Chapter 500: The Throne at Last

"Is what the Ancestor says true? Has the Loyal King truly awoken?" Li Li Liangcheng asked, summoning his courage.

The Ancestor was very decisive. "Wei, go bring the Loyal King here. We're choosing an Emperor today; since he's awake, he shouldn't be absent."

Wei Wubing bowed in acceptance, turned and walked out of the great hall, whoosh—in an instant, he performed a vanish-on-the-spot technique. They were all Grandmasters, and only in front of the Ancestor would they behave as meekly as little quails. Away from the Ancestor, they were all 'gods' among mortals.

Noble Consort Gao suddenly stopped her weeping. "What is to become of my son? The throne was rightfully his—how wretched he is! Ancestor, someone poisoned my son to steal his throne. Please, Ancestor, see that justice is done."

"Justice will be served. Later, this old man will purge the household."

"But the throne was my son's to begin with. Even if he is no longer capable, his eldest son should inherit the throne."

"Impossible! A young emperor with an uncle regent is the path to disaster. The realm is in turmoil now; what the court needs is a vigorous, prime-of-life Emperor, not a child emperor." The Ancestor spoke in a flat tone, instantly extinguishing Noble Consort Gao's delusions.

The ministers nodded one after another in agreement. Exactly so—a young emperor with an uncle regent is the path to disaster! The Ancestor truly sees far ahead.

"May I ask the Ancestor, who is fit to be Emperor?" Li Li Liangcheng bowed and inquired, even more deferential than when facing Emperor Emperor Taixing. If Emperor Emperor Taixing had a spirit in the heavens, he would likely be furious enough to die again.

"Just follow your method and vote. Whoever wins, wins. This old man will stay with you today until a new Emperor is chosen, to ensure every person present is safe."

The implication: with him present, there was no need to worry about anyone being poisoned. No matter who was chosen as Emperor, they would safely ascend the throne and become the Empire's new Son of Heaven.

Li Li Liangcheng let out a long breath. The Ancestor not interfering with the choice of heir, not interfering with the vote, made him feel immensely relieved. If the Ancestor had insisted on interfering, he would have been inwardly panicked, not knowing how to stop him. In truth, he couldn't have stopped him at all.

The Ancestor truly lived up to his name—the stabilizing pillar of the royal house, and even more so the stabilizing pillar of the entire realm.

"Zhou Zhou Mobai, Liaocheng—the altar exploded, the late Emperor fell into a coma, and ultimately passed away. Do you two know your fault?"

"We ask the Ancestor to punish us."

While the Loyal King had yet to arrive and the vote had not yet begun, the Ancestor suddenly pointed his spear at the two Grandmasters. It seemed he intended to settle the case of Emperor Emperor Taixing's sudden death on the spot, in front of all the officials.

"You two ought to have been at the late Emperor's side protecting him, ensuring his safety. When the altar exploded, where were you two?"

The Ancestor's expression was bland, not appearing severe. Yet Zhou Zhou Mobai and the other both broke out in a cold sweat.

These two were Grandmasters, after all.

Between Grandmasters, there were clearly walls as well. The gap between one Grandmaster and another was greater than the gap between a person and a dog.

"Reporting to the Ancestor, I was injured and recuperating outside the city. When the altar exploded, I was not within the city." Zhou Zhou Mobai explained with his head lowered.

Liaocheng uttered a Buddhist invocation and said, "The late Emperor was quite stubborn by nature and refused to let this old monk attend him. He said this old monk believes in Buddhism, that Buddhism and the Dao clash, and it would hinder his cultivation. When the altar exploded, this old monk was in closed-door cultivation at Wuxiang Temple. Amitabha, this old monk failed in his duty. I ask the Ancestor to punish me."

"This tribulation was fated!" the Ancestor said flatly. "But that you two failed in your duty is an indisputable fact. Will you accept punishment?"

"We accept!"

"Good that you accept!"

