Inside the Golden Luan Hall, Emperor Jingtai took the lead. After he slowly departed, the grand court assembly officially came to a complete end.

As officials entered in orderly succession, so too did they leave in the same manner.

The higher the official's rank, the slower they walked.

As they exited the Golden Luan Hall, Divine Martial True Lord Li Kuangxiu suddenly turned his gaze towards Gu Tianqiong, stared at him for a moment, and said, "Brother Gu, how about a visit to my residence?"

Gu Tianqiong narrowed his eyes into a slit, nodding slightly:

"Since Brother Li invites me, Gu will naturally not refuse. Please."

"Please."

In a few words, the two decided everything. Then, the void around them rippled for a moment, and when they were looked at again, they had disappeared without a trace.

Xiao Jing's gaze was calm. After Gu Tianqiong and Li Kuangxiu, these two important officials, left, he looked at Chen Yuan and said:

"Marquis Wu'an, not bad."

"Grand Commandant, you flatter me. I first congratulate you on your promotion."

Chen Yuan's peerage was equal to Grand Commandant Xiao Jing, but his fief was two thousand households higher, which was indeed a rare occurrence. After all, his official position was currently far behind Xiao Jing.

"Lord Zhang said that you are interested in the position of Heavenly Envoy?"

Xiao Jing went straight to the point, without beating around the bush.

Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow. He originally thought that Zhang Yantong was looking for Grand Commandant Gu Tianqiong, but now it seemed that this was not the case.

The 'Grand Commandant' he mentioned did not refer to Gu Tianqiong, but to Xiao Jing, who had not yet taken office!

It's just that their relationship seems... unknown.

"If I can become a Divine Envoy, I can better serve the court." Chen Yuan also unreservedly revealed his ambition at this moment.

Xiao Jing's ascension to the position of Grand Commandant of the Sky Survey Division was foreseeable. His power and status were no longer comparable to the former Grand Commandant Gu Tianqiong, but in any case, he was still the number one figure in the Sky Survey Division.

The four Divine Envoys are very important positions, and they have a lot of say.

"Having ambition is a good thing. This commandant has noted this matter. In a few days, discussions on the Heavenly Envoy matter should begin, and someone will inform you."

Xiao Jing's personality was one of few words. Saying so much now was enough to show his special regard for Chen Yuan.

"Okay, then thank you, Grand Commandant."

"Mm."

Xiao Jing nodded. Zuo Tiancheng, Wu Tianxi, and Zhang Yantong also arrived together, with smiles on their faces:

"Congratulations, Brother Xiao, on your ascension to Grand Commandant."

"In the future, I, Zuo, will have to call myself a subordinate."

"Grand Commandant, Brother Xiao deserves it."

On the surface, the Divine Envoys were naturally very harmonious, as for what went on inside, it was unknown.

But one thing was clear, and that was that the three of them were aware of their own limitations, knowing that they could not compete with Xiao Jing, so they did not even try to compete, so as to avoid embarrassment in the future.

Therefore, Xiao Jing's ascension was considered smooth.

As long as the top makes a decision, the bottom is very stable.

"You are too kind. The Sky Survey Division cannot do without you in the future. Although I, Xiao, have ascended to the position of Grand Commandant, we have been working together for decades and have a deep friendship. In the future, I will have to rely on you."

Xiao Jing rarely revealed a smile.

"You are too polite, Grand Commandant."

"Grand Commandant, why not come to my residence for a drink to celebrate your promotion today?" Wu Tianxi smiled heartily.

"Okay, we haven't had a drink together in a long time." Xiao Jing nodded in agreement.

Afterwards, Wu Tianxi turned his gaze to Chen Yuan and smiled:

"Marquis Wu'an, if you have nothing to do, why not come to my residence for a chat? This envoy has been wanting to invite you for a long time."

In terms of peerage, Chen Yuan was a grade higher than them, but his official position was a grade lower. Therefore, the attitude of the Divine Envoys towards him had changed somewhat.

But on the whole, it was still relatively equal.

Arrogance and deliberately provoking trouble rarely happened unless necessary.

Harmony was the norm in officialdom.

Or to put it another way, superficial harmony was the norm.

There were really not many people in the court who did not interact with each other.

Therefore, although Chen Yuan was interested in the Heavenly Envoy position, and they each had their own allies, they would not tear up until that moment.

