Chapter 623: The Imperial Jade Seal

Silence.

The entire venue was deathly silent.

Everyone thought they had misheard.

The scene, which had been filled with incessant mockery just a moment ago, came to an abrupt halt.

What did they hear?

Did they hear wrong?

The Imperial Jade Seal?

The Imperial Jade Seal!

Even Xie Tianyao's eyes were filled with excitement, bursting with a sharp glint as he looked at Iron Wood City: "What are you saying? The Imperial Jade Seal?"

The rest of the people at the venue were also in an uproar.

"What?"

"Did I mishear? The Imperial Jade Seal?"

"Is it real or fake?"

"Iron Wood City, you cannot speak nonsense! Otherwise, it is the crime of deceiving the Emperor!"

The entire venue exploded.

The Imperial Jade Seal!

The He Family Jade?

Yes, in history, the only object that could be called the Imperial Jade Seal was that piece of He Family Jade! What is the Imperial Jade Seal?

The Imperial Jade Seal, abbreviated as the Imperial Seal! It was carved from the He Family Jade by the Qin Dynasty Prime Minister Li Si under the orders of Qinshihuang. It is the proof of legitimacy for every Emperor of Huaxia!

It is four inches square, with five dragons intertwined on the knob, and the eight characters "Received from Heaven, may you have long life and eternal prosperity" written by Li Si engraved on the front, serving as a token of "Heaven-Given Imperial Power and legitimate authority."

After the Qin, successive Emperors regarded obtaining this seal as a divine omen and cherished it as a rare treasure; it was the heavy vessel of the state. Obtaining it symbolized that one had "received the mandate from Heaven," while losing it indicated that one's "fate had come to an end." Anyone who ascended to the throne without this seal was mocked as a "blank-slate Emperor," appearing to lack the necessary foundation and being despised by the world.

Throughout the ages, those who coveted the throne fought over it, causing the Imperial Seal to change hands repeatedly, drifting through the Divine Land for over two thousand years, appearing and disappearing, until it finally vanished without a trace, leaving people to sigh.

In other words, no matter which dynasty an Emperor belonged to, they all wanted to possess the Imperial Jade Seal because it was the representative of legitimacy!

Only a royal family that truly possessed the Imperial Jade Seal was recognized by the world!

There are many stories regarding the Imperial Jade Seal in history.

"In the nineteenth year of King Zheng of Qin (228 BC), Qin defeated Zhao and obtained the He Family Jade. Later, after unifying the world, Yingzheng took the title of First Emperor and ordered Li Si to carve the Imperial Jade Seal in Small Seal Script, with the eight bird-worm seal characters 'Received from Heaven, may you have long life and eternal prosperity' engraved on the front by the jade artisan SunShou. This jade seal is the token of legitimacy for every Emperor in Chinese history.

The meaning of "Received from Heaven, may you have long life and eternal prosperity" is: (Since I) have received the mandate of Heaven and become Emperor, (I) should ensure the people live long and the nation's fortune remains permanently prosperous.

It is rumored that in the twenty-eighth year of King Zheng of Qin (219 BC), when Qinshihuang was crossing DongtingLake on a Dragon Boat, a sudden storm arose and the boat was about to capsize. Qinshihuang hurriedly threw the Imperial Jade Seal into the lake, praying to the gods to calm the waves. The jade seal was thus lost. Eight years later, someone in HuayinPingshudao presented this Imperial Seal. The Imperial Jade Seal returned to Qin.

In the winter of the first year of Ziying of Qin (207 BC), the Duke of Pei, Liubang, led his army to Bashang. Ziying knelt and presented the jade seal at the side of the road to Xianyang, and the Qin Dynasty fell. When the High Ancestor executed Xiangji and ascended to the throne, he wore the seal as part of his imperial attire, passing it down through generations, calling it the Han Imperial Seal. However, the "Yingshi Hanguan" and "Huangfu Shiji" record that the inscription on the "Han Imperial Jade Seal" was "Received from Heaven, may you have long life and health."

At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, the maternal relative Wang Mang usurped power. At that time, the child Liuying was young, and the seal was hidden with the Empress Dowager in ChanglePalace. Wang Mang sent his cousin WangShun to demand it; the Empress Dowager was furious and scolded him, throwing the seal to the ground and breaking a corner. Wang Mang ordered artisans to repair it with gold.

When Wang Mang's army was defeated and he was killed, the Imperial Guard Captain Gongbin obtained the Imperial Seal and rushed to Wan to present it to the Gengshi Emperor, Liuxuan.

In the third year of the Gengshi Emperor, Liuxuan (25 AD), the Red Eyebrow Army killed Liuxuan and installed Liupenzi. The Imperial Seal changed hands to Liupenzi.

