Imperial Supreme Hall.
The already lively hall instantly grew louder.
That disciple from the Jade Zither Pavilion had just added a little appetizer to the banquet with his challenge.
Many prominent figures now looked on with great interest.
"Senior Brother Yao."
Lu Yun's face changed.
Yao Qingxiao smiled. "Don't worry, Junior Sister. I know my limits. It's just a friendly zither exchange with His Highness. I won't embarrass him too badly."
But those words only made it harder to back down gracefully.
Yang Cheng looked at Yao Qingxiao and said calmly, "That won't be necessary. I've devoted myself to the Martial Path. I'm not well-versed in the zither. Sparring with me in zither arts would be meaningless."
If every random person came to challenge him and he accepted, he'd never get anything else done.
His answer surprised many of the elders present, but soon their surprise turned into approval.
They were impressed by how mature and composed Yang Cheng was for his age. No childish temper, no emotional outbursts—calm and steady.
At the same time, they also understood his refusal. After all, Yang Cheng was famous for martial arts, not for music.
But Yao Qingxiao wasn't willing to let this go so easily.
A year ago, Lu Yun had returned from Fengtian City and hadn't stopped praising Yang Cheng since.
That alone had made Yao Qingxiao resentful.
But more importantly, he wanted to shatter Lu Yun's illusion and prove that true zither mastery only existed within the Jade Zither Pavilion.
So he spoke again: "The Six Arts of a gentleman—how could the Crown Prince of Great Zhou not know how to play the zither?"
"Of course, if His Highness is afraid to face a Jade Zither Pavilion disciple, that wouldn't be shameful."
"I won't show my full strength. This is purely an exchange to entertain the banquet guests."
"Surely His Highness wouldn't let the guests down?"
Yang Cheng's expression didn't change at all—no irritation, no anger.
If someone insisted on sticking their face out for a slap, why would he bother getting mad?
"Whether or not I disappoint the guests, I know you will," Yang Cheng said calmly.
"So His Highness accepts?" Yao Qingxiao smiled, thinking Yang Cheng was still too young and had fallen right into his provocation.
"Let's just say I do," said Yang Cheng.
"Your Highness is refreshingly straightforward," Yao Qingxiao said. "Then please play first, so my playing doesn't disturb your state of mind."
"You don't need to disturb His Highness just to spar over music."
A gentle voice rang out.
Wearing a calm expression, Wei Roujia stepped out of the crowd holding a guqin.
"And you are?" Yao Qingxiao frowned.
"Wei Roujia of the Wei clan from Guanzhong," she said. "I once received the Crown Prince's guidance in zither. You could say I'm half a disciple of His Highness. Let me spar with you instead."
"Guanzhong Wei clan?" Yao Qingxiao clearly recognized the name and said coldly, "Your Wei clan is indeed respected in zither arts. I'll admit you're qualified to challenge me."
"But claiming you're half the Crown Prince's disciple just to flatter him—aren't you afraid of shaming your clan?"
"No need to say more," Wei Roujia replied calmly. "When you forced His Highness into a challenge, you spoke so righteously. Now I challenge you, and you back off. What kind of logic is that?"
"You think I'm afraid of you? I just didn't want the Wei clan to lose face," Yao Qingxiao said with a dark face.
That remark earned a few subtle glances from the onlookers.
He wasn't afraid of shaming the Crown Prince but suddenly cared about the reputation of the Wei clan? Wasn't that just looking down on the royal family?
"Please."
Wei Roujia sat down and laid her guqin across the table in front of her.
Seeing her readiness, Yao Qingxiao could no longer retreat.
Dong!
Wei Roujia plucked the strings first.
She played Voyage Across the Vast Sea.
The moment she began, any true expert could sense the skill behind her touch.
Not daring to slack off, Yao Qingxiao followed with Bamboo Moon Chant.
Their melodies intertwined and clashed, disrupting one another. It was a true test of zither mastery.
"Impressive technique."
"Quite rare indeed. Both are young, yet their musical skill is remarkable."
"They seem evenly matched."
At first glance, it did look like the two were on par.
But the observant noticed something deeper—Wei Roujia remained calm throughout, while Yao Qingxiao grew increasingly tense.
In truth, Yao Qingxiao's skill wasn't weaker.
But the fact he couldn't even beat a woman gnawed at him.
Even though his senior sister was also a woman, she had already become like a mythical figure in his heart—beyond gender.
So when their music neared the finale—
Buzz!
Yao Qingxiao plucked a wrong note.
His expression changed drastically. His control slipped.
Snap!
A string broke, slicing his finger open.
Wei Roujia finished her last note with grace.
The outcome was clear.
Yao Qingxiao's face went ghostly pale.
He had lost… to Wei Roujia.
Almost in desperation, he turned to Yang Cheng. "Crown Prince of Great Zhou, I admit Miss Wei's music was admirable. But are you really going to hide behind a woman?"
"At my age, isn't it normal to hide behind a woman?" Yang Cheng replied.
That got the whole hall laughing.
Yao Qingxiao's face flushed red, then pale.
"But if you're so eager to spar with me," Yang Cheng said casually, "I'll grant your wish."
Yang Cheng clasped his hands behind his back and said calmly, "Yao Qingxiao, I won't bully you. If you can pluck even a single string in front of me, I'll admit defeat."
Yao Qingxiao burst out laughing in rage. "Fine, let's see how the Crown Prince of Great Zhou plans to stop me from touching a single string."
He turned to Lu Yun and asked, "Junior Sister, may I borrow your zither?"
