Central Province, Divine Capital.

The three True Lords, having returned to the capital at top speed, barely paused for a moment before rushing to the palace, eager to meet Emperor Jingtai and inform him of the events that transpired at Liangshan.

Imperial Study.

Jingtai leisurely savored the finest spiritual tea in the world. The supreme spiritual energy flooded his throat upon entry, creating a sensation akin to ascending to immortality.

"Cao Qing, what do you think of this tea?"

"A tea of absolute excellence."

Cao Zhengxian took a small sip, feeling refreshed throughout his entire body.

"This tea is a precious commodity, of which I have but a small amount." Jingtai smiled faintly, his expression serene.

"This old subject is truly blessed."

"This time, sending Duke Gu, Second Ancestor, and Duke Li to Liangshan, if they succeed, it will relieve a great concern of mine." Jingtai said after a moment of silence.

The Xiang family had always been a thorn in the side of the Sima family. Otherwise, they would not have exhausted every means since the founding of the dynasty to hunt down the remnants of the previous dynasty.

Now that there was finally a chance of success, Jingtai could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

The Xiang family had accumulated considerable resources. Combined with Song Lun's nearly two hundred thousand elite troops, even if Song Lun harbored ulterior motives, it would be enough to stabilize the southern situation and prolong the dynasty's lifespan.

It would also buy him time for his later plans. Otherwise, the immense pressure was becoming unbearable.

"Indeed, one can only hope this trip is successful." Cao Zhengxian sighed.

If the Xiang family was not destroyed, even if the Sima family destroyed the historical records, in the eyes of those Jianghu aristocratic families and top sects, they would still be seen as having seized the throne illegitimately.

They were usurpers!

With morale scattered, it was difficult to consolidate national fortune, which was a major headache for the Sima family throughout the generations.

"The Xiang family's martial arts talent is unparalleled. The former dynasty's crown prince has not appeared for many years. I wonder what his current martial arts strength is and whether he can match Duke Gu."

This was actually a major hidden danger. After all, Xiang Qianqiu was not only exceptionally talented but also possessed the Xiang family's accumulated resources for many years, and his cultivation realm must have been advancing rapidly.

Without witnessing it firsthand, no one could be certain.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, even the strongest talent has its limits. Otherwise, the Xiang family would not have been destroyed. In fact, this old subject, after a lifetime of experience, is most shocked by Marquis Wu'an.

Perhaps the next time Your Majesty sees him, you will have a great surprise."

Jingtai waved his hand.

"This boy is ruthless and ambitious, but unfortunately, his foundation is too shallow, and he doesn't follow the rules. He can be used as a knife, but he doesn't have the qualities of a ruler and is not worth fearing."

Clearly, Jingtai still did not take Chen Yuan seriously, believing that he could easily control him. No matter how strong his talent was, could he really become an immortal in a year?

At most, he would only be at the Refining Spirit Realm in a year. If he obediently submitted, he would be brought under his command. If he was disobedient, the court could send a True Lord to suppress him.

If it weren't for the great merits he had previously established, several dukes speaking on his behalf, and the fact that he had too many things on his plate, he would have been suppressed in the capital long ago.

Hearing what the Emperor said, Cao Zhengxian couldn't help but ask.

"The Northern Liang King, a peerless True Lord on the frontier, commands three hundred thousand Northern Liang iron cavalry and has a reputation that shakes Liang Province. Could he be a major threat?"

Jingtai chuckled.

"Wei Jinfeng is indeed capable, but he lacks ambition. Although he commands three hundred thousand iron cavalry, he is still confined to a corner of Liang Province by me. He is a major threat now.

But once my plans succeed, I can destroy him with a wave of my hand. He is not worth fearing."

Hiss!

Cao Zhengxian gasped, not quite understanding where the Emperor's confidence came from. What exactly were his plans? Even he, as a close minister, only had a vague understanding. However, since the Emperor was in a good mood today, he followed the Emperor's words and said.

"The northern barbarians have the strength to invade the Central Plains. The three great royal courts have millions of soldiers and countless experts. Could they be a major threat?"

"If the three great royal courts unite, the Central Plains would be difficult to defend. However, they have never been able to unify, each harboring their own schemes. The Gujin royal court suffered heavy losses in the last battle and will not be able to recover its strength for at least a decade. They are a distant threat rather than an immediate one and are not worth worrying about."

"The Southern Suppressing King, with his divine mace guarding Southern Province, commands hundreds of thousands of soldiers and has deep roots. Could he be a major threat?"

"The South is stronger than the North. The Jianghu forces are too vast, and the Mount Shu Holy Land and Biyou Palace act as a constraint, preventing him from exerting his full strength. He is not worth fearing."

