I meet all the requirements for becoming a god in this world!

Chapter 243 A Grand Show in the Imperial Court

The morning light peeked through the window and fell on the bed curtains, casting a warm, golden glow.

When Cheng Laiyun opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Gao Heyun's black hair scattered on the pillow, with a few strands of hair falling on his bare shoulders, making him feel slightly itchy.

She was still asleep, her breathing even and long. Her perpetually stern face softened slightly in the morning light, her eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath her eyes.

Cheng Laiyun looked down at her and suddenly realized that this daughter of a military family who grew up in the northern border was not at all like the cold-faced Yama who made the entire Regent fear her when she was asleep.

He reached out and gently brushed away the stray hairs on her forehead. The moment his fingertips touched her forehead, Gao Heyun opened her eyes.

The drowsiness in her phoenix eyes lasted only a moment before returning to its usual sharpness. She watched his fingers hovering in front of her forehead, and her brows twitched almost imperceptibly.

"What are you doing?"

"Can't I admire Mr. Gao's sleeping face?"

Gao Heyun didn't say anything, but simply reached out and removed his restless hand from her forehead, the movement swift and decisive.

Then she sat up, turned her back to him, and began to tie her hair. Her movements were as nimble as ever, and her fingers flew as her hair was obediently gathered into a bun.

But Cheng Laiyun noticed that the tips of her ears were slightly red. It wasn't from the morning light; it was a red that shone through from beneath her skin.

"Lord Gao, your ears are red." Cheng Laiyun stood up with a wicked grin.

"You've misread it." Gao Heyun didn't turn her head, her voice as indifferent as ever, but the fingers holding her hair paused slightly.

Cheng Laiyun leaned in from behind, rested his chin on her shoulder, and whispered something in her ear:

"Your ears were this color last night when you told me not to get distracted."

Gao Heyun's shoulders stiffened slightly, and then she swung her elbow precisely into Cheng Laiyun's chest with perfect control of the force.

Just enough to make him groan and fall back onto the pillow, without actually hurting him.

"One more thing, see you at the Flying Crane Hall training ground after court."

Gao Heyun stood up, picked up the black outfit hanging on the clothes rack, put on the outer robe, and fastened the belt with the same decisiveness as drawing her sword.

She had her back to him, and her voice returned to its usual coldness, but Cheng Laiyun clearly saw that she wrapped her fingers around her belt twice before tying it properly.

He leaned against the headboard, watching Gao Heyun get dressed and push open the door. The morning light streamed in, casting a pale golden outline on Gao Heyun's dark figure.

She paused as she stepped out the door, not turning her head, but simply turning her face to the side, the morning light illuminating half of her cheek: "Get up and eat."

Before Cheng Laiyun could answer, she had already strode out, her back still bearing that aloof and unapproachable demeanor.

He leaned back against the headboard and suddenly felt that it seemed to get light earlier than usual today.

He couldn't stay in bed for long.

A series of hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate, followed by a high-pitched, thin voice that exploded in the courtyard:

"Master Cheng! Master Cheng! Your Majesty's decree!"

?

Cheng Laiyun rolled out of bed, grabbed his official robe, put it on, and went out the door.

A young eunuch was hunched over in the courtyard, panting, holding a bright yellow imperial edict in his hands. Seeing him emerge, he quickly shoved the edict into his hands, saying breathlessly:

"Lord Cheng, His Majesty summons you to the palace immediately for the morning court session—the morning court session has already begun!"

Cheng Laiyun opened the edict and glanced at it.

After he clearly saw the words on it, the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

He tucked the edict into his sleeve, straightened his clothes, and strode towards the courtyard gate.

The edict contained only one line, but he already knew that Emperor Jianye was going to put on a grand show for him today.

…………

Inside the Golden Palace, officials were already lined up on both sides.

Emperor Jianye sat on the dragon throne, the beads on his crown remaining perfectly still.

After last night's battle, he was not tired at all; on the contrary, he was full of energy—his destiny had been regained, and his dragon energy had returned to its place. He felt as if a huge stone that had been weighing on his heart for many years had been lifted.

Most of the officials in the palace only vaguely knew that something had happened in the capital last night, but they knew nothing about the specifics of what had happened.

"I am late, Your Majesty, please punish me!"

Cheng Laiyun's voice rang out in the main hall.

All the officials instinctively turned their heads to look towards the entrance of the main hall.

Cheng Laiyun, dressed in a brand-new black official robe, walked in from outside the palace gate. His imposing figure was immediately apparent.

