All Manner of Men in the Hall, Qiu Yan Receives the Decree

The Golden Hall is solemn and majestic.

After the imperial decree was read, the hall appeared calm on the surface, but in such a vast palace, even if someone spoke, it would not easily attract the attention of others.

Moreover, having served in the imperial court for so long, and having come to the palace countless times, the officials have long since mastered various techniques, one of which is that they can converse by simply moving their lips.

Normally, this skill was used to communicate with each other. Any memorials, trends, or developments were communicated in this way, or to unify the message before submitting a memorial.

Of course, sometimes it's simply used to exchange opinions, like right now.

After Eunuch Wei left the palace, descended the steps, and conveyed the emperor's decree, the officials began to converse amongst themselves.

"That Scholar Qiu has finally returned."

"What kind of reward do you think he will receive today? Will he be promoted several ranks? Given his achievements, it is certainly possible."

"Qiu Yan will certainly receive many rewards, but not today. Today, he should only be given a title. You should know that the war on the Grasslands is not over yet, and the group of slaves who helped Qiu Yan gain merit have not yet returned. The matter of military merit will have to wait until the troops return to the capital, and then they will be given all at once."

"He caused quite a stir on the Grasslands this time; it can be said that the war between the two countries was largely caused by him!"

"Leaving that aside, do you all still remember the grand occasion a few days ago when those Human Dao Canon arrived in the capital?"

"How could I forget? I thought it was just a few books, but I never expected it to have alarmed several reclusive scholars."

"That's right. The people in the city didn't think much of it at first, but when they saw Grand Confucian gathered there, they immediately became interested, which caused Qiu Yan's reputation to soar."

"Xu Zhang from Southern Ridges was invited to serve as an official by the late emperor, but he declined, saying he was too old and couldn't withstand the arduous journey. Who knew that this time, without being notified, he led a group of disciples straight here."

"And there's Ji Xianmin from Hedong, who I heard is still seriously ill, yet he came despite his illness."

"On another note, don't be Qi Ingestion. You'll only know how powerful it is once you see the <Essentials of the Military Classics>."

"What? You saw it?"

"How could that be? Some of the Military School Human Dao Canon on humanity are capable of destroying a country. I am neither Grand Confucian scholar nor Grandmaster, and I have no popular support. How could I possibly be allowed to enter the Literary Hall? But don't forget, my teacher was also Grand Confucian. After visiting the academy this time, he praised Qiu Yan highly and even told me to consult him when I had time."

"In such a short time, he has created two classic works and caused a great upheaval in the Northern Frontier. I wonder how Qiu Yan managed to do it. You and I saw what he looked like back then. I wonder if he has changed in the past few months."

Whispers rose and fell among the crowd, not loud enough to reach the throne, but loud enough for the officials nearby to hear. For a moment, many people were pondering the name Qiu Yan and all that he had caused.

In this Eastern Capital, a Human Dao Canon and a painting depicting Human Path have brought about a series of changes, not only attracting Grand Confucian but also causing changes in all aspects of life.

During Qiu Yan's time in the northern frontier, news of him kept coming in. At first, it was about the Human Dao Canon, which excited the Military School and led to many actions. Then, the "Northern Frontier Gazetteer" written by Old Kai and others also came in, which greatly encouraged the Military School.

After the war Great Rui and the Rouluo officially began, the situation on the front lines became the focus of attention, attracting not only the attention of the imperial court and Military School, but also the concern of the common people.

The battle then became deadlocked, with no breakthrough in sight. Immediately, various parties began to stir up undercurrents, each with their own agenda, to force the military to retreat.

Just then, Qiu Yan's Slave Army suddenly rose to prominence, sweeping across the Grasslands and winning every battle. When the news spread, the people were in an uproar, and Military School were relieved of some pressure. Even Emperor Li Kun received their assistance, allowing the war to continue.

At that time, news of Qiu Yan's achievement in writing classics had spread throughout the Great Rui through various channels. Many study rooms and academies had already made discoveries when the Hundred Schools Aura gathered on the Grasslands earlier.

Therefore, when news of Qiu Yan's second classic scroll being completed spread, many Grand Confucian had already gathered in the Imperial City. When Qiu Yan handed over military power, the two Original Edition had already entered the capital. When the news spread, students along the way followed him. If it weren't for the checkpoints along the way, they would probably have flocked to the Imperial City in droves.

This naturally caused quite a stir among the people, which was then relayed to the imperial court and made known to all the officials, thus sparking much discussion when he was summoned to the capital.

However, when this voice reached the ears of a few people, some of them shook their heads.

"Although Qiu Yan has achieved success and gained fame among the people, the war between the court and Rouluo has caused turmoil, which inevitably raises suspicions of sacrificing the lives of the nation for the sake of one person's reputation." These words came from Tian Youqing, a favorite of the emperor. "Furthermore, the war on the Grasslands is currently fierce and the outcome is uncertain. The Rouluo have also sent envoys to contact other foreign tribes. Leaving aside the hundred kingdoms of the Western Regions, there has been considerable activity among the Barbarians and Marshfolk alone..."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over a few courtiers at the very back of the hall not far away. Among them was a man with a gloomy expression, silent and speechless—it was Di Ai.

