Offering sacrifices to heaven

In the twenty-third year of Yongxi in the Great Zhou Dynasty, on the seventh day of the ninth month in autumn, at the third quarter of the hour of Hai.

Western Inner Courtyard, Changchun Fairy Pavilion.

The candlelight in the hall was bright, but it couldn't dispel the deathly silence of the dying. Lying on the dragon bed, Emperor Yongxi Xie Hong's face was as pale as gold paper, his eyes tightly closed, and his chest rose and fell only faintly, as if he would die at any moment.

The Empress Dowager, dressed in solemn court attire, sat upright on a phoenix chair before the couch, twirling her Buddhist beads incessantly. Her face appeared mournful, but her eyes held a cold, calculating look. The Third Prince, Xie Wujiu, stood by, his head bowed, his lips curling up uncontrollably.

Outside the palace, a storm was about to come, and dark clouds were covering the city.

Suddenly, Emperor Yongxi let out a very slight "chuckle" sound from his throat, his eyelids trembled violently, and he actually struggled to open a crack. His turbid eyes swept over the people in front of the couch, and finally fixed on the empress dowager's face. His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something.

The Queen Mother's heart trembled, and she immediately leaned forward, her tone filled with just the right amount of sorrow: "Emperor, do you have anything else to say?"

Emperor Yongxi stared at her intently, his eyes gleaming with the last bit of resentment and anger. He used all his strength to raise his trembling fingers, as if wanting to point at something, but ultimately he was powerless to lower them. His throat rolled, and in the end, only a broken and unclear sentence came out:

“Reverse…Reverse…”

Before he finished speaking, his pupils dilated, his head tilted, and his breath completely stopped.

On the seventh day of the ninth month in the twenty-third year of the Yongxi reign, at the third quarter of the hour of Hai, Emperor Xie Hong of the Great Zhou died in the Changchun Xian Pavilion in the Western Inner Courtyard. He had reigned for twenty-three years and was fifty-one years old.

There was a moment of dead silence in the hall.

Then, the Queen Mother stood up suddenly, her face instantly filled with grief, and she cried out in a shrill voice: "Emperor! Emperor——!"

Her voice was like a signal.

Immediately outside the palace came the eunuch's shrill, drawn-out announcement: "Your Majesty—has passed away—!"

The sound penetrated the rain curtain, spread throughout the Western Inner Courtyard, and also spread to the entire sleeping capital.

Almost simultaneously, within Chengxin Hall, the Third Prince, Xie Wujiu, already dressed in his official robes, suddenly drew his sword from his waist and shouted, "Our father has passed away, the Crown Prince has lost his virtue, and the country is in danger! All officers and men, listen to my command! Follow me into the palace, purge the court, and restore order!"

"Purge the emperor's court! Rectify the government!"

Thousands of elite soldiers ambushed inside and outside Chengxin Hall responded in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles! Like a black tide, they rushed out of Chengxin Hall under the leadership of Xie Wujiu, splitting into two groups, one heading straight for the Chengtian Gate of the Imperial Palace, the other heading straight for the East Palace!

The capital city was in chaos in an instant!

The commander of Chengtian Gate had long been bribed, and upon seeing the Third Prince's banner, he opened the palace gates with almost no resistance. The rebels marched straight in, quickly controlling all the gates of the palace and surrounding it like an iron wall!

On the Eastern Palace side, Crown Prince Xie Wuchen was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground. He was easily captured by the rebels and dragged out of the Eastern Palace like a dead dog.

"Your Highness! The palace has been controlled by the Third Prince! The Crown Prince has been captured!" Jingzhe rushed into the study of Prince Jing's mansion, soaked all over and smelling of blood.

Xie Wuqi stood in front of the window, looking at the night sky outside where lightning and thunder were flashing and the sounds of killing were faintly heard. There was no expression on his face, except for his phoenix eyes, which were astonishingly bright under the reflection of the lightning.

"Are our people in place?" His voice was low and emotionless.

"According to the prince's instructions, the five hundred guards have been divided into small groups and infiltrated various key locations in the palace, especially... near the Western Inner Courtyard. Imperial Physician Lin has also been secretly brought into the palace and is hiding with Princess Huixi." Jingzhe reported quickly.

"Okay." Xie Wuqi turned around and his eyes fell on Xu Xianyue, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, as if isolated from the noise of the outside world.

She was dressed in a comfortable dark blue outfit, her long hair neatly tied up, and she wore no makeup. Her cold face showed no fear, only a calm determination. In her hand, she gently stroked the dark red mandrake flower that had saved Xie Wuqi's life.

"Xianyue," Xie Wuqi walked up to her, his eyes deep, "The palace is dangerous, you..."

