The Great Yan Imperial Capital had not slept.
Rumours moved faster than armies.
The Fifth Prince had taken the Northern Border.
The governor of Frostwood had bowed.
House Zhao had sworn loyalty.
An undead legion marched beneath the snow.
And now—
for the first time in years—
People inside the capital were whispering a dangerous question.
What if the discarded prince returned?
Inside the Third Prince's palace, the atmosphere was colder than the northern winter.
Servants moved like ghosts.
No one dared make eye contact.
Even the guards at the gate stood straighter.
Because everyone knew—
His Highness was angry.
Very angry.
And unlike normal people, Chen Lie looked calmer when he was most dangerous.
He stood inside the war chamber, dressed in black robes embroidered with golden dragons, staring at the massive map spread across the stone table.
The Northern Border.
Every village.
Every trade route.
Every road leads south.
Across from him stood the commanders of the Black Iron Army.
Elite generals.
Veterans.
Men who had killed kingdoms for less.
And yet—
None of them spoke first.
Because the silence was sharper than swords.
Finally, Chen Lie broke it.
"My Fifth Brother has become popular."
His voice was calm.
That was worse.
General Xu, commander of the Black Iron Army, lowered his head.
"The north supports him because they are desperate."
Chen Lie nodded.
"Yes."
He tapped the map.
"Desperate people are dangerous. They begin to believe in heroes."
His fingers stopped on the Northern Border Outpost.
"He must die before belief becomes law."
Simple.
Cold.
Absolute.
The generals bowed.
"As Your Highness commands."
But Chen Lie raised a hand.
"No."
He looked toward them.
"This is no longer an assassination."
His eyes were like winter steel.
"This is war."
There it was.
The room felt heavier.
The Black Iron Army.
Fifty thousand elite soldiers.
Not hidden blades.
Not merchant tricks.
War.
General Xu straightened.
"When do we march?"
Chen Lie smiled faintly.
"Publicly."
That made everyone pause.
Public war against an imperial prince was dangerous.
Political.
Messy.
Unless—
The reason was perfect.
Chen Lie picked up an official decree sealed with the imperial dragon.
"My Fifth Brother has made that easy."
He read calmly.
Fifth Prince Chen Sheng,
by raising a private army,
seizing military outposts,
controlling noble territories,
and summoning forbidden ghost armies,
You stand accused of rebellion against the Great Yan Throne.
He placed the decree down.
The words were beautiful.
Legal murder.
Classic imperial politics.
General Xu understood.
"An imperial suppression campaign."
Chen Lie nodded.
"Father will remain silent."
Because silence was permission.
Because emperors loved plausible innocence.
Because royal families were terrible.
He smiled.
"We march in seven days."
The generals knelt.
The war had begun.
—
Far away in the Northern Border, I was trying to enjoy breakfast.
This was apparently illegal.
Hu Mei sat across from me, stealing food from my plate like this was a marriage test.
Mo Jianli was arguing with Fa Yun about whether demons could appreciate poetry.
The answer was no.
But loudly.
Feng Yuehuang drank tea with the expression of someone judging the entire human race.
Beautifully.
Peacefully.
Dangerously.
I had almost convinced myself life was manageable—
When a scout sprinted into the hall.
He dropped to one knee so fast I respected the commitment.
"Your Highness!"
I sighed.
"Yes, disaster?"
He swallowed hard.
"The capital has issued an imperial decree."
There it was.
Breakfast ruined.
Again.
I took the scroll and opened it.
Read it once.
Then again.
Then laughed.
Actually laughed.
Hu Mei blinked.
"That bad?"
I handed her the decree.
She read it.
Then grinned.
"Oh."
She looked delighted.
"They made you official."
Exactly.
That was the important part.
Not rebel.
Recognised rebel.
Very different.
Yue Lian entered behind the scout, already carrying military reports.
She looked at my face.
"War?"
I nodded.
"War."
Simple.
Honest.
Necessary.
Feng Yuehuang set down her tea.
Her golden eyes met mine.
"No more hidden battles."
I smiled.
"No."
I stood.
"No more pretending."
The room changed.
Every summon.
Every ally.
Every loyal soldier.
They all understood.
This was the line.
Before today, I was surviving.
After today—
I was marching.
I walked to the strategy table and spread the decree across it.
"Third Brother sends fifty thousand soldiers."
Mo Jianli smiled like a man invited to a festival.
"Finally."
Ye Shura rested her spear on her shoulder.
"Acceptable."
Fa Yun sighed like enlightenment had once again failed him.
Reasonable.
I pointed at the map.
"The Black Iron Army will come through the southern pass."
Yue Lian nodded.
"Their supply lines depend on three mountain roads."
Good.
Very good.
I smiled slowly.
"Then we do what all responsible rulers do."
Hu Mei raised a brow.
"Tax fraud?"
"Ambush."
She nodded.
"Much more respectable."
Lord Xue entered.
Then, Old Master Zhao.
Then Bai Wuchen.
One by one—
the people who had chosen this path.
No hesitation.
No retreat.
Only war.
I looked around the room.
At the governor.
At the noble house.
At the undead general.
At the woman who could either save me or kill me, depending on the day.
Honestly—
excellent leadership team.
I placed my hand over the map.
"The empire calls this rebellion."
I looked up.
"Good."
Silence.
Then I smiled.
"Let's give them a rebellion worth remembering."
The room answered with killing intent.
Outside, the crimson banner of the Fifth Prince rose higher against the northern sky.
Seven days.
Fifty thousand soldiers.
An empire calling for my death.
Perfect.
I had been thrown into exile to disappear.
Instead—
I was about to teach the capital what exile looked like when it came home with an army.
And somewhere far away—
Chen Lie was preparing for war.
Good.
So was I.
But unlike him—
I had something stronger than imperial authority.
I had people willing to fight beside me.
And that?
That was how thrones were stolen.