"Oh?"
Xue Qinghe wasn't surprised by the declaration—instead, he tilted his head with interest and said with a light smile:
"Uncle Byrne, you're too serious. This was my duty from the start~"
The "Byrne" he referred to was Wright Byrne, one of the earliest noble elders to follow Emperor Xue Ye. He had played a pivotal role in the founding and development of the Heaven Dou Empire.
But as Heaven Dou grew into a great power, the flaws of these old nobles gradually surfaced.
Byrne, as the head of these elder nobles, although not ennobled as a duke by Xue Ye, still held the ducal rank—one of the highest positions of power outside the royal Xue family.
While Xue Ye was alive, they kept themselves somewhat restrained. But with his death, both Xue Beng and Xue Qinghe were seen in their eyes as little more than immature juniors, unworthy of true authority.
The future of the empire, they believed, should lie in their hands once more.
Unfortunately, the death of Xue Ye coincided with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan making their move. In the face of overwhelming martial power, these nobles became little more than meat on the chopping block—completely at the mercy of others.
Now, having heard that Xue Qinghe had swept away the remaining threats, the spineless backs of these old men seemed to straighten again.
"Hahahaha! Excellent! Truly the son of Emperor Xue Ye!"
Byrne, having just clawed his way back from the gates of death, laughed heartily upon hearing Xue Qinghe's sensible reply.
Turning his eyes toward Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing, he felt that the matter they had previously discussed ought to be brought forward now. So, he continued:
"Qinghe, I trust you've already heard about your royal father's passing."
Xue Qinghe didn't respond—he merely nodded slightly. He was curious just what sort of nonsense this old fox would spout next.
"Mmm~ here's the situation."
After exchanging a glance with the nobles beside him, Duke Byrne spoke again:
"Previously, you had left Heaven Dou due to… certain matters. We won't dig into that. The fact that you've returned to save us—this alone speaks volumes."
Then, his tone shifted:
"However, after thorough discussion among us nobles, we have come to a unanimous decision—Xue Beng shall be appointed as the crown prince and the next emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire."
"N-No! I'm not fit for it!"
Byrne hadn't even finished when Xue Beng, standing beside Xue Xing, suddenly dropped to his knees before Xue Qinghe, trembling.
"Second Brother—No! It should be His Highness the Crown Prince! Now that you've returned, the rightful ruler of Heaven Dou should be you, Second Brother, Your Highness! Please, take control of the empire!"
Seeing Xue Beng's panicked act, Prince Xue Xing cast a glance toward Dugu Bo. The situation had reached a critical moment. He knew that what happened next would determine everything.
Dugu Bo met his gaze—and subtly shook his head.
Seeing this, Xue Xing realized that the matter was already beyond salvage.
He straightened up and shouted, bowing deeply toward Xue Qinghe:
"Your Highness, please take command of Heaven Dou and restore its order!"
Xue Xing's voice was loud and resounding, startling the seated nobles so much that they leapt to their feet.
Especially Duke Byrne—who had just confidently voiced support for Xue Beng—was completely dumbfounded by the sudden betrayal.
"Wha—what…? Xue Xing? Xue Beng? You—you two…?"
Byrne's face twisted in confusion. He couldn't comprehend how things had shifted so drastically. The faction led by Xue Xing had been firmly backing Xue Beng as the new emperor.
How did they suddenly turn on a dime and side with Xue Qinghe?
We were about to make our final stand—why did the emperor switch sides???
"Zhuqing," Xue Qinghe said coolly, narrowing his eyes toward Byrne, "This man's clearly deranged. I suspect he's a spy. Clean him up for me."
Whoosh!
A figure instantly appeared before Xue Qinghe. A single slicing sound echoed through the hall—pshhhk!—and Byrne was sent flying backwards, blood spurting from his mouth, dead on the spot.
"!!!"
The sudden, brutal execution shocked the remaining nobles so badly they collapsed to the ground in terror. Faces pale, limbs trembling, they were completely paralyzed.
"Heh, the spy's been dealt with. Now—let's continue our talk~"
Xue Qinghe gave a polite bow toward Zhu Zhuqing, who had returned to his side, then placed his hands behind his back and looked down at the nobles sprawled on the floor before him.
"Every uncle and elder here is a pillar of Heaven Dou. Since you all support my younger brother so earnestly, I propose…"
"Your Highness, please take command of Heaven Dou!"
Prince Xue Xing shouted again, snapping the others out of their stunned state. The rest of the nobles scrambled to kneel, shouting in unison:
"Please take command of Heaven Dou, Your Highness!"
They had thought the threat of death had passed. After all, Xue Qinghe was still a member of the royal Snow family. Even Emperor Xue Ye had treated them with a degree of respect and courtesy.
But they never expected Xue Qinghe to be this ruthless.
He didn't care about rank, seniority, or status—he ordered a killing without the slightest hesitation!
Was Byrne really a spy?
Of course! If Xue Qinghe said he was, then he was! Period!
In that instant, they saw the truth clearly—Xue Qinghe was no naïve fledgling. He was the tiger who had driven out the wolves!
And they? Whether they were up against wolves or tigers… they were still just meat on the chopping board. And getting eaten would take less effort than flipping a hand.
"You all…"
Xue Qinghe sighed as if troubled, like he was being forced into something he didn't truly want.
"Your Highness," Xue Xing stepped forward again and gave a deep bow. "Forgive me for speaking boldly, but in this time of great upheaval, only you can lead Heaven Dou back from the brink. Please, do not decline any further."
"Uncle Xue Xing, this…"
"Qinghe," Xue Xing interrupted, voice full of sincerity, "You call me uncle, so let me speak to you as family—Heaven Dou cannot survive without you."
His gaze was firm, his tone unwavering. He truly meant every word.
"Yes, Qinghe," another noble pleaded, practically smashing his forehead against the floor. "Please take the burden upon yourself—become the new emperor of Heaven Dou…"
What was once their most valuable bargaining chip—the imperial throne—had suddenly become a deadly blade hanging over their heads. Every one of them now desperately wished to hurl it away.
"…Fine," Xue Qinghe finally said, expression grave, "Since you all insist so earnestly…"
All eyes rose to look at him, trembling with hope.
"Then I shall… temporarily assume the title of Emperor of Heaven Dou."
As the words left his lips, a collective sigh of relief swept through the room.
The kneeling nobles began to stand one by one.
Even Xue Beng, who had kept his head buried low the entire time, felt as though a mountain had finally been lifted from his chest.
He had hidden his true capabilities for years, always waiting for the right moment to shine. But fate had thrown him into a torrent of chaos. Now that the crisis had passed, he thought to himself—so long as the green hills remain, I will find my time someday…
"Uncle Xue Xing, draft a decree for me," Xue Qinghe said, ignoring the thoughts of the others.
"As you command," came the immediate reply.
_
(CAUGHT UP WITH THE RAWS IN MY PATREON)
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