Chapter 93: The Free and Easy Young Marquis (26)
The abdication of the current Emperor and the succession of a new one caused a stir in the capital, but on the rest of Great Chang’s land, the common people continued as they always had. The mountains were high and the Emperor was far away; to the commoners, an Emperor was merely a lofty title in their hearts, nothing more.
If there were people who found it difficult to accept Huo Xian becoming Emperor, besides the Fourth Prince Xiao Jinchi, it was only Marquis Huo and the Princess. Because Princess Jin’an had seen all kinds of schemes from Emperor Haoyuan in her early years, she had always harbored prejudices against him. She once suspected that Emperor Haoyuan’s abdication was a conspiracy, and even up until the moment Huo Xian changed into his dragon robes to visit the Imperial Ancestral Temple, her heart was still full of doubts.
As for Marquis Huo, his head felt twice its normal size. Back then, his father hadn’t joined the ranks to overthrow the old dynasty to build a legacy, but rather to pick up a spear to protect his family. As it turned out, through a series of coincidences, he rose step-by-step until he was only one pace away from the pinnacle of power. The Duke of Ding was barely literate and was a standard rough man, but he wasn’t stupid. The moment he heard the late Emperor say “Share the world with my brother,” he shrank back like a quail, wishing he could find a forest to hide his family away. Unfortunately, the late Emperor didn’t allow it.
Marquis Huo himself did not covet power or glory. If he did, he wouldn’t have given up a bright future to marry the Princess and become an honest, law-abiding consort.
And Huo Xian?
Huo Xian had somehow managed to fumble his way into becoming the Emperor, inheriting his uncle’s throne as a nephew. If this were written into the history books, the uncle and nephew would be drowned in spit. In the end, one was willing to abdicate, and the other was willing to take over. And he, Huo Siyuan, had actually become the Taishang Huang (Retired Emperor) in all but name.
What on earth was this?!
The enthronement of the new Emperor was exceptionally grand. Although many steps had been omitted in the process, it was still quite cumbersome.
The Ancestral Temple was, of course, the Xiao family’s Ancestral Temple. Unlike when Emperor Haoyuan ascended the throne, Huo Xian, as the new Emperor, went there with the little Crown Prince, Xiao Chengxi. Emperor Haoyuan was now the Retired Emperor, but to put his heart completely at ease, he wanted Huo Xian to swear an oath in the Ancestral Temple.
Ancient people believed in heaven and the gods. At the end of the day, he still couldn’t fully trust Huo Xian.
Huo Xian could understand Emperor Haoyuan’s internal conflict and struggle. Moreover, he believed that if Emperor Haoyuan hadn’t become convinced that Xiao Jinchi knew evil arts and could manipulate hearts, the Emperor would never have passed the throne to him so hastily.
Making Huo Xian the Emperor was, in a way, pushing him to the forefront of the storm. Even if Xiao Jinchi wanted to use his “evil arts” again, Huo Xian would be the first to suffer.
If one asked why Emperor Haoyuan didn’t order Xiao Jinchi to be seized, the reason was simple: the fear of the unknown. Emperor Haoyuan had personally experienced those days of being like a puppet. He had a deep dread of Xiao Jinchi, to the point that he didn’t dare easily trust anyone around him, from his close attendants to the Imperial Guards.
So he hurriedly handed the great power over to Huo Xian. Could this be considered trust in another sense?
Whether he was trusted or not, Huo Xian didn’t care much. If his guess was correct, Xiao Jinchi would never sit idly by.
What surprised him, however, was that the person pushed forward to be the “blade” was actually Xiao Jingming.
As an imperial prince, Prince Ji certainly harbored resentment in his heart over his brother passing the throne to an outsider rather than a son or nephew. However, his influence in the court was truly negligible; at most, his status gave him a slight advantage. Therefore, he only dared to grumble his curses within the Prince’s manor, cursing along with his son. His son cursed even more fiercely than he did, after all, his son and Huo Xian had been at odds for a long time.
But!
Even if he was fierce, he shouldn’t be fierce enough to attempt an assassination of the new Emperor in the Ancestral Temple!
