abruptly, now not knowing where to go next.

There were footsteps outside the tent.

Xin Yi didn't feel like moving. He lay there with his eyes open, aimless, thinking of nothing.

The tent flap suddenly opened a corner, and Xin Yi rolled over to sit up. Ji Baiyue had just entered; he stopped by the flap, silent.

Xin Yi also said nothing. After a long wait, Ji Baiyue finally spoke: "The capital." He hesitated, the rest of his words caught in his throat, "The capital's orders have arrived."

"What do they say?" Xin Yi was calm.

"They want the Beiyang Army to take Jianan Mountain, and as soon as the provincial garrisons from other prefectures arrive to take up their positions, we are to withdraw to Beiyang, isolating Shangjin."

Xin Yi got out of bed and put on his outer robe. He said, "Provincial garrisons from other prefectures to station themselves? The closest place to here is Beiyang, yet they still want other garrisons to travel across prefectures to come." He gave a silent sneer, "Jianan Mountain is not an easy place to garrison. Tell the capital that it will take the Beiyang Army more than a month to take it. If the other garrisons aren't afraid of a Zadalan Tribe counterattack, then let them come."

As Ji Baiyue was about to withdraw, Xin Yi asked again, "How is Jiangtang?"

"The Prince of Tang has not reacted." Ji Baiyue mused, "However, the Prince of Pingding is fully aware of Yan Jueshu's detailed movements."

"The capital wants Jianan Mountain." Xin Yi turned back and smiled at Ji Baiyue, "But they'll have to see if they can withstand the Prince of Tang first."

When the year turned, the Emperor suddenly fell ill again.

This time, the illness was fierce, no less severe than when the Prince of Qin fell ill last time. He had been ill for barely half a month before the imperial court began to stir restlessly. The first major event was that the Crown Prince gained control of the Capital Guards Bureau, with Xiao Jin and all others under his command.

This meant that within and outside the capital, all decision-making power fell into the Crown Prince's hands.

The transfer orders urging Xin Yi to return to the capital grew increasingly urgent, even showing signs of coercion. But Xin Yi remained unhurried, using the unsettled situation in Jianan as an excuse to delay, not returning for a long time. The Prince of Pingding, meanwhile, had been staying in Qingping for a long time, also not returning to the capital.

Three months later.

The Emperor died suddenly.

He truly died suddenly, without any warning. The day before, the Imperial Academy of Medicine had asserted that although the Emperor was lingering on his sickbed, he would recover; yet on the second day, he died suddenly in the palace.

Kang Fu only discovered it when he woke up in the morning to call for someone.

The Crown Prince was furious at this and immediately arrested all the palace attendants. Unexpectedly, during Zuo Kai's interrogation, Kang Fu firmly insisted that the Crown Prince had tampered with things, leading to the Emperor's sudden death that very day. Zuo Kai immediately submitted a memorial, harshly criticizing the Crown Prince for his unfilial conduct. These words caused a sensation, and the originally ambiguous factions immediately turned, attacking the Crown Prince and demanding that he relinquish command of the Capital Guards Bureau.

The Crown Prince intended to kill to quell the situation.

However, Jiangtang spoke up first.

The Prince of Tang, who had always been silent, weak, and submissive, and easily manipulated in the capital, now raised his banner, using the pretext of avenging the late Emperor's grievances, to punish the Crown Prince's wicked deeds. The Crown Prince immediately issued a statement condemning the Prince of Tang for his malicious intentions, and the two sides fiercely attacked each other, vowing to fight to the death.

Immediately after, the Prince of Tang moved out. Yan Jueshu provided ample food and military supplies, effectively transforming the Jiangtang Army into a well-equipped force, intending to blockade the capital along the Chang River.

The Prince of Tang sent a handwritten letter to Xin Yi and Bai Jiu separately, strongly asserting the Crown Prince's lack of virtue, seeking their participation in the fight.

The letter he sent to Xin Yi was especially well-written. First, it reminisced about his youthful brotherhood with the Prince of Yan, then recounted the Prince of Yan's martial prowess, and finally vehemently denounced the Crown Prince as heartless and unjust, for killing his father and siblings. It also subtly mentioned the issue of the Beiyang Army's deployment orders, implying that if Great Lan's rule changed, Beiyang would still be his Beiyang.

The words were intense, full of emotion and vividness.

Xin Yi did not reply.

At that time, the various prefectures had different intentions. Whether intentional or not, Qingping did not intercept Jiangtang's ships. Yan Jueshu made a preemptive move, besieging Qingping, trapping the Prince of Pingding and Xie Jingsheng within Qingping, unable to escape. Furthermore, because the Beiyang Army was still far away in Jianan assisting the Qiyan Tribe in attacking the Habugeqin Clan's territory, the Jiangtang Army advanced like a broken bamboo and truly reached the three prefectures of the capital.

The Capital Guards Bureau numbered only a few tens of thousands. The Crown Prince strictly guarded the city gates, refusing to sally forth. The Prince of Tang blockaded the capital, not retreating an inch. Food supplies were cut off by the Jiangtang Army, and illicit trade was also halted by Yan Jueshu. The capital immediately transformed from a pinnacle of power with ample maneuvering room to an increasingly awkward and isolated city.

The capital, it seemed, was not doing well.

The Prince of Tang paced in the camp. Yan Jueshu, feeling the cold wind, was contentedly ensconced in his tent counting money. The Prince of Tang gazed into the distance at Luyi Mountain, not entering his tent for a long time.

