Chapter 1822 - 165: The New Dynasty’s First Court Session! (Part 2)

However, after that inner guard exchanged a few brief words with the gate guards, the carriage started up again and continued driving into the Imperial Palace.

Inside the carriage, Jiang Ning felt a faint trace of surprise in his heart.

Then he understood.

He couldn’t help but give a slight, mocking smile.

At this moment, the wheels rumbled as they passed through the palace gate.

Once inside the gate, it was no longer far from the Taiji Hall.

Jiang Ning could not be bothered to keep resting with his eyes closed.

He lifted the curtain of the carriage and glanced out the window; the distant sky was dark cyan, palace walls reared up like a Black Dragon lying in wait, the sky sliced into blocks by those walls.

The carriage passed through layer upon layer of halls, and by the time it reached the plaza before the Taiji Hall, the eastern horizon was already tinged with the faint white of dawn.

"King Luoshui arrives!"

Just as Jiang Ning stepped off the carriage, someone raised his voice to announce his name.

In an instant, dozens of gazes swept over in unison.

In those gazes there was reverence, curiosity, scrutiny, and meanings complex and hard to discern.

Jiang Ning’s expression was calm as he trod up the steps before the Taiji Hall’s plaza, slowly stepping onto the Taiji Plaza. He came to the spot he usually occupied, the foremost position among the Second-Grade Officials.

"Your Highness, please step forward." An inner guard hurriedly jogged up, bowed his head to Jiang Ning, and spoke.

Hearing this, Jiang Ning immediately realized.

Times were no longer what they had been.

He was no longer the Dongling Marquis, but King Luoshui.

In the court, he now held the true position of one man beneath, and ten thousand above.

He smiled faintly, then followed in the inner guard’s footsteps and walked forward.

The officials before him all drew back to make way.

When he came to a halt, he was already at the very front of the assembled officials.

Xiang Yuan also stepped up at this moment, speaking in a low voice: "Brother Jiang, splendid work!"

As he spoke, his face was full of admiration: "Even those two Heavenly Soldiers of myth could do nothing against Brother Jiang, couldn’t harm Brother Jiang in the slightest—among those I have met these many years, you are the one I admire most."

Jiang Ning smiled faintly. "I merely scraped by with my life under a Heavenly Soldier’s hand by sheer luck! It’s only because the current state of Heaven and Earth is ill-suited, so those war puppets of the Ancient Era’s Heavenly Court, the Heavenly Soldiers, cannot maintain their Peak for long! If it were placed in the Ancient Era, with those two Heavenly Soldiers joining forces, I would have nowhere to flee!"

Hearing this, Xiang Yuan laughed heartily.

"Brother Jiang, that is far too modest! If it were in those Ancient years, I would not even be qualified to stand before Brother Jiang and converse! Brother Jiang would then be a true Immortal, while I would be no more than a mere mortal commoner!"

Hearing these words, Jiang Ning smiled faintly and did not continue to belittle himself.

...

It was now between 5:00-7:00.

Dong—

Dong—

Dong—

Three chimes of the bell rang out from within the Taiji Hall, echoing through the Imperial Palace.

Then—

Rumble—

The tall and heavy main doors of the Taiji Hall slowly opened, the ground trembling slightly.

"All officials, enter the hall—" A dignified voice sounded from within the Taiji Hall.

On the Taiji Plaza, the Civil Officials and military officers arranged on the left and right slowly stepped over the threshold of the Taiji Hall and entered the hall.

Inside the Taiji Hall, the floor was paved with golden bricks, and coiling dragon pillars rose high.

Upon the Dragon Throne, Ji Minghao was already seated, wearing a crown with pendants and a bright yellow dragon robe, his face composed, his gaze like a torch; gone was the slightly modest bearing of past days, and what showed instead was the majesty befitting a sovereign of the realm.

Below, to the left, the seat of the Divine Might King Ji Xuan lay empty.

At today’s morning court, Ji Xuan was not in attendance.

After the officials entered the hall, they arrayed themselves to the left and right.

"We pay respects to the Holy Emperor!"

"We pay respects to the Holy Emperor!!"

"..."

The Civil Officials and military officers on both sides all bowed toward Ji Minghao upon the Dragon Throne.

Jiang Ning also cupped his hands and gave a salute.

Although he enjoyed the privilege of entering the court with sword and shoes, exempt from bowing.

Yet as Ji Minghao now sat as Holy Emperor, he felt the respect that should be given ought still to be given.

If he did not give it, then Ji Minghao’s seat would be all the harder to occupy.

Yesterday, the bitter complaints Ji Minghao poured out to him were still vividly in his mind.

In the entire court, there were not many whom Ji Minghao could truly command.

Especially those with power, influence, and strength, all were proud spirits.

Even imperial power found it hard to make them obey orders.

Men like Xiang Yuan.

As for the Holy Emperor’s decrees, he basically obeyed when he felt like it, and when he did not, he simply ignored them.

