The Great Wu Dynasty was founded on martial virtue. The founding emperor waged war for over a decade against surrounding states, annihilating countless forces before finally establishing the nation. Hence, the emblem of Dawu is not the dragon or phoenix, but a single character: Wu, denoting martial prowess that breaks and kills everything.
Chu Yuan's imperial robe was black, as dark as blood, adorned with embroidery resembling swords and blades, symbolizing the color of slaughter.
There was also an extremely sharp and dominating symbol of Wu on the robe.
Behind Chu Yuan was an old eunuch, white-haired, yet with a complexion as smooth as a baby's.
This was Eunuch Wei, who had served two generations of emperors since the establishment of the nation, proving himself a loyal official.
At this moment, Eunuch Wei suddenly noticed that Chu Yuan appeared different than before, exuding an unparalleled majesty. His eyes seemed electrifying, as if able to penetrate any clandestine conspiracies. He seemed more regal than his predecessor; indeed, he presented such a powerful image that one dared not meet his gaze directly.
"Let us depart," Chu Yuan nodded slightly.
"Set off for the Divine Martial Hall!"
Eunuch Wei's sharp voice commanded, and Chu Yuan took his seat on a carriage drawn by nine flood dragons.
The Divine Martial Hall, a creation of the founding Emperor, looked like the character Wu from a distance. It suppressed everything, rising like a towering blade, embodying the martial will of the former Emperor. It is where the emperors of the Great Wu Dynasty ascended to the throne.
The interior of the Divine Martial Hall was very spacious. Pearls of light adorned the place, resembling stars. Hundreds of ministers were already waiting there.
On the left stood a middle-aged man with slightly grey hair. Despite his age, he exuded a fierce aura; his eyes sharp as a hawk's. He was the Supreme General of the Great Wu Dynasty, holding immense military power. His name was Shangguan Qingyun.
Shangguan Qingyun, the foremost military general, had reached the final level in Divine Abilities.
On the right stood an old man with white hair. Dressed in grand attire, he exuded a somewhat gloomy aura. He was the head of the six ministries, representing the civil officials. His name was Li Yun, and he, too, had reached the final level in Divine Abilities.
Shangguan Qingyun and Li Yun were considered the bedrock of the Great Wu Dynasty.
"Our Great Wu Dynasty used to be the leading power among the Five States. Under the rule of the founding Emperor, we flourished and were on the brink of uniting the Five States," someone commented.
"Yet who would have thought? The Emperor faced an unexpected death, his cause of death remains unknown. And as if that weren't disastrous enough, the empire's most elite force of 300,000 Divine Martial Troops also perished along with him. Our national strength has been halved overnight," another lamented.
"What's even worse is that there are rumors that the Emperor's death was a divine punishment. The people fear that the gods intend to extinguish Great Wu. Some believe that it is fated to be wiped out!"
"Such rumors have caused unrest among the people. Our empire is on the brink of chaos!"
"The other four nations covet our territory, and we are located in the midst of them all. Our land borders each of the other nations. Both the royal court and the frontier are on the edge of chaos, especially with the ambitious Emperor of Dian in power."
"Now that the second Emperor of Dawu ascends to the throne, we don't know if he will be able to stabilize the situation. As long as our nation survives this crisis, we may not be able to emerge as the leader of the Five States, but at least we will have secured our foundation and will not be engulfed."
"The Second Emperor does have an imperial demeanor, but he is merely fifteen, far too young. The sudden death of the founding Emperor left behind a mess. I fear it is beyond salvageable. We've run out of luck."
"It appears that we need to plan ahead and prepare for all possibilities. I wonder what the Supreme General and the Prime Minister think?"
"They are the leaders of the civil and military officials. We must observe their actions and follow their lead. Only then can we protect ourselves and our families."
"Hush! The Emperor is here!"
Inside the Divine Martial Hall, all the officials were whispering, expressing their concerns about the future of Great Wu.
This was a sign of an unstable regime, a state of unrest. It was a precursor to the fall of a dynasty; not only were officials considering alternative plans, but the common people were as well.
However, both Shangguan Qingyun and Li Yun appeared unusually calm, exchanging glances.
"The Emperor has arrived!"
Eunuch Wei's sharp, piercing voice resonated through the Divine Martial Hall.
The cart drawn by nine flood dragons, each a formidable monster in the Original Spirit Realm, exhaled with a sound as loud as thunder!
The royal carriage arrived with Chu Yuan, who wore the Sword of the Human Emperor at his waist. He disembarked with steady steps, his eyes sparking with electricity. This was produced by the Great Thunder Technique, creating what looked like thunder eyes.
He was flanked by two teams of golden-armored divine soldiers.
He slowly seated himself on a glittering golden throne in the Divine Martial Hall. The next instant, a wave of supreme regality surged out, making him seem the absolute Sovereign.
"This aura! The Emperor's might! His Majesty seems different from before!"
"For some reason, seeing His Majesty, I feel an unprecedented sense of unworthiness, as though I am faced with a sacred Emperor!"
"The Emperor among men!"
"Today is the first official court meeting under His Majesty!"
As the titles of 'Sovereign' echoed through the hall, Chu Yuan's prestige rose by leaps and bounds in front of his subjects. Seeing his show of power, the officials were awestruck. Even Shangguan Qingyun and Li Yun's expressions changed.
