200: You remove the three giants

"Loyal, do you know why I kept only you here?"

Zhou Yan clasped his hands behind his back, his face etched with the marks of time.

This demeanor and posture left Loyal, who had been inexplicably fatigued lately, at a loss.

For some reason, ever since Emperor Taizong arrived, he had been particularly tired these past two days, and today he even felt a pain in his backside.

This left him dispirited, unable to even serve the Former Emperor before him with sufficient care.

He had originally planned to take a leave if his condition didn't improve tomorrow, otherwise, in his current state, he feared he would disrupt the Former Emperor's daily life.

He hadn't expected such a sudden incident tonight, giving him a rare chance to be alone with Emperor Taizong, who also seemed to have something to say to him.

Exhausted in both body and mind, he was too weak to ponder the imperial will deeply, so he could only weakly express his ignorance and profound apology.

Immediately after, Zhou Yan slowly approached and placed a hand on his shoulder.

The young Emperor was not tall, but Loyal was bowing, so although the posture was somewhat comical, he still successfully patted the other's shoulder.

"You've been with Us for quite some time now."

"Among those around Us, you are the most perceptive, and We appreciate you the most."

Loyal didn't understand his meaning and asked with a hint of confusion.

"But Your Majesty, the total time this humble servant has followed The Emperor doesn't even add up to a few hours, does it?"

Zhou Yan waved his hand, smoothly moving past the topic.

"Ah, ah, let's not speak such formal words."

"Today, We have an important matter to entrust to you."

"What do you make of tonight's assassination?"

Seeing the topic return to the original point, Loyal quickly offered his opinion.

"This humble servant dares not make wild conjectures, but it is likely that the assassin was sent by those lurking in the shadows."

"Their purpose should be to test the true extent of The Emperor's power."

"After all, there has never been a precedent in history for inviting Your Majesty, The Emperor. They must harbor malicious intentions to send a mere Core Formation Stage pawn to his death, just to probe The Emperor's attitude and depth again."

"Although The Emperor established his authority during the morning court, and did so again this time, as long as those people remain, there will always be those who refuse to give up."

"Situations like this may still occur."

"Therefore, this humble servant suggests strict inspections and heightened vigilance in the city, especially paying attention to our own people."

Zhou Yan listened to his analysis and nodded in agreement.

It seemed Loyal also had some understanding of the actions between the three big shots and the imperial family, otherwise, he wouldn't have pointed directly at certain people.

"It seems Loyal, you also have quite a few ideas."

"Staying in the Imperial Household Department is a bit of a waste of your talent."

Hearing this, Loyal's tired mind couldn't process it for a moment, unable to tell if it was approval or a sarcastic remark for being too talkative.

Cold sweat immediately broke out.

Zhou Yan saw him sweating and knew he had misunderstood.

The feudal system truly harmed people deeply; a casual remark from him would lead the other party to repeatedly speculate, scared half to death.

"Don't worry, We are praising you."

With this affirmation, Loyal visibly relaxed. But the words that followed made his face even uglier.

"Tomorrow the grand assembly will be held, and We have something for you to do."

"When Prince Kang and Duke Zhenguo personally arrive tomorrow, you must continuously speak ill of them, accuse them, and find opportunities for Us to diminish their authority."

"You don't need to do too much, just give Us an excuse to temporarily relieve them of their duties."

"As for whether this temporary dismissal will still be effective after the assembly ends, you don't need to worry about it."

Zhou Yan later said some fragmented things, but Loyal could no longer hear them.

He summarized it into one sentence.

"Go eliminate the three big shots."

With helplessness mixed with grievance, he pointed to himself and asked.

"Me?"

Seeing the other party pointing at his face, utterly bewildered, Zhou Yan showed a perfunctory smile, pressing his hands heavily on Loyal's shoulders, pushing him down a bit further.

"That's right, it's you."

"We said, in this palace, you are the one We value most."

