The late Emperor’s edict was genuine all along. Prince Nolan intended to have it publicly verified, so that every official could witness firsthand that the charges he brought against the Taishang Emperor were not fabricated.
However, if Prince Nolan had taken the initiative to propose this verification, it would have seemed too deliberate. Now that Prince Yuanhua had raised doubts, Prince Nolan simply followed the tide, allowing everyone to formally verify the authenticity of the edict.
Normally, imperial edicts kept in the palace would have backup copies, but this particular edict was different—there was a strong chance no backup existed. Even if there had been one, the Taishang Emperor might have destroyed it.
Fortunately, this edict was handwritten by the late Emperor himself. Prince Nolan immediately summoned all senior ministers and court historians from the late Emperor’s reign to verify the handwriting and confirm the edict’s authenticity.
As expected, the edict presented by Prince Samuel Zhai was examined and unanimously confirmed as genuine by all officials. Prince Nolan was thus recognized as the rightful heir of Eastlyn.
Every minister in the court was shrewd and perceptive. Once the edict was verified, they all knelt and proclaimed Prince Nolan as the new sovereign, jointly submitting petitions to depose both the Taishang Emperor and the young Emperor.
The Taishang Emperor committed patricide and fratricide, usurped the throne, ruled with cruelty and ruthlessness—he must be deposed!
As for the young Emperor, his father’s claim to the throne was illegitimate, so naturally he too was not a rightful ruler, and must be removed.
Driven by the ministers’ momentum, the Eastlyn Taishang Emperor was transformed within three days from a revered, retired sovereign into a deposed tyrant and prisoner. His exalted status was stripped away, leaving him shackled in the dungeons.
His legacy will be forever marked in the historical records; the infamy of his cruelty and ruthlessness can never be erased. The remainder of his life will be spent in Sky Prison.
The Taishang Emperor was guilty of heinous crimes and could not be forgiven lightly. But the young Emperor was innocent; after consigning the Taishang Emperor to Sky Prison, Prince Nolan did not take out his anger on the boy.
Following the precedent set for the Prince of Qing, Prince Nolan granted the young Emperor a princely title, but without a fief. Instead, his palace was built in the capital, and Elder Dowager Xie was permitted to leave the palace to live with her son.
For the young Emperor, this was already the best possible outcome. His reign had been brief and he was still a child, never having enjoyed the privileges of being Emperor. Whether he would resent this fate when grown was no longer Prince Nolan’s concern.
If the young Emperor resents his fate, let him rebel if he has the ability; if not, he must simply endure and live with it.
After the Taishang Emperor was consigned to Sky Prison, Prince Nolan immediately proclaimed the crimes to the realm, ensuring all knew of the Taishang Emperor’s guilt. Most importantly, he declared that the Grand Empress Dowager—his recorded mother—was already dead.
From now on, if anyone claimed to be his mother, they would be an impostor. Even if Prince Nolan personally killed Lady Min, he would not bear the charge of matricide.
Prince Nolan made no attempt to hide his intentions; everyone in the know understood the meaning behind his actions. Lady Min’s final hope was utterly severed by him.
She had hoped to use the title of Prince Nolan’s mother to force him to withdraw his troops, but now that strategy was impossible.
Ruthless and merciless, severing all family ties—even willing to kill his own kin. Lady Min no longer dared to imagine what Prince Nolan might do to her; now, she could only pray to preserve the last thread of Jason Lan’s bloodline.
Of course, that last thread of bloodline did not refer to the maid’s child at Liancastle, but rather to the child born of Clara Phoenixfield—the one who could rely on the Phoenixfield Clan.
Lady Min did not rush to Liancastle to clean up the aftermath; it was not that she cared nothing for Liancastle’s fate, but rather that Jason Lan’s bloodline mattered far more to her.
With only her last few dead-men, Lady Min spurred her horses onward, racing to the remote village where Clara Phoenixfield was in hiding.
Prince Nolan had long since tracked Lady Min’s movements, yet he made no move to stop her. He allowed her to seek out Clara Phoenixfield, to find the child who, in theory, should have lived a peaceful and ordinary life.
Mercy was never his way. The existence of Clara Phoenixfield and Adrian Phoenixfield was always a hidden threat. Serena trusted them, but Prince Nolan did not.
This was a test: as long as Clara Phoenixfield and Adrian Phoenixfield remained loyal to Serena, he would spare the father and daughter—and even the last legitimate heir of the Lan Clan.
If they showed divided hearts, he would show no mercy, dealing with them for Serena’s sake—including the child.
Prince Nolan did not dare let himself idle, for fear of thinking about Serena. After resolving the Taishang Emperor’s affairs, he shifted his focus to Liancastle and Southlyn.
Liancastle was collapsing, its defeat only a matter of time. Prince Nolan’s task was to coordinate the takeover; the real challenge lay in Southlyn.
Southlyn was nothing like Liancastle—its territory was a hundred times larger. Conquering Southlyn would not be accomplished in a month or two, and managing it afterward would be even harder. Prince Nolan weighed whether to destroy Southlyn now, and whether Eastlyn could even absorb such a conquest.
“With the shipment of gold you brought back, Eastlyn can sustain itself for a hundred years. Conquering Southlyn is not an insurmountable problem.” William Wang Jinling, who was responsible for receiving the Former Dynasty’s treasure, knew its quantity even better than Prince Nolan.
While the Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities were still chasing shadows of the treasure, Prince Nolan had already claimed it for himself.
“Then we fight.” William Wang Jinling hadn’t even finished speaking before Prince Nolan made his decision. For Southlyn, he had only one demand: “No matter the cost, I must have the location of Ghost Hall.”
After the battle at Destiny Cliff, the Ghost King vanished from the Nine Provinces Realm. Prince Nolan sent men to search every corner, but found no trace of him. Clearly, the Ghost King had sensed danger and retreated to his old lair with his remaining followers.
“Agreed.” William Wang Jinling loathed Ghost Hall as much as anyone. But the Ghost King was a master at hiding; now, the only person who knew Ghost Hall’s location was Prince Damien of Southlyn.
Until they discovered Ghost Hall’s location, Prince Damien must not die.
The fate of Southlyn was decided in a few words between Prince Nolan and William Wang Jinling; neither saw it as a major issue. After settling the matter, William brought up a truly urgent business that needed immediate attention.
“When will you ascend the throne? The Ministry of Rites has been ready for half a month, and the Astronomical Bureau has already selected all the auspicious dates. You can choose any day you like.”
“Wait.” Prince Nolan answered without hesitation. William Wang Jinling could only massage his forehead in frustration. “Can you please not be so stubborn?”
Prince Nolan glanced at William Wang Jinling but said nothing. William could only sit alone, growing more and more irked as he brooded...
He simply couldn’t understand how someone as calm and rational as Prince Nolan could become so frighteningly stubborn.
Prince Nolan could send a pregnant Serena to Phoenixfield Valley to rest for the sake of the greater good, but he refused to hold the enthronement ceremony until she returned—clinging to this as stubbornly as a petulant child.
William Wang Jinling should count himself lucky he doesn’t know what happened at Destiny Cliff. If he did—if he knew Prince Nolan had calmly gambled Serena’s life on the Life-Link Curse and the Phoenixfield Heiress Brand for the sake of the greater good—he would hate Prince Nolan’s cold logic...