Even though everything was simple in the holy war, Xuanyuan Zhu's inauguration ceremony lasted 3 days in Xuanyuan Hill, starting from the early morning of February 14th and ending on the evening of February 16th.
On February 14th, Xuanyuan Zhu offered sacrifice to the heavens and the earth in Yuanqiu Palace accompanied by the imperial households of Taixia Country.
On February 15th, the offering sacrifice to the heavens and the earth came to Yuanqiu Palace accompanied by the imperial households of Taixia Country, saying, "After the offering sacrifice to the heavens and the earth, please ascend to the throne". After bidding farewell to the imperial households of Taixia Country, Xuanyuan Zhu was welcomed by the imperial households of Taixia Country to the Tianxin Gate by the imperial households of Taixia Country. All the imperial households of Taixia Country were waiting there. At the sight of Xuanyuan Zhu, there was a golden table at the gate of Tianxin Gate, on which there was a crown of the emperor. At the sight of Xuanyuan Zhu, all the imperial households of Taixia Country welcomed him respectfully, saying, "Please put on the crown of the emperor". Xuanyuan Zhu walked to the front of the golden chair. After being helped by the ceremonial officers, he put on the crown of the emperor for him. Closely after that, Zhang Tie bowed and put on the crown of the emperor for him. After that, Zhang Tie led Xuanyuan Zhu to the Nine-Heavens Palace from Tianxin Gate, surrounded by all the imperial households of Taixia Country. Xuanyuan Zhu took the jade seal of Taixia Country from the imperial households of Taixia Country to the Nine-Heavens Palace. Closely after that, all the imperial households of Taixia Country bowed deeply towards him for three times. After that, they were dismissed.
After leaving Nine-Heavens Palace, Xuanyuan Zhu went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and paid tribute to his mother's fourth generation of Jinwu Palace.
On February 16th, all the imperial households of Taixia Country paid tribute to Xuanyuan Zhu. Not until the evening did the envoys of all the other countries of Xuanyuan Hill pay tribute to Xuanyuan Zhu. After that, Xuanyuan Zhu gave the jade seal of Taixia Country to Zhang Tie and officially appointed Zhang Tie as the regent of Taixia Country. After that, Xuanyuan Zhu left Nine-Heavens Palace.
From then on, as Xuanyuan Zhu was still underage, learning was his top priority. Therefore, he only attended the imperial court on the Hopeful Day and the New Moon Day each month. In the rest of the time, he studied in the imperial palace of Emperor Xuanyuan. After Xuanyuan Zhu's coronation ceremony at the age of 20, Zhang Tie returned to Nine-Heavens Palace.
…
On February 17, the 933rd year of Black Iron Calendar, Zhang Tie in a boa costume was sitting in the Nine-Heavens Palace of Emperor Xuanyuan's imperial palace as he watched the three chancellors and nine ministers, all the civil and military officials, Lord Guangnan and the other officials of Taixia Country in the Nine-Heavens Palace.
'Once upon a time, I could only hide my identity in Xuanyuan Hill stealthily. However, now, I'm standing on the highest place of the highest power palace which represents Taixia Country and humans. When I recalled the past, I felt like having a big dream.'
Right in front of Xuanyuan Zhu's throne, Zhang Tie's seat was only one level lower than Xuanyuan Zhu's. This was the seat of regent. When Xuanyuan Zhu was not here, Zhang Tie's seat was the highest place in Nine Heavens Palace.
All the officials and generals of Taixia Country were standing on the left and the right respectively. There were 8 chairs below the steps of the palace, which were occupied by the commander-in-chief, the minister of public works, the prime minister, Lord Guangnan, Lord Xuanwu, Lord Jingtian, Lord Dingxi and Lord Yian respectively.
On both sides of the palace and on the royal stairs, there were two rows of majestic imperial guards in bright armors. The lowest level of these guards was a knight.
Meng Shidao was also sitting on the seat of the prime minister and watching Zhang Tie calmly. Zhang Tie was also watching him calmly.
One day before Xuanyuan Zhu ascended to the throne, Meng Shidao finally recovered his "health" and attended the ceremony in the following three days. During the three days, Zhang Tie had seen Meng Shidao for more than one time. However, they didn't communicate with each other. Today was the first time for them to meet each other since Zhang Tie came back from Motian Realm.
One was sitting on the highest place; the other was sitting on the lowest place.
On the first day since Zhang Tie became the regent, the atmosphere in Nine Heavens Palace was pretty solemn. Like Meng Shidao, all the officials and generals of Taixia Country remained expressionless no matter what they were thinking about. Many people had noticed that Zhang Tie and Meng Shidao were exchanging glances with each other in a subtle qi field. However, nobody opened their mouth. Everybody was waiting for Zhang Tie to speak.
Watching Meng Shidao's calm look, Zhang Tie felt like watching a changeable mist. Zhang Tie always felt that Meng Shidao's eye light was stealthily sizing him up and inspecting him.
Meng Shidao looked very calm. Even after knowing that Zhang Tie had come to Xuanyuan Hill, he didn't show any fear or flurried at all.
Meng Shidao was the prime minister of Taixia Country and one of the top three chancellors in the imperial court. As the prime minister, it was absolutely reasonable for Meng Shidao to injure Yun Zhongzi who was wanted by the Supreme Court after promoting to a sage-level knight in secluded cultivation. Even Zhang Tie couldn't find any loophole in Meng Shidao's behavior. Even though he knew that Meng Shidao might have reached an agreement with Taiyi Old Man and Shenkong Old Man, he couldn't blame Meng Shidao with this reason either.
