Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 454 Prince
After offering libations and tributes of jade and silk, Chancellor Xu Mian picked up the abdication prayer from the altar and began to read it aloud to Heaven on behalf of the emperor:

"In the second year of the Datong era, the year of Wushen, on the Bingwu day of the third month, the succeeding emperor Yan respectfully reported to the Supreme God—"

"The vast sky above, dark and boundless, is filled with signs of war. The Purple Star and Mars are warning signs. Your humble servant Yan is unworthy to hold the throne. Though I toil day and night, I cannot quell the flames of war in the northern frontier. Now, the Hu and Wei have usurped the Central Plains, and the people are weeping blood. I wish to personally lead the six armies to sweep away the chaos and restore the former lands of the Han dynasty. Therefore, I have passed the throne to the Crown Prince to devote myself to military affairs."

"Crown Prince Tong is a gift from Heaven. He recited the Diamond Sutra from a young age, showing early wisdom; he participated in state affairs at a young age, displaying both benevolence and martial prowess. Last spring equinox, I, your subject Yan, dreamt that the Heavenly Emperor bestowed the River Chart upon Tong. Upon waking, I saw the Eastern Palace filled with auspicious purple clouds. This is not my personal wish, but the will of Heaven—Tong should inherit the throne and pacify the four seas..."

"...Your subject Yan bows twice, humbly requesting your acceptance of this offering!"

As Xu Mian finished reciting, Xiao Yan felt the imperial purple aura binding him gradually loosen and then slowly transfer to the new emperor, Xiao Tong.

That imperial purple aura was both a symbol of his rule over the world and a heavy burden from which he could not escape.

He who bears the nation's disgrace is called the master of the state; he who bears the nation's misfortune is called the king of the world.

Now, he has finally been relieved of his burden and feels a long-lost sense of ease. He can't wait to become a god!

He stared intently at the jade seal before him, waiting for the moment when the purple aura would completely leave his body...

However, at this crucial moment, a sudden change occurred! The crown prince, who should have been obediently kneeling to receive the mandate of heaven, suddenly stood up.

"Tong'er, what are you doing?!" Xiao Yan was shocked when he saw this.

Then Xiao Tong raised his sleeve and pointed his halberd, his voice like thunder splitting the sky:
"Last year, Zen Master Zhen Di issued the Buddha's decree: 'The number of soldiers in the Northern Expedition shall not exceed ten thousand!' But Father Emperor has disobeyed this order, creating various pretexts to launch a three-pronged Northern Expedition, with the number of soldiers far exceeding tens of thousands! Now he actually intends to personally lead an army of one hundred thousand northwards, openly defying the divine decree and acting recklessly! This is outrageous to both gods and men and will surely be punished by Heaven!"

Below the altar, the assembled officials let out a murmur, all thinking to themselves, "Well, it still exploded!"

Although no one was killed this time, the damage to Daliang was far greater than last time.

This sacrificial ceremony to heaven is poisonous!
~~
On the altar, Xiao Yan stared wide-eyed at Xiao Tong. "Tong'er, are you possessed? What nonsense are you spouting?!"

"I'm not crazy, you're the one who's crazy!" Xiao Tong sneered. "The Great Liang was established with the help of the gods. The peace and prosperity we enjoy today are all thanks to their blessings. Instead of repaying their kindness, Father Emperor has been plotting against the gods for his own selfish reasons, pushing the nation and its people into an abyss of no return. He deserves to die!"

"He's gone mad, completely mad..." Xiao Yan trembled, his anger turning into a mocking laugh: "How dare you say I deserve to die?! What, you want to commit patricide?!"

"Of course not, wouldn't that be as ruthless as Father Emperor?" Xiao Tong shook his head decisively and raised his voice, "But I can choose not to be emperor, thus thwarting your wishful thinking!"

"You are already destined to be emperor; you have no choice but to become emperor!" Even in his extreme anger, Xiao Yan remained calm. He had already realized that the Crown Prince's unusual behavior was definitely suspicious, and it was probably those bald monks pulling the strings behind the scenes again!

