An Eight-Hundred-Li Urgent Dispatch at Morning Court

Li Kun was no stranger to the Tulang Tribe. The imperial court had fought several fierce battles with the north, suffering heavy defeats on most occasions. The main force of the Rouluo army included troops from the Tulang Tribe, so he remembered it vividly.

"Send someone to verify the truth of the matter immediately!"

Li Kun stood up and paced back and forth, looking uneasy. It took him a while to calm down.

"What else was written in the secret report?"

Having finally calmed down, Li Kun regained his composure, looked at the pale-faced old man beside him, and asked.

"The secret report states that the top scholar executed that Hu people Bu Yichi because he provoked and insulted the dignity of the Celestial Dynasty Empire." The old man said, bowing his head. Although he didn't say it explicitly, there was a hint of pleading on his behalf.

Li Kun's expression did not improve, but he let out a long sigh and shook his head, saying, "How could I not know that the Hu people are arrogant? But since we are determined to send troops, we should restrain our thoughts to avoid alerting them. Now it seems that although Qiu Yan is very talented, he has never experienced Sand Battlefield combat and does not have a comprehensive strategy. He is acting Blood Qi, which is probably due to his cultivation of Fate Dao. He still needs to be honed in the future."

As he spoke, he pulled out a piece of paper from beside him, spread it out, and was about to write down his opinion on how to handle the matter.

At this moment, the pale-faced old man suddenly spoke up to remind him, "Your Majesty, although this matter is confidential, the delegation involves various parties and there are many channels through which it is conveyed. I'm afraid that someone in the court has already received the news. If we handle it privately, it will be disadvantageous."

"Hmm?" Li Kun frowned, then sighed and shook his head. "Yes, the delegation has quite a few members, and several factions are involved. If I was able to receive the secret report, they certainly wouldn't be completely unaware."

It turned out that the news of Qiu Yan killing Tulang Tribe Bu Yichi at the North Gate of Dingchang had been sent to the palace by fast horse, while the memorial from the envoy Meng Qingbin was still on its way.

However, the members of that group each had different backing and interests, and they all had their own channels to pass on the information during their mission to Three Rivers. Some of them even used Divine Ability means.

After pondering for a while, Li Kun said again, "This matter is not for them to interfere with. Qiu Yan is talented and should be protected. I cannot be forced to resign the newly appointed top scholar just because one foreigner died. But doing this will inevitably have repercussions, so let's lay low for now." With that thought, he wrote a few words and handed them to the white-bearded old man.

Seeing that he had made up his mind, the old man stopped trying to persuade him.

Li Kun then continued to handle state affairs. He did not return to the palace to retire until the moon was high in the sky.

That night, he dreamt of a True Dragon, connected to him by blood, who uttered words of congratulations.

In a daze, when the time came, Li Kun was awakened and tried to recall the scene in his dream, but he couldn't grasp the clues.

"Congratulations to me? Congratulations on what?" Confused, Li Kun was helped to change into a dragon robe and, according to etiquette, ascended the Golden Hall Palace and sat high on the dragon throne.

His Highness and his ministers shouted "Long live the Emperor!" and bowed in respect. Their Literary Thought and Dragon Qi soared into the sky, rising with the Red Sun, shaking the eight directions. The true Dragon Qi veins that had been entrenched in various parts of the Great Rui were thus stirred up.

The morning court session began with the eunuch's high-pitched voice.

These powerful officials, with a single word, can influence the laws of the land.

In the magnificent palace, seemingly ordinary mortals, a single thought uttered aloud can solidify into Karma, subsequently influencing the entire world.

The memorial was submitted, decisions were made, and undercurrents were swirling, with a subtle hint of factional conflict emerging. However, Wang Fu and Ma Yang, who were in charge, did not say much, and Li Kun was high above, remained calm and controlled the situation.

This morning court session appeared no different from any other day; both the New and Old Parties were lurking and preparing for action, and any arguments were minor and insignificant.

As Li Kun listened, his doubts gradually subsided. Just as he was about to speak, as the conversation was nearing its end, Tian Youqing suddenly stepped forward, raised his tablet high, and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report!"

Tian Youqing was penalized with a salary deduction and ordered to stay home and reflect on his mistakes because of the Imperial Examinations. However, he was highly trusted and valued by Li Kun, who saw him as a future leader of the New Party. A few months later, he was summoned back to the court.

He didn't become more low-key because of this; he continued to act with great enthusiasm.

It was precisely this that made Li Kun feel that he was a man of action, unconstrained by the corrupt practices of officialdom.

However, the moment he stepped forward, Li Kun felt a sense of unease. But once he sat on the Golden Hall, he was no longer just Li Kun, but the emperor representing the dignity of the Great Rui Dynasty, and his words could not be as he pleased.

"What does Minister Tian want to say?"

Upon hearing this, all eyes turned to Tian Youqing. Many people guessed the reason, but remained silent, preparing to watch from the sidelines.

Tian Youqing, composed and serious, said, "I have heard that there is renewed conflict on the border, with court officials privately slaughtering people from the northern tribes, enraging the Rouluo. This is an act that disrupts the country; have you not heard of it...?"

Upon hearing this, Li Kun's heart skipped a beat, knowing that he had guessed correctly.

"Tian Qing and Qiu Qing have indeed fallen out, and now she's trying to kick him when he's down."