Lu Yun answered coldly, "No."
Yao Qingxiao flushed with shame and had to borrow a zither from another junior sister.
As soon as he got the zither, he reached out to play.
At that moment, Yang Cheng turned his gaze toward him.
Wei Roujia stepped forward and respectfully placed her own zither in front of Yang Cheng.
Yang Cheng reached out and plucked a single string.
Dong!
That single note surged like a tidal wave, crashing directly into Yao Qingxiao.
In an instant, Yao Qingxiao felt like he was drowning in an endless, overwhelming flood.
More than ten breaths passed before he finally clawed his way out of that despair.
By then, his entire body was drenched in sweat, and his fingers trembled uncontrollably.
He tried to reach for the strings, only to realize—he couldn't.
The moment his fingers neared the strings, that same suffocating despair returned and crushed him.
Just then, a melody rang out.
The sound was like moonlight gently falling through the sky.
Yao Qingxiao shivered. The feeling of despair vanished, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"The loss is my junior brother's."
The voice came from the Jade Zither Pavilion's senior sister.
For the first time, she looked directly at Yang Cheng. "From you… I felt the presence of a Zither Heart."
Yao Qingxiao froze for a moment, then slumped in complete defeat.
The Crown Prince of Great Zhou… actually possessed a Zither Heart?
There was no longer any comparison between them.
The onlookers were all visibly shocked.
No one had expected that, besides his terrifying talent in martial arts, Yang Cheng would also have such extraordinary zither talent.
"Everyone."
At that moment, Emperor Qian Yuan entered the hall.
All the powerful figures present rose at once.
The younger generation immediately quieted down. No one dared stir up trouble with Yang Cheng now.
"Today, envoys from many nations have gathered in Great Zhou to attend my son's three-year birthday banquet."
Emperor Qian Yuan stepped up to the high platform and spoke solemnly. "Taking this opportunity, I wish to make a major announcement."
"A major announcement?"
"Judging by Emperor Qian Yuan's tone, this must be something big."
The guests all looked curious.
"I believe many of you know that our Great Zhou possesses the Ancestral Dragon Cauldron. But in addition to that, we also have the Dragon-Tiger Purple Heaven Mountain-Suppressing Cauldron, commonly known as the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron."
As he spoke, a visible jolt went through the crowd in the hall.
Everyone from Great Zhou held their breath, their eyes fixed on the emperor.
No one was more anxious than Yang Xiu.
Even Yang Cheng looked shocked.
Because what was happening now had never occurred in his past life.
The Dragon-Tiger Cauldron was the inheritance cauldron of the Yang clan before Great Zhou was founded.
The ancestors of the Yang clan had been true disciples of Mount Dragon-Tiger.
The cauldron originally belonged to the founding lineage of the Zhang clan on Mount Dragon-Tiger. After that clan declined, they passed it on to the Yang clan.
As for the Ancestral Dragon Cauldron—that was obtained after the Yang clan established Great Zhou.
The Ancestral Dragon Cauldron symbolized imperial authority.
But the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron represented the chosen heir of the Yang clan.
After the Yang clan became the royal family of Great Zhou, the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron became the emblem of the Crown Prince.
Even Emperor Qian Yuan himself hadn't received the cauldron before ascending the throne, since the late emperor had died prematurely.
Had Emperor Qian Yuan been granted the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron in advance, the struggle for the throne wouldn't have been so chaotic. The Empress Dowager Meng wouldn't have had to step in to stabilize the court.
"My son Yang Cheng, Crown Prince of Great Zhou, is young yet wise, possessing both virtue and strength. Today, I officially declare—he shall be granted the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron."
Emperor Qian Yuan's voice boomed like thunder.
The moment the words dropped, the crowd fell completely silent.
Shockwaves stirred in everyone's hearts.
Until now, Yang Cheng had only held the title of Crown Prince—which, in itself, wasn't that special.
History had seen countless Crown Princes deposed.
Other princes still had chances to replace him.
But now things had changed.
Emperor Qian Yuan had bestowed the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron upon Yang Cheng.
From this point on, Yang Cheng wasn't just the Crown Prince. He was the Crown Prince and the official heir—the Huang Taizi.
The Huang Taizi was also known as the Vice-Emperor. From this moment forward, he would have the authority to participate in state affairs.
And unless Yang Cheng committed a crime as serious as regicide, even Emperor Qian Yuan himself wouldn't be able to depose him anymore.
This declaration was essentially an open proclamation—Yang Cheng would be the next Emperor of Great Zhou.
No one had expected the emperor to move so boldly.
Wasn't it too soon?
Yang Cheng was only three years old.
"From today forward, the Crown Prince is now the Huang Taizi?"
Third Prince Yang Ye murmured, dazed. For some reason, a wave of relief washed over him.
As a prince, ambition was unavoidable.
But more than that, his mother and the factions behind him would never let him back down.
Still, deep down, he knew—if he ever tried to compete with Yang Cheng, things wouldn't end well for him.
Now that Yang Cheng had become the Huang Taizi, there was nothing left to fight over.
For Yang Ye, it felt like a burden had been lifted.
But for Yang Xiu, it was a thunderclap.
'Why is fate so unfair?'
Why was it that everything he had fought so hard for, that he had failed to obtain… Yang Cheng could grasp so easily?
In that instant, Yang Xiu's heart filled with bitterness and fury.
Finally, he couldn't hold it back any longer.
"Father Emperor!"
He looked up at Emperor Qian Yuan.