Chapter IBMLS Ch.16 Qiyang (3)
The man who was supposed to stop the rebellion became a rebel himself. Guo Rong had rebelled against the previous emperor, and now, his confidant, was rebelling against the Guo imperial family.
After that, Xie Yi ascended the throne and became emperor, changing the name of the empire to the Ye Empire. Following this development, Xie Xuechen, Xie Rui, and Xie Xuanji were all bestowed a title.
From start to end, Xie Yi and Xie Xuechen were the true protagonists of this story. The Jiang family, Xie Rui, and Xie Xuanji were only minor characters who rode on their coattails.
However, after Xie Yi claimed the throne, the empire saw many drastic changes. Xie Xuanchen, who had made significant contributions to the emperors of both reigns, was ordered to attack the Southern Tang Empire. The Southern Tang Empire was destroyed, along with Xie Xuanchen’s sanity.
The exact events of that day were unclear, but it was said that Xie Xuanchen’s eyes turned red and he began to attack his own regime. All of his close comrades were killed, and the camp was dyed in blood. It wasn’t until Xie Xuanchen’s body was exhausted from the slaughter that the survivors finally managed to hold him down.
When the news reached the capital, Xie Yi was shocked. He immediately set out to see his son, and as a good brother, Xie Rui naturally went with him. However, even though he was tied up and unarmed, Xue Xuanchen managed to slaughter everyone around him and almost took his own father and uncle’s lives as well.
After Xie Yi managed to bring his son back, he immediately ordered for him to be locked up in the palace. His hands and feet were to be chained with black iron cuffs, and no one was allowed to release him without his permission.
The order was issued in a moment of anger, but Xie Xuanchen’s condition never improved. When he was conscious, no one could subdue him. The only thing they could do was send people in one after another to exhaust his strength until he fell back into a coma. Although the time he remained conscious became progressively shorter, his lethality could never be underestimated.
The God of War, the Prince of Qiyang Xie Xuanchen, the flag of the Ye Empire, met his downfall so abruptly. At his peak, the people of Ye Empire could scare away their enemies by just saying Xie Xuanchen’s name. Alas, in the end, this sharp sword turned against his people and slaughtered his own comrades.
He was no longer the God of War, but a criminal.
Xie Yi ordered for his son to be locked up, while he himself was also dealt a heavy blow when an old illness relapsed. One night in the second year of the Jianshi Era, when his heart was heavy, he called his brother into the palace for a talk. No one knew what had happened that night, but Xie Yi suddenly fell ill and died. Before he died, he left an imperial edict saying to pass the throne to Xie Rui.
The master of the empire suddenly changed again. Xie Rui ascended the throne and vigorously promoted his own people. They were all civil officials, just like him in the past.
After the new emperor took over the Ye Empire, the military officials who had been under Xie Yi and Xie Xuanchen were marginalized one after another. Xie Rui emphasized literature but despised martial arts. Xie Xuanji also took the place of his cousin Xie Xuanchen and became the successor of the throne.
It was during this time that Jiang Honghao was promoted to one of the three Grand Ministers.
A change of sovereign always brought about a change of ministers. While the civil officials praised Xie Rui and Xie Xuanji to the Heavens, the high-ranking officials who rose to power during the previous reign were all demoted.
Xie Xuanchen’s reputation of winning every battle he took part of and Xie Yi’s contributions to the founding of the empire were gradually forgotten by the people.
Now, whenever the people spoke about the Prince of Qiyang, they would only remember that he was a bloodthirsty madman who was on the verge of death. Therefore, the Qiyang Manor became known as an inauspicious place. Ordinary people went out of their way to avoid it. However, the current emperor, Xie Xuanji, and the entire Jiang family, people who had seen Xie Xuanchen’s past glory with their own eyes, still harbored a sense of fear for him.
But there was also awe.
That was why Jiang Mingwei was so indignant. What right did Mu Mingtang have to marry Xie Xuanchen?
Nowadays, no one remembered the origins of the Jiang family, who carried themselves with the arrogance of nobility who were born into great prestige. However, before Xie Xuanchen and the members of the genuine high-ranking officials, they were vain.