PART I: The Speed of a Conspirator
The journey from the mountainous border regions back to Prime Lake City was considerable. The Empire was a vast nation, and the capital, Prime Lake City, was located further west, a significant distance from the Kingdom's eastern border.
Naturally, the Empire had established relay stations along the Imperial East-West Road to ensure rapid communication, stocking a great number of horses for the purpose. The Han Aureus Duke and his personal guard initially set out with three horses per man. Coupled with the continuous changes of mounts at the relay stations, the Duke's speed of return far exceeded the conventional "six hundred li express" dispatch.
To herald the good news of the victory, the Han Aureus Duke had preemptively sent communication riders back to the capital, proclaiming the great triumph along the route. These riders galloped along the Imperial East-West Road, relaying the victory, pausing only to sleep at relay stations, and continuing their rush at first light, shouting the news of the victory as they went.
Yet, the Han Aureus Duke was now traveling faster than the riders he had sent. Of the hundred trusted confidantes who had set out with him, less than three now remained at his side.
A normal full cavalry march from the border to the capital would take approximately twenty days. The Han Aureus Duke had practically bound himself to his mount, sleeping in the saddle, and having relay station riders lead his horse through the night to the next station. He drove himself relentlessly, returning to Prime Lake City covered in grime and dust.
Why this desperate haste?
In fact, even before the battle began, the Han Aureus Duke had received an urgent dispatch reporting the Emperor's critical illness and imminent death, commanding his "immediate" return to the capital. Yet, he had chosen to conclude the battle first. If the Emperor had died, the matter would be resolved. But if the Emperor were still alive, a Prince holding military power abroad who defied the Imperial edict to return...
The mere thought conjured tremendous political fallout. Thus, he was forced to ride for his life.
The historical appraisal of Emperor Dipper Huang could be summarized in two words: Deeply Suspicious.
As an emperor, his reign was marked by national strength, prosperity, domestic stability, and foreign expansion—he was, by all accounts, an enlightened ruler. However, his profound suspicion remained his most contentious trait.
If one could traverse time, the most famous examples of such suspicious emperors included Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Wen of Sui, Zhu Yuanzhang, and the Yongzheng Emperor. Others, of course, possessed this trait to varying degrees.
Why did Crown Prince Fu Su obey the false edict commanding his suicide without question? The underlying reason was that Fu Su believed the First Emperor was inherently suspicious, and that he would inevitably die by the Emperor's decree sooner or later. Thus, Fu Su accepted the order without doubting its authenticity. And that scoundrel, Emperor Wu of Han, caused the Disaster of the Witchcraft Persecution out of his paranoia, a single man's suspicious nature forcing his own Crown Prince to rebel out of self-preservation.
In politics, particularly in court, suspicion is the most terrifying demon. Once the authority figure harbors doubts about you, no matter what actions you take, they will be interpreted as either treasonous intent or the concealment of such intent.
Dipper Huang was such an Emperor, and Dipper Aureus had been raised under this very shadow.
From childhood, Dipper Huang's pleasure lay in "testing the human heart," especially the hearts of his princes. He would design various temptations, trapping his sons. For example, he would stage a small fire and observe the princes' reactions. Those who fled quickly would be chastised for prioritizing their own escape and neglecting the people, showing a lack of Imperial responsibility, and would be forced to kneel in the ancestral temple for three days. Those who stayed to fight the disaster would be criticized for being young and incompetent, hindering professionals with their misguided orders, and failing to delegate or respect expertise—they, too, would be sent to kneel for three days.
No matter what one did, there was no correct answer.
Furthermore, Dipper Huang deliberately stoked discord among his three sons. He would tell the Eldest Prince that the Second Prince was superior and better suited for the throne, then tell the Second Prince that the Third Prince had just reported his indecent behavior, and then inform the Third Prince that the Eldest Prince looked down on him. Dipper Huang's actions were not driven by policy; he found this entertaining—a perverse desire for control.
The Princes knew this, yet to appear unaffected by the traps would incur Dipper Huang's hatred. Therefore, they had to feign animosity toward their brothers, even though they knew it was all a ruse, or risk the Emperor's suspicion. This was the dark reality of the Imperial House of Dipper. It went without saying how chaotic the inner court became when the Emperor tolerated such behavior: the Empress could only seek self-preservation, and the concubines plotted against each other. Even those who had no intention of rebellion were eventually driven to it.
The shadow of his father was the persistent nightmare that haunted Dipper Aureus, the Third Prince of the Empire.
