Chapter One, Spring Snow (Part One)

Long Yuan waved his hand and said: "The Grand Master can do as he wishes. To repel external threats, we must first ensure internal stability. Indeed, let us proceed according to what you just discussed." He stood up impatiently and walked out of the Tianhe Hall amidst the astonished gazes of the ministers.

Upon entering the palace, most of the officials, both high and low, had already arrived. The dragon throne in the center remained empty, with only the chief eunuch, Qiu Fuhai, standing beside it.

The one who has arrived is none other than Long Yuan, the Emperor of the Great Kang Kingdom. He is fifteen years old this year and was thrust onto the throne at the tender age of three by the leftist forces represented by the Grand Tutor Xiao Nihuan. Now, he has been emperor for a full twelve years. Two years ago, with the approval of the Empress Dowager, Long Yuan has taken on the responsibilities of governance; however, the true power of the Great Kang still remains firmly in the hands of Xiao Nihuan

Long Yuan took a yellow silk handkerchief from Xiang Gui, wiped his nose, and then smiled as he said: "Everyone, please get up. It's snowing heavily today, so you can sleep a little longer. In such cold weather, having to attend court is truly a hardship..." His gaze fell on Xiao Nihan's face, and he noticed the frosty expression on Xiao Nihan's face, which involuntarily revealed a hint of unease in his eyes.

Longyuan's expression suddenly turned exceptionally cold. He took a step towards Xianggui and abruptly raised his hand to deliver a resounding slap to Xianggui, leaving him momentarily stunned.

Xianggui felt a pang in his nose upon hearing Longyuan's words, and tears streamed down his face: "My lord, Xiao Qizi died unjustly..."

Just as Qiu Fuhai was about to take a step, he heard a series of coughing sounds coming from the side hall. A youthful boy, still bearing the innocence of childhood, entered the Hall of Heavenly Harmony accompanied by two young eunuchs and four charming palace maidens

Long Yuan, still seething with anger, shouted: "Such a beautiful snow scene has been completely ruined by you all. You have provoked me, and I will have each of your heads chopped off!"

In the early morning, pure white snowflakes quietly arrived with the biting chill of spring, unintentionally disturbing the peaceful dreams of the world. They gently fell from the sky, drifting and swirling, softening the majestic and rigid outlines of the Great Kang Palace. The clouds hung low, and a few rays of dawn light pierced through the edges of the clouds, making the fluttering snowflakes appear crystal clear.

Qiu Fuhai promptly stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty! The Prime Minister is ill and cannot attend court!"

Xiao Nihan let out a heavy snort, and a layer of frost instantly enveloped his face: "Quickly go and summon His Majesty for the morning court, we have important matters to report to him"

Longyuan angrily declared: "All of you, get out! I do not need your service!" He walked on the accumulated snow towards the imperial study, and two young eunuchs responsible for cleaning, upon seeing the young emperor approach, hurriedly knelt down.

Upon his utterance, all the civil and military officials in the court simultaneously knelt down and exclaimed: "Your Majesty, may you be in good health!"

The Chief Eunuch Qiu Fuhai also hurriedly echoed, "Yes, Your Majesty is ill..."

As he walked to the front of the Hall of Heaven, his gaze fell upon the enormous dragon relief in the middle of the staircase. He was very fond of this dragon relief; every time he passed by here, a surge of lofty ambition would rise within him, quietly giving him a sense that the world was entirely within his grasp. The snow had covered the relief, mostly concealing the spiraling and soaring dragon. Xiao Nihan slightly furrowed his brow, and with his fair and slender fingers, he gently stroked the beard beneath his chin, saying, "The snow on top needs to be cleared away"

Long Yuan angrily rebuked: "You scoundrel, the Grand Master does all this for the sake of Da Kang. Without the Grand Master, how could our Da Kang's territory be as solid as gold? You dare to incite discord before me; do you truly wish for me to have you executed as well?"

Xiao Nihan silenced him with a glance and said loudly: "Your Majesty, I have an important matter to report!"

Xiao Nihan remained silent, his footsteps unceasing as he made his way towards the Heavenly Harmony Hall

Xiao Nihan fixed his cold gaze on Qiu Fuhai, causing Qiu Fuhai to involuntarily shiver. The muscles at the corner of his lips twitched slightly as he forced a stiff smile and said, "The old servant will go take a look personally..."

Xiao Nihan nodded and said loudly: "You have misled your master today, and you will surely mislead the country in the future. What use is such a servant? Come, drag him out and behead him!"

