Chapter 183: The Emperor Takes Turns

Liu Shouye looked at the two people before him, whose appearances were seamless but whose expressions were not in the least alike, and felt that he must not have woken up yet.

He took a deep breath and, following Ruan Xing's instructions, summoned the assistant officials and Qianling Guards of the Patrol Division.

There were no wars within the Xumi Realm, so there were not many armed forces; the Patrol Division within the Capital could muster at most three thousand people who had reached the level of External Strength Perfection or higher.

However, this many people were enough.

Because inside the Imperial Palace, there were even fewer.

With the existence of the barrier, the guards on the perimeter were basically just for show; their numbers were small, and they had no particularly formidable leaders.

Only by the Emperor's side were there a dozen or so old eunuchs who had already reached the Innate realm.

These old eunuchs took orders only from the Emperor himself, performing dirty work for him and being responsible for the Emperor's daily personal safety.

The time of one incense stick passed, and three thousand Qianling Guards had already surrounded the Imperial Palace.

Many well-informed ministers were so shocked upon hearing the news that they could not even sit steadily on their chairs.

They hurriedly ordered their servants to prepare carriages to rush to the Imperial Palace gate, yet they dared not approach from afar, fearing they might be accidentally injured.

Their minds were filled with various thoughts, all speculating what General Manager Liu, the Emperor's most trusted confidant, was trying to do? If he were acting under the Emperor's orders, dissatisfied with the ministers who opposed him at this morning's court session, he shouldn't be surrounding the Imperial Palace, right?

Once those ministers had mostly arrived, Ruan Xing transformed into the appearance of the Emperor and stepped out of the carriage with Liu Shouye and Sun Xian.

Those with sharp eyes gasped in shock upon seeing this scene.

How could these three people stand together outside the palace gate so harmoniously? Ruan Xing looked around with satisfaction and called out loudly, "I invite all my beloved ministers to come to my side."

The crowd looked at one another, pushing each other as they approached.

The cold light of the blades and swords in the hands of the Qianling Guards flashed, and the dense crowd stood in solemn silence.

It looked like the pressure was maxed out.

A bead of sweat dripped down his forehead; an old minister saw that the Chief Councilor was expressionless, so he gathered his courage, stepped forward, and managed a forced smile: "Why does Your Majesty do this?"

Ruan Xing raised her eyes with haughty pride, swept her gaze around with oppressive force, and then slowly spoke: "Why do you, my beloved minister, plot treason?"

Once these words were spoken, the expressions of everyone around froze.

The old minister reacted for a long time before he fell to his knees with a thud.

"Your Majesty, I am wronged! I have been loyal and devoted to Your Majesty, pouring out my heart and blood; I have absolutely no two-hearted intentions!"

"Hah." Ruan Xing sneered, "I am not speaking only of you, but of all of you! A dove occupies the magpie's nest within the Imperial Palace, and I have suffered and endured hardship; were it not for Minister Liu and the Chief Councilor being as meticulous as hair and observing the smallest details, I fear I would have already become a pile of white bones! You people, acting so respectfully toward that impostor—is this not an act of treason?"

The ministers immediately cried out their innocence in unison and knelt down one after another.

"Presumptuous!"

An angry shout came, and a man surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids hurried out from inside the palace gate. He said in a flustered rage: "How dare someone impersonate me!"

With such a great commotion outside the Imperial Palace, it was naturally impossible for those inside to be unaware; after the Emperor came out and saw this scene, he was both shocked and furious.

He was shocked that there was someone in the world exactly like him, and furious that this person had hidden until now, likely having prepared long ago, while the General Manager Liu and the Chief Councilor he trusted were actually colluding together, like snakes and rats in the same hole! "Does an impostor dare to spout such nonsense?" Ruan Xing sneered, "Today, the mandate of heaven returns, returning to the rightful position; I shall execute this traitor on the spot! Liu Shouye!"

"Your subject is here!"

"Follow me to storm the Imperial Palace!"

The Emperor looked at Liu Shouye in disbelief, "It was I who gave you the position of General Manager, yet I never expected that you had long harbored evil intentions..."

"My loyalty to the Emperor is naturally unwavering; with you, this traitor, I was merely playing along," Liu Shouye said in a deep voice.

The Emperor looked at the Chief Councilor again, his face full of disappointment, "Chief Councilor, do you think that by finding someone to replace me, you can turn the imperial court into your own personal domain?"

Sun Xian said with a sour face, "A petty person judges a gentleman by his own base standards; I have never had such thoughts."

At Liu Shouye's command, the three thousand assistant officials and Qianling Guards drew their swords and blades. Suddenly, another minister shouted loudly: "Wait! The Imperial Palace is protected by the National Preceptor's barrier; even with many people, you cannot force your way in! It will only increase casualties in vain. General Manager Liu, you had better surrender and be captured; we will naturally plead for you to be granted a whole corpse!"

Comparing the two, the Emperor who was currently forcing the palace indeed appeared more frantic and unreasonable, not like the real Emperor.

