Gu Fangchen froze for a moment at the emperor's words, raised an eyebrow, and looked toward the empty seat.
He lifted his hand and said,
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for granting me a seat..."
It was obvious that there were plenty of other vacant places.
Though the few of them had arrived last, no royal banquet would ever be arranged so tightly that seats would be lacking.
Especially when every person present held high rank, each had their own designated seat, and all had been carefully arranged.
Even excluding those who couldn't attend, there were still at least four or five extra seats.
Yet, the Emperor Yong'an specifically named Gu Fangchen to sit in a seat belonging to a royal prince!
For a moment, the crowd exchanged looks. Their eyes were full of shock, and when they glanced toward Gu Fangchen, there were all kinds of new meanings hidden in their expressions.
After a month of rumors, the officially recognized heir to the Northern Garrison Prince's mansion was still Gu Fangchen, not Gu Yuandao, whom many had bet on and supported. That fact alone had been astonishing enough.
But that, at least, had still been considered a family matter of the Northern Garrison Prince's household. Other than those who had already chosen sides and now deeply regretted it, the rest were merely watching with curiosity.
Although Gu Fangchen's status as heir had been unexpected, news of his sudden suppression of the Seven Sects Rebellion at Sword Pavilion, and his dramatic rise in cultivation, had already reached Huangtian City several days ago.
Some had doubted whether it was true, but now the truth was clear as day.
The Emperor's current attitude proved everything.
And the implications could be seen as either minor, or monumental.
If one looked at it in the small sense, according to Gu Fangchen's own words, the reason he went to Sword Pavilion to quell the rebellion had been by the Emperor's order.
In that case, this very banquet, whose true purpose and honored guest had puzzled everyone, was clearly being held for him.
This was a celebration feast for Gu Fangchen's achievement!
Therefore, for the Emperor to reward him and seat him closer as a mark of favor was perfectly natural.
But if viewed in the greater sense... things became far more alarming.
The Emperor Yong'an had never shown the slightest intention of abdicating, in fact, he had nearly worn the Crown Prince out from waiting, but that didn't mean his thoughts could never change.
When one lived too long, one's desires tended to grow twisted.
If, one day, the Emperor and the Crown Prince grew irreconcilable, and none of the other princes or princesses were satisfactory, might he overturn the board entirely and pick an outsider instead?
Now, Gu Fangchen was openly estranged from the Northern Garrison Prince, yet still held the title of heir, skipping even the usual process of enfeoffment.
There had been emperors in history who, finding their offspring unworthy, had passed the throne to an adopted son.
And if Gu Fangchen was indeed not the Northern Garrison Prince's true son, changing his surname to Xiao would be easy enough...
Even if not that far, the Emperor's favor clearly suggested he intended to raise Gu Fangchen as a replacement for Gu Yuye.
If so, whoever Gu Fangchen aligned with now might very well reflect the Emperor's own inclination.
Everyone present was a master of reading political currents, one step ahead, thinking three moves deep. In an instant, many were already planning how best to flatter the new heir.
While others grew increasingly uneasy, Gu Fangchen, who understood far more of the hidden truths, found his expression growing stranger still.
He had long suspected that he might be the sole descendant of the Dao of Constancy Lord,
Note well, not the Emperor Yong'an, but the Dao of Constancy Lord himself.
The Emperor Yong'an, and indeed all the founding or final monarchs across dynasties, were merely incarnations of the Dao of Constancy Lord, the Primordial Human Emperor, within the cycle of reincarnation.
They were, in essence, not the same being.
A First-Grade Eternal Realm being, put simply, was a higher-dimensional life form, completely incompatible with ordinary humans.
The Emperor could father eight sons, but the Dao of Constancy Lord could never have descendants, unless something truly extraordinary had occurred.
But what made no sense at all was why the Emperor had planted him in the Northern Garrison Prince's mansion, disguised as a mere coachman's son.
From Gu Fangchen's current perspective, the Emperor clearly valued him deeply.