The mission to Three Rivers was fruitful for all the envoys, and everyone was promoted. Even Di Ai left the Hanlin Academy, gained a rank, and was able to stand in the court, although he was not yet qualified to speak.

Now, hearing everyone around him discussing Qiu Yan, jealousy slowly crept into his heart. He subconsciously reached out and touched his chest, where a slight bulge seemed to have a human face on it.

"You seem quite interested in this adopted son of the Qiao Clan."

As Tian Youqing was watching, a voice brought him back to his senses. Following the sound, he saw Pan Xiang's face.

Tian and Pan were both pillars of the New Party, and in the emperor's heart, one was a civil official and the other a military general, and they had always been highly regarded. However, it was common knowledge that the two did not get along.

However, in officialdom, saving face is important. In the Golden Hall, the two wouldn't dare to break off their facade. Tian Youqing simply smiled and said, "Lord Qiao passed away a few days ago. You and I both went to pay our respects. Di Ai was our junior, so it's only natural that we would show him some respect."

"If you want to take care of the younger generation of the Qiao Clan, you should care about Qiao Qing, the only son of the Qiao Clan. He has already planned to resign and observe three years of mourning. On the contrary, this Di Ai not only has no intention of observing mourning, but also went to court as usual today, without a trace of sadness on his face. It would be a shame to let Lord Qiao's legacy fall on this person..." Pan Xiang shook his head as he spoke.

Tian Youqing smiled slightly and then changed the subject, "Let's not dwell on that. We've gathered here today because of Qiu Yan. Brother Pan, you heard what I just said. What are your thoughts? Are you willing to expose Qiu Yan's true colors as a fame-seeker in this hall?"

Pan Xiang shook his head and said, "Don't spout nonsense. The matter of the Barbarians and Marshfolk would have erupted sooner or later even without the Rouluo envoy's arrival. I've heard that the Barbarians have introduced their own gods to the Marshlands, and they are now quite influential Marshlands. I imagine there's some connection to that."

"Judging from Lord Pan's words, he intends to curry favor with Qiu Yan. Their relationship is indeed different now," Tian Youqing smiled. "However..." Before he could finish speaking, footsteps sounded outside the hall.

"Qiu Yan, Hanlin Compiler, requests an audience."

A slightly shrill voice came from outside the hall.

Upon hearing the sound, the thoughts of everyone in the hall shifted slightly, and they vaguely sensed a powerful force approaching.

After a series of ceremonial procedures, Qiu Yan, dressed in court attire, stepped into the main hall.

At that moment, everyone in the hall turned their gaze toward it, even the emperor on his throne.

Wang Fu and Ma Yang, who were the heads of all officials, also watched intently.

Both of them were also Grand Confucian scholars. When Qiu Yan condensed the two Original Edition, they both sensed it. After the two Original Edition, a book and a painting, were sent over, they went to take a look and were quite shocked to see the surging of the Human Path Order within them. In addition, they also vaguely noticed that many powerful beings were sealed in the book and painting, and they found Qiu Yan's knowledge and cultivation unfathomable.

Even with their limited understanding, the two felt that Qiu Yan's growth was too rapid, exceeding their comprehension and expectations. Naturally, they wanted to see Qiu Yan again to get to know him better.

Now, after the two men focused their gaze on that spot, their expressions suddenly changed. As Grand Confucian scholars, they could already see three clear Hundred Schools Aura behind Qiu Yan, as well as a fourth blurry light and shadow.

More importantly, Qiu Yan was shrouded in a dense Fortune, like a heavy, imposing cloak.

The moment everyone's gaze fell upon Qiu Yan, the aura of the officials that followed their gaze, and the wisp of Dragon Qi that followed Li Kun's gaze, overlapped with the aura of Fortune emanating from Qiu Yan!

The next moment, a surging aura erupted from his body. This eruption was difficult for ordinary people to see, but in the Void, it was like the end of the world, roaring and expanding wildly!

Centered on the Imperial City, they raced wildly towards the four directions of Great Rui!

"Your subject Qiu Yan, Hanlin Compiler, greets Your Majesty."

Qiu Yan bowed and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" Although the rank of scholar-officials was lower than that of the emperor, they did not need to kneel when entering the palace, which was a rule passed down from the Central Plains.

In the hall, Li Kun smiled and nodded at Qiu Yan, then turned to signal to a eunuch who was holding an imperial edict and announced in a loud voice, "There is an imperial edict; Prince Ding is to proclaim it!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the officials in the hall changed slightly.

"Why is it a prince issuing the decree? This is far too high a level of protocol."

However, even if they had these thoughts, they didn't have time to voice them, because Prince Ding Li Duo, had already stepped forward, taken the imperial edict from the eunuch, then turned to look at Qiu Yan. His gaze swept over the edict, his expression slightly changing, but he still spoke—

"Qiu Yan, heed the imperial decree..." (To be continued...)

ps: Thanks to "Quiet One", "xiaoguai12", "Adventurer*Tianyun", "Flying Bird", "Slaying Dragon Sky", "deitysword", "Yi Feng Sword Dance", "200530481273" and "qfhzmp" for their monthly votes!

Phew, three updates in three days in a row, almost at my limit. There's just too much to do at the end of the month. Tomorrow is National Day, wishing all readers a happy National Day!

However, I might not be able to update three times tomorrow. I just hope you will continue to support me. I will definitely find an opportunity to release more during the holiday!