Chapter 60

An Ruhai knelt before the emperor's bed, while the emperor leaned half-reclined on the bed, slowly flipping through the thick report and corresponding evidence that An Ruhai had gathered over the past few days.

"Everything went smoothly?" the emperor asked.

An Ruhai noticed that the emperor was not reading the report and evidence too carefully, as if he was just going through the motions.

"Yes, it went very smoothly. After finding a clue, everything else fell into place naturally," An Ruhai replied.

The emperor laughed, his laughter strange and piercing like that of a night owl. "Smooth is good, smooth is good! Truly fools, fools!"

An Ruhai kept his head down, not daring to say a word. He did not know whether the emperor's call of "fool" was directed at him or someone else.

"Ruhai, what do you think about this matter?" The emperor threw down the report and fixed his eyes on An Ruhai.

An Ruhai looked up, and the emperor's gaze was piercing, as if it could see into his soul. After a moment of shock, he lowered his head again. "Your subject has no opinion. I was ordered to investigate and merely present the results accurately to Your Majesty. As for the rest, it is entirely up to Your Majesty's wise decision."

"Your wise decision? A decision, indeed!" The old emperor laughed again, followed by a violent cough. An Ruhai watched in alarm as blood spattered from the emperor's mouth with each cough. Qin Yi, standing nearby, quickly fetched warm water and a hot towel to help the emperor rinse his mouth and wipe away the blood.

Your Majesty is truly failing. An Ruhai felt a sense of sadness. The emperor was one of the few grandmasters in the Great Chu, but no matter how high his martial arts cultivation, he could not resist the ravages of age and illness. An Ruhai knew that when even the emperor's cultivation could not suppress his pain, the end was truly near.

"This is a palace coup! A coup against me!" The old emperor gasped, raising his hand, and the thick report flew like snowflakes, landing all over An Ruhai.

An Ruhai knelt there, not daring to move.

The emperor had been ill for the past half year, rarely leaving this palace. But his mind was still clear.

An Ruhai kept his head down, silent, waiting for the emperor to speak. He knew that when the emperor spoke again, it would be the prelude to the next era of the Great Chu.

"An Ruhai." The emperor's breathing gradually calmed, and his voice, which had been filled with anger, now sounded calm.

"Your subject is here," An Ruhai held his breath.

"You, take my arrow of command, and... seal the Eastern Palace of the Crown Prince. No one, including the Crown Prince, is to enter or leave."

An Ruhai exhaled deeply, knowing that the matter was finally settled. In this intense battle, Prince Min Ruo Ying had emerged victorious, while the Crown Prince had suffered a complete defeat.

The Great Chu was about to change.

An Ruhai bowed to the emperor, stood up, and turned to leave. Qin Yi stood by the door, holding the golden arrow of command, and handed it to An Ruhai.

Gripping the golden arrow tightly, An Ruhai felt it was almost scalding. He had held the golden arrow many times before, but this time was completely different.

As he stepped out of the palace gate, a person walked towards him. It was Yang Yihuo, the current Left Chancellor, second only to the emperor in the Great Chu. The two men stood on opposite sides of the imperial path, silently facing each other.

"That day, I thought you would go in," Yang Yihuo broke the silence after a moment.

"I thought about it, but what difference would it make? The outcome would not change," An Ruhai shook his head.

"That's not necessarily true. If we worked together, the emperor would have to consider it."

"Chancellor Yang, I will never go against the emperor's will," An Ruhai looked down at the golden arrow in his hand.

Yang Yihuo's gaze also fell on the golden arrow, his face turning slightly pale before quickly returning to normal. "Commander An, you are also a soldier!"

An Ruhai suddenly felt a wave of shame. "Chancellor Yang, I am first and foremost the emperor's subject."

"Even if the emperor is wrong?"

"This time, I don't think the emperor is necessarily wrong. Perhaps there is another situation. Chancellor Yang, as the chief minister, you should have a longer-term perspective. Why can't you see it this time?"

