Chapter 1 This Is the Emperor's Way of Governing

This is the current Emperor's art of controlling his subjects.

The four great families control the four major departments, checking and balancing each other, yet all serving the royal family.

There were once two members of the four great families who considered joining forces, forming an alliance to expand their power, and plotting dangerous things.

As a result, they were bloodily purged by the royal family. Except for some escaped fish who couldn't be found, the older generation was almost wiped out. Only the younger generation was supported by the royal family to redevelop.

And the You family is one of the four great families that was once bloodily purged by the royal family.

Therefore, the You family's foundation is actually the weakest among the four great families and in front of the royal family.

The marriage alliance with the Seventh Prince is both an imperial decree from the Emperor and a check and balance from the royal family.

After that incident, the royal family and the four great families began to occasionally intermarry to maintain a close relationship, rather than completely abandoning them as they had done before.

Even You Da Mao couldn't explain all the intricacies of this.

Qing Si Hong Yi is You Da Mao's official position.

The one who spoke up for You Si Si just now was none other than him.

In terms of seniority, You Da Mao and You Si Si are of the same generation, but in terms of age, he is a full cycle older than You Si Si, old enough to be her uncle.

Having watched You Si Si grow up since she was a child, he was ultimately softhearted and rashly spoke up for You Si Si.

But what he received in return was only the Emperor's indifferent gaze and the sight of his father, dressed in silver armor, subtly tugging at his sleeve.

"You Da Mao, do you think I haven't given the You family a chance?"

The Emperor's calm tone was like a great mountain pressing down, causing You Da Mao to sweat profusely.

Moreover, he wasn't talking about You Si Si, but... the You family!

This escalation in meaning caused everyone in the Qing Si ranks to stop their movements. Everyone looked stern, lowering their heads in silent apprehension.

The father who was pulling his clothes, whose official position was as high as Qing Si Yin Yi, also froze in place. His whole body trembled at a high frequency. After a long moment of stiffness, he slowly released his hand.

This action caused You Da Mao's heart to skip a beat, and a great fear welled up within him.

Because this was his father sacrificing the small to protect the big, just like what happened to his mother back then...

His face gradually turned pale. You Da Mao's heart was in turmoil, but then he heard someone suddenly speak.

"Father, if the You family's daughter is unwilling to marry, why force her? Forced melons are not sweet."

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. The one who spoke was none other than the current First Prince, Qing Qian Yang!

The Emperor's originally calm expression gradually softened a bit.

"Qian Yang, how have I taught you since you were young? A ruler's words are gold!"

"Father, you also taught me that forcing others to do what they don't want is not the way of a gentleman."

"A ruler is not a gentleman, a ruler is imperial power!"

"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Imperial power is not a castle in the air."

For the first time at the early morning court, the Emperor smiled.

"Qian Yang has done his homework well, but this matter has already been decided, so you don't need to mention it again."

Even though the Emperor showed a smile, Qing Qian Yang suddenly stiffened and didn't refute further, bowing his head and saying, "Yes."

Fang Yue frowned.

He had wanted to speak up earlier, but the First Prince had whispered to him to leave everything to him, so he had refrained from speaking.

Now that the First Prince had given up, he couldn't remain silent any longer.

"I disagree!"

"I disagree!"

Two voices rang out almost simultaneously.

The former was Fang Yue's words, and the latter was the Seventh Prince who had walked in from the entrance.

"The Seventh Prince?"

"Why would he disagree?"

"That's right, who in the capital doesn't know how much he cares about You Si Si!"

Everyone muttered inwardly, but no one dared to say anything out loud.

Only the Emperor narrowed his eyes and looked down below.

"Qi Ming, what do you mean by this?"

"Father, I want to call off the engagement."

Seventh Prince…

You Si Si widened her eyes, her heart filled with emotion.

"Call off the engagement? Didn't you hear what I just said?"

"Father, both You Si Si and I have no intention of getting married, so let's just drop the matter..."

"Drop it?"

The Emperor stroked his chin. "Qi Ming, are you misunderstanding something? I want you to get married. What does your willingness have to do with it?"

The Seventh Prince stiffened, glanced at You Si Si, and quickly raised his head and said anxiously, "But..."

"Enough! Among all the princes, I am most disappointed in you. I originally thought that after marrying the daughter of the You family, you would change, but you don't even have that much courage! Step down. I don't want to see you again today."

"...Yes."

The Seventh Prince clenched his fists, not daring to look at You Si Si, and retreated with his head lowered.

Two princes had spoken up one after another, but they encountered the same result. This was something that no one had expected.

The Emperor seemed to have become even more stubborn.

Many people had this thought in their minds, but no one dared to show it.

The former Emperor had once been praised as a wise ruler for a period of time.

But the years are merciless, and ultimately the Emperor has become the very thing he once hated the most.