Xiao Nihan said angrily: "Zhou He - Tu - Shuda Ren! The distances from Xu Du, Cheng Wei, and Nanyang to our Great Kang Kingdom's capital are no more than 700 li. Once a rebellion takes shape, it will undoubtedly pose a direct threat to Kang Du and to His Majesty's safety. Although the Hu people are fierce, they signed a treaty with Great Kang thirty years ago, and there have been no significant conflicts during these thirty years. Moreover, with Lan Xun going to quell the unrest, I will assign Sima Xiong to guard Yanmen Pass. This way, we can calmly resolve this crisis."

Qiu Fuhai exclaimed with great joy: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty has arrived!"

Liao Qiyuan respectfully said: "Your Majesty, as the saying goes, to repel external threats, one must first stabilize internal affairs. Moreover, our Great Kang and the Hu Kingdom have coexisted peacefully for many years. Why should we trouble ourselves unnecessarily? I believe it is imperative to restore order to the domestic turmoil in the shortest possible time, allowing the territory of Great Kang to regain its tranquility and peace. Looking at the military, only General Lan Xun possesses such strength. Your Majesty must make a decision soon to avoid missing the opportunity for battle"

Xiao Nihan said expressionlessly: "Your Majesty, what do you intend to do?"

A subtle, barely perceptible smile appeared on Xiao Nihan's face; such a foolish and inept emperor was precisely what he desired. The more Dragon Abyss lacked any opinions, the more his power in Dakang solidified. In this Hall of Heavenly Harmony, the true master was he; he was the true dragon perched above the imperial palace.

Longyuan had not yet spoken when a man stepped forward from among the officials, it was Zhou Antai, the Deputy Minister of Rites. He was a close friend of Lan Xun, and his son Zhou Longshan had been betrothed to Lan Xun's eldest daughter, Lan Zhiyun, since childhood, establishing a significant bond between them. Although he feared the power of Xiao Nihan, upon hearing Xiao Nihan's words, he still mustered the courage to stand up and said loudly: "Your Majesty, General Lan is stationed at Yanmen Pass and has been shouldering the important responsibility of defending against the northern Hu people. If we carelessly reassign General Lan's troops to suppress the rebels, it will inevitably leave the border defenses vulnerable. If the Hu people take the opportunity to advance south, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Qiu Fuhai respectfully said: "Master Xiao, His Majesty caught a slight chill last night and has not yet risen."

Perhaps due to being raised in privilege since childhood, Long Yuan's stature can be considered outstanding among his peers, standing only half an inch shorter than the tall Xiao Nihan. He has sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, with red lips and white teeth, and his smile naturally exudes a charming demeanor. However, his every gesture appears rather frivolous, lacking the dignity expected of a ruler.

Zhou Antai finally understood that Xiao Nihan's true purpose was not to quell the chaos, but to target Lan Xun directly. He was more aware than anyone else that Lan Xun had always regarded Xiao Nihan as a traitor to the state. Xiao Nihan had attempted multiple times to draw Lan Xun into his camp, all of which were politely declined by Lan Xun. It now appeared that Xiao Nihan had finally given up on Lan Xun and was prepared to take advantage of this opportunity amidst the turmoil to deal with him. Everyone knew that Lan Xun enjoyed a prestigious reputation within the Northwest Army of Da Kang, and his trusted aides had infiltrated nearly every part of the Northwest Army. It was not so easy to sway him.

As soon as he stepped into his own realm, the frivolous expression on Long Yuan's face vanished completely, and his originally lazy and innocent gaze instantly transformed into one that was deep and melancholic. Upon entering the front garden of the imperial study, he suddenly halted his steps, and behind him came the soft sound of Xiang Gui weeping.

Longyuan turned around, and Xianggui hurriedly knelt down in the snow, slapping himself twice on the face: "The servant deserves to die, the servant deserves to die..."

Xiao Nihan suddenly turned his head, and his intimidating gaze frightened Qiu Fuhai into hastily closing his mouth. He spoke word by word: "Your Majesty is ill, could it be that you servants are also unwell? Which of you is on duty today?"

Upon seeing him come out, Zhou Antai could not help but frown. Liao Qiyuan was promoted by Xiao Nihan, and this person would naturally not speak in favor of him

"Master..." Longyuan said with a pale face

Xianggui felt both heartbroken and wronged, recalling Xiangqi's fate, which led him to think of himself. Tears flowed uncontrollably down his face as he prostrated himself on the ground in a plea for mercy. The four palace maids following behind also knelt down.

Long Yuan weakly leaned back against the dragon throne and said: "Please speak, Grand Preceptor!"

The Duke Qin Yangxu stepped forward and said softly: "Rest assured, Grand Tutor, as soon as the snow stops, I will have someone clean the entire palace inside and out thoroughly."