That test with the scale in the tooth-maker's shop had been his way of probing just how much the Emperor cared, and the words "Because I am pleased" had been his casual taunt.
That scale had belonged to the Dao of Constancy Lord himself. If Gu Fangchen had willed it, he could have easily forced it down completely.
Yet, the result had proved the Emperor was truly sincere.
So, back then, he had already been eighty percent certain that he was the missing descendant mentioned in that ancient hidden tale.
But then, why the contradiction in the Emperor's actions?
As he pondered this, Gu Fangchen walked to his seat.
Princess Xiao Yinghao was already seated in the empty place to his left.
Although not the second among the royal offspring in age, as the Emperor's titled Eldest Princess, her rank was second only to Crown Prince Xiao Sheng. Naturally, her seat was placed there.
Gu Fangchen's seat was the third, between them should have been the Second Prince, but the man had been sickly from birth and seldom left his quarters. Hence, no seat had been prepared for him.
Just as Gu Fangchen was about to sit, he caught sight of the Heart-Poison Mark on his palm, and his hand froze midair.
Wait a moment...
In fact, the Emperor's behavior might not be contradictory at all.
Because the Gu Fangchen who had been switched at birth, and the Gu Fangchen now sitting here, were no longer the same person!
Gu Fangchen stood dazed for a moment, a faint embarrassment creeping up on him.
If the Emperor knew of the difference between the two, then his change in attitude made perfect sense.
If it were anyone else, he might still doubt it, but a First-Grade Eternal Realm existence, a being that transcended dimensions, yes, such awareness was entirely possible!
At that instant, the herald's voice broke his thoughts.
Gu Yuye entered, expressionless, with Gu Lianqian supporting the unconscious Gu Yuandao, once again drawing every gaze in the hall.
This time, however, there was little surprise.
Gu Yuandao's condition had already spread like wildfire; everyone present had heard.
In earlier days, any mishap concerning Gu Yuandao would have drawn a crowd of concerned flatterers.
But now, the indifferent looks said everything about how far he had fallen in their esteem.
After a brief pause, Gu Fangchen calmly sat down.
Crown Prince Xiao Sheng rose, and said,
"Father, may I ask what great merit the heir has achieved to bring you such joy today?"
The Emperor Yong'an smiled.
"I was just about to tell all my beloved ministers."
He turned.
"Xiao Qiu, read it."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Xiao Qiu bent down respectfully, took the imperial decree from Gu Fangchen's hand, and began to read aloud.
It was the same decree from before, the one stipulating how the heirship was to be decided.
When he reached the end:
"...As for the heir to the Northern Garrison Prince, let the capable take the seat. Whoever pacifies the Seven Sects Rebellion and returns with the decree shall be recognized as the rightful heir!"
The further Xiao Qiu read, the darker Gu Yuye's face became. He clutched his wine cup tightly and shut his eyes.
The more confident he had been before, the more humiliated he was now.
Every word of that decree was like a slap across his face, delivered before the entire court.
His confidence back then had come from his certainty: both requirements, pacifying the rebellion and returning the decree, seemed unassailable.
Yet, now, he had lost both.
"Today's banquet," said the Emperor Yong'an with a genial smile, "is held in this child's honor. The Seven Sects Rebellion arose barely three days ago, yet was already crushed. A calamity that might have ravaged the common folk was averted. Truly, it warms my heart."
His gaze turned to Gu Yuye.
"Minister Gu, have you any objection?"
Gu Yuye took a deep breath and rose.
"A wager is a wager. This subject admits defeat without complaint."
The hall fell silent.
No one had expected the Northern Garrison Prince to concede so easily.
Given that the decree said "let the capable take the seat," it was clear enough that Gu Fangchen was not his blood son.
The hidden details were unclear, but with the princess storming back to her family in rage, the implication of buried scandals was obvious.
Still, this surrender was unlike the former "Saint of War" they all knew.
Just as everyone was wondering, Gu Yuye's eyes narrowed, and he spoke again, hands clasped formally.
"Yet there is still one matter that puzzles me."
