"Qiu Yan! It's you!"
The moment Di Ai saw Qiu Yan enter, he first froze, surprise flashing across his face. Then he swiftly calmed down and said, "Minister Qiu, this is the Ministry of Rites. It is not under the jurisdiction of your Ministry of War. You have not even truly become a chief minister yet, and already you have grown this dictatorial? Do you not have the slightest regard for the law?"
He faced Qiu Yan with composure, neither servile nor overbearing, like those outstanding men in history who refused to bow before powerful ministers. If Qiu Yan were to fall from power someday, his words and conduct today would be recorded in the histories, sung for a thousand ages, and make it easy for him to be deified after death.
Yet Qiu Yan paid Di Ai's performance no mind whatsoever. He and this man had long ceased to stand on the same level; what they thought about and pursued were entirely different things.
At the side, Hu Yong, Luo Zhongjie, Li Kuo, and the others rose to salute him. There was not the slightest panic or hesitation on their faces. At Di Ai's glance, his pupils immediately dilated. Alarmed, he realized he had fallen into a trap. These men had only appeared shaken; in truth, they still stood unwaveringly at Qiu Yan's side. They had merely infiltrated his midst and lured him into showing himself.
Having understood this, Di Ai immediately knew he had been exposed, but he did not fear it. He had concealed himself within the court while moving throughout the land, seeking to stir up the situation and throw Donghua into chaos. Now the Noble Clans were rising together, and the cultivation world was also in motion. His goal had nearly been achieved. Moreover, the