Chapter 181: First-Class Duke of Chengen.

Chapter 181: First-Rank Marquis of Grace.

The Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, located within the inner palace, was slightly larger in scale than the emperor's Hall of Supreme Harmony and the empress's Palace of Phoenixes.

Originally built by Emperor Taizu for his birth mother, it later became the residence of successive Empress Dowagers of Great Yan.

After Huo Ling became Empress Dowager, she chose the Jingyang Palace near the Hall of Supreme Harmony for its convenience in political participation, expanding it into the Palace of Longevity and Peace.

Meanwhile, the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility remained vacant.

Yang'an's stance was already clear—rather than waiting passively, it was better to take a bold gamble. If peaceful remonstrance could not persuade the Empress Dowager to return power, then armed remonstrance would be the next step.

Imperial power brooks no gentleness or humility.

Imperial authority had always been built upon bloodshed and brutality.

Yang'an was sure Ji Xianshan grasped this better than she did.

Ji Xianshan raised his head, his eyes held unmistakable sorrow.

Seeing his silence, Yang'an grew anxious, worried his stubbornness would blind him. "I know you share a deep bond with Her Majesty, but you must understand—what she seeks is not rare treasures or lavish indulgences. If that were all she wanted, things would be simple. Not a single coin would come from you or the treasury—I would gladly fund it myself to fulfill my filial duty."

Ji Xianshan motioned for her to calm down. "I understand what you mean, Second Sister."

"Good that you do." Yang'an dared not push him too hard, especially since Ji Xianshan was still ill. "Very well, I know you may need time to think this through. After all, this matter requires careful planning. Take these days to reflect. Once you've recovered, I'll return to ask for your decision."

Ji Xianshan shook his head, his words catching Yang'an completely off guard. "No time for hesitation. This must be done swiftly—and unexpectedly."

Just days ago, Teacher Song had visited him in the palace, mentioning that his assignment had not yet been finalized and that he would likely stay until after Ji Xianshan's capping ceremony. Yet yesterday, a sudden transfer order came through, without even letting him bid farewell in person.

He had to pay the price for his recklessness and impulsiveness.

Her Majesty was already eyeing him with suspicion and wariness. The longer they delayed, the fewer opportunities they would have to act or react.

"You—"

Yang'an was taken aback by Ji Xianshan's resolve—she had expected a much longer struggle to persuade him.

But this was for the best. The sooner he resolved himself, the better.

His frail body couldn’t handle deep thought for long. Ji Xianshan rubbed his temples and sat by the couch.

"Tomorrow is the grand assembly. First, tell me—what plans do Prince Cheng and Prince Su have?"

Yang'an, both surprised and delighted, quickly poured Ji Xianshan a cup of warm water and pressed it into his hands. "Prince Cheng intends to rally the imperial clan and senior ministers to fiercely condemn the Mandate of Heaven Prophecy during the assembly, exposing the Empress Dowager’s ambitions to more people. This will aid our subsequent actions.

"This time, the opposition against the Empress Dowager and the demand for her to return power will far surpass previous attempts. If she remains obstinate as before, expelling dissenters from the capital, it will only stoke greater resentment.

"As for Prince Su, he claims he can reach out to some of the late Prince Su’s old allies..."

Yang'an detailed the plans of several senior clan members.

She studied Ji Xianshan before adding, "Of course, if you find any of this unsuitable, you may say so directly."

Ji Xianshan coughed lightly, pressing a hand to his chest. "Let it proceed. Since Prince Cheng and the others have already made arrangements, we’ll follow their lead. Tomorrow, I will plead illness and skip the grand assembly. In the days to come, I will stay in seclusion.

"Second Sister, do not visit the palace to contact me anymore—it’s too conspicuous. I have a discreet line of communication. If you need to reach me, use this channel. It is completely covert—no one will detect it."

Ji Xianshan gave Yang'an the name of a jewelry shop in the western city, instructing her to send word through its owner if necessary.

After quickly settling the details, Princess Yang'an took her leave, leaving Ji Xianshan to rest in his chamber.

Ji Xianshan took a sip of hot water but, distracted, choked as it went down the wrong pipe.

Clutching his chest, he coughed violently, his pale face turning beet red.

After taking several deep breaths, his gaze fell upon the nearby candlestick.

He reached out, fingertips brushing against the flickering flame, feeling the searing pain as it scorched his skin.

The wavering firelight reflected in his eyes, as if igniting a wildfire within, burning everything to ashes.

"Between mother and son, this must end."

***

The grand court assembly in the seventh month of the eighteenth year of the Celestial Reign would go down in history.

The Emperor, claiming illness, did not attend.

Led by Prince Cheng of the Second Rank and Su Jùnwáng, the imperial clan members, along with a handful of officials headed by Chen Haoyan, all stepped forward to denounce the Mandate of Heaven Prophecy.

Before the entire court, Prince Cheng declared firmly, "A mere fraudulent monk dares to spread false prophecies and falsely claim divine mandate. He should be executed as a warning to others."

Some officials even questioned Huo Ling, "How does this not betray our ancestors? How will you answer to the late Emperor?"

Others went further, boldly accusing the Empress Dowager of controlling the court and now coveting her own son’s throne.

Naturally, the Empress Dowager’s faction wouldn't stand for such disrespect.

Without her needing to speak, her supporters stepped forward to rebuke the opposition, even calling their words treason and deserving of death.