Thus, Dipper Aureus feared. He feared that this was yet another one of his father's tests, a test of his loyalty... What he feared most was the Emperor using a matter of state war as a tool to gauge the human heart. Had the grand affairs of the Empire truly devolved into a mere plaything in the eyes of Dipper Huang?
Whatever the truth, Dipper Aureus had to return as fast as possible. If the Emperor was dead, he wanted to witness the end of the demon. If the Emperor was alive, this desperate speed was the only way to prove his fealty.
The frantic ride meant the Han Aureus Duke's appearance shocked the city gate guards upon his entry. Had the Imperial Army been defeated? The Han Aureus Duke looked like a general in flight. Yet, the Duke ignored these external perceptions. He had to enter the Imperial Palace from the city gate and report back in the shortest possible time. His stench and the stains covering his once-gleaming silver armor were minor matters. If the gate guards reached his father first with their report, all his efforts over the past few days would be in vain.
The Han Aureus Duke forcibly commandeered a fresh military horse at the gate and galloped through the street paved with huge stones. This road was wide enough for twenty-four men to march abreast in a grand formation and led directly to the Inner City of the Imperial Palace. Because of its width, a dedicated lane for fast riding and carriages ran down the middle, preventing inconvenience or danger to the citizens.
At the inner city gate, the massive bronze-simulated gates opened. The commander of the Imperial Guard shouted a clearance.
"The Han Aureus Duke returns! Escort His Highness inside!"
The architecture of the Imperial Palace was majestic and grand. The Inner City was built upon the hills overlooking Lake Dipper. The Inner City wall encircled the entire hill, which formed the whole expanse of the Palace complex. It was approximately 1,400 meters at its widest point and 800 meters at its narrowest. It featured the Royal Docks facing Lake Dipper to the north, six gate towers, four fortress towers, moats, inner walls, courtyards, and over two thousand rooms, constituting the Empire's core—a facility that also functioned as a formidable fortress.
Many professional Imperial officials were assigned rooms within the Inner City. Except on rotation days off, these officials resided within the Inner City to manage state affairs, returning to their residences in the outer city only during holidays.
After passing the twentieth gate, the Han Aureus Duke finally arrived at the Council Hall. Attendants and ministers were gathered there, awaiting a result they both feared and hoped for.
PART II: The Last Audience
"How is His Imperial Majesty's condition?"
The Han Aureus Duke's first sentence upon returning was the one he had rehearsed and the only one he dared to utter.
Dipper Aureus's voice remained calm, a feat that required his utmost control. He was gripped by fear and hope simultaneously, yet he dared not reveal either. The slightest reaction could become leverage against him later.
"Reporting to Your Highness, had you returned but one day sooner, you might have seen His Majesty's last moments. His Majesty passed away last night!"
A wave of weeping erupted among the assembled officials and attendants, a spectacle of various theatrical displays. Yet, Dipper Aureus could discern the performance: smiles behind the tears, tears amidst the laughter. A demanding performance indeed.
Has he truly died?
A maid brought a hemp mourning garment for the Third Prince, Dipper Aureus, to change into. It was now that the reality of his father's death finally began to sink in.
Dipper Aureus did not remove his armor, merely tucking his helmet under his arm. He walked alone into the Emperor's chamber. The surrounding personnel, sensing the weight of the moment, quietly withdrew, leaving the room to the sole surviving Prince.
The Second Prince had succumbed to a severe bout of pneumonia three years prior while directing flood relief efforts during a natural disaster, finally passing away from exhaustion. Outsiders believed the Second Prince was diligent and beloved by the people, a paragon of the Imperial family who worked tirelessly until his unfortunate demise. Dipper Aureus, however, knew the truth: behind the Second Prince's suicidal effort was the constant gaze of the Emperor, forcing him to risk his life to avoid his father's suspicion. Even severely ill, he refused to withdraw from the frontline. The Second Prince's death was, effectively, a result of invisible, relentless pressure.
The Second Prince's rumored last word was "Enough." Two simple words that contained a world of grief and despair.
A year later, the Eldest Prince was framed for colluding with a vassal king, drawing the Emperor's lethal gaze. Imperial regulations strictly forbade candidates for the Imperial Throne from having close relations with the six Elector Kings, a rule meant to prevent candidates from forming factions prematurely. Violation could be interpreted as a sign of treasonous intent. This system caused the Princes to actively distance themselves from the six Kings, but it did not prevent malicious people from framing them.
