The time required to travel from the mountainous border region back to Prime Lake City (首湖城) was considerable; after all, this was a massive nation, and the capital, Prime Lake City (首湖城), was situated far to the west, somewhat distant from the eastern border with the Kingdom.
Naturally, the Empire had established relay stations along the Imperial East-West Grand Road (帝国东西大道), providing a vast supply of horses for the Empire's communication needs. The Winter Duke (寒公爵) and his personal guard started with three horses per man pulled from the army, and with continuous horse changes at the relay stations along the way, The Winter Duke's (寒公爵) speed of return was faster than even the so-called "six hundred li urgent dispatch."
To report the joyful news of victory, The Winter Duke (寒公爵) had earlier dispatched messenger riders back to the capital to announce the great victory along the route. These knights galloped down the Imperial East-West Grand Road (帝国东西大道), conveying the news. They only slept at the relay stations at night, and as soon as there was enough light to see, they continued their frantic ride, shouting the victory along the way.
But now, The Winter Duke (寒公爵) had already outpaced the messenger riders he had sent ahead. Of the hundred confidantes he had started with, fewer than three were still able to keep up.
A normal full cavalry march from the border to the capital would take about twenty days. The Winter Duke (寒公爵) strapped himself onto his horse, sleeping in the saddle, and allowed the relay riders to lead his horse through the night to the next station. In this way, covered in dust and grime, he rushed back to the capital, Prime Lake City (首湖城).
Why such desperation?
In fact, before the battle even began, The Winter Duke (寒公爵) had received an urgent dispatch reporting the Emperor's grave illness and imminent death, commanding him to return to the capital "immediately." Yet, he chose to finish the battle first. If the Emperor had died, it would be one thing, but if the Emperor was still alive, for a Prince to hold military power abroad and openly defy an Imperial decree...
The mere thought revealed the magnitude of the problem this would cause. Therefore, he could only rush back, staking his life on the journey.
Emperor Dipper Huǎng (皇帝北斗晃)'s historical evaluation can be summarized in two words: Deeply suspicious (多疑).
As an Emperor, his reign saw the nation strong, the people prosperous, domestic stability, and foreign expansion—he was undoubtedly an enlightened ruler. However, being deeply suspicious (多疑) was his greatest point of contention.
If we were to travel through time, the most famous examples of such suspicious Emperors would include the First Emperor of Qin, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Wen of Sui, Zhu Yuanzhang, and the Yongzheng Emperor; naturally, other Emperors were more or less so.
Why did Fusu, upon receiving the fake edict ordering his suicide, kill himself without hesitation?
The underlying factor was that Fusu believed the First Emperor was naturally suspicious (生性多疑), and that he would eventually die by the Emperor's decree. Thus, Fusu committed suicide without a doubt.
And that bastard Emperor Wu of Han, through his paranoia, caused the Calamity of the Witchcraft Allegations (巫蛊之祸). The entire incident, caused by Emperor Wu's deeply suspicious nature alone, ultimately forced the Crown Prince to rebel even though he didn't want to.
In politics, especially court politics, suspicion is the most terrifying demon. Once the power holder becomes suspicious of you, no matter what you do, it will be interpreted as intent to rebel, or a desire to conceal such intent.
Dipper Huǎng (北斗晃) was such an Emperor, and Dipper Aureus (北斗煜) grew up under such an education.
From childhood, Dipper Huǎng (北斗晃)'s pleasure was "testing the human heart (试探人心), particularly the hearts of his sons.
He would engineer all kinds of temptations to make the princes fall into traps.
For example, he would orchestrate a small fire and then observe the princes' reactions. Those who ran quickly would be reproached for only caring about their own escape, disregarding the common people, and lacking the responsibility of royalty, then ordered to kneel in the ancestral temple for three days.
Those who stayed to fight the disaster would be reproached for being young, ignorant, giving only chaotic commands, unnecessarily burdening professionals, failing to delegate authority, and not respecting expertise—and also ordered to kneel for three days.
No matter what they did, there was no correct answer.
Not only that, Dipper Huǎng (北斗晃) would deliberately sow discord among his three sons. He would tell the Eldest Prince that the Second Prince was more capable and suitable to be Emperor, then turn around and tell the Second Prince that the Third Prince had come to inform him that he was behaving improperly, and then tell the Third Prince that the Eldest Prince looked down on him.
Dipper Huǎng (北斗晃)'s actions were not premeditated malice, but because he found it entertaining. He enjoyed this kind of fun—a perverse need for control.
The Princes all knew, yet if they acted like they hadn't fallen for the trap, they would become the object of Dipper Huǎng (北斗晃)'s hatred. Therefore, even knowing these were designed traps, they still had to exhibit behavior showing hatred for their brothers, lest their Imperial Father grow suspicious.
Such was the Dipper (北斗) Imperial House. Not to mention the chaos that was allowed to proliferate in the Imperial Harem under such an Emperor's indulgence. The Empress could only strive for self-preservation, while the concubines plotted against each other. Even those who had no intention to rebel were forced into it.
