Chapter 110 Whose Mandate is Destiny? A Single Imperial Edict Repels All Heroes!

"This land..."

Emperor Mingde's voice echoed in the spacious Taiji Hall, which was filled with the smell of roasted meat, carrying a sense of vicissitudes accumulated over the years and the decisiveness unique to an emperor.

He looked at his son Xiao Se, who had once been his greatest pride and also caused him the most heartache, and a complex light flashed in his eyes. There was guilt, there was expectation, but above all, there was a sense of relief that he could finally unload his burden.

"This land should rightfully belong to the Chu River."

These words struck like a thunderclap within the hall.

Jin Xuan, the Grand Eunuch who had been standing behind Emperor Mingde, acting as if he were invisible, suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with undisguised shock. Although he had a premonition, everything was still uncertain before a crown prince was officially designated. Now that the emperor had personally confirmed it in front of Su Changqing, it was tantamount to extinguishing the hopes of all the other princes!

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

Jin Xuan blurted out, "Although Prince Yong'an is exceptionally intelligent, he has been away from the capital for four years, and his influence in the court is still weak. Prince Bai, on the other hand, has cultivated his power over many years, and now that his eyesight has been restored, he enjoys the support of the court officials. If Prince Chuhe were suddenly made crown prince, the court would likely become unstable!"

"Unstable? Who dares to be unstable?"

Before Emperor Mingde could speak, Su Changqing sneered, toying with an iron skewer used for skewering meat in his hand.

"laugh!"

With a flick of his wrist, the iron skewer transformed into a silver lightning bolt, grazing Jin Xuan's scalp before embedding itself with a "thud" into the white marble pillar behind him, penetrating three inches into the stone!

A few strands of gray hair, cut off, drifted down slowly.

Jin Xuan felt a chill run down his spine, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back. He had no doubt that if Su Changqing had wanted to, that skewer would have pierced his head!

"You old eunuch, didn't I just say I don't like people interrupting?"

Su Changqing's eyes were as cold as knives. "The court is unstable? Then I'll uproot all those unstable individuals, along with their families! I'll slaughter them until they're stable!"

"Do you think I wouldn't dare unleash another lightning punishment in Apocalypse City?"

overbearing!

Lawless and domineering!

In Su Changqing's eyes, all talk of political intrigue and power balance is utter nonsense! Before this god with absolute power, all rules must give way!

"Please calm down, sir!"

Emperor Mingde quickly tried to smooth things over. He was now genuinely afraid of this capricious and unpredictable ruler.

"Jin Xuan was loyal, but he failed to see the situation clearly." Emperor Mingde sighed, then turned to Xiao Se, "Chu He, in these four years, do you hate me?"

Xiao Se stopped wiping the wine glass.

He did not answer immediately, but gently placed the wine glass on the table and looked directly at Emperor Mingde.

"I hated it."

Xiao Se's voice was calm, as if he were telling someone else's story, "I hate your coldness back then, I hate your ruthlessness, I hate that you watched me have my hidden meridians destroyed without doing anything."

"But now, I don't hate anymore."

"Oh?" A hint of surprise flashed in Emperor Mingde's eyes.

"Because it's unnecessary."

Xiao Se walked to Su Changqing's side, his eyes revealing a hint of arrogance. "After meeting you, sir, I realized that I had been too narrow-minded before."

"I used to think that imperial power was the most supreme thing in the world. For that throne, brothers would fight each other, and fathers and sons would turn against each other. But in your eyes, that dragon throne was not as valuable as the broken palm-leaf fan in your hand."

True strength doesn't need to be embellished with power or maintained through intrigue. If I'm strong enough, I can take back what I want anytime. And what I don't want to give away, no one can take away from me!

These words resonated deeply.

This was not only a response to Emperor Mingde, but also a complete sublimation of Xiao Se's own state of mind.

He has transformed from a prince trapped in the power struggles of the court into a true king with the heart of a strongman!

Emperor Mingde looked at his transformed son, and his eyes welled up with tears.

"Good...good! As expected of my son!"

Emperor Mingde nodded repeatedly, "Since you have this awareness, then I can rest assured entrusting this empire to you. Jinxuan!"

"This old servant is here," Jin Xuan replied tremblingly.

"Draft an imperial edict!"

With a wave of his hand, Emperor Mingde, though dressed in casual clothes, transformed once again into the awe-inspiring emperor who commanded respect throughout the land.

"The sixth prince, Xiao Chuhe, is exceptionally talented and virtuous. His title of Prince of Yong'an is hereby restored, and he is hereby appointed Crown Prince of Beili! He will enter the Eastern Palace and oversee the country on my behalf!"

