Chapter 13

Chapter 13

On the third day after the High Shaman of the Wei State entered the Great Xia imperial palace, Che’er woke up.

The moment he opened his eyes, I lost control over this body.

However, my consciousness remained.

“Che’er, do not panic. I am still here.”

Hearing my voice, he let out a sigh of relief.

But he soon realized something was wrong.

I could no longer seize control of this body.

The shaman from the Wei State truly had some skill; he had seen through the fact that I was not the body’s original soul from the very first moment he entered the palace.

I had him find Che’er and devise a way to return full control of the body to him.

He explained that my soul had forcibly squeezed into Che’er’s body, forcing his own soul into a deep slumber. The only solution now was to peel my soul away to slowly awaken Che’er.

However, because my soul had inhabited this body for so long, the process of extraction would take some time.

Because of this, I still retained some awareness.

“Will the day of complete extraction be the moment I depart?”

“Yes.”

The moment Che’er woke, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau also observed a shift in the two Emperor Stars.

Brightness and dimness swapped places as each returned to its proper position.

Before the High Shaman entered the palace, Cui Yan came to find me.

He hesitated for a long while, looking as if he had something to say but couldn’t find the words.

My curiosity was piqued.

“I’ve never seen you like this. What is it? Out with it.”

He glanced at me, his gaze incredibly complex.

“The new Emperor… might not be as diligent or as dedicated to governance as you…”

His words were abrupt, but I understood him instantly.

If I did not see the High Shaman, I could continue to sit upon the throne and pursue my ambitions.

“You are only in your forties. You have endured in silence for so many years-wasn’t it all to see the day Great Xia unites the world? Through the sweltering heat of midsummer and the freezing depths of winter, you haven’t slacked for a single day. That is how Great Xia achieved such political clarity and social harmony, and how we secured such ample troops, funding, and grain. We have already reached this stage; do you truly have the heart to give it all up?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I always thought my Chancellor-Father was a man of both virtue and talent. I didn’t expect you to have your moments of bias as well.”

“Are you… loath to see me go?”

Cui Yan sighed and turned his head away, avoiding my gaze.

“If my Chancellor-Father feels for me, then I naturally feel for my own child. As a father, how could I bear to watch my son suffer?”

I walked to the window and looked up at the northern sky.

“Besides, I have full confidence in the successor I raised with my own hands.”

“He will be more suited for this position than I am, and more suited for the Great Xia of today.”

“Just watch over him for me. He certainly won’t let us down.”