Dawn

At first, no one believed the Emperor and Chancellor would truly break with each other. Even the news of Li Yaoxuan and Xu Yinhe’s deaths had been met with deep skepticism by the Sect Alliance’s upper echelon. The prevailing view among them had been that it was merely an elaborate performance staged for their benefit. Yet as full-scale civil war erupted, as analyses of the changing front lines poured in, and as details accumulated, the leaders of the Sect Alliance finally confirmed that the previous era had indeed come to an end. And yet, still very few believed the imperial clan and the Chancellor's Manor would rupture completely. Thus, when civil war broke out in Di’an and severed all contact with the outside world, the leaders of the Sect Alliance had assumed it was merely some form of cooperation between the two new masters of the imperial court. Only when the Sunshroud canopy dissipated did they discover that genuine warfare had erupted within Di'an, and that Li Zhaoyuan, the imperial prince poised to ascend the throne, had been killed on the eve of his coronation. This turn of events would exert an unparalleled influence on the realm’s balance of power, and for the Sect Alliance, it was undoubtedly an extraordinary stroke of good fortune. Li Zhaoyuan had relied on the momentum of the Sect Alliance to gain his chance at the imperial throne, yet the instant his succession was secured, he severed ties with them at lightning speed. This bred in the Sect Alliance a hatred for Li Zhaoyuan that ran to the very marrow of their bones. Yet regardless of that hatred, out of pragmatic interest, the Sect Alliance had persistently attempted to contact this former ally, seeking to join hands in countering the Prime Minister’s Manor. Because the Sect Alliance’s core objective had always been simple: Maintain the status quo. Indeed, after the outbreak of full-scale civil war, there were plenty of radicals within the Sect Alliance who wanted an outright change of dynasties. But the problem was, if Great Yan were overthrown, who among the Sect Alliance would become the supreme sovereign of the realm? If no one could command the obedience of all, the only alternative was to regress to an age ruled by sects. Yet the only reason an age of sects could maintain lasting peace was the towering mountain known as the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion pressing down upon the major sects. While the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion had indeed re-emerged into the world, who would willingly live with an entity capable of foreseeing the future hanging over their heads forever? The Overseeing Heaven Pavilion was foolish. Unless they could rise against all odds in this war, their only fate would be encirclement and total annihilation, just as it was ten thousand years ago. And without them, a regression to an age of sects meant every sect carving out territory to proclaim themselves kings, sparking endless warfare until a new emperor was forged in the crucible of blood. This was a future the Sect Alliance had no wish to see. If their rule could be steadily sustained, who would want to resort to force? Therefore, the Sect Alliance would not overturn the Li clan's realm. All the Sect Alliance wanted was to preserve the old order. As long as the imperial clan was willing to turn around and join forces with them to crush the Prime Minister’s Manor, the Li family would remain the supreme sovereigns of the realm. And in the grand feast of carving up the corpse of the Prime Minister’s Manor, if the new emperor possessed ability comparable to Li Yaoxuan's, the imperial Li clan's power might even surpass what it had been at the founding of Great Yan! Yet Li Zhaoyuan, the prospective sovereign poised to ascend the throne, had persistently ignored their overtures. Now that this traitor had died by the hand of the Xu family's new head, how could such news not leave the Sect Alliance overjoyed? The Sect Alliance could not comprehend why the Xu family's new master had lost his mind and committed such folly, but the fact remained: the Prime Minister’s Manor had bared its fangs at the imperial clan, laying bare its ambition to overturn the dynasty! That imperial princess of immense military renown who was poised to ascend the throne had already faced massive constraints regarding her coronation. With the Prime Minister’s Manor’s blatant rebellion now laid bare, how she would choose was not difficult to surmise. Or rather, even if she refused to choose, the imperial faction would force her hand. The secret edict she had sent testified to this very reality. On the twelfth of the second month, the Sect Alliance’s diplomatic mission formally entered the capital. Unlike the secret edict sent under cover by the imperial princess, their entrance into the capital was conducted openly—grandly, even—as though specifically intended to make a public declaration to certain people. The delegation's convoy entered through Beihua Gate. An honor guard of state guests cleared the path while Imperial Guard cavalry escorted them on either flank. Iron hooves crunched through the crusts of ice. Stretching nearly a li, the convoy bore congratulatory gifts for the new sovereign's enthronement, cutting deep ruts across the accumulated snow. At the very front of the procession rode several elders on horseback alongside a black-clad woman wearing a veiled conical hat. Leading the convoy deeper into the city, they passed neighborhood after neighborhood swallowed by the flames of war, prompting one of them to sigh wistfully: "Never in my life did I imagine seeing Di'an reduced to such a state." Shortly after, another spoke with a chuckle: "You mean you never imagined Di'an would end up like this at the hands of the Emperor and Chancellor, right? Utter madness. That kid named Xu Changtian actually went out of his way to push the imperial clan right into our arms." "..." At the sound of that name, the figure of the veiled woman in black robes shuddered almost imperceptibly. A moment later, however, a large hand reached over and patted her shoulder. Liu Wenzhou said in a measured voice: "Elder Wang, you celebrate too early. As of yet, we cannot be certain how that empress-to-be will handle the relations between the imperial clan, the Sect Alliance, and the Prime Minister's Manor." Hearing this, the others looked back at the handsome elder, and someone asked: "In Elder Liu's view, did Her Highness Wuyuan send that edict merely to lure our delegation into Di'an to sacrifice us to her war banners?" At those words, a brief silence fell over the delegation. Liu Wenzhou merely shook his head gently. Glancing at the speaker, he replied placidly: "The world is not black and white. Such