Later, Liupenzi was defeated at Yiyang and handed the Imperial Seal over to the Han Guangwu Emperor, Liuxiu.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Eunuchs monopolized power. In the sixth year of the Zhongping era of Emperor Ling, He Jin entered the palace to execute the Eunuchs; DuanGui fled with the Emperor, and the jade seal went missing.

By the time of Emperor Xian, Dong Zhuo caused chaos. SunJian led his army to attack and enter Luoyang. One day at the hour of the dragon, soldiers saw five-colored clouds in a well in the ZhenPalace south of the city. They sent someone into the well and saw a palace maid who had committed suicide by jumping into the well, with a small box tied around her neck. Inside the box was the Imperial Jade Seal. SunJian felt as if he had found a great treasure and hid it secretly with his wife, Lady Wu.

Later, YuanShu detained Lady Wu and seized the seal.

After YuanShu died, the Jingzhou Inspector XuJu carried the seal to Xuchang. At that time, Caocao held Emperor Xian hostage to command the feudal lords, and thus the Imperial Seal returned to the Han royal house.

In the first year of the Yankang era of Emperor Xian of Han (220 AD), the Emperor was forced to "abdicate," and Caopi established the Wei Dynasty, changing the era name to Huangchu. He ordered people to engrave the clerical script characters "Great Wei Received the Han Imperial Jade Seal" on the shoulder of the Imperial Jade Seal to prove he did not "usurp the Han," which was truly an attempt to cover up the obvious.

In the history of Liu Zheng's past life.

The Imperial Jade Seal was lost during the Yuan Dynasty.

But in this world, the Imperial Jade Seal of the Longyan Dynasty was lost nearly a thousand years ago.

According to historical records: "During the War of the Eight Princes of the Longyan Dynasty, the fires of war spread across the Central Plains, the imperial court was weak, the ancestral temples were in danger, a poisonous Empress Dowager monopolized power, the Prince of Qi deposed the Emperor and usurped the throne, the various princes were enraged and besieged Jinghua City. The Prince of Qi ordered his confidant, the Yi Army Captain LiHan, to escape Jinghua with the jade seal, hoping to make a comeback. Later, Jinghua City fell, the Prince of Qi was imprisoned until his death, and LiHan attempted to take the jade seal to defect to the Prince of Pingcheng, but was killed by the Qiang on the way. Since then, the Imperial Jade Seal has been missing."

Afterward, the Tang King of Longyan successfully ascended the throne and offered a heavy reward, wanting to find the Imperial Jade Seal to prove his "Heaven-Given Imperial Power," but he only received a few fakes.

Because he lacked the Imperial Jade Seal, the Tang King ordered people to carve several "Treasures of Received Mandate," "Treasures of Fixed Mandate," and other jade seals to console himself.

Since then.

The Longyan Dynasty has had no Imperial Jade Seal.

This is also why every change in imperial power triggers a bloody storm and a cruel struggle for the throne.

Because the Imperial Jade Seal is the proof of imperial power.

Without this object, anyone can covet the throne!

This is a supreme existence, a symbol of power!

Every successive Longyan Emperor has made finding the Imperial Jade Seal their dream. This includes Xie Tianyao, yet for over a thousand years, there has been no news of the Imperial Jade Seal!

However, today...

Suddenly hearing news of the Imperial Jade Seal, who could not be shocked?

The Crown Prince Xie Fang and the others were even more stunned, incredibly excited.

Xie Tianyao could not contain his excitement, staring straight at Tiemucheng, his voice cold: "Tiemucheng, this matter is of great importance. Do you know that those who have falsely claimed to have found the Imperial Jade Seal several times have already had their nine generations executed!"

Tiemucheng bowed and said: "Your Majesty, this subject does not dare to claim absolute certainty, but I am seventy percent sure!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue gasped.

Seventy percent certainty is already quite significant.

Xie Tianyao gripped the railing: "Speak!"

Tiemucheng continued: "Reporting to Your Majesty, Tiemucheng recently happened to obtain this map, which is the tomb of the Great Khan Tuolei of our Qiang tribe! Judging from the map, this tomb is massive in scale and secretly aligns with the mysteries of heaven and earth and the Longyan arts of geomancy. Tiemucheng believes there is a seventy percent chance that the Imperial Jade Seal is inside this tomb!"

Once this speculation emerged.

The entire venue was in an uproar once again.

If this matter is true, then this grand gift from Iron Wood City is truly sincere enough!

Swish, swish, swish.

A uniform gaze looked toward Liu Zheng once again.