Chapter 152: To Take the Realm with a Three-Foot Sword—This Is Not Fate

All fell silent.

The three of you have entered the Imperial City Bureau; the guards on either side looked utterly at a loss.

Xie Linghao and Zhang Lin also wore expressions of terror; they knew full well what was about to happen, yet dared not hinder the Young Protector's decision in the slightest.

If the Heavenly Drum is struck hard, the capital will tremble!

This drum has lain silent for decades; it embodies the people's will, signaling the peace and prosperity under the Emperor's rule.

The three exchanged silent glances, each inwardly uneasy, daring not to move.

After all, Chen Sanzhong's blood had not yet dried.

Inside the Grand Hall of the Imperial City Bureau, a colossal drum stood towering, its width stretching a full zhang.

They knew well that since the founding of the Daqing dynasty by the High Ancestor, this drum had been struck only three times in over four hundred years.

Each strike foretold a matter capable of overturning heaven and earth.

The first strike occurred during Emperor Jing's reign. At that time, someone pleaded for justice for Master Zhu; the Heavenly Drum shook the capital, its roar echoing across the land. That night, the streets ran red with blood, and the Gold Guard's cavalry crushed the Zhu family's nine clans—even Emperor Jing, famed for his benevolence and humility, saw his historical reputation stained with the epithet "cruel in old age."

The second strike came during Emperor Wu's reign, when a minister urged him to abandon his warlike ambitions and renew the people's welfare. Emperor Wu responded with a purge, heads rolling, and all opposition vanished from court.

The third strike of the Heavenly Drum occurred during the reign of the previous emperor. When the North sought peace, some opposed striking the drum.

What followed was a bloody purge: countless families were destroyed overnight, and several military nobles were exiled.

These three strikes of the Heavenly Drum were each a demonstration of the Son of Heaven's absolute power.

Yet the notion that "even the Son of Heaven is subject to the law like commoners" was merely a joke.

Each strike of the Heavenly Drum was recorded by court historians; both Emperor Wu and Emperor Jing were deemed "morally deficient" precisely because the drum had been struck during their reigns.

Had it not been for that, their temple names might have been raised even higher.

At this moment!

Xie Linghao and the other two felt as if a boulder crushed their chests; they understood—the fourth strike of the Heavenly Drum was imminent!

The capital would shake again!

Zhang Lin's scalp prickled; in each of the past three strikes, the final fate of the Imperial City Bureau had been—

Purge!

Every single member of the Imperial City Bureau died within the following year under fabricated charges.

Only those who had served in the Imperial City Bureau for years knew this outcome.

The Imperial City Bureau shamed the Emperor: "The Son of Heaven's wrath brings a million corpses!"

Zhang Lin realized he must stop you.

You must not strike the Heavenly Drum.

Lu Yu transmitted a message to you, informing you that three others lurked behind the screen—three faces you knew well.

The red-clad woman Yue Tangjiang, the white-robed woman Zou Jiamin, and the woman known as "the sister-in-law of Mount Zhongnan" all watched you with their own emotions.

You gazed toward the screen, yet your heart remained unruffled.

You had come to the capital for one purpose only: to resolve this. The rest, you had no wish to involve yourself in.

The three women behind the screen appeared tense; especially when you raised your head, all three involuntarily averted their eyes.

Especially Xie Lingxuan—she had been separated from you for ten years; now reunited, her heart quickened.

Zou Shuning, for reasons unknown, also felt a flicker of tension—perhaps because the figure crossing the river on the wind had never faded from her memory.

The white-robed woman Zou Jiamin felt something unusual; she had encountered this legendary Young Protector several times before.

As for your plan to strike the Heavenly Drum!

Xie Lingxuan knew your nature: you acted only after careful planning, and she was not worried.

Zou Shuning, however, wondered inwardly: why strike the Heavenly Drum?

You two brothers are weak and isolated in the capital—why provoke both the Emperor and the Grand Empress Dowager?

