Chapter 11663 — The Might of Wei Zhao's Group Grows Ever Greater

If, before this, the various factions had regarded Wei Zhao's group as formidable yet still harbored some measure of resentment and restless ambition—after all, each had old monsters of their own, and each believed itself to have the confidence to push back—then now, everything had changed.

Now, however, they did not dare make the slightest reckless move.

The precedent set by the Prince of Qi's Estate lay right before their eyes. Even if they believed their own strength greater, if it truly came to a head-on confrontation with Wei Zhao's group, who could swear they would not end up battered and bloodied?

"Outrageous! Outrageous! How is it that son of a bitch Wei Zhao again who has the last laugh!"

At this moment, within the Son of Heaven's palace, the Zhou Son of Heaven was in a towering rage.

After the several incidents that had come before, if one were to ask who across the entire Inner Royal Court most wished for Wei Zhao's downfall, it was surely none other than this Zhou Son of Heaven.

So long as Wei Zhao drew breath, he was the demon in the Son of Heaven's heart, and his throne could never be secure.

But the problem was that, given his nature as a puppet Son of Heaven, even at his peak he would have been utterly crushed by the Wei Zhao of today—let alone now, after the Edict of Self-Blame affair, when his Mandate of Heaven had all but been squandered.

In truth, even without anyone else lifting a finger, the Zhou Son of Heaven was now declining by the day, well and truly unable to look after himself.

Barring the unforeseen, if matters continued as they were, under the backlash of his Mandate of Heaven running dry, he stood an excellent chance of simply dropping dead in the seat of puppet Son of Heaven.

When that time came, the dawn of a new age for the Inner Royal Court would be formally proclaimed.

And it was precisely for this reason that the Zhou Son of Heaven hated Wei Zhao all the more.

The Queen attended him at his side with lowered brows and downcast eyes. Bereft of the blessing of her divine beauty, she had become an entirely different person, exuding an indescribable self-loathing from the very marrow of her bones.

Never mind anyone else—let a serving maid so much as glance her way, and she would be thrown into a panic.

The impression she gave was that, without her divine beauty, she scarcely deserved to live in this world at all.

Seeing the Zhou Son of Heaven reduced to impotent fury and having smashed yet another heap of things, the Queen at last spoke up cautiously: "In truth, Your Majesty, this consort has a way to help you turn defeat into victory."

The Zhou Son of Heaven was instantly galvanized. "Speak, quickly!"

The Queen said softly, "Place yourself in death's ground, and afterwards live."

Having dismissed the attending maids and servants, the Queen was still uneasy, and so she conveyed the entire plan in detail through a divine-sense voice transmission.

As the Zhou Son of Heaven listened, his eyes lit up. "A brilliant scheme! Truly brilliant! Worthy indeed of my Queen!"

The reason he had been willing to take the Queen back in the first place was, on the one hand, that he still harbored the fantasy that one day she might regain her divine beauty.

On the other hand, he knew full well that behind the Queen there must stand some great personage.

Win over the Queen, and one won over that great personage as well. Even if, for various considerations, that personage could not step forward openly to support him, so long as such a figure existed, there would always come a time when they proved useful.

And now, sure enough.

The Queen said gravely, "It is the one who tied the bell who must untie it. This tribulation must in the end be laid at Wei Zhao's door."

The Zhou Son of Heaven said, with meaning in his tone, "That the Queen could conceive such a brilliant scheme—truly a rare talent. Might this be the fruit of your family's learning, or did some other master instruct you?"

The Queen's expression shifted slightly. Prostrating herself, she said, "Your Majesty sees clearly. Some matters this consort would not presume to speak of without permission. I only hope Your Majesty understands that this consort is of one heart with you, and that all I do is for Your Majesty's sake."

"I understand. I understand everything."

The Zhou Son of Heaven did not press her further, and said with a sigh, "In the Inner Royal Court of today, those truly of one heart with me are few and far between. Even Grand Preceptor Hou—it is hard to say whether he still stands with me."

He had, in the beginning, trusted Hou Chuang a good deal. Unfortunately, over the Edict of Self-Blame affair, he had been well and truly duped.

Especially since he had also heard that Hou Chuang had once gone to see Wei Zhao in private.

Even without knowing what the two had discussed in detail, as far as he was concerned, Grand Preceptor Hou was no longer trustworthy.

And it was precisely for this reason that he had deliberately kept Hou Chuang out of today's conspiracy. Otherwise, no sooner would he and Hou Chuang have settled on a plan than Wei Zhao would know every detail of it—which would be laughable.

The Zhou Son of Heaven said solemnly, "Success or failure in this plan rests entirely on this one stroke. Queen, you must lend me your full aid. Let husband and wife be of one heart, and together we shall break this deadlock!"

The Queen wore a look of deep emotion. "This consort is willing to give her life for Your Majesty."

One day later.

A great event suddenly occurred in the Son of Heaven's palace, and in an instant the entire Inner Royal Court was thrown into an uproar.

The Son of Heaven's Jade Seal had caught fire!

As the Son of Heaven's most important token of authority, the importance of the Son of Heaven's Jade Seal needed no elaboration. In the eyes of the vast majority, it was the very physical embodiment of the Mandate of Heaven.

However many reckless moves the Zhou Son of Heaven had made before, however vicious the backlash he had suffered, so long as the Son of Heaven's Jade Seal remained, his throne remained.

On this point, the entire court, civil and military, was agreed.

But now the Son of Heaven's Jade Seal had abruptly begun to burn. Even if it could not be utterly melted down in short order, the significance embodied in the event could not help but set imaginations racing.

Especially at this critical juncture, with a great upheaval about to arrive, it was impossible for the various factions not to read much into it.

The key point was that this wave did not stir only the various factions. Fanned by those with designs, even the lowliest common folk were swept into the current, watching every subsequent turn with rapt attention.

It was no exaggeration to say that, in terms of sheer reach and influence, this was the most sensational event in the Inner Royal Court in nearly a century—bar none.

The various grand maneuvers Wei Zhao had undertaken before, though they carried profound consequences for the power structure of the entire Inner Royal Court, had ultimately been, for the vast majority of common folk, the stuff of distant immortals battling in the heavens.

Never mind taking part—most could not even begin to grasp the basics of it. At most they would stand around in the streets and alleys, spinning a few fancies about the emperor's golden hoe and the like.

But this time was different.

The moment the Son of Heaven's Jade Seal caught fire, even the least worldly of commoners knew that something truly momentous had happened.

If this matter were not handled well, it would directly shake the entire Inner Royal Court and directly affect the lives of every last commoner!

And afterwards, under the deliberate guidance of various channels of dissemination, the people of the Inner Royal Court swiftly coalesced around a single consensus.

The Zhou Son of Heaven must not fall.