Beneath the steps, Emperor Wu Yang Xingyuan already wore the imperial yellow robe. At his side stood Qian Zhao, Yu Shisan, Sun Lang, and Yuan Lu, all four clad in the black robes of Liudao Hall, clearing the way with swords in hand.
Some Imperial Guards, unaware of the situation, stepped forward to block their path, but Qian Zhao did not even draw his sword, simply flipping them to the ground with the hilt.
Flanked by the four, Emperor Wu walked steadily upward, step by step, lifting his gaze to meet Prince Danyang’s stunned expression.
Ning Yuanzhou followed closely behind the Emperor, likewise dressed in Liudao Hall's black robe with his face covered by a black cloth, holding a bow in his hand.
At last, some of the courtiers in the surrounding crowd reacted. "Your Majesty! It's Your Majesty, he has returned!"
Those officials belonging to the impartial faction, untainted by party strife, watched as Yang Xingyuan's figure reappeared within the court of Wu. They dropped to their knees one after another, calling out tearfully for the Emperor to live for ten thousand years.
Prince Danyang's mouth twitched. He finally accepted the reality before him: Yang Xingyuan had truly, beyond all expectations, appeared before him without a sound.
He clenched his fists, his mind racing as he calculated his next move.
The Empress at his side also caught sight of Yang Xingyuan. Her eyes finally moistened, and with a slight tremor, she whispered, "Your Majesty..."
That cry did not reach the Emperor; it was heard entirely by Prince Danyang, whose tightly clenched fists suddenly relaxed.
"Are the Imperial Guards all dead?" Prince Danyang's voice was hoarse with fury.
The Imperial Guards stationed around them were somewhat perplexed. Not all of them recognized Emperor Wu, but the reactions of the many officials before them clearly showed that the man approaching was indeed the Emperor who had vanished for months.
Their gazes turned simultaneously toward the current commander of the Imperial Guard, who had been promoted entirely by Prince Danyang himself a short time ago.
He raised his head, reaching out to touch the sword at his waist. The surrounding guards held their breath.
Suddenly, a figure in black flew through the air, leaping straight toward the commander of the Imperial Guard with an empty bow in hand, preceded by a thunder-fire bomb.
When the smoke cleared, the crowd saw a tall man wielding a curved bow, the string pulled tight and biting deep into the neck of the Imperial Guard commander.
"Liudao Hall has verified that the current Imperial Guard commander, Wu Yong, colluded with General Pingyuan Zhou Jian to ambush the diplomatic mission and obstruct Your Majesty's return to Wu. This has been confirmed with irrefutable proof, and he is now executed on the spot!"
Ning Yuanzhou's voice rang out clear and resonant, echoing through the inner and outer halls.
As Ning Yuanzhou released his grip, the Imperial Guard commander Wu Yong collapsed to the ground. The surrounding guards instantly lost their composure; with their commander dead, no one knew what to do next.
At this moment, Zhang Song, who had been lying low for a long time, gave a glance to an attendant at his side. A bird whistle sounded, and the faint clanking of armor echoed from all directions.
The supposedly all-out deployment of Liudao Hall, with every member's face covered in black cloth and bearing a solemn expression, quickly surrounded the area, forming a sharp contrast with the chaotic and demoralized guards.
Many of the guards dropped their weapons at this sight.
"Prince Danyang, while you have yet to commit an irreparable mistake, stop now." Emperor Wu Yang Xingyuan stood before Prince Danyang.
The Emperor's hair crown and attire were immaculate, his brows and expression retaining their full imperial dignity. As for Prince Danyang, his disheveled hair fluttered wildly in the wind...
Had his grand ambition ended even before it truly began?
"Imperial Elder Brother, can you truly still sit securely upon the dragon throne today? Do you really—"
"Prince Danyang!" The Empress's voice rang out abruptly, cutting his half-spoken words mercilessly short.
At that moment, Qian Zhao took the lead to step before Prince Danyang, drawing his heavy sword from its scabbard. If the Prince dared so much as a single unauthorized movement, death would be his only outcome.
The Empress's shout seemed to snap Prince Danyang back to his senses. That the Emperor was incompetent was common knowledge; no matter how much he stressed it to the crowd, he could no longer turn the tide...
Besides, the succession of a younger brother upon the death of an elder brother was considered righteous and proper. Previously, everyone assumed the Emperor could not return, which was why they tacitly permitted Prince Danyang's succession. But now...
Prince Danyang suddenly realized that the Empress's cry just then had been to keep him from throwing his life away...
