CHAPTER 2019: CHAPTER 2021

"This decree was left by the Grand Emperor two years ago; the next new emperor is to be the Third Imperial Prince, Baili Yan!" Ye Zi’an looked intently at the assembled ministers, "Therefore, His Highness Prince Zhuang being the next new emperor is decreed by the ancestors and is the trend of the times."

"If you don’t believe me, you can invite Prince Qing, Prince He, and several other elders of the royal family to verify the authenticity of both decrees."

Damn it, Heir Qing wiped some sweat from his brow, the Great Zhou has had so many strange things this year, and now there’s an ancestral decree, actually in the hands of Ye Zi’an, truly terrifying. Doesn’t this mean Ye Zi’an could support whoever he wants to ascend to the throne?

The ministers present were also dumbfounded at this moment; they never expected such a thing to exist, it was too incredible.

Even Baili Yan himself couldn’t believe it, thinking his cousin might have fabricated this to trick people, how bold of him.

"We cannot judge the authenticity of the ancestral decree, let’s follow Lord Ye’s advice and invite the old prince and the Clan Chief of the Baili Clan to authenticate it together."

"Yes, let’s invite the Clan Chief of the Baili Clan over."

"..."

Since the ministers all said so, Baili Yan sent someone to invite them.

At this time, even the Grand Emperor couldn’t stop it.

Every cell in his body was filled with regret at this moment, how did he come to write such a decree back then, and how could he entrust something so important to Ye Zi’an? It’s clearly ambition with ruthless intent.

Upon hearing that the ancestral decree appeared, the two old princes, Prince Qing and Prince He, along with the Heir of Prince He, hurried over to the hall without any delay.

Due to their advanced age, when they reached the hall, they were nearly collapsing, "Where is the ancestral decree?"

Prince He quivering, "I heard from my father that the ancestor left a secret decree for the Baili family, I always thought it was just a legend, didn’t expect it to be true."

"Let me see it quickly!"

At this moment, the parchment decree was in Baili Yan’s hands, and he immediately presented it respectfully upon hearing this.

"Great Zhou’s first year..." Prince He trembled as he read the decree word by word, "In those years, the ancestor emperor and several of his brothers jointly fought to establish the Great Zhou, among them the ancestor emperor rendered the greatest service, but at that time, the Eldest Young Master was the eldest son, and the Second Young Master was the legitimate son, the ancestor emperor was only the third son, originally the throne would not have been his turn, but unfortunately the father of the ancestor emperor was found poisoned to death in the sleeping palace the day before ascending the throne."

"Someone revealed that it was the Second Young Master who poisoned their father’s tea, but at this time the Second Young Master also died, his facial orifices bleeding, dying a most grisly death, everyone knew that the Eldest Young Master and the Second Young Master had long been at odds, so when the Second Young Master died, someone suspected the Eldest Young Master. And a trap was set to catch and bring down the Eldest Young Master, ultimately with irrefutable evidence, the Eldest Young Master committed suicide in his residence."

"In just three months, three members of father and brothers died in succession, the ancestor emperor sensed something was amiss, at first he thought this was the work of remnants of the previous dynasty, but who knew upon final investigation it turned out to be the Fourth Young Master’s doing. To avenge his father and brothers, the ancestor emperor had the Fourth Young Master strangled, and then ascended to the throne, becoming the first emperor of the Great Zhou!"

"After ascending the throne, the ancestor emperor believed that the throne bewitched minds, disregarding family affection, and also realized that his descendants would one day fight among themselves for the throne, causing the Great Zhou to fall into devastation, so he left the secret decree with trusted officials."

"I always thought it was just a legend, after all, even my father didn’t know where this secret decree was, thus he greatly doubted the authenticity of the ancestral conveyance."