"You don't have to do much; just play the part of the treacherous villain well, and We will cooperate with the rest."

"But Your Majesty, this humble servant... this humble servant doesn't know how to act like a villain?"

"It doesn't matter if you don't know; later, find some books that record corrupt officials and treacherous ministers and learn as you go."

"Anyway, the assembly will last for several days, so take your time, no rush."

Feeling that Loyal still wanted to say something, Zhou Yan stopped him first and began to push him out.

"Alright, alright, it's too late today. You go back and get some good rest, and prepare to give them a grand opening tomorrow."

"Alright, that's it, bye-bye."

"Thud."

The door in front of him closed with a thud.

At the same time, he seemed to hear the sound of his own heart breaking.

He admitted that he had feelings for this country.

He also had deep affection for the young Emperor.

He was willing to give everything for the betterment of this country and for the healthy growth of the young Emperor.

However, asking him to deal with Duke Zhenguo and the others was tantamount to striking a stone with an egg; sacrificing himself would be in vain.

He knew this Emperor Taizong was different.

Although his words weren't arrogant, his execution was extremely strong, and he wouldn't easily change his mind once he decided on something.

He sighed, feeling the heavy burden on his shoulders and a sense of helplessness.

He could only drag his weary body and turn to leave.

After only a few steps, the main door behind him opened again.

He turned back, thinking Zhou Yan had changed his mind, but who knew... "My esteemed minister, your contributions are immense. Today, We, Emperor Taizong, bestow upon you the character 'Virtuous'. From now on, you shall be called Loyal and Virtuous, to show that you are not only Loyal and brave but also possess the talent to share in The Emperor's worries."

"Your...

"Work hard, We have high hopes for you."

"Thud."

Loyal, no, he should now be called Loyal and Virtuous.

Before he could utter a word, Zhou Yan had already closed the door again.

Gazing at the tightly shut door, he savored his new name.

"Loyal and Virtuous, huh?"

His heart was filled with mixed emotions, unable to describe the taste, and he vaguely returned to his room.

Having sent Loyal and Virtuous away, Zhou Yan did not lie back on the bed but pulled up a chair and sat down.

He took out a tea set and smoothly brewed a pot of tea.

Ever since coming to this world, Zhou Yan had learned the art of tea.

For some reason, even though the Cultivators here had surpassed the Mortal realm in life essence, they still retained enjoyments such as sleep, eating, and tea tasting.

Since they all did this, Zhou Yan simply followed suit.

He smacked his lips, savoring the taste of the fine tea, which was indeed excellent.

"Meng Ke, come down and have a cup."

"You're not really going to watch me all night, are you?"

Zhou Yan pushed a cup towards the ceiling.

A figure quickly flipped down from the roof beam; it was Meng Ke, in Song Ling's appearance.

She steadily caught the cup Zhou Yan pushed over and drank it in one gulp.

"This is another thing that fascinates me about you."

"No matter when or where, you can always spot me at a glance."

"Doesn't that prove I always have you in my eyes?"

Zhou Yan casually observed Meng Ke; she seemed to be wearing pajamas. Although the style was conservative, combined with Song Ling's figure and temperament, it had a unique charm that was both loli and mature.

Zhou Yan merely took another sip of tea and refilled Meng Ke's cup.

When I was a Mortal, I only had optic nerves in my eyes. Now, my eyes should only have Qi constructed within them.

The tea flowed into Meng Ke's cup as if it had a spirit of its own, automatically filtering out impurities as it moved, maintaining its purity.

Watching Zhou Yan's control over the tea, Meng Ke couldn't help but praise him.

"Truly exquisite Water Manipulation."

"I think so too."

"So... can you tell me why you haven't left yet?"

Meng Ke smiled slightly, walked to Zhou Yan's side, conjured a chair out of thin air, and sat down next to him, very close.

Then, the ring on her finger flashed faintly, and several books of different styles and ages were taken out and stacked on the table.