Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 307 : Succession To The Throne (2)

Chapter 307: Chapter 307 : Succession To The Throne (2)

In the long history of the Heavenly Empire, the Imperial Seal, a jade artifact that embodied the sovereignty of the highest-ranking ruler over the entire Heavenly Realm, was passed from one Heavenly Emperor to the next.

It was used to sign off on all decrees and petitions that landed on the Heavenly Emperor’s desk.

The imprint made by the seal turned every official document into a declaration, a proclamation of the Emperor’s will, a decree that echoed through the heavens, demanding obedience and respect.

By that definition, to possess the Imperial Seal was akin to being appointed as the heir to the Dragon Throne itself.

"But... Impossible," the Grand Chancellor whispered.

When the present heavenly officials and palace masters started to waver in their conviction about Xie Jianyu’s claim to the Dragon Throne, the Crown Prince was the very picture of tranquility and self-control.

He calmly reached into his own robe and took out another Imperial Seal.

The jade seal Xie Jianyu revealed mirrored the one clutched tightly in Xie Jianzhi’s grasp, identical in shape, size, and the intricate carvings that adorned its surface.

"What a coincidence," he said. "My late father personally passed this Imperial Seal to me a while ago."

To be exact, the Imperial Seal was bestowed upon him on the day the Xie siblings gained enlightenment regarding Xie Jianzhi’s origin.

This symbolic act was not merely a formality; it was a declaration, a resounding affirmation of Xie Jianyu’s rightful place as heir to the Dragon Throne.

The weight of the Imperial Seal in Xie Jianyu’s hands was a tangible reminder of his destiny, a promise that his path to the throne was assured.

The crowd broke into an uproar.

Two princes claimed to be the rightful heir to the Dragon Throne, and each of them carried one Imperial Seal to back up their claim.

"Grand Chancellor, what is the meaning of this?" Li Haoran rose to his feet and popped the question that arose in everyone’s mind. "How can there be two Imperial Seals?"

"One of them must be fake," Zhou Guizheng said with conviction.

"Faking an Imperial Seal is a grave offense against the sanctity of the rules of succession in the Heavenly Empire. It warrants a penalty as serious as the execution," Zhang Zhiyuan emphasized as his gaze drifted toward the Empress and Xie Jianzhi.

The two people did not flinch, and neither did the three people who were sitting on the elevated platform.

Seeing that both parties were convinced of their legitimate claim over the throne, the heavenly officials and the palace masters were torn between the two dragons.

Which one was the heir to the throne? The alpha, but illegitimate son, or the omega, but legitimate son?

"Your Majesties, please."

The Grand Chancellor was understandably in a state of panic.

"It is my job to find out which Imperial Seal is the original one. Please give me an entire day to sort out this issue!"

Zhang Fengxi’s face darkened.

One day was too much time.

Within a day, the Grand Chancellor might be kidnapped and then murdered, leaving no intact corpse behind.

Zhang Fengxi cleared his throat to draw everyone’s attention.

"Grand Chancellor, it’s not that we will not give you the time that you need. Twelve shichens are not necessary to determine which Imperial Seal is the counterfeit one. We can check the past imperial decrees that bear the imprints of the original Imperial Seal. I am sure that all palaces can produce at least one."

All palace masters nodded their heads in unison.

"That’s right. Grand Chancellor, this should not be your sole burden to bear. We can all contribute to the discovery!"

"Everyone, thank you," the Grand Chancellor was so touched that he almost burst into tears then and there.

The palace masters remained seated, but they sent urgent messages to their respective palaces with the request to bring over the latest Imperial Decrees from the Golden Dragon Palace.

Imperial Decrees, the embodiment of the Heavenly Emperor’s will and authority, were held in the highest regard, and revered as precious treasures.

Each palace arranged a special storage to keep all the Imperial Decrees that the Golden Dragon Palace ever issued to them.

Upon receiving their masters’ urgent message, all eight palaces began to stir at the same time.

One by one, the head servants from all eight palaces arrived at the palace gate. In their hands, they carried colorful ornate boxes that contained the requested Imperial Decrees.

The decrees were so important that the head servants did not dare to hand them over to anyone but their masters directly.

As soon as the palace masters received the Imperial Decrees, they took the decrees out of their boxes and rolled them out on a long desk.

The lengthy scrolls were then put in order according to their issuance dates.

A shocking discovery was made once all decrees had been laid out in the open and everyone had the chance to compare the shapes of the imprints.

"This...!" The Grand Chancellor widened his eyes in disbelief. The palace masters could barely trust their eyes.

After a certain date, which was more than two years ago, the imprints on the Imperial Decrees appeared slightly damaged on the left side.

"My apologies," Xie Jianyu remarked with an unapologetic smile. "The first time I held the Imperial Seal in my hand, I was so surprised by its weight that I accidentally dropped it on the floor."

"..."

Everyone stared at Xie Jianyu in bewilderment.

Calmly, Xie Jianyu took out his Imperial Seal again. Upon careful observation, one could see that its surface was slightly chipped at one side.

"Grand Chancellor, please check whether the seal in my hand yields the same damaged imprint."

Xie Jianyu extended the seal in his hand in the Grand Chancellor’s direction.

The Grand Chancellor took the Imperial Seal with great care from Xie Jianyu and pressed it against a wet ink pad.

Afterward, he proceeded to stamp the seal against a blank white paper.

The resulting imprint was the exact same imprint that adorned the Imperial Decrees past the two-year mark.