His confidant, Zhong Ziming, was an ethereal hermit with an ancient demeanor. Seeing him pace ceaselessly, he knew his lord was troubled.

"Your Highness has reached the outskirts of the capital. The great righteousness of the realm is within your grasp, so why are you uneasy?"

The Prince of Tang stopped, plucked a new bud that had just emerged, and said, "Do you think the Prince of Pingding truly cannot leave Qingping?"

Zhong Ziming guessed he was worried about instability in the rear. "Even if the Prince of Pingding is capable, he is hampered by a lack of troops and horses. Even if Qingping cannot trap him, it will leave him without recourse."

"Xuhang is crucial to this Prince. Qingping and Xuhang are separated by only one river." The Prince of Tang lowered his gaze and said calmly, "Does Lord think Yan Jueshu can contend with the Prince of Pingding?"

"If we speak of state affairs, naturally the Prince of Pingding is much more decisive and formidable. But if we talk about commerce, who can compare to Master Yan?" Zhong Ziming stepped forward, soothingly saying, "If Your Highness fears the Prince of Pingding, you can deal with him once the capital is taken and the matter is settled." He smiled slightly, "At Your Highness's discretion."

The Prince of Tang's brows remained furrowed. He added, "Xin Yi is in Beiyang, his intentions are unclear now, and I fear he cannot be left alone."

"The Beiyang Army is far away, it cannot put out this fire." Zhong Ziming said lightly, "As long as Your Highness takes the capital."

The Prince of Tang attacked the capital, and it fell within three days. The Capital Guards Bureau could not sustain the fight for long. Xiao Jin retreated first, yielding the city gates. The Jiangtang Army surged into the city. The Crown Prince tried to escape from the rear, but was unexpectedly caught and brutally cut down amidst the chaos.

However, before they could enter the royal palace, their rear was completely cut off by Xin Yi, who should have been far away in Jianan. Yan Jueshu's supplies were inexplicably halted, and the Prince of Tang, without even time to turn his head, was cut down from his horse by the Beiyang Army.

As the saying goes, "the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind." With this one killing and one beheading, the main line of the Great Lan imperial family was severed. Counting down, of the vast imperial clan, only Xin Yi truly remained.

When the Beiyang Army retreated to Luyi Mountain, Xiao Jin led the welcoming party. During the handover with Xin Yi, Xiao Jin actually draped a yellow robe over him and knelt, shouting "Long live!"

As for his past conflicts with the court, no one even mentioned them.

He Anchang then offered his respects, and Xin Yi's ascension to the throne became a matter of course. After all, everyone else was cleanly dead, leaving no one for them to choose.

Most importantly, the Prince of Pingding pacified Xuhang, held Yan Jueshu in his grasp, and secured the region's grain granaries. He favored the Prince of Yan, and Bai Jiu's faction naturally had no objections. Zuo Kai was also the Prince of Yan's teacher, implying a bond of affection. Zhang Taiyan of the Left Faction no longer held power, and the Left Faction, with Hou Ke at the helm, also showed willingness to assist.

Xin Yi ascended to the throne in one swift move.

At this time, the weather grew warmer, becoming hot.

There was something quite interesting.

The little cub Xin Yi brought back from Xianglan took his surname, Xin, and was given the name Ming, meaning 'clear-minded'. This little cub wasn't afraid of Bai Jiu or anyone in the manor, but only clung closely to Xin Yi.

Having no son, the two of them treated him as their own.

It was said that within a few years, the little cub grew, his features gradually emerging until he truly started to resemble Xin Yi.

That ethereal hermit, Lord Zhong Ziming, having been instructed to betray the Prince of Tang, was then ordered to investigate the little cub's birth in Dezhou. He found nothing during his initial investigation, but when he went to Shanyin, he coincidentally found a clue.

He wrote down what he discovered on a memorial and submitted it, then retreated.

Xin Yi read the memorial, then read it with Bai Jiu.

"No wonder," Bai Jiu said, placing the memorial down. "He's quite lucky."

"I originally had intentions for Ah Ming. Now that this has come to light, it can be considered well-deserved. It's not like he usurped someone else." Xin Yi hesitated, saying, "Wait a few more years, then he can—" He stopped speaking.

Bai Jiu leaned in, cupping his ear, "Then he can what?"

Xin Yi whispered a few words into his ear.

Bai Jiu raised his hand and lightly traced his chin, smiling, "What a fine New Emperor, already thinking of shirking duties. Where do you want to go?"

Xin Yi also laughed, "Nansui, I suppose." He blushed slightly at Bai Jiu and whispered, "To see Nansui Mountain."

Bai Jiu paused slightly, dropped his book, and turned to him, leaning in close to ask, "What are you going to Nansui Mountain for?" His narrow eyes hid their light, and his fingertips caressed Xin Yi's lips, "Isn't it good to go somewhere else?"

"To see the Nansui Dragon Colts," Xin Yi whispered, "Bai Xuan."

Bai Jiu pressed his lips over Xin Yi's, murmuring, "Called what?"

"Bai..." The word 'Xuan' was caught on his lips, teeth, and tongue, not letting him speak it, yet demanding him to continue. Xin Yi stammered 'Bai' for a long time, yet still managed to say the whole name.

Zhong Ziming waited and waited outside, but neither the Emperor nor the Prince of Pingding summoned him.

He thought to himself, 'This matter isn't that big.'

'Isn't it just the Crown Prince's orphan? Why do they need to discuss it for so long?'