The moment the old emperor was informed of the current situation within the Sun Moon Empire, he coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed unconscious on the spot. He was still being treated, his condition uncertain. Ironically, his state seemed to validate the Third Prince's declaration of "supporting the king and punishing the traitor," just as the rebels had claimed.
Overnight, with nobles across the east, west, south, and north turning against the capital, the forces of rebellion now formed a three-pronged siege aimed directly at Mingdu's central circle of power. The previous skirmishes had merely been sparks—minor scuffles involving the private troops of noble houses. After all, the Sun Moon Imperial Army, the true pillar of the Empire's military might, had yet to make any declaration. Compared to the centralized forces of the crown, the nobles' private armies remained small and fragmented.
The one exception among these nobles, however, was the Grand Duke of the North. With his official duty of guarding the Empire's northern border and resisting threats from soul beasts of the Extreme North, the Grand Duke had long amassed a sizable army, including several soul engineer legions.
Apart from the north, the nobles supporting the Third Prince in the east, west, and south could only offer limited manpower. Their true value lay in their provisions—grain, rations, medical supplies, and other wartime logistics.
At this critical juncture, as the full extent of the upheaval reached the capital, an emergency assembly was held inside the Imperial Palace.
The Palace of the Sun Moon Empire.
Within the Grand Hall of Supreme Harmony, every core figure of the imperial court had gathered: Grand Marshal Xu Qi, all the elders of the Worship Hall (save for the Grand Worshipper Kong Deming), Crown Prince Xu Tiannan, Commander Xu Hao of the Imperial Soul Engineer Regiment, Commander Xu Tianyuan of the Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment, and Head of Mingde Hall, Jing Hongchen. Each of them had answered the urgent call to discuss the greatest rebellion the empire had faced in generations.
Although the Third Prince framed his cause as one of righteousness—"supporting the king and punishing the traitor"—his actions had crossed the line into outright rebellion.
But what could be done? This was a prince of the Empire, one with a legitimate claim to the throne. It wasn't uncommon in the Empire's long history for princes to wage war over the succession. The real issue was the scale of this war. The scope of support for the Third Prince had grown alarmingly wide. Outside of Mingdu's central region, it seemed as though the entire rest of the empire had pledged allegiance to him overnight.
"Outrageous!"
Xu Hao, commander of the Imperial Soul Engineer Regiment, roared in anger within the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The emperor's dragon throne stood empty. Beside it sat Xu Tiannan in a wheelchair, two steps below the throne's dais. All others present were seated beneath him by seven steps, a visible acknowledgment of the Crown Prince's unshakable position within the royal family.
"Even as a prince, he cannot be allowed to act so recklessly! Does he think so little of the authority of the imperial family?"
Though Xu Hao refused to involve himself in the battle for the throne, he held deep loyalty to the empire and viewed Xu Tiannan as the rightful heir. To him, this rebellion was not just dangerous—it was sacrilege.
Most of those seated here shared that same silent consensus. Though their public positions prevented them from overt involvement in the succession dispute, their presence here made clear whom they supported.
"Brother Hao, calm yourself. This sort of situation has always existed in history. Struggles over succession are hardly unprecedented."
Grand Marshal Xu Qi sighed deeply.
Xu Hao gradually brought his emotions under control and fell silent.
Taking this as his cue, Xu Qi continued, "What truly matters now is how we, the true backbone of the empire, will respond. We cannot allow this civil war to drag on. It would only deplete our military strength and weaken the foundation of our great cause—the unification of the continent under the name of the Sun Moon Empire."
His words struck home. Everyone nodded in agreement.
For his part, Xu Tiannan merely smiled. He remained silent, calmly listening. His ultimate ambition was to unite the continent under a single empire, erasing the shame of their past and ushering in a new era. Xu Qi's speech was a thinly veiled show of support for him, and everyone understood it.
"Brother Qi is right. It's a shame, but under the circumstances, my Imperial Soul Engineer Regiment cannot be mobilized. What about the military forces?" Xu Hao asked.
In the Sun Moon Empire, the Imperial Soul Engineer Regiment and the Four Hands of National Protection were separate from the central military.
Xu Qi sighed. "We can't move either. First, there are border defense concerns. Second, a drawn-out civil war would greatly deplete our standing forces. The military's role has always been to fight foreign enemies, not internal factions. If we involve ourselves in this war, we'll be giving the Douluo Federation the perfect opportunity to strike."
He paused before continuing, "If the Federation does choose to attack now, the military and the Hands of Protection must respond together. Preserving our strength is absolutely critical."
Xu Qi's analysis was irrefutable. It left the entire hall in a contemplative silence.
The Imperial Soul Engineer Regiment couldn't be deployed. The military was off-limits. That left only one question—could Crown Prince Xu Tiannan truly win against the might of the Third Prince's rebellion?
As for the stance of the Worship Hall, it was even more obvious.
The elders, all ninth-rank soul engineers, sat with closed eyes, indifferent expressions on their faces, refusing to engage in the discussion. The education reform that had sparked the entire crisis had displeased some of them as well. However, unlike the greedy noble families, the Worship Hall's elders placed the future of the empire above all else. They knew that expanding access to soul tools and education was the right path following the successful development of the Sealed Milk Bottle.
At this moment, all eyes turned to Xu Tianyuan, commander of the Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment—the only one of the Four Hands of National Protection present.
Realizing he was now the focus of attention, Xu Tianyuan stood up and spoke firmly.
"The Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment will assist the Sun Moon Empire in forging a brighter future."
Everyone in the hall nodded in unison. With one of the empire's elite soul engineer regiments supporting the Crown Prince, the tide of the civil war might shift.
But still—it was only one of the Four Hands. The Third Prince now controlled nobles from every direction, and several powerful soul engineer families had already smuggled large amounts of equipment and personnel out of the capital to join him.
Who knew how much military force and how many strategic assets he now possessed? His rebellion had become an empire-sized threat—one that could rival even the Douluo Federation.
Just then, a voice echoed across the hall.
"Mingde Hall stands firmly behind His Highness the Crown Prince."
It was a deep, commanding voice—belonging to none other than Jing Hongchen.
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.