"I must go." Xu Xianyue raised her eyes and interrupted him, her eyes clear and firm. "Princess Huixi needs the 'evidence' in my hands, and Imperial Physician Lin also needs someone to cooperate. What's more, the Queen Mother... will never hand over the Emperor's will so easily, if there really is one."

She knew that Xie Wuqi's forces were primarily stationed in the northern border, leaving the capital with limited resources. A frontal assault on the palace would have little chance of success. The only chance of success lay within the palace itself, depending on whether they could find irrefutable evidence of the Queen Mother and the Third Prince's regicide and usurpation of the throne, and whether they could control key individuals—for example, the Queen Mother, who had recently lost her beloved son.

Xie Wuqi looked at her deeply, knowing that he could not change her decision. He reached out, gently grasped her slightly cold hand, and pressed a cold, hard black iron token into her hand.

"This is a transfer order from my personal guard. Seeing this order is like seeing me. Jingzhe will escort you through the secret passage into the palace to reunite with Imperial Physician Lin and Huixi." He paused, his voice low and solemn, "Be careful... in everything."

Xu Xianyue felt the scorching heat of his palm and the cool touch of the token, and the icy lake in her heart seemed to melt a little. She gently squeezed his hand with her backhand, then let go.

"The same to you."

There were no extra words, their eyes met, and everything was said without words.

Jingzhe immediately stepped forward and led Xu Xianyue to the entrance of the secret passage hidden in the study.

Xie Wuqi watched her figure disappear into the darkness and slowly clenched his fists. Then, he turned abruptly and said solemnly to the generals waiting outside:

"Order! All available troops, assemble immediately and surround the palace! No need for a forceful attack, create momentum for this king! At the same time, spread the news that the Third Prince, Xie Wujiu, has murdered the emperor and usurped the throne, imprisoned the Crown Prince, and is controlling the palace! Quickly!"

What he wanted was not to attack the palace immediately, but to create huge public pressure and chaos to create opportunities for Xu Xianyue and others in the palace!

"yes!"

Outside Prince Jing's Mansion, the sounds of heavy footsteps, the clashing of armor, and the sound of horse hooves suddenly rang out, like muffled thunder, rolling across the chaotic streets of the capital and pressing towards the imperial city!

Inside the palace city, Cining Palace.

The Queen Mother had already changed into plain clothes. Her face remained mournful, but her eyes were sharp as knives. She listened to the faint cries of fighting outside and the sounds of the approaching troops from Prince Jing's residence, and sneered inwardly.

Xie Wuqi, you are finally here. Unfortunately, it is too late!

"Propagate my imperial decree!" Her voice was icy, carrying unquestionable authority. "The Emperor has passed away suddenly, and the country cannot remain without a ruler for a single day! The Crown Prince is immoral and unfit for the responsibility! The Third Prince, Xie Wujiu, is benevolent, filial, and intelligent, and is worthy of inheriting the throne! You are to ascend the throne before the coffin and succeed the Emperor!"

She had already prepared the so-called "last will" and was just waiting for this moment!

"My Queen Mother is wise!" Xie Wujiu, dressed in military uniform and reeking of blood, strode into the palace with great strides, his face brimming with ecstasy. "The palace is under our control. Xie Wuqi's mere few thousand soldiers are nothing to fear! All we have to do is wait for tomorrow's auspicious time, and I, your son, will ascend the throne!"

However, just as he finished speaking, a eunuch rushed in, his face pale and his voice trembling:

"Empress Dowager! Your Highness! No... It's bad! Princess Huixi... She brought Imperial Physician Lin and that Xu Xianyue and broke into the Changchun Immortal Pavilion! They... They said they wanted to examine the remains of His Majesty and... the imperial edict!"

"What?!" The Queen Mother and Xie Wujiu changed color at the same time!

Huixi?! Isn’t she…?

The Queen Mother suddenly looked at Xie Wujiu, and for the first time, a look of surprise and doubt appeared in her eyes. Could it be that that girl had been acting the whole time?!

"Stop them!" Xie Wujiu roared, murderous intent flashing in his eyes, "Kill them without mercy!"

"It's too late!" the eunuch said with a sad face, "They... they are protected by Prince Jing's secret guards and have already gone in!"

There was an instant of dead silence in the Cining Palace.

The Buddhist beads in the Queen Mother's hand broke with a snap, and the beads rolled to the ground.

She had planned everything, but she had never expected that her own daughter, who seemed weak and was used as a chess piece by her, would actually give her the most fatal blow at the most critical moment!

At this moment, in the Changchun Fairy Pavilion, Xu Xianyue and Lin Qingyan, escorted by Princess Huixi and several secret guards with high martial arts skills, were already standing in front of the still warm dragon bed.

The storm has reached its climax.

The night that determines the fate of the Great Zhou has just begun.