a move would be far too childish; Wuyuan will not do that." After locking eyes for an instant, the man lowered his gaze and replied: "I would hear your thoughts, Elder Liu." Riding his horse forward, Liu Wenzhou looked at the ruined streets flanking their path: "Elder Han, if even Crown Prince Li Zhaoyuan's death could be brushed aside as an illness, is our diplomatic mission somehow more important than the Crown Prince? Even if she truly killed us, it would have no bearing on the greater picture. At most, the history books would record a few more people dying of illness. Furthermore..." "...the pressure inside the imperial clan is about to blow." A cool, aloof female voice suddenly broke into the elders' conversation, drawing their glances. The young woman in the veiled hat kept her head lowered slightly, speaking in a clear, matter-of-fact tone: "If Li Qingyan forcibly executed the delegation, it would only detonate that pressure prematurely." "Qingmo speaks the truth," Liu Wenzhou smiled slightly, looking upon this chief disciple of the Sword Sect as she matured. "Though military formations and battle arts can secure a leader's power, a leader cannot be present in the ranks at every moment. If the leader's decree proves absurd, the generals in the field will simply act first and report later, deciding for the emperor." Silence fell. None spoke immediately. All present were high-ranking figures who wielded considerable authority within their respective sects. They knew full well that political decrees could flow from the top down, or be forced upward by the surging tide from below. Fueled by the Prime Minister's Manor's rebellion, the internal pressure within the imperial clan had reached a boiling point. If Li Yaoxuan crawled out of his coffin right now, he might still suppress those voices through personal authority. But that empress-to-be was already fettered by severe constraints upon ascending the throne; she could never pull off such a feat. They rode through several more blocks in silence before someone spoke again. No one brought up the previous matter, for there was no need. Before Li Zhaoyuan's death, Li Qingyan and Xu Changtian must have maintained private contact. But as to whether that contact could endure under the mounting pressure within their respective factions, the Sect Alliance could only wish the pair luck in dragging Li Yaoxuan and Xu Yinhe out of their coffins together. Even so, it was best for the Sect Alliance to prepare for both contingencies. Liu Wenzhou looked into the distance toward the towering vermilion walls of the palace: "The Black Scale Army withdrew from the palace city the day before yesterday." Hearing this, Elder Han murmured instinctively: "A concession from the Prime Minister's Manor? Providing a venue for Her Highness Wuyuan's coronation?" Liu Wenzhou shook his head gently without answering, turning instead to look at the silent young woman beside him. Ran Qingmo pursed her lips at his glance, her voice clear: "In such matters, Xu Yuan would never concede. The only reason the Black Scale Army withdrew from the palace city is that he is gradually pulling out of Di'an altogether." At this, someone countered: "Over the past few days, the three hundred thousand troops of the Beifeng Army have marched south almost entirely through Jingbei Prefecture. The fastest, the Second Town, has already camped north of Di'an. The Chancellor's Manor's forces are not yet clear, but counting the hundred thousand-odd Black Scale Army soldiers originally stationed north of Hongnong, they must have amassed over three hundred thousand troops in Di'an. That makes for a confrontation between nearly a million troops in military formations!" Through the thin veil of her hat, Ran Qingmo glanced at the elder who had spoken, murmuring: "The more troops both sides mass together, the less likely they are to fight." "Then why assemble so many troops?" "Have you forgotten?" Ran Qingmo cast a glance in the direction of the Chancellor's residence and murmured: "Qinlong Pass is currently in the hands of the Prime Minister's Manor." "Qinlong Pass..." The elder murmured under his breath, his pupils contracting sharply. "Xu Changtian didn't take that pass to stop the Beifeng Army from marching south—he did it to prepare the Prime Minister's Manor to push north?!" "Yes." "We must inform the imperial clan." "It's useless," Ran Qingmo shook her head. "Li Qingyan has led troops for years; she cannot possibly fail to see Xu Yuan's intention. Ordering the entire Beifeng Army to march south is her way of avoiding an immediate, large-scale decisive battle with the Prime Minister's Manor." "..." Amid the silence, the listeners sighed with heavy hearts. Even though the imperial clan's shift in allegiance had become apparent, both new masters possessed formidable vision and grand strategy. The hope of sitting back to reap the spoils as the fisherman was nothing more than a pipe dream. Yet the realm's current situation remained favorable to them. The arrival of the diplomatic mission did not mean a ceasefire along the front lines. The longer the two sides remained locked in confrontation with a million troops in Di'an, the more strategic strongholds the Sect Alliance could seize during that window. What was more, the Three Northern Provinces had been devastated by two successive wars. Even if surrendered outright to the Prime Minister's Manor, against the combined might of the Sect Alliance and the imperial clan, their chances of winning the realm compared to their eventual ruin were practically negligible. The Sect Alliance delegation proceeded into the palace city. But along the central axis spanning Di'an, they crossed paths with an unexpected carriage. The armor of the Black Scale iron cavalry glinted cold and austere beneath the sun. The gilded carriage proclaimed the nobility of the passenger within. The carriage of the Prince of Han departed the palace, advancing head-on toward the incoming Sect Alliance mission. Ran Qingmo's gaze pierced the sheer veil of her hat, pierced through the carriage's window drapes, resting upon him as he sat upright inside. Yet until the two parties brushed past one another, until each vanished beyond the edge of sight, he never once looked back at her. The Prince of Han entered the palace requesting an audience with Princess Wuyuan, only to be turned away at the gates. Night fell. Above that magnificent manor gate, the three characters "Chancellor's Manor," which had weathered decades of wind and frost, were finally taken down. In their place hung two characters: "Xu Manor." Time flowed on. Before the storm, there is always calm. The thirteenth of the second month. The coronation ceremony of Empress Yan. Dawn had arrived.