The light of daybreak

Walking in front was Jiang Heng, dressed in a blue robe, his pale face unable to conceal his piercing eyes, while the boy he was holding firmly by the hand as they entered the battlefield was a six or seven-year-old boy.

The boy, dressed in a worn cotton robe, had a face reddened by the cold wind, but his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, unwavering and remarkably calm. He warily surveyed the hall his mother had mentioned several times—a place both resplendent in gold and utterly gloomy, as if countless wronged souls dwelled there. He noticed the most striking splash of purple in the distance; unlike the surrounding gazes, the look of surprise and hatred in her eyes was the most intense. Everyone in the hall, observing Jiang Heng's resolute demeanor, had already astutely guessed the child's identity.

Jiang Heng… Fu Qinxiang could no longer suppress her shock and anger, and raised her voice: “Lord Jiang, how dare you! You actually brought a bastard of unknown origin to the court!”

Jiang Heng shielded Meng Xihuan behind him, facing Fu Qinxiang directly, his voice steady and loud: "Is the Imperial Preceptor holding the Imperial Seal of the State?"

"So what if it is?" Fu Qinxiang forced herself to remain calm and slightly raised the imperial seal. "This is the legacy left by the late emperor!"

"Then, may I ask the Imperial Preceptor, do you remember the dragon-patterned jade pendant that His Majesty personally tied to the swaddling clothes of the prince when he was an infant? Where is it now?!"

Fu Qinxiang was speechless. Jiang Heng didn't give her a chance to catch her breath. He turned to the side and pointed to the slightly bulging area under Meng Xihuan's robe, saying, "Your Highness, may the officials take a look at what you wear at your waist?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Xihuan unhesitatingly pulled out a package from his robes, unwrapping it layer by layer. A perfectly intact jade pendant glowed in his palm, its coiled dragon pattern lifelike and its jade body lustrous. It was a sacred object preserved by Bai Xian, and her last bargaining chip.

Chen Zhusheng was already in tears, trembling so much he almost knelt down on the spot. Guo Zheng secretly supported him, squeezing his arm to comfort him.

"Spreading rumors and misleading the public! Forging tokens!" Fu Qinxiang suddenly stood up, her voice sharp and fierce. "Where are the Imperial Guards! Kill this traitor and his bastard on the spot!" Only then did she notice a row of dashing knights clad in Qilin armor standing outside the palace gates, with several guards lying in pools of blood behind them.

Suddenly, the surroundings began to tremble, and the entire hall teetered on the brink of collapse.

Then came a deafening roar, like a raging flood. The imperial city gates collapsed completely from the impact, and the thunderous crash of iron hooves shattering the imperial road, mixed with the roars of soldiers, surged into the sky. The red sun leaped over the mountain peaks, instantly bursting forth with thousands of golden rays.

"Report—It's terrible! Zhao Peiming... the swift cavalry has escaped from somewhere and has broken through the city gates. They are now heading towards the main hall!" The scout, covered in blood, crawled into the hall and shouted. Upon hearing this, Fu Qinxiang's vision went black.

“Impossible… Even if they were alive, they wouldn’t have nearly enough manpower, how could this be…” Fu Qinxiang collapsed onto Heng Hui, muttering to herself.

"The swift cavalry has arrived too late to save the emperor!" A resounding bell rang out from outside the palace.

Jiang Heng led Meng Xihuan out of the main hall and saw the thousands of troops standing in front of him. Although he had expected it, he was still stunned.

Among these people were not only the cavalry, but also the villagers of Banrihua.

The burly man spurred his horse, brandishing his sword and laughing loudly. Jiang Heng looked closely and saw that it was Jin Tao.

A man riding a black horse charged into the vermilion gate from the bottom of the sixty-ninth step.

"Sir, after examining the child born during the Ghost Festival, I found that his birth chart has sufficient Yang energy to suppress evil spirits and wickedness. So let's name him 'Ming' (鸣), meaning that the sound of his jade pendant will resonate and amaze everyone."

It was Zhao Peiming. It was the Zhao Peiming he had been longing for day and night.

Zhao Peiming dismounted and rushed up the golden steps. Just as Fu Qinxiang was about to smash the jade seal, he threw a short blade to stop her. The blade flashed and disappeared in an instant.

Heng Hui collapsed to the ground with a thud, and Fu Qinxiang lay on the ground. Her eyes, which had once looked down on everything, were now only able to watch as the golden dragon coiled in the ceiling above gradually turned gray and finally stopped turning forever.

Zhao Peiming retrieved the blood-dripping Illusionary Sea Dust from its sheath at his waist, and strode up to Jiang Heng and Meng Xihuan. The emerald ribbon Jiang Heng had given him shimmered in the light.

Zhao Peiming knelt on one knee, his armor clanging: "Zhao Peiming, accompanied by his swift cavalry, pays his respects to Your Majesty! The traitor has been executed; Your Highness, please obey the Mandate of Heaven and ascend the throne!"

As everyone in the hall watched the mountain collapse, they all knelt down with a roar: "Long live the Emperor!"

The sound waves swept away the gloom above the imperial city, and everything settled down.

Jiang Heng gently released Meng Xihuan's hand, took a step back, and knelt down beside Zhao Peiming. The new emperor slowly turned around amidst the chants of obeisance and sat on the throne that was rightfully his.

Meng Xihuan's small chest heaved slightly, and Jiang Heng nodded to him with a gentle yet firm gaze.

"Rise, my lords." The childish yet dignified voice echoed through the hall.

Jiang Heng stood up and, hidden by his robe sleeves, tightly grasped Zhao Peiming's cold, trembling hand. He was his guardian angel, and Zhao Peiming was his North Star Lord.

For the first time, the golden gates of the main hall opened, and sunlight illuminated the eyes of the child on the throne, as well as the brocade robes woven for the two figures standing side by side. This land, weathered by time and in dire need of rebuilding, finally ushered in a new life.

With a new emperor in power, everything awaits a fresh start.

Their journey is far from over.