After Emperor Xue Ye passing, Prince Xue Xing became the most powerful person in the Heaven Dou Empire.
During this time, he was constantly giving orders. He was truly addicted to being in charge.
Although Prince Xue Xing had appeared to be in the spotlight all these years, he had always been overshadowed by his elder brother, Xue Ye, and felt aggrieved. With Xue Ye finally dead, he had the chance to shine and reveal his hidden ambitions!
He contacted the ministers and took control of the army. He now controlled everything in Heaven Dou Imperial City and had become the Prince Regent, including the ten thousand elite Imperial Guards and the one hundred thousand Royal Knights.
Not only that, but Xue Xing also personally oversaw the reconstruction of the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace. He worked day and night to show off his abilities, using a lot of manpower and resources. It only took him a week to complete the reconstruction of the palace, and it was even more lavish than before.
Prince Xue Xing was ambitious, but he also knew his limits. He understood that he could not become Emperor. At most, he could only be the Prince Regent. Everything he did was to pave the way for Xue Beng.
Fang Xuan, meanwhile, was happy and carefree. He took Qian Renxue to hide in the secret chamber of the Main Palace and did not interfere with Prince Xue Xing.
Rejecting a free worker would have been a waste.
After Prince Xue Xing painstakingly repaired the palace and prepared everything for Xue Xing to ascend the throne, Fang Xuan decided it was time to appear.
…
The Heaven Dou Imperial Palace was filled with magnificent halls and exquisite pavilions. Even the ordinary streets were paved with jade. The construction was ten times more luxurious than before!
Prince Xue Xing had built this for the new Emperor's ascension!
The sky was clear on this day, and the sun shone brightly. It was a rare day of good weather, perfect for the ascension.
Prince Xue Xing's face was flushed with excitement, and he stood proudly in the hall's center. Countless nobles and ministers knelt before him. These people were all military officials of the Heaven Dou Empire. None of them held the rank of Marquis or higher, and there were even several Grand Dukes, second only to the Emperor.
But now, they all knelt, not daring to raise their heads, waiting for the arrival of the new Emperor.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my brother, Emperor Xue Ye, was wise and powerful. His achievements are immortalized in history. The Empire will never forget his contributions. However, a family cannot be without a leader, and a country cannot be without a ruler. The late Emperor has been gone for many days, and we must choose a new Emperor with integrity and talent!"
With a confident smile, Prince Xue Xing stood proudly among the officials, his hands behind his back, and declared, "The fourth prince of Heaven Dou, Xue Beng, is extremely talented, intelligent, and brave. He has cultivated for many years and kept a low profile. When the Spirit Hall spies wreaked havoc in the Imperial Palace, he stepped forward and defeated them, saving the Empire. Therefore, I recommend Xue Beng as the new Emperor of Heaven Dou!"
Hearing this, the hall fell silent.
Many people had witnessed the events in the Heaven Dou Palace during the attack. They knew that Fang Xuan had defeated the enemies from Spirit Hall and saved the Empire. At the time, no one knew where Xue Beng had been.
But now, with Fang Xuan missing and Prince Xue Xing in control of the Imperial Palace, he had placed Fang Xuan's achievements on Xue Beng. It was a blatant lie.
Although many knew the truth, no one dared to refute it before the powerful Prince Xue Xing.
"Prince Xue Beng is the son of the late Emperor. He has the noblest bloodline of the Imperial Family. Now that the late Emperor has passed, the position of Emperor is rightfully his!" declared an old Duke with brown hair, showing his support for Xue Beng's ascension.
"That's right, Prince Xue Beng is the last prince left by the late Emperor. No one else has the qualifications to succeed to the throne!"
"We all support Prince Xue Beng as the new Emperor!"
Soon, under the Duke's leadership, many nobles and officials began to express their support for Xue Beng's ascension to the throne.
At the scene, only a small portion of people remained silent.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Seeing this, Prince Xue Xing smiled with satisfaction, nodding seriously. He warmly acknowledged those who supported Xue Beng, then looked coldly at those who remained silent. He secretly noted who was on his side and against him, planning to deal with his opponents later.
After a moment of thought, Prince Xue Xing returned to his warm smile. He quickly walked to the palace entrance, his expression now respectful and solemn. Bowing slightly, he announced loudly, "Next, let us welcome the new Emperor..."
"Welcome the new Emperor!"
Hundreds of officials knelt to greet him.
At that moment, a cold figure strode into the great hall like a gust of wind. Dressed in black, the man was tall and elegant, with black hair flowing over his shoulders and a strikingly handsome face. His eyes, bright as stars, were as sharp as blades.
He looked like a figure straight out of a painting.