As an emperor, one's thoughts and actions must always differ. This is the Mind Arts, a tradition of Legalist School. Li Kun, recalling yesterday's secret report, immediately knew that Tian Youqing was targeting Qiu Yan, but he couldn't say it directly. Instead, he had to try to calm things down.

As for how Tian Youqing obtained the information about the delegation, it wasn't a secret. Even if someone wanted to investigate, it would only be a minor offense. What they were going to say next was more difficult to handle.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the New and Old Parties, who remained firmly in control, each made their own moves—

Wang Fu's eyes widened in anger, while Ma Yang's eyes narrowed, revealing a cold glint.

Both of these individuals displayed their own schools of thought yesterday, contributing a Hundred Schools Aura to the Eight Directions celebration. How could they be unaware of Qiu Yan's actions?

"Is Tian Youqing trying to attack his political enemies? Has he gone mad? The classic text is newly completed, and he chooses this time to cause trouble for Qiu Yan. Not to mention disrupting our own plans, once news of the Human Dao Canon spreads and Qiu Yan's reputation is established, who can protect him? How can he possibly touch Qiu Yan now?"

The thought flashed through Wang Fu's mind. The Black-faced Chancellor was determined to step in and interrupt, even if it meant being punished for disrespecting the emperor.

However, before he could speak, Tian Youqing was interrupted when a guard came in to report that there was urgent military news from the border.

"Urgent military intelligence?"

"Frontier?"

Could it be...?

The words, when put together, stirred the nerves of the officials in the hall. Recalling the recent troubles on the northern border, they couldn't help but speculate, wondering if the Rouluo in the north were making moves again.

Among these officials were many well-informed individuals who had also received news of the Dingchang City delegation. They pieced together their thoughts and immediately began to complain, believing that Qiu Yan had acted impulsively. However, when they looked at Tian Youqing, their opinions changed, and they began to harbor some thoughts of taking advantage of Qiu Yan's misfortune.

Even Li Kun was startled by the news. Remembering Qiu Yan killing Bu Yichi, and hearing the urgent military report, he panicked and instinctively blurted out—

"This has ruined my plans..."

However, the pale-faced old man before the emperor narrowed his eyes, looking at the guard who brought the news. His thoughts raced, and he knew that if it were something bad, it wouldn't be reported to the court directly. It would have to be reviewed by the emperor first before the news was released.

There must be a reason behind this; it may not necessarily be a disaster.

This isn't due to the old man's wisdom, but rather Li Kun's own blindness to the situation.

In a daze, Li Kun waved his hand, signaling the man to bring in the messenger.

The footsteps were heavy, and a man who looked to be around thirty years old walked quickly towards them. He had thick eyebrows that were taut over his eyes, giving him a cold and hard appearance.

"This humble general, Yang Cong, greets Your Majesty!" As soon as he reached the center of the hall, the man knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in greeting.

This also shows the difference in status between military officers and civil officials. When civil officials meet the emperor, they only need to bow and pay their respects, while military officers have to kneel on one knee, which makes them appear half a head lower than civil officials.

The civil officials in the palace also turned their gazes toward him. Although they were focused on the war, they couldn't help but look at the military general with a hint of arrogance.

As the assembled officials recited the mantra, a faint but palpable pressure enveloped them, carrying the unique sense of superiority characteristic of civil officials, their Qi Manifestation quite imposing.

Faced with such a situation, many military generals often find themselves at a loss, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

However, Yang Cong remained calm and showed no fear. Instead, he stood up at Li Kun's command, and even revealed a hint of arrogance on his face!

Li Kun's voice came from the Emperor: "General Yang, you said there was urgent military news. What is it? Is it a report from the frontier?"

Yang Cong then said, "I have come not to deliver battle reports, but to deliver news from the frontier." After saying this, he held up a letter in his hands.

"News from the frontier? What's the difference between this and a battle report?" Li Kun was taken aback, but his mind cleared up a bit, and he ordered someone to bring the letter over.

An elderly man with a white beard read through it first. After reading a few sentences, his pupils suddenly dilated, his face showing surprise, which eventually turned into joy.

Noticing the old man's expression, the officials couldn't help but show curiosity and surprise, and then put aside their worries about a renewed war on the frontier.

Those who held positions in the imperial court were tasked with observing and interpreting the expressions of these individuals. They knew exactly what each expression meant and understood that it wasn't a battle report.

"I suppose some new 'achievements' have come in; I wonder if they can compare to those of Lord Pan."

As they pondered this, many turned to look at Pan Xiang at the rear of the court officials, who, however, kept his eyes down and his nose up, looking as if he were in deep meditation.

Amidst all the speculation, the white-bearded old man suddenly knelt down, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" followed by, "Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

"Hmm?" Li Kun was increasingly puzzled, but he calmed himself down, reached out and looked at the contents of the paper, then his eyes widened. "What? Qiu Yan forged Human Dao Canon on the Grasslands?"

The news was so unexpected that Li Kun couldn't control his voice at all. His words immediately spread throughout the hall, and the few other noises in the hall instantly disappeared, becoming so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Tian Youqing, who had been smiling and calmly waiting in the hall with an air of confidence, suddenly trembled and instinctively exclaimed, "Human Dao Canon? Qiu Yan?" Then, a look of confusion appeared on his face. (To be continued...)

ps: Thanks to "Daofei Feifei", "Adventurer*Tianyun", "Shadow Moon", "Su Luoyu", "Blue Requiem", "Dragon Ghost", "x-laws", "Awutou", "Tiantian Jiejie 2006", and "Dao Keqi" for their monthly votes!