Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
At that moment, in Tianlong’s royal palace.
Four thick black pillars stood in the four corners of the hall.Each pillar was engraved with the magnificent picture of a dragon soaring into the sky.
The entire hall was dark and more than a hundred ministers stood on both sides of the palace in their black court attires and official hats.
In the main hall, however, the golden throne, which had a dragon’s carving on it, was empty.
The path leading from the hall to the dragon throne was paved with a long red carpet. On both sides of the dragon throne stood two sorcerers in black satin robes and an old priest in white robes.
The hundred or so ministers beneath the dragon throne all slightly leaned forward, not daring to raise their heads.
Everyone’ remained silent and the entire palace hall was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Just then, a eunuch reported from outside the hall, “The Imperial Preceptor, Xia Guoyong, has arrived!”
The hundreds of ministers, who had been tensed up just moments earlier, suddenly relaxed, and they started whispering amongst themselves.
“The Imperial Preceptor is here. It looks like it has already been decided who will take the throne.”
“Look at the sorcerer and the old priest. Could they have been chosen for the throne?”
“Don’t spout nonsense. Be careful. Don’t let them hear you. You might be executed for that!”
“W-what? That’s impossible. The sorcerer and priest are guardians of Tianlong. It wouldn’t be strange even if they become the Emperor!”
“You’re being silly! The former Emperor had countless children, but have you seen any of them who dare to fight for the throne?”
“That’s true. However, if they don’t fight for it, won’t the throne be passed down to His Highness, the Crown Prince based on our traditions?”
“His Highness the Crown Prince? Do you think the current Crown Prince is still the same Crown Prince who had the support of more than half of the nation when the Emperor was still in power?”
“What do you mean?”
“Right now, the two of them hold most of the powers in the Imperial Court. Because of the Heavenly God, the citizens and even the officials of the city dare not disobey their orders. The remaining half of the powers are in the hands of the Imperial Preceptor. Now that the Imperial Preceptor is here, it means that the two factions will have to compete for the throne. The Imperial Preceptor swore to be filial to the Emperor before he died. Although the Imperial Preceptor was the one who suggested the death of the daughter of the Emperor, leaving the Emperor with no choice but to order the execution, the Imperial Preceptor did all of this for the sake of stabilizing the Emperor’s position and ensuring the safety of Tianlong!”
The minister continued, “Furthermore, after the death of the Emperor, the Imperial Preceptor was heartbroken. Without the Emperor’s protection, he even lost a daughter and spent an entire month doing the sacrificial rituals in his residence! This just goes to show how loyal and devoted the Imperial Preceptor is! As long as he’s around, I believe that Tianlong will not be completely ruled by the sorcerer.”
“That’s right. As long as the Imperial Preceptor is around, His Highness the Crown Prince should be able to ascend the throne more smoothly.”
“What nonsense are you talking about! His Highness the Crown Prince is ascending to the throne?! You must be dreaming! Do you know how the Third Prince, Mu Chen, died not long ago? Wasn’t it just because he spoke up for the Crown Prince? Not long after, he mysteriously died in the palace. But the rumor going around was that the Third Prince was too naughty, and had accidentally drowned while playing in the pond! This was the result of opposing the sorcerer and priest!”
He continued, “No matter how strong the Imperial Preceptor is, he still doesn’t have the protection of the Heavenly God in this Imperial Court. Do you really think he’ll be able to help the Crown Prince succeed the throne?I believe that he might be next to die if he were to mention this! If the sorcerer and priest Tianxiang hear you, your death is imminent too! You’d better shut up!”
That drew fear in the ministers’ hearts, and they carefully looked at the sorcerer and priest, not daring to say another word.
Just as they thought, the sorcerer had a smug look on his face and his eyes were filled with ruthlessness as he watched the Imperial Preceptor walk over.
Meanwhile, the priest, Tianxiang, was standing at the side with a sword in his hand. He looked at the Imperial Preceptor, Xia Guoyong, with a solemn expression.
As the Imperial Preceptor walked past the ministers, he had a vague expression on his face.
The ministers subconsciously swallowed their saliva as they gazed at the Imperial Preceptor worriedly. They could only hope that he would be able to protect himself.
Then, the Imperial Preceptor suddenly kneeled down in the middle of the court and made a gesture with his hands. “The Imperial Preceptor, Xia Guoyong pays his respects to the sorcerer and priest Tianxiang.”
Not far away, the sorcerer spoke first, “Imperial Preceptor, please rise. Today, the officials of the Imperial Court are here to select the emperor. The previous Emperor passed away because he overworked himself. Tianlong has lost its pillar of support. Since we don’t have an imperial edict with regards to the inheritance of the throne, who do you think should ascend the throne? ”
The priest, Tianxiang, who was by the side, came over. “Tianlong Temple has sacrificed a lot for the country. No matter who inherits the throne, Tianlong Temple will wholeheartedly submit to the new Emperor.”
The sorcerer continued, “Yes, not only will he be protected by Tianlong Temple, but he will also be protected by me and the Heavenly God. Is there anyone you would like to recommend?”
The ministers glanced at each other, yet no one dared to say a word.
They knew what kind of protection the sorcerer was talking about: The one chosen to be the Emperor would be trampled under the feet of the sorcerer and the priest for the rest of his life, just like the former Emperor.
If that person were to do anything wrong, both the sorcerer and priest would use their ways to “protect” him so that they would eventually get their way. This was no different from a puppet emperor.
Fortunately, the former Emperor still had the Imperial Preceptor and a group of Tianlong’s strongest soldiers to assist him.That was why the two sides had been evenly matched.
But that would no longer be the case as long as the sorcerer or priest became the new emperor. It was obvious whom Tianlong would belong to.
No one in the Imperial Court dared to say a single word, nor did anyone dare to say anything about the Crown Prince succeeding the throne.
Even the Imperial Preceptor clasped his hands and stood up in the middle of the royal court. He lowered his head, his expression unclear.
The sorcerer couldn’t help but smirk when he realized that no one dared to say anything. “None of the hundred or so ministers and officials here in the court have any intention of recommending a new Emperor?”
Suddenly, at this moment, a new official who didn’t know any better rushed toward the center of the court, shouting, “I have something to say!”
There was a strange look in the sorcerer’s eyes, but he smiled as he replied, “Oh? Please tell us about it.”
The priest, Tianxiang, who was standing by the side, maintained his sword-wielding posture as he looked over.
All of the ministers and officials present felt goosebumps all over their bodies at this moment. They looked at this official with a stupefied expression. He had just taken office not long ago, yet he dared to speak up in the royal court!
They couldn’t help but feel worried for him..