Volume 1, Chapter 139: Defying the Mandate of Heaven

"Moonlight Palace, hehe! So this is where you 'couldn't forget her and thought of her constantly.' I bet you've never set foot here since Mother died, have you?" 

Lin Yu looked coldly at the Han Emperor kneeling before Moonlight Palace, a mocking sneer on his lips. The palace's colored tiles had fallen off, its walls yellowed, and its buildings stood in ruins. Every inch exuded a desolate, dilapidated aura, making it clear no one had visited to pay respects in years. Moreover, the paths to Moonlight Palace were sealed by walls, turning it into an isolated island even within the imperial city—evidence that the Han Emperor had long plotted to erase Qu Lingxian's traces entirely. Without asking, Lin Yu knew the eunuchs and maids who had served Qu Lingxian must have met a tragic end. The Han Emperor, with his隐忍 (forbearing) and vicious nature, would never allow them to live with memories of her. Only the Chief Minister was an exception. 

The Han Emperor's face paled, fear flickering in his eyes as he looked at the sealed gates of Moonlight Palace. Behind those dusty doors lay his nightmare. 

"Let's go in. Mother would be happy to see me bring you here." 

Lin Yu lifted the Han Emperor by the neck, ignoring his struggles, and pushed open the dusty gates into Moonlight Palace. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and at its center stood a tomb half-hidden by grass. The tombstone read "Tomb of Qu Lingxian, of the Luoshui Qu Clan," with the date of her death engraved beside it. Calculating the days, Lin Yu found it was exactly three days after his birth. A surge of sorrow welled up—he had only known his mother's love for three short days. 

"Kneel before Mother's grave and repent." 

Lin Yu tossed the pale-faced Han Emperor before Qu Lingxian's tomb, then began clearing the overgrown weeds himself. Finally, he stood behind the kneeling emperor, gazing at the stone as images formed in his mind: What kind of person was his mother? Was she beautiful and gentle? How had she lived in this palace, and what had she done each day? The荒废的 (abandoned) Moonlight Palace seemed to spring to life, a faceless woman's presence lingering in every corner. Then, a phantom flame swept through his vision, incinerating all images to ash. 

"Do you have anything to say?" Lin Yu asked flatly, looking down at the emperor. 

"Say? Qu Lingxian was nothing but a fool!" The Han Emperor looked up, grinning wildly. 

"A fool..." Lin Yu gently traced the tombstone. The emperor was right. She had been a fool—fleeing Penglai Continent to escape a cruel marriage, only to fall into the clutches of a wolf in sheep's clothing. She had met this cunning, manipulative scoundrel, been deceived into love, and even borne his child, willing to give him the treasure she stole from her family, dreaming of a simple life. But she had been too naive to see his true colors until the end, a天之骄女 (heaven-sent prodigy) who died pointlessly by his hand. Had she regretted it before she died? 

Lin Yu sighed. "You're right—she was a fool to trust you. But your greatest crime wasn't her naivety, Lin Ze. It was murdering someone who loved you sincerely. I brought you here today to make you pay with your life." 

"Lin Yu, you wretch! How dare you kill your father?" The Han Emperor stared in disbelief, never expecting parricide. 

"Hehe. You never raised me, tried to kill me countless times, and treated me like an enemy. What kind of father are you? Besides, the debt of a mother's murder is unforgivable. Avenging her is only right—where is the 'parricide' in that?" Lin Yu sneered. Killing the emperor would leave him no inner demons. 

As he spoke, he raised his hand to strike the emperor's head. 

"Wait! You can't kill me! I am the Son of Heaven, born by the Mandate of Heaven! Killing me is defying天命 (destiny)!" The Han Emperor paled, speaking wildly in a bid to escape. 

"Destiny? Who do you think you are, Lin Ze?" Lin Yu laughed coldly. "Countless dynasties have risen and fallen in the Divine State. Emperors fall like stars. You—jealous, narrow-minded, heartless—think you deserve to be Son of Heaven? You poisoned Qu Lingxian because her strength overshadowed yours, making you feel inferior even as emperor. Your twisted pride, combined with greed for her treasure, drove you to murder. You killed your wife and tried to kill your son—you're inhuman. If I don't kill you, how can heaven forgive you?" 

The Han Emperor stared wordlessly,绝望 (desperation) in his eyes. 

"Wait...!" A voice suddenly called from outside Moonlight Palace as Lin Yu prepared to strike. He turned, frowning at the newcomer. "Second Brother?" 

Lin Shuo, dusty from travel, strode in. "Third Brother, you can't kill Father!" 

The Han Emperor's face lit up—he knew Lin Shuo and Lin Yu were closest; perhaps Lin Shuo's plea would save him. 

"Second Brother, you're pleading for this beast in human skin?" Lin Yu looked at him disapprovingly. No one could change his mind unless Qu Lingxian rose from the dead. 

"Killing Father is easy, but what will the world think? How can a parricide rule the Great Han? If you wish it, let me do it. I'll bear the blame for you." Lin Shuo looked at him urgently, every word for Lin Yu's sake. 

"Second Brother, why would you do this?" Lin Yu stared in disbelief, amazed by Lin Shuo's sacrifice. 

"Among us brothers, First Brother had talent and vision, fit to rule—if only he hadn't been hasty and died at Wuxia Pass. The others can't match you. You're a cultivation prodigy and undefeated on the battlefield. I believe you can lead the Great Han to prosperity. I, Lin Shuo, swear allegiance not to Father, but to the dynasty. Father can die, I can die, but the Great Han must survive." Lin Shuo looked deep into Lin Yu's eyes, baring his heart.