As the last ministers and attendants departed, the solemn, imposing hall of the Imperial Palace fell silent.
Only Li Qingming and Xu Tianran remained, one seated upright, the other standing quietly.
Li Qingming gazed into the distance, his expression calm and indifferent, impossible to read.
Beside him, Xu Tianran sat in silence, watching the high-ranking ministers recede into the distance. His expression was tangled with emotion, and even his breathing seemed heavy.
"To tell the truth, when I first ascended the throne, they refused to submit to me. Though I had prepared many measures, with Ye Xishui around, taking complete control of the Sun Moon Empire was still difficult."
Xu Tianran smiled as he spoke, a trace of exhaustion showing through his expression despite his efforts to hide it.
Seeing Xu Tianran's weary appearance, Li Qingming also headed toward the palace doors. "Rest assured, Your Majesty. I'm here."
"You need only handle military affairs and the kingdom's logistics. I'll resolve the problem of the Holy Spirit Cult for you."
A rare note of gravity entered Li Qingming's voice. He understood that this would not be easy, but now that he had reached this position, he had to shoulder the responsibilities that came with it.
Originally, this would have meant little to him, but after he truly took power, his state of mind had quietly changed, perhaps without even his own awareness.
He watched the officials withdraw, seeing the reverence or fear in their eyes.
A rare, peculiar look crossed Li Qingming's face, as though he were pondering something.
Xu Tianran merely murmured his assent. He could not deal with the Holy Spirit Cult, so entrusting the matter to Li Qingming was naturally the best choice.
This would resolve most of the problems and allow the Sun Moon Empire to stabilize