Chen Yuan dared not underestimate Emperor Jingtai in the slightest. Whether it was Zhang Xuan, Su Ziyue, Jiang He, or Zhang Yantong, they all treated the current emperor with great caution.

Some people even called him the most formidable emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty, second only to the founding Emperor Taizu.

Originally, he was not considered outstanding among the princes, and was even a marginal figure. No one had expected that he had been accumulating strength for a long time, and succeeded in one fell swoop, killing or imprisoning several of his brothers.

His methods were extremely formidable.

Moreover, he had broken the taboo, forcefully raising his cultivation to the Celestial Core realm as an emperor. This was no easy feat, as very few emperors of the former Chu Dynasty or the current Great Jin Dynasty could withstand the pressure of the national destiny and successfully form a Core.

Such individuals would undoubtedly be recorded in the annals of history.

As for his name, Chen Yuan had also learned about it.

It was Sima Zhaoye.

However, since he ascended the throne, no one dared to mention this name again. Although it was not forbidden, it was a profound taboo in officialdom.

No official dared to name their child 'Zhaoye'!

It didn't take long for the guards who had gone to the palace to deliver the visiting card to return, granting Zhang Yantong permission to bring Chen Yuan to the audience.

The Imperial City.

Chen Yuan followed behind Zhang Yantong, traversing a small half of the Imperial City, and witnessed the palace's splendor and magnificence. The ground was mostly paved with white jade and bluestone.

Looking around, the entire Imperial City was filled with pavilions and halls.

Chen Yuan felt that the Imperial City alone was no smaller than a prefectural city, which showed how large it was. There were also many guards inside, with a Sky Patrol Guard stationed every hundred meters.

This was the area controlled by the Imperial City Commander.

But it was not all.

What the Imperial City Commander controlled was the outer Imperial City. As for the inner Imperial Palace, it was guarded by the Imperial Guard. Powerful auras enveloped the Imperial Palace.

Chen Yuan was greatly shocked.

If this was the situation when the court was already in decline, how terrifying would it have been when it was first established?

The Imperial City was still manageable, but in the Imperial Palace, no one was allowed to fly. Restrictions were engraved above, and once triggered, the Imperial Guard within the palace would be alerted.

It could be said to be as solid as a rock, making him sigh that it was worthy of being the capital of a country.

At this moment.

In the Royal Garden of the Imperial Palace.

A middle-aged man wearing a black robe was talking to the people beside him. His face was square, and his eyes revealed a great sense of oppression. He was tall and straight, with a wisp of long beard on his chin.

Nine lifelike bright yellow true dragons were embroidered on his robe.

His whole person exuded an incomparably noble and awe-inspiring aura.

Just sitting there, he was the undisputed center.

This person was none other than the Emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty, Sima Zhaoye, whose reign title was Jingtai.

Beside him, in addition to some serving maids, the most conspicuous were two eunuchs. One, like Jingtai, wore a black official uniform, embroidered with a large python.

His appearance was quite old, with a white face and no beard, but his eyes shone with shrewdness. He was Cao Zhengxian, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Palace, the director of the Imperial Supervisory Department, who had served several emperors.

As for the other, he wore a red official robe and had a cold face. If Chen Yuan had seen him before, he would have recognized him. This person was Yang Yuanqing, who had delivered the imperial edict earlier.

Jingtai picked up a cup of spiritual tea and took a sip, saying indifferently:

"How is the situation with the Prince of Zhennan?"

Yang Yuanqing bowed and said in a low voice:

"Your Majesty, the Prince of Zhennan said that Your Majesty can rest assured that there are no unusual movements among the demon clans in Southern Border."

"Your Majesty, this matter is no small matter, and we must not be careless. It has been five hundred years since the last sweep of the Ten Thousand Mountains in Southern Border.

After five hundred years of recuperation, the descendants of those demon clan powerhouses who fell back then have probably grown up." Cao Zhengxian said with a solemn expression.

"It doesn't matter."

Jingtai's expression was indifferent, as if he didn't care.

Cao Zhengxian's expression moved, and he didn't say anything more. Instead, Jingtai continued to ask:

"The Prince of Zhennan's son is often ill. Are the things I sent effective?"

"Effective. Your Majesty's spiritual pills and miraculous medicines are effective in curing diseases. Before this subject left, that son was already able to get out of bed and walk."

"That's good."

The corner of Jingtai's mouth hooked up.