The young man smiled brightly, hands behind his back, as he walked past countless nobles and officials. He made his way to the dragon throne and sat down.
Tapping his fingers rhythmically on the golden armrest, he smiled at the nobles and officials. Finally, his gaze settled on Prince Xue Xing, who stood in shock. A mysterious smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Prince Xue Xing, you've worked hard. Thank you for building such a luxurious palace and hosting this grand ascension ceremony. I truly appreciate it!"
Prince Xue Xing's face twitched violently as he stood frozen, his expression turning ugly. He stared in disbelief.
"Fang Xuan? How could it be you?!"
"Yes, it's me!"
The black-haired young man sitting on the dragon throne was Fang Xuan.
He waved to the stunned crowd and said, "Alright, everyone. Welcome to my ascension ceremony. You may Rise."
There was dead silence.
Everyone exchanged confused glances as if they had seen a ghost. They had no idea what was happening.
"Why did His Highness Fang Xuan suddenly appear at this moment?" someone asked in puzzlement.
"That's not the main point. The main point is, where is His Highness Xue Beng?" another minister asked.
At that moment, Prince Xue Xing's face was ashen. He glared at Fang Xuan sitting on the dragon throne and shouted angrily, "Fang Xuan, who do you think you are? You're nothing but a lowly illegitimate child! Who gave you the right to sit on the Emperor's throne in Heaven Dou? Get down from there! And where is Xue Beng?!"
He had built the palace, bribed the ministers, and presided over the ascension ceremony. After working so hard for so long, he never expected to be outwitted. Before Xue Beng could even appear, Fang Xuan had already taken the throne. His carefully laid plans had completely crumbled!
Realizing this, Prince Xue Xing felt a surge of rage and frustration. He thought this must have been Fang Xuan's plan all along. No wonder Fang Xuan had disappeared recently—he had been waiting to take the throne himself!
"Uncle Xing, I'm here!"
At that moment, Xue Beng hurried into the great hall. His hair was disheveled, and his face looked pitiful. Even his luxurious golden dragon robe was covered in mud as if he'd had an accident on the way.
"What happened, Xue Beng? Why are you only arriving now? And what happened to you?!" Prince Xue Xing's expression was uncertain.
"I was on my way when a strange wind suddenly blew me into a quagmire. That's why I was delayed!" Xue Beng explained with a bitter expression.
"Tsk, this must be that little bastard Fang Xuan's doing!" Prince Xue Xing said angrily.
Whoosh—
There was a sudden sound of something cutting through the air, and the space around them began to distort. A red-robed elder appeared like a ghost beside Fang Xuan. His hair was white, and his eyes were sharp. He held a golden edict in his hands. It was Long Dongqiang, the captain of the ruling team.
"I am Long Dongqiang, the Heaven Dou Imperial Judgement Team Leader. In my hand is the Edict of succession the Emperor left behind before his death!"
"What?! An Edict of succession?!"
"The previous Emperor left behind an edict of succession?!"
"Is this for real?!"
The hall erupted in an uproar. The officials whispered among themselves, casting bewildered looks at Long Dongqiang.
Seeing the Golden Edict, even Prince Xue Xing could not remain calm. He exchanged uneasy glances with Xue Beng, their expressions growing grim.
This edict of succession hadn't appeared earlier or later—it just had to appear now. Their dreams of taking the throne were crumbling, and all their days of scheming had gone to waste.
"Now, I will announce the Emperor's edict of succession!"
Long Dongqiang's expression was cold and stern, exuding an air of authority. He held the edict high and loudly proclaimed to everyone in the great hall, "The throne is … Fang Xuan's!"
Everyone was stunned!
The massive palace fell into complete silence, with even breathing audible.
"Impossible! Impossible! This edict of succession is fake! My Royal Brother would never make such a foolish decision. An illegitimate child has no right to inherit the throne!"
Prince Xue Xing's eyes were bloodshot as he reacted first, roaring hysterically, questioning the authenticity of the edict Long Dongqiang had produced.
"Fake edict, of course, it's fake! There is no other heir to the throne but me! I, Xue Beng, am the prince of the Heaven Dou Empire and the rightful heir. I'm not an outsider!"
Xue Beng's face flushed red as he desperately defended his claim to the throne.
"Is it a fake edict?!"
The hundreds of nobles and officials in the great hall discussed animatedly, their hearts pounding with uncertainty as they struggled to decide which side to support.
"Haha, you may choose not to believe the authenticity of this edict of succession. But there is one thing you cannot deny … and that is true power!"
At this moment, the previously silent Fang Xuan stood up from the dragon throne. His eyes were filled with killing intent as he scanned the nobles and officials below!
"From today onward, I am the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire. Those who resist … will die!"