This minister pondered in his heart and decided to bet on a big one, standing on the side of the Emperor inside the palace gate! When the National Preceptor came to set things right, the Emperor would naturally remember his righteous words, and perhaps he could advance further and take the position of Chief Councilor!

Dreaming the beautiful dream of being Chief Councilor, the minister shouted loudly at Liu Shouye and the others.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor seemed to have grasped a straw for his life, "Yes, I still have the National Preceptor; the National Preceptor met with me the night before last and discussed secret matters with me; the National Preceptor will surely believe me!"

Many who were originally of the Imperial Party or timid and fearful began to waver, echoing the minister who had shouted.

"Oh?" Ruan Xing glanced sideways at them and said softly: "I gave you a chance to admit your mistakes and perform meritorious service to atone for your crimes, yet you still refuse to repent and want to stand on the side of the traitors?"

Seeing her calm and composed appearance, showing no fear at all, that minister also hesitated.

He turned to start earnestly persuading the Chief Councilor, "Chief Councilor, please stop; while the National Preceptor has not yet arrived, repent in time, and the Emperor will surely cherish your years of hard work..."

Sun Xian sneered, "How do you know the National Preceptor hasn't arrived?"

The ministers were all awakened as if from a dream, lamenting in their hearts.

That's right! How could the Chief Councilor not know about the Imperial Palace barrier! Since he dared to force the palace, he must have something to rely on!

The few ministers whose brains had been muddled by the thought of replacing the Chief Councilor suddenly sobered up.

But it was too late.

Ruan Xing returned to the carriage, transformed into the appearance of the National Preceptor, and let Xu Can help her step out of the carriage.

She said with a face full of majesty: "The night before last, I observed the stars and calculated that the Purple Star was in trouble, so I intended to use the Weaver Star to counteract and save it. However, I did not expect that the Purple Star would remain dim last night; it turns out I had misread it—this Purple Star is not that Purple Star."

Even the National Preceptor was on this side. The Emperor inside the palace gate looked as if he were mourning his parents.

But he still wanted to struggle without giving up; seeing the National Preceptor wave her hand and use a root-shaped Dharma Artifact to lift the barrier within the Imperial Palace, he let out a powerless cry.

"Protect the Emperor—"

But it was drowned out by an even louder sound of charging; Liu Shouye roared, "Take them!"

The dense crowd of heads surged into the palace gate like flowing water.

And those ministers who had wanted to speculate and take advantage sat on the ground in despair.

Those ministers who had stood on the Chief Councilor's side from the beginning, believing that the one in the carriage was the real Emperor, felt both sympathy and relief that they had stood on the right side.

After surviving the ordeal, they began to secretly mock the foolish officials on the ground in their hearts.

"They really have become stupid from being officials. Is this matter about distinguishing who the real Emperor is? Where the real Emperor is is completely irrelevant; what matters is the Chief Councilor's confidence—it is the National Preceptor!"

Throughout history, how many times has the imperial power clashed with the National Teacher Palace, and which time did the Emperor not lose? The status of the National Teacher Palace has stood firm for a thousand years; can you still not see it clearly? This tense and thrilling forced abdication took less than the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn from start to finish.

Although Liu Shouye himself did not have high combat power, and he did not have many Qianling Guard under his command, the old eunuchs on the Emperor's side had all been quietly drained of their True Qi by Ruan Xing using the Breaking Source Technique, so naturally, they were like lambs waiting to be slaughtered, left to the mercy of others.

She still held a grudge against these old eunuchs for killing her many times back in the simulation!

She only killed them once; all things considered, they still came out ahead.

The red walls outside the palace gate were splashed with large patches of scarlet blood, but Ruan Xing did not even glance at them; she lifted her foot to board the carriage and returned inside, and Xu Can hurriedly followed, she lifted the curtain and ordered: "Enter the Imperial Palace."

The coachman flicked his whip, and the horse's hooves and the carriage wheels were stained with blood marks.

Xu Can was somewhat excited; although he had not said a word from beginning to end and had only shown his face, being able to stand by Ruan Xing's side and participate in this matter was a source of pride for him.

He could not hold back and said: "Sect Master is truly imposing!"

Ruan Xing scoffed: "What is being imposing in front of mortals?"

She only chose this method because she did not want the impact on the ordinary people within the Xumi Realm to be too strong.

She said earnestly to Xu Can: "You stay here and be this Emperor; the term will be about one or two years. During this time, I need you to do many things."

"First, take this genealogy and look for the faults of these people; whether it is corruption and perversion of the law, or treating human life like grass, once discovered, confiscate their property and exterminate their clans. However, this must be done slowly; if you kill them all at once, the ranks below will fall into chaos. Select the replacement officials first, then strike. You can start with those ministers who stood on the wrong side today."

"Second, the Women's School; regardless of status, age, or rank, any woman may enroll for free. In the Inner Court, many wives and young ladies of noble families are literate and can manage a household, so they can govern a country. You can have this group recruited first; for example, Zhao Sanniang, who adopted you before, she is very methodical in her work and decisive in nature, making her the most suitable candidate. Today, having terrified these people, you will not encounter too much resistance when recruiting women into the Inner Court. I must see this fully implemented within the six cities within three months; whoever dares to obstruct it, that just means you haven't killed enough."