With the assistance of two beautiful palace maids, he removed his golden mink fur cloak, revealing a dragon robe embroidered with colorful silk threads underneath. On his head was a crown adorned with pure gold, shaped round in the front and square in the back. The twelve tassels made of white jade beads on the crown swayed back and forth. He appeared handsome and elegantly dressed, indeed a sight to behold. Longyuan wanted to speak, but suddenly felt an itch in his nose. He turned his head and sneezed twice in quick succession. The young eunuch Xianggui beside him did not dare to dodge, and was sprayed all over with droplets, yet he continued to chant, "Your Majesty is auspicious, Your Majesty is auspicious!" Longyuan wanted to speak, but suddenly felt an itch in his nose. He turned his head and sneezed twice in quick succession. The young eunuch Xianggui beside him did not dare to dodge, and was sprayed all over with droplets, yet he continued to chant, "Your Majesty is auspicious, Your Majesty is auspicious!"

Long Yuan said softly, "It is merely a riot by the mob; you may discuss how to handle it." He appeared weary, showing no interest in state affairs, which caused the court officials to sigh in unison. Such an emperor truly seemed to be a puppet, and it appeared that the fortunes of the Great Kang had come to an end.

Xiao Nihan's thick eyebrows furrowed as he spoke in a low voice: "Master Qiu, where is His Majesty"

Two fierce palace guards dragged the wailing and howling Xiangqi out, and not a single official, civil or military, dared to step forward to dissuade them. It is indeed fitting to describe Xiao Nihan as wielding power that dominates the court and the realm.

As his gaze swept across the room, the eunuchs and palace maids who had come along with Longyuan turned pale with fear. Among them, a young eunuch named Xiangqi was so frightened that his legs went weak, and with a thud, he knelt on the ground. He repeatedly bowed his head and said, "Today, it is my duty, and I was considerate of my master, which is why I did not wake him up..."

Long Yuan sighed and said: "Xiao Guizi, later you go and retrieve Xiao Xiangzi's body, then find a quiet and secluded place outside the palace to give him a proper burial."

At last, another person stepped out of the queue; this individual is Liao Qiyuan, the Minister of War of the Ministry of Personnel.

Longyuan's small face turned slightly red, and he awkwardly said: "Your Excellency, I... I caught a bit of a chill yesterday... that is why I got up late..."

Long Yuan sighed and said: "The Prime Minister must be working tirelessly for the country all day long..." At this point, he coughed several times and continued: "Grand Tutor, I am suffering from a severe headache and can hardly bear it any longer"

Xiao Nihan said loudly: "I request that General Lan Xun be dispatched to eliminate the rebellious bandits"

In an instant, the garden was filled with the sounds of begging and the rustling of books.

Your Majesty, last night I received an urgent battle report. Riots have erupted in various places including Xudu, Chengwei, and Nanyang, spreading widely and having a severe impact

Long Yuan gently pressed his lips together. The two young eunuchs, Xianggui and Xiangqi, had been by his side since childhood, and their bond was very deep. Xiangqi was inexplicably beheaded by Xiao Nihan, which made him very sad. However, he understood that the reason Xiao Nihan publicly did such a thing today was ostensibly to clear the court of corrupt officials, but in reality, it was to assert his authority over everyone, including all the civil and military officials, to inform them that he was the one truly in control of the power in the Great Kang dynasty

Grand Minister Xiao Nihan of Dakang, dressed in a purple court robe and draped in a black mink fur coat, slowly walked along the central imperial path of the palace accompanied by four officials. At the age of forty-six, his fair complexion bore the marks of time with frost and wrinkles, and several strands of white hair adorned his temples. However, the most captivating feature was his eyes, which were as deep and unfathomable as a millennia-old ancient pond, revealing a subtle smile that concealed a formidable brilliance.

Xiao Nihan let out a cold snort, which interrupted Long Yuan's contemplation. Long Yuan forced a smile and said, "Well said, well said, the Grand Tutor must have very sound reasoning..." He paused for a moment and then continued, "What about the Prime Minister? Why hasn't the Prime Minister come today?"

Qiu Fuhai smiled and said: "Master, please remain calm; I have already sent someone to invite them."

Xiao Nihan stood there coldly. He was the Grand Minister of the current dynasty, the regent appointed by the late emperor, and one of the few ministers in the country who could meet the emperor without having to kneel. He spoke softly, "Your Majesty, as the ruler of a nation, how can you indulge in the warmth of your bed? If the late emperor were to see you so neglectful of state affairs, what would he think? How will Your Majesty face the millions of subjects of Dakang?" His words were righteous and resonant.

Long Yuan gazed intently at the left side of the supporting pillar, lost in thought, unaware of what was occupying his mind. In such moments, he seemed to be focused on the farthest reaches of the universe, his heart soaring to great heights, which left a group of old ministers feeling even more disheartened

Xianggui wiped away her tears and said, "My lord, you are the emperor of Dakang. As long as you say a word, you can save Xiao Qizi's life"