"A gentleman in the world has things he will do and things he will not do," Yang Yihuo was silent for a moment. "I have read books, entered the world, served as a minister, and governed the state. I cannot claim to be upright, but I dare not cross the line."

"It's useless. The emperor has made up his mind," An Ruhai felt a deep respect for this scholar. This might be the integrity they spoke of, something he could never learn.

"Is Ruhai going to the Eastern Palace of the Crown Prince?" Yang Yihuo asked.

"Yes!"

"Can you wait a moment?"

An Ruhai hesitated. Yang Yihuo was the emperor's childhood friend, a trusted advisor for decades, respected and deeply trusted by the emperor. Could he change the outcome?

"It won't take long, and it won't delay your official duties. Besides, this matter doesn't depend on a few moments. Could the Crown Prince do anything in such a short time?" Yang Yihuo smiled bitterly.

"Your subject will wait here for Chancellor Yang," An Ruhai finally decided. Regardless of the outcome, he would wait, as a sign of respect for this old minister.

"Thank you, Ruhai." Yang Yihuo nodded and turned to walk back into the palace.

Stepping into the palace, Yang Yihuo knelt down without a word, touching his forehead to the ground. The emperor lay on the bed, tilting his head to look at Yang Yihuo, also silent. The two remained in this strange standoff, with the chief eunuch Qin Yi standing nervously, his eyes darting between the emperor and Yang Yihuo.

After an unknown amount of time, the emperor sighed deeply. "Yihuo, get up. My mind is made up."

"Your Majesty, how can the spirits of the sixty thousand martyrs rest in peace? How can the hundreds of thousands of people in Anyang County, who suffered, be satisfied?" Yang Yihuo raised his head, his neck stiff.

"The dead are gone. The people, alas, will never know the truth. The victor is the king, the loser is the bandit. Do you not remember what our teacher said when we studied together? History is always buried under the pen of the victor," the emperor laughed. "Yihuo, you have been a minister for nearly twenty years. Have you not yet understood this?"

"Your Majesty, a ruler should be upright and powerful. If he gains power through deceit, establishes himself through cunning, and plans his life through ruthlessness, he will not last long, and the country will not endure," Yang Yihuo said slowly. "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is kind and benevolent. If he becomes the ruler, even if he cannot make the Great Chu flourish, he can at least maintain the status quo. If Prince Min Ruo Ying becomes the ruler, there is a high possibility of two extremes: either the Great Chu will dominate the world, or it will be destroyed. Your Majesty, we cannot take this risk!"

"Min Ruo Ying may not be a wise ruler, but he could be a powerful one," the emperor on the sickbed sighed. "Min Ruo Cheng is too kind and benevolent, and can only be a weak ruler. Yihuo, in this game, he had no way to fight back. Even those around him turned against him, which deeply disappointed me. Can such a person truly become a ruler who can maintain the status quo of the Great Chu? I don't have much time left. How much longer can you live? How many more years can you help him? No one can always support him. Min Ruo Ying is ruthless, but from my perspective, he might be more suitable for the Great Chu. The world has been at peace for over a hundred years, but the Eastern Qi is eyeing us with covetous intent, and their ambition to unify the world is no longer hidden. If war breaks out, Qi will attack Chu first. I have to take this risk."

Yang Yihuo fell silent. He knew the emperor's character too well. He nodded and bowed three times without a word. "Your Majesty, your subject is old. I request to retire and return to my hometown."

"Very well. You have been the chief minister for over twenty years. When Min Ruo Ying takes the throne, he will not tolerate you. Leave early. While I am still alive, I can ensure that you return home in glory and live out your days in peace," the emperor said with a sense of sadness.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Yang Yihuo choked up, stood up, and bowed deeply. "Take care, Your Majesty."

Beside the imperial path, An Ruhai saw Yang Yihuo come out with tears streaming down his face, knowing that the matter was now irreversible. "Left Chancellor!"

"I have already resigned from my post," Yang Yihuo waved his hand and walked away, his steps faltering.

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