"Official robes and seals?"
"Protection from official status?"
The moment Lin Ke finished speaking, cries of astonishment erupted throughout the Marquis Guest Hall.
Even the fat on Lord Kang's face trembled as he exclaimed, "What do you mean, Lord Lin? I've never heard of the Great Wilderness Council having any official posts!"
Lord Kang had also been present at the earlier court deliberations.
He had witnessed Lin Ke single-handedly wage a war of words against the assembled scholars, witnessed the Sage Emperor's throne, and witnessed the demise of the old rites and the birth of the new rites.
That was why Lin Ke's current demeanor unsettled him.
Back then, Lin Ke had charged boldly ahead, fearless and undaunted. Before the Sage Emperor himself, he had dared to rail against the Three Dukes and Twelve Departments, dared to refute the rites of the entire realm.
Lin Ke was young and accomplished, brimming with talent, firm in character, and possessed of keen perception and cool judgment.
Lin Xuanji had lived through several hundred sixty-year cycles, was seasoned in officialdom, calculating and shrewd, and adept at concealing his true thoughts.
The clash between father and son had given everyone attending the court deliberations quite a show.
Yet now, Lin Ke no longer resembled a keen-edged sword, but a plain, unassuming bow.
Until the time came to loose an arrow, no one could sense the danger.
At that thought, something flickered in Lord Kang's eyes.
And Lin Ke naturally caught that flicker.
"Heh, this was His Majesty's own instruction." Lin Ke looked troubled. "The pressure is considerable, but when working for His Majesty, for the Imperial Court, and for the common people of the realm, I can only shoulder this responsibility."
"I see." Lord Kang smiled meaningfully. "At the earlier court deliberations, I learned