Chapter One Hundred Sixteen: One Nation, No Two Emperors

"Xiao Bi?" She was taken aback.

It was such a coincidence; at such a critical juncture, Xiao Bi had chosen this moment to send word.

"Yes!" The middle-aged man scanned both sides quickly before leaning in to whisper, "Master Xin Bi says that the person the General asked him to find has been located!"

Kai Ming’s eyes widened. Xiao Bi had found the old monk! That mysterious figure from some village or temple—had he really found him?

"Xiao Bi... is that truly what he said?" She asked, her voice trembling, unable to believe her own ears. Finding the old monk meant she had found her way back to the modern world. Finding the old monk meant she would no longer have to involve herself in the conspiracies and wars of this inexplicable realm. She could simply and freely go home!

"Yes, I am certain of it!" The middle-aged man scanned the surroundings again with high vigilance, lowering his voice further. "Master also said that if the General wishes to reach the Eastern Palace as soon as possible, arrangements can be made today!"

"Today?!" It was a double surprise. She could no longer find the words to express her gratitude toward Xiao Bi. Dai Yuheng’s order for her to go to the battlefield tomorrow, and his one-month deadline for her to produce a prince—all of that could be cast to the wind. If she could reach the Eastern Palace and find the method to return to the modern world, what more could Dai Yuheng possibly do to her?

Xiao Wan was dead. In this Central Palace, apart from Shao Zi, there was no one left worth lingering for.

"Please," she sighed softly, "make the arrangements as soon as possible. The sooner, the better."

"Yes!"

The dungeon was damp and dark, permeated by an inescapable stench of mold and rot. Cockroaches crawled tirelessly across the floor, fighting with the prisoners for scraps of food.

A disheveled old man in white robes gripped the wooden bars of his cell, shaking them with veins bulging on his hands. The shackles on his wrists clattered like an accompaniment to his furious roars. "You scoundrels! Let me out! Emperor Tian Jue, you dare imprison me? My forces are spread throughout the Central Palace! How dare you!"

His powerful voice traveled through layers of prison gates, echoing across the vacant dungeon.

The cell doors opened one by one. There was the sound of footsteps. A figure entered the dungeon. In the dim light, his features were indistinct; he walked slowly, as if each step required careful deliberation.

The old man stopped his shouting and stared at the approaching figure with a sullen, savage glare.

The visitor stopped at the gate of the cell where the old man was held. He crouched down and raised his head.

The dim light illuminated half of his face. Upon seeing him, the old man’s fury seemed to vanish, replaced by pure, unadulterated shock. "Heng'er?!"

Dai Yuheng offered a faint smile and said softly, "Father, are you comfortable here?"

The old man had just been about to lunge at him, but at these words, his body stiffened. "Heng'er, what does this mean? Emperor Tian Jue saw through my plans and turned the tables, which is why I am imprisoned. Aren't you here today to rescue me?"

Dai Yuheng shook his head gently and smiled. "It was so difficult to get you locked in here; your son is quite pleased with the result."

"Heng'er, you’ve gone mad!" Dai Huang’s face turned ghastly, and he roared, "I am your father!"

"It is precisely because you are my father!" Dai Yuheng interrupted, his smile fading as he spoke with solemnity. "What you desire is what your son desires; what you wish to obtain is exactly what your son wishes to obtain!"

"You unfilial son!" He shook the cell door, gritting his teeth.

"And when have you ever been a kind father?" Dai Yuheng’s expression dropped, his murderous intent fully revealed. "Your son is smarter than you, and you should be happy for it, yet you are jealous of talent and hostile toward me at every turn! You are always looking for ways to send me to my death! What kind of father are you?"

Dai Huang stared at him with a complex expression. "That is because this father realized that my Heng'er wanted too much! More than I could ever give you! So much that you wanted to seize what belonged to me!"

"So you disregarded all morality and human ethics, trying every possible way to kill your own son?" Dai Yuheng stood up abruptly and turned away.

"Heng'er, forgive your father this once; your father is old and muddled." Dai Huang softened his tone, speaking piteously. "Your father was sabotaged by that brat Tian Jue and has already fallen into such a tragic state—don't add fuel to the fire."

"Emperor Tian Jue?" Dai Yuheng gave a desolate smile. "What does he count for? Why don't you think about it—if I have the ability to stand before you today, it naturally means I am capable of dealing with him."

"You..." Dai Huang was also a very clever man; he rolled his eyes and probed, "Could it be?..."

"Indeed." Dai Yuheng gave him a blunt answer. Dai Huang’s face changed instantly, and he stared at him in a daze.

"Your little Emperor Tian Jue is already dead!" Dai Yuheng approached him, his smile sinister and strange.

Dai Huang couldn't help but step back a few paces, his lips trembling. "You killed Emperor Tian Jue?! You killed him? ...Since you killed him, why not let me out?"

Dai Yuheng suddenly bloomed with a beautiful smile. "Because there cannot be two emperors in the Central Palace!"

"Heng'er!" Dai Huang suddenly understood and lunged at the bars, trying to grab Dai Yuheng's sleeve.

Dai Yuheng stepped back immediately, brushed off his long sleeves, and said indifferently, "Everything at home is fine. I will take good care of Mother for you. Father, you may proceed on your journey with peace of mind."

Dai Huang was both terrified and enraged, his face pressed against the bars as he roared at Dai Yuheng, "I don't want to die! Heng'er! You unfilial son! I don't want to die!"

Dai Yuheng ignored him and walked toward the prison exit. The jailer waiting outside bowed to him in haste. Dai Yuheng glanced at him. "See that the bowl of wine I bestowed is administered to the traitor. Once the deed is done, remember to report it to me!"