"And you, you are Ye Bai Yi?"

The Emperor's gaze fell on Fang Yue.

Many people had already begun to gloat.

Two princes had contradicted the Emperor.

Relying on their status as his sons, even if the Emperor was unhappy, he wouldn't necessarily do anything to them.

But this Ye Bai Yi was different.

In the end, what was a Bai Yi? Just a Qing Si Bai Yi, a position for ordinary martial artists. Moreover, he was a commoner without any background, yet he dared to make a commotion in this great hall of civil and military officials?

Wasn't this just courting death!

In the eyes of all the officials, Fang Yue was already a dead man.

You Si Si nervously grabbed Fang Yue's hand, moving slightly forward, vaguely wanting to protect Fang Yue behind her.

"Don't be afraid, I'll be fine."

After whispering a comforting word to You Si Si, Fang Yue took a deep breath and looked up at the Emperor high above.

At this moment, he felt the pressure, the power of the highest authority in Qing Country!

Calming down, Fang Yue slowly spoke.

"From Ancient Moon Village, Ye Se Li Ming, here by imperial decree, greets the Emperor!"

Fang Yue was no longer a complete brute.

Although he had lost his mind a bit when he saw You Si Si earlier, his brain was now working again.

Going head-to-head with the current Emperor was a losing battle.

The only method he could think of was to first get through the current crisis, and then escape the capital with You Si Si.

But to do this, he had to resolve the troubles in the capital within three days, find An Dong Er, rescue Captain Wu, and then escape together.

In that case, the time would be too tight.

"Ye Bai Yi, do you know why I summoned you to the palace?"

"No."

"Ye Se Li Ming, a commoner from Ancient Moon Village, repelled a large number of strange entities in Ancient Moon Village, protecting the dilapidated Ancient Moon Village. In Qing Si County, he took the initiative to lure away a large group of strange entities, feeding himself to them to save the lives of tens of thousands of Qing Si civilians. Then, he made a scene in Chu Nuan City, exposing the Phoenix Organization's base and uprooting it. Such brilliant achievements, yet accomplished in just over two months, truly a remarkable person."

The Emperor seemed to be reciting information, slowly recounting Fang Yue's achievements.

If these achievements were on someone else, wouldn't they be great merits worthy of promotion and wealth?

But they didn't know that these few words couldn't convey the enormous risks Fang Yue had to take when facing these crises.

Now, these achievements were all that he deserved!

"With these achievements, as well as Qing Si's evaluation, and my own judgment, I am making an exception to promote you to the position of Qing Si Hong Yi. Are you willing?"

Qing Si Hong Yi?!

Everyone's expression changed.

Hong Yi usually requires martial arts experts at the Ren level to be qualified.

And in the capital, this position is even more difficult to get promoted to.

Even if one has the corresponding strength, if there is no vacancy for the Hong Yi position, or if one is not from that faction or has the corresponding background, it is easy to be brushed off.

There are more wolves than meat. Qing Country has developed to the point where the high-level official positions of the four major departments are often internally controlled by the four great families. It is rare for outsiders to squeeze in.

But now that the Emperor has spoken, any unspoken rules must give way.

"Qing Si Hong Yi? Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. I am willing to take this position!"

Fang Yue hesitated for a moment, but did not refuse.

He had many things to do in the capital, and if he had the position of Hong Yi, many things would become much easier.

"Very good, Ye Hong Yi, let me ask you, what is your relationship with Han Bai?"

Han Bai?!

Fang Yue was stunned. He didn't expect to hear Lord Han's name from the Emperor's mouth.

With countless thoughts in his mind, he said in a deep voice, "Lord Han is my master."

"So you are Han Bai's disciple. No wonder you are so talented."

The Emperor showed a faint smile, as if recalling something from a long time ago. Then, he suddenly seemed to remember something, and his expression stiffened slightly. He said in a deep voice, "How is he now?"

"Master... is dead."

At that time, Bai Xiao Ya almost simultaneously killed Lord Han and You Si Si. Fang Yue would never forget that scene.

"Dead, huh..."

The Emperor suddenly felt a little lost and dejected, but quickly regained his composure. "Forget it, the past is gone, no need to recall it. For the sake of your master's name, I will not hold you accountable for contradicting me today. But You Si Si's wedding date will proceed as scheduled. Do you have any objections?"

He let it go?

The Emperor actually let this kid go??

Everyone was stunned.

This was the first commoner who dared to contradict the Emperor in court and still leave unscathed!

Who exactly was that Han Bai? Why would the Emperor make an exception?

Everyone's heart was crawling with thousands of ants, wanting to know everything about Han Bai.

Information is sometimes the key to victory in the imperial court!

"..."

Fang Yue didn't speak, but just silently looked at the Emperor.

But the Emperor didn't care, and instead said.