The shadow of his Imperial Father was the persistent nightmare that haunted Dipper Aureus (北斗煜), the Empire's Third Prince.
Thus, Dipper Aureus (北斗煜) feared—feared that this was yet another test of his loyalty by his Imperial Father...
What terrified him even more was the Emperor using warfare as a tool to test human loyalty.
Had matters of state devolved into a mere plaything in Dipper Huǎng (北斗晃)'s eyes?
Therefore, no matter what, Dipper Aureus (北斗煜) had to return in the shortest possible time. If the Emperor was dead, he wanted to witness the end of this demon with his own eyes. If the Emperor was not dead, he could only use this desperate effort to prove his loyalty.
The continuous rush allowed The Winter Duke (寒公爵) to enter the capital, completely shocking the gate general. Had the Imperial Army (帝国军) been defeated? The Winter Duke (寒公爵)'s appearance was clearly that of a defeated general in distress. However, The Winter Duke (寒公爵) paid no mind to these external perceptions; he had to enter the Imperial Palace from the city gate to report his duties in the shortest time. His entire body reeked, and his once gleaming silver-white armor was stained everywhere—these were minor matters. If the gate guards reported to his Imperial Father before him, his hard work of the past few days would be in vain.
The Winter Duke (寒公爵) forcefully exchanged for a fresh warhorse at the city gate and galloped through the streets paved with giant stones. This street was wide enough for a large formation of twenty-four men to pass abreast, leading directly to the Imperial Inner City (皇宫内城) deep inside. Due to the street's width, there was a dedicated lane in the middle for fast-galloping carriages and horses, preventing danger or inconvenience to the citizens.
At the Inner City gate, the enormous bronze-like gate opened, and the Imperial Guard General shouted the announcement.
"The Winter Duke (寒公爵) has returned to the city! Escort His Highness inside!"
The architecture of the Imperial Palace was magnificent and grand. The Inner City (内城) was mainly built upon the hills towering over Lake Dipper (北斗湖). The Inner City walls encircled the hills, and the entire hill range constituted the palace grounds.
At its widest, it was about 1,400 meters in modern terms, and at its narrowest, about 800 meters. To the north was the Royal Dock facing Lake Dipper (北斗湖). Six storied gates, four tower-fortresses, moats, inner walls, courtyards, and over two thousand rooms constituted this Imperial center, which also functioned as a fortress.
Many professional Imperial officials were assigned rooms in the Inner City (内城); thus, except on days off, these officials resided in the Inner City to attend to state affairs, only returning to their residences in the Outer City on holidays.
After The Winter Duke (寒公爵) passed the twentieth gate, he finally arrived at the Grand Council Hall. Attendants and court officials were gathered there, awaiting a result they did not know whether to anticipate or dread.
"How is His Majesty the Emperor's (皇帝陛下) condition?"
The Winter Duke (寒公爵)'s first sentence upon returning home, and the only one he could utter after long consideration.
Dipper Aureus's (北斗煜) voice still sounded calm, but this was the result of his utmost effort to maintain composure. He was both afraid and hopeful, yet he could not reveal either emotion. Any small reaction could become leverage against him later.
"Reporting to Your Highness, had you returned one day earlier, you might have seen His Majesty's final moments. His Majesty passed away last night (昨夜殡天)."
The court officials and attendants throughout the hall began to weep. Every kind of performance was put on. However, Dipper Aureus (北斗煜) could see that it was all an act—crying mixed with smiles, smiles mixed with tears. They must have struggled to perform so well.
Is he truly dead?
A maid brought sackcloth for the Third Prince Dipper Aureus (北斗煜) to change into. Now, Dipper Aureus (北斗煜) finally had the sense that his Imperial Father was indeed dead.
Dipper Aureus (北斗煜) did not take off his armor, merely tucked his helmet under his arm, and walked alone into the Emperor's room. The people around him wisely and quietly withdrew, leaving the room to the sole living Third Prince.
The Second Prince had died three years prior from a severe pneumonia contracted while commanding disaster relief during a great flood. He ultimately succumbed to exhaustion. Outsiders only knew that the Second Prince was diligent and loved the people, working tirelessly as an example to the Imperial House, but unfortunately passed away. However, Dipper Aureus (北斗煜) knew well that behind the Second Prince's reckless actions was the gaze of the Emperor, forcing the Second Prince to risk his life, only to avoid his Imperial Father's suspicion. Thus, even severely ill, he fought diligently on the front line and refused to retreat. It could be said that the Second Prince's death was caused by an invisible, relentless pressure.
It is said that the Second Prince's last words were: "Enough (够了)."
Those two simple words contained an immeasurable amount of grief, indignation, and despair.
A year later, the Eldest Prince was suspected of colluding with the vassal kings and was targeted by the Emperor. Imperial regulations strictly forbade the candidates for the next Emperor from having close contact with the six Elector Kings (具备选举权藩王). This was to prevent the heir-apparent from forming factions and prematurely associating with the vassal kings. If such a situation occurred, it could be deemed as having treasonous intent. Because of this system, the princes would deliberately distance themselves from the six vassal kings, but it did not prevent malicious individuals from framing or setting traps.
