"Yuan Long, Brother Zhuzi, I'm throwing a celebration banquet tonight. I'll tell you the details of the plan then!

All right, off you go!"

Ning Chen waved them away.

"Yes!"

The two of them saluted and left, overjoyed.

Ning Chen stood facing the wind, his eyes fixed on the surging river.

Honestly, he had no real interest in the throne!

But dragging the new emperor off the throne—that ungrateful dog who'd torn down the bridge the moment he was across? That interested him very much!

"Zhang Tianlun, I put you on the throne in all your glory, and I can make you roll off it in disgrace."

Ning Chen murmured to himself.

In less than a month, the news that Ning Chen had turned down the throne had spread!

When word first got out that the Xuan Emperor meant to depose the old and raise up the new—cast down the De Emperor and pass the throne to Ning Chen—every state had panicked and held back to watch.

Kang Luo had meant to march on Liangzhou. When he heard, he decided to hold his army where it was for now.

Xiliang had its troops, grain and fodder all ready and was about to attack the Great Xuan. When the news came, it had to stop too... and kept sending people to Tantai Qingyue to ask where Ning Chen stood.

If Ning Chen was going back to take the throne, what the hell was the point of fighting? Better to sit quietly and behave.

Pushing around the De Emperor, that self-important moron, was one thing. But if Ning Chen took the throne and they went and attacked, wouldn't that be asking to die?

When they heard Ning Chen had turned down the throne, every state was stunned. Was there really a man in this world who could resist the lure of a throne?

The imperial study, in the palace of the Great Xuan.

"What did you say? He turned it down?"

The new emperor was stunned, his eyes as wide as a bull's balls.

Zong Sibo bowed his head. "Your Majesty, Ning…