Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, the next day arrived.
Today was the grand court assembly.
The ministers arrived early and stood in the court hall, waiting for Jiang Mingyang.
Jiang Mingyang appeared right on time...
But to the ministers' shock, he did not stand on the steps just below the Dragon Throne. Instead, he took his place at the front of the ministers' ranks.
The ministers were no fools. They naturally guessed what this meant, though they could not be sure.
The usually quiet grand court assembly grew noisy as the ministers whispered among themselves.
The princes standing in the front row frowned and exchanged glances, sharing what they knew, eager to confirm the thought that had surfaced in their minds.
After all, if Jiang Mingyang, who had been presiding over state affairs, had taken his place among the ministers, the true ruler must be returning.
In other words, His Majesty might once again sit on the Dragon Throne before the assembled ministers.
As members of the imperial bloodline, the princes naturally supported the Heaven Dou Imperial Family and wanted the emperor to rule.
So they watched the side door with expectant eyes, waiting for the emperor to arrive.
Meanwhile, Jiang Tian grew anxious. If the emperor really had returned, there would surely be trouble.
He quickly looked toward Jiang Mingyang, wanting to know what was happening.
Seeing his anxious look, Jiang Mingyang slowly shook his head, indicating that it was nothing serious.
Jiang Tian gradually relaxed, though doubt and unease still lingered in his heart.
Before long, Xue Qinghe appeared again under the princes' expectant gazes.
At his appearance, the princes and most of the ministers loyal to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family dropped to one knee. "We welcome Your Majesty!"
The ministers whom Jiang