"Bai Canghai shall be appointed as the Carefree Left Emissary, and Ruoshui as the Carefree Right Emissary!"
"Gao Guan, Yan Beihong, Wen Huanzhen, and You Yi … shall be appointed as the Star Searchers!"
"Madam Bai shall be appointed as the White-Robed Empress!"
"Heavenly Consort Yue Yao shall be appointed as the Western Empress!"
"Eight Abstinences shall be appointed as the Holy Buddha!"
The ministers realized that this decree was truly all-encompassing. Even Lord White and the Demon Lord had been appointed as such. However, some of them had never heard of such a title before. They didn't even know where these people had come from. Who was Heavenly Consort Yue Yao? Why did it sound like the Western Empress' title was above all the other kings?
Meanwhile, Yang Zhaoqing had already put down the jade archive in his hand. "The decree is complete. Announce it to the world in a few days to show Your Majesty and the Heavenly Empress' grace."
The ministers bowed in unison. "Thank you, Your Majesty and the Heavenly Empress!"
"You have all worked hard!" Miao Yi gestured for them to rise. Yun Zhiqiu silently raised his hand as well.
Yang Zhaoqing then said, "Your Majesty and the Heavenly Empress thank you for your hard work. Let us have a cup of wine!"
Large groups of Immortal Maids came out from the side halls, carrying trays as they weaved between the ministers. Each of them took a cup in their hands.
Qian'Er and Xue'Er also came back with trays. Miao Yi stood up, and Yun Zhiqiu followed suit, each taking a cup in their hands.
"The first cup is to those who have died for the Heavenly Court!" As soon as Miao Yi finished speaking, he tilted the cup in his hand and poured the wine on the jade steps. Yun Zhiqiu followed suit.
Miao Yi placed the empty cup back on Qian'Er's tray, then took another cup and solemnly said, "The second cup is to those who have betrayed me!"
The wine spilled on the jade steps, and the empty cup returned. Then, he took another cup, raised it in his hand, and said forcefully, "The third cup is to those who have betrayed me!"
The ministers looked at each other, unsure of what he meant.
Miao Yi took a final cup and toasted everyone from afar, "To all of you!"
The ministers hurriedly raised their cups and said, "To Your Majesty and the Heavenly Empress!"
The ministers raised their cups and drank together, filling the Heavenly Hall with the aroma of wine.
The ceremony was considered to have come to an end. After that, the emperor and his ministers discussed the major matters of the world in the Universal Palace, each expressing their own views. The new Heavenly Court was established, and the first court meeting began.
As the court session neared its end, Miao Yi glanced at Yang Qing.
"This official has something to report!" Yang Qing stepped out of the ranks and said loudly.
Miao Yi nodded. "Speak!"
Yang Qing reported in a loud and clear voice, "I suggest a general amnesty! Register all the cultivators in the world and have the Heavenly Court issue a notice for them to take the initiative to register. As long as they take the initiative to register, all the mistakes they have committed in the past will be forgiven! If they didn't come to register, they would be treated as rebels and killed! In addition, in order to prevent the younger cultivators from acting rashly, the Heavenly Court should establish a 'Heavenly Tribulation' assessment system. In the future, all cultivators who break through to the Golden Lotus realm will have to undergo the Heavenly Tribulation assessment. Those who pass the assessment will be included in the Immortal Register. Those who do not have an Immortal Register are not allowed to gather or buy any cultivation resources. Violators will be treated as rebels and punished severely! "
Once these words were spoken, most of the courtiers understood the intention behind Yang Qing's suggestion. The amnesty was to bring all cultivators under their supervision, and the assessment of the heavenly tribulation was equivalent to controlling the threshold for future generations to join the cultivation world. There were too many ways to manipulate this. In the final analysis, these two matters were the Heaven Court's intention to bring all the cultivators in the world under their control.
"Everyone, what do you think?" Miao Yi asked calmly.
