Douluo: Legend of the Holy Land

Chapter 302 The Battle for Governance

Heavenly Dou Imperial Palace.

A light drizzle, like smoke and mist, shrouded the entire world in mystery. Raindrops gently fell on the streets of the palace, and every now and then, flashes of lightning streaked across the sky, as if foreshadowing something.

Inside Emperor Xueye's bedchamber, Emperor Xueye lay on his bed, his body finally collapsing from the blow of the Barak Kingdom's defection.

Now, he no longer possessed the majesty of an emperor. Lying on his sickbed, he was haggard, barely breathing, and withered, clearly on his deathbed.

This was a rare instance of Bibi Dong helping her daughter, Qian Renxue. If it weren't for the sudden major blow, Emperor Xueye could probably have held on for another half a month. Of course, Qian Renxue would definitely not accept Bibi Dong's favor.

Inside the bedchamber, Qian Renxue, disguised as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, along with members of the royal family led by Prince Xue Xing and Prince Xue Beng, and Yuan Xun, a high-ranking official of the empire led by Ge Long, all stood by the bedside.

The only missing princess was Xue Ke, who was Emperor Xue Ye's most beloved daughter. Despite his affection, in Emperor Xue Ye's heart, Xue Ke was just a pretty face, whose best use was to marry her off to a good family and bring back a powerful force for the empire.

By this point, anyone could see that Emperor Xueye was on his deathbed. No one spoke, and everyone waited quietly for Emperor Xueye's last words.

Hiding behind his uncle, Xue Beng looked somewhat unwillingly at Xue Qinghe, who was standing at the front and closest to his father.

How could my father, the emperor, be dying so soon? Given the current situation, Xue Qinghe's succession to the throne is almost a foregone conclusion.

"Qinghe".

Emperor Xueye opened his eyes, and his hoarse voice rang in everyone's ears.

"Father!"

Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, heard Xue Ye's call and immediately took two steps forward to the edge of Xue Ye's bed.

Emperor Xueye struggled to sit up, leaning against the headboard, gazing at the person before him, and said, "Qinghe, I am dying. The future of the Heavenly Dou Empire rests on your shoulders!"

Upon hearing this, the people remaining in the hall revealed knowing expressions. Xue Ye, whose life was nearing its end, had indeed chosen the rightful heir, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.

Emperor Xueye's health has been poor for years, and most of the court affairs have been handled by Xue Qinghe. Even the most neutral Marshal Gelong felt that only Xue Qinghe could take on this important task.

Only Xuexing and Xuebeng looked rather grim, especially Xuebeng. Although he knew he had expected this outcome, he was still filled with resentment when everything finally came to a conclusion.

"Cough cough cough!!!"

After arranging the succession, Emperor Xueye coughed violently again, the thick, phlegmy cough sounding like the tolling of ancient bells and drums.

"Father!"

Qian Renxue quickly stepped forward and gently patted Emperor Xueye's back to help him catch his breath.

Considering that the old man Xueye was so sensible as to hand over the throne to her, Qian Renxue decided to fulfill her filial duty on behalf of Xue Qinghe, who had been dead for twenty years, as he lay dying.

Wow!

After a violent coughing fit, Emperor Xueye opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of dark red blood.

After vomiting blood, perhaps in a final burst of energy, Emperor Xue Ye's pale face regained a rare hue, and his voice suddenly became loud and clear. He grabbed Xue Qinghe's wrist, his eyes filled with undisguised hatred: "Qinghe, the Spirit Hall, those treacherous villains, have brazenly annexed our territory, bringing shame upon me and the empire! After you ascend the throne, your first priority must be to eradicate the Spirit Hall, reclaim our land, and wash away this humiliation!"

Emperor Xueye truly hated the Spirit Hall. Besides the strategically important Barak Kingdom, the combined territory of several other kingdoms, duchies, and provinces that supported the Spirit Hall's establishment of a nation was nearly half the size of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Emperor Xueye knew, no matter how he thought about it, that he was destined to be nailed to the pillar of historical shame, having lost nearly half of his territory during his reign.

"Father, rest assured!"

Qian Renxue forced out two tears, her eyes brimming with tears, and said, "Your subject will certainly not fail the Emperor's trust; not an inch of the nation's territory will be yielded!"

"Okay, okay, okay!"

Emperor Xueye nodded with satisfaction, pointed to Xuexing and Xuebeng, and said, "Qinghe, I know that in the past, your uncle and fourth brother had several unpleasant conflicts with you due to differences in political views. However, I want you to understand that the stability of the empire cannot be separated from the support of the royal family. Therefore, today, I want you to swear that after you ascend the throne, you will never seek revenge against your uncle and fourth brother, and you must ensure that they enjoy wealth and honor for the rest of their lives!"

Upon hearing this, Xue Xing and Xue Beng's faces lit up with joy. Xue Qinghe's ascension to the throne was inevitable. Without power, a life of wealth and honor would be perfect for them.

Damn old man!

Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue cursed inwardly. Originally, she had planned to send these two troublemakers down to accompany Xueye after she ascended the throne. However, she did not expect that the old man Xueye would pull such a stunt before he died. In front of so many civil and military officials, she definitely could not make a move against Xuexing and Xuebeng in the short term.

However, Xueye was still alive and could change his will at any time. Qianrenxue had worked so hard for so long and didn't want things to go wrong at this crucial moment.

Let these two prolong their lives for a while, and once things have calmed down, have Xiao Yu's powerful subordinates take action and send them on their way.

As for the oath, what does it have to do with Qian Renxue if it's an oath made in Xue Qinghe's name?

"I, Xue Qinghe, hereby swear that upon my ascension to the throne, all past grievances with Uncle Xue Xing and Emperor Xue Beng will be wiped clean. If I break this oath, may I be struck down by heaven and earth!"

Having put his last worry to rest, Emperor Xueye breathed his last as if relieved of a great burden, his arm falling limply to his side, and he passed away peacefully.

"His Majesty!"

"Father!"

A series of wails suddenly filled the entire bedchamber, but how much of it was genuine emotion, probably no one knew.

As the saying goes, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day. With the passing of Emperor Xue Ye, Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, ascended the throne as the Crown Prince of the Tian Dou Empire amidst the cheers of the court officials, and was named Emperor Qinghe.

Xue Qinghe had a good image among the people; he was diligent in his duties, loved the people, and was humble and receptive to advice, which earned him the respect and love of the people.

In this turbulent time, with the establishment of the Spirit Hall and rebellions in several ducal kingdoms, Xue Qinghe's ascension to the throne plays a significant role in stabilizing public sentiment.

Xue Qinghe's first decree after ascending the throne was a declaration of war against the Spirit Empire. The Heaven Dou Empire would never recognize the legitimacy of the Spirit Empire and condemned the Spirit Empire's secret manipulation of the rebellion of kingdoms and duchies within the Heaven Dou Empire. The Heaven Dou Empire vowed to reclaim these homelands even if it meant fighting to the last man.

(End of this chapter)