Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 210 The Falling Sun (Part 1)

Just as Yanfu Lü Shang, with the body of a Great Wilderness God, thoroughly realized the Path of Immortal Martial Arts, his divine will was boiling and his energy was soaring, causing strange phenomena in the heavens and earth, strange phenomena also appeared in the Great Wilderness of Mountains and Seas.

However, unlike the martial arts of Lu Shang, the witness of the immortals in Yanfu, whose aura and celestial phenomena only spread to a corner of Liangzhou, the strange omens in the Great Wilderness Mountains and Seas are hundreds or thousands of times greater than those in Yanfu.

The vast wilderness, the human realm of Jizhou, the Xia capital of Laoqiu, deep within the Purple Palace...
On the imperial throne, Emperor Zhu Xia, though his hair and beard were all white, still had a hidden thunderous aura in his eyes when they opened and closed.

This proud emperor wore a dark red robe with twelve symbols, and a bronze ancient sword hung at his waist. The sword was engraved with ancient cloud patterns. It was the Xia Yu sword used by Emperor Yu to kill Fangfeng and Xiangliu when he was controlling the floods.

Once this sword is drawn, all nations submit to it. It is one of the sacred artifacts of the Xia Dynasty, used together with the Nine Tripods to safeguard the Xia Dynasty's destiny.

Beneath the imperial throne stood nine tripods like small mountains, each with a body cast in the shapes of mountains, rivers, plants, birds, and beasts from the nine provinces, with a faint dragon aura swirling around it.

The emperor sat on his throne, silently gazing at the nine cauldrons below. Each of these cauldrons was connected to the earth's veins of a particular province. The earth's veins of the nine provinces converged at Laoqiu, and then, through the nine cauldrons, nourished the emperor, connecting his divine power with the fortune of the nine provinces, allowing him to enjoy the mandate of heaven and attain a status close to that of an ancient god.

The so-called ancient gods, in the vast wilderness of mountains and seas, are beings second only to the Heavenly Emperor, and are truly great supernatural beings.

Therefore, the emperor's position is extremely prestigious and noble. His wrath can change the color of mountains and rivers, and his grace can bring spring to plants. He holds the sun and moon and governs the heavens and earth, and determines the rise and fall of dynasties.

Unfortunately, fate is fickle, and power cannot be held for long!
After a long while, Di Zhuxia shifted his gaze from the Nine Cauldrons to the elderly man at the head of the steps.

"My time is almost up."

The emperor spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet it seemed to resonate with the power of the nine tripods.

"Yu" means "I am the only one" or "the emperor's self-designation." It implies that all power and responsibility in the world are concentrated in one person, and that I am the only one.

"His Majesty,"

The old man bowed, and the other officials below the steps all changed color and prostrated themselves in kowtow.

"Get up,"

Di Zhuxia's gaze swept across the steps below. The cloud patterns on the hilt of the Xia Yu Sword seemed to shimmer with a faint light. He said, "The wheel of fate turns, and no one can defy it alone. My lifespan is at most a month."

"After I depart, the affairs of the world will be entrusted to Prince Huai. You should all assist him diligently."

The elder leading the group was a descendant of Gao Yao, who had served as regent for the three generations of the Xia dynasty. His name was Gao Bo.

He finally bowed deeply, his forehead touching the ground, and said, "Your Majesty inherits the virtue of Yu the Great, stabilizes the Nine Tripods, and brings peace to the nine provinces. You have rendered divine service to the world. How dare we, your subjects, disobey your command?"

Emperor Zhuxia nodded slightly, his gaze fixed outside the hall, his voice deep and resolute, and said, "The imperial prince is young and inexperienced in worldly affairs. After my passing, the Xia dynasty shall be governed by all officials."

As the chief minister, Gao Bo trembled slightly, his forehead pressed against the jade steps. Though his voice was aged, it was exceptionally firm as he said, "Your subject, Gao Bo, dares to swear by the spirit of Gao Yao, that I will exert my remaining strength to protect the Emperor's son, safeguard the Nine Tripods, and bring peace to the Nine Provinces."

"If one harbors disloyalty, one will suffer the backlash of the earth's veins, one's soul will be scattered, and one will never be able to recover."

As soon as the words were spoken, the nine tripods in the hall seemed to respond, and the mountain and river patterns cast on the tripods shone with a faint golden halo. The earth veins of the nine provinces hummed faintly, as if bearing witness to this oath.

I believe in you!

Di Zhuxia chuckled and said, "In this world, if I can't even trust you, then I really don't know who I can trust."

