Chapter 38 Power Never Dies (Bonus Chapter)

Forced into a corner, Xiao Yu also saw Ling Wei, and the blood-stained token at the other's waist was extremely familiar.

He, who had always been so arrogant that he looked down on everyone, finally figured it out at this moment.

"It's you—?!!"

Long before he planned the coup, he had secretly planted his accomplices in the palace. These people would use his token to complete tasks at each stage, and seeing the token was like seeing him in person.

At this moment, the waist tag that should have belonged to his faction was now hanging on Ling Wei's waist.

Clearly, she somehow managed to remove the nails he had planted and used his token to open the palace gates, turning the tide at the crucial moment.

"Ling—Wei—"

With defeat already decided, Xiao Yu had nothing more to say. He just stared at her intently, uttering her name word by word, the hatred seeping from between his teeth as if he wanted to tear her to pieces.

Suddenly he threw his head back and laughed loudly: "Qianqian is right, I should have killed you sooner!"

The battle was nearing its end, with the rebels either surrendering or dying. Xiao Yu was also captured by the Imperial Guards and collapsed to his knees.

In front of the Qianqing Palace, corpses lay strewn everywhere, a scene of utter devastation.

Shen Wei sheathed his sword, exchanged a glance with Princess Ruian, and then addressed the still-shaken officials in a deep voice.

"Although the traitor has been executed, the country cannot be without a ruler for a single day. His Majesty is in a coma, his life hanging in the balance; the whereabouts of the Fourth Prince are unknown, his fate uncertain. The position of heir apparent is vacant, and the world is in turmoil. At this critical juncture, a strong and capable person is needed to stabilize the situation!"

Another member of the royal family who supported the princess immediately chimed in: "General Shen is absolutely right!"

Princess Rui'an, the eldest princess, once assisted His Majesty in handling state affairs and earned His Majesty's deep trust. Now, only Your Highness can temporarily assume charge of the state, appease the people, and uphold the nation's stability!

Xie Wei opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but a minister immediately retorted sharply: "Duke Xie! Do you expect us to wait in vain for a young child whose life or death is unknown?"

Now that the chaos has just subsided and everything needs to be rebuilt, what is needed is a mature monarch who can immediately stabilize the situation! Should we expect the Empress to rule from behind the curtain?

Or is it your Xie family... that you intend to use this opportunity to commit heinous acts?!

These words were extremely malicious, directly pushing the Xie family and the Empress to the forefront of accusations of attempting to manipulate the court.

Upon hearing this, the Empress's face turned even paler, her lips trembled, but she could not utter a single word.

She had no more bargaining chips left.

Xie Wei looked at the menacing Zhenbei Army around him, the sharp-eyed Princess Ruian, and the ministers who were either fearful or scrutinizing him, and slowly... lowered his head.

The tide has turned.

More and more ministers, whether out of genuine agreement or pressure from the situation, knelt down and shouted: "A country cannot be without a ruler for a day! We beseech Your Highness Princess Ruian to prioritize the well-being of the nation, inherit the throne, and take charge of the overall situation!"

"Your Highness, please inherit the throne!"

The calls grew louder and louder, gradually coalescing into a wave.

Xiao Yue stood before the crowd, her cloak billowing in the wind and snow. Her gaze swept over the kneeling crowd, over the ashen-faced Empress and Xie Wei, and over Xiao Yu, who was being escorted away.

Finally, he spoke slowly, his voice clear and powerful, echoing throughout the entire square:

"Since you have entrusted the fate of the nation and the people to us—"

Every word she spoke resonated deeply:

"I, Princess Xiao Yue of Ruian, hereby accept this heavy responsibility in accordance with the will of Heaven!"

May our Great Zhao Dynasty remain forever secure, and may all our people live in peace and prosperity!

Behind her, Ling Wei, Chen Wei, and others knelt down on one knee first, their voices shaking the heavens.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Immediately afterwards, the Zhenbei Army and the officials forced by the situation knelt down one after another, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" which eventually merged into a unified wave of voices.

......

With the situation largely settled, the Empress was invited to the Imperial Study.

Xiao Yue looked at the Empress and said in an unquestionable tone, "Mother, please hand over the Imperial Seal."

The Empress's eyes darted away, her hands clenched tightly, still making a last-ditch effort: "The Imperial Seal... the Imperial Seal is a national treasure, always personally controlled by His Majesty... I don't know its exact location either..."

"Mother," Xiao Yue's voice turned cold, "Things have come to this, why make a futile struggle? Do you really not know, and are you still fantasizing about finding Fourth Brother?"

Xie Wei stood to the side, his face ashen, but he remained silent.

Shen Wei stood beside Xiao Yue, his hand on the hilt of his sword, an invisible pressure enveloping the entire study.