The officials' gazes varied—some were puzzled, some scrutinized, and some subconsciously took a half-step back.

The Crown Prince, standing in his position as regent, looked somewhat bitter upon seeing that Cheng Laiyun had arrived so late.

Good heavens, why is the morning court session on Zhongjie taking so long?

Father wouldn't...really punish me, would he?

He cautiously raised his head to observe Emperor Jianye's face.

Just as he looked up.

Emperor Jianye spoke, a faint smile appearing on his face:

"What crime have you committed?"

"Last night, Minister Cheng performed an unparalleled service. I am already busy rewarding him, so how could I possibly punish him?"

These words were spoken.

The unsuspecting officials looked bewildered. An unparalleled achievement?

What merit?

The crown prince was also dumbfounded.

Ah? ?

Arriving so late for the morning court session... and you still have merit??

What does Father mean by this?

However, before they could think about it further...

Emperor Jianye's voice rang out again, this time much more serious than before:

"Cheng Laiyun has rendered meritorious service in saving the emperor and in protecting the new policies."

"Effective immediately, he is promoted to the rank of Fourth-Rank Inspector of the Regent's Office."

"Concurrently in charge of the Criminal Division of the Regent's Office."

...? ? ? ? ?

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell into complete silence.

The crown prince was stunned by this sudden news.

How come... he's been promoted to Inspector again?

My God?!

Is Zhongjie really that powerful?

What on earth happened?

This sudden surge of elation overwhelmed the crown prince, leaving him with a sense of unreality.

Cheng Laiyun was his study companion!

When Cheng Laiyun was promoted, his position naturally rose accordingly.

The other officials also stared wide-eyed.

What does that mean?? A fourth-rank inspector?!

There are only four inspectors in the Regent's Office, right?

And if I remember correctly, inspectors are not entitled to stipends unless their cultivation level is at least fourth rank, right?

How old is this kid?

They definitely don't have the cultivation level of the fourth rank.

It should be noted that Liu Yundu, Tang Lü, Geng Yan, and Xun Meng are all fourth-rank martial arts masters.

He worked his way up in the Regent's Office for over a decade before finally getting this position.

What gives Cheng Laiyun the right to do this?

How long has he been in prison?

How could someone skip directly from the fourth rank and the fourth rank of Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, and jump straight to the position of Inspector?

Liu Yundu stood in the queue, his expression best described in four words—disbelief.

He'd known Cheng Laiyun for so long, knew this kid was capable of causing trouble, but to jump from Provincial Surveillance Commissioner to Inspector overnight? He turned his head and lowered his voice to Tang Lu beside him, saying:

"What on earth did that kid do last night?"

Tang Lu's dark face was also filled with confusion. He looked at Cheng Laiyun, then at Emperor Jianye, then back at Cheng Laiyun, and lowered his voice to reply:

"I have no idea! I toiled for over a decade in the Regent's Office before becoming an Inspector, and this kid has only been here for less than a year—is he His Majesty's illegitimate son?"

Liu Yundu did not answer, but his gaze remained fixed on Cheng Laiyun, as if he were meeting this young man for the first time.

Among the civil officials, several censors had already begun whispering among themselves.

Zhou Changping, the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, stepped forward, holding his official tablet, and bowed to Emperor Jianye in a loud voice:

"Your Majesty, Cheng Laiyun has been in the Regent's Office for less than a year and is still relatively inexperienced. It may be inappropriate to suddenly promote him to the rank of fourth-grade Inspector."

"The Inspector General of the Imperial Household Department is in charge of the defense of the capital and supervises the criminal affairs of all officials. He holds a high position and great power, and historically only those of high moral character and prestige can hold this position."

"Cheng Laiyun... merely proposed a new policy, which was only piloted in a small county of Changle and not promoted nationwide. His contribution can only be considered minor."

"Although he has made some minor contributions... his qualifications and rank are insufficient to convince the public."

"Your Majesty, I urge you to rescind your decree, or postpone the promotion until Cheng Laiyun has gained several years of experience," Zhou Changping said. Before he could finish, Imperial Censor Zhao Huan stepped forward, his tone even more sarcastic than Zhou Changping's.

"Your Majesty, Imperial Censor Zhou is absolutely right."

"Since Cheng Laiyun implemented his new policies, there has been constant controversy in the court, and memorials impeaching him have piled up like mountains."

"This person acts aggressively and has made many enemies. If he is suddenly promoted to a high position, it may cause turmoil in the court and among the people."

