The Heroine and Villainess are Pregnant. What's Going On? - Chapter 76:

Chapter 76: Let Ling Ye… Inherit the Throne:

The origins of this mysterious manual became even harder to trace. Who was the person who perished under Longtan? Where did this manual, filled with secret techniques in various scripts, come from? Every clue was shrouded in mystery, veiling the truth in layers that seemed impossible to unravel.

Ling Ye studied the dark golden sword in his hand and asked, “Back then, when you left the palace to find that little genius doctor, aside from the Twelve Stars of Tianwu, did anyone else know about it?”

“No one,” Ye Tianji replied. “Before I left, I sent a team to locate the doctor.”

“And those people?” Ling Ye pressed further.

“They’re all dead,” Ye Tianji said gravely. “Every person who had knowledge of this mission has died suddenly and without reason.”

This revelation caused Ling Ye to frown slightly. Everyone was dead?

“This empire,” Ye Tianji sighed, “is plagued by internal traitors and external threats. The world is full of chaos—foreign enemies collude with the martial world, and court traitors join forces with them. Tell me, should I not cleanse this world?”

The root of the issue lay in the martial world, the enigmatic martial world. Foreign powers had infiltrated it, and even the imperial court couldn’t control its depths. For the stability of the Mysterious Jade Empire, Ye Tianji felt he had no choice but to eliminate this unruly force.

Ling Ye handed the sword back to Ye Tianji and spoke calmly. “So, you plan to settle this once and for all before your death?”

“Exactly,” Ye Tianji nodded. “My life won’t last much longer. When news of my impending death spreads, those who have been hiding in the shadows will surface, allowing me to eliminate them in one stroke.”

He continued, “But of course, the truth can’t be too obvious. I’ve only confided in Lin’er and her two brothers. The world will naturally pick up on the clues and speculate about my condition.”

If he outright declared that he was dying, few would believe it. 

Instead, he tasked Ye Lin and her siblings with confronting the martial world. Observers would infer that the two princes’ actions stemmed from the emperor’s failing health, drawing their own conclusions.

“Whether I live another three years is uncertain,” Ye Tianji said, placing the sword back in its hidden compartment. “If I fail to bring order to the martial world during that time, the Mysterious Jade Empire won’t survive much longer.”

If the task fell to Ye Wuchen, Ye Wushi, or even Ye Lin, how could they defend the empire? How long could they sustain it? This fear weighed heavily on Ye Tianji.

Before his death, he needed to orchestrate one final move—a decisive strike to eliminate the martial world.

“Do you… want this empire?” Ye Tianji asked, looking directly at Ling Ye.

Ling Ye responded with a faint smile. “I had some interest in it when I was younger, but… later, I found it dull. Now…”

He left his sentence unfinished, but Ye Tianji picked up where he left off. “Now you’re interested again?”

Ling Ye didn’t deny it, his silence confirming as much. Having narrowly escaped death, he felt compelled to revisit his youthful ambitions and bring them to fruition.

“Very well,” Ye Tianji said firmly, turning to face the outside of the hall.

Then, with a weighty voice, he declared, “I… give it to you!”

Boom!

A sudden clap of thunder echoed outside. 

In an instant, the sky darkened, and torrential rain began to pour. The weather, unpredictable in recent months, had turned violent once again.

Within moments, the bustling streets of Tianwu City were drenched, and people scrambled for shelter.

In the grand hall of the palace, Ling Ye and Ye Tianji stood together before the dragon chair, silently contemplating what had just been said.

Ling Ye had never expected these words from Ye Tianji—the ruler of a vast empire offering his throne so willingly.

“If you want to claim this empire, no one can stop you,” Ye Tianji said heavily. “Not even me. So, why should we waste time fighting? I… give it to you.”

He acknowledged his inferiority, knowing full well that if Ling Ye wanted his head, he had countless opportunities to take it. Fighting Ling Ye would only end in defeat.