Of course, the main reason was that Chen Yuan's status and potential were worthy of their attention.

A Marquis of Ten Thousand Households, a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households at the age of twenty-odd, there had probably only been one such person in thousands of years.

Moreover, he was ennobled for genuine military achievements.

In addition, he was also a Transformation Yang True Person Realm powerhouse, how could people not pay attention to him?

Chen Yuan thought for a moment, and just as he was about to nod in agreement, the three princes who had been paying attention to him came forward, and the First Prince, Sima Qian, said with a smile:

"Lord Wu, you are one step ahead. This prince also wanted to invite Brother Chen to my residence for a chat."

"Yes."

Sima You also echoed.

Seeing this, Sima Ke quickly said:

"This prince invited Brother Chen yesterday. The two imperial brothers won't compete with me, will they?"

Wu Tianxi looked at the few people thoughtfully. Ordinary princes would naturally not be in his eyes, but these were all princes who were expected to be crown princes.

Their status was still not low.

Immediately, he exchanged glances with Zuo Tiancheng and the others:

"Since the princes have invited you in advance, then I can only invite Marquis Wu'an another day."

"Divine Envoy Wu, you are too polite. It should be Chen who invites you."

Chen Yuan said lightly.

"Haha, good, then this envoy will wait for Marquis Wu'an's invitation another day."

Wu Tianxi laughed heartily, not taking it to heart. The few exchanged glances and turned to leave.

Before leaving, Zhang Yantong nodded at Chen Yuan, his eyes somewhat encouraging.

After the Divine Envoys left, Chen Yuan looked at the princes and said:

"You princes are making things difficult for me."

"How about this? Since the imperial brothers are all interested in inviting Brother Chen, then how about we all go together? That way, there will be no bias." Sima You suggested.

"This prince thinks this suggestion is good. I wonder what Brother Chen thinks?" Sima Qian turned his gaze, somewhat inquiring.

Inviting him alone was probably not possible, so he could only settle for second best and invite Chen Yuan together. They really wanted to know what Sima Ke had used to impress Chen Yuan.

Why had there been such a big change?

Chen Yuan's eyes flickered. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded and said:

"Since the princes are so enthusiastic, if I don't agree, I would be unappreciative."

"Brother Chen, you are too polite."

"Marquis Wu'an, you are too polite."

"We have no such intention, we just admire the things Brother Chen has done in Liang Province and want to hear about them."

"Yes, yes."

Sima Ke frowned, somewhat unhappy. Chen Yuan supported him, but these two guys invited him without any scruples, simply not putting him in their eyes.

However, hehe... they were destined to have no hope.

Unless, they also contributed their mothers.

To let Chen Yuan explore the old nest.

Otherwise, it would be a waste of effort.

Thinking of this, the corners of Sima Ke's mouth curled into a sneer, and he said:

"Brother Chen, since the two imperial brothers are so enthusiastic, why don't you all come to my residence for a chat?"

"Fourth Brother, I have specially prepared a sumptuous meal for Brother Chen, and I want Brother Chen to taste it. Can we go to your residence next time?"

Sima Qian coughed lightly.

"Imperial Brother has prepared it well."

"To invite the world-renowned Brother Chen, how can we not be prepared?"

"Yes, Brother Chen has repeatedly shocked the world and Beijing. Once the news of the youngest Marquis of our dynasty comes out, it will definitely cause another shock.

This reputation is rarely matched in the world!"

"You are too kind, princes."

"Brother Chen, please."

"Brother Chen, please."

"You princes, please..."

......

......

Sima You was not wrong. After the grand court assembly, the news of Chen Yuan's enfeoffment spread like a hurricane, sweeping through the upper-class nobles of the entire capital.

And the momentum was getting bigger and bigger.

Thorough Marquis!

Marquis of Ten Thousand Households!

Enfeoffment: Ping'an County, Qing Province!

Marquis Wu'an!

The youngest Marquis of the Great Jin!

Such numerous titles caused endless amazement. Starting from the upper class, it gradually swept downwards. Many people were already paying attention to this court assembly.

Now that the big news came out, it was normal to cause such a stir.

In addition, there was even bigger news.

Grand Commandant Gu Tianqiong of the Sky Survey Division had stepped down!

Although he was enfeoffed as Duke Weiguo, with a position comparable to a Prince of another surname, various escorts were very extraordinary, and he could meet the emperor without bowing, and enter the court with his sword and shoes, which was an unparalleled honor.

