Chapter 1: The Emperor Suddenly Dies!
In the 985th year of the Great Zhou, the Emperor of the Great Zhou suddenly died.
The entire court was thrown into chaos!
Across the land, the feudal lords began to stir restlessly. The nation teetered on the brink of disorder.
The Great Zhou Dynasty followed the feudal system, with over a dozen vassal states. Among them, the most powerful were the Eight Great Feudal Kings:
King Qin—Ying Zheng,
King Tang—Li Yuan,
King Song—Zhao Kuangyin,
King Liao—Yelü Hongji,
King Sui—Yang Jian,
King Yuan—Genghis Khan,
King Qing—Kangxi,
King Ming—Zhu Yuanzhang.
A nation cannot go a day without a sovereign. With the throne vacant, the Nine Great Lords stirred with ambition.
According to ancestral law, the new emperor had to be jointly approved by the Nine Feudal Kings.
In the Tang royal manor in Taiyuan, sprawling across tens of thousands of acres and as grand as the imperial palace itself, King Tang—Li Yuan—sat at the head of a great hall.
Below him stood his four sons—Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin, Li Yuanji, and Li Yuanba—along with trusted advisors and officials.
Li Yuan swept his gaze across the room and said, "Now that the Great Zhou Emperor is dead, our Li Tang's strength is not yet sufficient to conquer the realm. But this is the best time for us to grow. What are your thoughts?"
The eldest son, Li Jiancheng, stepped forward. "Father, I believe we should first support a puppet to ascend the throne. That way, we can develop quickly. We mustn't allow a capable prince to take the throne—it would pose too great a threat to us."
Li Shimin nodded in agreement. "That is precisely my view, Father."
The ministers Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Changsun Wuji also spoke in unison, "We agree with the prince."
Li Yuan nodded in satisfaction. "Hmph. The Emperor of Great Zhou died precisely because he tried to weaken the feudal lords. He overestimated himself and paid the price.
"Now, among the princes, which one do you think is the best candidate for the throne?"
Li Shimin clasped his fists and said, "It should be the Fourth Prince, Ji Hao."
Li Jiancheng, frustrated that Li Shimin spoke first, quickly chimed in, "Father, Shimin is right. Ji Hao was born of a palace maid. He has no powerful maternal family, and though he's said to be quite handsome, he's timid and weak. He's never been favored in the palace. I've heard that a single assassin once frightened him into unconsciousness for days."
"Exactly. That's the kind of emperor we need."
Li Yuan stroked his beard with satisfaction and nodded. "You've thought this through well. Ji Hao, with no power, no background, and no ability, is the perfect choice.
"According to ancestral rules, the new emperor must be jointly recommended by the Eight Kings. This time, Shimin, you'll go to the capital in my place."
Though reluctant, knowing that being away for several months would likely lead to others seizing control of his troops, Li Shimin still replied, "Yes, Father."
Li Jiancheng rejoiced inwardly and exclaimed, "Father, you are wise!"
Li Yuan continued, "Among the Eight Kings, King Qin—Ying Zheng—is the strongest by far, and shows signs of wanting to unify the realm. But I hear his health is failing, and he's been desperately seeking the elixir of immortality.
"His son Fusu is a weak and indecisive scholar. What a pity. For a once-mighty overlord like Ying Zheng to have no worthy heir… Hahaha!"
As he laughed, he glanced with pride at his sons—his eldest skilled in governance, his second both intelligent and martial, and his youngest blessed with divine strength.
When it comes to raising sons, I have every reason to be proud, he thought.
"Father, since Ying Zheng has no worthy heir, we needn't worry about him. We should focus on eliminating Song first. They're the weakest."
"Indeed. That aligns with my thinking."
"This journey will be hard on you, Shimin."
"It's my duty, Father."
Though he said this, a flash of resentment flickered in Li Shimin's eyes.
According to Great Zhou law, only the legitimate eldest son could inherit the throne, and he was not one. I've fought so hard for this empire, yet have no right to inherit it? The thought filled his heart with rage.
Li Yuan then added, "Still, we cannot go empty-handed. A new emperor must have an empress.
"Shimin, before heading to the capital, go to the sacred land of Cihang Jingzhai. Try to bring their Saintess, Shi Feixuan, back to the palace as a concubine.
"The world is about to fall into chaos. I believe, for the sake of the people, they will agree."
Li Shimin understood the real reason but feigned ignorance. "Father, why must we do this?"
"Why? Because once someone from our side is inside the palace, we'll have the advantage. Also, we must find the Imperial Seal. Once we have it, we can suppress the fate of the empire and ascend as its true ruler."
As he spoke, an air of unshakable dominance surged from Li Yuan's body.
"King Tang is wise!"
"Father is wise!"
At the same time, similar conversations were taking place in the manors of King Qin, King Song, King Ming, King Liao, and King Sui.
The sacred sects across the martial world also sprang into action.
Cihang Jingzhai of Tang dispatched Shi Feixuan.
The Yin Gui Sect of Sui sent Wanwan.
The Flower Shifting Palace of Ming sent Jiang Yuyan.
The Song territory sent Huang Rong.
The Yuan territory sent Zhao Min.
From the sacred Dragon Sect of Qing came Su Quan.
From the Qin territory, Tian Yan was sent.
However, for safety, none of the feudal lords sent their eldest sons. They each sent younger sons as representatives to the central capital of Zhongzhou.
These included:
Hu Hai, second son of King Qin—Ying Zheng
Li Shimin, second son of King Tang—Li Yuan
Zhu Di, fourth son of King Ming—Zhu Yuanzhang
Zhao Guangyi, younger brother of King Song—Zhao Kuangyin
Yelü Qi, son of King Liao—Yelü Hongji
Yang Guang, son of King Sui—Yang Jian
Tolui, son of King Yuan—Genghis Khan
Yinzhen (Yongzheng), fourth son of King Qing—Kangxi
(Ps: Purely fictional. Please don't associate with real history.)