With his strength at the Peak of First Grade Martial Arts, even imperial power found it difficult to bend his personal will.

So of the words Ji Minghao spoke yesterday, Jiang Ning believed almost all of them.

He could only exercise direct command over Shen Xiao because Shen Xiao’s beloved daughter had married Ji Minghao and become Empress.

For a moment, countless thoughts flashed through Jiang Ning’s mind.

"All of you, rise." Ji Minghao looked at the officials below, then his gaze fell upon Jiang Ning in the foremost rank of military officers, and he raised his hand slightly, speaking in a steady voice.

"We thank the Holy Emperor!" The officials voiced their thanks in unison and rose.

Ji Minghao’s gaze swept over the assembled ministers and paused for an instant on Jiang Ning, a barely discernible warmth flashing in his eyes before he resumed the majesty a ruler should possess.

"Grant seats." Ji Minghao’s gaze fell upon Jiang Ning again, a trace of warmth flickering in his eyes as he spoke.

As his words fell, palace maids on both sides, two to a chair, bodies light as willow and movements swift as wind, quickly came to the front ranks of the Civil Officials and military officers; in total more than twenty women brought forth over a dozen chairs.

They placed the chairs behind Prime Minister Li, Beicang King, General Shen Xiao, Divine Might King, Xiao Wuque and others, as well as behind Jiang Ning in the foremost rank of military officers.

"Esteemed ministers, please be seated!" Ji Minghao again extended his hand in indication as he spoke.

"We thank the Holy Emperor!"

"We thank the Holy Emperor!"

"..."

The few of them cupped their hands toward Ji Minghao upon the Dragon Throne.

Ji Minghao nodded slightly and sat down first.

As he seated himself, Jiang Ning and the others also took their seats one after another.

The military officers behind them, even men like Xiang Yuan, only sat down after seeing Jiang Ning take his seat.

Such a scene, falling into the eyes of the Civil Officials and military officers further back, caused a jolt in many hearts.

...

"Esteemed ministers, if you have matters, present them!" Ji Minghao spoke, his voice clear and sonorous, echoing through the hall.

Upon hearing this, a military officer in the ranks stepped forth, holding a memorial, and bowed toward Ji Minghao upon the Dragon Throne.

"Your servant reports to the Holy Emperor! The plea for aid from the Five Mountains Prefecture two days ago has already reached the Royal Capital. With each day of delay, Five Mountains Prefecture grows more perilous. The Yellow Heaven Sect’s Zhenyue Heavenly King and Fuhai King each lead an army, and such strength is not something Five Mountains Prefecture can withstand! Once Sky City falls, the entire Five Mountains Prefecture will certainly be lost; at that time, not only will it inflate the arrogant momentum of those Yellow Heaven rebels, it will plunge the countless common folk of Five Mountains Prefecture into the depths of misery!"

After speaking, that military officer once again bowed low to Ji Minghao.

"We beg the Holy Emperor to decide swiftly! Do not chill the hearts of the countless common folk!"

"We beg the Holy Emperor to decide swiftly!"

"We beg the Holy Emperor to decide swiftly!"

"..."

With that military officer’s lengthy plea and his salute to Ji Minghao, one official after another, both military and civil, stepped out and bowed to Ji Minghao in unison.

Hearing these words, Ji Minghao was indeed neither anxious nor irritated, his gaze calm as he looked down at the Civil Officials and military officers below.

The entire Taiji Hall fell silent for several breaths.

Just then—

Shen Xiao took the initiative to rise, stepped forward, and stood out.

He bowed his hands toward Ji Minghao upon the nine-tiered high dais.

"Holy Emperor, your servant is willing to take ten thousand elite troops and march straight to Five Mountains Prefecture. If I go forth, I will surely resolve the crisis in Five Mountains Prefecture!"

Hearing this, Ji Minghao laughed heartily.

"Shen, my beloved minister, you truly are a peerless servant of the realm!"

"However, this matter no longer requires you to take the field!"

Hearing this, Shen Xiao raised his head to look at Ji Minghao, confusion filling his eyes.

"Why?" he asked, even forgetting to use the title "Holy Emperor."

Ji Minghao smiled faintly, then said in a ringing voice: "Because yesterday King Luoshui went to Five Mountains Prefecture for a visit. With King Luoshui taking the field, without expending a single soldier or a single drop of blood, those two Heavenly Kings of the Yellow Heaven Sect obediently led their armies in retreat, not daring to linger in Five Mountains Prefecture for even one more day!"

"What?!!" Xiang Yuan was the first to cry out, astonishment written on his face.

Hearing this, Shen Xiao’s pupils also contracted, then he slowly turned his head to look at Jiang Ning.

Meeting Shen Xiao’s gaze, Jiang Ning could feel the shock and doubt in his eyes.

Then he nodded slightly toward Shen Xiao, confirming Ji Minghao’s words.

Seeing Jiang Ning’s demeanor, Shen Xiao’s gaze froze for a moment, then his expression grew complicated.