Flame City, the Imperial Capital of Great Li.
Great Li's Imperial City was unusually quiet that day.
It was time for morning court, and the civil and military officials entered the palace for an audience with the emperor.
In the Inner City, the City-Protecting Grand Formation, which had not been activated for many years, had been activated once more, cutting the entire Imperial Palace off from the outside world.
Although the City Defense Army in the outer city was surprised, they had received no orders and dared not enter without permission.
They merely assumed His Majesty wished to discuss secret matters with his ministers.
After all, the Four Great Dynasties and Four Great Sects had now joined forces.
News that their armies had reached the gates and were about to wipe out the Gu Clan and the Barbarian Tribe completely had already spread throughout the Great Li Dynasty.
Presumably, the dust would soon settle on this war.
Upon hearing this news, people throughout the Great Li Dynasty, from commoners to high-ranking civil and military officials,
could not help sighing inwardly.
Although, following that great battle in the Imperial Capital several years ago,
Emperor Xuan had issued a proclamation listing the Gu Clan's treasonous deeds-colluding with the Barbarian Tribe, secretly massing troops, and plotting rebellion-
and painted the entire Gu Lineage as heinous criminals,
the Gu Lineage's influence and reputation within the Great Li Dynasty had still not crumbled.
Some even secretly spoke out against the injustice done to the Gu Clan.
Now that the empire's former foremost meritorious lineage was about to be destroyed, the atmosphere throughout the empire grew stranger still.
Before the war had even ended, disputes had already arisen at court over how to deal with the Gu Clan's members afterward.
It was said that even Left