After his daughter, Empress Wang, smoothly gave birth to a son, Duke Cheng'en no longer bothered to show courtesy to Emperor Yongning. Using the excuse of ill health, he kept the Emperor under strict house arrest.
No matter how dull he was, Emperor Yongning realized he would be imprisoned until his death. He struggled like a trapped animal for three months, but achieved nothing. The more frantically he rebelled, the more drugged concoctions he was forced to swallow, and his periods of lucidity became fewer and farther between.
If not for wanting Emperor Yongning to officially abdicate in a more legitimate manner—since Duke Cheng'en was confident his own prestige far surpassed the Emperor’s—he would have ended things sooner. But Guo Sida taught him a harsh lesson… After Guo Sida claimed the throne, nearly all the capital’s nobility, high officials—civil and military—aside from a stubborn few, sent people to show favor to Yan Jingzhou and himself.
When Guo Sida came up with the rotten idea to grant Yan Yun a marriage as an imperial edict, Yan Jingzhou flew into a rage and raised an army in protest. As they marched eastward, not a single soul tried to stop him, not even to urge peace. Duke Cheng'en wasn’t the least surprised.
Heaven's Mandate wasn’t with him—at least, not for the moment—so Duke Cheng'en became more and more cautious in his conduct. Even though he looked down on Emperor Yongning, he still went in person to witness just how far gone the Emperor’s madness had become.
What he hadn’t expected was that Emperor Yongning, who’d hidden a shard of porcelain up his sleeve, suddenly slashed at his own neck.
Yet in his "madness," Emperor Yongning could not even properly locate the carotid or jugular. That desperate move did no more than give Duke Cheng'en some superficial wounds and a scare, with the Emperor himself paying a far steeper price—both arms were swiftly and cleanly broken, leaving him unable to feed himself.
What happened with Duke Cheng'en could never be concealed from Qin Jingzhou. Among Duke Cheng'en’s own people were "loyal officials" whose hearts belonged entirely in the south and who kept him informed.
As for Emperor Yongning’s aberrant behavior, Qin Jingzhou and Ling Jing saw right through it: the dutiful and unfilial sons from their past lives—Yan Duan and Guo Wanping—had experienced rebirth and transmigrated into Emperor Yongning’s body. Not fully grasping the situation, they personally attempted to assassinate Duke Cheng'en with the sort of reckless dedication only the truly brave and the truly foolish exhibit. It was just what they’d expect from child raised by Emperor Yongning himself in a previous life.
Exchanging a knowing smile, the two remembered how their justification for starting a campaign against Guo Sida was his secret alliance with the Jin, yet they waited for Duke Cheng'en to make the first move on Emperor Yongning before justifying action against him.
News from the south was neither concealed nor deliberately spread.
Yan Duan, who had always taken on the dirty and tiring work without any concern for personal gain, simply to compensate his family, seemed absent-minded when he heard the news. After reporting back to his father, he hurried home and clutched Guo Wanping’s hand with unspeakable pain.
It took him a long time to compose himself before he shared everything with the anxious-faced Guo Wanping.
Learning that their wolf-hearted, patricidal, and matricidal son had seemingly been reborn in the body of his foster father, Emperor Yongning, Guo Wanping was consumed with grief and anger, her heart seizing up so sharply her expression changed.
Yan Duan embraced Guo Wanping, his voice trembling, "Wanping, I can't live without you."
No one had to give orders for an Inner Attendant to dash out at once and fetch the Imperial Physician.
The three Yan brothers were currently all living in the "luxury apartments" on the north side of the palace, reserved for princes and princesses. Next year, Yan Jun would be made Crown Prince and move to the Crown Prince's Residence, but for now he lived just across the hall from his younger brother.
Yan Jun watched his brother return home distraught and soon after, hearing the Inner Attendant announce his brother had called for an Imperial Physician, he could no longer sit still. Gathering their sister, they hurried to visit their youngest sibling.
Despite what they’d heard about their brother’s actions in a previous life, Yan Jun and Yan Yun felt only a distant kind of anger. Compared to resentment of their brother, they held only Emperor Yongning and Guo Sida as enemies.
For the past months, their brother had worked tirelessly and without complaint—atoning for his past. Yan Jun and Yan Yun could not forgive on behalf of their father, but wished to tell their brother: we understand your remorse, and seeing you torment yourself like this pains us. Besides, if this drags on, father might think we’re putting pressure on you, and then we’d be wrongly blamed!
Finding their brother, and with Guo Wanping already having steadied herself, they spoke openly—though the last line was delivered as a joke.
What Yan Duan was thinking: because you indulged me so much in our previous life, I acted willfully and arrogantly without a care in the world. Why were you both so good to me? Spoiling me, then in turn, my own son… Fortunately, it seemed my son had returned as well, so now I had a chance to repay kindness with kindness.
Yan Jun and Yan Yun could tell their brother wasn’t really listening, but they weren’t worried: heart tribulations aren’t fixed with a few words, otherwise they would not be what they are.
Guo Wanping, right in front of the Yan brothers, made no attempt to hide his feelings, "Only when he's dead can we finally heal from this heartache."
Just then, the Imperial Physician arrived, checked on Guo Wanping, offered a few words of advice, and prescribed medicine. Yan Jun and Yan Yun left with the physician.
The following year, Qin Jingzhou carried out his plan and claimed the throne, naming Ling Jing as Empress, Yan Jun as Crown Prince, and granting Yan Yun the title Princess Antai. Yan Duan was made Prince Gong, and meritorious officials were rewarded.
West Gate Pass was handed over to the original host’s Deputy General—a trusted confidant who, in the previous life, had gathered the Yan household’s troops and escorted Yan Duan south at the cost of his own life.
Yan Duan could hardly meet his confidant’s gaze during the conferment.
