"Your old servant heard that Dragon Gate Academy and the Knowledge and Practice Institute will hold a grand tournament on the drill grounds during Qingming. Is Your Majesty planning to... suppress the Knowledge and Practice Institute?"
Tong Huan lifted the lower hem of his official robes and followed Emperor Chen out of the hall.
The air outside was fresh. The dew-soaked earth gave off a faint fragrance of grass and trees, while several trees with gnarled branches seemed to bask joyfully in the sunlight, brimming with life.
"Mm... the Knowledge and Practice Institute requires court funding every year. The treasury has many expenses and is already buckling under the burden. Dragon Gate Academy, on the other hand, has required not a single copper from the court since its establishment. Instead, it has donated large quantities of military supplies and provisions."
Emperor Chen bent down, scooped up a handful of slightly damp soil, and rubbed it between his fingers. He said slowly, "If the Knowledge and Practice Institute loses this tournament, there will be no need for it to exist. When that happens, I will merge it with Dragon Gate Academy!"
Tong Huan was secretly startled, but his expression remained unchanged. "In that case, Dragon Gate Academy's rise is inevitable. It seems your old servant should make preparations in advance and send the outstanding younger members of my lineage there in the future."
"Once I have dealt with the Knowledge and Practice Institute, Dragon Gate Academy will be next!"
Emperor Chen clenched his hand, and soil trickled through his fingers. He glanced at Tong Huan, whose expression had suddenly changed, then tossed away the soil and brushed the crumbs from his hands. "In the Great Chen Empire, only I... am the supreme ruler. Whether the Knowledge and Practice Institute or Dragon