Why not avoid the conflict altogether and directly hand over the empire? It would save countless lives and prevent unnecessary bloodshed.

Ling Ye chuckled, a rare reaction for him. This turn of events was truly unexpected.

“But I have a request,” Ye Tianji said.

“Speak,” Ling Ye replied evenly.

By agreeing to hear Ye Tianji’s terms, Ling Ye implicitly accepted the throne.

“After you become emperor, you cannot change the empire’s name. The Mysterious Jade Empire must remain the Mysterious Jade Empire. And Lin’er… she must be the empress,” Ye Tianji said emphatically. “This way, I will have preserved the empire and honored the ancestors of the Ye family.”

“So you want me to inherit the throne after your death?” Ling Ye asked. Inheritance was different from usurpation. If he inherited the throne, the empire’s name would remain unchanged, though the emperor would no longer bear the surname Ye.

“I don’t want to die by your hands,” Ye Tianji admitted. “And I don’t want my death to strain your relationship with Lin’er. Two or three years isn’t a long time. Can you wait?”

Ling Ye smiled faintly, neither agreeing nor refusing.

Ye Tianji’s strategy was clear—using Ye Lin as a shield was a brilliant move. Ling Ye couldn’t bring himself to harm Ye Tianji, knowing it would devastate the pregnant Ye Lin.

Ye Tianji then produced a golden scroll.

“Do you know what this is?” he asked.

“A will?” Ling Ye guessed.

“Correct,” Ye Tianji replied. 

With a wave of his hand, the scroll unfurled mid-air, revealing over three thousand bold characters. Only the final section remained blank, awaiting a name.

“Every word on this decree was written with my internal energy,” Ye Tianji explained. “No one can replicate or alter it.”

For generations, the emperors of the Mysterious Jade Empire had written their wills with internal force, ensuring their authenticity.

With a flourish, Ye Tianji channeled his inner strength and inscribed the blank space: Ling Ye.

The name glowed briefly before settling into place. With another wave of his hand, the scroll rolled up, and Ye Tianji summoned the Twelve Stars of Tianwu.

In an instant, twelve figures knelt before him.

“This decree is now in your care,” Ye Tianji commanded. “No one may touch it until my death. At that time, you will announce it to the world.”

“Yes!” the Twelve Stars of Tianwu responded in unison.

“The person named in this decree will be your new master,” Ye Tianji added.

“Yes!” they repeated.

With their mission clear, the Twelve Stars vanished as swiftly as they had appeared.

“Are you satisfied now?” Ye Tianji asked, turning to Ling Ye.

By naming Ling Ye as his successor, Ye Tianji sought to eliminate any reason for conflict. Upon his death, Ling Ye would inherit the throne legitimately, becoming the rightful emperor of the Mysterious Jade Empire.

Ling Ye sighed, gazing at the storm outside. After a moment, he shook his head with a smile.

“You and Lin’er truly are a pair.”

Ling Ye thought to himself, “Your daughter met me, and while I was still unconscious, she put me to sleep in a daze and made me take responsibility. Then she became pregnant with my child. How could I not be responsible for her? Even if I wanted to leave, I couldn’t possibly do so now.”

He chuckled internally, adding, “And you, Ye Tianji, went one step further—making a will and handing over the dragon chair to me. With this move, you’ve made it impossible for us to fight openly or secretly. Instead, you’ve tied me to the Mysterious Jade Empire, making it my responsibility to protect this empire. After all, in the future… this will be my country.”

Ling Ye admired the brilliance of Ye Tianji’s plan. A move that avoided any coup, avoided bloodshed, and secured the empire. Instead of snatching the throne, Ling Ye would inherit it legitimately, keeping the Mysterious Jade Empire’s name intact.

“By making Ye Lin queen and ensuring our child carries the Ye family’s bloodline, you’ve ensured that the throne will still appear to remain in the Ye family. What a brilliant way to achieve peace!”

Ling Ye couldn’t help but admire Ye Tianji’s foresight. By admitting defeat and taking the initiative, Ye Tianji avoided any unnecessary conflict.