Even the Imperial Director of Astronomy, who usually kept to the background in court, came forward to interpret the celestial phenomenon—when the Empress Dowager received the Qiang Rong’s Document of Submission, the sun had suddenly flared with blinding light—as an official sign of "virtue receiving heaven's mandate," meaning the Empress Dowager’s wisdom had gained heaven's approval.

The Imperial Director’s statement served as further proof of the Mandate of Heaven Prophecy.

What escalated the debate to its peak was the passing away of Master Shikong shortly after calculating the prophecy.

Master Shikong, already over ninety years old, might have died any day at his age.

Those who believed in the prophecy interpreted his death as "retribution for revealing divine secrets."

Opponents, of course, dismissed this as mere fabrication.

Regardless of the court’s disputes, the legends of the "Divine Stele" and "Mandate of Heaven Prophecy" became even more shrouded in mystery among the people following Master Shikong’s death.

The arguing raged on even as Li Yichun, Duke of Stabilizing the State, and Lu Huai prepared to leave the capital.

The day before his departure, Li Yichun sent a formal request for an audience with Huo Ling to bid farewell.

"I used to think the capital was better than Qiangzhou, but after seeing all this noise here this past month, I find Qiangzhou much more peaceful."

Huo Ling asked, "Has someone come asking for your help?"

"No," Li Yichun shook his head. "I was the one who personally presented that Divine Stele to you—who would dare approach me? It’s just a pity I must leave too soon to see how this all plays out."

Huo Ling replied, "Such debates never yield any real outcome."

Li Yichun probed, "So you’ll just sit back and watch?"

Huo Ling smiled faintly, unwilling to continue the topic, and turned instead to—

The conversation turned to the cavalry under his command.

Li Yichun smoothly changed the subject too.

He knew damn well Huo Ling had a backup plan.

Li Yichun, the former Qiang Rong King, commanded a loyal elite cavalry force.

After defecting to Great Yan, this cavalry underwent adjustments and downsizing, eventually retaining around 20,000 troops.

Combined with the soldiers drawn from the Wei Mu, Xi Feng, and Mi Qin clans, they formed a 30,000-strong Qiang cavalry, matching the size of the Swallow Feather Army.

This was the maximum military force the Great Yan court would permit.

Speaking of the Wei Mu clan, Li Yichun remarked, "Clan Leader Wei Mu must be sick with regret by now."

During the Empress Dowager’s Longevity Banquet, both she and the emperor had proposed granting the Wei Mu clan a Central Plains surname. Clan Leader Wei Mu happily chose "Ji," the imperial surname.

Of course, it wasn’t entirely his fault—to most outsiders unaware of the circumstances, the imperial surname was obviously the most prestigious choice.

Originally, Clan Leader Wei Mu could have accepted the Empress Dowager’s goodwill, aligning himself with her and pledging his loyalty.

But after that earlier incident, even if the Empress Dowager held no grudge, why would she reuse a tribe that had embarrassed her?

Huo Ling shook her head silently, only asking Li Yichun, "How long until Qiangzhou is fully settled?"

Li Yichun pondered carefully. With his cooperation, the resources Great Yan could allocate, and the capable officials dispatched to Qiangzhou...

"Depends how deep you want to go with reforms. If you want the people of Qiangzhou to wholeheartedly embrace Great Yan and truly identify as its subjects, you’re looking at ten years minimum, maybe twenty."

Time enough to raise a whole new generation.

This generation would be fully immersed in Great Yan’s culture, learning its customs and traditions. Only when they grew up could Qiangzhou achieve lasting peace.

"But if you just want to mobilize troops from Qiangzhou, making it a supply base for Great Yan’s campaign to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, five years at most."

Li Yichun had read Huo Ling’s plans perfectly.

"Too long," Huo Ling said quietly. "Five years..."

Li Yichun stood at attention. "I’ll do my best."

"Good." As daylight faded, Huo Ling stood and walked Li Yichun out a few steps. "Take care."

Li Yichun bowed. "I should be saying that to you, Your Majesty. Please take care."

Huo Ling stopped at the palace gate, having Wu Mo escort Li Yichun the rest of the way.

Not long after, Wu Mo returned to find Huo Ling still standing beneath the corridor, arms folded, watching the blazing sunset.

Huo Ling’s gaze settled on Wu Mo. Suddenly, she reached out, touching Wu Mo’s temple, plucking a white hair from her perfectly arranged hair.

"You’ve gone gray."

Wu Mo touched her own temple and smiled. "Your Majesty sees everything."

Huo Ling said, "You’ll be forty soon. I’ve prepared a gift for you—though it’ll cause some uproar. Many may even petition against you. Does that scare you?"

Wu Mo replied, "Not with Your Majesty watching over me."

Wu Mo had already steeled herself.

No matter what controversy the Empress's gift might stir, Wu Mo was not afraid.

Over the years, she’d struggled to keep pace with the Empress, doing her best not to hold her back. Yet, she still felt she hadn't done well enough—she couldn't share the Empress's burdens like Zhu Qingyun or Sang Xuanqing.

So, if she could be of some help to the Empress, even if it meant being dragged into the cutthroat court intrigues at this critical moment, she wouldn’t back down.

But...

But then...

Wu Mo had braced herself, yet she never expected the Empress to prepare such a gift for her.

It was an edict.

An edict conferring the title of First-Rank Marquis of Cheng'en upon the Empress Dowager’s younger sister and Palace Official, Huo Wu Mo.