Xie Cheng'en, Surprised? Didn't See That Coming, Did You?

These people are incredibly cunning. If Old Master Xie could make Xie Cheng'en kneel on the ground, how could they dare to stand up!

Xie Cheng'en rolled his eyes and said:

"I had no choice; the old man made me kneel, so I had to."

Why are you kneeling? Are you suggesting we kneel to her?

The wealthy merchants remained silent. It was time for the court session, and Zhou Wanwan turned and went inside to change her clothes.

Xie Cheng'en was about to stand up when Old Master Xie frowned and said, "Kneel properly!"

Those wealthy businessmen didn't dare to make a move.

All I saw were the ministers walking in from outside, their eyes fixed straight ahead.

Xie Cheng'en was startled. "When did so many ministers arrive at this pass?"

The wealthy merchants were even more startled. So many officials, all of them holding the rank of fifth grade or higher, they couldn't afford to offend any of them!

Xie Cheng'en looked at the ministers with a face full of doubt.

But the ministers completely ignored him and walked straight in without looking at him.

Xie Cheng'en muttered to himself:

"How strange! Why do these people look so unfamiliar?"

But it can't be said to be completely natural. Oh my god, isn't that Zhao Muyuan?

Old Master Xie slapped him again. "Shut up! You little brat, how dare you call Zhao Muyuan that? He's the Grand Tutor!"

Xie Cheng'en shrank his neck and said:

Even with my bad memory, I remember Zhao Muyuan was thrown into Ningguta a long time ago, right?

How did he end up here?

Zhao Muyuan over and looked at Xie Cheng'en, saying, "Isn't this Xie Cheng'en? The Xie Family boy, he even peed on my hand when he was little."

Shen Chaoge, standing beside him, coldly looked at Xie Cheng'en and said, "You're a good-for-nothing. You looked useless even as a child, and now you're just as cowardly as ever."

Xie Cheng'en looked at Shen Chaoge and said, "You... you're actually here."

Shen Chaoge flicked his sleeves and left.

Xie Cheng'en looked at Old Master Xie and said, "Grandpa, isn't he... isn't he our enemy?"

"What enemies? That's all in the past."

Xie Cheng'en looked at the officials behind him, his lips twitching repeatedly. Who the hell were these people?

They were all veteran figures, who had once held high positions of power, but were later exiled, dismissed from office, demoted, or had their homes confiscated.

Why have they all suddenly appeared at the border?

What on earth happened?

Old Master Xie looked at him and said, "Let's go! I also need to go in for court."

Xie Cheng'en said, "Ah? Uncle is here? How come I didn't know?"

Old Master Xie couldn't be bothered to pay him any attention.

Xie Cheng'en led a group of people and slowly walked into the main hall.

But as soon as he stepped into the main hall, he looked around and was immediately dumbfounded. "Zhou Wanwan... what are you wearing?"

Zhou Wanwan looked down at him and said, "Xie Cheng'en, your eyesight isn't very good. Come to the front."

Xie Cheng'en walked forward blankly, then saw Zhou Wanwan wearing a dragon robe. He was so frightened that he knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"You... you're actually wearing a dragon robe? Are you crazy?"

Don't you know this is a capital offense? I'm going back to the capital right now to report to the Emperor.

Old Master Xie kicked him in the butt and said:

Are you out of your mind? Can't you see the official robes I'm wearing?

Why don't you sue me too? That way, your entire family will be implicated.

The surrounding ministers all laughed.

Shen Chaoge sighed and said, "Pig brain..."

Xie Cheng'en knelt on the ground, completely stunned.

He looked at Zhou Wanwan and said:

How did he suddenly become the emperor?

I feel like I'm dreaming. Aren't you only 6 years old? Aren't you a girl?

Zhou Wanwan rolled her eyes at him and said, "Take him aside, he's too noisy."

Xie Cheng'en was immediately pushed aside.

Suddenly, the ministers below shouted in unison, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Xie Cheng'en nearly fainted and knelt beside him, trembling.

The wealthy businessmen behind them were so frightened their legs went weak. "We're doomed, we're doomed! How did we treat Zhou Wanwan before? Is she going to chop off our heads?"

"Now that we know such a huge secret, it's unlikely we'll leave here alive."

"I was wrong. If I had known she was the emperor, I should have served her like a slave. Why did I laugh at her back then?"

"I think I laughed at her too. Will we all lose our heads in a minute?"

"No way?"

The guard beside him said, "If you make another sound, I'll chop you all up."

They immediately shut up.

The midday court session was short; it mainly consisted of reports on the work of each city.

But what shocked them most was that the ministers here were not only from the Great Xia Kingdom, but also from several other countries.

What exactly is going on?

Amur said, "Recently, the Mobei Uyghur sent their second prince to the border, also for this treasure, wanting a share of the spoils."

The general of the Great Qi Kingdom also said:

"This time, the Great Qi sent the Crown Prince to give him a good training experience."

However, this crown prince is no ordinary man; he is skilled in both literature and martial arts.

Several other countries also began to report on the situation.

Xie Cheng'en looked at Zhou Wanwan on the throne room, his lips twitching repeatedly. She was the emperor. Thinking about how he had bullied her before, he felt so anxious he wanted to bang his head against the wall.

Zhou Wanwan wanted to kill him, it should have been an easy task.

Zhou Wanwan said calmly, "No matter who they are, as long as they come to Yanmen Pass, we should treat them well and make sure they feel at home."

All the ministers accepted the order.

Zhou Wanwan looked at them and said, "And your estates, you must manage them well. Report any problems immediately. Court is adjourned!"

Soon, the ministers left the court in an orderly fashion.

Zhou Wanwan stood up, glanced at Xie Cheng'en indifferently, and went straight back to the Imperial Study.

Back in the Imperial Study, she smiled happily, "I wonder what Xie Cheng'en Chengen is thinking right now?"

Cheng Chao laughed and said, "He's probably so anxious, he's afraid you'll chop off his head."

Then they heard Eunuch Hai walk in and say, "Master, Lord Xie has brought Xie Cheng'en to see you, along with a dozen or so wealthy merchants."

Zhou Wanwan said, "Accurate!"

Those people walked in. Xie Cheng'en stood ramrod straight, and Old Master Xie kicked him in the leg, saying, "Kneel down!"

Xie Cheng'en knelt down with a thud and said, "Grandpa, why did you kick me?"

Old Master Xie slapped him on the head and said, "Shut up!"

Zhou Wanwan looked at Xie Cheng'en and said, "Xie Cheng'en, are you surprised? Are you taken aback?"

Xie Cheng'en rolled his eyes and said:

"Zhou Wanwan, don't think you're so great just because you've appointed yourself some kind of local tyrant."

I'm not buying your act. Let me tell you, my uncle is the real emperor. Do you believe I'll take this to the capital right now?

I'll make you regret it.

Old Master Xie nodded and said:

"Go! Go now and tell that damned emperor that I, Xie, am no longer serving him!"

"Our entire Xie Family has rebelled. Let him do what he wants. He might as well exterminate our entire clan, then you'll be at peace."