404: All ministers go to the palace

At the fourth quarter of the Zi hour, which was midnight, half an hour after The First Emperor retired for the night, Lin Yue led a team of Cavalrymen from Wang Yi and a team of Eunuchs to Qilin Hall for inspection.

The group split into two teams, walking along the lights in the silent Zhangtai Palace. After passing through a door, they arrived outside Qilin Hall.

The doors of this, the Great Qin's highest center of power, were tightly shut at this moment.

Outside the hall, several Gentlemen of the Household were already stationed. After Lin Yue presented his token, he led the two teams slowly up the side steps, and then the doors of Qilin Hall were opened by the Eunuchs.

"Creak!"

Lin Yue was the first to step in, darkness enveloping him. Lin Yue then ordered the lights to be lit, and Eunuchs scurried to illuminate the Qilin Hall's lamps one by one. The grand hall finally revealed itself completely before Lin Yue!

The Qilin Hall, usually bustling, now appeared so empty. A cool breeze blew in at night, and the bronze chimes on both sides of the hall occasionally made sounds.

Lin Yue walked forward step by step, accompanied by the melodious, though varying, musical scales.

The last time he came here, Lin Yue could only sit in the back with She Jian. This time, as a Gentleman, he was naturally uninhibited, except for the dragon throne that symbolized supreme power.

This was a place of strict hierarchy, where people fought tooth and nail for every position.

The First Emperor, at the very top, symbolized supreme power.

And the closer one was to the front, or rather, the closer one was to The First Emperor, the more power one possessed.

At this moment, he realized that the path from the hall door to the very front was much longer than he had imagined!

But some people could walk this short distance their entire lives and never reach the very front. One could also say that merely being able to enter the grand hall already surpassed most people.

"Search!" Lin Yue commanded softly.

The Cavalrymen responded, inspecting every part of the hall, including the roof.

After ensuring no one was hidden within, Lin Yue led his people out, and the team of Eunuchs took out their tools to clean.

After exiting Qilin Hall, Lin Yue asked, "Have you counted how many people there are?"

"Thirty-two in total," Wang Yi replied.

"Good. After they finish cleaning, check again. Not a single person should be missed," Lin Yue said coldly.

"Understood!" Wang Yi responded.

Lin Yue then stood guard quietly outside the hall. He looked up at the starry sky. A crescent moon hung above, bright and clear, surrounded by twinkling stars, forming a rare spectacle.

In the real world, few places could offer such a bright starry sky, Lin Yue sighed with emotion.

At Chou hour,

Meng Yi arrived with Lu Bu and a young man.

"This is Colonel Household General Lu Bu, and this is Commander of Chariots Prince Gao," Meng Yi introduced, then said to the two, "This is Cavalry Commandant Lin Yue."

"I've long admired your reputation!" The three exchanged greetings.

Meng Yi said to the three, "When the court session begins later, Lu Bu and Prince Gao will enter the hall to serve, and you, Lin Yue, will patrol outside the hall."

"Understood!" The three responded.

Lin Yue understood this decision. After all, weapons were not allowed in the hall, so guards had to be highly skilled in martial arts, preferably able to subdue an enemy bare-handed or parry a blade with their bare hands!

Lu Bu was undoubtedly the best candidate, while he, a Third-rate Military General, might not even be able to stop an assassin even with a weapon, so his presence in the hall would be of little use. Prince Gao, on the other hand, was His Majesty's own son, so he also had to enter the hall.

Lin Yue left a step earlier, leading his men to patrol Zhangtai Palace. His Imperial Guard numbered just over two hundred, which felt a bit thin in the vast Zhangtai Palace. Fortunately, during the grand court assembly, all Gentlemen had to stand guard, and they were now stationed and patrolling Zhangtai Palace.

At the third quarter of Yin hour,

Outside Zhangtai Gate, many ministers had already gathered, waiting.

