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Chapter 001 Prologue
In the summer of the eighteenth year of Haoyuan, Emperor Heng of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Feng Chang, fell seriously ill.
The magnificent imperial bedchamber was draped with layers of bright yellow curtains. A gentle breeze lifted a corner of one curtain, revealing a gold-inlaid and jade-embroidered ebony bed with a blue silk brocade canopy and gold-embroidered hooks. On the bed lay an old man with a white beard and sallow face, coughing intermittently. The room was filled with the bitter smell of medicine mixed with the fragrance of musk, swirling in the air.
At this moment, two people were kneeling in front of the large bed. The one in front had his hair tied up with a golden crown, and his jet-black hair cascaded over his shoulders like a magnificent brocade. He wore a long brocade robe with silver trim, a dragon belt around his waist, and white jade pendants lightly weighing him down. He exuded nobility and his handsome features were striking. His thick eyebrows were as black as ink, and his deep eyes clearly showed his coldness and ruthlessness. At this moment, his face was covered with pain and an uncontrollable sadness.
"Father, Father, you must take good care of yourself."
"Xiao'er, Xiao'er?"
The old man on the bed was none other than Emperor Heng of the Great Zhou Dynasty, who was seriously ill. His health was deteriorating day by day, so he summoned Crown Prince Feng Zixiao and Right Chancellor Sima Yuan to the palace. At this moment, the two people in front of the bed were the noble Crown Prince and the middle-aged man with a reserved and wise demeanor, who was none other than the Right Chancellor Sima Yuan. In addition to being the Right Chancellor, Sima Yuan was also the maternal uncle of Crown Prince Feng Zixiao.
"Father, what do you say?"
Crown Prince Feng Zixiao suppressed his grief and awaited his father's instructions.
Emperor Heng, panting on the bed, finally managed to calm his breathing and slowly spoke: "Xiao'er, all along, our Great Zhou and the four kingdoms of Nanling, Shaoyi, and Beilu have been great powers. Although there are some small countries in remote areas with strange customs that we have not yet subdued, they would never dare to provoke us. Who knew that Nanling would suddenly send troops to attack Shaoyi and destroy it in just a few months? Now we and Beilu are in great danger."
After Emperor Heng finished speaking, a fierce glint flashed in Crown Prince Feng Zixiao's eyes. If the Southern Ling Kingdom were to invade, they would never surrender without a fight. Even if it cost them their last strength, they would fight to the death to protect their country.
"Father, rest assured, your son will never surrender without a fight."
Emperor Heng coughed a few more times, looking at his son. Xiao'er had grown up, which pleased him greatly, but his wings were not yet fully grown.
"Right now, the external threat from Nanling doesn't pose a threat to us, because they've been fighting with Shaoyi for months and now need a truce to recuperate. What's pressing for our Great Zhou is the internal troubles we're facing, Xiao'er?"
The Jiang family is a thorn in Emperor Heng Fengchang's side, and he wishes he could get rid of them as soon as possible. Unfortunately, he has unknowingly allowed them to grow from a small bird into a falcon. Now it is by no means easy to get rid of them. Therefore, Emperor Heng Fengchang regrets his past actions and cannot die in peace. He places all his hopes on his son.
"Father, I know what it is, and I will definitely find a way."
A flash of golden light appeared in Feng Zixiao's dark, inky pupils, and he spoke in a deep voice.
"Xiao'er, I need you to promise me one thing."
Feng Chang suddenly spoke as if he had made up his mind, and Feng Zixiao immediately and steadily accepted the order: "Father, please speak."
"To marry Jiang Batian's daughter as the Crown Princess?"
"Father (Your Majesty)," Crown Prince Feng Zixiao and Right Chancellor Sima Yuan cried out in disbelief, not understanding why the Emperor would do such a thing. The Jiang family was a major threat to the Great Zhou, holding a large army, and now the Emperor was even going to force the Crown Prince to marry their daughter. Wouldn't this only embolden the Jiang family? The ministers in the court would probably be disheartened.
However, Emperor Heng Feng Chang had his own plans. He had been emperor for eighteen years and had been a strategist since he was the crown prince. Otherwise, he would not have stood out from the princes, become the crown prince, and then take control of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
"I not only want you to marry Jiang Batian's daughter, but also his youngest daughter, Jiang Hailing, the unfavored third daughter of the Ji
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