"There is one more thing. I heard... that an immortal once appeared in the Black Green Mountain Range and had a meeting with you. Is this true?"

As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, the entire court was shocked!

Immortal!

What a distant word that was, almost only existing in myths and legends!

Unexpectedly, the Emperor would say this word today, and even ask a nameless bumpkin from the countryside!

Since the Emperor had spoken, this matter was probably true.

But an immortal... an immortal had appeared in Qing Country again? This made everyone feel uneasy.

"I did meet an immortal named Mei Yu."

After thinking about it, Fang Yue didn't hide anything and said directly.

Mei Yu? Immortal Mei Yu?!

Rarely did the Emperor's eyes show a hint of panic, but he quickly restrained himself.

"Where, where did she go afterwards? What was she doing in Qing Country?"

This time, Fang Yue didn't speak, but spread out his ten fingers: "Your Majesty, this question is worth ten days."

"Ten days? Ten days of lifespan? It doesn't matter, I..."

"No, it's ten days of the wedding date. I want to postpone You Si Si's wedding date by ten days. Please grant my request, Your Majesty."

The Emperor smiled. Qing Country was his, and no one could disobey his orders.

What could ten days change? Nothing could be changed.

"I grant it. No need for so much trouble. I'll give you a few more days. The last day of the month happens to be New Year's Eve. On that day, the whole country will celebrate, and You Si Si's wedding date will be held on that day."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After a pause, Fang Yue said: "Immortal Mei Yu was just passing through Qing Country and had no intention of staying. The place she went to afterwards was... [Mirror Mountain]!"

Mirror Mountain?!

Why would she go to Mirror Mountain? What was her purpose? How did she even get in...

The Emperor's expression changed a few times, his emotions fluctuating, and then he immediately restrained himself. After being silent for a while, he got up and said.

"Summon the four elders of Qing Si, [Golden Robe] You, Red Department [Heavenly Pivot] Nian, Blue Shan [Ultimate Blue] Wu, [Purple Hall] Zi, to the [Heavenly Hearing Hall] for discussion. Everyone else, dismiss court!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live, long live!"

Everyone responded in unison, and then dismissed court one by one in order.

The four elders of the four major departments had not attended the early morning court for many years and were considered to be in a semi-retired state.

Their power and status were still there, but they no longer appeared in some occasions and had retreated behind the scenes.

But everyone knew that the real core was still the patriarchs of the four great families, the pillars of support.

The Emperor left, the four major departments dismissed court. In the great hall of civil and military officials, only the First Prince, the Seventh Prince, and Fang Yue and You Si Si were left.

The Seventh Prince looked at You Si Si tightly holding Fang Yue's hand, his face embarrassed, and silently left.

"Seven..."

You Si Si called out, but suddenly stopped, watching the Seventh Prince leave.

The First Prince, however, cupped his hands towards Fang Yue.

"Brother Ye has great courage. I wouldn't dare to speak to Father like that. But you acted like nothing was wrong, even bargaining with Father and making a deal, and even managed to get away unscathed. Qian Yang admires you!"

"You are too kind, Your Highness. If it weren't for your strong support in court, the Emperor wouldn't have let us go so easily."

"Hahaha! I didn't realize that Brother Ye had such a silver tongue before. I boasted earlier that I would wait for Brother Ye to come to my residence to thank me, but I overestimated myself and wasn't able to help Brother Ye much."

"I will remember Your Highness's kindness in my heart, and I will definitely visit you to thank you another day!"

"No need for another day, let's go to my residence now for a good drink. To be honest, the moment I saw you, I felt like I was seeing a sibling, like we've known each other forever! I've made up my mind to be your friend! This isn't the place to talk, why don't you just come back to my residence with me?"

Fang Yue hesitated for a moment, glancing at You Si Si, who was just tightly holding Fang Yue's hand, as if she would listen to Fang Yue's words completely.

"Then please lead the way, Your Highness."

"Haha! Brother Ye is so straightforward, let's go!"

The First Prince walked in front, and Fang Yue and You Si Si walked behind.

Looking at You Si Si's flushed face, leaning on his shoulder, Fang Yue's heart was filled with emotion.

From life and death to the sudden reunion, everything was too sudden, and Fang Yue wasn't mentally prepared at all.

He had thought that You Si Si was dead, completely dead.

But he didn't expect to see her alive again in the palace.

Fang Yue had many things he wanted to say to You Si Si.

There were many things he wanted to ask You Si Si.

But before he could speak, You Si Si suddenly took out a familiar dirty black handkerchief and a medicine box.

With a surprised expression on Fang Yue's face, You Si Si's bright eyes fluttered.

"You still kept the handkerchief. I still kept the medicine too."

The surprised expression gradually softened, and Fang Yue smiled gently. Everything seemed to be understood without words.

...