Among them, there were also differences. For example, Feng Quji, Li Si, and other Nine Ministers, or ministers of that caliber – and the Nine Ministers were not just nine people – a group of over ten of them were led by Gentlemen to enter first.

Other ministers could only enter the hall once their identities were verified and the appointed time arrived.

At this point, the Gentleman outside Zhangtai Gate nodded to Lin Yue. Lin Yue glanced at the time and called out, "Open the gate."

"Understood!" The Gentleman responded.

As Zhangtai Gate opened wide, the ministers slowly ascended behind Feng Quji and Li Si, walking up ninety-nine steps and entering Qilin Hall!

Li Si glanced at Lin Yue's new face, saying nothing, but when he saw Li Mu beside Lin Yue, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Then, one after another, ministers walked past Lin Yue. Lin Yue quickly scanned them, using the Art of Recognizing People on each one.

Left Prime Minister — Li Si,

Right Prime Minister — Feng Quji,

Imperial Censor — Feng Jie, Commandant of the Guards — Li Xin, Grand Coachman — Yang Duanhe, Minister of Guests — Wang Wu, Imperial Clan Court — Zhao Hai,

Palace Construction Director — Zhang Han!

name: Zhang Han

Official Title: Palace Construction Director Assistant

Martial Power: 90

Intelligence: 91 (Official Title + 4)

Command: 92

Politics: 93 (Official Title + 4)

Charm: 86

Talent: Awaiting awakening!

Good heavens, Lin Yue looked at him deeply again. This last Great Wall of Great Qin was now in his prime, yet among all the officials in the court, he was inconspicuous. It was hard to imagine that in history, he was the one who ultimately turned the tide, becoming the last pillar of Great Qin!

As Zhang Han disappeared from Lin Yue's sight, Imperial Censor — Feng De, followed behind.

And further back were some ministers with less prominent official titles, including Literary Clerk — Sima Yi, etc.

And, Jiang Gan?

Jiang Gan greeted Lin Yue with a smiling nod. Lin Yue first checked his loyalty, and only after finding it still unwavering did he breathe a sigh of relief.

He hadn't expected Feng Cai to say Jiang Gan was coming to Xianyang, and now he had become a Grand Academician of Great Qin!

This was undoubtedly good news for him. His influence in the Great Qin court was too weak, and with Jiang Gan's addition, it could be considered a help.

As the ministers passed before Lin Yue one by one, Lin Yue finally managed to match some of the ministers' names with their faces. He also roughly knew which famous historical ministers had joined Great Qin as natives.

Overall, if famous historical ministers and military generals appeared as natives, their official positions were not too high.

And the powerhouses of the Qin Dynasty era were still powerhouses.

During this time, Lin Yue kept a close eye on some elderly ministers, watching their trembling legs as they ascended the steps, fearing they might tumble.

This was Lord Teng, the Interior Minister. Lin Yue repeatedly wanted to step forward to help him, but every time he looked like he was about to fall, Lord Teng, the Interior Minister would bravely take another step forward.

This diligent old minister, who dedicated his life to Great Qin, was now too old, yet he still radiated warmth, governing Xianyang City, which even future generations would find shocking and challenging!

Ultimately, these old ministers all steadily entered the hall.

But in between, Lin Yue still noticed one person: Imperial Censor — Ye Xuan!

How could he still be in the hall?

I need to find a way; otherwise, Ye Xuan will always be a hidden danger, Lin Yue thought to himself.

At Mao hour,

All officials had entered Qilin Hall, leaving only Lin Yue and the other Gentlemen on guard outside.

At this moment, an exceptionally luxurious jade carriage slowly approached. Thirty-two Eunuchs carried the jade carriage slowly up the steps. The First Emperor sat upon it, his black dragon robe making him appear incredibly majestic, and an aura of looking down upon the world enveloped the entire Qilin Hall!

As he passed, everyone bowed in respect, no one daring to look directly at him!

As The First Emperor entered Qilin Hall, the grand court assembly began!