Everyone was waiting for him to cross the circle as they didn't want to believe they were ruled by a faked emperor. They became impatient as some gritted their teeth while others tapped their feet on the floor as they waited for the Emperor to prove himself.
The Emperor clenched his jaw. The circle could kill him if the worst came to the worst, and he did not need to carry the humiliation. He raised his feet to step into the circle but was suddenly covered with a crimson liquid that emerged from the floor the moment he entered it. The liquid entered his nose, ears and mouth. He could not even scream as his body jolted like he was being choked.
?
Peoples watched the Emperor in horror. He couldn't breathe or move. He could only go through the excruciating pain as they watched. The Emperor soon realized he was wrong. He didn't want to die, especially in such a manner. His fingers tried to reach for Ming Yue Yin asking for help.
Ming Yue Yin who was also shocked by what she saw finally noticed his signal for help. She hated the Emperor to the core but he was once a beloved father. She lifted her legs and kicked him out of the circle to spare him.
"You are not the Emperor's son and we do not have any blood relation, but it doesn't change that you raised me for sixteen years. This is my show of gratitude to you, but we are now even from here on." Ming Yue Yin bit her finger and she dropped the blood that flowed it on the crystal. It penetrated through the crystal and flowed inside the crystal as if it was alive. The blood collided with the red dot at the center and merged as one causing the crystal to shine with a bright white light.
"She a descendant of the first Liangzu Emperor!" One of the official was shocked and amazed by the scene.
"She carries the pure blood of the royals!" Another overwhelmed official said. They had never seen anything more magical.
The light in the crystal soon dimmed and everything slowly returned to normal. She took off the ring on her hand and the Qi inside her body spread like wildfire. Many fell on their knees due to the strong pressure. Those with better cultivation staggered as they could barely stand her power. They never knew Ming Yue Yin was that strong. Zhao Li Xin and the four King Palaces were the few who looked calm.
The Emperor stumbled and fell on the floor coughing. The blood in his veins seemed to have been sucked dry. His dantian was not broken but empty. It was a weird feeling as he felt very weak. His cultivation was gone without a trace. He tried to move his Qi to his dantian but it was of no use. His dantian was like a leaking bottle, it couldn't hold his Qi energy. His heart stirred as fear engulfed him.
Ming Yue Yin crouched in front of him, "It is thanks to you that I was blessed by the last power of the sacred tree. I met a lot of irreplaceable people because of you. I'm not a weak, gullible child anymore thanks to you. This is the reason I will not kill you. I will let you live and see the difference between you and my father."
The Emperor looked at her with shock and disbelief. She had the same eyes as his brother, Ming Ze. She even exuded the same aura. He was lost the moment he let the little girl live. He just didn't know then in his stupidity. Everything he had sacrificed and done was for nothing. It was all worthless...utterly worthless.
The Emperor burst out in laughter. He laughed so hard that he forgot about his pain. He laughed at his stupidity, his ambition, and his loss. He could never win against his brother even in the end. His own sons were turned into idiots because of his own doing. His only talented son had died without any remains and his daughters were all stupid spoiled brats. None could be compared to his brother's only daughter. It was funny and cruel. The laughter soon turned into tears.
"Get him out of here," Ming Yue Yin grimaced. A soldier with a tiger mark on his chest entered the room and dragged the Emperor, who was still laughing, out. Ming Yue Yin clenched the tiger tally in her hand. It was clear to everyone in the room that Emperor Ming Wang's era had ended.
Ming Yue Yin climbed up the stairs and pulled the chair back to its original position. She took a deep breath and sat on the golden chair. The chair was hard and cold and she wondered why people killed for it. She sighed and slowly leaned back.
General Fu knelt on the floor and shouted, "LONG LIVE THE EMPRESS!!"