"Your Majesty, I dare to ask—what merit has Cheng Laiyun rendered that makes him worthy of the position of Inspector?"

"Yes!! Please, Your Majesty, rescind your decree!!" Then, more than a dozen officials came out one after another, all of them frantically slandering Cheng Laiyun.

Emperor Jianye leaned back on his dragon throne, looking at the two censors with a blank expression.

He then glanced at the official who was following closely behind in the queue.

He didn't speak, but simply turned his gaze to Cheng Laiyun.

The show is about to begin.

After receiving a glance from Emperor Jianye, Cheng Laiyun smiled and stepped out of the queue, walked to the center of the hall, first bowed to Emperor Jianye, and then turned to face Zhou Changping and Zhao Huan.

His smile was faint, and his tone was gentle, as if he were chatting with two old friends: "Imperial Censor Zhou, Imperial Censor Zhao, you two have asked me what merit I have rendered—before I answer, I would like to show you something."

He raised his right hand and waved it gently towards the palace gate.

Several eunuchs carried a brocade box into the palace from outside.

The brocade box wasn't large, with sandalwood edging and a copper lock fastening it securely, but for some reason, everyone in the hall felt that the brocade box had an inexplicable gloomy atmosphere.

The young eunuch placed the brocade box on the gold-brick floor in the center of the hall, bowed, and withdrew.

Cheng Laiyun walked up to the brocade box with a smile, reached out to unlock the clasp, lifted the lid, and then put his hand inside.

then.

He was in the imperial court.

From the brocade box.

Suddenly, a human head was pulled out!

Yang Shi'en's head!!!

The man's sideburns were still neatly combed, and the expression on his face was frozen in the moment before his death—a kind of serene calm that came after being driven to the brink of despair. When he was alive, he was a Duke of the highest rank, a third-rank military officer, and the head of the nobility.

Now he was just a human head, being held up in mid-air by Cheng Laiyun's hair.

"Whoosh!!!"

After seeing the head in his hand clearly.

The entire Golden Palace erupted in excitement.

The officials in the hall couldn't maintain their composure for a moment.

"Bang bang bang~" Zhou Changping stumbled back three steps, almost bumping into Zhao Huan behind him. He pointed at the severed head, his lips trembling as he managed to squeeze out a sentence after three attempts:

"Duke Dingguo?! This, this, this..."

Zhao Huan's scepter slipped from his hand and fell with a "thud" onto the gold brick floor. He bent down to pick it up, his hands trembling like leaves, and he couldn't pick it up even after two attempts.

Several censors who had just wanted to stand up against Cheng Laiyun now had their heads bowed low, wishing they could shrink their entire bodies behind their ceremonial tablets.

I was at a loss.

The officials who were just attacking Cheng Laiyun were all paralyzed with fear. A third-rank military officer!!

The most elite fighting force in the entire Great Far Dynasty!!

Now, it's actually a human head, being held up by Cheng Laiyun?!

Has this kid already acquired the combat power to kill a third-rank martial artist?!

Everyone was stunned.

The crown prince was dumbfounded.

Tang law, Liu Yundu... these officials who were familiar with Cheng Laiyun were all in a state of confusion.

Cheng Laiyun put Yang Shi'en's head back into the brocade box, took the handkerchief handed to him by the eunuch, wiped his hands, threw the handkerchief back into the brocade box, and closed the lid.

He turned to face the assembled officials, took out a document from his sleeve, unfolded it, and began to read.

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a nail driven into the ears of everyone in the hall.

"Yang Shi'en, Duke of Dingguo, inherited the title in the fifteenth year of Jianye."

"From the nineteenth year of Jianye, he privately trained assassins in the underground of the villa in the east of the city; from the twenty-first year of Jianye, he secretly transferred spiritual materials and tampered with the Spirit Tracking Plate in the Mo Sect Treasury through his son Yang Qianwan." "In the autumn of the twenty-fifth year of Jianye, he colluded with the demon fox spirit fox to enhance the spirit fox's life-changing talent with the technique of 'redemption', and sent assassins to kill this official at the pass outside Changle County to cover up the spirit fox's use of the technique."

"In the autumn of the twenty-sixth year of Jianye, nearly 10,000 guards were mobilized to seal off the twelve palace gates of the imperial city. On the Chengtian Gate tower, they joined forces with the spirit fox to strip His Majesty of his destiny, intending to support the Eighth Prince to usurp the throne."

He turned the page and continued reading.