Ling Ye sighed. “Indeed, I cannot act against Ye Tianji in the next two or three years. This move truly prevents any chance of revenge, avoiding the tragedy of Lin’er resenting me for her father’s death.”

He smiled faintly. “If this father-and-daughter duo conspired together to come up with this plan, then I’ve truly lost completely.”

Ye Tianji, standing nearby, also smiled lightly. “If there were a better choice, I’d still want to fight. But with someone like you as my son-in-law, how could I—or anyone—stand a chance against you? This step was my only option.”

His voice grew heavier. “The Mysterious Jade Empire has stood for a thousand years, and I intend to protect its legacy. If I have to hand the throne to a son-in-law like you to preserve it, so be it.”

Ling Ye chuckled at the audacity of the situation. “Now… do you want me to call you father?”

Ye Tianji smiled faintly but didn’t press the matter. Ling Ye simply glanced at him, sighed, and left the hall, his thoughts still swirling with the gravity of what had just occurred.

As Ling Ye’s figure disappeared, Ye Tianji remained standing before the golden dragon chair. He turned to face it, shook his head, and let out a wry smile.

“If I had any other choice, I wouldn’t let someone with a foreign surname sit on this throne,” he murmured. “But there’s no alternative. If anyone can safeguard the Mysterious Jade Empire, it’s Ling Ye—not me.”

Ling Ye’s strength and resolve were unmatched. Ye Tianji acknowledged that the empire would be secure in his hands.

After a long pause, Ye Tianji left the hall, making his way to the Royal Ancestral Hall. In this solemn place, he prepared to admit his decisions to his ancestors, acknowledging his compromise in this grand game of power.

Meanwhile, the rain outside finally ceased.

Ling Ye wandered through the palace, his thoughts still lingering on recent events. Before long, he found himself standing outside Ye Lin’s chambers.

From the open doorway, he saw Ye Lin sitting at her dressing table. The palace maids surrounding her were laughing and chatting, complimenting her beauty.

Dressed in red with a jeweled phoenix crown on her head, Ye Lin’s face glowed with a charming smile. Admiring her reflection in the mirror, she playfully praised herself. “I really do look beautiful,” she mused aloud.

Ling Ye stepped inside, drawing the attention of the maids.

“My lord son-in-law!” they greeted him with a slight bow, their earlier suspicions now confirmed.

Ye Lin turned to him, her cheeks flushing. “What are you doing here? We’re not supposed to meet before the wedding!”

Ling Ye approached her with a smile. “Where did so many rules come from?”

He bent down, gently wrapping his arms around her.

“What are you doing?” Ye Lin exclaimed, her face turning even redder. She quickly shooed the maids out. “What are you all looking at? Leave us, now!”

The maids giggled as they hurried out, leaving the couple alone in the room.

Ling Ye stood behind Ye Lin, still holding her, both of them reflected in the mirror. His hand moved gently to rest on her lower abdomen.

“My bride is so beautiful,” he said softly.

“Hmph! You’re lucky!” Ye Lin pouted, though her blush deepened as she placed her hand over his.

The two of them stood like this, their hands resting together on her abdomen.

“Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?” Ye Lin asked shyly.

“Does it matter?” Ling Ye replied with a smile. “If it’s a boy first, we’ll have a girl next. If it’s a girl first, then a boy will come after.”

“You wish!” Ye Lin pouted again, though her eyes sparkled with happiness. “I’m not giving you that many children!”

Her words were playful, but her heart was full of joy. She and Ling Ye were truly becoming husband and wife.

Ling Ye gazed at their reflection in the mirror, a rare softness in his eyes. He realized he couldn’t bear to destroy this precious bond.

For Ye Lin’s sake, for the sake of their future, he couldn’t bring himself to harm Ye Tianji.

Ye Tianji’s final move was one of gentleness, one that left Ling Ye powerless to resist. And perhaps… that was for the best.