"Heaven be praised for protecting Your Majesty's safe return! Long live our Emperor, long live, long live our Emperor!" Seeing that the situation was firmly under control, Zhang Song stepped forward at last, taking the lead to kowtow to the Emperor.
Seeing Prime Minister Zhang take the lead, the officials knelt and kowtowed one after another. In the end, even the officials belonging to Prince Danyang's faction, yielding to the current reality, followed suit.
"Prince Danyang, you are my own blood brother. Then let you be the one to place the pearl crown upon my head." Yang Xingyuan deliberately emphasized the words "blood brother."
Having endured this ordeal, he had had enough of the life of a destitute, helpless prisoner in a foreign land. Only now did he truly understand the preciousness of his homeland, his compatriots, and his family.
When Emperor Wu had planned this strategy with Ning Yuanzhou and Zhang Song, he had already decided that as long as they stopped Prince Danyang from committing treasonous acts, he would find a way to spare his life in the days to come. After all, they were blood brothers...
Yet Prince Danyang did not consider any of this at the moment; his mind was consumed entirely by the thought that the prize he had longed for and fought tooth and nail to seize was now being forced from his grasp.
An insult. This was a supreme insult!
Qian Zhao stood to one side, the heavy sword in his embrace emitting occasional clinks of metal. In another corner, Yuan Lu twirled a flying dagger between his fingers.
Yu Shisan and Sun Lang, and even Ning Yuanzhou down below, kept their eyes fixed squarely on Prince Danyang, not looking away for so much as an inch.
If Prince Danyang made any reckless move whatsoever, death would be his only fate.
This was the goal they had risked everything to achieve, and they were only one step away now. No one was permitted to ruin it.
With trembling hands, Prince Danyang picked the pearl crown up from the floor, gently placed it upon Emperor Wu's head, and then slowly dropped to his knees, burying his body heavily against the ground. Stifling the fury churning in his heart, he gritted his teeth and declared, "Long live our Emperor, long live, long live our Emperor..."
Listening to this long-absent sound by his ear, Emperor Wu Yang Xingyuan wore an unreadable expression. Perhaps he felt joy, gratitude, or the relief of having survived a catastrophe?
Yet, there was also guilt...
"It has been little more than sixty years since the affairs of Wu were settled. Furthermore, the Beipan barbarians have invaded, and battles rage constantly along the Anwu border. I failed to reform institutions, leaving future generations ill-equipped to sustain the state; I listened to slanderous advice and wantonly launched military campaigns, plunging the realm into unrest and wasting the people's wealth and labor..."
Every single word from Emperor Wu Yang Xingyuan was forceful and resonant, carrying a hoarse timbre as if he wished to proclaim it to the entire world.
"Prime Minister Zhang, this is..."
The civil officials on the side were the first to react.
"Could this be... an edict of self-blame?"
As the words fell, murmurs broke out all around. Since ancient times, how many emperors had dared to issue an edict of self-blame? And how many had dared to recite their own edict of self-blame before all the civil and military officials and the subjects of the realm?
"In the Battle of Anwu, countless soldiers of Wu perished. Chai Ming and others of Liudao Hall fought valiantly against the enemy, all losing their lives in a foreign land because of my faults... I am filled with shame, and today I offer my apology to the world."
With that, Emperor Wu turned toward the direction of the Battle of Anwu, swept back the hem of his robe, and knelt heavily upon the platform.
The civil and military officials below were struck dumbfounded by Yang Xingyuan's actions.
Some of the conservative veteran officials grew teary-eyed at the sight of Yang Xingyuan's gesture, crying out incessantly, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, why must you go this far, Your Majesty!"
Seeing Emperor Wu kneel, Qian Zhao, Yu Shisan, and the others also dropped to one knee, fulfilling the proper etiquette between sovereign and subjects.
If anyone had drawn close to Ning Yuanzhou or Qian Zhao at that moment, they would surely have seen the faintly reddened eyes hidden beneath their black bamboo hats.
They had succeeded. They had finally cleared the names of their fallen brothers beneath the earth. Today, with the Emperor issuing the edict of self-blame before the officials, the achievements of Liudao Hall would undoubtedly be recorded in the annals of history, becoming an indelible memory of Wu for all time.
Every member of Liudao Hall wore black cloth over their faces today simply because, on this day, they did not represent themselves alone—they represented every single member of Liudao Hall, including all those who had sacrificed their lives and those who had retired in the past.
They wore the black cloth to signify that they were here together to witness this moment, to witness Liudao Hall cleared of wrongs, and to witness Liudao Hall being forever etched into the historical records of Wu.
The blood they had shed would no longer go unseen simply because they wore black attire; from this day forward, no one would ever be able to easily erase any of their contributions!