Chen Ji walked out from the end of the line, passing the Imperial Guard, Chen Liqin, Li Xuan, and the Crown Prince, his gaze fixed straight ahead. Everyone’s eyes followed him as he slowly walked towards the brilliantly lit Renshou Palace.

An official from the Court of State Ceremonials looked at the Crown Prince, the Junior Supervisor of the Imperial Academy, and the Commander of the Imperial Guard, who were still waiting for the imperial decree outside the palace. He then glanced at Chen Ji’s retreating back, his eyes betraying a hint of doubt, which he silently suppressed.

In front of Renshou Palace stood a “Filial Piety Stele.” The first line of its inscription read: “Filial piety and fraternal duty are the roots of benevolence.”

Chen Ji’s gaze swept over the inscription; he was not in the mood to read further.

Just before he stepped through the palace gates, the middle-aged man wearing a python robe at the gate deliberately said, “Answer only what His Majesty asks. Do not act on your own initiative, and do not deceive the Emperor.”

This eunuch in a python robe had an imposing presence; he didn’t seem like a mere inner palace official, but rather like a prince. Only two individuals in the inner court administration were permitted to wear python robes: the Chief Eunuch Xu Wenhe, known as the “Inner Prime Minister” or “Poison Prime Minister,” and the Supervising Eunuch Wu Xiu, who had just taken control of the Jie Fan Guard from the Chief Eunuch and served close to His Majesty. The person before him must be Wu Xiu.

Chen Ji cupped his hands and replied, “Understood.”

He lifted his robe and stepped over the high threshold. Beyond the hanging gauze curtains in the hall, he saw a person seated cross-legged, like a coiled dragon. From the beams hung wooden plaques with “Five Thunder Talismans,” consecrated by the Laojun Mountain Daoist Temple. The caisson ceiling above was painted with the Twenty-Eight Mansions of the lunar lodge. The floor was laid with lapis lazuli bricks from the imperial kilns of Suzhou Prefecture, and carved into the bricks were the Big Dipper stars.

The moment Chen Ji stepped into Renshou Palace, he felt an almost tangible imperial aura pressing down on him. It suppressed the five hundred and fifty “furnace fires” within his body, making them flicker like candles in the wind. Not only the “furnace fires,” but even his body felt heavy.

Chen Ji was puzzled. High-ranking officials of the second rank could be immune to magical arts, but an earthly emperor possessed an even more concentrated imperial destiny. Could it be that anyone within twenty steps would have their cultivation suppressed?

The next moment, the few icy currents in his dantian wildly surged, coveting the earthly emperor behind the gauze curtains. He had felt this same sensation when he met Prince Jing – an almost uncontrollable, instinctive craving. This craving extended not only to Emperor Ning but to everyone else in Renshou Palace as well.

On the embroidered stools to the left sat two elders: the first, wearing a gold foil crown, was Grand Secretary Xu. The other held a blood rhinoceros tablet, Grand Secretary Qi. On the embroidered stools to the right also sat two elders: the first, wearing a belt of mutton-fat white jade, was Grand Secretary Hu. The other, with entirely white hair, wore a belt of bright green jade, Grand Secretary Chen. All four wore red robes.

Almost all of the most powerful figures of the Ning Dynasty were gathered in Renshou Palace. The icy currents within him seemed to scream hoarsely, “Kill them all! Kill them all!”

At this moment, Zhang Zhuo, standing behind Grand Secretary Xu, winked at Chen Ji. Chen Ji came back to his senses, and his turbulent emotions gradually calmed.

He bowed deeply. “This humble commoner, Chen Ji, respectfully wishes His Majesty eternal peace.”

Renshou Palace fell silent. Everyone’s gazes converged on Chen Ji’s back, as if trying to see through him.

After an unknown period of time, Emperor Ning, from behind the gauze curtains, slowly said, “Rise and speak.”

Chen Ji straightened up and replied, head bowed, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Emperor Ning remained silent behind the gauze curtains. The various ministry officials standing behind the Grand Secretaries held their breath.

Finally, Grand Secretary Xu slowly asked, “Chen Ji, you were clearly a meritorious official in protecting the emperor, having killed over a hundred Tiance soldiers, yet Hu Junxian’s memorial made no mention of you. Is there a personal grudge between you two?”

Chen Ji did not understand politics and did not know whether goodwill or malicious intent lay behind the question. He had thought he was merely going through a formality, but unexpectedly, he had been summoned for a private “interrogation.”

At this moment, seeing his silence, Zhang Zhuo sternly said, “Chen Ji, answer the Grand Secretary’s question truthfully!”

