Ancestral Land, the Azure Heavens, Great Xuan.
After the initial panic caused by the moonlight teleportation, humanity quickly came to its senses.
Emperor Ye Heng of Great Xuan damaged his own heart meridians and released the fortune of the Three Qi Cauldrons, distributing it among Great Xuan's officials of every rank. He then cast the imperial Vast Imperial Grace, allowing all officials to "rise three ranks in succession."
A Ninth Rank County Magistrate became a First Rank Great Scholar, a Seventh Rank Prefect became a Great Scholar, while a Third Rank Department Head... lacked sufficient fortune and would have to rely on himself.
However, such a great technique was based on the nation's fortune. Once that fortune was exhausted, the officials would return to their original ranks—and might even suffer damage to their Confucian hearts.
Han Changli had once mentioned this in a poem, using a vivid metaphor: "A memorial submitted at dawn reaches the Ninth Heaven; by dusk, I am demoted to Chaozhou, eight thousand li away."
Yet beneath this Vast Imperial Grace, almost every official accepted without the slightest hesitation.
At this moment, as long as it gave them the power to protect the common people, they were willing to pay any price.
As the saying went, "To purge the evils before the Sagely Sovereign, who would begrudge his remaining years despite his frailty?"
"Your Majesty..." Hou An carried a bowl of medicinal food to Ye Heng and said softly, "Please eat something..."
Ye Heng shook his head. After casting Vast Imperial Grace, he no longer looked as full of vitality as before. His eye sockets were sunken, the wrinkles on his face pronounced, and he seemed to have aged ten years overnight.
"How is the situation?" Ye Heng waved a hand and asked.
"So far, eighteen