"Your Majesty, I heard that the Demon Blade Chen Yuan has arrived in the capital. The first thing he did was to pay a visit to Divine Envoy Zhang. He is quite courteous."

Yang Yuanqing said.

"When you passed through Tangshan last time, did you see Chen Yuan?"

"I did."

"What do you think of this person?"

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

"His pride is hard to tame."

"Oh?"

"When this subject delivered the imperial edict that day, this Qing Envoy Chen gave this subject a hard time. Even with the imperial edict in front of him, he still refused to kneel and listen to the edict. If it weren't for Your Majesty's high regard, this subject would have definitely had a contest with this person."

Cao Zhengxian glanced at Yang Yuanqing and frowned slightly:

"Shut up."

Jingtai waved his hand:

"After all, he is the first in the Immortal Ascension Battle. It's normal to be a little arrogant. I have never valued such things. Don't mention it again in the future."

"This old servant is not well-disciplined. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Yang Yuanqing's expression tightened, and he immediately knelt on the ground.

Jingtai snorted lightly: "You have been with me for many years. How could I not know your character? Did you provoke this Chen Yuan first?"

Yang Yuanqing felt a burst of grievance in his heart. He did want to give Chen Yuan a hard time before, but he hadn't used it yet. The other party treated him with cold eyes. What he said was the truth.

But since the emperor had said it, he didn't dare to refute it and hurriedly said:

"This subject knows his crime."

"Alright, let's leave this matter at that. But if there is a next time, you can go to the lower prefectures to take office. Don't think I don't know what you have been doing these years."

"This subject knows his crime."

Yang Yuanqing said with his head lowered.

Cao Zhengxian's eyes flickered, knowing that this was also the emperor tapping him. In recent years, the Imperial Supervisory Department had indeed gone too far, repeatedly clashing with the Sky Patrol Department.

Yang Yuanqing's matter was just an introduction. Even without this matter, the other party would still use other things to tap him.

What the emperor wanted was not for the Imperial Supervisory Department to replace the Sky Patrol Department, but for them to check and balance each other. This was the way to control power.

While the few were talking, a guard walked in from outside and bowed:

"Your Majesty, Divine Envoy Zhang has arrived."

"Let him in."

Then Jingtai stared at Yang Yuanqing on the ground again:

"Get up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Yang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief and slowly got up.

......

......

Outside the Royal Garden.

Chen Yuan and Zhang Yantong stood outside, silent and speechless. He could feel several auras enveloping Chen Yuan's body. If he did anything wrong.

He would definitely be captured immediately.

And if nothing unexpected happened, these people should be the royal family's offerings that Zhang Xuan had mentioned before.

These were all martial artists in the Jianghu who had joined the court for cultivation resources. They usually didn't care about things and only focused on cultivation, but if someone attacked the Imperial City.

They would immediately appear.

"Divine Envoy Zhang, His Majesty invites you in."

A guard who came out bowed.

"Let's go."

Zhang Yantong walked in front, and Chen Yuan followed closely behind, half a step behind, stepping into the Royal Garden. As soon as he entered, Chen Yuan felt a rich essence energy comparable to that within a secret realm.

Originally, he thought that the essence energy within the Imperial Palace was twice as strong as the outside world, which was already a big deal. He didn't expect that this Royal Garden was many times richer than other places in the Imperial Palace.

After passing several rockeries full of spiritual energy, Chen Yuan finally saw the Emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty, Sima Zhaoye. A trace of imperceptible cyan light flashed in his eyes.

His heart was suddenly shocked!

Sure enough, the Emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty had Destiny on his body!

Moreover, it was a purple Destiny that was different from ordinary people. Otherwise, the Heavenly Eye would not have reacted strangely. At the same time, this matter also verified his guess.

As early as when Chen Yuan transmigrated here and obtained Destiny by killing Iron Hand, he had guessed whether those martial arts geniuses and court officials had Destiny on their bodies.

And the emperor's Destiny was the strongest....

But later, as he grew up along the way, Chen Yuan saw many officials and martial arts geniuses, but most of them did not have so-called Destiny on their bodies.

So he had previously doubted whether the emperor had Destiny on his body.

But now, this doubt was gone.

Because Jingtai's body was emitting a purple light that he had never seen before, like a bright sun. Looking from a distance, it was a little painful to his eyes.

At the same time, the broken altar in the depths of Chen Yuan's consciousness seemed to have sensed something, and a desire to devour surged into his mind.

Realizing this, Chen Yuan immediately withdrew his Heavenly Eye.

