Outside the Emperor's chamber, chaos had erupted into full-fledged war.
BOOM—
The thick doorposts trembled.
BOOM—
Cracks crawled across the carved wooden frame like lightning.
"Break the chamber door!" Marshal Lord Xie Wenzhao bellowed, his voice harsh enough to shred stone.
Inside, Crown Prince Murong Yunqing stood before the weakening door— in cautious if the situation gets worse.
Breath unsteadies; sword pointed toward the bursting door.
Sword lifted with cold finality.
Every muscle in his body was tight, prepared for the next blow.
He leaned toward the hidden inner wall and whispered:
"Rouyuan… do what you must. Save His Majesty. I will hold this door until my last breath."
The door shook again.
Footsteps echoed sharply along the palace corridor.
From the shadows emerged Prince Murong Yuntai, striding toward the emperor's chamber with a predator's pride.
"Enough, Ge," he called mockingly.
"You've held out long enough. It's over. Hand me the Imperial Seal. I'll take care of this empire for you."
Crown Prince Murong Yunqing scoffed. "You? Take care of the empire? A greedy man like you will tear this empire apart."
Murong Yuntai laughed, the sound grating and cruel.
"Whether it collapses or thrives—what does it matter? I'll rule it however I wish."
He stepped closer, confidence radiating from him.
"You have no one left. Yexuan is dead. Yunxian-Ge and Uncle Shaoheng don't even know what's happening; my spies confirmed it. They're going about their work blindly. As for Yunxi—what can that child do to me?"
He smirked. "Face it, Ge, you are alone."
His sword rose.
And the Crown Prince raised his own.
Steel clashed.
A Duel That Decided the Dynasty
Their swords collided with sharp, deadly sparks.
Murong Yuntai fought with vicious power—but Murong Yunqing fought with training, precision, and royal authority.
In mere breaths, Murong Yuntai's blade was knocked away.
The Crown Prince slammed him onto the floor; the edge of his sword pressed to Yuntai's throat.
"You dare challenge me?" Yunqing hissed. "The martial arts taught to the Crown Prince surpass all the princes—for exactly this reason. The court feared a traitor long before you revealed yourself."
Murong Yuntai's eyes widened.
Then—
He blinked.
Silence.
"Don't you feel it?" Murong Yunqing asked softly.
He can hear how quietly outside?
Dread crept into Murong Yuntai's veins.
The Crown Prince dragged him out of the chamber.
And the sight awaiting him shattered whatever arrogance he had left.
The palace courtyard had fallen silent.
Not because his soldiers had won—
but because they had been defeated.
Lord Xie Wenzhao lay dead on the ground.
Hundreds of Western Peaks soldiers knelt with their weapons discarded.
Encircling the palace stood,The Snow Wolf Cavalry Elite, led by Great General Bai Yunchen, The Southern River Silk Division under Marshal Prince Murong Yunxian, The Eastern Sea Region army under Marshal Prince Murong Shaoheng, The Black Phoenix Infantry Elite, and atop the palace walls, Yexuan's Frost Arrow Archers, bows drawn and unwavering.
Prince Yuntai stared, numb with horror.
Crown Prince Murong Yunqing stepped closer, voice low and devastating, "Your desert mercenaries from Xihuai—the ones you thought were marching here—were intercepted and wiped out by the Snow Wolf Cavalry before they ever reached Wuzhen."
Murong Yuntai staggered, "You… you intercepted everything…?"
"Did you truly believe I would sit idle while you plotted treason?" the Crown Prince replied. "Every step you planned, I already knew."
"You've lost, Yuntai. Surrender."
The Moment Truth Walked In
Suddenly—
Footsteps approached.
A woman's gentle yet steady voice echoed, "Make way."
Everyone turned.
Bai Rouyuan emerged, supporting a figure who walked with quiet authority.
As the silhouette stepped forward—
The elite soldiers dropped to their knees.
"LONG LIVE YOUR MAJESTY!"
Prince Murong Yuntai froze.
His face drained of all color.
"Y-Your Majesty… you—You are… well?"
The emperor lifted his chin, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"Why?" he asked coldly.
"Did you assume I was about to die?"
Murong Yuntai's hands began to tremble.
"Bring all the traitors before me."
"Now." the emperor commanded.
And with that single order—
The fate of a dynasty turned.