Time flew by, and Qian Xunji finally got his Cabinet up and running.
The Cabinet currently had only five members: Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, and three cardinals who helped him handle Spirit Hall's daily affairs.
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo naturally headed the five. What Qian Xunji could not understand was why, when he asked them to help him handle official business,
they thanked him instead. They even said they were hardly worthy of such an honor.
Well, he did not need to understand it. Qian Xunji had freed himself from most of the work. Each day, he came to the Papal Palace, checked how they had handled matters, offered suggestions, and stamped the documents.
If a proposal seemed sound, he approved it. If not, he sent it back for revision. His workload had dropped by at least ninety percent.
Seated at his desk, Qian Xunji leafed through the files the Cabinet had finished. He approved those he found acceptable and returned the rest for further work.
"Huh? I didn't expect the Holy Dragon Sect to be the first to pledge allegiance." Qian Xunji read on carefully.
The Holy Dragon Sect was not one of the Seven Great Sects, but it was far from weak. Its leader was a Soul Douluo.
The Seven Great Sects had originally included the Upper Three Sects: the Clear Sky Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
The Lower Four Sects were the Wind Sword Sect, Black Tiger Sect, Elephant Armor Sect, and Fire Leopard Sect. He had intended to elevate one of them to the Upper Three Sects!
Unfortunately, none of the Lower Four Sects had pledged allegiance. Perhaps they were waiting to see what happened. But opportunity favored those who were prepared, and the Holy Dragon Sect had clearly made a bold wager!
If it paid off, the Holy Dragon Sect would join the Upper Three Sects. If it failed, not only would they lose that chance, but they would also make enemies of the other sects!
"The Holy Dragon Sect's Martial Soul is the White-Armored Earth Dragon. It isn't a dragon-type Martial Soul, but it's closely related to dragons. Quite a powerful Martial Soul, all things considered. Their leader's name is Tuoba Xi?"
"A Peak Level-89 Soul Douluo? If I remember right, he should..." Qian Xunji stroked his chin as he studied the file. Then it came to him. "If I remember right, he became a Titled Douluo in the original timeline, didn't he?"
"He died rather abruptly, but he did become a Titled Douluo. Hmm... He'll do!"
With that, Qian Xunji stamped the file. He had also read the Cabinet's recommendation at the end: accept the Holy Dragon Sect's allegiance and let it fill the vacancy in the Upper Three Sects.
Before long, Qian Xunji had finished all the day's official business. With nothing left to do, he departed.
In the garden behind the Papal Palace, Ah Yin saw him arrive with a smile on his face.
"Xunji, are you finished with everything?" Ah Yin asked.
"Mm." Qian Xunji nodded, entered the Pavilion, and sat beside her. "It's all done. Setting up the Cabinet has taken a huge weight off my shoulders. My workload's down by at least ninety percent!"
"All official business goes to the Cabinet first. They read it and make their recommendations. If it looks good to me, I approve it. If not, I send it back and have them come up with something better!"
"Something interesting happened today, actually," Qian Xunji said, drawing Ah Yin into his arms.
He did not so much as glance at the two babies in the stroller beside them. It was as though he and Ah Yin were the true love story, and the babies were an accident.
Though they had been a surprise. He had planned for Ah Yin to become pregnant within a year. Who could have expected it to happen in a month?
It had caught him completely off guard, but that was behind them now. He had grown used to it.
"What happened?" Seeing Qian Xunji so relaxed, Ah Yin felt happy for him from the bottom of her heart.
"Remember how I told you I wanted to promote one of the Lower Four Sects to the Upper Three Sects, to fill the place left by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?"
"I'd planned to give the place to whichever of the Lower Four Sects pledged allegiance first. But those old foxes are all sitting on the fence. Not a word from any of them."
"And guess what happened?" Qian Xunji broke into a grin. "The Holy Dragon Sect, which isn't even one of the Seven Great Sects, pledged allegiance first."
"Honestly." Qian Xunji sighed softly. "Why can't people trust each other a little more?"
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's place should have gone to one of the Lower Four Sects. Instead, the Holy Dragon Sect snapped it up."
Ah Yin smiled. "When the Lower Four Sects find out, won't they regret it terribly?"
"Of course! A place among the Upper Three Sects brings status and honor beyond measure," Qian Xunji said.
"But never mind them. Opportunity favors those who are prepared. The Holy Dragon Sect dared to take the gamble. Spirit Hall went all that time without deciding who would fill the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's place."
"Wasn't the message clear enough? Whoever pledged allegiance to Spirit Hall first would fill the vacancy in the Upper Three Sects."
"Those old foxes... What were they thinking so hard about? They handed the prize to the Holy Dragon Sect."
"Enough of that. Let me see Xiao Xue and Xiao Feng."
Qian Xunji leaned over. Qian Renxue was still fast asleep, though she had sprawled out so much that one little foot was planted squarely on Qian Renfeng's face.
As for Qian Renfeng... his expression was hard to describe. He looked utterly resigned to his fate.
"Hahaha!" Qian Xunji burst out laughing at the sight. "Ah Yin, come take a look."
Ah Yin leaned over too. When she saw them, she could not help laughing. "Xiao Xue is wonderful in every way, but she really is a restless sleeper."
Ah Yin got up and shifted Qian Renxue into a better position. Qian Renfeng seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"You two, hurry up and grow. Your father and I can hardly wait to hear you call us Mama and Papa."
Qian Renxue and Qian Renfeng could not speak yet. They could only babble; they had not developed that far.
"Mm," Qian Xunji said. "Ah Yin, pick them up. Let's head down the mountain and have a look around. It's rare for me to have this much free time."
"I'd love to..." Ah Yin said sweetly, gathering Qian Renxue and Qian Renfeng into her arms.
The two little ones were growing quickly, but they were not heavy at all.
"After a while, let's leave Spirit City and travel. I may be the Pope, but my duties have always kept me tied to Spirit City."
"Now that things are easier, it's time to go out and see the beautiful landscapes of the Douluo Continent."
Qian Xunji turned to Ah Yin, his face full of tenderness. "And when we come back, how about I hold a grand wedding for you?"
Ah Yin lowered her head shyly. "Whatever you wish."
Before you continue