He was afraid that the Destiny Altar would have a bigger change.

He knew that this was the Imperial Palace. Once there was any abnormality, it would inevitably be noticed by those hidden powerhouses. With his current strength,

Then there was really only a dead end.

Perhaps even others wouldn't need to take action. Zhang Yantong next to him might immediately capture him and offer him to Jingtai, so as not to arouse any suspicion from him.

The Destiny on Jingtai's body was indeed unprecedented. Even the Destiny Altar, which had not had any reaction, showed a strong desire to devour it for the first time.

He was greatly shocked in his heart.

He knew that this was the first time that the Destiny Altar had been in such a state. Before, Chen Yuan had also gathered Destiny more than ten times, but basically, the Destiny Altar did not have any reaction.

That was when he devoured the Destiny, he would give himself guidance.

It was no different from a dead thing.

Of course, the difficulty of killing Jingtai and collecting the Destiny on his body was also unprecedentedly high. Not to mention that Chen Yuan was only at the Core realm in cultivation, even if he transformed his Core and condensed his spirit, he would not have the slightest hope.

Within the court, there were powerhouses at the True Monarch level sitting in town. Even the legendary Land Immortals might be hidden in the Imperial Palace.

One finger was enough to crush him.

Killing was definitely necessary, but not now.

He must wait until he had the power to reach the heavens before he had the hope of killing Jingtai.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Yuan lowered his head, not daring to reveal any killing intent. Zhang Yantong cupped his fists and said in a deep voice:

"This subject has met Your Majesty."

Jingtai nodded slightly and turned his gaze to Chen Yuan, with a hint of a smile in his eyes.

Following Zhang Yantong's footsteps, Chen Yuan bowed and said in a deep voice:

"This subject, Chen Yuan, the Qing Envoy of the Sky Patrol Department in Tangshan Prefecture, greets Your Majesty!"

"I heard from Yang Yuanqing that when you received the imperial edict in Tangshan, you were unwilling to kneel. Are you dissatisfied with me?" Jingtai's expression was upright, and he couldn't tell whether he was happy or angry.

Chen Yuan's eyes were calm and neither humble nor arrogant. He continued:

"This subject dares not. The reason why I didn't kneel to receive the edict that day was because I was preparing to lead the Tangshan Sky Patrol Department to pursue and kill the demonic and evil people within the prefecture.

The court once issued an order that those who prepare for war can see the sky without kneeling."

Chen Yuan's tone was steady, without the slightest hint of panic. Cao Zhengxian looked up and down at this long-famous first place on the Hidden Dragon List, wondering what he was thinking.

However, a faint killing intent flashed in the eyes of Yang Yuanqing, who was standing next to Jingtai.

"Then why don't you kneel today?"

Jingtai continued to ask.

Chen Yuan frowned and breathed a sigh of relief:

"This subject...."

"Forget it, if you don't want to kneel, then so be it. Martial artists should have the heart to move forward bravely. I won't force you." Jingtai said indifferently.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Chen Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. If Jingtai insisted that he kneel, he felt that he probably couldn't help but kneel today, but he really didn't want to kneel to anyone.

You can say that he was squeamish, or say something else.

But kneeling and saluting was something that was a little difficult for him to accept. He would feel like a slave.

The killing intent in Yang Yuanqing's eyes grew stronger and stronger. He was reprimanded by Jingtai and knelt down like a dog, but Chen Yuan was able to get his permission not to kneel.

How could he not be jealous?

"I heard that you hold all the power in Tangshan, and you have all the military and political affairs in your hands. Is there such a thing?" Jingtai changed the topic. Just now, he was praising him a little, but now he was a little cold.

One press and one release, he deeply understood the way of the emperor.

"That's right."

Chen Yuan didn't hide it, but faced it honestly. If a lie was said, countless lies would be needed to cover it up. Besides, since Jingtai dared to ask this, he must know something.

Chen Yuan's honesty surprised everyone present, and they looked at him in surprise.

He knew that this was a serious crime of suspected rebellion!

Why did the court have a separation of powers?

It was to prevent someone from holding all the power and giving rise to a rebellious heart. This was also the most vigilant thing in the court, even more vigilant than some naked rebellions.

After all, the Sima family succeeded in usurping the throne in this way.

They directly occupied a state, and all the power was in their hands. In this way, how could they not have the ambition to win the world?

Jingtai's expression remained unchanged, and he said indifferently:

"Tell me your reasons."

