178: Zhou Yan's First Experience as Emperor

Why is everyone silent?

Looking at the chaotic crowd below, who utterly lacked the decorum of court officials, Zhou Yan couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.

Their mental fortitude is truly lacking.

In that case, it was time for him to act.

He looked at Li Wenbo and Song Yan, both of whom wore blank expressions.

This little emperor certainly possessed the mind of an emperor, acting with great caution.

He didn't trust Li Wenbo, which was why he needed to sit here in the identity of Emperor Xianzong.

But he wasn't an ideal partner either.

He was just a youth after all, and the immense pressure during his growth might have left him with psychological trauma.

Such a person might be reliable normally, but failing at a critical moment would be fatal. If he were in charge and followed his own logic, there was a high probability of disaster.

As for his Senior Brother, anyone coming from the Qingxu Grotto-Heaven should have impeccable character.

Those who were truly morally corrupt would have long ago been taken for "personality correction," just like Lao Niu.

Moreover, he was a Disciple acknowledged by his Cheap Master.

Even if he wasn't a True Inheritor, it only meant he lacked sufficient strength and talent, not that he lacked character. It absolutely wouldn't be as mysterious as the little emperor suggested.

Li Wenbo certainly had his own schemes, but he wouldn't be greedy.

Because right now, his greatest desire should be to support him (Zhou Yan).

For him, Zhou Yan becoming the Saint probably brought more benefits than if he himself became emperor. The greedier he was, the less likely he was to covet the throne.

But Zhou Yan was afraid that he wasn't greedy.

If he wasn't greedy, he might try to drag Zhou Yan away and flee, so Zhou Yan couldn't fully follow his plan.

He would definitely hold back out of a desire to protect Zhou Yan, thereby planting hidden dangers within the plan.

Therefore, after thinking all night, Zhou Yan came to a conclusion.

Should he trust his Senior Brother, or the little emperor?

Better to trust Heavenly Venerable Zhou, whose wisdom is like that of a demon.

At least for now, the plan was progressing smoothly.

So, what next?

"Minister Chen, was it? You may step back first."

Chen Jingyuan didn't say much, obediently returning to his principal position in the martial official queue.

"Zhou Yan, step forward and receive your orders."

Song Yan, currently the Incarnation of Zhou Yan, was jolted back to attention by the command. He quickly jogged two steps, moving to the center of the hall.

He inexplicably felt as if he were facing his own father.

Although he was the true emperor, he was made incredibly nervous by Zhou Yan, the fake emperor.

"I have heard of you from Song Yan."

"Achieving great merit at such a young age, you are excellent."

"This subject dares not take credit. Those achievements are the result of everyone working together. I merely did my duty and took the lead for the group."

After saying this, Song Yan gradually got into character, truly embodying the role of Zhou Yan and perfectly portraying a humble and courteous young hero.

As for Zhou Yan himself, while maintaining an air of majesty on the surface, he was muttering inwardly.

What is this kid rambling about? He's not secretly cursing me, is he?

He listened as Song Yan first praised the team, then society, then elevated the discussion to the national level, before finally returning to the individual for reflection and goal setting.

After this series of maneuvers, the template for a perfect-score essay, which Zhou Yan was very familiar with, emerged.

Zhou Yan felt nothing while listening, but the officials below the jade steps seemed to be listening very seriously and showed approval.

The martial official faction, however, shared his current mood: what went in one ear went out the other. They nodded, saying "hmm," and shook their heads, sighing "alas," focusing entirely on giving maximum feedback with zero actual benefit.

Yet, this very state, observed by others on Zhou Yan, caused the officials' hearts to pound with fear.

This was a ruthless figure who killed without batting an eye, executing Soul Transformation Stage experts on a whim without considering the consequences.

Not even the Ancestral System could restrain him, because besides the Founding Ancestor, he was the most powerful.

Furthermore, the Founding Ancestor hadn't left any Ancestral System; these rules started with him.

Therefore, his every move affected everyone's nerves.

Right now, Zhou Yan was simply gazing silently below the hall, his eyes unfocused on any specific person. Yet, everyone worried that he might suddenly meet their gaze, causing them all to lower their heads.

It wasn't until the voice stopped for a moment that Zhou Yan noticed Song Yan had finished speaking. He quickly focused his mind, ending his daze.

Song Yan's face was flushed, and he waited for a response, his eyes filled with both anticipation and nervousness.

Zhou Yan glanced at the expressions of the crowd out of the corner of his eye and breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed his momentary distraction had been covered up by his imposing demeanor. That was good.

"Very good, very good. You spoke excellently. Many of your key points were distinct, and your perspective was objective. I hope you can continue to maintain this standard."

