Morning Court – The Emperor's Play
The great bronze gong of the royal court rang through the Golden Hall, summoning all officials, nobles, and princes to the throne chamber of Jiǔtiān.
Velvet carpets ld of the hall, upon his elevated throne, sat Emperor Long Xuan, robed in black and crimson, a dragon crown resting atop his silver-streaked hair.
ined the marbled floor. Golden phoenix banners swayed gently in the morning breeze. At the far en
All four princes stood in their designated rows—Long Wei clad in ceremonial silver armor, his face calm but unreadable.
Beside him stood Long Rui, composed and politically sharp.
Further down, Long Xian, quiet and hesitant, kept glancing nervously around.
Long Jie, the Second Prince, stood relaxed with a distant smile, more interested in the floating incense than the court affairs.
Today's court discussion ranged from border trade and tax adjustments to troop deployments and noble land disputes. Finally, the focus turned to Long Wei.
An official stepped forward, bowing deeply.
"We commend His Highness, the First Prince, for securing Xiangwu without war. Such wisdom and discipline honor the Empire."
Another stepped forward.
"Indeed, it is said the people there now offer prayers in his name. A warrior of both blade and heart."
The Emperor remained still.
Then he stood.
"Prince Long Wei. For your service in Xiangwu, and your display of judgment… I assign you a new post: Grand Marshal of the Empire's Western Armies. You shall also serve as Royal Advisor on Military Doctrine."
Gasps echoed in the hall. This was not just a promotion—it was influence.
The Emperor continued.
"Furthermore, let it be known… the Empress is released from house arrest."
His voice boomed like a decree carved in stone.
"The court is dismissed."
The officials bowed. The princes exchanged glances.
But the game had only just begun.
Whispers Behind Silk – The Second Queen's Palace
That afternoon, in the quiet splendor of the Second Queen's Palace, Prince Long Xian sat beside his mother beneath a curtain of flowering wisteria.
The Second Queen, Lady Yue, was graceful but cold, her gaze sharp with ambition hidden behind a mask of calm.
She stirred her tea with measured grace.
"I watched every official in court today," she said softly. "They're beginning to lean toward your brother… Long Wei."
Long Xian blinked.
"Well… he did earn their respect. And… maybe he should be Crown Prince. He's older, he's fought wars, he's—"
"Stop right there," Lady Yue said, voice still smooth but laced with steel.
"Experience means little in court politics. What matters is support. And I have it. Your brother, Long Rui, supports you. And so does my family."
"But I—"
She leaned closer.
"Don't you see? The Emperor will never let the Empress's bloodline take the throne. Long Wei's growing influence threatens everything your father has worked for. Do you really think he was brought back because he's loved?"
Long Xian sat frozen.
"This… this was planned?"
Lady Yue finally smiled.
"Of course. And now you know. You may feel unprepared, but we will guide you."
The young prince said nothing… but the weight of his mother's gaze settled into his chest like a seed being planted.
A Quiet Lake – Brothers in the Shade
At the First Prince's Residence, far from the shadows of the palace, Long Wei sat by a quiet, private lake. The trees swayed gently. Fish leapt in shimmering arcs across the clear waters.
Beside him, Long Jie lay back in the grass, chewing on a reed and humming a nameless tune.
"You've been quiet," Long Jie said. "Not your usual brooding silence. More like… thoughtful silence."
Long Wei chuckled faintly.
"Is there a difference?"
He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a leather-bound scroll—the book Master Shen had given him.
"I want you to read this," he said, handing it over.
Long Jie squinted at the cover.
"What is this? It looks like something pulled out of an old monk's bones."
"It's not just a book," Long Wei said. "It's… a truth. About our father. About us. And about the Empress's lineage."
Long Jie sat up.
"So that's why you've been walking around with murder in your eyes since we returned."
Long Wei nodded.
"Did the Emperor really want me back? Or was I just a pawn to destroy our own bloodline? I was sent to conquer Xiangwu… but no one told me it was where our family lived. No one told me who the Sword Deity was. Or that the Sect Leader was our mother's mentor."
He clenched his jaw.
"Do you think the officials in court genuinely support me? Or are they just… watching?"