The jailer promised to do so immediately.

Dai Yuheng walked out of the prison with a composed demeanor. He looked up at the bright sky and a smile touched his lips. No one would ever be able to restrain his hands or feet again.

Seeing him emerge, the eunuchs and guards who had been waiting for a long time immediately fell in behind him. The young eunuch who had just been promoted to Chief Steward hurried forward and said in a soft, deferential voice, "Your Majesty, all preparations for the state funeral are proceeding smoothly. It can be held tomorrow as scheduled."

Dai Yuheng nodded. The eunuch continued, "Your Majesty, there is one more thing. After Emperor Tian Jue passed, there are some beautiful concubines left in the rear palace. Does Your Majesty wish to take them for your own, or shall we dismiss them as palace maids?"

Dai Yuheng paused his steps and smiled faintly. "I had forgotten about that."

The young eunuch looked at him obsequiously. "What is Your Majesty’s will?"

"I have a marvelous idea." Dai Yuheng’s beautiful eyes flickered, and he smiled softly, a charming flush appearing on his cheeks. "To sleep together in life, and to be buried together in death—it would not be a waste of the love Emperor Tian Jue had for them. What do you think?"

The eunuch broke into a cold sweat. Looking at the peony-like beauty of the young emperor before him, yet sensing the chilling murderous intent radiating from his jade-like face, he was so terrified his tongue tied in knots. "This... this servant dare not... whatever Your Majesty says, so it shall be..."

Dai Yuheng burst into loud laughter and reached out to pat the eunuch’s shoulder, nearly knocking him to the ground.

"Your Majesty." A page-eunuch ran over hurriedly and knelt to report, "A woman at the palace gate claims to be your cousin and says she requests an audience with Your Majesty..."

"Send her in," Dai Yuheng said with a smile. After so much time, she must have received the news.

Before long, Zhen Xiaoqiao arrived in plain, thin clothes, her hair uncombed and her makeup unfinished, led by the page-eunuch.

"Cousin, what is going on? I heard you rebelled against the Central Palace and killed the Emperor. Is this true?" Xiaoqiao’s beautiful face drained of color, and she looked him up and down in horror.

Dai Yuheng smiled and took her slender hands. "Who told you I killed the Emperor?"

"Then, why are you in the palace? Why are you wearing these clothes?..." Xiaoqiao looked at him hesitantly.

Dai Yuheng looked down at his imperial robes and smiled lightly. "You are overthinking things. Actually, it happened like this—let's walk while we talk!"

Xiaoqiao, looking dazed, let him hold her hand as they walked forward slowly.

Moving away from the dungeon, they came to a grassy area where stone tables and stools were set up. Dai Yuheng sat down, and palace maids busied themselves serving snacks and tea before withdrawing to the side.

Xiaoqiao watched the servants' actions with immense astonishment, her doubts deepening.

"You know my father—he is ambitious and ruthless, alas!" He sighed. "Last night, he led troops into the palace and killed Emperor Tian Jue..." Xiao Wan let out a gasp. "Such a thing happened?"

Dai Yuheng nodded heavily. "He killed the Emperor, and as a subject, I naturally prioritized the sovereign. Therefore, I captured my father and locked him in prison. The Emperor had no heirs and no other royal brothers, so before he died, he designated me as his successor. I accepted the mandate in a time of crisis and had no choice but to obey. That is how it happened."

Xiaoqiao held her breath as she listened, shaking her head and nodding by turns. After a long while, she said, "This is truly incredible. So now, is your father still in prison?"

Dai Yuheng said with a straight face, "Before he died, the Emperor ordered me to execute my father. I couldn't bear to do it and have kept it hidden until now. I fear that when the public indignation settles, I will still have to use my father as a scapegoat."

Xiaoqiao sighed. "If it truly comes to that, there will be no other way. I never thought—never thought that Uncle would actually commit such an act of treason. It must be very hard on you, Cousin."

Dai Yuheng smiled inwardly. *Cousin, you are simply too naive. The twists and turns here are not something you can understand.*

"Then, now that you are the Emperor, the rear palace must have at least several dozen concubines, if not a hundred!" Xiaoqiao pouted, stealing a glance at him.

Dai Yuheng understood; he feared this was the real point of his cousin's visit. Matters of state and the like were not the concerns of women.

He smiled and said, "The Emperor did indeed leave behind a courtyard full of women..." Xiaoqiao’s expression darkened instantly.

"However, I have already dismissed them."

As soon as these words were out, the surprise on Xiaoqiao’s face was self-evident. She blurted out, "Really?" When she looked up and met Dai Yuheng’s playful smile, a natural blush spread across her face.

Dai Yuheng smiled slightly. "Cousin, rest assured. If others don't know who I hold in my heart, surely you do?" The meaning behind his words could not have been clearer, and Xiaoqiao’s face turned even redder.

"The upheaval in the palace has not yet spread outside. How did you know about it, Cousin?" Dai Yuheng picked up a pastry and gently placed it in Xiaoqiao's hand.

Xiaoqiao was slightly startled and stammered, "It... it was Father who told me..."

"Does Uncle also think that I was the one who killed the Emperor?" He looked at her, smiling gently. "Cousin, this is a great misunderstanding. I have said before that I need the help of Uncle's influence, and now it seems it is an urgent matter. Please, I must ask Uncle to set his heart at ease. The new administration of the Central Palace needs him, and I, Dai Yuheng, also need you, Cousin Xiaoqiao."

These words made Xiaoqiao bloom with joy, her face glowing. Apart from nodding with a sweet heart, she had no other thoughts left.