What do you seek!

At this moment!

Zhang Lin, steeling himself, stepped forward and said: "Young Protector, do not strike it!"

You glanced at this fat-faced man and understood his thoughts.

You smiled and said: "Why not?"

Zhang Lin's face flushed with urgency; he stammered. He had long been accustomed to solving problems with his fists, but before you, he dared not show the slightest insolence.

He feared that if he moved, he would meet the same fate as Chen Sanzhong—joining the Nine Thousand Years in the netherworld.

At that moment, after an internal struggle, Xie Linghao also hurried forward. His voice was tense:

"Young Protector, this act violates propriety."

You merely watched him silently, waiting for his explanation.

Xie Linghao took a deep breath, straightened his robes, and hurried to explain: "First, whether the current Emperor has lost virtue or the Grand Empress Dowager has conspired with the North, there is no concrete evidence."

"To strike the Heavenly Drum based solely on speculation and rumor is profoundly unjust."

Lu Yu, upon hearing this, sneered:

"By the time you find evidence, everyone will be dead!"

Xie Linghao pretended not to hear Lu Yu's mockery and continued: "Second, this drum was established by the High Ancestor for the sake of the common people; thus, it represents the people's will."

"If the Young Protector does not know the people's will and strikes the drum recklessly, it will not only damage the Emperor's prestige but may also incite panic and discontent among the populace."

He took another breath and added: "With your current reputation, surely the Emperor within the palace already knows everything. Whatever the matter, it should be laid bare. The Emperor has long been a man of tolerance—he will surely discern right from wrong."

"Lu Shuai's case will be reviewed by the Three Departments tomorrow. If you strike the Heavenly Drum now, you will humiliate the imperial family and further endanger Lu Shuai's position."

Jiao He, listening nearby, raised his estimation of Xie Linghao.

In official circles, many had said Xie Linghao failed to inherit his father Xie Chunan's worldly wisdom, claiming he lacked tact.

Yet now!

Jiao He saw that Xie Linghao merely had a habit of speaking plainly.

His few words mentioned the people's will and the Emperor, then the Three Departments' review tomorrow; his final remark, seemingly for your benefit, secretly reminded Lu Chen: in the Ministry of Justice's prison still sat Lu Jiaxuan and Wei Gao!

Once the drum is struck, there is no turning back!

"Please, Young Protector, reconsider!"

Zhang Lin echoed: "Young Protector, reconsider."

Jiao He likewise bowed deeply: "Young Protector, reconsider."

Wei Yue, listening nearby, fell into thought; she understood the stakes—striking the Heavenly Drum meant confronting the current Emperor directly.

To oppose the most powerful man in Daqing!

She could not help but worry: what would her cousin think?

The three women behind the screen were tense as well.

They waited for your response.

You looked at Xie Linghao and asked: "Do you know the High Ancestor's life story?"

Xie Linghao's words gradually regained confidence; he spoke calmly: "Of course. The High Ancestor was a true hero of the world."

"He rose in arms at forty-eight, spent seven years destroying Wu and Yan, and became Emperor—open-minded, unbound by convention, bold and confident, never discouraged."

Born a commoner!

"The true commoner emperor: to street thugs he spoke of profit-seeking tricks; to his ministers he spoke of the path to conquering the realm."

"Do posterity call the High Ancestor a thug?"

"Yet no one realizes—he was the true dragon-snake transformation: capable of great or small, harboring the ambition of the roc, yet also the heart of a petty man."

He continued: "There is a legend that the High Ancestor slew a three-headed serpent to establish his empire."

Facing death, the High Ancestor merely laughed and said: "I, a commoner, took the realm with a three-foot sword—is this not fate? My death today is ordained by heaven."

You smiled and said: "When you established the Heavenly Drum, you greatly underestimated this commoner emperor's spirit!"

PS: A bit rushed—fixed some typos!

(End of Chapter)