The courtiers were either whispering amongst themselves, deep in thought, or silent. In short, no one responded at the moment. This matter was too sudden. For a moment, everyone was still unsure of how it would affect them, so they didn't dare to make a rash decision.
In reality, there was no way Yang Qing hadn't discussed this with Miao Yi before making this suggestion. This was Miao Yi's plan to firmly control the world in his hands. Of course, Miao Yi didn't expect to make a decision immediately. This matter involved too many people and required the cooperation of too many subordinates. It required a whole set of heavenly laws to regulate and enforce it. Right now, he was only letting the news out in the Imperial Court so that everyone could be mentally prepared.
Yun Zhiqiu couldn't help but take another look at the man sitting beside her. She could also tell that her man was prepared to firmly grasp the world in his hands.
Seeing that everyone remained silent, Miao Yi said, "This matter will be discussed during the next Imperial Court meeting. Dismissed!"
"Farewell, Your Majesty! Farewell, Your Highness!" The courtiers cupped their fists and watched as Miao Yi and Yun Zhiqiu stood up and left.
At the back of the hall, Yun Zhiqiu followed behind Miao Yi and didn't utter a single word. She was aware of some things. It was already out of line for her to accept the courtiers' salutations in the Imperial Court, and no one was used to her appearing in the Imperial Court. If she voiced out her opinion again, it would only lead to criticism.
Outside the hall at the back, the Imperial Consorts were still waiting outside. When they saw Miao Yi and Yun Zhiqiu, they all half-knelt and saluted. It was a show of respect for the Heavenly Court's first official Imperial Court meeting. Naturally, they wouldn't do this every time in the future.
Miao Yi waved for them to rise. Meanwhile, Yun Zhiqiu had her own matters to attend to. For the Heavenly Court's first Imperial Court meeting, all the Imperial Consorts had brought their families. She had to lead the harem to meet the families of the Imperial Consorts, and there would be a garden banquet. The banquet had already begun, but she was dragged to the Imperial Court by Miao Yi. She was forced to go along with the Sovereign's Descent, which delayed her.
After giving Miao Yi some instructions, Yun Zhiqiu was about to lead the Imperial Consorts away. Miao Yi swept his gaze across the crowd and said to Guang Mei 'er, who had her head lowered, "Heavenly Lady of Peace and Peace, please stay for a moment."
The crowd bid their farewells and left. The depressed Guang Mei 'er lowered her head and stood before Miao Yi.
Ever since he had conferred this woman the title of Heavenly Lady, Miao Yi had never officially met her. Only now did he truly realize that this woman had become his Imperial Consort. He couldn't help but recall the first time they met, and the times they interacted. He could tell that although this woman was still as beautiful as ever, the light on her face had dimmed.
Miao Yi could understand. He knew what this woman had been through, and some of it had to do with him.
Of course, he wasn't keeping her here because of her beauty, nor was it because he felt guilty. It was because the Duke of Guang wasn't attending the Imperial Court meeting, which made him think of her. Otherwise, with so many women in the Imperial Consort's harem, and if she didn't take the initiative to fight for his favor, he wouldn't have thought of her all the time.
Miao Yi wanted to know what the Duke of Guang was thinking. He stared at her and asked, "Do you hate me?"
Guang Mei 'er shook her head. "No, I wouldn't dare!"
Miao Yi asked, "How are your parents?" Actually, this was a question he already knew the answer to. The Guang Clan had no way of resisting him at this point. It wasn't difficult for him to infiltrate the Guang Clan and know the internal situation of the Guang Clan. Naturally, he knew Lady Mei's current situation. However, the Duke of Guang didn't even show his face, so he didn't know what his intentions were.
Among the leaders of the major forces that could compete with him in the past, the Duke of Guang was the only one left. A centipede died, but it didn't fall down. The power of an ambitious person wasn't limited to winning or losing on the battlefield, so Miao Yi always kept him in mind.
