The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 644: The Heaven-Ordained Ruler of All Under Heaven

Chapter 644: The Heaven-Ordained Ruler of All Under Heaven

No matter how deeply Emperor Muwu investigated, he could find no news of his biological sister.

Nanli furrowed her brows and remarked, "I always thought the emperor’s only sister was Royal Princess Huiping."

She had never heard of Huiyang.

Ye Siheng explained, "Huiyang was a taboo topic for the late emperor. Naturally, no one dared to mention her. Even when my elder brother posthumously granted her a title and built her a symbolic tomb, he had to be discreet about it. Otherwise, Elder Cao would immediately accuse him of violating the late emperor’s will."

"Among the late empress’s three children, only our sixth sister inherited her looks. The elder brother and third sister—well, they didn’t."

After a pause, he added, "Ninth Brother, I’m still sitting here, you know!"

Emperor Muwu was a bit indignant. In his youth, he had also been a dashing young man!

He had only seen Chu Yan once.

It had been a chaotic time, and he was grieving the loss of his son, so he hadn’t looked closely.

Ye Siheng, on the other hand, had been very young when the late empress fell gravely ill and rarely made public appearances. He had hardly seen her.

But having spent much time with Chu Yan, he noticed the slight brown tint of his eyes and the contours of his face. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d seen them somewhere before.

Later, it dawned on him—the resemblance to the late empress and their long-lost sixth sister.

Ye Siheng began to piece things together. While secretly sending people to investigate the origins of Empress Dowager Yide in Qi Nation, he also broached the matter with Emperor Muwu to prepare him.

Emperor Muwu’s public recognition of Chu Yan as his son wasn’t just to protect the Chu family. It was also because Chu Yan was the son of his sixth sister.

Looking at Chu Yan, Emperor Muwu wept bitterly. "Silan inherited our mother’s eyes, and so have you... When they sent Silan out of the palace, I only caught a fleeting glimpse of her. Now, seeing you up close, you resemble her by six or seven parts."

The thought of his sister being sold to Qi Nation, degraded to a female slave, then bought into the palace of the former Qi emperor, enduring untold suffering—it was like a thorn in his throat, choking him with grief.

Chu Yan touched the corner of his eye, feeling the dampness.

He murmured, "I am your nephew. Then... then he is too."

The "he" naturally referred to Qi Hong.

He wanted to ask why Qi Hong couldn’t be saved.

Emperor Muwu sighed repeatedly.

Ye Siheng interjected, "Qi Hong has always been ruthless. Beyond the border conflicts, consider what he had Ming Xu, Xuan Lianzi, and others do in Mu Nation. The ministers of Mu Nation could never tolerate him. Chu Yan, your true identity must remain secret. Do you want your mother to be posthumously reviled?"

Ye Silan, a princess of Mu Nation, became the favored consort of an enemy emperor and bore him two sons.

For Mu Nation, this was a humiliation beyond measure. The conservative loyalists would never accept it.

Chu Yan knew the reasons, but he couldn’t help asking.

Nanli held Chu Yan’s cold hands, noticing the slight warmth returning. She frowned slightly and said, "Fifth Brother, though he was your brother by blood, he committed countless atrocities. His soul was long pledged to dark forces. He always knew his end would come, so he sacrificed himself to pave the way for you."

Chu Yan’s hands gradually regained warmth.

Looking at Nanli, he slowly said, "He committed countless wrongs, but he was still a good elder brother, wasn’t he?"

"Indeed," Nanli nodded.

But no matter how good, it didn’t erase the fact that he was a villain.

Thus, whenever Mu Nation ministers mentioned Qi Hong, it was with gritted teeth and fury.

Chu Yan exhaled deeply. That was enough for him.

Emperor Muwu choked with emotion, "It’s all Yao Sheng’s fault! It was his words back then that caused Silan to end up in Qi Nation!"

"Yao Sheng may have been unscrupulous, but he did have some skill in divination," Nanli commented. She now observed Chu Yan’s aura—a potent purple energy intertwined with a sovereign’s dragon qi.

Unlike Emperor Muwu and other rulers, Chu Yan was different.

He was Heaven’s chosen Ruler of All Under Heaven!

No matter the precautions, this true emperor would inevitably reclaim his throne.

Hearing this, Emperor Muwu straightened up, ignoring his sorrow as he stared intently at Nanli. "What do you mean? Are you saying Yao Sheng’s prophecy was true? That... Chu Yan, my nephew, is truly the future Ruler of All Under Heaven?"

Chu Hanlin frowned deeply. "How could that be? Even if Emperor Qi has died and Qi Nation is in chaos, their defenses are formidable. It won’t be easy to conquer."

He wasn’t trying to dampen Chu Yan’s spirit, but Qi Nation’s border regions were notoriously difficult to breach.

Ye Siheng, however, wore a grave expression.

"But after Qi Hong returned to Qi Nation, he rebuilt his network and restructured their defenses. He sent the latest defense maps to me. With a surprise attack, any commander could quickly break through the formidable border defenses."

"Some regional governors, personally appointed by Qi Hong, would open their gates and surrender the moment Mu troops arrived."

"He even sent funding for military provisions—five hundred thousand taels in total."

Turning to Chu Yan, Ye Siheng’s tone darkened, "Qi Hong has arranged everything so you can earn military merit and secure your position."

Now, with the maps in hand, Chu Yan could personally lead the campaign to solidify his power.

Chu Yan was utterly stunned.

"Why... why would he do this?! That was the kingdom he fought so hard to win! His..."

He broke down in tears.

Even Chu Hanlin, who had always been critical of Qi Hong, couldn’t help but be moved. "He failed as a son and a ruler. But as a brother... no one could surpass him."

As Qi Hong’s longtime rival, Ye Siheng understood his motives best.

"Chu Yan, everything he fought for was for you. Practicing dark arts cost him his life. He had to ensure everything was set before his death."

Whether today’s events unfolded or not, Qi Hong would always pave the way for Chu Yan with minimal sacrifice.

Chu Yan felt as if his heart had been shredded. "But... he never even got to hear me call him ’brother’ once."

"That doesn’t matter. What matters is that you remember his sacrifices," Ye Siheng said solemnly. "My elder brother and I value you enough to give you this identity. Someday, you must fully embrace it and become the true Ruler of All Under Heaven. End these centuries of conflict and unify this land."

When he first suspected Chu Yan’s identity, Ye Siheng recalled A’Li’s prophecy.

Indeed, the true emperor would arise, aligned with Heaven’s will.

Chu Yan’s experiences had even reforged his very bones, making him incredibly resilient.

Tears still lingered in Chu Yan’s eyes as he struggled to process everything.

He wasn’t even eighteen.

Before today, he had truly been the fifth son of the Chu family and a deputy minister of the Dalisi Procuratorate.

But now, he was being asked to lead troops against Qi Nation and become the Ruler of All Under Heaven?!

He refused outright, "I can’t. I am not the emperor’s biological son. Without legitimacy, how can I be the Ruler of All Under Heaven?"

Emperor Muwu laughed bitterly. "I no longer have any biological heirs. Who could be more legitimate than you? You already carry royal blood!"