"This..." Jin Xuan hesitated for a moment, but still gritted his teeth and replied, "This old servant obeys!"

He knew that the outcome was already decided.

With Su Changqing as an unshakeable backer, coupled with Xiao Se's own talent, Tianqi City will belong to Xiao Chuhe from now on!

"etc."

Just as Emperor Mingde was about to send Jinxuan to deliver the imperial edict, Xiao Se suddenly spoke up.

"Father, I don't want the position of Crown Prince."

"What?!"

Emperor Mingde was stunned.

Lei Wujie and Wushuang were also stunned. This was a windfall, how could anyone be pushing it away?

"Xiao Se, are you crazy? That's the emperor!" Lei Wujie tugged at Xiao Se's sleeve and muttered under his breath.

"I'm not crazy."

Xiao Se broke free from Lei Wujie's hand, looked at Emperor Mingde with clear and firm eyes.

"Father, as I just said, I no longer care about that throne. I returned this time only to seek justice and to wash away the shame of the past. Now that my name has been cleared and the hidden veins have been restored, my goal has been achieved."

"and……"

Xiao Se turned to look at Su Changqing, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"I'm quite happy working as an accountant at Changqing Tower. Life there is much more interesting than this cold, impersonal palace. I don't want to have to get up before dawn every day to attend court and review endless memorials."

These words left Emperor Mingde speechless.

Would rather work as a tavern teller than be a king? What kind of brain circuit is that?!

Could it be that Su Changqing really can brainwash people?!

"Chu He, have you thought this through?" Emperor Mingde asked in a deep voice. "If you don't sit on this throne, who else can you entrust it to? Are you going to give it to Chong'er?"

Mentioning Prince Xiao Chong, a complex emotion flashed in Emperor Mingde's eyes. Although Xiao Chong was a rare talent, the forces behind him were far too complex. The Angry Sword Immortal Yan Zhantian, and those powerful clans—if Xiao Chong were to ascend the throne, the court would likely be plunged into another bloody storm.

"Now that my second brother's eyesight has been restored, he is the most suitable person to sit on the throne."

Without hesitation, Xiao Se said, "He is calm and composed, meticulous in his actions, and has the world at heart. If he were to govern Beili, he would surely usher in a golden age. As for me, I only wish to be a carefree prince, wandering the world."

Actually, Xiao Se had another reason in his heart.

He knew that Su Changqing had ambitions beyond his immediate surroundings and wouldn't stay in one place for long. If he became emperor, he would be trapped in this imperial city and would never be able to follow Su Changqing to see the wider world.

For the sake of a throne, would one abandon following in the footsteps of the gods?

Only a fool would do something like that!

"You...you're going to drive me crazy!" Emperor Mingde pointed at Xiao Se, his fingers trembling.

"Alright, alright, stop with the melodramatic 'filial piety' act."

Su Changqing interjected at the opportune moment. He had long seen through Xiao Se's little scheme, but he was too lazy to point it out. Since this kid was willing to continue doing his dirty work and settling accounts for him, he was naturally happy to accept it.

"Since Xiao Se is unwilling to be emperor, let that blind man be emperor. Anyway, he promised me that he would implement compulsory education after taking the throne, so let's give him a chance to fulfill his promise."

As Su Changqing spoke, he took out a piece of paper that he had written at some point in his pocket and casually threw it in front of Emperor Mingde.

"This is the edict I drafted. Just copy it and stamp it."

When Emperor Mingde picked up the note and read it, he was so angry that he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

On the note were a few lines of writing written crookedly:

[I am old and can no longer serve. The throne is passed to Xiao Chong. Xiao Chuhe is restored to his princely status and enjoys the privilege of withdrawing funds from the national treasury at any time. In addition, the Taiji Palace is permanently leased to Changqing Tower, rent-free. So be it.]

This isn't an imperial edict! This is practically a blackmail contract!

Especially the phrase "enjoy the privilege of withdrawing funds from the national treasury at any time," which is practically treating the Beili national treasury as Xiao Chuhe's private treasury!

"Mr. Su...this...this is unreasonable..." Emperor Mingde tried to make a last-ditch effort.

"What? You want to back out?"

Su Changqing's eyes turned cold, and he tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

With each strike, the entire Taiji Hall trembled violently, as if an invisible hammer was pounding into Emperor Mingde's heart.

"I'll write it! I'll write it, okay?!"

Emperor Mingde was completely devastated. He knew that if he didn't agree, the Taiji Palace would probably be demolished by this monster.

With trembling hands, he picked up the pen and copied Su Changqing's instructions word for word onto a blank imperial edict, then heavily stamped it with the Imperial Seal.

