The officials looked at each other, none daring to be the first to step forward.
With a glance from the Snow Mountain Prince, a minister emerged from the crowd. He approached the Empress, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is dead. As your subject, I am heartbroken, but grief solves nothing. Establishing a new Crown Prince is vital to stabilize the nation. I implore Your Majesty to consider the greater good!"
The Empress sneered, looking at the bowed minister. "The greater good? Do you believe hastily appointing a Crown Prince is for the greater good, Lord Feng?"
"Yes, I implore Your Majesty to agree as soon as possible."
With the Minister of Revenue, Lord Feng, taking the lead, other ministers stepped forward to second his plea.
The Empress stumbled back a few steps. If not for the support of Aunt Liu, she might have collapsed.
"The matter of establishing a Crown Prince requires careful consideration," the Empress managed to grit out.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty is gravely ill, and the Crown Prince is dead. Appointing a new Crown Prince is urgent. I beg Your Majesty to issue a decree immediately." Minister Feng stepped forward again, seemingly determined not to back down until his objective was met.
"We beg Your Majesty to issue a decree," the assembled ministers knelt and implored.
The Empress trembled with anger. Her son had just died, and they were pressuring her like this.
"Sister," Consort Mo stepped forward to support the Empress, her voice cold. "Although the Crown Prince is dead, His Majesty has three princes. Should the selection of the Crown Prince not be based on merit? Both Prince Xue Fu and Prince Xue Jing are absent, yet you urge the Empress to appoint the Snow Mountain Prince as Crown Prince. Is this not too hasty?"
Upon hearing this, the Snow Mountain Prince's gaze turned sharp. He wondered if this was why Consort Mo had sent Prince Xue Jing back to his fiefdom; she was waiting for this moment.
The Minister of Revenue, Lord Feng, stepped forward, subtly restraining the Snow Mountain Prince. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty Consort, you mentioned selecting based on merit. Prince Xue Fu was recently confined by the Crown Prince, forbidden from leaving Fenzhou without an imperial decree. And is it not true that Prince Xue Jing was sent back to his fiefdom by Your Majesty Consort? Currently, only the Snow Mountain Prince is eligible for the position of Crown Prince."
"Lord Feng, you have also forgotten that the matter of establishing a Crown Prince is decreed by His Majesty. The Empress has no authority to interfere," Consort Mo said coldly.
The Minister of Revenue, Lord Feng, suddenly smiled, a hint of victory in his expression.
Consort Mo felt an inexplicable tremor in her heart.
"Imperial Edict!" a sharp voice cut through the air.
The chief eunuch approached slowly, paid his respects to the Empress and Consort Mo, and then opened the imperial edict to read, "By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Prince Xue Shan, with his filial piety, benevolence, virtue, and talent, has greatly pleased me. Therefore, I hereby appoint Prince Xue Shan as the Crown Prince. Respect this decree!"
"How is that possible?" The Empress staggered back several steps. Recalling something, she said coldly, "Give me the imperial edict to examine."
The chief eunuch paused. "Your Majesty, if you have questions, you may ask His Majesty. I am merely here to deliver His Majesty's decree."
"You..."
"This subject accepts the decree!" The Snow Mountain Prince knelt and took the imperial edict from the chief eunuch.
Suddenly, a flash of silver light occurred, and the imperial edict, about to be grasped by the Snow Mountain Prince, was snatched away.
With a crack, the imperial edict shattered and fell to the ground.
Everyone was shocked and looked into the distance.
"For such an important matter as establishing a Crown Prince, how could I, this prince, be absent?"
A man, clad in resplendent brocade robes, walked over slowly. His handsome face held a mocking expression. Who else could it be but Prince Xue Fu?
He cast a casual glance at the Snow Mountain Prince, then approached the Empress and bowed, "Your subject, Prince Xue Fu, greets Your Majesty."
The Empress's gaze paused, resting on him with deep meaning. Her heart was a whirlwind of emotions.
Prince Xue Fu sighed inwardly. As expected, Mother Empress knew everything.
"Prince Xue Fu, without an imperial decree, how dare you leave Fenzhou privately?" the Snow Mountain Prince asked coldly.
Hearing this, Prince Xue Fu smiled, looking exceptionally pleased. "This prince can come because he is able to come. Does my elder brother think I am disobeying orders?"
The Snow Mountain Prince sneered, his face full of mockery. "The Crown Prince confined you. Now you tell everyone here that you left Fenzhou without the Crown Prince's decree!"
"This prince was able to leave Fenzhou with the Crown Prince's consent!"
Prince Xue Fu's words stunned everyone. The Crown Prince was dead, so whose decree did Prince Xue Fu follow?
"Ridiculous! The Crown Prince died in Desolate Marsh. Whose decree did you follow?"
"The Crown Prince's!" Prince Xue Fu repeated.
"Absurd, the Crown Prince is already dead..." the Snow Mountain Prince said coldly.
"So he's dead just because you say so? What if I say you, Prince Xue Shan, are an imposter?" Prince Xue Fu retorted.
"You..." The Snow Mountain Prince gnashed his teeth in anger.
"Feeling guilty? Could it be that you are indeed fake?" Prince Xue Fu feigned surprise.
Just as the Snow Mountain Prince was about to erupt, Lord Feng, the Minister of Revenue, spoke slowly, "Since Prince Xue Fu claims the Crown Prince is still alive, then we request the Crown Prince to appear."
"We invite the Crown Prince!" the ministers behind Lord Feng echoed.
Seeing no one emerge, the Snow Mountain Prince sneered, "Second brother, are you trying to deceive me?"
"Someone..."
Someone shouted this, and everyone looked towards the entrance.
A figure slowly appeared there.
Slender and tall, clearly not the Crown Prince. Who was this person?
A young woman, dressed in white, walked forward gracefully. Her face was as pure and beautiful as a mountain god atop a snow-capped peak, cold and noble, not to be desecrated.
Her gaze was crystal clear, like the firmament in the sky, utterly devoid of impurities.
As she walked step by step, she was like a king surveying his domain, and they were but ants.
Everywhere she went, an immense pressure emanated.
"Who is this?" No one had ever seen this young woman.
Prince Xue Fu turned, looking at the young woman, his eyes flickering slightly. He stepped forward and slowly bowed, "Your Majesty, you have arrived."
The young woman nodded. "If I did not come, how would I know that Yan Zhao's meticulously built nation was about to fall into someone else's hands?"
A mere girl claiming to be His Majesty, and Prince Xue Fu showing such respect?
"Who are you?" the Snow Mountain Prince looked up at the young woman.
The young woman slowly raised her gaze. Her clear eyes were cold and stern.
The Snow Mountain Prince felt a pressure he had never experienced before. He had only felt such oppressive power from the late Crown Prince.
He inexplicably thought of his brilliant Crown Prince brother.
But his Crown Prince brother was dead, dead in the Desolate Marsh.
"Who exactly are you?" This inexplicable pressure made him uneasy.
The young woman gently parted her red lips and said slowly, "I am the Empress of Desolate Marsh."
Everyone was astonished. The Empress of Desolate Marsh?
The one who, before her coming-of-age ceremony, had overthrown the regent who bore the title of God of War?
Amidst everyone's shock, the young woman slowly continued, "The surviving consort of the Crown Prince of Xue Kingdom."