vncnus Chapter 200 Your Majesty! The Drunkard Zhang Jing!
Chapter 200 Your Majesty! The Drunkard Zhang Jing!
Zhuge Zhengwo, who had been observing the entire process, finally realized Chu Yang's strength.
Ok.
Very strong.
He was so powerful that he couldn't even begin to fathom Chu Yang's level of skill.
For decades, the Celestial Realm, also known as the Grandmaster, has been the universally acknowledged limit for human martial artists.
The only grandmaster known throughout the world is Zhuge Zhengwo. As for whether there are other masters among the common people, it is unclear.
In addition, there are many people who are expected to break through to this level. Among them, the one whom Zhuge Zhengwo is most optimistic about is Guo Bujing. He has a solid foundation and abundant qi and blood essence. He only lacks a little bit of hard work.
Other sword prodigies like Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng are also candidates who are expected to break through to the Grandmaster level.
Even so, the number of Grandmasters in the Ming Dynasty was still weaker than that of the Demon Kings of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, not to mention that there were even more terrifying beings above the Demon Kings.
Since the establishment of the Divine Marquis's Mansion, Zhuge Zhengwo has never given up on gathering intelligence on the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom.
With the sacrifice of many constables from the Divine Constable's Mansion, Zhuge Zhengwo could almost confirm the existence of the Demon Emperor. The reason they had not appeared in the human world was because the internal chaos caused by demons in the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons was very serious.
Compared to humans, demons pose a greater threat to the demon race, so their focus naturally won't be on this side.
The thought of a possible demon emperor keeps Zhuge Zhengwo awake at night, and he worries about the future of the human race every day.
After this day, he no longer needed to worry, for someone who could shoulder the safety of the people had finally appeared.
Zhuge Zhengwo wished Chu Yang were even stronger, so strong that he could not even look up at his brilliance, and that he could crush all the monsters under his feet, so that the people would no longer be treated like livestock and become food for the demons and monsters!
"Divine Marquis, haven't you had enough yet?"
Chu Yang, who had killed Zhu Wushi, slowly walked out of the ruins, and the strange phenomena on his body disappeared.
"Your Majesty's divine might has captivated me greatly, and I am utterly unable to extricate myself from it."
Zhuge Zhengwo stroked his beard and laughed heartily.
"At your age, don't be like that old dog Cao Zhengchun."
Chu Yang chuckled.
"Your Majesty, why do you say such a thing? These are all my heartfelt words."
Zhuge Zhengwo wore a sad expression, as if accusing Chu Yang of knowing nothing about him.
The old man is quite good at flattery.
He keeps calling me "Your Majesty" this way and that, he's practically on par with Cao Zhengchun.
Chu Yang could only let him be; he was bound to call him that sooner or later anyway, so why bother trying to appear virtuous?
"With the Hall of Supreme Harmony gone, it will be a bit troublesome to hold meetings in the future."
"Your Majesty need not worry. The morning court sessions are held outside the palace gates; there is not enough room for so many officials inside."
"Lord Divine Marquis, what I mean is that we'll abolish the morning court session from now on, meaning we'll have to get up before dawn. Are you kidding me?"
"Hmm... This old minister thinks so too. It's better not to attend the morning court session. Not to mention Your Majesty, I can't get up either."
"Hehehe, I didn't realize that the Marquis was such an interesting person."
Having never met him before, Chu Yang had assumed that Zhuge Zhengwo was the kind of serious, unsmiling old scholar, but he never expected him to be so humorous and talkative.
Zhuge Zhengwo also adapted well to Chu Yang's "uniqueness". In his view, a wise king should be different from previous emperors, otherwise how could he lead the human race out of its predicament?
The two walked and talked until they reached Zheng Dongliu and his group, whose eyes were glazed over, still reeling from the shock they had just experienced.
Especially for the two civil officials, Zhang Juzheng and Hai Rui, they had never seen such a scene in their lives, and it felt like a dream.
