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"Heh, my dear little brother seems to be having some conflicts with his supporters lately," Emperor Qinghe sneered as he looked at the report in his hand. Casually tossing the paper aside, he addressed the shadow behind him, "Cixue, investigate the details."
"Yes, Young Master," Thorn Dolphin Douluo's figure disappeared into the shadows.
"Now, it's time to think about how to restore my true form." Qian Renxue had considered whether she would need to continue disguising herself as a man, possibly involving Spirit Hall's Lingyuan to stage a scene together. But now that Emperor Xue Ye had already passed, there was no need for such pretenses.
That's right, Emperor Xue Ye was dead.
On the very day the war ended… Emperor Qinghe spread the news that the old emperor had died from overexcitement, declining from his peak. He hoped that Xue Beng would come back to see his father one last time.
The motive was simple: use the opportunity to send that "unfilial son" to the afterlife as well.
Who would have thought that Xue Beng, the unfilial son, didn't show up!
This made things even easier. It gave Xue Qinghe the perfect reason to deploy troops: The emperor is dead, and his son didn't even come to pay his respects. Instead, he colludes with rebels and forms the New Tian Dou Federation. Such disloyalty, such disrespect, such inhumanity!
When this news spread, the entire Tian Dou Empire began to denounce Xue Beng, and even some within the New Tian Dou Federation didn't think highly of their new emperor.
After all, Xue Beng's reputation for indulgence was well-known among the nobles. The only reason he had been made emperor was because he carried Emperor Xue Ye's bloodline and was thus part of the royal lineage.
The kings of the various kingdoms and duchies believed that having someone with the Xue family bloodline on the throne would maintain public approval—at least in terms of righteousness, it made sense on the land of Tian Dou.
But now, after winning a single battle, Xue Beng was attempting to seize actual power. How could they tolerate that? But killing him wasn't an option either. Without Xue Beng's royal status, they would indeed become rebels. After all, their original goal wasn't rebellion; it was to force Xue Qinghe to abandon his reform plans.
They were betting that Xue Qinghe wouldn't dare to act against them. After all, the Star Luo Empire and even Tian Hall wouldn't stand idly by—they would seize the opportunity to take advantage.
What they didn't know was that Xue Qinghe was already a member of Wuhun Hall.
However, Xue Qinghe hadn't yet decided when to move against the rebels. She still needed to carefully consider the issue of the Sun Moon Empire.
Although the emperor of the Sun Moon Empire had been defeated, Qian Renxue knew that Xu Huang wasn't particularly involved in the day-to-day affairs of his empire. Xu Huang, in his own territory, was an immensely powerful figure, but most of the actual governance was handled by his subordinates. In truth, he was quite idle.
Qian Renxue thought, Now that's what a true emperor should be like!
Unlike me, constantly busy day and night without a moment's rest. What kind of emperor am I?
However, Xu Huang's defeat served as a warning to Qian Renxue. It showed that an emperor like Xu Huang, while seemingly irrelevant to his empire's operations, was essentially no more than a highly skilled bodyguard.
His immense strength made him unchallengeable.
But as they say, there's always a taller mountain. And sure enough, Xu Huang was killed by Tang San.
"To think a mere Blue Silver Grass could evolve to such a level... It still feels unreal," Qian Renxue mused. Thinking about Tang San, she realized it had been a while since they last crossed paths. She wondered what heights he had reached and whether the gap between them had grown even wider.
As a soul master, Qian Renxue wanted to challenge Tang San and perhaps even recruit him to her side.
Unfortunately, the opportunity hadn't come, and in terms of raw strength, she feared she would never catch up to him as long as she remained mortal.
"Never mind," she sighed. "I should focus on the upcoming All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament."
Whether it was the internal reforms of the HeaTian ven Dou Empire, the campaign against the New Tian Dou Federation, or defending against potential invasions from the Sun Moon Empire, all plans had to be postponed. The Continental Elite Tournament was the grandest event on the Douluo Continent.
But before that, there was still the matter of holding trials for the captured soldiers of the Sun Moon Empire.
Although all the captives had been taken to Tian City, the trials were not solely the responsibility of the Tian Hall. Star Luo, Heaven Dou, and the New Tian Dou Federation all had to participate.
After all, this invasion came from another continent, a challenge to all the powers on the Douluo Continent!
Qian Renxue had even decided that after unifying the continent, she would send troops to the Sun Moon Continent and conquer it. The natives of the Sun Moon Empire would need to bask in the glory of the Angel to understand the true meaning of life!
Meanwhile, over in the New Tian Dou Federation, Xue Beng was facing an exhausting struggle with the kings and lords of the kingdoms and duchies. Though he had managed to stabilize the situation for now, it was taking its toll on him.
At the moment, only Xue Beng and his uncle, Xue Xing, remained in the grand hall of the palace.
The reshuffling of the hereditary nobility naturally extended to the royal family's own members. Even though Xue Xing wanted to stay, he had to consider whether Xue Qinghe would allow him to remain. So, he followed Xue Beng to the New Tian Dou Federation.
However, unlike the weary Xue Beng, Xue Xing appeared much more relaxed. After all, being older, he didn't need to handle many affairs himself.
"Uncle, tell me, why did they crown me emperor of the New Tian Dou, yet refuse to grant me any real power?" Xue Beng sighed. "I know they value my legitimate bloodline, but with their lack of unity, how can I lead them against that bastard, Xue Qinghe?"
"That vile scoundrel not only killed my father but also smeared my name, calling me unfilial! And he has the audacity to claim the moral high ground for what he's done?"
Xue Xing remained silent. They had no solid evidence of Xue Qinghe's misdeeds, and the fact that Xue Beng hadn't visited Emperor Xue Ye during his final days was indisputable.
Even if they tried to fabricate a scandal about Xue Qinghe, how many people would actually believe it?
Xue Qinghe was too skilled in his tactics!
"Your Majesty, discussing this any further is pointless. Given the current public sentiment, the more we explain, the guiltier we appear," Xue Xing finally spoke after a long pause, offering his opinion. "Fortunately, the common people within our New Tian Dou Federation have limited contact with the outside world and lack detailed information. Your reputation remains relatively intact... For now, maintaining the status quo is the best course of action, but for the future, we must plan carefully."
"This isn't a problem that can be solved in your generation."
"It requires long-term consideration..."
"For now, Your Majesty, there are two immediate matters to address. First, the trial of the Sun Moon Empire's prisoners. Second, the upcoming Continental Elite Tournament. I've heard that this year's competition has relaxed the entry requirements, so it's bound to be incredibly lively. I wonder how it will be organized."
(End of Chapter)