What he was reading was a secret letter copied from Yang Shi'en's residence.

Each secret letter was a reply to Yang Shi'en from an official who had participated in the impeachment process and opposed the new policies.

Someone wrote in a letter, "Cheng Laiyun is just a county official who, by sheer luck, entered the capital and dared to make irresponsible remarks about national policies."

Someone wrote in a letter, "The conversion of land tax into poll tax will shake the foundation of the nation; the Duke should make plans as soon as possible."

Someone wrote in a letter, "If the Duke takes action, I am willing to be his inside man."

Cheng Laiyun read out each name, and every official whose name was called felt their knees go weak.

When he read out the last name, Cheng Laiyun closed the document.

He raised his head, looking at Zhou Changping and Zhao Huan, his voice still in that unhurried tone:

"My lords," said Imperial Censor Zhou, "just now I said that my qualifications are too shallow to command respect." "Now, these heads, these secret letters—are they enough weight? Should I read out every single name on the secret letters?"

Zhou Changping's face was deathly pale, and his lips moved for a long time, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Zhao Huan had retreated to the very edge of the line, his back pressed against a pillar, as if he wanted to shrink himself into the pillar.

The officials whose names were read aloud in the secret letter turned ashen-faced; some lowered their heads, not daring to look up, while others secretly wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads with their sleeves.

Someone quietly moved half a step to the back of the line, wishing Cheng Laiyun would suddenly go blind.

Cheng Laiyun didn't look at them again.

He turned to face Emperor Jianye, straightened his clothes, then lifted the hem of his official robe and knelt upright on the gold brick ground.

He held the list of secret letters copied from Yang Shi'en's residence in both hands, raised it high above his head, and raised his voice several decibels, each word seeming to be squeezed from the deepest part of his chest:

"Your subject, Cheng Laiyun, is deeply grateful for Your Majesty's great favor in promoting him to Inspector. I have no way to repay this kindness."

"Today, Your Majesty, I implore you to swiftly execute Yang Shi'en's remaining associates to rectify the court and serve as a warning to others!"

"Thump—" Zhou Changping fell to the ground with a thud.

Immediately afterward, two more officials at the end of the line buckled at the knees and collapsed to the ground, their faces ashen and their bodies trembling violently. The hall was deathly silent.

The officials whose names were read aloud in the secret letter felt their legs go weak, and some could not stand. They had to rely on their colleagues to support them so that they did not collapse.

Yang Shi'en's head was placed in the brocade box in front of them, his eyes, which could never be closed, seemed to be staring at them, asking—who's next?

Emperor Jianye sat on the dragon throne, taking in everyone's reactions.

He remained silent for a long time, so long that the officials slumped on the ground had already begun to draft their wills in their minds, before finally speaking.

His voice was not loud: "Gentlemen, Yang Shi'en's treason is well-documented."

"I know that some people are just being misled by Yang Shi'en and are not truly following him."

"I am not a tyrant, and I do not wish to implicate too many people."

Looking at those pitiful officials, he spoke indifferently:

"I can forgive and forget what happened today—but on one condition."

Upon hearing this, the officials who were slumped on the ground all looked up in bewilderment.

Huh? There's still a chance?

"All officials who had corresponded with Yang Shi'en should sign this letter of support for the new policy in public."

"If you sign, I will consider that you have never had any connection with Yang Shi'en; if you don't sign—you will be treated as accomplices in treason."

What else is there to say?

Almost the instant Emperor Jianye finished speaking, all the officials who were slumped on the ground struggled to their feet.

They rushed to the prepared document supporting the new policies in front of the emperor's desk, fearing that the emperor might change his mind if they signed too late.

Zhou Changping was the quickest to get up. He didn't even bother to brush the dust off his official robes. He rushed to the imperial desk, grabbed a pen, and signed his name on the letter of support.

Zhao Huan followed closely behind, and after signing the document, he leaned against a pillar in the palace as if he had collapsed, panting heavily, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

The officials whose names were read on the secret letters lined up to sign them. For each one they signed, Cheng Laiyun would smile and say, "Your Excellency is a man of great wisdom and a pillar of the nation."

Emperor Jianye leaned back on his dragon throne, watching the officials lining up to sign their documents.

His face remained as expressionless as ever, but as everyone bowed their heads to sign, his gaze swept over the throng of people in the hall and met Cheng Laiyun's in mid-air.

The touch was so brief, so fleeting, that no one noticed, but the corners of both their lips curved slightly at the same time. The blushing and faking of their roles were over.