"With Zhu Wushi dead, the Dragon Guard Manor has become a no-man's land. Who do you think should manage it?"
Upon hearing Chu Yang's question, Zheng Dongliu and the others seemed to snap out of their daze.
Cao Zhengchun, unable to contain his impatience, spoke first: "The Dragon Guard Manor is mainly concerned with intelligence, and the Eastern Depot also has a presence there. If Your Majesty is at ease, why not leave it to this old servant to handle?"
Chu Yang replied with a single, indifferent word, "Get lost!"
"Your Majesty, please forgive me, this old servant knows his mistake." Cao Zhengchun immediately knelt down and kowtowed.
Yu Huatian sneered, "Fool."
Cao Zhengchun looked up and glared angrily, "Yu Huatian, don't push your luck. I'll surrender before you do."
Yu Huatian said, "You still have the nerve to say that."
Just as the two were about to have a big argument, Zheng Dongliu immediately interrupted, "In front of His Majesty, you two eunuchs should show some self-respect."
Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian secretly glanced at Chu Yang's expression, then obediently shut their mouths.
Guo Bujing's lips unconsciously curled up when he heard Zheng Dongliu address His Majesty Chuyang. "Lord Zheng, this is the first time in all these years that I've seen you so accommodating."
Zheng Dongliu nodded and said, "I learned it all from Lord Guo."
The two then smiled at each other.
Zheng Dongliu turned to Chu Yang and said, "The original mission of the Dragon Guard Manor was to cooperate with the Divine Marquis's Mansion. Since Lord Zhu is no longer here, why not hand over the Dragon Guard Manor to the Divine Marquis?"
In terms of both cultivation level and influence, Zhuge Zhengwo is the strongest among the six. If he were to bring the Dragon Guard Manor under his control, there would be no one in the court who could rival him.
So when Zheng Dongliu made this suggestion, not only were Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian extremely anxious, but even Zhang Juzheng and Hai Rui couldn't sit still.
"Absolutely not."
Zhang Juzheng said sternly, "The Divine Marquis's Mansion already holds a special position. If the responsibilities of the Dragon Guard Manor are also included in it, who in the world can control them?"
"It's not that I don't trust the Marquis's character, but this matter has endless consequences. I urge Your Majesty to consider it carefully."
Hai Rui bluntly stated, "The Divine Marquis should consider the well-being of the world and should not have such thoughts."
Guo Bujing remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.
"Brother Zheng, look at you! With just one sentence, you've made me the target of everyone's criticism. What did my Divine Marquis's Mansion do to deserve this?"
Zhuge Zheng was helpless. The Dragon Guard Manor was a hot potato, and he had no ideas about it at all. The Divine Marquis's Mansion had heavy tasks, and he was even too busy to handle his own duties.
After listening to their words, Chu Yang realized that the core of the conflict was the power struggle between the officials. The six major powers were enormous in the court, and even the slightest change would affect the entire court, and no one could escape it.
This was a situation created by his good elder brother when he was emperor. What he wanted was a balance of power, so that his subordinates would become obedient in order to win his favor.
But this is not what Chu Yang is pursuing.
He wanted to see a more efficient Ming Dynasty court, rather than a meaningless waste of time and energy.
"If the imperial court becomes a place where one person has absolute power, that person will only be me. As for the Divine Marquis... even if he swallows up the Six Doors, this world will not belong to Zhuge."
"I have no interest in the intrigues and backstabbing in the imperial court. Some old almanacs end here today, so don't make me say it a second time."
"Furthermore, not only will the Divine Marquis's Mansion and the Dragon Guard Manor be merged into one, but the East and West Depots will also be merged. Moreover, your power to supervise the Embroidered Uniform Guard will be revoked. From today onwards, you will be responsible for guarding the palace gates."
Cao Zhengchun grew anxious and hurriedly asked, "We're guarding the palace gates, but what about the Imperial Guards?"
