Liang Ye looked down at the officials kneeling on the ground, a weary smile tugging at his lips. “Rise.”
Behind Bian Cang stood a group of already surrendered, terrified rebellious ministers. The shadow Liang Ye had left in their hearts was too terrifying; just being smiled at by this madman made their spines go cold, as if death were just within reach.
“Given the current situation, even if Your Majesty appears in person, it’s already too late to turn the tide,” Bian Cang said coldly, standing on the jade steps.
“Isn’t Bian Daren keeping this empty seat for Zhen to sit on?” Liang Ye lazily propped up his head, looking at him with a half-smile. “Since all court officials are here today, it’s also a good time to hear Bian Daren’s grievances.”
“Grievances?” Bian Cang seemed to have heard a joke and calmly looked toward Liang Ye on the dragon throne. “Liang Cong summoned my two children to the palace over a baseless superstition about their names being a good omen, and made me watch them burn alive, then forced me to eat their flesh and blood like an animal. My wife was strangled to death by people he sent… I knelt before the palace gates to seek justice, and Liang Cong asked what grievances I had.”
A wave of commotion swept through the hall.
“The ruler demands the minister’s death, and the minister cannot refuse to die. What grievance is there?” Bian Cang said flatly. “In your eyes, it’s all taken for granted. Your Majesty, my overwhelming hatred has already vanished with Liang Cong’s death. Such is the nature of power. No matter how unwilling I am, my wife and children will never return.”
“Then what are you doing now?” Liang Ye seemed not at all anxious, as if merely making casual conversation during morning court. “Learning from Zhen to behead people for amusement?”
At these words, whether they were rebellious or loyal, all officials couldn’t help but lower their heads even further.
Although His Majesty had appeared in time like a savior, they felt that when his mood struck, he could be even more terrifying than Bian Cang.
Bian Cang raised his head to look at him. “Liang Cong said it was all fate. I insist on proving to the world that talk of fate and inauspicious blades are merely excuses invented by the powerful to bully the weak.”
“Then how are you any different from Emperor Huixian!?” someone among the ministers angrily retorted.
“There is no difference. As one in power, I hold everyone’s lives in my hands. If I want you dead, you cannot survive—including you, Liang Ye.” Bian Cang’s face showed no expression. “Liang Cong’s death, the deaths of Liang Hua and Wang Xusui, the Tan family’s military rebellion, Wei Wanlin’s treason, the slaughter of a hundred thousand Northern Army troops, even Eastern Chen’s military intervention—I persuaded Shen Yueli to do it all, inciting war. Everything was my doing.”
“Bian Cang!” Cui Yun stared at him, furious and shocked, demanding harshly. “Why would you do such things!?”
“Watching the mighty Northern Liang gradually decline gives me some satisfaction,” Bian Cang smiled. “Cui Daren, you serve the country and the people, while I commit all manner of evil, all just to have a clear conscience.”
“This is utterly preposterous!” Yan Ze frowned. “People have selfish desires, which is understandable, but you shouldn’t make innocent people pave the way for your revenge! His Majesty is wise—how could he not right the wrongs done to you?”
“What wrongs to right?” Bian Cang laughed self-mockingly. “Liang Cong was superstitious about evil ways, believed in nonsense, and was convinced my wife was an inauspicious person. He believed my children’s names were the medicine to save his life. If he said so, how could it not be true?”
Bian Cang raised his hand, and soldiers hidden in the shadows emerged one after another. Countless swords were pointed at both the court officials and Liang Ye on the dragon throne.
“Bian Cang! This is treason!” someone shouted loudly. “Even if you kill His Majesty, your position would be illegitimate!”
Bian Cang said, “Daren, you misunderstand. I don’t want to be emperor, nor do I need to be. I just want all of you to die.”
The person sitting on the dragon throne let out a contemptuous laugh. “Then you’d better have that ability.”
“Does Your Majesty think you can walk out of this hall?” Bian Cang looked at the overly composed Liang Ye.
“Why should Zhen leave? You’re the one who needs to go.” Liang Ye smiled slightly.
Around the brightly lit assembly hall, high walls rumbled and split apart, revealing grim mechanisms inside. Countless arrows shot forth, piercing straight through the hearts of the rebel soldiers. The sound of clashing swords was piercing and sharp.