"That's right."

Su Changqing put away the imperial edict with satisfaction and handed it to Xiao Se, "Take this, it's your meal ticket for life. If our Changqing Tower ever loses money in the future, we'll just take some money from the national treasury to make up for it."

Xiao Se: "..."

He suddenly realized that he, the accountant, might become the most notorious corrupt official in the history of Beili.

With the promulgation of this absurd yet legally binding imperial edict.

The struggle for succession in Tianqi City thus came to an end in an extremely dramatic way that no one had expected.

King Xiao Chong sat in his palace, listening to Cang Ming read out the contents of the imperial edict, and fell into a long, stunned silence.

The throne he had dreamed of, the empire he had painstakingly built up over a decade.

They actually got it so easily...?

Moreover, it wasn't because he defeated his opponent in court, but because... that man named Su Changqing thought Xiao Se had a better future as his accountant?!

"Absurd... utterly absurd!"

Xiao Chong gave a wry smile, but a feeling of indescribable gratitude welled up in his heart.

He knew that without Su Changqing, his eyesight would never have recovered, and he would never have been able to sit in that position openly and honestly. He owed her a huge debt of gratitude.

"Pass down the order."

Xiao Chong stood up, his eyes gleaming with imperial brilliance. "Immediately prepare for the coronation ceremony. At the same time, issue an edict to the Ministry of Works: starting today, establish schools throughout the country and implement 'compulsory education.' The necessary funds... shall come from my private treasury!"

He knew this was the only way he could repay Su Changqing's kindness.

……

a few days later.

As news of the new emperor's ascension to the throne spread throughout the land, Tianqi City once again returned to its former prosperity and tranquility.

Meanwhile, at the Taiji Hall... no, it should now be called the "Changqinglou Tianqi Main Store," business is still booming.

With Emperor Mingde's "tasting" incident and the added prestige of being a former imperial palace, Changqinglou became the most luxurious restaurant in the world.

Countless high-ranking officials, chivalrous figures, and even envoys from neighboring countries consider it an honor to have a meal here.

"Lei Wujie! Is the braised Crimson Flame Dragon ready for table number three? The customers are all asking about it!"

"Coming! Coming right away!"

Wearing his signature red waiter's uniform, Lei Wujie moved through the enormous palace like the wind. His stealth footwork had reached a state of perfection; he could even use mid-air to turn and carry plates while scaling walls and rooftops.

In the kitchen, Wushuang had replaced the thirteen flying swords with a set of specially made cooking utensils. He could now not only cut vegetables, but also control the heat with the flying swords. The dishes he cooked carried a sharp sword intent, which the martial arts practitioners found incredibly satisfying.

Xiao Se sat in the spot that used to be the dragon throne (which Su Changqing had converted into a huge cash register), holding a golden abacus and calculating the accounts with a rapid-fire rhythm.

He looked at the lively scene and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"This life is definitely more interesting than being an emperor."

"Boss Xiao, what are you grinning about?"

Su Changqing walked over carrying Xiao Nuomi. "I just got a big order; someone wants to book the entire venue for their baby's one-month celebration. How much should I charge?"

"Book the whole place? Who's so arrogant?" Xiao Se was taken aback.

"They say she came from a fairy mountain overseas, her name is... Mo Yi?"

Su Changqing's lips curled into a playful smile. "Ever since that old bastard had a meal here, he's become a complete glutton. This time, when he heard that we opened a flagship store in Tianqi, he insisted on bringing his newly resurrected sister to freeload a meal."

"A resurrected sister?!"

Xiao Se gasped. Although he knew Su Changqing possessed extraordinary abilities, the ability to resurrect the dead was simply a reversal of yin and yang!

"Yeah, it took me a lot of effort. If I don't rip him off until he's bankrupt, I'm not a Su." Su Changqing said confidently.

"Alright, I'll take care of it. I'll make sure he leaves his underwear here."

Xiao Se smiled knowingly and began to work even harder on his abacus.

Sunlight streamed through the glazed tiles, bathing the grand hall in the warmth of everyday life.

Su Changqing looked out at the clear blue sky and took a deep breath.

The fate of Tianqi has been decided, and we have also visited the overseas immortal mountains.

Next, where should I take my wife and kids on a trip?

"Nuonuo, where do you want to go?" Su Changqing bounced his daughter in his arms.

Little Nuomi chewed her finger and thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up:

"Daddy, I want to see the Great Snow Mountain! I heard there's a giant snow monster there that eats people!"

"A giant snow monster?"

Su Changqing raised an eyebrow. "Alright, let's go to the Great Snow Mountain! Let's see if it eats people, or if Daddy will roast it for you!"