Since Emperor Taizong had spoken, how could the officials dare not follow suit?

After Zhou Yan finished his praise, they all chimed in with compliments.

Even Prince Kang offered a few perfunctory words of praise, which still gave Song Yan a considerable sense of accomplishment.

Encouraged, Song Yan's emotions were somewhat visible. This was the first time he had expressed his views in court.

Although he spoke under Zhou Yan's identity and through Zhou Yan's mouth, those were still his own thoughts.

Receiving recognition now gave this young man the youthful vigor he ought to possess for the first time.

He even held a sliver of hope: that Zhou Yan truly was Emperor Taizong, and he himself was merely a court newcomer who could rise rapidly through Taizong's appreciation, bringing vitality to Great Yu and being praised by the common people.

As if to cooperate with his wish, Zhou Yan continued.

"You have repeatedly achieved great merit, and the court is in need of talent. I hereby promote you to Supervising Secretary. Your previously temporary concurrent positions in the Ministry of Justice and the Grand Court of Judicial Review shall be made permanent."

"You now have only one mission."

"That is to thoroughly eradicate all remaining members of the Truth Cult within the Kaifeng of Kaifeng and its surrounding areas."

"This humble subject receives the imperial decree."

Song Yan was an intelligent person and understood that Zhou Yan's intention was to grant him authority to facilitate his actions.

His original plan was to assassinate Prince Kang. With this new identity, it would undoubtedly be much easier, as Prince Kang was indeed involved with the Truth Cult. He could follow the clues directly to Prince Kang, ensuring opportunities to be alone with him.

Zhou Yan waved his hand, dismissing Song Yan, and then spoke.

"As for the rest of the matters, I will not concern myself with them now. I only require the death of the Truth Cult."

"Does anyone here have an objection?"

Seeing the crowd remain silent, Zhou Yan looked toward the official wearing purple robes who stood one position behind Prince Kang.

That was the only honest person present in the entire hall, the only one who had personally attended: Chancellor Zhang.

Zhou Yan knew that there must still be many members of the Truth Cult in the current court, and not all of them would have undergone the Half-Demon transformation experiment.

Without Demonic Qi, his path of evolution couldn't easily detect how many spies remained.

Therefore, he planned to put pressure on this apparent leader of the Great Yu Truth Cult to divert attention from his future actions, making them believe he was fully focused on eliminating the Truth Cult.

"Your name is Zhang Feng, correct?"

"This subject is indeed Zhang Feng." Zhang Feng stepped out from the crowd, his expression respectful.

"You appear neither servile nor overbearing, but what a pity."

"I hear you are a member of the Truth Cult faction, and even the head of that faction. What background do you have supporting you?"

Zhou Yan was about to unleash a wave of oppressive pressure. Although he didn't plan to use great effort to kill him, he wanted to at least make him suffer a little, just for show.

Just as Zhou Yan was about to act, Zhang Feng swiftly preempted him by kneeling down and executing a smooth combo move.

"This subject is not a member of the Truth Cult, nor does this subject have a faction."

"This subject is a Successful Candidate of the Imperial Examination from the 210th year of Yongkang. If you speak of background, the Imperial Family is this subject's background."

"This subject advanced step by step, from organizing documents to assisting in governance, from scarlet robes to purple robes. Every step was inseparable from the Imperial Family's promotion."

"If you speak of support, the Imperial Family is this subject's support! If you speak of a faction, then this subject can only be a subject of the Imperial Family's faction!"

These words blocked every accusation Zhou Yan intended to make.

The opponent claimed he had no background, and that his progress step-by-step relied entirely on the esteem of the Former Emperor and the current Emperor.

Even if the esteem was forced, it was still esteem.

In this way, if Zhou Yan couldn't immediately nail him down as a member of the Truth Cult, it would be truly difficult to touch him.

He hadn't had a good reason to eliminate him in the first place, which was why he planned to suppress him to establish authority. Now, even the reason for suppression was gone.

The opponent spoke sincerely and reasoned logically. If Zhou Yan were to act recklessly based only on speculation, his image would become that of a tyrant, and the national destiny would likely come to elbow him soon.

This was a premonition of the national destiny changing, a sensitivity Zhou Yan gained after receiving a massive boost from the national destiny.

Having no choice, Zhou Yan changed the subject, dismissed him, and signaled the official beside him who was at the Half-Step Man Realm to follow the procedure and prepare to end the court session for now, reserving other plans for later.

"If there is a memorial, present it. Otherwise, court is adjourned."

"This humble subject has a presentation."

An untimely voice rang out. Zhou Yan followed the sound, his eye twitching.

Old geezer, why is it you again!