Chapter 201: You Owe Me a Thank You! (Requesting Monthly Votes! Requesting Subscription!)

The sun set in the west, the sky darkened, and a crescent moon had already appeared between the clouds, radiating a gloomy, desolate aura, utterly lifeless.

Emperor Jiang Ren of Chu stepped out of the Council Hall, rubbing his temples.

Although he had delegated most state affairs to the Grand Secretaries, some critical matters still required his imperial decision—ministers could not overstep their bounds.

Especially now, in this peculiar time, since the Zhao bloodline had been entirely extinguished, the Liyang Dynasty was merely a hollow shell; thus, the vast cities and lands previously conquered by Xu Xiao had become ownerless. If we did not seize the moment and dispatch troops to occupy them swiftly, they would inevitably fall into the hands of the remnants of the five fallen states.

Opportunity must not be missed; a swift decision is essential. Otherwise, even if Chu eventually becomes the master of the Central Plains, the cost and time required would be incalculable.

"Sigh…"

Recalling the incessant bickering of those ministers, Jiang Ren felt his head still buzzing—he had a splitting headache, yet he knew every word they spoke was reasonable, so he had to endure it patiently.

In his view, these ministers overthought everything. True, being the master of the Central Plains was desirable, but only if one had the life to enjoy it. Unless the Wu Kuangmo matter was resolved, even if Western Chu conquered the Northern Mang grasslands, it would all be in vain—why bother with such calculations?

Rather than exhausting oneself in futile struggles for fame and power, better to enjoy the present moment—only then would one's life not have been in vain.

As the saying goes: when the thought of giving up arises, the heavens and earth suddenly feel vast.

With this thought, Jiang Ren's mood improved considerably, and a brilliant strategy suddenly flashed in his mind—he decided to summon Minister Cao tomorrow for a game of weiqi, and surely leave him awestruck and humbled.

Just then, a cold wind blew against his face, and Jiang Ren instinctively lowered his head and sneezed.

The elderly eunuch attending him hurried forward, draping a fox-fur cloak over Jiang Ren's shoulders, and asked softly: "Your Majesty, shall we proceed to Lady Jing's quarters tonight?"

Lady Jing was the daughter of the Minister of Rites, who entered the palace last year. Though her beauty and figure fell far short of Empress Jun Pianqian, she was still a rare beauty, especially skilled in calligraphy and painting—her brushwork already bore the style of a master, and she was deeply favored by Jiang Ren.

Jiang Ren was about to answer, but the image of Jun Pianqian's peerless beauty surfaced in his mind, stirring his heart—he changed his mind and said: "Proceed to Weiyang Palace."

The old eunuch paused in surprise, then quickly recovered, summoning the palanquin. Jiang Ren stepped onto it naturally, and amid a retinue of eunuchs, palace maids, and elite guards, they set off toward Weiyang Palace.

At the front of the procession, four tall, slender eunuchs, each at the Second Rank Minor Master realm, carried lanterns to illuminate the path.

Unlike the golden splendor of daytime, as the sky darkened, the deep palace grew increasingly silent. The distances between palaces were immense—often requiring half an hour for a round trip. Walking alone through it induced an inexplicable chill.

Jiang Ren was long accustomed to this feeling and paid it no mind, closing his eyes to rest atop the palanquin.

Suddenly, the palanquin beneath him jolted violently—he nearly flew off. After barely steadying himself, he opened his mouth to rebuke.

But the next instant, his pupils shrank sharply as he stared ahead.

On the familiar palace path, a hazy figure approached slowly from afar. Seeing the emperor's palanquin, it showed no intention to avoid it—clearly not a palace insider.

The cold moonlight fell upon the figure, revealing a snow-white pallor, while its pitch-black shadow stretched endlessly, like a colossal mountain pressing straight toward Jiang Ren.

Assassin?

Jiang Ren's heart lurched—he suddenly realized what this might be, and a dread foreboding surged over him like a tide.

"Save the Emperor!! Save the Emperor!!"

Forgetting imperial dignity, Jiang Ren shouted loudly, hoping to summon the imperial guards stationed around the palace. But after a long while, no response came—his heart sank halfway.

And seconds later, the other half died too.

For Jiang Ren finally noticed: the eunuchs carrying his palanquin, the palace maids, the guards—all had turned to statues, standing motionless. No matter how he ordered or cursed, not one stirred—they seemed asleep.

"Shut up. You're annoying."

A cold voice rang out, and an invisible force descended from above, locking onto Jiang Ren.

A terrifying pressure pinned him in place, silencing him—he could only tremble his eyes, staring forward in terror.

At that moment, the shadowy figure drew near, revealing the youthful, handsome face of a boy—who else but Wu Xian?

In fact, since arriving at the palace at noon, he had been staying in Weiyang Palace—the quarters of the Western Chu Empress. What exactly he did there cannot be detailed, but suffice it to say, it wouldn't pass censorship.

Just moments ago, he sensed someone approaching Weiyang Palace, and only then remembered his true purpose. He muttered, "Wine and lust have misled me—from now on, I quit wine," then teleported here, resulting in this scene.

Wu Xian halted before the palanquin, studying the Western Chu Emperor. His expression grew peculiar, as if a yellow-haired ruffian had encountered his victim face-to-face—he felt a flicker of embarrassment.

"Don't worry—I have no intention of harming you. I merely wish to make you more cooperative."

"Besides, your empress is fine—but you two are incompatible. So I took her away. In exchange, I grant you the title of the greatest emperor in history. You're not losing out—you might even thank me later."

Wu Xian spoke softly, raised his hand, and placed it atop Jiang Ren's head. A blue light shimmered silently.

…

The next day, Jiang Ren—who had hidden in the inner palace for over half a month—appeared unexpectedly at morning court, summoned his ministers, and immediately promoted Grand General Ye Baikui to "Prince of Langya," ordering him to lead two hundred thousand Western Chu troops to reclaim Chu's lost territories and seize the defenseless Liyang lands, hastening the unification of the Central Plains.

Simultaneously, Jiang Ren overruled all opposition, promoted Cao Zhangqing from Court Chess Advisor to sixth-rank official, appointed him to the Grand Secretariat as Minister of Revenue, entrusted him with full authority over all military supplies and logistics, and bestowed upon him the title of Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince—bestowing unparalleled honor and prestige.

Finally, and most absurdly, Jiang Ren decreed that the world's number one person be appointed as State Preceptor of Chu, with the honorific title "Yuan Shi Da Luo Tian."

Upon this decree, the Chu ministers fell silent or fiercely opposed, arguing endlessly.

But when court convened the next day, all opposition vanished—the ministers praised and knelt before the State Preceptor.

From then on, the name "Yuan Shi Da Luo Tian" Wu Xian spread throughout the land.

(End of Chapter)