Douluo Jueshi: I Don't Want to Be an Evil Soul Master

Chapter 428 Undercurrent
"Your Majesty, the entire Sun Moon Empire is thriving. From civil and military officials to common people, everyone applauds and praises Your Majesty. This... is merely a title; why go to such great lengths..."

Jing Hongchen's words were tactful, but the meaning was not difficult to understand.

Nowadays, oranges are practically like real emperors, so let's try not to mess with them.

"Yes." Orange nodded, seemingly agreeing with Jing Hongchen's words.

Before Jing Hongchen could even breathe a sigh of relief, he heard the rest of Ju Zi's sentence.

"The emperor is young, and I have to deal with all the affairs of the Sun and Moon Empire, big and small. Whenever I have any questions, I diligently read history books and learn from history."

"But after reading so many books, there is one thing I don't understand." Ju Zi looked at Jing Hongchen, her eyes changing slightly.

"In the nearly thousand-year history of the Sun and Moon Empire, whenever there are changes, the emperor's affairs are written in great detail, while others are only mentioned briefly, or even left without any trace."

"I know my cultivation is inadequate and my lifespan is short. Whenever I see the officials in the court, I can't help but think about how the history books of the Sun and Moon Empire will describe what I have done thousands of years from now."

"I'm still uneasy," Ju Zi sighed, but Jing Hongchen, who was standing nearby, heard a different meaning.

Ju Zi's words were quite clear: her lifespan was shorter than that of other Soul Masters, and what she wanted was to leave her not-so-long life in the history books of the Sun Moon Empire.

Even if her lifespan ends here, her name will surely be recorded in the history books of the Sun Moon Empire, but clearly, Orange is not satisfied with this.

"This... I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness..."

"The Imperial Preceptor has already agreed to this matter." Before Jing Hongchen could finish speaking, Ju Zi added another sentence.

Upon hearing this, Jing Hongchen finally looked up and glanced at Ju Zi.

It was perfectly clear who the title "Imperial Advisor" referred to: a former student of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Guidance Academy, who was now a pivotal figure in the entire Sun Moon Empire.

Jing Hongchen sighed softly.

No wonder Orange has such confidence.

Although Mingde Hall is mainly about Jing Hongchen, Kong Deming, as a level 10 Soul Master, also carries considerable weight in the hall.

As a member of the royal family, Kong Deming naturally did not want to see Ju Zi ascend the throne, as evidenced by the fact that he always kept Xu Chengye by his side and personally taught him.

But if Orange has already gained the support of the "Grand Tutor," then Kong Deming's attitude is probably no longer that important.

Even if others are unaware, how could Jing Hongchen, who personally witnessed Lin Xiao's assassination attempt on Xu Tianran that night, not know about the grudge between Lin Xiao and Kong Deming?

No longer concerned about Kong Deming, Ju Zi summoned Jing Hongchen to the palace, actually to inquire about Mingdetang's intentions.

Thinking of this, Jing Hongchen sighed softly. Even though he felt there was something slightly wrong with the matter, it was clear that he couldn't stop it now.

As the Empress Dowager, Ju Zi once led a large army to conquer various places, destroying three kingdoms and unifying the continent.

Although his cultivation level was insufficient, he held considerable prestige within the army. Even Jing Hongchen couldn't determine whether the army would obey the emperor's orders or Ju Zi's command if the emperor were to step forward at this moment.

No, in fact, when Jing Hongchen thought of this, she already had the answer in her heart.

What the oranges lack is simply the support of the imperial court...

Thinking of this, Jing Hongchen glanced at Ju Zi again, and seeing her calm eyes, she secretly made a decision.

With a large army at her disposal, Ju Zi can accomplish anything she sets her mind to. Even if the court officials oppose her, it will only make things look worse, and the outcome will not change much.

"I heard that when the late Emperor came to Mingdu from the border, the Master of Hongchen Hall was among them..." Upon hearing this, Jing Hongchen's expression changed slightly. Ju Zi's words were practically a direct admission that he had also played a significant role in Xu Tianran and his son's usurpation of the throne.

"What's wrong with asking Master Hongchen to help me one more time?"

Ju Zi paused slightly, observing Jing Hongchen's reaction, before uttering the second half of her sentence.

“When I was dealing with state affairs, I often felt exhausted, and I was thinking of summoning everyone to discuss things with me.”

"Alas, the Mingde Hall is in charge of all the soul-guided technology of the Sun Moon Empire. Without the Mingde Hall, how could the Sun Moon Empire be what it is today? I have always hoped that the Hall Master could represent the Mingde Hall in court discussions."

"At that time, even matters unrelated to soul tools can be discussed with the other ministers by the hall master."

Jing Hongchen's breathing became slightly rapid.

Although Mingdetang holds a prominent position, Jing Hongchen's position has always been somewhat awkward.

Before Xu Tianran ascended the throne, he was trying to win over Jing Hongchen to help him ascend the throne.

However, when he ascended the throne and learned that there was another Kong Deming after Mingde Hall, his attitude towards Jing Hongchen changed somewhat.

Furthermore, Mingde Hall primarily deals with matters related to soul guide devices and rarely makes its voice heard in the imperial court.

Now, Ju Zi's intention is to truly bring him into the group that manages the Sun and Moon Empire.

Power is always something that people find addictive, no matter the time.

Jing Hongchen said no more, but simply bowed to Ju Zi.

As Jing Hongchen left, the study fell silent once more. Ju Zi narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at the closed door, a cold glint flashing in them.

Although those words were meant to appease Kong Deming, they were indeed true. She herself had no children, and a hundred years later, the throne of the Sun Moon Empire would eventually fall back to the Xu family.

only……

Orange gently closed her eyes, and memories flashed through her mind. The face of Xu Tianran, who had long since died, appeared before her eyes, crystal clear.

But how could the throne be so easily handed back to the Xu family...?

Lin Xiao returned to Mingdu several days later.

He had originally planned to find those disciples of the Holy Spirit Cult to ask about the "Holy Envoy," but those disciples were exceptionally obedient and had already left Dongyang City long ago.

He had promised Orange, so he didn't look for the whereabouts of those people for a while.

Given the sheer number of high-altitude soul-guided devices on the Douluo Continent today, using the power of the Sun Moon Empire to find someone is clearly more convenient than him searching for them himself.

After some thought, Lin Xiao returned to Mingdu.

To his surprise, within just a few days, an unusual atmosphere had emerged in the imperial court.

It has to be said that Ju Zi's methods were quite remarkable. No one knows exactly what she did, but even Lin Xiao, who is not very good at politics, could sense the strange atmosphere permeating the court.

Unbeknownst to many, matters large and small in the Sun Moon Empire were no longer being sent to the emperor, and the emperor's presence became much quieter.

Moreover, Jing Hongchen of Mingde Hall, as well as the legion commanders of several Soul Master Corps in the army, began to appear among the ministers.

(End of this chapter)