"Ao'er, do not panic. As the supreme ruler of the realm, even if the nation stands on the brink of ruin, you must not panic." Benevolent Sovereign Ji Long, reduced to a remnant soul, did not miss a single opportunity to teach Ji Ao and help him grow.
His quest for immortality had failed, his imperial legacy spanning ten thousand generations had come to nothing. Now, Benevolent Sovereign Ji Long only hoped that Ji Ao could restore Great Zhou under his guidance and save the empire from collapse.
If that could be achieved, it would also mean that Benevolent Sovereign Ji Long had fulfilled his imperial ambitions in another form.
"Imperial Father, my mind is in utter chaos. Ye Zhen has always had a grudge against me. If Ye Zhen..." Ji Ao let out a melancholy sigh.
"Ao'er, when governing an empire, you must analyze matters from many angles—politics, strength, and the hearts of the people." As he spoke, Benevolent Sovereign Ji Long began analyzing the matter for Ji Ao.
"Ye Zhen has assumed the position of King of North Sea and established a royal court. This news is terrifying, but you have overlooked an exceedingly important point."
"What point?"
"The Town-Guarding Duke's Mansion claims that he assumed the position of King of North Sea by Imperial Decree!"
"This?" Ji Ao, the New Monarch, lit up at once and immediately grasped something. Clearly, after more than a year of instruction from Benevolent Sovereign Ji Long's remnant soul, Ji Ao had been growing at a rapid pace.
"This means that, at least in name, Ye Zhen still honors Great Zhou. That 'by Imperial Decree' demonstrates his attitude as a subject. Even if it is merely superficial, it is already enough for you.
"Otherwise, he should have proclaimed himself under some other