Once the stroke of midnight had passed, it was a new day.
It was as if Chen Ping'an had been keeping vigil not only for himself, but for the entire human world.
When Liu Rao said coldly, "Court is dismissed if there is nothing further," the Great Shou civil and military officials attending the "night court" receded like the tide.
Under the candlelight illuminating the great hall and square, they resembled a school of crucian carp crossing a river, swishing their tails from the imperial court toward powerful households.
Not one upright minister rammed himself into a pillar and died, proving his resolve through death. Not even an official spat harsh words or made grand declarations. It was as though every last one of them had accepted their fate.
But Liu Rao knew the Great Shou court better than anyone. He knew there was still a batch of fine timber and beautiful jade hidden in that rotten mud pit. And that was precisely the situation Liu Rao wanted: chaos.
Quite a few young and middle-aged officials who had temporarily chosen silence already regarded the Great Li Song Clan, their "suzerain state," as mortal enemies. The looks they gave Liu Rao brimmed with hatred and resentment carved into their bones.
As the most powerful National Teacher since Great Shou's founding, he was destined to have his name dragged through the mud.
If not for the Central Plains Confucian Temple's rules forbidding Qi refiners from serving as a country's ruler, rumors would probably sweep through the court and commonfolk by tomorrow morning that National Teacher Liu Rao planned to usurp the throne and proclaim himself emperor.
Yin Ni, who had not immediately departed for the Jade Firmament Palace atop the mountain, let out a faint sigh. "Why put yourself through this?"
Liu