As soon as the words fell, Zhou Zhou Mobai and the other suddenly dropped to their knees on the ground, faces savage with terror, sweat soaking through their garments, seemingly enduring immense agony, yet not daring to make a single sound.

Every official present watched this scene with looks of fear on their faces. The timid ones cried out on the spot.

Each and every one was deathly pale, looking nothing like the living.

The air in the great hall seemed to have been frozen, so cold it made one's whole body stiff.

It was not until Wei Wubing arrived with the Loyal King, who had only just awakened, that this terrifying scene was broken.

The pressure vanished abruptly. Zhou Zhou Mobai and the other collapsed on the ground, as if just fished out of water, their entire bodies weak, sprawled in a heap.

The Ancestor said slowly, "Considering your past merits, I spare your lives. The various matters that occurred during the late Emperor's coma, this old man will question you one by one later. You two may withdraw for now."

"Yes!"

Zhou Zhou Mobai and the other propped up their weakened bodies and nearly crawled out of the great hall. Those were Grandmasters!

The officials looked at the unremarkable Ancestor, feeling nothing but fear in their hearts, dreading that they might be next.

"The Loyal King has recovered." The Ancestor's attitude suddenly shifted, his tone warm and genial.

"Many thanks to the Ancestor for saving my life." The Loyal King, bearing the face of one just recovered from grave illness, stepped forward and bowed deeply, performing a grand salute.

"If you want to thank someone, thank the Noble Consort. Were it not for her risking danger to summon this old man from closed-door cultivation, I could not have saved you."

The Loyal King was very teachable. He immediately turned and bowed his thanks to Noble Consort Gao.

Noble Consort Gao was filled with regret, fury, and bewilderment.

She had summoned the Ancestor, yet failed to keep the Prince of Yan's throne, and even failed to keep the Prince of Yan's life.

She burst out wailing, "What is this consort to do!"

"Rest assured, Noble Consort. This King will see to your care in your old age and see you to your end." The Loyal King immediately pledged.

"No need. This consort has her own grandson; it's not your turn to curry favor." Noble Consort Gao refused harshly, without the slightest courtesy. She had no intention of using this chance to mend the relationship.

She could only regret her past choices.

Had she known this would be the outcome, she would never have gone to summon the Ancestor from his seclusion. That way, the Loyal King would not have benefited.

Noble Consort Gao was unable to cry even though she wanted to.

This place had nothing to do with her anymore; everything was over. She departed in despair, leaving this place of sorrow.

The Loyal King, meanwhile, went to the Piandian to wait.

His sudden appearance startled the other Imperial Princes and lords for a moment. What had seemed a foregone conclusion was instantly full of variables again.

With the Loyal King's arrival, who could block his momentum?

It's over!

The Prince of Jin was even more lost in spirit, as if gripped by fate by the throat; every breath was pain straight from the depths of his lungs.

With the Ancestor presiding, the voting scene was quiet and solemn.

Everyone instinctively tucked away their petty schemes.

Regardless of how they felt emotionally, at this moment, as officials of the court, they cast their sacred vote with the calmest, most rational consideration.

In the end, the Loyal King won by a wide margin—more than ten votes over the second-place Prince of Jin. An undisputed heir to the throne.

Seeing the result, the Ancestor nodded. "Very good!"

He clearly approved of this outcome, approved of the Loyal King's capability.

The ministers were relieved, as if they had finally completed a fated task. They exhaled in unison, wiping the sweat from their brows in unison.

When Qiu Qiu Defu arrived at Piandian and announced the result, sure enough, everyone had long been mentally prepared.

After many twists and turns, the throne ultimately fell into the hands of the Loyal Prince.

The Chosen One, destined by fate!

Emperor Emperor Taixing had exhausted every scheme, willing to tear down his own Great Wall just to depose the Crown Prince, yet in the end the throne still fell into the Loyal Prince's hands. If Emperor Emperor Taixing's spirit lingered in the heavens, would he be so furious he'd pry open his coffin lid, crawl out, and bite everyone to death?