He turned toward Princess Xiao Yinghao and said in a loud, clear voice,
"Your Highness, I heard disturbing rumors from Autumn Peace Road, that chaos there was miraculously reversed by a certain, never-before-seen Prince Consort. He alone repelled the Qiongman army."
"I wish to ask, what is this Prince Consort's name and origin? For such brilliance, it is a loss to me that I have never met him. May Your Highness enlighten us all?"
At once, the Purple Extremity Hall erupted.
After the last intelligence leak, Princess Xiao Yinghao had kept the Autumn Peace Road situation tightly sealed.
Aside from word of the victory itself, no details of the command had been released.
Even among the cultivators nearby at the time, most had assumed it was the princess herself who had activated the White Dragon Army Formation.
Thus, Gu Yuye's words sent shockwaves through the crowd.
Especially among the younger cultivators, many of whom were heartbroken on the spot.
Someone immediately shouted in outrage,
"Your Grace! It's known you and the Princess do not get along, but there's no need to stoop to slander! You would fabricate lies to defame her?!"
"The Princess dedicates her life to the realm's defense, what 'Prince Consort' could there be?"
Other young cultivators joined in, voices full of indignant fury.
In the corner, Liu Xuan whispered in confusion,
"Junior Sister, is the Princess's reputation really that revered among cultivators? They sound less like they're defending her honor and more like they just don't want her to have a Prince Consort..."
Li Qingguang sighed, pressing her forehead.
"Senior Brother... just drink."
"Really? I thought you said I shouldn't, "
"Now you can."
As the hall's noise swelled, the Emperor Yong'an remained calm, smiling faintly.
"Yinghao, what do you think?"
Princess Xiao Yinghao glanced at Gu Fangchen, then stood.
The clear chime of her jade ornaments echoed through the hall as all noise fell silent.
Every gaze fixed upon the cold, breathtaking "War Goddess."
Gu Fangchen couldn't help but look up as well, he sat so near her that he could catch the faint, complex fragrance that clung to her body: cool pine resin mingled with the floral incense of her luxurious garments.
He lifted his eyes and saw the fine downy glow along her pale cheek under the light.
A martial body, when honed to perfection, returned to purity, its skin soft and flawless like an infant's.
But that softness was deceptive. The same slender hand could crush a man's skull or wield a thousand-jin spear.
On the battlefield, the wildest rumor about her claimed she stood eight zhang tall, rode a massive black horse, and skewered heads on her spear like candied fruit, devouring them like a demon.
For a player like Gu Fangchen, who knew the truth, a correction was necessary, she only skewered heads; she did not eat them.
At this moment, her faintly smiling glance at him as she rose made his heart sink.
That look.. she knew.
She knew he had impersonated her nonexistent Prince Consort at Autumn Peace Road.
Which worried him greatly.
He had indeed borrowed her reputation for that deception, and if she wished to retaliate, the most devastating move would be to confirm the story, to recognize him publicly as her Prince Consort.
For that would make his title as heir meaningless.
The princess turned toward Gu Yuye, her tone cool.
"Northern Garrison Prince, this is my private affair, is it not?"
Gu Yuye bowed slightly.
"Your Highness, you are sustained by the people of Great Wei. Your private matters are the realm's public concern."
Gu Fangchen clicked his tongue inwardly.
The prince was still as skilled at moral coercion as ever.
Back then, he'd used the same trick on Gu Fangchen himself, acting as though the nineteen years of wasted life in the prince's mansion were some great debt of gratitude, ignoring the truth that Fangchen's ruined meridians had cost him every resource that might otherwise have gone to Gu Yuandao.
And now, he used the same rhetoric against Xiao Yinghao.
"How very righteous of you, Northern Garrison Prince."
Xiao Yinghao clapped lightly, a mocking smile on her lips.
"Indeed, this princess does have a betrothed, a Prince Consort by birth. But he is a shy man, not fond of appearing in public, so I have never spoken of him."
"Today, however, seems as good a time as any."
Her gaze swept the hall, and finally settled squarely on Gu Fangchen's face.