"The Eastern Sea Wokou desire to devour the Central Plains. Several major families are not inferior to the top forces in the Central Plains. Could they be a major threat?"

"Mere Wokou, bullying the weak and fearing the strong, are like dogs. How can they become a threat? Ridiculous!"

"The Western Lingshan, with thirty-six countries under its control, is the number one Immortal sect in the world. Buddhism has spread throughout the Central Plains. Could it be a major threat?"

"Lingshan has great power, with four Bodhisattvas, eighteen Arhats, and hundreds of thousands of monks. It is ambitious and is a true major threat." Mentioning Lingshan, Jingtai's expression finally changed slightly.

"The Hundred Thousand Mountains of Southern Border, with a hundred demon races, have been dormant for five hundred years. Could they be a major threat?"

"Since ancient times, humans and demons have been irreconcilable. The two races have been sworn enemies for thousands of years and are a more terrifying threat than Lingshan. However, their current strength is unknown and needs to be discussed."

"The Ten Great Immortal Sects of the Central Plains, which have endured for thousands of years, could they be a major threat?"

"Yes!"

A murderous intent flashed in Jingtai's eyes.

"Some of the Ten Great Immortal Sects are strong, while others are declining. Their influence is too great, and their strength is too strong. They are also a major threat. Today, the world is in turmoil, and the Central Plains is the center of the world, coveted by all forces. Lingshan, the demon race, and the Ten Great Immortal Sects are all major threats, while the Suppressing King and the Northern Liang King, the Eastern Sea barbarians, and the northern barbarians are all minor threats.

If they rebel at the same time, the world will be in chaos. Therefore, for the sake of peace in the world and the stability of all beings, even if I have done some wrong things.

The people of the world should understand me, shouldn't they, Cao Qing?"

As he spoke, Jingtai, who had been confident and in a good mood, suddenly changed his expression, staring intently at Cao Zhengxian, wanting to hear his answer.

Wrong things.

Cao Zhengxian was startled. When the northern barbarians invaded earlier, the Emperor used Liang Province as bait, watching the Northern Liang King fight to the death with indifference, without ever having the thought of "wrong things".

But now...

What exactly has he done?

At that moment, Cao Zhengxian wanted to ask Jingtai.

However, looking at the hidden meaning in the Emperor's eyes, he swallowed his words. He was a servant of the Sima family, and the Emperor was his master. Whatever the master did, he should follow.

Moreover, what the Emperor said was not wrong. The various things he asked about earlier, the various things Jingtai answered, excluding the three major threats, were all minor threats that could not be underestimated.

With the court's current strength, it could not resist them at all. To protect the empire, paying some price was not unacceptable. He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty is right. The peace of the court is a major matter, directly related to the life and death of hundreds of millions of people. Even if we pay some price, it is worth it.

Let the people suffer a little more!"

Hearing Cao Zhengxian's answer, Jingtai stared at him for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, Cao Qing, you..."

Before Jingtai could finish laughing and finish his words, a forbidden army leader suddenly rushed in, running in a panic. He knelt on one knee with a thud and said quickly.

"Your Majesty, Duke Wei Gu Tianqiong, Duke Zhen Guo Li Kuangxiu, and an elder of the royal family have arrived together and are waiting outside the palace gate, saying that they have important matters to report!"

He finished speaking quickly in one breath, not daring to pause.

Jingtai's laughter stopped abruptly, and he raised his eyebrows, seemingly not expecting the three of them to arrive so quickly. Could it be that the Xiang family was really so vulnerable? Or had some other trouble occurred?

A bad feeling flashed through Jingtai's mind, but he quickly suppressed it, straightened his expression, and ordered.

"Quickly invite the dukes in!"

"Yes!"

The forbidden army leader quickly responded and bowed to retreat.

Cao Zhengxian immediately stood up, arranged three gilded chairs, and wore a solemn expression.

If he was alone with the Emperor, he could still sit and talk and laugh with him, but if the three True Lords came, he would not have the qualification to sit on an equal footing with them.

Soon, the people outside seemed to be very anxious, and in just over ten breaths of time, they entered the imperial study and saw Emperor Jingtai, who was sitting on the throne, and the grand eunuch Cao Zhengxian, who was guarding by his side.

At the same time, Cao Zhengxian and Jingtai also saw the three of them, and their hearts suddenly skipped a beat. The bad feeling in their hearts became stronger because, although the three of them were neatly dressed, their auras were very weak, especially Duke Zhen Guo Li Kuangxiu, who was obviously missing an arm, and the sleeve was empty.

