It was an auspicious day.The sky was clear, and peach petals danced gently through the air, carried by a soft spring breeze.The storm from the previous night had passed, leaving the capital washed clean and bright under the morning sun.People gathered outside the Imperial Hall, unaware that history was about to shift.
Thunder rumbled faintly in the distance, echoing from beyond the mountains—like destiny watching in silence.
The great assembly hall of the empire was filled to the brim—officials, nobles, cultivators, and sect envoys standing shoulder to shoulder.
When the Crown Prince entered, the room fell silent. His robe was simple white silk, his hair tied with a plain ribbon. There was no crown, no jade ornaments—only a calm smile that unsettled everyone who looked at him.
He had once been the Second Prince—Zhao Yunfei.Born beneath an omen of twin dragons, sharp in mind, colder in heart.Now, he stood as the Crown Prince of the Great Zhao Empire.
He stood before the golden podium, his voice steady and clear."Today, before Heaven and Earth, I, the Crown Prince, relinquish my claim to the throne. I desire peace with my brothers, not competition. From this day forth, I will walk a different path—one that serves the empire in another way."
Gasps rippled through the court. Ministers turned pale, glancing nervously at one another.
He continued, his words cutting through the silence like thunder,"I will officially join the Soaring Crane Sect, to cleanse my heart and pursue enlightenment. The empire needs peace and properity, not bloodshed."
Before anyone could react, he lifted his hand, and golden talismans scattered into the air—bursting into radiant light, revealing sealed letters and records for all to see.
"But before I step down… there is one more matter to resolve."
The hall trembled as he spoke."The Hidden Heir Incident was no misunderstanding—it was treason hidden behind loyalty."
He drew forth a scroll, his tone turning to steel."Wen Yu'an, the so-called hidden heir, is an animal wearing human skin. Here lies the truth of his crimes—murder, demonic practices, and the slavery, theft, corruption. He is no heir of my great Zhao lineage, but a curse upon my bloodline."
The ministers bowed their heads low. The court grew cold.
He looked up, eyes solemn."Though he is but an illegitimate child of our late father, he is still of the Zhao bloodline even if we not agree. As his elder brother, I will cleanse this stain, and purify the sects and capital he has defiled."
Then he turned—and before all, he spoke again."And today, I restore the name that was once unjustly taken."
A murmur ran through the court.
"The former First Prince—Zhao Renshi—was framed by schemes and false testimony. His honor was stolen. His name was erased from our ancestral hall.Yet even stripped of title, he served the empire as a common warrior under my fathers command, fighting at the borders without glory or rest."
The Crown Prince raised his hand, his voice deep and calm."Before Heaven and Earth, I declare him cleared of all crimes. His loyalty shines brighter than any sun."
The hall fell silent again.
Outside, the people waited, their eyes wide, not understanding the weight of what they witnessed.
The Crown Prince smiled faintly, his expression serene."Before I depart, I leave behind gold and silver for the people. Use it to build homes, to begin anew. May peace return to your lives."
The guards carried forth chests of gold and silver, and the commoners cheered until tears filled their eyes.The name Zhao Yunfei echoed across the capital as a saint who gave up power for harmony.
But inside the palace, beneath those cheers, was chaos.
Now, all seven princes and thirteen princesses of the Zhao Imperial Lineage began to move.Each carried the same royal blood—each carried ambition.
The Third Prince, Zhao Renshu, whose soldiers patrolled the eastern provinces, whispered of unity but dreamed of conquest.The Fourth Prince, Zhao Mingyuan, smiled at the merchants' tables, weaving gold into power.The Fifth Prince, Zhao Junhe, sickly and soft-spoken, pulled the strings of priests and scholars alike.The Sixth Prince, Zhao Wuxian, the youngest and most violent, commanded the southern border army through terror alone.And the Seventh Prince, Zhao Jian, barely of age, hid his cunning behind gentle eyes.
As for the thirteen princesses—each ruled their own circles of influence: the inner court, sect alliances, foreign marriages, the scholar's guilds, even the underground trade routes of the empire.
The generals and ministers whispered new loyalties, shifting like shadows in a storm.
And the man once known as the First Prince, Zhao Renshi, now reborn as a warrior without title, stood once more in the light of history.
The imperial court trembled.
The Third Prince clenched his fists.He hadn't expected this.The strongest candidate—the one favored by Heaven itself—had stepped down willingly.
The court was no longer balanced.Without the Crown Prince's shadow looming over them, every prince suddenly saw himself as a potential emperor—and every brother as a threat.
The Third Prince's lips twitched into a smile, but there was unease behind it.If the Crown Prince had given up so easily… what was he truly planning?
Above the palace roofs, peach petals continued to fall—their delicate beauty dancing in the wind like silent omens.
And high in the heavens,a hawk bearing a purple-sealed message cut through the clouds,its cry echoing across the banners of House Zhao,announcing to all under heaven that the battle for the Dragon Throne had begun anew.