Under the thunderous downpour, the towering palace gates throughout the imperial palace moved with a rumble. Giant battering rams shattered the gates into pieces. The emperor’s black-armored imperial guards poured in like a broken dam, clashing with the rebel troops allied with the noble families, staining the palace walls with blood.
West of the capital, the Western Army, which had been awaiting orders, faced off against the ghostlike Northern Army that had suddenly appeared. Lu Shu raised the emperor’s tiger talisman and imperial edict high, shouting, “By His Majesty’s own hand! Western Army units, guard your respective prefectures. Anyone who disobeys will be executed without mercy!”
Behind him were hundreds of thousands of well-equipped Northern Army soldiers who had just returned bloodied from the battlefield, their killing intent still heavy. Low growls gathered from all directions, like tigers growling, intimidating their restless opponents. The weapons in their hands gleamed with cold light in the rain.
Amidst the thundering hoofbeats, the sixteen gates of the capital to the east, south, west, and north changed their flags during the killing and heavy rain. The black military flags embroidered with the Liang character were now entwined with golden dragons, replacing the noble families’ elaborate and expensive banners. In an instant, the major noble families of the capital fell into chaos amidst the sounds of weapons. Civilians, hearing the hoofbeats and swords, closed their doors and windows tightly in anxiety. Some even knelt before Buddha statues and deity images, praying earnestly for peace with no warfare.
Jiao Yan gripped his sword while standing on the city wall, his gaze passing over the chaotic capital to fall upon the huge shadow of the imperial palace.
On the Shizai Mountain, Liang Huan tried his best to stand on tiptoe, attempting to see clearly the faint, uncertain firelight in the capital. Long Xiang picked him up and placed him on his shoulders. Baili Cheng’an, standing nearby, looked toward the capital whose outline was barely visible in the heavy rain, her expression solemn.
In Anhan Prefecture, Xu Xiude, who had been overwhelmingly busy, took the urgent message from the capital and his expression changed dramatically. His already thin stomach instantly shrank even more as he paced anxiously with a worried face. Similarly, well-informed officials in various major prefectures fell into anxious uncertainty.
If His Majesty won, all would be well, but if His Majesty lost, the entire Northern Liang would likely be completely transformed.
This devastated land could not withstand any more turmoil. The tottering, fragmented high walls and roof beams were barely supported by Liang Ye in his capacity as emperor. If Liang Ye died, the entire Northern Liang would legitimately fall apart, inevitably and justifiably heading toward destruction.
The dark, rainy night finally gave way to a faint light, welcoming a gray dawn. In the council hall, Bian Cang and Liang Ye stood and sat opposite each other, their gazes locked in confrontation. Even though blood flowed like rivers inside and outside the hall, like chess players, they did not care about the lives of the fighting pieces.
The court officials were gathered together, waiting for the final revelation of their fate.
The black flags embroidered with golden dragons broke through the rain curtain. Countless armored riders in black surrounded the assembly hall. The heavy hall doors were pushed open from outside, bringing in the biting wind and cold rain.
“Your Majesty, the rebel troops have been completely eliminated!” Chong Heng knelt on one knee, the blood on his face not yet wiped clean, his eyes cold and sharp.
The rebellious ministers in the hall looked terrified, slumping to the ground.
Liang Ye unhurriedly rose from the dragon throne and looked down at Bian Cang. Bian Cang lifted his head without changing his expression. His clear eyes actually revealed a hint of a smile. “Although Your Majesty has been muddling through for many years, you still have some skills.”
Liang Ye gathered his sleeves, a sinister smile slowly appearing on his face. “Bian Daren flatters me. Zhen cannot stumble twice in the same place; there have been enough past lessons.”
Bian Cang began to laugh. “It’s a pity that although Your Majesty has improved, you still cannot fathom people’s hearts. What I truly wanted was never that dragon throne behind you. What does it matter if you kill all the rebel troops!”
As if to confirm his words, numerous explosions came from various parts of the palace. The floor of the assembly hall began to tremble slightly.
“Bian Cang! What exactly are you trying to do!?” Among the rebellious ministers, someone finally reacted, asking him with a pale face.