The wind outside the palace had stirred at some unknown time, causing the bronze bells on the eaves of the Purple Palace to ring softly. Emperor Zhu Xia's gaze swept over the officials below the steps. Footsteps approached from afar, and a young man dressed in a black robe walked in gracefully. The young man had a handsome face, and the outline of Emperor Zhu Xia could be vaguely seen in his eyebrows and eyes.

Emperor Zihuai walked down the steps, bowed, and said, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

Di Zhuxia looked at him, her eyes filled with affection, and finally raised her hand, saying, "Huai, come forward."

Emperor Zihuai followed the instructions and ascended the steps, standing beside the throne. He looked down at his father, the Emperor, and said in a deep voice, "Your subject is here." "Raise your head," he commanded.

Di Zhuxia's voice softened slightly as her gaze fell on her son's features, which were strikingly similar to her own.

At this time, Emperor Zihuai still retained the youthful handsomeness of a young man, but he already subtly possessed the calm demeanor of an emperor.

"Since you were a child, you have followed the emperor to learn about governance and policies, and accompanied the army on tours of the nine provinces. I have witnessed all of this over the years,"

He paused, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest of the throne. The humming of the nine cauldrons in the hall gradually subsided. He said, "I believe in you; you can inherit the mandate of Heaven for me, Empress Xia."

"I trust you; you will not let Empress Xia repeat the mistakes of the Taikang era."

Di Zhuxia reached out and grasped Di Zihuai's wrist. The boy's hand was still warm, while Di Zhuxia's hand was already slightly cold, as if a chill was seeping from his bones.

“Your subject understands,” Emperor Huai grasped his father’s hand tightly, palms touching.

Emperor Zhuxia released his hand, looked at the light burning in his son's eyes, nodded slightly, and said: "Gao Bo is a descendant of Gao Yao, and three generations of loyal and virtuous officials. He can be entrusted with important matters. After I leave, you must regard Gao Bo as your father and not fail the people of the nine provinces."

Gao Bo, who was below the steps, heard this clearly and bowed again, saying, "Your subject dares not have any intention of overstepping the bounds."

Emperor Huai lowered his eyes, gazing at Gao Bo's graying hair below the steps, and said loudly, "Your subject will remember your teachings, Your Majesty, and will treat Gao Bo with courtesy and accept your loyal advice with open mind."

"Um,"

Emperor Zhu Xia nodded, his gaze suddenly shifting to the horizon outside the palace. The once clear sky was now shrouded in a thin layer of red mist.

The crimson mist, like gauze, clung to the bronze bells on the eaves of the palace, adding a touch of melancholy to the echoes.

“Destiny,”

Di Zhuxia's gaze pierced through the crimson mist, as if he could see the churning mountains and seas beyond the Nine Provinces. He coughed almost imperceptibly, and the cloud patterns on Xia Yu's sword flickered, making the white hair at his temples appear even whiter.

At the same time, the Ziwei constellation suddenly underwent a dramatic change. The main star of Ziwei, which was originally suspended in the sky and looked as magnificent as an imperial throne, first dimmed its light, lost its eternal Ziwei star brilliance, and turned into an ominous crimson color, and then began to shake violently.

As the stars shifted, the once clear sky changed, with crimson stars spreading along their orbits, and the Big Dipper tilting slightly as well.

Inside the Purple Palace, the humming of the Nine Tripods suddenly became rapid. Within the patterns of mountains and rivers of the Nine Provinces cast on the bodies of the tripods, the dragon energy seemed to be startled fish, surging and crashing between the ravines, casting flickering light and shadow in the hall.

At that very moment, the cloud patterns on Xia Yu's sword lit up completely, no longer the warm jade color, but a crimson color like the main star of Ziwei. The sword trembled slightly in its sheath, as if it were crying out in sorrow.

The series of strange omens terrified the officials below, who turned pale. Gao Bo frowned and remained silent for a long time.

"really,"

Di Zhuxia gazed at the sky outside the palace, which was shrouded in crimson mist, and smiled gently, saying, "The Purple Star has shifted; it means this old body of mine is finally going to return to heaven."

"Father Emperor,"

The calm in Di Zihuai's eyes finally cracked, revealing a surge of anxiety.

Di Zhuxia looked at him, her gaze a mixture of affection and sternness, and said, "What's the panic?"

"It's just an omen; it's telling the world that the old destiny is coming to an end."

He paused, his voice weak yet each word firm and resolute, and said, "The new destiny rests upon you."

(End of this chapter)