Chapter 38: Where Destiny Belongs

"Has the Emperor of Chu lost his nerve?"

"The Emperor of Jiajing is a ruler of the age—it's only natural for the Emperor of Chu to feel intimidated."

"If you ask me, the world will soon be unified! The one true Son of Heaven must be His Majesty the Emperor of Jiajing of Great Ming!"

"Nonsense. If you ask me? Even a blind man can see it now!"

"I don't want to wander the world anymore. When will Great Ming hold its civil service exam? I want to enter Ming and become an official!"

Among the three thousand scholars, some were cautious, but there were also those who were frivolous.

Certain fence-sitters, thinking they had sniffed out the winds of fate, could hardly wait to kneel before the Emperor of Jiajing and perform the grand ceremony of nine prostrations.

Jiajing was already growing impatient.

He said in a deep voice, "Why does the Emperor of Chu still hesitate? If you know you are inferior, simply surrender the nation to my Great Ming. I can promise the Xiang clan hereditary princely titles, so they may forever enjoy wealth and honor."

Upon hearing this, the scholars looked at the Emperor of Chu with even more disdain.

Weak.

Utterly weak.

The Emperor of Chu must be the weakest ruler of our time; he doesn’t even have the courage to make a move in the presence of Jiajing.

Among the scholars were some from Chu. Now, seeing their own monarch so spineless, they bowed their heads in shame.

"Can I trust you!?" Xiang Ning seemed oblivious to the clamor around her, her bright eyes fixed on Fan Li.

She regarded him as her sole lifeline, yet feared he might deceive her.

"Your Majesty, act without hesitation. If anything goes wrong, I will bear the consequences," Fan Li whispered.

His imperial seal was a reward from the system, genuine beyond doubt.

Given that the only authentic seal was in his possession, Jiajing’s imperial seal must be a counterfeit, lacking the approval of Heaven.

"Very well!"

Xiang Ning gritted her teeth.

"If I become a lost monarch, you must die with me, not betray me and become a turncoat!"

"Even in death, you must accompany me!"

Fan Li was speechless at these words.

It sounded almost like a suicide pact.

"Will you promise me or not?" Xiang Ning was so anxious she was near tears.

She was the sovereign of Chu, bearer of the nation’s fate, yet at this moment she was willing to trust a traitorous minister like Fan Li.

Shouldn’t he be moved to tears?

"Alright, I promise," Fan Li replied helplessly. "If Chu falls because of this, I will die with Your Majesty."

"Good!"

Though her words were ominous, Xiang Ning smiled with delight.

"Stand aside! I will contend with Jiajing!"

Suddenly her momentum surged, and Fan Li was forced to retreat.

At that moment, Xiang Ning gripped the Overlord’s Spear in her right hand, and held Fan Li’s imperial seal in her left, looking truly majestic.

"The Emperor of Chu finally dares to act?"

Among the three thousand scholars below, curiosity stirred.

Yet deep down, they still doubted Xiang Ning could deliver any astonishing performance.

"Heh, courting humiliation," Jiajing sneered.

His voice was not loud, but it reached Xiang Ning’s ears.

"Rise!"

Xiang Ning wasted no words, using the tip of the Overlord’s Spear to lift the imperial seal.

The Overlord’s Spear was unrivaled in power, but it consumed enormous spiritual energy!

With that single blow, Xiang Ning’s entire reservoir of spiritual energy was instantly depleted!

Yet the force contained in the spear’s tip, like a rocket booster, sent the imperial seal soaring into the sky.

The seal, just like Jiajing’s, pressed against the heavens!

None, including Jiajing himself, had yet seen the inscription on the seal.

All were curious, even slightly expectant.

Without comparison, there is no pain; some even hoped Xiang Ning could imprint characters upon the sky as well.

For only then could the scholars properly compare the two sovereigns.

Of course, they merely wanted to see how inferior the Emperor of Chu was to the Emperor of Ming.

None believed she could possibly defeat Jiajing.

"Mandate… of Heaven?"

"Long life… everlasting prosperity?"

In the sky, new characters truly appeared.

Yet all thought their eyes deceived them, for the inscription on Chu’s imperial seal was identical to that of Jiajing’s!

Now!

The vault of heaven was paper, the imperial seal its stamp.

But there can be no two suns; the identical inscriptions began to contend in the sky!

"How can this be!?" someone cried out.

Originally, Jiajing’s eight characters emblazoned the heavens, vast and clear, dominating the sky.

The second seal, sent aloft, paused but briefly before dropping back down, caught by Xiang Ning with care.

Yet that brief, delicate mark rippled the heavens as if a spring pond had been stirred!

The eight bold characters, "Mandate of Heaven, Long Life Everlasting," belonging to Jiajing, collapsed in an instant!

Clouds rolled and churned across the sky, reshuffling as if by magic, erasing every trace of Jiajing’s inscription!

"This is the true Mandate of Heaven, Long Life Everlasting," Fan Li said with a smile.

Above, the eight characters remained, written in archaic script.

Small at first, but gradually enlarging.

Their form never wavered, growing ever clearer and more deeply impressive.

"Great Chu… conforms to the Way of Heaven?"

"The Emperor of Chu is the true Son of Heaven?"

"The Mandate belongs to the Emperor of Chu!"

No one knew who first could not resist, and knelt toward Xiang Ning atop the platform.

Soon, scholars from Chu followed suit.

Of three thousand scholars, more than half were already kneeling.

The few who resisted, gazed at Xiang Ning with conflicted eyes.

Those remaining upright were mostly from Ming, some from Han, a handful lifelong skeptics of Chu.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty."

Lu Chunqiu suddenly spoke.

"This alliance of three emperors ends with Chu as the victor."

"This marquis thanks the three sovereigns again, for the sake of the world, settling the matter with words instead of war."

Every generation of the Marquis of Literary Faith spoke such ceremonial words at the close of the alliance.

Jiajing had long known Lu Chunqiu’s lines, but now found them unbearably grating.

He shot Lu Chunqiu a vicious glare, furious at him for declaring the outcome!

"I am not without stronger means—how dare Lu Chunqiu oppose me?"

Jiajing was incensed.

Suddenly!

He remembered he had signaled to Lu Chunqiu for an answer before the alliance ended—would he submit to Ming?

"Is this Lu Chunqiu’s answer? He refused me?"

"No, it’s more than refusal!"

Jiajing had sensed something amiss from the start; Lu Chunqiu’s attitudes toward the three emperors were clearly different.

Toward himself, fear. Toward Liu Xie, respect. Toward Xiang Ning, deference.

Deference!?

Lu Chunqiu has submitted to the Emperor of Chu?

"Hmph!"

Jiajing slammed the table.

Suddenly, he moved to kill Xiang Ning!

His attack transformed into a surge of bright yellow dragon aura, fierce and direct, charging at Xiang Ning.

This was a strike from the Grand Master realm; in theory, no one in Lu City could withstand it!

"The imperial seal is not a defensive artifact, nor is the Overlord’s Spear! I want to see how you escape me alive from Lu City!"

Jiajing’s expression twisted.

As a ruler of his age, he would never allow anyone to appear more favored by Heaven than himself!