A sycophantic minister, previously reprimanded by the Eldest Prince, feared for his life should the Prince eventually ascend the throne. He fabricated correspondence suggesting the Eldest Prince was colluding with the Kings and subtly ensured it fell into the Emperor's hands. When the Emperor flung the letters at the Eldest Prince, the Prince was entirely bewildered. Yet, his personal wax seal was somehow on the envelopes. Unable to defend himself, the Eldest Prince claimed illness and retreated home to contemplate his misdeeds, which evolved into genuine, fatal depression. He fell ill and never recovered.
Now, only two individuals in the Imperial House were qualified to inherit the throne: Dipper Aureus, the Third Prince, and the Eldest Prince's only son, the current eight-year-old Imperial Grandson Dipper Qian.
Dipper Aureus was certain that his Elder Brothers had been driven to their deaths by his father, and that he himself was next. Why? Because the Eldest Prince, before his death, had left a secret message, informing Dipper Aureus of a tremendous secret: Dipper Qian's biological father was, in fact, the current Emperor Dipper Huang. The relationship between the Eldest Prince and his wife, the Grand Princess Consort, was severely strained. Dipper Qian was the product of an incestuous affair between the Emperor and his daughter-in-law. Truly, the child was Dipper Aureus's younger half-brother, not his nephew.
Thus, for Dipper Huang, engineering the deaths of his three sons to replace them with a favored, younger son was entirely logical. It could even be argued that the deaths of the first two Princes were deliberately orchestrated by Dipper Huang. Otherwise, given the Emperor's intelligence, how could he have been fooled by such a crude plot to believe the Eldest Prince was colluding with the Elector Kings?
After everyone had left the chamber, Dipper Aureus turned and shut the red oak door behind him, locking it securely to ensure no one would interrupt his final meeting with his father.
Dipper Aureus felt his breathing and his heartbeat becoming increasingly difficult to control. A voice, like the insidious whisper of a demon, echoed in the deepest recesses of his heart.
"I am saved. I am saved. From this day forth, I no longer need to fear the shadow of my father..."
He held his breath, straining to hear. His heart pounded like a drum against his ribs.
"Y-yu...er..."
The sound! Dry, raspy, like the final syllables squeezed from a dying throat, yet delivered with a chilling clarity that pierced his eardrum with agonizing precision!
A stream of icy terror instantly shot from his tailbone to his crown, shattering the fragile moment of peace he had just grasped! His reason, like fine glazed porcelain struck by a heavy hammer, exploded in his mind. The shrapnel was pure terror, profound disbelief, and an overwhelming, surging hatred for having been so thoroughly manipulated!
He turned his neck, stiffly, inch by painstaking inch, as if it required his life's strength to move. His gaze was dragged back toward the bed, the symbol of supreme power and endless nightmare—
Those eyes, which should have been forever sunken into darkness, were laboriously half-open! The turbid, sickening eyeballs reflected a sickly, repulsive glimmer in the dim light. They were fixed upon him, mocking him, with an expression of total comprehension, as if they had already seen through every secret thought hidden in his soul!
"F-Fa... Father...?"
His voice trembled and fractured uncontrollably, completely losing its tone. Dipper Aureus could not recall a moment—not even at Cold Well Gorge when facing a numerically superior enemy from the high ground—when his voice had been so utterly defeated, so close to a whimper.
Yet, the moment the question left his lips, the answer spread through his heart like the deadliest venom.
Another test!
This damned, endless trial! Using his own death as bait to weave this colossal lie, just to hold the heart of the Empire's last surviving Prince in his grasp and play with it at will!
It was to coldly observe and see if he would betray even a flicker of "unseemly" joy; it was to precisely calculate whether he would disregard the Empire's safety and the frontline conflict, and rush back "immediately" to this sickbed!
This cold calculation! This pathological game that treated human life and emotion as mere grass!
A powerful, sickening nausea surged up his throat. His stomach violently convulsed. He nearly retched, every inch of his skin covered in goosebumps from extreme revulsion.
"Heh... if you had just now..."
The old Emperor's voice was as hoarse as a broken bellows. Every word was an ice pick laced with potent poison, driving into Dipper Aureus's veins, freezing his blood.
"...allowed even half a moment... of happiness to show..."
"...your eyes would likely be sightless... by now."
"The rest of your days, perhaps, would be spent in some desolate, cold monastery... kneeling in perpetual repentance against a wall!"
"Hmph... Heh heh... your 'filial piety'... has saved you for now."
"This time... you have barely passed. But... next time... may not be the same..."
"For now... I am satisfied..."
END OF 1-3