The implication was that if he couldn't give a convincing reason, this matter wouldn't be so easily glossed over.

Yang Yuanqing stared at Chen Yuan, as if he wanted to see what different things he could say.

"Your Majesty, the reason why this subject holds all the power is because Tangshan had reached an irreversible situation before. If those rebels cannot be wiped out with thunderous force, it will become a big problem!"

"The former governor colluded with the Infinite Life Religion demon people to extract the souls and flesh of the people to refine pills. The former Qing Envoy was his wings and colluded with the Jianghu martial artists of the entire Tangshan,

The martial preparation army was suppressed and dared not move.

When this humble subject first arrived in Tangshan, there were strong enemies outside and big problems inside. In the end, this humble subject could only suppress them with iron-blooded means, first kill the evil leader, then remove the wings,

With the help of Envoy Jiang, Tangshan Prefecture was completely cleansed within a month. There were no more evil demons or unrest in the entire Tangshan, but it was adjacent to Xizhou, and demons often entered Qingzhou through Tangshan. This humble subject could only use extraordinary means to unite the power of the court to stop them. Because of this, it was rumored that this humble subject held all the power and had great ambition.

But in fact, this humble subject only has a heart full of enthusiasm and wants to serve the country. Please understand, Your Majesty!"

Chen Yuan's words were generous and passionate, and he portrayed himself as an isolated minister, making Jingtai's eyes turn solemn, and said in a deep voice:

"Chen Qing is truly a loyal person of my Great Jin Dynasty and will surely become a pillar of my dynasty in the future."

"This subject dares not, Your Majesty is too kind. Your Majesty's glory is like the sun and the moon, and this subject's light is like a firefly. Although I know that my ability is limited, I will also burn the last bit of enthusiasm for the court."

Chen Yuan cupped his fists with a solemn expression.

These words were very beautiful, and even Zhang Yantong's eyes flashed with a hint of appreciation.

As he spoke, Chen Yuan lifted the thing behind him, revealing its true face. It was the Wanmin Umbrella that the people had given him before he left Tangshan Prefecture.

Originally, he was going to present this thing to Jingtai, but he didn't expect the other party to ask him about this.

"What is this?"

Jingtai asked.

"Your Majesty, this thing is the Wanmin Umbrella. It was woven by the people when this subject left Tangshan Prefecture. In the past six months, although this subject has been fierce and murderous to the Jianghu martial artists, I have not committed any crimes against the people. I have set up porridge sheds, cleaned up the officialdom, and pleaded for the people. The people are grateful for this humble subject's small achievements, so they gave me this thing."

"Why are you so good to the people?" Jingtai asked in confusion.

In his opinion, these grassroots officials should exploit the people and search for oil and water. This Chen Yuan was an exception.

"In this subject's opinion, the people are like water, and the court is like a boat. It can carry the boat and overturn it. The people are the cornerstone of the court. Only when the people are strong can the country be rich."

Jingtai raised his hand and stroked his beard lightly, with a slightly thoughtful look in his eyes. After a long time, he nodded and said:

"It can carry the boat and overturn it. Well said, Chen Yuan, present the Wanmin Umbrella in your hand to me and let me see it."

"Please take a look, Your Majesty."

Chen Yuan took a few steps forward and handed the Wanmin Umbrella to Jingtai.

He was about to take it casually, but as soon as he touched it, he suddenly felt a scorching temperature, which made him feel a little disgusted.

The hand that was stopped in the void quickly retracted, and Jingtai said indifferently:

"Since it was given to you by the people, I... won't look at it."

"Alright, stand up."

Jingtai waved his hand, and a powerful invisible astral qi lifted Chen Yuan up, causing him to be shocked in his heart. Just this one hand showed his terrifying control over the essence energy of heaven and earth.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Chen Yuan cupped his hands, then slowly stood up. Although he was a little curious as to why the other party didn't continue to look at the Wanmin Umbrella, he didn't think much about it, wrapped it up again, and put it on his back.

Jingtai's expression was as usual, without any change. He stared at Chen Yuan, turned his gaze to Cao Zhengxian, and said:

"Cao Qing, what do you think of this Chen Yuan?"

Hearing this, Cao Zhengxian's eyes moved and turned to Chen Yuan. After looking at him for a while, he smiled:

"Envoy Chen is loyal to the country and is a pillar of the country. He is a talent. Your Majesty might as well transfer this person to my command."

"The Imperial Factory needs such talents!"