Chen Ji’s mind settled slightly, and he replied, “To Grand Secretary, to Lord Zhang, I have no personal grudge with Commander Hu.”

Zhang Zhuo pressed further, “Then why did he omit you when reporting meritorious deeds?”

Chen Ji thought for a moment. “My mentor, Wang Daosheng, once wrote a letter to Commander Hu, recommending this humble commoner to the Guyuan border army. Commander Hu summoned this humble commoner to the Guyuan city wall to express his intention to recruit me, but I refused.”

Grand Secretary Xu slowly asked, “Why did you refuse?”

Chen Ji cupped his hands and replied, “To Grand Secretary, it was too far from home.”

Grand Secretary Xu further asked, “Are you aware that Hu Junxian colluded with the Directorate of Ceremonial, using the Crown Prince as bait, to ambush the Tiance Army?”

Chen Ji’s heart stirred. He realized that the debate within Renshou Palace earlier had likely been about the merits and demerits of Hu Junxian and the Guyuan border army. How should he answer? He should “answer truthfully” as Zhang Zhuo had implied. Everyone present had their own stance; only Zhang Zhuo genuinely wanted to help him. What Zhang Zhuo implied was likely what Emperor Ning wanted.

Grand Secretary Chen, from the side, also spoke, “Do not be evasive before His Majesty.”

But Chen Ji thought of the wind-swept, dusty city of Guyuan. He lowered his eyes and softly said, “This humble commoner does not know.”

Zhang Zhuo exclaimed in a low voice, “You personally experienced the battle of Guyuan and stood by His Highness’s side. How could you not know? Confess truthfully!”

However, at this moment, a crisp copper bell rang out from behind the gauze curtains, its sound muffling all other noises. Everyone turned to look. The Emperor, from behind the gauze curtains, was shaking a Daoist ‘Three Mountains Bell,’ and said meaningfully, “Zhang Zhuo, stop hinting to him.”

Zhang Zhuo immediately prostrated himself, saying, “Your subject only feared he would waste His Majesty’s time. I humbly beg for Your Majesty’s judgment.”

Emperor Ning calmly said, “That Chen family boy considers everything carefully before speaking, fearing he might say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, or bear the wrong responsibility. He certainly has the demeanor of a Grand Secretary, and I imagine he has the potential to be a Chief Grand Secretary.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the four Grand Secretaries on the embroidered stools immediately prostrated themselves, saying, “We beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness. Your humble subjects absolutely have no intention of shirking responsibility or engaging in disputes.”

Emperor Ning chuckled behind the gauze curtains. “Grand Secretaries, please rise; the floor is cold… Summon Li Xuan and Qi Zhenzhuo.”

After the two entered Renshou Palace, Grand Secretary Xu asked, “Do either of you know whether Hu Junxian colluded with the Directorate of Ceremonial, using the Crown Prince as bait, to ambush the Tiance Army?”

Li Xuan and Qi Zhenzhuo exchanged glances. Grand Secretary Qi slowly said, “Speak truthfully.”

However, to everyone’s surprise, just as Qi Zhenzhuo was about to speak, Li Xuan quickly cupped his hands and said, “To Grand Secretary, your humble subject does not know.”

Grand Secretary Qi frowned. “Qi Zhenzhuo, you speak.”

Qi Zhenzhuo hesitated for a moment. “Your humble subject truly does not know. I only heard that Yuan Zhen, the Commander of the Tiance Army, publicly stated that it was the innkeeper of Dragon Gate Inn who betrayed the Crown Prince’s whereabouts. That innkeeper was once a military advisor in the Guyuan border army, but he resigned over ten years ago.”

Grand Secretary Hu finally spoke, his gaze piercing, his voice hoarse, “Where is he?”

“He’s dead.”

Grand Secretary Hu nodded. “That cannot be verified.”

Qi Zhenzhuo added, “Yuan Zhen said it in front of many people…”

Before he could finish speaking, Grand Secretary Hu calmly said, “That’s just one side of the enemy’s story.”

Qi Zhenzhuo was speechless.

Grand Secretary Chen tremblingly rose and cupped his hands, saying, “Your Majesty, bring in the witness.”

Emperor Ning shook the Three Mountains Bell behind the gauze curtains.

The next moment, two Jie Fan Guards escorted a disheveled scholar in a green robe into the hall. When Chen Ji recognized the person, he froze. Mr. Feng? Wait, if Mr. Feng was arrested, then who was the White Dragon wearing a mask earlier? Could it be that this Mr. Feng isn’t the White Dragon’s true identity either?