But the power was visibly weakened.

Many people were interested in the story behind this.

For example, how did Jingtai persuade Gu Tianqiong to give up his power?

The previous emperor had also made such a move, but it was rejected.

Power was not so easy to take back.

But Jingtai did it!

And many people could guess the purpose of him doing so.

The emperor wanted to centralize power!

Since ancient times, whenever this happened, it was the time when great turmoil was about to come.

What would the emperor do with his increased power?

Without thinking, it was obvious that he wanted to expand his territory.

But under the current circumstances, with the dynasty facing internal and external troubles, territorial expansion was obviously unrealistic, so naturally he would eliminate internal troubles.

Counting carefully, there were many internal troubles in the court, but there were only three that were more obvious.

King Beiliang Wei Jinfeng, King Zhennan Nangong Lie, and the rampant demonic path in Xue Province!

Of the thirteen provinces of the Great Jin, only ten were actually under its control.

And these three were all states with very rich resources. This was why the imperial court was not as strong as the former Chu!

In addition, with the previous southward invasion of the Northern Barbarians, which caused the Beiliang army to lose most of its strength, many people felt that Jingtai was targeting Wei Jinfeng.

But what the truth was, it was still just speculation.

The real situation was still unknown.

But in any case, many people acknowledged Jingtai's methods. He broke through the shackles, did what ordinary people could not do, and forcibly broke through to the Heavenly Core Realm while bearing the dynasty's national fortune.

There were not many people who could do this.

At least among the emperors of the Great Jin since its founding, he was the first.

However, perhaps due to someone's deliberate push, the wind that was originally on Jingtai and Gu Tianqiong gradually began to envelop Chen Yuan.

The center of discussion also began to return.

It was as if someone had expected this step.

After leaving the imperial city, Chen Yuan was warmly invited by the princes to the First Prince's residence. Everything was prepared in advance. Upon arrival, maids came forward to serve him.

But Sima Ke sneered in his heart at this scene.

What Chen Yuan liked was not this kind of young girl who had not fully developed. He liked that kind of plump beauty, and that kind of feeling of breaking taboos.

Sima Ke thought that he already had a deep understanding of Chen Yuan.

However, he did not say much on the surface, and chatted with a smile.

The dishes prepared by Sima Qian were indeed very elaborate. Delicacies from all over the world were brought to the table. Although they were not as good as Xin Shishen's spiritual essence, they had a unique flavor.

The spiritual wine was almost the top-grade imperial spiritual wine. Every cup was full of spiritual energy, intoxicating the heart.

With delicious food, fine wine, and beauties, Sima Qian did not fall behind.

His methods were similar to those of Wei Wuque, the Heir of Beiliang. He collected many beauties, of all shapes and sizes, from the Western Regions and overseas barbarians, as well as a famous courtesan in the capital.

However, Chen Yuan remained unmoved, just smiling and talking.

Such composure also made Sima Qian and Sima You look at him with admiration.

They could not help but admire him in their hearts.

They felt that the rumors were not all true. What Chen Thief liked was completely unfounded slander against Brother Chen. He was clearly a gentleman who did not approach women.

During the banquet, Sima Qian and Sima You praised Chen Yuan a lot, praising him as the first in the Great Jin since its founding, reaching the top in one step, directly being enfeoffed as a Thorough Marquis, with a fief of ten thousand households.

There were no predecessors, and there may not be successors!

A figure who will definitely be recorded in history books.

Chen Yuan responded humbly, without pride.

Afterwards, the two inquired about why Chen Yuan would help Sima Ke, what was the reason. But in the face of this question, Chen Yuan cleverly shifted the topic.

Making Sima Qian and Sima You a little depressed.

Seeing that Chen Yuan was not talking about the right path at all, they could only ask about Chen Yuan's past in Liang Province. They knew a little more than ordinary people, but they were definitely not as clear as Chen Yuan, the person involved.

They were really curious that Chen Yuan could actually kill the legendary Sixth Realm Barbarian God.

He could also activate the True Martial Immortal Sword.

It was really strange.

After all, the Seven Sons of Wudang all fought in that battle...

Faced with such commonplace questions, Chen Yuan responded to the two with the words he had said many times before, making the two princes shudder.

The void shattered, a towering giant hand, hundreds of thousands of people shedding blood on the battlefield, shattered flesh and broken limbs covered the open space outside Liang Province City, and blood flowed into rivers.