When Prince Ji saw his son being kicked into the air, rolling several times on the ground, and then scrambling up to lunge at the new Emperor with a knife again, Prince Ji’s hair and beard flew wild. His mind was filled with the thought of “It’s over, it’s over, it’s over!” His mind went blank, but his hands were quick to seize his son and pin him to the ground. To his surprise, his useless son’s body, which was usually drained by wine and women, actually erupted with immense strength at this moment.
Prince Ji was tossed aside. He was dazed for a moment before shouting: “Protect the Emperor! Quickly, protect the Emperor!”
He didn’t need to say more; the Duke of Wei, who was closest, landed a kick. In his younger years, the Duke of Wei was a robust man whose arms were as thick as other people’s waists. Although he was older now, he hadn’t neglected his training; kicking a person was no problem at all.
After Xiao Jingming fell, a dozen blades were instantly pressed against his neck. Prince Ji watched, his heart nearly jumping into his throat. One more move and it would have popped out.
Despite this, Xiao Jingming didn’t stop. As if he were possessed, he ignored everything, disregarding the blades cutting bloody marks on his neck, and continued to charge toward Huo Xian. When his weapon was gone, he used his bare fists. Prince Ji nearly fainted from rage.
Emperor Haoyuan couldn’t help but think of his recent self upon seeing this. His face darkened as he ordered the guards to seize the man and bind him. However, Huo Xian was faster; with a sidestep, he knocked the man unconscious.
“This official failed to educate his son correctly; I deserve ten thousand deaths…” Prince Ji was now truly crying old tears. His heart was hammering like a drum as he began to wonder if he should prepare his own funeral…
The new Emperor, Huo Xian, gave him a flat glance and had the guards take the man away. As for the punishment, that would have to wait until the ceremony was over. For now, he’d let the old Prince Ji remain in a state of unease.
But soon, Huo Xian learned that Xiao Jingming’s assassination attempt was merely an appetizer—no, perhaps it didn’t even qualify as an appetizer. Because the enthronement of an Emperor in this dynasty finally involved sitting on the Dragon Throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony and receiving the homage of the civil and military officials. When Huo Xian was the first to step onto the terrace before the Hall, the winds and clouds suddenly changed.
In the literal sense, the winds and clouds changed abruptly. Dark clouds gathered, blotting out the sky. Thunder roared and lightning flashed, as if the heavens were not welcoming this new master, Huo Xian.
This was a feudal era. Even an earthquake could make an Emperor issue a “Decree of Self-Reproach.” If Huo Xian stepping onto the terrace brought about a sudden change in the weather, then once word got out, his reputation as Emperor would basically be ruined.
Huo Xian thought of the world’s laws. Could it be that the Son of Destiny becoming Emperor was a violation of the laws?
Emperor Haoyuan and the officials were all horrified in their hearts, similarly wondering if Huo Xian was unfit for the throne.
While Huo Xian was contemplating whether or not to step firmly, he heard the mechanical voice of the Management Bureau—
[Ding! 1,000 points deducted. Current employee (Yuan) accumulated points: -3,000. Because this exceeds the Management Bureau’s regulations, 1 mission world has been added. Employee is advised to use abilities cautiously and follow the world’s laws. This is a reminder.]
[Ding! 1,000 points deducted. Current employee (Yuan) accumulated points: -4,000. Because this exceeds the Management Bureau’s regulations, 1 mission world has been added. Employee is advised to use abilities cautiously and follow the world’s laws. This is a reminder.]
[Ding! 1,000 points deducted. Current employee (Yuan) accumulated points: -5,000. Because this exceeds the Management Bureau’s regulations, 1 mission world has been added. Employee is advised to use abilities cautiously and follow the world’s laws. This is a reminder.]
[…]
Huo Xian: […??] What was going on?
Huo Yuan was not on the guest list for this enthronement ceremony, nor was he within ten meters, so Huo Xian had no way to ask.
However, along with the erratic point deductions from the Management Bureau, the thunder grew quieter, and the dark clouds blotting out the sun gradually dispersed. What was even more shocking was that behind the dispersing clouds, a massive golden dragon formed of golden shadows appeared. The golden dragon circled above the Imperial Palace once, then dove toward the terrace and vanished into Huo Xian’s body.