Long Jie leaned on his elbow and shrugged.
"Mother always said, never trust the court. She used to say, 'A smile in the palace can hide a hundred knives.' Honestly, I don't care for thrones or titles. I just want to eat well, live simply, and fish."
He smirked.
"Also, I can't read that book. Too many fancy lines and sacred symbols. So just tell me."
Long Wei exhaled slowly… then looked at the lake, his reflection distorted in the ripples.
"Alright. Listen closely…"
The Truth in Ink and Blood
The warm breeze carried ripples across the lake's surface, the gentle rustling of reeds the only sound as Long Wei sat beside his brother Long Jie, the mysterious book open between them.
The pages turned, not by wind, but by unseen force—each one glowing faintly as Long Wei's qi connected with the ink. The writings were old, hand-scripted in a style no longer used. What appeared to be history soon began to feel like confession.
"This book," Long Wei said slowly, "holds everything they never wanted us to know."
Long Jie's playful expression faded.
Long Wei began to read aloud.
The Rise of the Emperor: A History Hidden
Before Jiǔtiān became an Empire, it was a Federation of Sects.
Each state had its own Sect Leader, each entrusted with the rule of their territory, and bound to serve balance—not ambition.
The capital was different. It, and Xiangwu, were both governed not by sect councils, but by a single powerful sect—the Phoenix Sect.
The Phoenix Sect was led by an ancient cultivator—Master Jue Tian—a man of unimaginable power.
He had two disciples. One was his own son, the current Sect Leader of Xiangwu. The other… was his adopted student: a promising, hungry young man—Long Xuan, the one who would become Emperor.
Long Wei paused, looking at Long Jie.
"Our father wasn't born a king. He wasn't even of noble blood. He was… a student of Xiangwu."
Long Jie blinked.
"Then how did he rise?"
Long Wei turned the page.
Greed Born of Flame
Long Xuan was gifted. But more than that, he was ambitious.
When he was sent to oversee the capital region as a sect administrator, he quickly gained influence. Then he did something unexpected… he married the daughter of Xiangwu's most powerful family—our mother, Empress Han Meiyin.
That union granted him legitimacy… and access.
With the backing of Xiangwu's name and his own cunning, he waged war—not in hatred, but in ambition. City after city fell to him, not through destruction alone, but through manipulation and strategy.
He declared himself Emperor.
But Xiangwu remained sovereign. He could not control it. Not without risking a civil war. So he waited.
He waited for a chance to use his own son—you, Long Wei—whose very bloodline is tied to Xiangwu and the throne, to conquer it from within.
Long Wei's voice had grown low. Bitter.
His fingers curled against the edge of the page.
Long Jie sat still, listening now with wide eyes.
The Heart of Phoenix – The Forbidden Flame
But there was more.
In Xiangwu lies a sacred power known as the Heart of Phoenix—a source of qi older than the heavens. It is not merely energy—it is conscious, divine, and deadly to the unworthy.
Anyone who trains in Xiangwu may access a fragment of it. The strongest disciples might awaken 20% under harsh cultivation.
But a chosen few…
The Sect Leader of Xiangwu has awakened 55% of it.
The Emperor—by using forbidden methods—awakened 55% also.
But there is a third.
A prodigy, a miracle.
You, Long Wei, have awakened 40% of the Heart of Phoenix's power—without training, without guidance. Your body and soul are aligned with it.*
Long Wei's voice trembled for a moment.
He looked out across the lake, the breeze catching his hair.
"I was never meant to be a warrior for the Empire. I was meant to be the blade that stabs our own family."
Long Jie was speechless.
"That's why I was sent to Xiangwu," Long Wei said. "To conquer it… not by war, but by legacy. Because if I fought my own blood and won, the city would fall without resistance."
"He used Mother…" he whispered. "He used her to create me… for this very purpose."
Long Jie finally spoke, voice quiet.
"And now you know."
"So what will you do?"
Long Wei closed the book slowly, his gaze hardening.
"I will not be used again."
"The Heart of Phoenix... is not his to take."
"If he wants it... he'll have to face the flame himself."
He stood, the sunlight catching the markings on the book's final page—a phoenix, wings spread, rising from fire.