Even thinking about it would make people shudder.

Even hell was nothing more than this, right?

Chen Yuan was able to gain fame and status in such a world-shaking battle. No one could envy him, they could only admire him. After all, he was able to have his current status and power entirely by relying on his own sword to fight his way out.

"You are too kind, princes. I have never cared about a little reputation. What I want is nothing more than peace in the world."

Chen Yuan's words directly raised the level of the chat.

In fact, this was not too high. If you really wanted a high level, you would have to use the Four Sentences of Hengqu.

It's just that it was not appropriate at this time.

There was no point in saying it.

During the banquet, several people said a lot. The two princes also talked about the vacant Heavenly Envoy position in the Sky Survey Division, and after some praise, they hinted that as long as Chen Yuan no longer helped Sima Ke, they could say a few good words in front of their father.

But Chen Yuan just didn't take the bait.

Sima Ke listened to these words, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, seemingly sneering. He didn't say much at this banquet, he was basically listening.

But Chen Yuan keenly noticed that his eyes were always looking outside.

He didn't know what he was looking at.

However, the moon tonight was indeed a bit round and very bright.

"Fourth Brother, what are you looking at?"

Sima You asked casually.

Sima Ke coughed twice, smiling unnaturally:

"Nothing, I just think the night scene is good."

"Mm, it's really good."

Sima You glanced outside, continuing to focus his main attention on Chen Yuan. Not to win over Chen Yuan, but as long as Chen Yuan no longer helped Sima Ke, then their goals would be achieved.

One less contender for the position of crown prince was one less.

"Brother Chen, it's a pity that we met too late. I deeply regret it. If we had known each other for a long time, I would definitely be proud of you. You are truly a great man with great spirit."

Sima Qian's cheeks were slightly red, and he said drunkenly.

It was unclear whether it was drunken words or words that he deliberately wanted to say, just using the drunkenness to say them.

"Yes, Brother Chen is a talented writer. Even if he doesn't follow the path of martial arts, he can shine brightly in the literary world. It's a pity that there is one more martial arts expert in the world, but one less literary master."

Sima You also said.

"Second Imperial Brother, you are wrong. The world respects martial arts, and the dynasty is founded on martial arts. Martial arts is the path to immortality. A great man should control the universe, move the sky, break through ten thousand enemies, and make a name for himself in the world.

In comparison, martial arts is the right path, the clear path, while literature is a small path, yin..."

"You don't have to argue, the paths of literature and martial arts lead to the same goal. Cultivating literature is not impossible to achieve immortality, it's just that Confucianism is declining now." Chen Yuan smiled.

Sima Ke glanced at the sky again, calculating that the time was almost up. Then, he suggested:

"It's getting late, let's call it a day today."

As he said that, he winked at Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan was suspicious, but after thinking about it, he echoed:

"That's right, you princes should rest early, and don't delay tomorrow's affairs because of drunkenness."

"I'll see Brother Chen off."

"I also..."

"No need, no need, just stay here, a little bit of alcohol means nothing to me." Chen Yuan chuckled, and directly moved to leave.

Sima Ke also quickly stood up, comforted Sima Qian and Sima You, quickly followed Chen Yuan's footsteps, and only spoke when he watched him leave the prince's residence:

"Brother Chen, please stop."

"Fourth Prince, what else is there?"

Chen Yuan had felt that this kid was a little strange before, with a feeling of wanting to say something but stopping.

Sima Ke looked around, walked closer, and said in a low voice:

"Today, Brother Chen, you are enfeoffed as Marquis of Ten Thousand Households, and it's appropriate to celebrate."

"If you have something to say, Fourth Prince, just say it." Chen Yuan frowned.

He didn't know what the other party was trying to do.

Sima Ke steeled himself and continued in a low voice:

"Yesterday, I had already made an appointment with my mother to find a way to leave the palace tonight to celebrate with Brother Chen. Now, the momentum of Brother Chen's return to Beijing has passed, so... cough cough..."

"You mean?"

"That's right, my mother is currently in the residence of the Earl of Wuwei, Brother Chen... please cherish my mother..."

————

I wrote 20,000 words today!

I didn't miss a single update, brothers, if you still have monthly tickets, please support me. The double is about to pass!

Thank you, thank you!

Monthly tickets up, tomorrow... hehehe...