Huo Xian: [………………..????] Yuanyuan, my little ancestor, what kind of act is this now?
Following the disappearance of the inconceivable golden dragon, sunlight bathed the earth. Rainbow clouds gradually gathered. Looking from afar, it was as if they were standing atop a celestial palace. And in this moment of bright sunshine, the rainbow clouds sprinkled down a fine mist, yet no one thought it was an ill omen anymore.
“Spiritual rain! Heaven is sending down spiritual rain! Your Majesty… Your Majesty is the True Dragon Son of Heaven—”
“Long live Your Majesty! Long live! Long live! Long live!”
Huo Xian: [……………………….]
He hadn’t even reached the terrace yet, and a large crowd was already kneeling below.
Not only were the civil and military officials in the palace affected, but the citizens near the capital were also stunned by the phenomenon appearing above the palace. From the initial thunder and lightning to the appearance of the golden dragon vanishing into the palace—though they couldn’t see the dragon entering Huo Xian’s body, it didn’t stop them from submitting to the dragon. With the sound of “Long Live” echoing from the palace, the citizens also began to shout spontaneously.
Huo Xian carried a heavy heart as he walked with heavy steps onto the terrace under the almost pilgrim-like gazes of the officials, walking step-by-step into the Hall of Supreme Harmony. If anyone had harbored dissatisfaction in their hearts about Huo Xian’s enthronement before, their mindset had now completely transformed.
The golden dragon had appeared. That was a golden dragon! An auspicious omen recorded in the history books that no Emperor of any dynasty had ever experienced. What did this mean? It meant that Huo Xian was the undisputed True Dragon Son of Heaven. If even he couldn’t be the Emperor, who was worthy?
Emperor Haoyuan’s mood was incredibly complex. Also being an Emperor, Huo Xian could have the protection of a golden dragon and be a true Son of Heaven. But what about him? He had been on the throne for fourteen years; while he wouldn’t say the rivers were clear and the seas were calm, he had been diligent, yet he had never seen a true dragon once. Was he that bad of an Emperor?
As for Huo Xian, his heart was now full of Huo Yuan. The point tally had soared to -12,000. Huo Yuan had used up a full ten thousand points. Had he used ten thousand points just to create an auspicious omen for him?
Even if the omen would save him a lot of trouble in his future endeavors, he also believed Huo Yuan wouldn’t be so reckless, let alone orchestrate such a magical scene without consulting him. Unless something had happened that forced him to use his power.
The dark clouds and thunder when he stepped onto the terrace had been very abrupt and eerie.
Then there was only one person—the Fourth Prince, Xiao Jinchi.
“Stop right there…” In one part of the palace, Huo Yuan was chasing someone with a long staff. Clearly, there were guards every three steps in the palace and the security was tight, yet at this moment, all the guards seemed to be blind and deaf; they couldn’t see anyone and couldn’t hear any sound.
Seeing Xiao Jinchi about to jump over a wall to escape, Huo Yuan steeled his heart and directly threw the long staff from his hand. The staff spun rapidly in the air. Xiao Jinchi heard the wind and tried to dodge the attack. However, his strength was exhausted; not only could he not dodge, but he couldn’t even climb the palace wall anymore.
THUD… Xiao Jinchi fell heavily to the ground. The fall made his internal organs feel as if they had shifted, and he spat out a large mouthful of blood.
Huo Yuan walked closer, breathing heavily. He picked up the long staff from the ground and looked at the person on the floor with cold eyes, as if saying: Run! Run if you’re so capable!
Xiao Jinchi stared at Huo Yuan with poisonous eyes. After a good while, he squeezed three words out of his mouth: “Task… taker…”
Huo Yuan gave a cold snort and revealed his identity: “Universe Wanderer.”
Translator’s Note:
True Dragon Son of Heaven (真龙天子 – Zhēnlóng tiānzǐ) is the traditional title for a legitimate Emperor. The “Long live” chant is Wànsuì (万岁), literally meaning “Ten thousand years.”
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