To me, this strongly hints that he gets there through the Other Side, and emerges where he finds a suitable nexus.
Now, he emerges somewhat recognizably as a potential Red Emperor. Nobody is entirely sure.
Doesn't this sound like the end of a "become Moonson" quest to you?
A claimant goes to the Other Side, and undergoes a quest of transformation.
He wants to become as much Moonson as needed to become emperor. He will shed most of his identity (ballast to the mystics, anyway) and take on what's Moonson instead. This may include former loyalties or enmities, but needn't. I suspect that more often than not former loyalties were suspected to survive the transition.
If this suspicion is strong, I see a good case for a coterie of powerful nobles and Lunar magicians and questers to select a replacement Emperor from their ranks. Possibly this is already part of a Dart Competition which also has the demise of the current Emperor on its schedule, but it might as well be an impromptu reaction to another group's schemes.
I think the fun starts when several claimants have gathered up enough "Be Moonson" to return to the mundane world, only to find that they aren't the only ones.
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