Wherever Li Chen went, people crowded around him, leaving Lin Yue'e no chance to get close.
She could only watch his retreating back in silence, a jumble of emotions churning in her heart.
Just then, a female friend beside her looked at her regretfully and said, "Yue'e, why didn't you seize the opportunity? I heard our new emperor only just ascended the throne and doesn't even have any consorts yet."
She was encouraging Lin Yue'e to approach Li Chen. Perhaps she could fly onto a lofty branch and become a phoenix.
Her words made Lin Yue'e pause, but then she said seriously, "You shouldn't put it that way. His Majesty only happened to meet me while traveling incognito. He helped solve my problem and, while he was at it, improved our cultivation environment and the academy's benefits. I think what we should do isn't spend all day dreaming of clinging to dragons and phoenixes, but cultivate diligently and do our part for the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty in the future. Only then will we be worthy of His Majesty's efforts to nurture us."
Lin Yue'e meant every word. She knew she was somewhat pretty, but not enough to leave anyone utterly spellbound.
A person's greatest virtue was self-awareness.
Dwell too much on unrealistic fantasies, and you would end up trapped in a dead-end obsession.
If Lin Yue'e couldn't even understand that much, she would never have reached her current cultivation level.
Most importantly, Li Chen's gaze toward her had been very "clear." One glance was enough to tell whether he liked her.
"Uh, then why are you standing here in a daze?"
"I was just thinking that I'll never be able to repay His Majesty's kindness!"
"..."
For many people, tonight might have been an occasion that left everyone happy.
The new emperor, Li Chen, had resolved a problem that had plagued the Battle Academy for years. Not only would spoiled brats no longer come to cause trouble, but more resources would also be supplied.
He had restored the Battle Academy's former vitality, and his reputation would naturally spread by word of mouth throughout the academy.
Quite a few elite students already saw him as the person they wished to follow for the rest of their lives.
Li Chen himself, however, felt rather like cursing.
"What? You're not counting that as completing the mission?"
Only after returning to his sleeping quarters did Li Chen discover that his mission was still incomplete.
He had struck twice in total. He wasn't sure whether Chen Rong of the Ministry of Rites' Office of Ceremonial Protocol had any cultivation.
But that spoiled brat Chen Jie had at least studied at the Battle Academy. Even if he was useless, he ought to have some cultivation.
[Upon inspection, the two individuals defeated by the host were at the peak Origin Condensation Realm and had no cultivation, respectively. The host has not defeated a cultivator at the mid Meridian Opening Realm, so the mission cannot be settled.]
Li Chen: "..."
The Origin Condensation Realm was a whole realm above the Meridian Opening Realm.
Seriously? I have to beat someone at the mid Meridian Opening Realm, and even a little higher doesn't count?
You're not worried I'll beat someone at the mid Meridian Opening Realm to death, either.
At Li Chen's current level, finding someone powerful to fight was easy. Finding someone weak was genuinely difficult.
Still, there was plenty of time left, so Li Chen could only make time for another trip to the eastern part of the city.
Now he was wondering whether his approach had been wrong.
At first, Li Chen had figured that since he was already a Saint Realm emperor, he could take two subordinates out, find some troublemaker at random, beat them up, and finish the mission.
He hadn't bothered concealing his identity, either. As long as he had a legitimate reason, that was enough.
If the system had assumed he had just transmigrated and assigned him a beginner's tutorial, then he probably wouldn't have had many subordinates around him "at that time," nor would his status have been high.
So the system wants me to go alone? And hide my identity?
But what's its purpose in making me do that? Is it really just a mission?
Or does the system want me to obtain something? That "something" should be useful to the me from "that time."
At morning court the next day.
Li Chen still looked as listless as ever.
The officials below, however, were full of energy, especially Yan Hai, the Minister of Rites. He looked so pleased with himself that anyone who didn't know better might have thought his family was celebrating some happy occasion.
Still, today's morning court was markedly different.
Grand General Guo Poyun had been ordered to reflect on his conduct at home for three days. The Empress Dowager, who should have been overseeing court from behind a curtain, had excused herself on grounds of ill health.
Chancellor Zhao Wenyuan remained as composed as ever. No one knew what he was thinking.
Compared with yesterday's clamor, today seemed particularly solemn and dignified.
Everyone's attention was focused on the new emperor, Li Chen. His every move required careful scrutiny.
As soon as court began, Yan Hai, the Minister of Rites, presented several lists.
They detailed the offenses he had uncovered during yesterday's thorough investigation of the Ministry of Rites officials. They were so meticulous that he had even discovered that Chen Rong of the Office of Ceremonial Protocol had stolen a neighbor's chicken at the age of seven.
Li Chen had no idea how he had managed to investigate that.
As for how to deal with them, that was simple enough. Li Chen ordered Yan Hai to punish them strictly according to the law.
Yan Hai understood what Li Chen meant. Originally, these people would merely have been imprisoned for abusing their authority for personal gain. Now they would all be sent away to work in the mines.
Next, the other court officials began earnestly reporting on their work.
There were palace eaves that needed renovating, official roads outside the city that needed repairing, and reports submitted by government offices across the realm.
For the first time, Li Chen felt as though he were in prison.
Why does an emperor have so much to deal with? Just listening to reports takes hours.
On top of that, there were memorials waiting for him to read in the Imperial Study.
It gave Li Chen a tremendous headache. He couldn't understand why the other princes were so eager to become emperor.
He had only been emperor for two days, and he was already getting sick of it.
Still, Li Chen had his own way of handling things.
He let the court officials handle minor matters themselves and consulted Chancellor Zhao Wenyuan about major ones.
There were established rules and procedures for all these matters. Having served as officials for so many years, they surely knew them.
They simply needed permission from Li Chen, the emperor, before proceeding.
Halfway through court, the Minister of War stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, I have received an urgent report from the frontier. His Highness the Third Prince harbored treasonous intentions at the border and raised his troops in rebellion the day before yesterday. His army is marching toward the Imperial Capital. The situation is critical. I implore Your Majesty to make a decision without delay."
The Minister of War's voice echoed through the hall, every word striking the officials' hearts like a heavy hammer.
The hall instantly fell deathly silent, leaving only the Minister of War's heavy, rapid breathing.
The officials exchanged looks, their eyes filled with shock and unease.
What shocked them wasn't that the Third Prince had rebelled, but that he had actually dared to rebel.
Against an ordinary emperor, rebelling would have been one thing. But this emperor was at the Saint Realm.
What difference was there between the Third Prince rebelling and seeking his own death?
Since this world had no radio, intelligence arrived with a delay. The Third Prince had already called off his rebellion, but news of his withdrawal had yet to reach them.
The civil and military officials throughout the court began discussing it. The Second Prince had caused trouble too, but at most he had mouthed off in the Imperial Court. He hadn't taken any actual action.
Besides, Li Chen couldn't even be bothered to deal with him, so there was no need for anyone else to keep bringing him up.
The Third Prince was different, though. He had led the frontier troops away from their defensive positions. There was simply no whitewashing that.
Chancellor Zhao Wenyuan said nothing, but he knew full well that the Minister of War was one of the Empress Dowager's people.
The Empress Dowager's absence today probably meant she was orchestrating all this from behind the scenes.
Could the Empress Dowager be trying to make His Majesty and the Third Prince fight each other first?
Before you continue