68. Those Fox Ears Are So Cool
“General Yan… General Yan, ahhhh!”
“Wow… so we’ve been hating the wrong person all this time.”
“I knew General Yan and his wife couldn’t have been ambushed and killed by the demonic sects! It was that damned dog emperor!”
“General Yan fought his whole life. How could he end up like this? There’s no justice in this world!”
“General Yan… waah!”
These men, in their thirties, forties, and fifties, sobbed uncontrollably. A wave of grief spread through the court, and soon, all the military officials were in tears.
Huh… huh?
Gong Yiling was shocked.
Watching these men cry a river, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of absurdity.
But then she realized, these were soldiers who had faced death on the battlefield, who wouldn’t shed a tear even with broken bones and severed meridians.
Soldiers were made of steel.
For them to cry like this, it must be because the person they revered most had been betrayed and killed by the very person they swore to protect.
Thinking of this, no one stopped their wailing, until they slowly calmed down.
“Elder,”
A white-haired general bowed deeply to the Grand Elder. “I am eternally grateful for you revealing the truth. But may I ask… where is the former Emperor now?”
Not just him, but all the Yan Army soldiers and many other generals wanted to know the whereabouts of that treacherous man.
The Grand Elder didn’t hesitate. He gestured to a nearby eunuch, and soon, a man trapped in a transparent barrier was brought in.
The barrier, enhanced with talismans, was unbreakable, no matter how much the man inside struggled.
And the sight of Shangguan Long stunned everyone.
Half-human, half-dragon, a bizarre and grotesque figure, more like a failed experiment than a half-demon.
Or rather—
“What is this monster?”
Even his human half was distorted, and he could only babble “I… I… I…” and other incomprehensible sounds.
He was unrecognizable.
“This is the price of coveting the ancient artifacts within the Heart of Blazing Flame.” The Grand Elder said grimly, “This is the former Emperor Shangguan Long.”
“What!?”
“His Majesty… the former Emperor has become like this!?”
“This… how is this possible!?”
They had just seen him yesterday. How could he have changed so drastically in one day? They had been curious about his third sin, and now they almost bit their tongues.
“He’s not even human anymore. If he’s released, he’ll only slaughter everyone.”
“Therefore, I have no choice but to choose the most suitable successor from his children, the Fifth Princess Shangguan Ziyuan, as the new Empress of the Heartflame Empire.”
“The Fifth Princess!?”
“It’s the Fifth Princess!”
“The Fifth Princess looks like this?”
One of the older men blurted out, having met Shangguan Ziyuan before. He was even a fan. To him, his idol had completely changed…
It wasn’t just a matter of a woman’s appearance changing over time; this was a complete transformation.
“I encountered some fortuitous events after being pursued by my brother’s men, and my appearance has changed.” Lu Xinyao, having anticipated this question, recited her well-rehearsed answer.
—To ensure she wouldn’t transform into Little Heehee in front of strangers, she had spent the morning wearing a mask and saying embarrassing things to everyone she met. She wouldn’t be flustered for a while.
“I see.”
This explanation was acceptable.
And with the First Prince’s death, the most likely successor was the Grand Elder’s disciple, Shangguan Ziyuan. It was a natural progression.
However…
“I object, Your Majesty.”
While everyone was thinking about how to curry favor with this young girl, an official suddenly stood up. “His Majesty once told me that the Fifth Princess is the least likely to inherit the throne.”
“As for why, may I ask the Fifth Princess to explain her true heritage?”
Hearing this, everyone else was confused, but Gong Yiling and the Grand Elder raised their eyebrows.
—It seemed Shangguan Long had a backup plan. Ziyuan’s half-demon identity was a well-kept secret, and half-demons weren’t well-regarded by the public.
Even if she gained support, he could use this to ruin her.
And now was the time for this hidden move to be played.
Of course.
Gong Yiling calmly glanced at the slightly flustered girl and smiled.
This girl was no fledgling.
All eyes were on Lu Xinyao.
After a few seconds of silence, she smiled and removed her head ornament, revealing the ears it had concealed.
Two fox ears, a clear sign of her heritage.
“I am a hybrid of Heavenly Phoenix Fox Demon and human.”
Her direct confession stunned everyone, even the official who had accused her.
The court was already in an uproar from the various revelations, so this news wasn’t as…
What!?
What did she just say!?
The Grand Elder’s chosen heir was… a half-demon!?
“Well?” Lu Xinyao scanned the crowd. “Do you think my heritage brings shame to the Shangguan family, to the Heartflame Empire?”
Many officials wanted to object, but they couldn’t bring themselves to say anything in front of the Grand Elder.
Instead, the Yan Army generals started clamoring.
“I think it’s cool! Those ears are so cute!”
“Heavenly Phoenix Fox Demon, that name sounds so awesome!”
“Yeah, what’s wrong with it? Heavenly Phoenix Fox Demon is related to the phoenix. Our Heartflame Empire has both dragons and phoenixes.”
“Hey, right, right! Don’t you know what ‘dragon and phoenix bring prosperity’ means?”
The Yan Army generals were clearly in a good mood.
Their voices drowned out all dissenting opinions, making Gong Yiling chuckle.
“You bunch of uncultured boors!”
The old official’s face turned red, and he almost fainted. “This is against etiquette! There’s no such precedent!”
Then, the Grand Elder suddenly spoke. “Then let the most ancient precedent decide.”
“The Heavenly Fortune Azure Dragon Stele.”
