Chapter 569: Ascension to the Throne

Chapter 569: Ascension to the Throne

“Present your tablets—prostrate yourselves—worship Heaven—rise!”

Within the imperial palace of the capital city in Great Liang, the magnificent Temple of Heaven seemed to possess some mysterious ability to amplify sound, carrying the aged eunuch’s recitation of the imperial edict far and wide.

Below the Temple of Heaven, the court officials raised their bone tablets with both hands, following Gao Zhijian as they knelt toward the east. The eight drums at each corner of the temple, struck rhythmically by drummers, echoed with three sharp beats.

Li Huowang stood with Li Sui atop a distant rooftop, silently watching the figure of Gao Zhijian, whose face was hidden behind the flowing tassels of his imperial crown.

“Father, how much longer must we stand? I’m hungry,” Li Sui said, utterly oblivious to the grandeur unfolding around him. His attention always turned first to his most basic needs.

“It’s almost over. Almost.”

“Present your tablets—prostrate yourselves—worship Earth—rise!”

The thin, effeminate voice of the eunuchs soared high, echoing across the vast square in a continuous, resonant chant.

Below the Temple of Heaven, the court officials once again raised their bone tablets and knelt toward the north, following Gao Zhijian.

“Present your tablets—prostrate yourselves—worship the Land and Grain—rise!”

Watching Gao Zhijian proceed through the ritual with calm precision under the guidance of the eunuchs, Li Huowang felt a complex mixture of emotions stirring within him—a feeling he could not name.

This was his brother, his comrade-in-arms, now ascending to the throne.

No matter what had come before, it was clear that their roles would never return to what they once were.

Ji Lin had been transformed into something unrecognizable, and who could say how much of Gao Zhijian's gentle nature would be altered by this place? All he hoped was that his brother would retain his true self and not become someone he himself would loathe.

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, suddenly he saw Gao Zhijian descending from the temple steps once more, surrounded by eunuchs.

Li Huowang descended and approached the Grand Master beside him, asking, “Master, is the coronation ceremony finished?”

“Not yet! After worshipping Heaven, Earth, and the Land and Grain, we still have to pay homage to the Ancestral Temple.” The Grand Master spoke coldly.

“Erjiu, I won’t hold what happened earlier against you. But understand this—matters concerning the dragon veins are matters of state essence. Any mishap will only bring harm to you while you live in this world.”

“Oh.” Li Huowang nodded, then followed Gao Zhijian toward the ancestral temple. It was too late in the process to let his guard down.

Though such an important ceremony would surely be watched over by both the Grand Master and the Celestial Observing Bureau, he couldn’t trust them completely when it came to his brother’s safety.

Following behind the ceremonial procession from a distance, they finally arrived at the entrance of the imperial ancestral temple.

Courtiers and palace ladies remained outside, while only a few elderly eunuchs escorted Gao Zhijian inside.

This time, Li Huowang entered without obstruction, just as before—but he sensed an increase in unseen gazes upon him.

“Boy, you are the new emperor of Great Liang? What is your surname?” A voice, echoing from the Nine Dragon Coffin, rang out.

“Gao.”

“Pathetic… pathetic. In the end, the Ji family has no heir left. Heh heh…” The former emperor laughed bitterly.

From his reaction, someone had already explained things to him.

Under the direction of the eunuchs, Gao Zhijian personally placed offerings on the dragon vein, lit three incense sticks, and bowed three times before the coffin.

Just as he completed his final bow, the Grand Master quickly stepped forward, drawing a jade scroll from his robes. Holding it before the coffin, he unfolded it.

The scroll was peculiar—its outer shell was made of jade, but the inscriptions within were like paper so light and soft it resembled tofu.

The delicate paper fluttered like phoenix feathers, then undulated like a real dragon covered in scales, golden ancient characters appearing and disappearing amidst its movement.

“By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The late emperor passed away suddenly, returning to the Five Elements. By the grace of Heaven and the blessings of past emperors, by the will of the departed sovereign, I am appointed to inherit the throne…”

As the Grand Master began reading aloud from the scroll, a deep dragon roar emerged from the coffin, gradually transforming into a mighty dragon cry.

A powerful aura swept over everyone present, pressing down so heavily that even breathing became difficult. Only by prostrating themselves could one find relief.

Just as Li Huowang gritted his teeth and pulled Li Sui behind him, something he could sense but not see suddenly burst forth from the coffin, enveloping Gao Zhijian, who knelt before it.

Gao Zhijian’s skin cracked like dragon scales, blood spewing from the wounds, soaking his garments entirely.

“Zhijian! Are you alright?” Before Li Huowang could take another step, two old eunuchs, each holding golden dusters, instantly knelt before him.

“Do not panic, Venerable One. The Emperor is bearing the fate of all Great Liang. There must be no mistake.”

Though they were kneeling, the tingling sensation on Li Huowang’s neck reminded him that one more step forward might result in decapitation.

Seeing it was part of the normal procedure, he suppressed his worries and pulled Li Sui to stand quietly nearby.

Gradually, Gao Zhijian’s body began to change—he slowly transformed into the likeness of the emperors within the coffin. Dragon claws, whiskers, horns.

Suddenly, as Gao Zhijian extended his dragon claws toward the sky, everything froze. The overwhelming pressure vanished without a trace.

At that moment, Li Huowang felt a strange sensation—though Gao Zhijian was still far from the dragon vein, he felt as though they were one.

Without needing anyone to explain, Li Huowang knew the coronation was complete. Gao Zhijian had now inherited the fate of Great Liang and truly become its emperor.

Seeing this, Li Huowang gently touched the hilt of his sword, his heart heavy with emotion: “Brother Zhuge, did you see that? Your Great Qi has been saved.”

He remembered the girl whose voice had been hoarse with tears. Now that this had happened, she should survive too, shouldn’t she?

At that moment, the monk looked even more excited than Li Huowang.

“Daoist, you’ve done a great deed—an enormous good deed! You’ve saved so many lives. When you die, you’ll go to the Western Paradise and become a bodhisattva!”

“...” Actually, Li Huowang didn’t mind the act itself—he simply resented being deceived by Zhuge Yuan.

“To govern well, one must reform and innovate. All matters must follow precedent, yet also honor the legacy of our forebears. I, unworthy as I am, rely on loyal ministers and virtuous men to work together for a new order...” Huangfu Tiangang continued reading from the jade scroll, speaking words Li Huowang could barely understand.

But it didn’t matter anymore. With the most crucial step completed, the rest was merely formality.

One last glance at Gao Zhijian’s silhouette, Li Huowang led Li Sui toward the exit. “Sui, let’s go.”

———

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(End of Chapter)