A sycophantic official, who had been chastised by the Eldest Prince in court, feared for his life should the Eldest Prince succeed to the throne. He therefore forged letters showing the Eldest Prince colluding with the vassal kings, then conveniently allowed the Emperor's spies to obtain them. When the Emperor threw the letters at the Eldest Prince, the Eldest Prince was completely unaware of the plot. Yet, for some unknown reason, his wax seal was on the envelopes. The Eldest Prince was powerless to defend himself and could only claim illness, hiding at home to reflect on his mistakes, which eventually turned into genuine depression. After falling ill, he never recovered.
Now, only two individuals in the Imperial House are qualified to inherit the throne: Dipper Aureus (北斗煜), the Third Prince, and the Eldest Prince's only son, the eight-year-old Dipper Qián (北斗乾).
Dipper Aureus (北斗煜) knew clearly that his eldest and second brothers were forced to their deaths by their Imperial Father, and he was next. Why? Because the Eldest Prince left him a secret letter before he died, revealing a shocking secret and urging him to be cautious.
The biological father of Dipper Qián (北斗乾) was none other than the present Emperor, Dipper Huǎng (北斗晃). The Eldest Prince and the Grand Princess Consort had an extremely poor relationship, and Dipper Qián (北斗乾) was, in fact, the product of the father-in-law and the daughter-in-law having an illicit affair. Strictly speaking, he was Dipper Aureus's (北斗煜) fourth brother, not his nephew.
Therefore, for Dipper Huǎng (北斗晃), there was no issue in eliminating the first three princes and replacing them with his favored young son. It could even be argued that the deaths of the first two princes were results intentionally engineered by Dipper Huǎng (北斗晃). Otherwise, with Dipper Huǎng (北斗晃)'s intelligence, how could he have been deceived by such a crude plot into believing the Eldest Prince was colluding with the vassal kings?
After everyone left the room, Dipper Aureus (北斗煜) turned and closed the redwood door behind him, locking it securely to ensure no one would interrupt his final meeting with his Imperial Father.
Dipper Aureus (北斗煜) felt his breathing and inner agitation becoming increasingly difficult to control. In the depths of his heart, a voice echoed, whispering like a demon's murmur.
"I am saved. I am saved. From now on, I no longer need to fear my father's shadow..."
He held his breath, straining his ears to listen, his heart pounding like a drum in his chest.
"Yù...er..."
That voice! Dry, hoarse, like the last few syllables squeezed from a dying man's throat, yet possessing a spine-chilling clarity that drilled precisely into his eardrums!
A sudden, bone-chilling current instantly shot from his tailbone to the crown of his head, shattering the fragile moment of peace he had just grasped! His rationality, like exquisite glazed pottery violently struck by a heavy hammer, crumbled into pieces in his mind. The flying fragments were pure terror, incredible shock, and a turbulent, towering hatred born of being utterly fooled!
Stiffly, as if expending the strength of his entire life, he turned his almost-petrified neck inch by inch. His gaze was forced back towards the bed that symbolized supreme power and endless nightmare—
The eyes that should have been forever sunken into darkness were now struggling to be half-open! The murky, clouded eyeballs reflected a sick, repulsive glimmer in the dim light, fixating on him with a look of all-knowing mockery, as if they had already seen through every secret thought in his heart!
"Fath... Imperial Father (父皇)...?!"
His voice trembled and cracked uncontrollably, completely incoherent. Dipper Aureus (北斗煜) couldn't even remember a time when his voice had been so pathetic, almost a whimper, even when facing an enemy several times their number from the high ground at Cold Well Gorge (冷井隘口), with the enemy at the very gates!
Yet, the moment the question left his lips, the answer had already spread and diffused through his heart like the deadliest venom.
Another time!
This accursed, endless test!
Using his death as bait, fabricating this colossal lie, just to tightly grasp and wantonly toy with the heart of him—the last remaining Imperial Prince!
It was to coldly observe whether he would betray even a shred of "inappropriate" joy; it was to precisely calculate whether he would cast aside the Empire's safety and the front-line battle, and desperately rush "immediately" back to this sickbed!
This cold calculation, this sick game that treated human life and emotion as mere straw!
A strong, nauseating feeling surged into his throat, and his stomach violently clenched. He nearly retched, every inch of his skin covered in goosebumps from sheer revulsion.
"Heh... If you had just now..."
The old Emperor's voice was hoarse, like a broken bellows. Every word was like a poisoned ice chisel, fiercely hammering into Dipper Aureus's (北斗煜) veins, freezing his entire body's blood.
"...shown even half... a trace of joy..."
"...your eyes, right now... would probably be unable to see anything."
"The rest of your life would likely be spent repenting before a wall... in some remote, dark monastery."
"Hmph... hmph hmph... Your 'filial piety' has saved you for now."
"This time... you have just barely passed the test. But... next time... may not be so easy..."
"For now... Zhen (朕) is satisfied..."
End of 1-3.