“Of course, to make you all die!” Bian Cang’s gaze swept across the ministers in the hall. “You sacrifice yourselves for Great Liang, but what has Great Liang given you!? What has the emperor given you!? To say you sacrifice yourselves is to flatter you. For that little bit of power, you climb upward by any means necessary, suspecting and using each other, squeezing the people’s fat and oil, building golden houses and jade beds with the flesh and lives of the common people, enjoying yourselves without limit! And those ignorant commoners don’t know how to resist at all, numbly supporting you parasites! You all deserve to die! Come accompany your Great Liang to the grave!”
“As for you—Liang Ye!” Bian Cang suddenly turned and pointed at the emperor before the dragon throne. “You are the most foolish and hateful person in all of Northern Liang! You were born a pawn left by Liang Hua and Wang Xusui, a puppet controlled by Cui Yuxian. You clearly had the ability to end all this, yet you remained indifferent, allowing Northern Liang to decline to this day, and now you pretend to try to reverse the situation—truly the foremost person in seeking fame for nothing!”
Liang Ye stood with his hands behind his back and let out a cold snort, coldly watching the flames rising outside the hall doors. “So what if I am? Zhen’s empire, Zhen will save it if I want to, and won’t if I don’t. Zhen is the emperor, Zhen can do anything!”
“You are indeed exactly like Liang Cong!” Bian Cang laughed loudly. “Heartless, selfish, and despicable! Liang Cong sought immortality and the Dao for years without success, while you were born with immortal bones but had your foundation and future actively destroyed—this is the retribution for your Liang family!”
Liang Ye suddenly narrowed his eyes.
The court officials looked at Bian Cang as if he were a madman.
“You don’t know, do you, Your Majesty? You were born with immortal bones. When you were born, auspicious signs filled the sky. Several immortals appeared that day, and there were those who predicted that Northern Liang would become glorious and prosperous in your hands. In the future, you would unify the four countries and become an immortal human emperor.” Bian Cang’s expression became extremely satisfied. He smiled contentedly.
“But unfortunately, they could not interfere in human affairs. Cui Yuxian despised such talk of gods and ghosts, as did I. You should have died on the day of your birth, but Liang Hua and Wang Xusui protected you with their lives, willingly sacrificing all your brothers and sisters. They protected you for eight years, letting you suffer all manner of torment under that stupid woman Bian Yunxin for eight years. But unfortunately, they failed at the last moment and died by my hand. Even your so-called immortal bones were ruined by a bottle of poison, and you were tortured into a half-human, half-ghost madman under Cui Yuxian’s hand!”
“Your Majesty, ah, Your Majesty, you see, what good is a good fate? As long as I wish it, no matter how good your fate is, you will still die without a burial place—just like what Liang Cong did to my children.” Bian Cang looked at him rather regretfully. “Human Emperor becoming immortal, ha! Look at you now, you won’t even live past noon today! I will, like Liang Cong, make you suffer the pain of ten thousand arrows piercing your heart, then flay and dismember you, letting the world see the fate of someone with such a supposedly good destiny!”
Liang Ye’s hand, hidden in his sleeve, slowly clenched. He coldly looked at Bian Cang, smiling with chilling ferocity. “Save these mad ravings for Liang Cong in the underworld.”
He raised his hand to wave, but before it could fall, a light laugh suddenly came from the hall entrance.
Everyone’s gaze abruptly turned toward the source, and countless cold arrows were aimed at the owner of the laugh.
The newcomer wore a gray cloak with a wide hood that covered most of his face, revealing only half of a cold, pale chin. A jade pendant with cloud and crane patterns hung at his waist. Ignoring the tense atmosphere around him, he slowly raised his head.
The hood slid off, revealing a young and unfamiliar face. He looked extremely handsome, with a red mole between his brows that appeared bewitching and sinister. He looked at everyone as if they were ants on the ground, contemptuous and mocking.
However, what shocked everyone most was the wheelchair he pushed before him. Sitting in the wheelchair was the pale-faced young man who was none other than Cui Qi.
Cui Qi was, as always, cold in expression, though his gaze now carried some concern when looking at Liang Ye.
“Brother, I don’t quite like the way you look at others.” The person pushing the wheelchair bent down to cover Cui Qi’s eyes, then looked toward Liang Ye by the dragon throne and smiled. “Your Majesty may not know me. My surname is Wen, given name Heshen.”
“I am the first State Preceptor personally appointed by the emperor of your Northern Liang.”