"Third, within the six cities, a comprehensive Righteousness Manor and cemetery must be established in each city. Ancestral graves, mass graves, move them all in; everyone's corpse can only stay in this place! The Righteousness Manors previously built by the Red Head Gang can also be renovated and incorporated. This matter is closely related to your own cultivation, so I am not worried that you won't take it to heart. By the way, doesn't the national treasury lack money? The money from the confiscated properties can be used for the Women's School and the Righteousness Manors. If it's not enough, place some trustworthy people in the Household Tax Division and have them squeeze the merchants' necks to collect more tribute."

"Fourth, after the above three points are completed, I will have the Immortal come over to publicly recruit disciples within the National Teacher Palace. By then, you should find more storytellers or writers to compose some immortal stories to spread around, planting the National Teacher Palace into the lives of ordinary people, and encouraging the public to come to the National Teacher Palace to test their Spirit Bone and apprentice for Cultivation."

"However, before the Immortal comes, you must handle everything I have ordered clearly and cleanly; the Immortal does not like to see those things, do you understand?"

The expression on her face was very solemn.

Although the Immortal tacitly allowed her to stir up trouble in the Xumi Realm for the sake of reform.

But if the Immortal were to know that she had left heads rolling in the Xumi Realm.

Then... the consequences would be somewhat unimaginable.

Xu Can nodded, "Sect Master, rest assured, the tasks you have entrusted to this disciple will certainly be properly completed."

Patting his shoulder, Ruan Xing said: "Do not forget about cultivation matters either. This place is quite suitable for you; the five Qi and distracting thoughts, greed, anger, worry, and fear—the minds of mortals are the best nourishment for your cultivation technique. I have already prepared a Foundation Establishment Pill for you; two years from now, if you complete your mission well, that will be your reward."

Xu Can was suddenly invigorated and replied: "Yes, Sect Master."

Although he did not yet know how rare the Foundation Establishment Pill was in the Cultivation world, it sounded extremely precious.

Among all the disciples of the Fengling Yueying Sect, was he not seeking to be outstanding and possess what others do not? Removing the disguise of the Illusion Technique from her body, Ruan Xing got off the carriage to find Liu Shouye and Sun Xian, giving them each their instructions and telling them to coordinate well with each other.

It was a pity that Zhao Sanniang felt she was too old at the time and did not cultivate with her son, otherwise, she could have come to help her with some work now.

It was truly a lack of manpower! Returning to the Fengling Yueying Sect, life continued in an orderly fashion day by day.

Every day, Ruan Xing was very busy and barely rested, first refining all the new Puppets in her Storage Bag.

After all, without Puppets in hand, she lacked confidence in her heart.

Although she had the Spirit Tool A Jiao, Ruan Xing still felt that the Self-destruct Puppet had more deterrent power in daily life; A Jiao had her own intelligence and was still a child, so it was not good to raise her with too much murderous intent.

Besides that, she used the tree roots from the back mountain to practice refining Dharma Artifacts, and she also had to inspect the work of the disciples on the mountain and within the Xumi Realm.

In three months, all the tree roots in her hands were consumed, and she refined more than a dozen Low-grade Magical Artifacts and two Mid-grade Magical Artifacts. They were basically in the basic shapes of sticks, clubs, knives, and spears; some had their edges sharpened or sides smoothed using other mineral materials, but their functionality did not increase much, as they were only inlaid with offensive Magic Arts.

She promised the disciples that the first one to reach the Foundation Establishment stage would be rewarded with a Mid-grade Magical Artifact, and the first three to reach the Foundation Establishment stage would be rewarded with a Low-grade Magical Artifact. As for the other Dharma Artifacts, they were all placed in the Benevolence Hall for disciples to exchange using Sect contribution points.

After the construction of the Benevolence Hall was completed, it had been slowly perfected by Cai Wen and was on the right track. The basic Pills, various talismans, low-level Dharma Artifacts in the warehouse, as well as the Pills refined by Alchemist He, were all stored and kept there, waiting for the disciples to exchange for them.

Every month, as long as the disciples increased their cultivation, they could receive a fixed bottle of Pills and contribution points. Moreover, their daily work such as building the Sect and guarding the Spirit Field could all earn them different amounts of contribution points.

Upon learning that the Benevolence Hall had Mid-grade Magical Artifacts refined by the Sect Master herself, everyone became even more proactive in their cultivation and work.

If one were the first to reach Qi Refining Perfection and used contribution points to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill, wouldn't that be equivalent to getting a Mid-grade Magical Artifact for free?

Even if it were the second or third, they could still get a Low-grade Magical Artifact!

And the disciples who fell behind would be at a disadvantage, as they would have to pay for the Foundation Establishment Pill and Dharma Artifacts themselves.

Now that their fresh excitement from entering the Cultivation world from the Xumi Realm had not yet passed, even Hu San did not have a Dharma Artifact, so naturally, they were in high spirits.

Even the Underground Palace she had mentioned in passing was nearing completion under the urging of the Demon Lord.

(End of chapter)