Liu Zhang sat in the seat of honor, his face filled with undisguised contempt and mockery.
He slammed the wine cup in his hand onto the low table, splashing a little wine.
"Yang Feng?"
"A lowborn bastard born a slave deserves to appear on the Heavenly Screen?"
"And they call him the greatest emperor of all time? What an outrageous joke."
"What does he have to fight me with?"
"Does he have that kind of strength?"
Liu Zhang's tone brimmed with lofty superiority, as though he had heard the greatest joke in the world.
In his eyes, he was a member of the Han imperial clan, ruling over a land of heavenly abundance, while Yang Feng was merely an ant rolling in the mud. Even with a few words of praise from the Heavenly Screen, he would never be fit for polite company.
Meanwhile, in Yuzhou, the three brothers Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei sat together, watching the gradually fading Heavenly Screen, their faces shrouded in gloomy clouds of worry.
"Ah..."
Liu Bei let out a long sigh, looking forlorn.
"To think that I, Liu Bei, a member of the Han imperial clan, have spent half my life on the road, yet still live under another man's roof."
"The Heavenly Screen spoke of a world plunged into chaos, of mighty contenders rising everywhere, yet there is no foothold for us three brothers."
"How lamentable. How tragic."
Guan Yu narrowed his phoenix eyes slightly and stroked his long beard in silence, but the gravity between his brows revealed his inner unrest.
Zhang Fei, with his panther-like head and round, glaring eyes, took a sullen gulp of wine and said in his deep, rumbling voice, "Big brother, what's there to fear!"
"As for that Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, I, old Zhang, bow to neither!"
"At worst, we'll fight them to the death!"
Despite those words, all three knew that the road ahead was long, and their future would likely be even more miserable than that of Yang Feng, who had been hunted on the Heavenly Screen.
And so, amid the differing thoughts of countless factions throughout the Three Kingdoms world, new words slowly appeared once more on the golden screen suspended high in the sky.
[Today's heavenly secrets have all been revealed.] [The story of Yang Feng, the greatest emperor of all time, and Liu Zhang of Yizhou will continue tomorrow.]
Those two brief lines were like a pill to settle the heart, yet also like a death summons.
As the words faded, the Heavenly Screen turned into specks of golden light beneath the eyes of the multitude and vanished completely into the deep night.
At the sight, Yang Feng's taut nerves finally gained a moment's respite, and he secretly let out a long breath.
At last... it's over.
That damned Heavenly Screen really screwed me over today.
He could clearly feel almost everyone in the great hall directing their gazes toward him, some openly and some less so. Those eyes held a mixture of awe, wariness, curiosity, and a trace of barely concealed greed.
I'm like a piece of Tang Monk's flesh now. Everyone wants to take a bite.
And the Heavenly Screen's temporary disappearance has pushed me into an extremely awkward position.
I want to leave, but I can't.
By now, all of Shouchun City probably sees me as the future true dragon emperor. Who would dare let me leave?
I can only stay here with Yuan Shu, in this most dangerous of places.
Yang Feng's gaze swept discreetly over Ji Ling and Yan Xiang, who stood in attendance beside Yuan Shu.
Of those two, one was Yuan Shu's foremost military officer, and the other his foremost civil official.
Ever since earlier, their eyes had kept circling back to him.
Yang Feng could tell that the fervor and excitement in their eyes came from the heart.
They genuinely wanted to support him.
That was not difficult to understand.
What future could there be in following a good-for-nothing emperor like Yuan Shu?
Sooner or later, it would lead only to death.
Now that the Heavenly Screen has directly handed down an "imperial edict," declaring that I'm the one favored by heaven's mandate, clever men like them naturally know what choice to make.
Still... that's only my guess for now.
After all, the Heavenly Screen only told half the story today, portraying me as an unlucky bastard being hunted down.
That's not enough prestige.
I'll probably have to wait for tomorrow's Heavenly Screen to reveal more. Ideally, it'll show my kingly, domineering aura spilling out as I deal with Liu Zhang with a casual backhand. Only then will these men make up their minds completely and support me with unwavering devotion.
So tonight is crucial.
As long as he, Yang Feng, could get through tonight unharmed, he would be safe for the time being.
At that thought, Yang Feng felt much more at ease. He raised his head and cupped his hands slightly toward Yuan Shu, whose expression kept shifting as he sat on the dragon throne.
"Your Majesty, it is late. You must be tired as well. Why not retire early?"
Yuan Shu was indeed utterly exhausted, both mentally and physically.
He looked at the composed Yang Feng below, then glanced at his civil and military officials, each harboring different thoughts, and felt both alarmed and afraid.
He truly feared that if the revelations continued, these ministers might mutiny on the spot, drag him off the dragon throne, and put Yang Feng on it instead.
Now that Yang Feng had taken the initiative to suggest resting, he felt as though he had received a pardon.
"Yes, yes, quite right."
Yuan Shu nodded repeatedly, eager for Yang Feng to disappear from his sight.
"Minister Yang... thank you for your efforts as well. Hurry, go back and rest."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Yang Feng let out a long breath, turned, and headed toward the great hall's entrance.
However, he had barely taken two steps when a steady voice sounded behind him.
"Young Master Yang, please wait."
Yang Feng looked back and saw Chief Clerk Yan Xiang hurrying after him, a respectful and sincere smile on his face.
"The palace is crowded, with eyes everywhere. It may be inconvenient for you to rest alone, young master."
"My residence is nearby, and I have prepared some humble wine and simple vegetable dishes. If you do not disdain them, would you visit my humble home for a chat and allow this old man to offer you some hospitality?"
At those words, something stirred in Yang Feng's heart.
He immediately understood what Yan Xiang meant.
This is no invitation to visit. He's clearly offering me a pledge of allegiance, staking his own family fortune and life on keeping me safe tonight.
What a clever man.
"In that case, I shall impose on you, Master Yan."
A faint smile appeared on Yang Feng's face, and he readily accepted.
"You are too courteous, young master. This way, please."
Overjoyed, Yan Xiang hurried to lead the way.
The two walked side by side out of the great hall, with its surging undercurrents, and disappeared into the night.
At the same time, in Ji Province.