Chu Yang uttered two words that made everyone's spirits lift.
"Let's march!"
........................
When Zhu Wushi transformed into a giant demon, the entire population of the capital witnessed this scene.
In the capital city, where demons had not been seen for many years, this was undoubtedly a bombshell!
Panic spread rapidly.
"A demon has descended from the heavens; the nation is about to fall into chaos!"
Perhaps out of fear, or perhaps with ulterior motives, similar words spread rapidly and wildly among the crowd.
Until a flash of sword light appeared.
Only then did the world return to peace.
The demons appeared and were destroyed in less than a quarter of an hour.
Those who spread rumors were arrested by the constables who arrived later.
Lu Xiaofeng, who was drinking in the restaurant, witnessed the whole thing. His two good friends, Sikong Zhaixing and Ximen Chuixue, were also at the table.
The three of them looked on in astonishment.
Even the usually aloof Ximen Chuixue was dumbfounded.
"What was that thing just now?"
"I don't know. This capital city truly lives up to its name; you can always see things that you can't find anywhere else."
"Such swordsmanship still exists in this world? The capital city is indeed full of hidden talents."
"It feels somewhat familiar. I don't know if it's just my imagination, but it has a bit of a celestial aura about it."
"Ximen Chuixue, I think you're still affected by the previous duel, aren't you?"
"Maybe... I even feel that there's still my sword intent in it."
"Old friend, hurry up and have a couple of drinks, your brain is a little bit mad."
As the three were talking, a large group of constables from the Divine Marquis's Mansion rushed through the streets and headed straight for the palace. Before long, they saw the officials fleeing in a panic from the palace gates.
The most conspicuous one was Grand Secretary Yan. Despite his advanced age, he was ahead of all the civil officials.
Seeing this, Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but sigh, "Grand Secretary Yan is truly vigorous despite his advanced age."
Sikong Zhaixing, who had visited the Yan family's storeroom, sneered, "It's a pity that the demon didn't trample Yan the dog to death."
Lu Xiaofeng laughed and said, "Don't worry, he'll die soon. The emperor is dead, and the world will fall into the hands of the prince sooner or later. When the drunkard returns, we'll settle accounts with him properly."
Ximen Chuixue asked curiously, "You, Lu Xiaofeng, are the number one drunkard in the world, yet there's someone who still calls you a drunkard?"
Lu Xiaofeng said, "When I drink, I believe in a little bit for pleasure, but too much is harmful to health. But those two really drink to death. Most of the time, I just pretend to be drunk and slip away after they finish drinking."
Sikong Zhaixing said disdainfully, "No wonder the prince said you never pay for your drinks."
Lu Xiaofeng rolled his eyes and said speechlessly, "They're always talking about decades-old vintage wines. Aside from wealthy families like princes, who can afford that?"
A barely perceptible smile appeared on Ximen Chuixue's icy face. "I've heard you talk about that prince a lot. I wonder when we'll be able to meet him. Is his martial arts skill really that unfathomable?"
Lu Xiaofeng looked up at the palace and said meaningfully, "The sword strike you just mentioned was probably the work of the Prince."
Ximen Chuixue's eyes lit up, and he became even more curious about the Wise King.
Not long after, another group of constables walked past the three of them. They split into two groups, each walking in a row. The leaders of each group consisted of four people, three men and one woman. One of them was sitting in a wheelchair and had a very eye-catching figure.
"The Four Great Constables and the Four Divine Constables have appeared at the same time; something extraordinary must have happened in the palace. Should we go and take a look?"
"I can't believe it," Sikong Zhaixing said excitedly.
"Can't you, a petty thief, at least be a little more discreet? Wasn't the warning Guo Juxia gave you last time enough?"
Lu Xiaofeng scolded him irritably.
The excitement in Sikong Zhaixing's eyes came to an abrupt end, and she dejectedly picked at the dishes in front of her with her chopsticks.
