While the two Vassal Lords in the Northern Lands were conferring, Jiang Huanchu of East Lu had already brought his son Jiang Wenhuan and arrived at Zhaoge first.
In the Nine-Chamber Hall, Jiang Huanchu knelt on the ground. "Your guilty subject Jiang Huanchu bows before Your Majesty. I was blinded by circumstances and listened to slander, committing a monstrous crime. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
Di Xin sat high in the Emperor's Chair, his gaze deep and unfathomable. The civil and military ministers stood in two rows, with Wen Zhong, Bi Gan, and the others among them, creating a solemn atmosphere.
"Marquis of the East," Di Xin slowly began, "the matter of the Virtual God Realm should not have involved reality, but you truly showed no regard for the bond between sovereign and subject that has endured for generations. You developed rebellious intentions. Tell me, how should I punish you?"
Jiang Huanchu knocked his head to the ground. "I am willing to hand over the seal of the Marquis of the East and await Your Majesty's disposition!"
Di Xin nodded slightly, then suddenly changed the subject. "I hear that your daughter, Consort Jiang, has been depressed in the palace recently. Is she missing her homeland?"
Jiang Huanchu's heart trembled, and he hurriedly said, "My daughter has received Your Majesty's sacred grace. It is already an immense blessing. How would she dare harbor thoughts of homesickness?"
Di Xin laughed heartily. "My beloved subject, there is no need to be nervous. I am not a heartless man. Consort Jiang herself has committed no wrongdoing, and the matter of the Virtual God Realm was also forced by circumstances."
"How about this? Your title as Marquis of the East will be temporarily retained, but all military authority and fiefs belonging to the