Guang Mei 'er said in a low voice, "We rarely contact each other."
Miao Yi nodded. "I was careless." He turned to Yang Zhaoqing behind him and said, "Inform the Guang Manor that I will accompany Heavenly Lady Anle back to her parents' home for a few days!"
"Understood!" Yang Zhaoqing answered.
The officials left the sky palace one after another. Standing at the main gate of heaven, Xu Tangran folded his hands in front of his chest. As expected, he had become the Celestial Court's Left Supervising Emissary. He felt a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.
He smiled as he looked at the departing officials. He found the feeling of being in a higher position, and his eyes shone brightly. Naturally, he knew where his responsibilities lay. He was thinking about what he should do to repay His Majesty's kindness. Should he look for one of the officials and solve a big case?
He was eager to do something to show off and prove to Miao Yi that he wasn't just for show. His eyes had a sinister look to them.
He turned to look at the sky palace and realized that there were still people who hadn't come out yet. When he saw Yang Qing and Jin Man standing face to face, his eyes brightened. Could these two be in cahoots? However, he soon realized that he was overthinking things. These two weren't easy to deal with. His top priority now was to perfect the framework of the Left Supervising Emissary.
However, he was still in a good mood. After leaving the sky palace, he quickly rode his flying mount home, eager to share his joy with Xue Linglong.
Yang Qing was stopped by Jin Man. The two of them looked at each other. Yang Qing smiled faintly, while Jin Man had a complicated expression on her face.
After looking at each other for a long time, Jin Man said, "I heard that your wife is here. I also heard that Hao Defang's woman, Su Yun, has also been taken by you. It seems that I'm indeed not worthy of your attention."
Yang Qing sighed. "You're thinking too much. You're good, really good. I'm the one who's not good enough for you."
Jin Man said, "You should know what I want to hear, right?"
Yang Qing shook his head slightly. "That's not realistic. Do you think that with our current positions, it's still suitable for us to be together?"
Jin Man understood what he meant. The two of them were both Titled Kings. If they were to be together, it would be taboo. The Celestial Emperor, who had just conquered the world and had yet to find a worthy opponent, was definitely a dangerous person. She calmly said, "I'm going to ask you seriously now. Do you have feelings for me?"
Yang Qing smiled. "You're so beautiful. How can I not have feelings for you? Unless you're not a man."
Jin Man said, "Fine! Status means nothing to me. As long as you agree to marry me, I will immediately resign from my position as a Celestial Emperor. "
Yang Qing frowned. "It's not worth it for you to do this?"
Jin Man said, "I'm not young anymore. I'm a woman. The world has been unified, and I don't have to worry about food and clothing. Do you think this position of a Celestial Emperor in name is meaningful to a lonely woman who has reached this stage? Yes, there are many men in the world. It's not that I can't have you, but I'm at a loss. I don't know who to look for. I don't like ordinary people, and I don't want to pay attention to those whose statuses are too different. To be more precise, I don't have the mood. I'm not begging you. I just have some feelings for you. I'm looking forward to it. What do you think? "
Yang Qing fell silent.
Xu Tangran only remembered that Xue Linglong had gone to the garden tour when he got home. At this time, Xue Linglong was with Yun Zhiqiu. A group of women were looking at the large-scale man-made landscaping by a lake. The Heavenly Palace had just moved in, and many things were not complete yet.
Yun Zhiqiu also knew that there was nothing to invite everyone to look at for the time being. Rather than listening to everyone's insincere flattery, she decided to be straightforward and let everyone express their opinions and suggestions on how to build the landscaping. When it was done, she would invite everyone to come and see the masterpiece that everyone had worked on together during the next garden tour. Thus, everyone was in a good mood.
Consort Mei Niang, who was among the crowd, received news from the palace that His Majesty was going to accompany her daughter back to her maiden home for a short stay. She couldn't help but be overjoyed and hurriedly bid farewell to Yun Zhiqiu.
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