In the next three years, Qin Jingzhou held complete control and conducted both rapid troop expansion and diligent training. He left Duke Cheng'en alone for the time being, choosing to use the Jin outside the pass for live combat exercises.
The elite Jin Cavalry, which Qin Jingzhou had decimated by two-thirds upon first arrival, now posed no threat. Still, Xue Yi led troops directly into the Jin royal court, captured the prince who had once sought to marry Yan Yun, and was commendably rewarded.
It was also worth mentioning that within a year, Qin Jingzhou dispatched Guo Sida, so when the inevitable flood disaster struck, he and Ling Jing had to manage it personally.
Fortunately, they had plenty of grain, a multitude of officials who, having been rewarded, were motivated, capable, and obedient, and they commanded a highly disciplined and formidable army. The flood, which in the original story had spread to as many as eight provinces and brought Emperor Yongning’s reign to an end, this time affected only two.
Qin Jingzhou issued orders for disaster relief through labor, sending Crown Prince Yan Jun with ample funds, grain, and manpower to aid the victims and, at the same time, to repair or even rebuild neglected waterworks, key roads, and several bridges.
The north flourished, peaceful and prosperous, while the south under Duke Cheng'en descended into internal conflict.
Duke Cheng'en felt his own prestige lacked weight and feared the unpredictable consequences of proclaiming himself emperor, but his children and clan disagreed. They believed the Wang Family should found a dynasty just as Guo Sida and Qin Jingzhou had, and that it was far better to pass the throne to one’s own son or grandson than to prop up a grandson as emperor just to seize power.
Sensing the emerging danger, Duke Cheng'en did his best to reassure everyone—but he was no Qin Jingzhou, whose military achievements made his every word command respect.
Yet such reassurance was not a lasting solution. In short, too many noble families in the south wanted Duke Cheng'en to found a new dynasty so that allegiances and spoils could be reshuffled again.
Thus, Duke Cheng'en’s legitimate eldest son went behind his father’s back… and sought out Emperor Yongning’s sons.
By the time Duke Cheng'en realized what had happened, his eldest son had already disposed of all of Emperor Yongning’s sons but had left Emperor Yongning himself alive. The eldest son and eldest daughter had turned into bitter enemies, for eliminating all the Emperor’s sons naturally included even the youngest nephew. The eldest son spared Emperor Yongning, not out of compassion, but simply not to leave himself open to accusations of regicide, which might cost him everything he’d schemed for and only benefit his brothers.
By then, Duke Cheng'en had no choice left but to claim the throne himself.
He had only just announced this to the world when Qin Jingzhou approved a motion at morning court to march against the former Duke Cheng'en.
From the beginning, Duke Cheng'en never believed he and Yan Jingzhou could coexist. Back during the campaign at the Capital Suburbs, when he was willing to provide money and grain, it was all for the sake of a verbal promise from Yan Jingzhou—not to strike first.
Now that the realm was divided in two, that promise no longer stood.
Qin Jingzhou’s decision to march was expected and, in fact, Duke Cheng'en had long made some preparations. He believed the southern cities were sturdy and well-provisioned, and even if the garrisons were inferior, they could withstand a siege for a while.
But as soon as a report introducing "new siege weaponry" arrived on his desk, Yan Jingzhou’s army had already swept aside all resistance, and was less than five hundred miles away.
This time, Qin Jingzhou personally led the campaign, leaving the newlywed Crown Prince to oversee the realm. In reality, Ling Jing stayed behind to manage affairs, giving Qin Jingzhou no cause for worry, because Duke Cheng'en was far harder to hoodwink than Guo Sida.
If it hadn’t been for unveiling these improved siege engines, the southern expedition would have dragged on. But with him leading the troops and dealing ruthlessly with uncooperative families, he brought Duke Cheng'en’s city to its knees in three months.
He wasted no words on Duke Cheng'en inside the city, letting experienced engineers assemble several improved siege weapons, then unleashed an “unlimited energy” assault.
To be fair, Duke Cheng'en was much tougher than Guo Sida—he held out for a full half month before the city gate was finally battered open.
When the walls collapsed in a thunderous crash, the defenders' morale collapsed with them.
Qin Jingzhou remained outside the city as before, letting his youngest son, Yan Duan, lead the first troops inside. He was rather curious whether, this time, his son would hang his enemy’s corpse on the wall again.
The system asked, “Yan Duan's mental state doesn’t seem sound—are you really unconcerned?”
Qin Jingzhou replied, “This is the crucial heart tribulation for him—if he can’t get through this, he’ll never reach a good end.”
Before the system could respond, a confidant rushed over to report: Duke Cheng'en had surrendered without any trouble. Prince Gong had not made things difficult for him and went straight to see the long-imprisoned Emperor Yongning. As for Emperor Yongning… In short, he had been tormented beyond all recognition. Afterward, Prince Gong sent everyone else out of the room, and not long after, he too came outside. Emperor Yongning… had passed on.
Qin Jingzhou nodded.
Then the system asked, "Does this mean he’s been released from his burden, or is the heart tribulation even worse now?"
Qin Jingzhou smiled. "I think it’s the former."
He led the army into the city, riding down the main street just as he had when he entered the capital last time, casually waving at the common folk. Soon he arrived at the former Daqi traveling palace, which Duke Cheng'en had made his residence. There, his youngest son Yan Duan waited with his men at the entrance.
Qin Jingzhou did not dismount. Looking down at Yan Duan, he reached down and gently patted his son’s cheek. "How do you feel?"
Yan Duan lifted his head and murmured, "He recognized me… Without me, he’s nothing but a worthless heap."
Qin Jingzhou smiled. "Have you turned the page?"
Yan Duan’s smile was more pained than if he’d cried, but it was genuine. “I think so.”