Chen Ji felt a headache coming on.

Then he heard Grand Secretary Xu calmly say, “Feng Wenzheng, what is your identity?”

Mr. Feng prostrated himself and loudly replied, “I am the Sick Tiger, one of the Twelve Zodiacs of the Directorate of Ceremonial’s Secret Service.”

Chen Ji was startled. Mr. Feng was the Sick Tiger? No, that’s not right!

Grand Secretary Xu further asked, “Someone has memorialized that you betrayed the Crown Prince to ambush the Tiance Army. Is this true?”

Mr. Feng prostrated himself and said mournfully, “This inner official acted recklessly, disregarding the Crown Prince’s life. Death would not be regrettable enough.”

Grand Secretary Xu asked again, intently, “Feng Wenzheng, were you instructed to carry out this treacherous act?”

Mr. Feng replied, “No one instructed me; this inner official acted on his own initiative.”

Grand Secretary Xu asked, “Between you and Hu Junxian, who was the mastermind?”

Mr. Feng said in a low voice, “This inner official was the mastermind, falsely conveying imperial decrees from the inner court administration to Hu Junxian.”

Grand Secretary Xu looked across the hall. “Grand Secretary Hu, do you have anything further to say?”

Grand Secretary Hu slowly closed his eyes. “No.”

The Emperor behind the gauze curtains calmly said, “Draft the edict.”

Wu Xiu walked in from outside the door. He ordered two young eunuchs to carry in a desk, then took up his brush before it.

Emperor Ning slowly said, “Feng Wenzheng, the Sick Tiger of the Directorate of Ceremonial’s Twelve Zodiacs, forged imperial decrees from the Directorate of Ceremonial and acted recklessly. However, considering his merit in slaying bandits, he is to be imprisoned in the inner prison, awaiting execution. Hu Junxian, Commander-in-Chief of Guyuan, was negligent in his duties and is an accomplice. He is fined three years’ salary and demoted from a second-rank Dragon-Tiger General to a fourth-rank Illustrious Might General, remaining in his post as Commander-in-Chief of Guyuan. Zhou You, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Guyuan, is also an accomplice, demoted from a third-rank Valiant General to a sixth-rank Loyal Knight, serving as a Captain. The Military Advisor of Guyuan…”

After the appointments for the outer court were concluded, Emperor Ning further said, “Xu Wenhe, Chief Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, failed to discern people’s true character. He is fined three years’ salary and demoted three ranks. As for the vacant positions of Deputy Commander-in-Chief and Military Advisor in Guyuan, Zhang Zhuo, draft a list of recommendations and send it to the palace tomorrow.”

Zhang Zhuo cupped his hands and replied, “Yes.”

Chen Ji knew that “Commander-in-Chief” was an official position, and “second-rank Dragon-Tiger General” was a rank; they were two different systems. As long as the Emperor and the Grand Secretaries wished it, even a sixth-rank military officer could serve as a Commander-in-Chief. But the series of demotions in both the inner and outer courts made his head spin. He only discerned that today, the Chen, Qi, and Xu families had jointly launched an attack against the Hu family. The rest he would have to ponder slowly later, or ask Zhang Zhuo and Zhang Xia to explain for him.

But, was Mr. Feng simply going to be executed like that? Could Mr. Feng really be just one of White Dragon’s puppets? Did the other party use Mr. Feng’s identity to preside over the situation in Guyuan, intending all along to reveal their true intentions against the Hu family at this very moment?

At this moment, Zhang Zhuo cupped his hands and said, “Your Majesty, the guilty have been punished, but the meritorious officials have yet to receive their rewards.”

Emperor Ning rose from behind the gauze curtains and slowly walked deeper into Renshou Palace. “Thirty-five Imperial Guards are promoted two ranks. Li Xuan and Qi Zhenzhuo, for their knowledge and failure to report, their merits and demerits cancel each other out. I am weary; you may withdraw.”

Zhang Zhuo watched the gradually disappearing figure and, bracing himself, asked, “Your Majesty, what about Chen Ji? In Guyuan, the Crown Prince, in a moment of crisis, appointed Chen Ji as a sixth-rank Right Palace Guard of the Eastern Palace…”

Emperor Ning paused. “He is still young; he needs more tempering. Let him first serve as a junior officer in the Imperial Guard, teaching military equipment and martial arts.”

Zhang Zhuo was about to speak but stopped himself. In the blink of an eye, a sixth-rank Right Palace Guard had become a seventh-rank Junior Officer. He looked at Chen Ji, who stood with his hands at his sides, his expression calm, and finally just sighed.