"Among the Four Great Constables, apart from Wuqing who has difficulty walking, the other three are away from home all year round and rarely return to the capital. The same is true for the Four Divine Constables. The emperor has just died, and it is impossible for them to receive the news and rush to the capital immediately. There is simply not enough time."
"Something must have happened outside."
Ximen Chuixue's words reminded Lu Xiaofeng of the previous attack by the demon race, and he was immediately shocked. Could it be that after they left, the demon race had made a comeback?
It shouldn't be...
If the demon race were to attack, the urgent message sent from the border would arrive in the capital much sooner.
Just as Lu Xiaofeng was deep in thought, a familiar voice suddenly rang in his ears.
"Lu Xiaoji, you actually abandoned me and went back to the capital, making me miss out on a great show for no reason!"
Lu Xiaofeng turned around and saw Li Gexiao, looking travel-worn.
"Speak of the devil and he appears."
Lu Xiaofeng stood up with delight and handed the wine pot beside him to Li Gexiao with great familiarity.
"You've got some sense, kid."
Li Gexiao took the wine pot and drank it down in one gulp. He gulped it down in a few mouthfuls and the wine pot was completely empty.
"Can anyone tell me what's going on? As soon as I entered the city, I heard people wailing. Could the emperor have died?"
Li Gexiao asked with a puzzled look on his face.
Lu Xiaofeng clapped his hands and laughed, "Impressive, you drunkard, you guessed it right away."
Li Gexiao asked with a serious expression, "Where is the Prince?"
Lu Xiaofeng said, "He's probably sitting on the dragon throne right now."
Li Gexiao was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, startling the surrounding drinkers.
"The alcoholic is acting crazy again!"
"Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I've seen this drunkard. I'm still a little unaccustomed to this sudden outburst."
"It would be better to die out there, out of sight, out of mind."
They didn't know Li Gexiao's original identity, and only thought of him as one of the countless beggars outside the city. Over the years, mocking him and the Prince Xian had become a habit.
Li Gexiao didn't care at all. He was happy right now, happier than he had been in over a decade. Even if he died right now, he wouldn't have any regrets.
Because the person Li Gexiao hated most was never Yan Song, but the emperor who was high above her.
All misfortunes stemmed from the emperor.
However, Zheng Dongliu, who was like a teacher and father to Li Gexiao, always taught him to be loyal to the emperor and love his country. This deep-rooted belief made it difficult for him to put his hatred into action.
When Li Gexiao was caught in a dilemma, Chu Yang appeared and helped her achieve the goal buried deep in her heart.
So at this moment, Li Gexiao felt relieved. All he had to do was send away that old villain Yan Song, and he would have an explanation for his deceased wife.
Seeing the tears welling up in Li Ge's smiling eyes, Lu Xiaofeng silently poured the wine on the ground and said, "This cup is a tribute to my sister-in-law. May her soul rest in peace in heaven."
"If you need me, I'm ready to go with you anytime."
Li Gexiao slowly suppressed his smile and shook his head, saying, "Let's put Yan Laogou's life aside for now; I'll take it sooner or later. Right now, there's something more important I need to tell Your Highness."
"What could be more urgent than your revenge?" Lu Xiaofeng recalled the Four Great Constables and the Four Divine Constables who had been in a hurry earlier, and felt that there might be a connection between the two.
Li Ge smiled and said, "By order of the Prince, Gui Hai Yi Dao and I were responsible for escorting the Qi family army back to Jinling City. Although we successfully met General Qi, we also heard some bad news."
"There weren't many demon kings besieging Wanglong City. More demon kings led their demon races north by water, bypassing Wanli Xuanbing City on the Liaodong border, and went to places outside the border."
"Beyond the border? What's in that icy, snowy place?" Lu Xiaofeng frowned, then suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no! They're going to annex the Jurchen tribes and do what the Japanese did back then!"
"Li Chengliang is still in the capital; Liaodong is in grave danger!" (End of Chapter)