The coup began with music.
Fireworks lit the capital sky, celebrating the Emperor's birthday banquet—a festival the Queen herself had insisted on hosting despite the unrest.
The people thought it was a sign of peace.
The palace knew better.
The Queen's Coup
Inside the grand hall, officials drank, laughed, and pretended nothing was wrong.
The Emperor sat on the dragon throne, eyes tired but sharp.
Zhen Luo sat beside him, calm, composed, unreadable.
The Queen raised her cup.
"To harmony," she said gently.
At that exact moment, the palace gates slammed shut.
Screams echoed from the outer courtyards.
Blood splattered across lantern-lit marble.
Assassins poured in wearing imperial guard uniforms.
The Queen didn't move.
She only smiled.
Assassins in the Palace
Han Jian sensed it before the first scream reached the hall.
He vanished from Zhen Luo's side.
Blades flashed in the corridors.
Feng Huai drew his sword, blocking a strike meant for Zhen Luo.
"Your Highness—!"
Zhen Luo stood.
His eyes were cold.
"So she chose open war."
Bai Zehan's Public Betrayal
In another hall, Bai Zehan was dragged before a crowd of ministers and guards.
A Queen's envoy shouted, "This man conspired with the Crown Prince! He leaked secrets and caused today's chaos!"
Bai Zehan laughed.
"Yes," he said casually. "I did."
Gasps erupted.
Luo Xian watched from the shadows, expression unreadable.
Bai Zehan bowed dramatically.
"I pledge allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen."
The hall erupted in applause.
Luo Xian closed his eyes for a moment.
Good acting, he thought.
Terrible personality.
Emperor Tests Han Jian
In the chaos, the Emperor was escorted to a secret chamber.
Han Jian appeared silently behind him.
"You," the Emperor said, turning sharply. "If you are truly loyal to my son, prove it."
He threw a sword at Han Jian's feet.
"Kill the Queen. End this."
Han Jian stared at the blade.
Then looked up.
"Your Majesty," he said calmly, "killing her now would make Zhen Luo the villain."
The Emperor froze.
"She must fall in daylight," Han Jian continued. "Where everyone sees who the real tyrant is."
The Emperor stared at him.
Then laughed.
"You are more dangerous than my son."
Han Jian bowed slightly. "Yes."
Zhen Luo Moves
In the main hall, the Queen finally stood.
"My son has lost control," she announced calmly as guards surrounded the throne. "For the sake of the empire, I will take temporary regency."
The Emperor said nothing.
The ministers trembled.
Zhen Luo stepped forward.
"So you admit treason," he said quietly.
The Queen smiled gently. "I admit motherhood."
The Shadow Counterattack
Han Jian's signal went out.
Hidden forces Zhen Luo had built in secret emerged—black-clad elites appearing from rooftops, tunnels, and shadows.
The assassins began falling.
The Queen's smile faded for the first time.
"This palace is mine," Zhen Luo said calmly. "You just borrowed it."
Luo Xian Strikes
In the chaos, Luo Xian appeared beside Bai Zehan.
Bai Zehan blinked. "Wow. You came for me. I feel loved."
"You're an idiot," Luo Xian said.
He sliced Bai Zehan's chains clean.
Bai Zehan grinned. "Traitor act complete. Did I deserve an award?"
"You deserve a slap."
The Queen Retreats
The Queen watched her coup unravel.
The Emperor returned to the hall, expression thunderous.
"Arrest the Queen," he commanded.
Guards hesitated.
Then Han Jian stepped forward.
They moved.
The Queen laughed softly as she was surrounded.
"So you chose him," she said to the Emperor.
The Emperor didn't answer.
She looked at Zhen Luo.
"You win this round," she said gently. "But a prince who burns the world will one day burn himself."
Zhen Luo looked at her without emotion.
"Then I will enjoy the warmth."
Aftermath
By dawn, the palace was quiet.
Bodies were cleaned.
Secrets were buried.
The Queen was placed under house arrest—not executed.
Yet.
Bai Zehan leaned against a pillar, exhausted.
"Next time, remind me to betray you less dramatically," he told Luo Xian.
Luo Xian sighed. "You enjoyed it."
"Yes."
Han Jian stood beside Zhen Luo on the palace roof.
"You just survived a coup," Han Jian said lightly.
Zhen Luo looked at the city.
"She underestimated me."
Han Jian smiled faintly.
"She underestimated us."
The Queen was not dead.
The people did not know the truth.
The Emperor now feared his own son.
And the Crown Prince had officially stepped into the role of a ruler made of fire.