Zhang Yu Hong, Wu Tian Zi and everyone else followed suit. They simultaneously knelt and cheered at the new ruler of Liangzu. Zhao Li Xin and the four King Palaces nodded slightly. Lory also nodded with a proud smile blooming on her face. Ming Yue Yin's eyes felt hot and her smile trembled from the overwhelming feeling. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"You may rise!" Ming Yue Yin said solemnly.
____________________________________________
The citizen of Liangzu were shocked when they discovered what happened in the imperial palace. They were angry to learn about Emperor Ming Ze's death, Princess Yue Yin treatment, but they were especially furious to know Emperor Ming Wang did not even have a drop of royal blood. Emperor Ming Wang liked to live in luxury and he indulged many concubines, yet he was not very bright compared to Emperor Ming Ze. They hadn't been any progress since he became an Emperor. Everything the citizen had now was because of Emperor Ming Ze's painstaking effort to widen their territory with General Fu strengthening their military.
They also heard Prime Minister Guan had an illicit relationship with the previous Emperor's concubine which led to Wang Ming's birth. Prime Minister Guan's and the concubine's family were either killed or banished because of this revelation. This was the beginning of many changes in the kingdom.
Wu Tian Zi was reinstated as a Prime Minister and Grand tutor Zhang Yu Hong was also returned to his old position. He was now the new Empress' tutor and advisor.
Ming Wang's Empress and concubines were sent to their homes. Their status and those of their children meant nothing since they had married a fake emperor with no royal blood. A thorough investigation was also being held to expel those involved with the death of Emperor Ming Ze by colluding with the Emperor Ming Wang.
The half tiger tally was returned to General Fu since one should have absolute power, not even for the Empress. The citizen praised the new Empress for her decision and saw her as a wise and fair ruler. They had high hopes for the Liangzu Kingdom's new Era.
Two women walked side by side inside the Liangzu palace when everything had calmed down. It was just the two of them, not even servants followed them. One woman wore red robes with golden phoenix embroidery and an intricate hairstyle with a gold hairpin, while the other had a modest white and deep purple robes with a silver bluebell flower embroidery. Her loose hair fell behind her back.
"How are you feeling?" Lory smiled.
Ming Yue Yin sighed, "Weird…I couldn't sleep in the Emperor's chamber so I knocked down the whole courtyard and made a new one."
"You have money for that?" Lory raised her eyebrows.
"I used my own money. I didn't take from the Kingdom's treasury. I couldn't sleep there not knowing what Emperor Ming Wang did in his chamber," Ming Yue Yin was disgusted. Ming Wang had a very active and colorful sex life. Only the imperial bedroom walls could speak of the extent.
"If you have more money, you should also knock down the imperial library too," Lory Lory grimaced as she remembered what she saw there.
Ming Yue Yin questioned Lory with her eyes and Lory replied with a meaningful gaze. Ming Yue Yin helplessly shook her head.
'What the hell were these people doing in her palace?'
"I heard you are not gonna stay?" Ming Yue Yin changed the subject.
Lory nodded, "I have things to do and so does Li Xin."
"Yeah, I know. You need to gather all the fragments and break your curse," Ming Yue Yin understood some of it. "Do you have any idea where the next fragments are?"
Lory heaved with exhaustion, "I had a weird dream…"
'Pfffttt' Ming Yue Yin couldn't hold her laughter when she heard this. Lory also laughed as they thought of how they first met, inside a dream.
"I bet you do!" Ming Yue Yin laughed so hard and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, "I hope it is easier this time."
Lory scoffed, "Well, I'm not counting on it!"
Ming Yue Yin smiled as she understood what she meant. They eventually sat on a small bench and watched the sun go down. The sky was painted with pink and red colors, a flock of birds flew back on their nest signaling another day had passed. The orange sunlight illuminated their face as they fell silent and calmly enjoyed the evening.
"It's gonna be hard from here on," Lory's eyes remained on the beautiful sunset as she spoke.
"I'm a king's daughter… My life was never supposed to be easy…" Ming Yue Yin smiled as the sun hid behind a cloud leaving a red sky.
Lory smiled, "You got that right…"
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