The Jinluan Hall—it seemed every grand hall for imperial court sessions shared this name.
However, while the Jinluan Hall of the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace was currently filled with officials, today was not for a standard court session, but rather a consequence of the Heaven Dou Coup.
The Emperor was dead, the Crown Prince was an imposter, and further, this imposter had murdered the last remaining Fourth Prince, Xue Beng, and Prince Xue Xing.
The imperial bloodline was effectively severed. Of course, Gu Xuan, the Prince-Consort, remained. And it was precisely because of him that the Heaven Dou Empire had avoided the risk of being stolen by an outsider.
When Gu Xuan revealed the atrocities committed by Spirit Hall, the officials were overcome with fury, wishing they could skin and debone the fake Crown Prince right then and there. Yet, in Gu Xuan's eyes, their anger was nothing more than a laughable display.
Gu Xuan knew that with the imperial line gone, these officials surely harbored thoughts they shouldn't. But their ambitions were destined to turn to dust.
As the officials grew noisy and disorganized, Gu Xuan raised his hand. Every voice cut off instantly, for standing below him to his left and right were two Titled Douluos. The deterrent force of four Titled Douluos far outweighed anything else.
"Everyone, since matters have reached this point, further words are useless. As a prince-consort, while I feel deep pain, the problems we must solve remain severe." Gu Xuan's voice carried an indescribable, heavy authority. It felt as if the person speaking from above was not a prince-consort, but a true Emperor.
Every gaze focused on Gu Xuan. No one dared to interrupt him.
"A nation cannot go a single day without a ruler. As the imperial prince-consort and a Prince personally titled by His Majesty, I have no choice but to shoulder this heavy responsibility of the state. Therefore, I have decided that starting today, the Empire shall temporarily be governed by me as Prince-Regent to maintain national unity. Once Xiao Ke and I have sired an heir, I shall step down from the position of Prince-Regent and return the Empire to the line."
Upon hearing Gu Xuan's words, the previously quiet hall erupted in chaos once more. Clearly, they weren't going to let this so-called Prince-Consort become the Regent so easily. Gu Xuan was the Young Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. If he became the Regent, would Heaven Dou still be called Heaven Dou in the future? After a long time, wouldn't the Empire simply belong to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan? Their interests as officials would inevitably be squeezed out, something they absolutely did not want to see.
But what choice did they have?
Resist Gu Xuan? From any perspective, Gu Xuan's actions were backed by righteousness; there was no room for rebuttal. Moreover, with four Titled Douluos present in the hall, who would be foolish enough to speak up? Who thought their life was too long?
Gu Xuan watched the noisy crowd, his gaze sweeping over Yu Feng and Osler. The two had been watching him intently. Noticing his gaze, they immediately began brainstorming.
Though their relationship had remained close during Gu Xuan's wedding two years ago, they never imagined that today, two years later, Gu Xuan would be becoming the Prince-Regent of the Heaven Dou Empire. Recognizing his signal, they understood his intent instantly. They tugged at their respective grandfathers' sleeves and whispered a few words into the ears of the two Marquises.
The expressions of the two Marquises shifted several times before they both stepped forward and knelt. "We greet His Highness the Prince-Regent. With the sudden upheaval in the Heaven Dou Empire, your willingness to step forward is a blessing for the nation."
With two major officials stating their position, the others' faces paled as they weighed their options. However, Gu Xuan had no intention of catering to them. A terrifying pressure radiated from his body, making it hard for the crowd below to breathe. Those with weaker physical constitutions were forced directly to their knees.
"I have spoken. Who agrees? Who opposes?"
Faced with a pressure that felt as if it were seeking their lives, the crowd could no longer hold out. One by one, they knelt and bowed.
"We pay our respects to the Prince-Regent. We are willing to be driven by Your Highness to repay the nation's grace."
Seeing that most of them looked reluctant, Gu Xuan didn't mind. Most of these people were corrupt individuals with the faces of men but hearts of beasts. Forcing them to submit was merely to stabilize the situation in Heaven Dou City. Once the matter with Spirit Hall was settled, Gu Xuan would send an army to reorganize the Empire, replacing key positions with his own people. If these so-called high officials were sensible, then he wouldn't mind sparing them. If they failed to see the writing on the wall, he would have no choice but to strike.
As for the families of Osler and Yu Feng, even if most of them were useless people living off the state's grain, Gu Xuan wouldn't move against them as long as the two could manage their households well. He needed some of the original officials to stay and handle certain affairs; killing everyone might lead to an extreme backlash.
By becoming the Prince-Regent, more than half of Gu Xuan's plan was complete. The rest depended on his subsequent methods. Now that the deed was done, Li Nuo was of little use. Gu Xuan sentenced him to death for the crimes of usurping the state and murder, providing a sense of closure for Emperor Xue Ye and the others.
However, Gu Xuan did not allow the officials to return home yet; otherwise, how could he gather evidence of their crimes? He handed such "dirty work" to the Zodiac Hall. When he first established the Zodiac Hall, he had already planned for them to function much like a secret police force. Because their martial souls had mutated into "beast-men," they were already somewhat disconnected from normal society, making them perfect for such a role. Furthermore, their half-beast characteristics would better intimidate those with treacherous hearts.
Imagine a corrupt official doing something he thought would never be discovered, only to wake up in the middle of the night to a group of bull-headed, goat-headed, or pig-headed men surrounding his bed, watching him. Even Gu Xuan found the thought a bit terrifying. Half-beasts could be very frightening, indeed. Of course, beast-eared girls were the exception.
After becoming Regent, Gu Xuan openly combined forces with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to begin reorganizing Heaven Dou City. To fully unify the Empire, one had to start at the capital and radiate outward, before finally unifying the entire continent.
Though Gu Xuan was wise, he disliked letting such trivialities interfere with his cultivation time. Once his status and position were solidified, he handed all administrative matters to Ning Fengzhi. He only focused on discussing plans and future arrangements with him; the rest of his time was spent cultivating.
He was already Rank 90. He only needed one soul ring to break through to the Titled Douluo realm. Although the Soul Hunting Operation had caused a delay, and he couldn't leave temporarily, it didn't hinder his training. Dugu Yan was the same; having reached Rank 80, she was in no rush for a ring. Even without one, she could still cultivate, and the soul power she gained now would manifest once she finally obtained a ring.
(End of Chapter)
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