"Ding! The host has made choice one, earning 100 Destiny Points."
"My lords, you have all worked hard."
While the court officials looked stunned, Chu Yuan wielded the Emperor's Sword, activated the title of Supreme Man, unimaginably majestic and aloof. He said, "Three months ago, the death of the previous Emperor was a disaster for our Dawu Dynasty. You all must be tired and worried dealing with various affairs. Today is my first court meeting as the new Emperor of Dawu."
He looked at these officials. Although they served Dawu, they themselves were practitioners with highly profound cultivation.
This was a world where cultivation and imperial dynasties coexisted.
They can fly in the sky, be immortal and invincible.
"The Emperor is presiding over the court!"
"Long live the Emperor!"
It was only then that these dumbfounded officials reacted. Chu Yuan's presence was too overpowering at this moment. They suddenly cried out long live the Emperor and knelt down.
"Stand up." Chu Yuan said: "You can speak freely about any issues."
"The fate of the previous Emperor is deeply sorrowful, akin to an earth-shattering event. During his time, he was an enlightened and valiant figure who swept away four nations and established the foundation of Dawu. His strength was such that he deterred these four nations with his personal might. Year after year, they came to pay respects; a golden era indeed.
Especially the elite 300,000 Divine Martial soldiers, no one could rival them."
A middle-aged man stepped forward, praising the soul of the previous Emperor. This was Liu Yong, the Chief of Staff for the Ministry of Industry. He lamented, "If the previous Emperor were still alive, our Dawu now..."
"Oh? So you, Chief of Staff, believe that Dawu is now at the dusk of its glory, about to be swallowed by darkness, the end of a day?"
Chu Yuan stood aloft, fixing his gaze on Liu Yong.
Liu Yong was no good character either, being a man of the Prime Minister. When the Prime Minister rebelled, he brought all the resources of the Ministry with him and pledged allegiance to Dalian Imperial Dynasty.
He had taken note of this wrongdoing.
"I did not say that. What I meant was, if the previous Emperor were still alive, the four nations led by Dalian would never harbor thoughts of rebellion. Your Majesty, you are valiant but still young, and in such a crucial time, I fear."
Chu Yuan rebuked him sharply, which left Liu Yong in awe of the Supreme Man's prestige. He hurriedly tried to explain but only ended up digging himself into a deeper hole.
"So you believe that if the previous Emperor were here, you would all be unfalteredly loyal, vowing to protect the King until death. But now that I've ascended the throne, the Empire is in turmoil, people's hearts have changed and the 30,000 elite Divine Martial soldiers have passed away with the previous Emperor.
There is no absolute power left in my hands, and you all believe that Dawu's end is in sight. The final outcome will lead to national annihilation. Therefore, you, the Chief of Staff, are already looking for an exit?"
Chu Yuan's words were harsh, challenging him at every sentence.
With the memories of the past three years, he already knew who was loyal and who was deceitful.
"I...I...I!" Liu Yong was frightened, he hadn't expected Chu Yuan to voice out his thoughts so openly. Sweating profusely, he hastily knelt and insisted, "I absolutely did not mean that, Your Majesty's inspection is divine!"
Although Liu Yong was at the Divine Realm level of cultivation, Chu Yuan was the Emperor. His regal dignity was overwhelmingly authoritative, and he also controlled a force absolutely loyal to the royal family.
As of now, the Dawu dynasty had not fallen. A lean camel is still bigger than a horse. If he dared to reveal his intentions to betray the country at this moment, not even the Prime Minister would be able to save him.
"So you believe that I lack the divine discernment and am unworthy of being an Emperor?" Chu Yuan pressed him tirelessly.
"Your Majesty, Liu Yong has no such intentions. He is absolutely loyal to the Dawu Dynasty and also to Your Majesty."
Li Yun stepped forward when he saw that Chu Yuan's presence at the court was overpowering.
"The six departments are under the control of the Prime Minister. If Liu Yong is loyal to his lord, so is the Prime Minister loyal to his king."
A look of undefined meaning manifested on Chu Yuan's face.
"I followed the former Emperor to build this nation and have been serving as the Prime Minister for thirty years. Of course, I am loyal."
Li Yun, a crafty man, naturally understood the underlying meaning. His face also darkened. He hadn't expected that today's Chu Yuan would be so difficult to handle. They had originally thought that he was just a little Emperor and after inheriting such a huge mess, he would be in panic.
A little intimidation should have made controlling this young Emperor easy.
But they hadn't expected this young Emperor to be so sharp-witted. If it hadn't been for his cunning plans, he would have really thought that he had exposed some secret or made a blunder.
Moreover, today's Chu Yuan was completely different from before.
In the past, although Chu Yuan was assertive, there was still a bit of youthfulness about him. Today, however, he exuded an air of unease, as if he was a different person.
Unfortunately, for them, the Emperor they were facing was one who had traveled back in time.
Moreover, he traveled back in time from three years into the future.
A time traveler and a reincarnator.
Chu Yuan's heart was cold and firm. Ever since he experienced the events of the past eighteen years, he was not as merciful as before.
"Choice One: Continue the court meeting, listen to what the ministers have to say, and be granted a hundred Destiny Points."
"Choice Two: Act cool and dismiss the court immediately, leaving a carefree image behind, and be granted a hundred Destiny Points."