Bam!
The royal court doors yanked open under the push of two guards, and Liam walked in with Eunuch Zhao chasing after him. From the corners of his eyes, he noticed the inquisitive gazes of ministers and military officials alike, but he ignored them and made his way to the throne.
"MAY YOUR MAJESTY LIVE FOR ONE THOUSAND YEARS!" They bowed and chorused.
Liam rolled his eyes at their hollow words. These were the same people waiting for his death and picking sides.
The crown prince, Shin, quickly stepped forward and bowed as a eunuch carrying a tray filled with scrolls approached.
"Petitions are pouring in from all parts of the empire. The people are against this war, Father!"
"You dare demand our old emperor make the journey to Kangol to save your life?! Shin, you have gone too far!" Kong yelled at the top of his voice, and chaos erupted.
Ministers and military officials standing on opposite sides began swearing and cursing while the two princes glared at each other.
Liam silently observed the chaos, taking note of every face in the room—what was said, when it was said, and why it was said. Most of his life had been one of silence, sitting in a dark corner and watching his parents play lovers.
Even a gasp from him back then was rewarded with deadly stomps that left him aching and bruised for weeks. Now he was not only a free man but an ascendant—yet Liam remained the same person.
After watching the chaos in silence for several minutes, he waved, and the hall fell quiet.
"You wish to send your old, sickly father to a strange land, to kneel before a barbarian?" Liam asked Shin directly.
Buzz!
Everyone in the hall shivered, and Shin's face turned pale.
"I dare not, Father!" Shin threw himself to the ground and lowered his head, but Liam wasn't moved.
His eyes narrowed as they scanned the entire room before returning to Shin.
"Explain yourself."
Shin raised his head with a knowing smile playing on his lips. Liam noticed this and considered the possibility that this command had been Shin's goal from the very beginning.
"Father, the State of Fei has been ravaged by famine for the past three years. The people are hungry, the soldiers are demoralized, and tiny revolts are springing up in the west and south." Shin picked himself up while explaining with his fists cupped under his red sleeves.
He turned to face the ministers, nodding at them before shifting his attention to the military officials—and then his brother, Kong.
"A war will only worsen our situation. We neither have the supplies nor the arms to fight this battle, and for the sake of the nation and its people, peace is the only option."
Shin turned to Liam, the mischievous smile on his face becoming harder to conceal. This child still hadn't outgrown his childish tendencies.
"So what do you suggest we do?" Liam asked.
"Your Majesty is clearly too ill and weak to make the journey, and I, your first child, must stay by you during these trying times. So I suggest we send another prince—one of great significance—to appease the Kangol Emperor and bow in your stead." Shin shot a glance at Kong, and a gasp erupted among the military officials.
"You dare send a Great General of Fei to bow to a barbarian?!" a military official yelled at the top of his lungs.
"YOU DARE RAISE YOUR VOICE WHEN SPEAKING TO THE CROWN PRINCE?!"
"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!"
"HAVE YOU GONE CRAZY?!"
Curses flew around the hall as both sides shouted at the top of their lungs. Liam remained silent, his eyes dilating with realization upon understanding Shin's true intent.
The plan had always been to send Kong to Kangol. Liam's current health was fragile, so Shin likely believed he would die soon and needed his younger brother away during his coronation. That way, he could take control of the entire military before Kong's return.
'But what makes him so certain I will die before Kong returns?'
'Is he the one behind the poisoning—or am I overthinking this?'
Liam's eyes narrowed as he looked down on Shin. He couldn't tell if his suspicion was correct or if he was drawing false conclusions.
"Kong."
The room fell silent as the emperor spoke, and everyone's attention returned to Liam.
"You are my son and a patriot who has contributed greatly to this nation. I believe you've earned the right to share your thoughts with me in such a delicate matter."
Kong and everyone else were stunned by the comment, but he quickly recovered and gave a small bow.
"Father, Shin is right. Our lands have been plagued with drought for three years, and our people are not prepared for war. However, what the Kangol demands is too much!"
"Gold, silver, grains, cloth, food supplies, women, slaves, soldiers to fight their war, a royal hostage—and even worse, they want you to kneel."
"They call you a king and wish to see you lower yourself before barbarians. I know Fei's situation is bad, but do we not owe it to this nation to make sacrifices and fight for its sovereignty in dark times like these?!"
Liam nodded slowly but gave no definite response. He waved, and the two princes returned to their positions.
"I have heard your concerns and all you have to say. I will spend the rest of today reading these petitions. I'll sleep on this matter and give my response tomorrow," Liam said calmly. "That is all for today."
Liam watched as everyone bowed and walked out of the room. Only then did he let out a heavy sigh and sink into the throne. The strong facade he'd tried to maintain vanished, and beads of sweat rolled down his face.
