Golden Throne Hall.
The court officials stood in their designated places, quietly awaiting the Empress’s arrival.
In the next moment, the figure of Qin Liuli, clad in red, gradually materialized on the dragon throne. Beside her, the blindfolded Sword Saint stood with his sword, his expression indifferent.
“Greetings, Your Majesty. May Your Majesty’s reign last as long as the heavens, revered for all eternity!”
“Greetings, Your Majesty. May Your Majesty’s reign last as long as the heavens, revered for all eternity!”
…
The ministers knelt down, placing their right hands over their left chests, and shouted in unison.
“Rise,” the Empress waved her hand and then said calmly:
“The Prime Minister and the Empress’ Husband have set the national policy. The Prime Minister has already taken the lead. I intend to annihilate the Northern Sejong Alliance, using the full strength of our nation. If we succeed, we will secure the empire. If we fail…”
“There is no such thing as failure, and failure will not be tolerated!”
“You must have noticed that among you are two unfamiliar faces. They are one of our Great Jin’s hidden aces.”
“Heavenly Strategy General Li Guanyan and Black-Robed Prime Minister Wang Xianjia. Many of you may have gradually forgotten their names.”
…
The Empress paused slightly, looked at the two men below, and said, “I won’t waste my breath. Introduce yourselves.”
Upon hearing this, everyone’s eyes focused on Li Guanyan and Wang Xianjia.
Heavenly Strategy General Li Guanyan nodded towards the Empress, then turned to the crowd and said calmly:
“My name is Li Guanyan. I was personally appointed by the Previous Emperor and given the title of Heavenly Strategy General. After the Previous Emperor’s death, I continued to guard the border and did not attend the Empress’s coronation ceremony, nor was I awarded honors by the Empress. Therefore… I am no longer a minister of the current Great Jin Dynasty.”
These words caused the court officials’ faces to change dramatically.
This statement, though seemingly enigmatic, could be summarized in one sentence: Li Guanyan and his border troops do not obey the Empress’s orders or follow the Imperial Edict!
He has always been the Heavenly Strategy General of the Previous Emperor, not a soldier of Empress Qin Liuli.
The Black-Robed Prime Minister chuckled, his voice like a broken gong, and said:
“The same goes for me. Before the Previous Emperor’s death, he ordered me to hide my identity, fake my death, and secretly train a group of death warriors, still following only the Previous Emperor’s last orders.”
Again!
A minister could no longer bear it and stood up to accuse them:
“The Previous Emperor is dead. The current ruler of Great Jin is the present Empress! Are you openly rebelling with these words?!”
Black-Robed Prime Minister Wang Xianjia waved his hand leisurely and said:
“Not at all. We do not dare to bear the crime of rebellion. We have come to the capital this time to follow the Previous Emperor’s last orders, to assist the current ruler when necessary, but only once.”
“After that, whether Great Jin prospers or declines, it has nothing to do with us.”
Another minister shouted, “What exactly were the Previous Emperor’s last orders?! One of you was ordered to guard the border and not return to the capital even if the country was destroyed, and the other to secretly train death warriors within Great Jin’s territory. What is your true intention?!”
Wang Xianjia shook his head and uttered three words: “I cannot say.”
Initially, the court officials were excited to see these two, thinking that having two powerful aides in the face of a national war was undoubtedly good news.
But now, no one thought so. They all glared angrily, filled with righteous indignation!
The court officials finally understood why the Empress’s reaction was so cold, not even bothering to show a pleasant face, and directly letting them introduce themselves. It turned out to be like this!
Ministers serving the Previous Emperor and not obeying the current Empress’s orders—such absurdity was unheard of!
Moreover, these two held significant military power and roamed within Great Jin’s territory. Whether they were loyal dogs or wolves in sheep’s clothing was unclear.
“I have always been curious. In your eyes, am I not as good as the Previous Emperor? Not worthy of your loyalty?” The Empress’s eyes were cold as she spoke calmly.
Li Guanyan raised his eyebrows, glanced at the Empress, then lowered his gaze, ignoring her.
Black-Robed Prime Minister Wang Xianjia smiled and said:
“Your Majesty’s civil and military achievements have nearly made you the overlord of the Wilderness. The Previous Emperor spent his entire life confined to a small territory, leaving behind a mess. Naturally, he cannot compare to Your Majesty.”
Such treasonous words would have been a capital offense if the Previous Emperor were still alive, but Wang Xianjia spoke them lightly.
“Wang Xianjia, if you dare to spout nonsense again, I will make your fake death a real one,” Li Guanyan said.
Meng Qingzhou sighed silently.
This Heavenly Strategy General seemed overly loyal. He remained silent when the Empress was disrespected but spoke up when the Previous Emperor was insulted…
At the same time, Meng Qingzhou searched his memory for the plot and character settings of Heavenly Strategy General Li Guanyan and Black-Robed Prime Minister Wang Xianjia.
Huh?
Something’s not right…
Meng Qingzhou was startled. These two had no roles in the early and mid-stages of the story.
When Great Jin changed rulers and the surname became Zhao, they did not appear.
It wasn’t until the Heaven-Watching Pavilion emerged, and the overpowered protagonist Zhao Gou had fully developed and was marked for death by the Heaven-Watching Pavilion, that these two slowly surfaced.
“They are… Heaven-Watching Pavilion’s hidden agents!”
Meng Qingzhou’s breathing quickened. The final boss’s henchmen had appeared so early!
In the original plot, the Great Jin’s Previous Emperor Zhao Yuhuan was slapped to death by the Empress, and his biological son, the overpowered protagonist, inherited the throne. Though young, he had capable aides, and with the overpowered protagonist making a name for himself outside, the country developed smoothly.
However, when the Heaven-Watching Pavilion surfaced.
Heavenly Strategy General Li Guanyan launched a rebellion, besieging the capital while the overpowered protagonist was away.
The young Emperor was taken by his mother and fled, only to be captured by the death warriors planted in the palace by Black-Robed Prime Minister Wang Xianjia.
What followed was a clichéd plot of coercing the protagonist to comply, only for the protagonist to explode in power and counter-kill in the end.
Due to the long passage of time, it took Meng Qingzhou a while to recall.
“What is going on?”
“Why have the Heaven-Watching Pavilion’s hidden agents appeared so early? What is their true purpose?!”
Meng Qingzhou’s mind raced, his fists clenching unconsciously.
The Previous Emperor’s last orders were just a cover. The original novel did not specify how the Great Jin’s Previous Emperor died, only summarizing it in four words: sudden death.
As for how he died suddenly…
Previously, Meng Qingzhou didn’t bother to think much about it. Now, a terrifying thought suddenly emerged.
Could it be that the Great Jin’s Previous Emperor was murdered by these so-called loyal ministers?
“The Heaven-Watching Pavilion is determined to create an emperor like the first Human Emperor, to unify the Wilderness and Sky State.”
“Even if someone kills their Pavilion Master, they won’t hold a grudge, but if someone obstructs their unification plan or if the chosen ruler refuses to join the Heaven-Watching Pavilion, they will stop at nothing to kill them.”
“The overpowered protagonist refused the Heaven-Watching Pavilion’s invitation and was seen as an uncertain factor, marked for death…”
“Why has Great Jin been targeted?”
“Are they here to help unify the Wilderness, or do they intend to overthrow Great Jin and kill the Empress? Are they friends or foes?!”
…
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