Something happened!

This was the first thought in Jingtai's mind.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

"Greetings..."

The three of them saluted together, their faces solemn.

Jingtai stood up from the dragon chair and asked in a deep voice.

"Second Ancestor, Duke Gu, Duke Li, has something gone wrong with the Liangshan trip?"

Gu Tianqiong and Li Kuangxiu looked at each other, remaining silent and handing over the right to speak to the elder of the royal family, Sima Che. He did not decline and nodded.

"Your Majesty, something big has happened."

Seeing the solemn appearance of the three of them, Jingtai's heart sank, but he still maintained his composure.

"Please tell me, Second Ancestor."

Sima Che nodded and began to recount.

"Previously, this old man, Duke Gu, and Duke Li were ordered to go to Liangshan, ostensibly to offer birthday wishes, but in reality, to join forces with Song Lun to eliminate the second leader, Lu Guangsheng, and prepare to search for the Xiang family's whereabouts from his nascent soul.

Unfortunately, an unexpected accident occurred at the start of the birthday banquet. The Hall Master of the Seven Kills Hall appeared in public with True Lord Chu Jiang Wang and four Refining Spirit Realm Yama, intending to kill Song Lun."

"Two True Lords from the Seven Kills Hall, how could they do anything to the four of you? Moreover, Second Ancestor, you have..." Jingtai frowned and couldn't help but interrupt.

"The Seven Kills Hall is a minor problem. If it were just them, we could easily destroy them. However, just as we were about to fight, True Lord Linmo and True Lord Tianjian from the Daoshen Palace suddenly appeared, directly targeting Song Lun's life.

The three of us were held back by the Hall Master of the Seven Kills Hall, Chu Jiang Wang, and Lu Guangsheng, and we were unable to rescue him in time. We witnessed Song Lun's fall on the spot, his nascent soul completely destroyed!" Sima Che took a deep breath.

Jingtai's eyes narrowed.

"True Lord Linmo and True Lord Tianjian from the Daoshen Palace? Is True Lord Linmo the Qilin Demon who chased the Demon Saint for thousands of miles and shook the South?"

"It is indeed him!"

"What grudges does the Daoshen Palace have with Song Lun? Why did they attack Song Lun?"

This was the second time Jingtai had heard the three words "Daoshen Palace", and he was instantly filled with rage, wishing he could kill everyone in the Daoshen Palace, devour their blood, and skin them alive!

"This matter is still unknown. However, this old man speculates that it should be because of Xiang Qianqiu. He had long known that Song Lun was going to rebel and had made all the preparations in advance."

"Xiang Qianqiu..." Jingtai couldn't help but clench his fists and asked in a deep voice.

"Did he show up?"

"That's right. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be so embarrassed."

"Oh?"

"After Song Lun died, this old man was furious. Knowing that the Daoshen Palace was a major threat, he decided to use the methods left by the Great Ancestor to destroy them. Even if there was no Song Lun, he would forcibly occupy Liangshan. Then Xiang Qianqiu appeared."

"He blocked it?"

"Not only did he block it, but he also wielded the Godslaying Spear and entered the void, destroying the avatar left by the Great Ancestor. We realized that things were not good at that time and quickly fled. However, we were still chased by his methods in the depths of the void. Godly Martial True Lord lost an arm because of this..." Sima Che told everything that had happened that day in detail.

Jingtai's face was filled with shock and disbelief, and he said in a deep voice.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could Xiang Qianqiu have the ability to cut off the Great Ancestor's Dharma body? That is a method nurtured by the national fortune of my Great Jin Dynasty for hundreds of years. Below the Immortal Realm, absolutely no one can survive!"

As the Emperor, Jingtai knew the strength of the Great Ancestor's methods very well. Otherwise, they would not have been nurtured in the national fortune all the time to maintain their divinity. If it hadn't been for the Daoshen Palace making a scene in the imperial city before, he would not have allowed it to be taken out.

Now, the thing he had placed high hopes on was actually so vulnerable!

Jingtai couldn't accept it!

Before the Great Ancestor fell asleep, he had left a message that the method had 70% to 80% of his power, almost comparable to an immortal who had just entered the sixth realm. And Xiang Qianqiu was just a mortal...

"This is the truth. Now Liangshan has been completely occupied by the Xiang family. Your Majesty, you should make plans as soon as possible. In less than two days, this news will spread throughout the world."

Sima Che continued.

Jingtai clenched his fists, and various emotions intertwined in his heart. He couldn't help but roar in his heart.

"It shouldn't be like this!"

"It shouldn't be!!!"