So he decided that, regardless of the consequences, he would become a god first...

"Heh, that's not necessarily true," the Crown Prince said calmly. "I cannot commit patricide, but I can commit suicide. Once I'm dead, your plan will be ruined..."

"With your meager cultivation, you think you can commit suicide in front of me?" Xiao Yan scoffed disdainfully.

"Then let's see if you can stop me?" The prince laughed for a moment, then suddenly coughed violently and spat out a mouthful of black blood.

The black blood landed, and surprisingly, it eroded the hard floor tiles, leaving mottled pits...

“Xiangliu Blood…” Xiao Yan’s eyes suddenly sharpened, and he rushed forward to grab his wrist, exclaiming in a trembling voice, “You, you took Xiangliu Blood?!” “Yes.” Xiao Tong smiled bitterly, “I took it two hours ago, even a god can’t save me.”

As he spoke, he coughed up mouthfuls of black blood, burning large holes in the robes of the father and son, burning through the prince's flesh, and breaking his bones...

Xiao Yan's body was covered in dragon scales, which were indestructible, yet they were also sizzling from the heat, which gives an idea of ​​the state of the Crown Prince's body.

He no longer cared about arguing with the Crown Prince. He hugged his son's limp body and asked in a tearful voice, "Tell your father, who brainwashed you? I will kill his whole family to avenge you!"

"None of that matters anymore." The Crown Prince stubbornly refused to tell him, tightly gripping Xiao Yan's hand, coughing up blood as he said with difficulty, "Father, stop thinking about fighting the Dream God. You can't defeat Him. You must live on, or I will have died in vain..."

After saying that, he tilted his head to the side and closed his eyes forever.

Xiao Yan quickly pressed his hand against Xiao Tong's chest, trying to use his divine power to protect Xiao Tong's heart meridian, but his hand suddenly sank into Xiao Tong's heart.

It turns out that Xiao Tong's bones were already as rotten as wood, unable to bear any weight...

Xiao Yan watched helplessly as his eldest son, the culmination of half his life's work, turned into black mud and lay limp in his hands.

Finally, even his skin turned into black liquid, sliding from his palm to the ground...

Xiao Yan was completely stunned, utterly despondent, staring motionlessly at his hands. He allowed the purple imperial aura to return to his body and bind him tightly.

The assembled officials below the altar were also stunned, kneeling there speechless, not daring to utter a sound, not even daring to cry...

The entire Circular Mound Altar was deathly silent. The sky was covered with dark clouds, and in the blink of an eye, a heavy rain began to fall, soaking the emperor and his ministers to the bone. Yet, everyone remained motionless.

~~
Outside the camp on the riverbank, an army of 100,000 men was already lined up in neat rows, waiting for the abdication ceremony so that the retired emperor and the new emperor could come to swear an oath before crossing the Yangtze River and embarking on the northern expedition!
However, as they waited and waited, all they received was a torrential downpour. The cold, icy rain lashed haphazardly against the soldiers' armor, quickly soaking them to the bone.

Just when the soldiers were about to give up, a fast horseman broke through the rain and arrived at the front of the army.

"Where is Grand Commander Xiahou?!" the rider on horseback cried out in a shrill voice.

"I am here!" Xiahou Kui's powerful voice rang out from under the central command flag.

"By imperial decree!" The man raised the Emperor's sword and said to Xiahou Kui, "The Northern Expedition is cancelled. The army shall return to camp and await further orders!"

With a loud bang, the soldiers stirred up in excitement upon hearing this.

"May I ask, Your Excellency, is this an edict from the new emperor or the former emperor?" Xiahou Kui was also very shocked and hurriedly clasped his hands in a fist and asked, "Is it a temporary cancellation or a complete cancellation?"

"Reporting to the Grand Commander, the Crown Prince is gone, but the Emperor is still the same Emperor..." the eunuch said, his voice trembling with sobs, his face a mixture of tears and rain.

"Huh?" Xiahou Kui froze on the spot.

(End of this chapter)