Those captive knights of the three top sects didn't know about the contact and agreement between Meng Shidao and Taiyi Old Man at all. Even Xuanyuan Lie, the ninth prince of Taixia Country couldn't ask anything about it. Because Meng Shidao didn't contact Xuanyuan Lie at all. Given the above points, Meng Shidao was absolutely flawless.
Over three decades ago, when Zhang Tie returned to Taixia Country for the first time, Gobbling Palace was already a great force in Taixia Country. Now, during these years when Meng Shidao served as the prime minister of Taixia Country, Gobbling Palace's influence in Taixia Country had been expanding rapidly. Numerous disciples of Meng Shidao and people were bewitched by the specious theory of benevolence, righteousness and morality of Gobbling Palace. Over these years, many of these people had already become grass-roots even middle-level officials in Taixia Country. Some of them had even become provincial governors and had a great influence across Taixia Country. It was no exaggeration to say that the influence of Gobbling Palace on the bottom-level civilians in Taixia Country had already surpassed that of the top three sects.
That was why Zhang Tie didn't kill Meng Shidao for the time being. Although Zhang Tie didn't kill Meng Shidao, it didn't mean that he could tolerate Meng Shidao causing trouble for him as the prime minister of Taixia Country.
In order to end the holy war in Taixia Country as soon as possible, Meng Shidao had to resign from the position of one of the top three chancellors and leave Xuanyuan Hill.
…
"Since I came to Xuanyuan Hill a few days ago, I've been told that Lord Meng was sick. I wonder whether Lord Meng is feeling better these days?" Under the gaze of all the officials and officers in the imperial court, Zhang Tie asked Meng Shidao calmly.
After hearing Zhang Tie's words, many officials and officers in the imperial court felt their hearts pounding slightly. Everybody in the imperial court knew about the old scores between Jinwu Palace and Gobbling Palace. Zhang Tie's first words today were about whether Meng Shidao was "sick" or not, which was definitely not because of concern.
"Thanks for your concern, Your Highness!" Meng Shidao replied with a faint smile, "A few years ago, in order to promote to a sage-level knight, I was possessed by the devil when I was in secluded cultivation. I've not been cured completely until now. Sometimes, I'm not energetic. As it's the critical moment of the holy war, the position of prime minister is related to the overall situation of Taixia Country. I feel that I'm not qualified for this position anymore. Therefore, I'm here to ask for Lord's resignation today. After resigning, I prepare to return to Gobbling Province and open a college to study knowledge and continue to understand the mysteries of far-ancient moral stele!"
Zhang Tie was a bit shocked by Meng Shidao's words. Previously, Zhang Tie planned to kick Meng Shidao off today no matter what. He had long prepared some means to deal with Meng Shidao. Unexpectedly, Meng Shidao asked for resignation on his own initiative. Therefore, Zhang Tie didn't need to waste more time.
"Approved!" Zhang Tie didn't even urge Meng Shidao to stay; instead, he directly stripped off Meng Shidao's position as one of the top three chancellors. Meng Shidao seemed to be choked by Zhang Tie's words. However, Zhang Tie didn't continue to watch Meng Shidao; instead, he told those guards in the palace in a decisive tone, "Now that Lord Meng doesn't feel well and is always short of energy, you'd better go back to take a rest as soon as possible; otherwise, people would say that we don't respect the old and cherish the young. Come on, send Lord Meng back to his mansion for a rest; then, have an imperial doctor treat Lord Meng carefully. If Lord Meng needs any medicinal pills, he could get them from the warehouse of the imperial palace!"
"Thanks for your concern, Your Highness!" Meng Shidao directly picked himself up as he threw a gloomy glance at Zhang Tie. Before the guards "saw him off", Meng Shidao had turned around and walked towards the gate of Nine-Heavens Palace.
"Lord Meng, please leave the official seal of the premier of the Nine Heavens Palace. Otherwise, I will have to dispatch people to get it!" Zhang Tie opened his mouth calmly once again, "Lord Meng could leave Xuanyuan Hill at any time; however, Xuanyuan Hill couldn't lose the premier of the Nine Heavens Palace!"
The palace was in dead silence as all the officials and officers watched Meng Shidao who had stopped.
Even Emperor Xuanyuan would not remove the position of prime minister from Nine Heavens Palace in such a short time. Zhang Tie's power made many people's hearts palpitate.
Meng Shidao turned around and threw a glance at Zhang Tie with a smile. After that, he lightly took off a space-teleportation finger ring and gave it to a guard. Closely after that, he left Nine-Heavens Palace under the "escort" of two guards.
Watching Meng Shidao leaving there calmly, Zhang Tie didn't feel relaxed at all; instead, he became intense at once. Actually, Zhang Tie didn't mean to chase after Meng Shidao; instead, Zhang Tie purposefully probed Meng Shidao. Previously, Zhang Tie thought that Meng Shidao would resist him; unexpectedly, Meng Shidao accepted Zhang Tie's arrangement calmly. That was too abnormal.
Was Meng Shidao swallowing the insult and humiliation, or was there something wrong when things were abnormal?
Zhang Tie's face turned a bit solemn …
…
PS: I'm so ashamed that I could only write one chapter after working for a whole day!
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