In his plan, destroying the Xiang family and taking over Liangshan were indispensable. Only in this way could he stabilize the South and then plan other things. But now everything was over!

The Great Ancestor's method was broken, Song Lun fell, the court's three True Lords were severely injured, and there were major disasters everywhere. The already precarious Great Jin Dynasty had suffered another fatal blow.

Once the Xiang family raised the banner in Blood Province, it might trigger a chain reaction, and the entire world might be plunged into war. Those minor threats he had just mentioned would evolve into major threats.

Those major threats might cause the Sima family to lose their empire!

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

Seeing Jingtai's unpredictable expression, Gu Tianqiong couldn't help but call out softly.

"Your Majesty, please calm your thunderous rage. Although the Xiang family has occupied Liangshan, it has also been completely leveled after this battle. And the former Chu has been destroyed for more than two hundred years and no longer has its former prestige. The court still has hope, so do not give up on yourself."

Li Kuangxiu said with a frown.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Even if Xiang Qianqiu has broken the Great Ancestor's methods, he must have suffered severe injuries himself. Otherwise, the three of us would not have returned to the capital safely. There is still no danger in the short term."

Listening to these voices in his ears, Jingtai suppressed his anger, raised his head, squeezed out a smile, pretended to be fine, and said.

"The dukes are right. The Xiang family has also suffered heavy losses. The court has not reached its most critical moment yet and still has hope! I caused all of this, so let me make up for it."

"Duke Li!"

"Your Majesty."

"The imperial palace treasury is open to you. You can take any treasure you need. You must heal your arm in the shortest possible time. The court cannot do without you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Li Kuangxiu raised his hand in salute.

"Duke Gu."

"This old subject is here."

"The items in the treasury are also yours to use. It would be good to improve your cultivation even by a small amount. In addition, the two dukes must not be idle at home from today onwards.

Duke Gu will still lead the Sky Patrol Department as a duke, and Duke Li will be the Grand Marshal of the Army, leading the court's troops. The military and the Sky Patrol Department are entrusted to the two of you!"

In the past, Jingtai used various methods to take back power, but now that the court's prestige was at stake, he had to return it as he had taken it. All his previous plans were scrapped.

Only he himself knew the taste of it.

Gu Tianqiong and Li Kuangxiu looked at each other, knowing what time it was, and bowed.

"This old subject obeys the decree!"

"We respectfully obey Your Majesty's orders!"

The more it was like this, the more they had to give the Emperor face. Otherwise, with the current situation, the Emperor's prestige would be greatly damaged. This must not happen.

"Second Ancestor."

"Your Majesty!"

Although he was Jingtai's grandfather's generation, he was still the Emperor and had to submit in public.

"I ask you a question, and you must answer truthfully."

"Please ask, Your Majesty."

"Is the Great Ancestor still alive?"

Jingtai stared at Sima Che.

Sima Che hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

"He suffered a cultivation backlash and has already fallen."

Hearing this, Jingtai's face was very ugly. He only knew that the Second Ancestor and the Fourth Ancestor were still alive. The Third Ancestor had already fallen at the beginning of the founding of the dynasty, and the strongest Great Ancestor had been missing for many years. Now it seemed that the Second Ancestor had blocked the news.

"The Great Ancestor has been sleeping for many years. Can he be awakened?"

"The Great Ancestor's cultivation is of great importance. Unless it is absolutely necessary, he must not be disturbed. These were the words left by the Great Ancestor back then." Sima Che said in a deep voice.

Jingtai frowned. If the Great Ancestor appeared, all the storms could be calmed down. But now... Even he could not forcibly awaken the Great Ancestor.

However, if it really came to a time of crisis, he could come out and turn the tide. With such a stabilizing force, he had some confidence, and the previous panic was finally relieved.

"The imperial treasure vault and offerings are all in the hands of the Second Ancestor. I hope the Second Ancestor will help me with all his strength in the future."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this old man understands the stakes." Sima Che nodded.

"Starting tomorrow, shrink the court's power. Even if there are major events, we should protect the lands of Central, Cloud, Bin, and Yang provinces. As for Liangshan, let it be for the time being."

Jingtai took a deep breath and said the most difficult thing to decide. If he did not handle it well, he would forever become the disgrace of the Sima family.

"Alright."

Sima Che and the others all expressed their support.

"Let's end here today. You may all return."

Jingtai let out a long breath.

"This old subject takes his leave!"

"This old subject takes his leave..."

Several people nodded and retreated. After the voices were gone, Jingtai, who had been calm just now, suddenly flew into a rage, his eyes red, sweeping all the things on the table in front of him to the ground, his whole body exuding a violent aura.

————

Third chapter!