Chapter 617: 421: The Altar's Faint Movements, Jingtai's Powerful Qi Fortune!

Chapter 617: Chapter 421: The Altar’s Faint Movements, Jingtai’s Powerful Qi Fortune!

Chen Yuan held Emperor Jingtai in awe and did not dare to underestimate him in the slightest, whether it be Zhang Xuan, Su Ziyue, or Jiang He and Zhang Yantong, they all treated the current Emperor with great caution.

Some people called him the most formidable Emperor since the founding Grand Ancestor of Great Jin.

Originally not standing out among the Princes, even considered a marginal figure, no one expected that he had been amassing strength all along, and in one fell swoop, he eliminated those of his brothers who needed to be killed and imprisoned those who needed to be imprisoned.

His tactics were extremely severe.

Moreover, he broke through prohibitions, forcibly elevating his cultivation to the Heavenly Core Level as an Emperor. You must know, this is no easy feat, whether it’s for the Emperors from Chu before or the current Emperor of Great Jin, very few can endure the pressure of the national Qi Fortune to achieve Core Formation.

Such a person would inevitably leave their mark in history.

As for his name, Chen Yuan had also looked into it.

He was called Sima Zhaoye.

But ever since he ascended the throne, no one dared to mention this name again. Although it wasn’t exactly taboo, it was still a deep-seated taboo in official circles.

Nobody in the government dared to take ‘Zhaoye’ as their name either!

Not long after, the guard who had gone to deliver the official visit request inside the palace returned, granting permission for Zhang Yantong to bring Chen Yuan for an audience.

Imperial City.

Chen Yuan followed behind Zhang Yantong, crossing half of the Imperial City, witnessing the opulence and splendor of the Imperial Palace where the floor was mostly laid with interwoven white jade and bluestone.

Glancing around, the entire Imperial City was dotted with pavilions and palaces.

Just the Imperial City alone, Chen Yuan felt, was no smaller than a Prefecture City. He could only imagine its vast scale, and the guards were also numerous, with a Heavenly Patrol Guard stationed every hundred meters or so.

And this was the area under the jurisdiction of the Imperial City’s commander.

But that wasn’t all.

The commander oversaw the Outer Imperial City, while the Inner Imperial Palace was guarded by the Imperial Guard Army, enveloped by the strong aura of their presence.

It was a shock to Chen Yuan.

If this was the state of the court in its current decline, then how terrifying would it have been when the nation was newly founded?

The Imperial City was still manageable, but inside the Imperial Palace, no one was allowed to fly; prohibitions were carved above, and once triggered, would alert the palace’s Imperial Guard Army.

It was impregnable, making him exclaim that it truly deserved to be the capital of a country.

This moment.

Inside the Imperial Palace Garden.

A middle-aged man dressed in dark black robes was talking to someone next to him. His face was square, his eyes exuding tremendous pressure, his figure tall and straight, with a long beard hanging from his chin.

His robe was embroidered with nine lifelike, bright yellow True Dragons.

His entire being exuded an unsurpassed nobility and an authoritative demeanor that was impressive even when he simply sat there, naturally commanding the center of attention.

This man was none other than the Emperor of Great Jin, Sima Zhaoye, known by his regnal name as Jingtai.

Beside him, apart from some maids, the most noticeable were two eunuchs. One of them, like Jingtai, wore a black government robe with a large python embroidered on it.

Looking quite elderly, pale, and beardless, but his eyes shone with sharpness, he was the Imperial Palace Chief Steward, the Supervisor of the Imperial Supervision Bureau, Wei Zhengxian, who had served several Emperors.

As for the other, he wore a red official robe, his face stern. Had Chen Yuan seen him, he would have recognized him as Yang Yuanqing, the one who had previously announced the decree.

Jingtai picked up a cup of Spiritual Tea and took a light sip, speaking indifferently,

“How goes it with Prince Zhen Nan?”

Yang Yuanqing bowed deeply and said in a low voice,

“Your Majesty, Prince Zhen Nan advised you to rest easy; the Demon tribes of the Southern Border have shown no unusual movements.”

“Your Majesty, this matter is of no small consequence; we cannot take it lightly. Since the last purge of the Southern Border’s Hundred Thousand Mountains, it has been five hundred years. With five hundred years to recuperate, the descendants of those fallen Demon tribe powerhouses have likely grown into their own,” Cao Zhengxian stated gravely.

“No matter,”

Jingtai said casually, seeming unconcerned.

Cao Zhengxian’s expression twitched slightly, but he said no more. Instead, Jingtai continued to inquire,

“Prince Zhen Nan’s Heir has been unwell; have those things I sent proved effective?”

“Effective, Your Majesty. Your Elixirs are miraculous, healing as soon as they are administered. Before your humble servant departed, the Princely Heir was already able to get out of bed and walk,” responded Wei Zhengxian.

“Then that is good,”

Jingtai’s mouth curled into a slight smile.

“Your Majesty, I’ve heard that the Demon Sword Chen Yuan has arrived in the Capital, and the first thing he did was to visit the Divine Envoy Zhang. He seems to have quite the manners,” Yang Yuanqing spoke.

“Did you encounter Chen Yuan when you passed through Tangshan on your last journey?”

“I did,” Yang Yuanqing replied.

“What is your assessment of him?”

Yang Yuanqing narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice,

“Stubborn and untamed.”

“Hmm?”

“When announcing the decree that day, this Green Envoy gave your servant quite the intimidation. Even with the Imperial Decree before him, he refused to kneel to listen to the decree. If it weren’t for your high regard for him, your servant would have certainly wished to show him his place,” said Yang Yuanqing.

Cao Zhengxian glanced at Yang Yuanqing with a slight frown,

“Hold your tongue.”

Jingtai gestured dismissively,

“After all, he is the foremost victor of the Immortal Battle, some pride is to be expected. I have never troubled myself with such matters. Do not bring it up again in the future.”

“Your servant has failed to discipline properly, I beg for Your Majesty’s forgiveness,” admitted Wei Zhengxian.

“Your Majesty’s forgiveness!” Yang Yuanqing’s face tensed up, and he immediately prostrated himself on the ground.

Jingtai hummed lightly, “You have been with Us for many years now; how couldn’t We know your nature. Was it you who provoked Chen Yuan first?”

Yang Yuanqing felt wronged in his heart; indeed, he had intended to put Chen Yuan in his place, but before he could take action, the other party simply treated him with a cold stare. Everything he said was true.