Chapter 5: Abolishing the Ancestral Law
The other princes felt as if their hearts were bleeding.
Those women… they're some of the most beautiful in the martial world.
If I had become emperor, wouldn't they have been mine?
All the ministers exchanged looks, each equally stunned. It was obvious that none of these women were easy to handle.
Whether it was Wanwan, Shi Feixuan, or Jiang Yuyan, all were peerless, proud daughters of heaven—there was no way they agreed to enter the palace without a mission.
Only Shi Zhixuan, under the alias Pei Ju, wore a dark expression, his gaze unreadable.
Things are starting to spiral out of control, he thought.
Originally, Pei Ju cooperated with Shen Hao not out of goodwill, but because he planned to infiltrate the court while Shen Hao still had nothing—gradually seizing complete control over this powerless emperor.
But now, all eight vassal kings had sent their holy maidens into the palace. This meant his plan to control Shen Hao was going down the drain.
The intent was clear—they didn't want Shen Hao falling under another power's influence.
The other ministers also understood the implications, but what could they do? The eight kings' power was overwhelming. All they could do was pretend not to know.
At that moment, a fifth-rank censor stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, is it time to choose an auspicious day for the late emperor's burial?"
The implication: Only after the burial would Your Majesty be considered truly enthroned.
According to Great Zhou tradition, the new emperor's official ascension took place on the day the former emperor was laid to rest.
Out of respect, however, the new emperor would not change the reign title in the same year. Even those who seized the throne only changed it the following year.
Only then did Shen Hao realize that the old emperor hadn't been buried yet.
Fortunately, the palace had thousand-year-old mystical ice to preserve the body without decay.
Shen Hao nodded. "Three days from now, then."
Pei Ju also stepped forward and said, "According to ancestral law, Your Majesty, the late emperor's concubines must be buried with him."
The moment he spoke, the princes' expressions changed drastically.
Many of the concubines were their birth mothers.
Though they wanted to protest, such ancestral customs had been upheld for generations.
The First Prince immediately knelt, eyes red. "Your Majesty, I beg you to spare my mother's life. I'm willing to give up my royal title and become a commoner!"
The Second Prince also dropped to his knees. "Your Majesty, I beg you for clemency."
Shen Hao was taken aback. Didn't expect the First Prince to be such a filial son.
Just then, several censors stepped forward, faces filled with righteous indignation.
"Your Majesty, according to the laws of Great Zhou, the late emperor's concubines must be buried with him. This is a privilege only the Son of Heaven may receive. As his concubines, they should accompany him to the afterlife."
"That's right—it is an honor."
"Your Majesty, the laws of Great Zhou cannot be altered."
Listening to their chatter gave Shen Hao a headache. Censors in every era are the same—stubborn and stinky.
His expression darkened as he raised his hand. The hall instantly fell silent.
Zhu Di, Zhao Guangyi, Li Shimin—all eyes were on Shen Hao. They wanted to see what kind of emperor this new monarch would be.
Expressionless, Shen Hao declared, "Ancestral laws and statutes are not immutable."
"From this day forward, concubines and palace maids of the late emperor will no longer be buried with him."
"If they wish to return home, they may. If they choose to stay in the palace, all their retirement expenses will be covered by the imperial household."
"Also—from now on, all noble families across the land are forbidden from practicing live human sacrifice. This includes the offering of virgin boys and girls."
The court erupted.
No one had expected Shen Hao to be so radical on his first day as emperor.
Live sacrifice was a long-standing privilege of noble families. They would select children with compatible birth charts and raise them in ancestral halls. These children had no freedom, confined from a young age. Upon reaching adulthood, if an elder died, the chosen ones would be buried alive as offerings.
The First, Second, and Fourth Princes all dropped to their knees, visibly moved.
"Thank you, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"
Though they had once been rivals for the throne, in this moment, their gratitude toward Shen Hao was genuine.
His decree had saved their mothers' lives.
They couldn't help but admire him. Even if they had taken the throne, they wouldn't have dared make such a decision.
Many censors and officials were displeased. What about their own funerals? They still wanted servants in the afterlife!
"But Your Majesty, is this not too bold a break from ancestral law?"
"Indeed! This ritual has existed for hundreds of years—how can we change it now?"
Shen Hao's eyes grew cold as he glared at them. "When your father died, did your mother follow him into the grave?"
The room fell silent.
"B-but, Your Majesty—"
"What? You want to be emperor instead?" Shen Hao said with disdain.
The censors turned pale with fear and dropped to their knees.
"Your Majesty, we wouldn't dare!"
"Please don't joke like that—it frightens us."
Shen Hao sneered. "Wouldn't dare? Sounds to me like you're all full of guts, just not the courage."
"You dare question the authority of your emperor and still say you wouldn't dare?"
"When I speak—do you think I'm farting? Then what's the point of being emperor?!"
His voice boomed and echoed through the hall like thunder.
That overwhelming majesty swept through the entire court.
At that moment, Li Shimin and the others felt a chill in their hearts.
This is no weakling. The way he handles the court—he's got presence.
But didn't we want a weak and pliable puppet? Not a wise and resolute ruler!
Then again, they reminded themselves: He's just an emperor with nothing—no army, no power. Nothing to worry about.
Once again, the hall was so silent, one could hear a pin drop.
Shen Hao ignored their silence. "If there are no objections, then it is decided."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After court adjourned, the news of the day's court discussions spread swiftly through the capital.
No one expected the Fourth Prince, Ji Hao, to take the throne.
And even more shocking—on his very first day, the new emperor abolished a centuries-old ancestral tradition.
Countless citizens applauded him, calling him a benevolent ruler.
After all, in this era, live sacrifices of virgin boys and girls were considered a joyous event by noble families.
They enjoyed the benefits, but it was the poor who suffered—because they were the ones providing those children.
Shen Hao's decree also earned him a hint of favor from the various holy maidens.
At the capital residence of Prince Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang—
Jiang Yuyan held a letter in her hand. For the first time, a spark of curiosity lit her bright eyes.
"Didn't expect the new emperor to actually do something decent."
Even the demoness Wanwan and the merciless killer Li Mochou couldn't help but nod in approval at Shen Hao's policy.
After all, they might soon become imperial consorts themselves. Whether real or not, they felt a strange sense of personal involvement.
Three days later, the late emperor was buried, and the entire nation mourned.
The new emperor, Ji Hao, officially ascended the throne as Emperor Zhou Dezong.
Ten days later, to usher in good fortune, the emperor married eight consorts in a grand ceremony. The entire empire celebrated.
Tang Consort: Shi Feixuan.
Sui Consort: Wanwan.
Ming Consort: Jiang Yuyan.
Song Consort: Huang Rong.
Qing Consort: Su Quan.
Liao Consort: Li Mochou.
Qin Consort: Tian Yan.
Yuan Consort: Zhao Min.
The martial world was shaken.
Countless young heroes secretly shed tears.
Their goddesses were gone.
But an imperial wedding was no simple affair. Sacrifices to Heaven, countless rituals—it lasted all day until nightfall.
Just when everything had finally quieted down, the head eunuch Xuandezi rushed in with a shocking report:
"Your Majesty—Song Consort Huang Rong has run away!"