"My fourth brother is still alive."

Xiao Yue casually uttered these words, and Xie Wei and the Empress simultaneously looked up, staring intently at Xiao Yue.

However, Xiao Yue smiled meaningfully: "Fourth Brother is in a very safe place. Much safer than by your side. By handing over the Imperial Seal, you will still be the esteemed Empress Dowager, and Fourth Brother can live a peaceful life. Otherwise..."

Otherwise what? She didn't say it outright, but the ruthlessness she revealed made the Empress tremble.

Xiao Yue was definitely not someone who was suddenly thrust into the spotlight today; her scheme began long ago, when she and even the entire court were completely unaware of it.

Only today did it open its mouth and reveal its fangs.

Rather than saying that Xiao Yue's ascension to the throne was due to the infighting among the princes and that a third party benefited from it, it would be more accurate to say that she orchestrated it herself, like a mantis stalking a cicada while the oriole lurks behind.

She, no, the entire Xie family, cannot defeat her.

The Imperial Seal of the State was finally presented to Xiao Yue.

On the other side.

Xie Zhuo stopped Ling Wei, who was about to leave.

The bloodstains on his body had not yet dried, his black armor was damaged, and his face bore the exhaustion of a fierce battle. The eyes that had always smiled at her were now filled with deep sorrow.

He looked at her, his voice hoarse: "From the very beginning, you belonged to the princess."

Ling Wei stopped and calmly looked back at him, answering clearly without looking away, "Yes."

Xie Zhuo's Adam's apple bobbed, as if he were swallowing something extremely bitter.

He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "So, rescuing the young prince during the autumn hunt, helping my Xie family investigate cases in the Palace Justice Bureau... all those so-called assistance were just tasks, right?"

This time, he didn't wait for Ling Wei's answer, afraid of hearing the answer that would shatter him completely.

He took a deep breath and asked the question that had been lingering in his mind ever since Ling Wei appeared:

"Now that things have come to this, I'll only ask one last question. Your Highness... did you reveal his whereabouts, his route through the secret passage?"

His voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.

If the Fourth Prince is completely eliminated due to the Xie family's inadequate protection, or even worse... then as the heir of the Xie family who was involved in the Xie family's defeat today, he cannot escape blame.

It can be said that because of him alone, the Xie family's future was ruined.

He looked at Ling Wei, a pleading look flashing in his eyes.

Even lying to him would be fine...

The most crucial knife was one he had personally handed to his beloved; how could he bear this truth?

The fourth prince did indeed take the secret passage.

His whereabouts were indeed revealed by Ling Wei—not because of the information he provided, but because she already knew it all along.

Seeing him like this, Ling Wei felt a pang of pity in her eyes, and was about to speak: "I..."

"Lord Ling, you have truly masterful skills!!" Duke Xie, who had emerged from the Imperial Study at some unknown time, suddenly interrupted.

He glared at Xie Zhuo, then turned to Ling Wei and said coldly, "Our Xie family agrees to the conditions. We only ask that Lord Ling release the young prince as soon as possible, and stop toying with my good-for-nothing grandson."

Looking at this meritorious old minister, Ling Wei suddenly realized that, without knowing when, she had reached a high enough level that those who had never truly taken her seriously began to fear her.

"Whether it's a honey trap or some other scheme, the winner takes all, and the Xie family can afford to lose!"

"But because of you, this young man still refuses to discuss marriage and get married, ruining his future and his own life... Our Xie family can no longer tolerate his foolishness!"

As soon as Xie Guogong finished speaking, everything became self-evident.

Xie Zhuo's face turned deathly pale, and he almost lost his balance.

"The princess's orders are urgent, Lord Ling, please act immediately." Duke Xie stepped in front of Xie Zhuo and Ling Wei, as if creating a chasm between them.

Ling Wei silently clenched and unclenched her fingers, then softly replied, "Okay."

She clearly understood the two layers of meaning in the other person's words.

So she raised her head, meeting the boy's pale face, and said clearly, word by word:

"If the Fourth Prince hadn't disappeared today, your entire Xie family might have been wiped out tomorrow..."

Under imperial power, there is no innocent.

If you must hate, hate only me.

"After all... power will never die."

Xie Zhuo stared at her, as if seeing this person clearly for the first time.

After a long while, he let out a low, hoarse, bitter laugh.

“Well… well said, ‘Power will never die, for all eternity’… Lord Ling… congratulations on your meritorious service in supporting the emperor.”

May you have a bright future and rise to great heights from now on.

He stopped looking at her, staggered around, and walked out of her sight, step by step.

Duke Xie withdrew his gaze, snorted coldly, and turned to leave.