Quickly, Zhao rushed over to his side, wiping his face with a towel.
"Your Majesty, you have pushed yourself too much today. You need to rest," he pleaded, but Liam remained silent.
Even after this meeting, he had yet to find any clue about who his killer might be. Liam had hoped his appearance would trigger suspicious reactions, but there was nothing substantial to hold on to.
And the princes—their daggers were pointed at each other. At least, that's what he'd seen so far. There was still so much to do but little he could accomplish in this old body.
Liam felt helpless.
"Let's head back," he said.
— Emperor's Private Chambers —
Returning to his chamber, Liam spent the entire time eating and resting. He had no intention of reading the petitions because he had plans to safeguard his life while finding someone who could deal with the poison in his system.
As soon as the sun began to set, Liam knew it was time to take the final step in his plan. He put on his robes again and prepared himself.
"Call him in," Liam said to Eunuch Zhao, who bowed before opening the door.
It was Shin standing at the entrance. He walked in, bowed, and waited until Zhao had left the room before speaking.
"Father, you called for me?" he asked, bowing again.
"Sit. Make yourself comfortable."
Shin slowly found his spot and sat under Liam's neutral gaze. Once he was seated, Liam gestured toward the jade jar and watched Shin fill up his cup with alcohol.
Liam chugged his drink in one go, exhaling loudly. Then he picked up the jar and filled Shin's cup.
"Your brother worries me. I see dangerous ambition in his eyes."
Shin froze at the statement and quickly picked up the cup, emptying its contents in one gulp. He was flustered and swallowed wrong, coughing repeatedly.
Liam waited patiently until he regained his composure.
"Father… I didn't think you paid attention to our sibling squabbles," Shin said nervously, but Liam grabbed his shoulder tightly.
Shaking his head, he let go and filled his cup again, gulping it down once more.
"This is not a little squabble. It's a blatant challenge to authority—one I bestowed upon you because I believed only you were worthy to sit on the throne. Why do you condone it?"
Liam leaned back and watched Shin's mouth open and close several times, yet no words escaped his lips. The boy had always come off as a coward—that's why he was so quick to throw himself to the ground when challenged.
The original Emperor Fei saw this as weakness and feared Shin would be killed by his younger brother. But Liam saw something different: the mischievous gleam hidden behind Shin's terrified expressions.
They were the same type of person—cunning and scheming. That's why Liam was certain he would die in the palace before Kong's return and Shin would be crowned Emperor.
Kong would likely be forced to stay in Kangol as a royal hostage while Shin centralized power in Fei.
If anyone was poisoning him, it was most likely Shin. He was the one who needed Liam dead the most.
"Shin…"
"Father?"
"I'm old and tired. If I had my way, I wouldn't be sitting on that throne right now. But I fear Kong may act before you are prepared…"
Shin's head snapped up, his face filled with genuine shock.
"I need you to act fast. I don't have much strength left in me."
Shin threw himself to the ground, his head lowered.
"Father, do you… truly wish to aid me?" he asked in a shaky voice.
Liam walked over and helped him up. Both knelt before each other, looking into each other's eyes.
"You are the one I chose."
Saying this, Liam pulled out a tiger seal from his sleeve and placed it in Shin's hand, causing him to tremble in shock.
"The tiger seal!" Shin exclaimed.
It was the only seal that could mobilize all 5,000 royal guards in the palace. Whoever wielded this seal controlled the empire's most elite forces.
"Mobilize your supporters and act tonight. I will provide justification for your actions and abdicate the throne."
Saying this, Liam pulled out a folded cloth and passed it to Shin. It was a written message with Kong's seal, asking a palace servant to poison the emperor.
"Gather your supporters and strike by midnight. Bring me the heads of Kong's faction, and I'll give you the throne. Can you do that?" Liam asked.
"Yes, Father!" Shin grabbed Liam's hands tightly, speaking with affection.
Liam watched him bow with the tiger seal and race out of the room. Only then did Zhao rush in, a worried expression on his face.
"Last night, you gave Kong a secret letter, allowing his soldiers to enter the capital disguised as travelers, tourists and merchants. You also promised to provide justification for Shin's death while also offering the throne. Today, you give Shin the tiger seal and incite him and his faction to raise an army against his brother. Your Majesty, you're setting your sons up to kill each other! Please come to your senses!" Zhao pleaded.
Liam smirked at his dramatic wailing and rolled his eyes. To safeguard his life, he had given the warring princes a chance to fight it out and promised to hand over the throne to whoever won.
That way, he lived.
The only goal in the Tower of Heavens was to survive—and that's what he planned to do.
The strongest is not the most skilled, or talented, or best physique, it is the willing. Whoever is willing to do whatever it takes is the strongest.