The Steward Demonic Emperor

At the crack of dawn in the Imperial Palace, the emperor sat dignified in his dragon throne. His servants at the side and the officials down below were split on two sides giving a shallow bow.

Prime Minister Zhuge Changfeng was head of policies while Marshal Dugu Zhantian was in charge of the military.

They all showed utmost respect, "May Your Majesty lead a long and prosperous life!"

"Present your petitions!" A servant shouted, glancing at the men below.

Dugu Zhantian flicked his sleeve and came forth with a bow, "Your Majesty, I have worked hard in tracking down High Priest's murderer for ten days yet have found nothing. I ask that Your Majesty give me more men to conduct a more thorough search on the houses!"

"Granted!" The emperor spoke.

Dugu Zhantian bowed and withdrew. Zhuge Changfeng snickered inside. [The old marshal is quite serious in his search; dedicated to the monarch and nation. A shame he's too honest, unable to grasp the cloak and daggers in the court and insists on carrying this matter on.]

[Be as thorough as you like. Looking in the wrong direction will still give you nothing.]

Zhuge Changfeng stepped forward, "Your Majesty, I have a request. The imperial capital has been sealed for ten days, driving fear into the people and the clans. For the sake of peace, I ask that Your Majesty opens the gates."

"Humph, High Priest's case is yet to be solved and you want to open the city? Is the Prime Minister so impatient because of his own matters perhaps?" Dugu Zhantian snorted and glared.

The emperor flicked his cold eyes on the Prime Minister, waiting for him to continue.

Zhuge Changfeng shook his head, "High Priest's case is crucial, but so is the reputation of the empire. Your Majesty, you may disregard people's livelihood but you should care about the rumors traveling outside the state."

Zhuge Changfeng turned serious and bowed, presenting his petition, "Your Majesty, the Quanrong Kingdom knows of Your Majesty's centennial jubilee and its emperor has dispatched a delegation with a gift. Please grant it entry, Your Majesty!"

"What?"

The emperor and Dugu Zhantian screamed at the same time, "Quanrong has sent a delegation?"

Zhuge Changfeng nodded, "This is an external affair. Letting the delegation see the imperial capital under lockdown will earn their ridicule."

The emperor's brow shook. He glared at the slightly mocking look of Zhuge Changfeng and hatred festered in his heart.

[Zhuge Changfeng has a response for everything. I didn't respond when he asked that I release the seal on the capital in the name of the people.]

[So he used Quanrong's delegation as an excuse, won't agreeing now look like trying to salvage my name instead of looking out for the people?]

[His vaulting ambition is more than clear!]

Though the emperor was unable to grasp Zhuge Changfeng's planning from his vague replies.

Zhuge Changfeng presented the petition while the emperor paused in thought.

Dugu Zhantian intervened, "Your Majesty, Quanrong and Tianyu have only ever expressed hostility, with numerous clashes each year. The delegation is sure to be part of some elaborate scheme. And with the imperial capital in troubled waters, it is all the more reason we should block any outside interference. I beg Your Majesty to refuse them, lest we bring wolves in our midst!"

"Old Marshal is mistaken. Because our two nations have been at odds in the past, we should use this chance to mend our relations and live in harmony!"

Zhuge Changfeng shook his head and reported with a sneer, "In addition, they come bearing gifts. Slamming the door in their face will put Tianyu to shame. The Quanrong will think of us as petty! It concerns His Majesty's prestige and Tianyu's name. How could you be so jumpy to lose all decorum when it counts?"

One official in red stepped forward with a bow, "Prime Minister's words ring true. I second him!"

The emperor's brow rose at the Grand Secretariat.

Another official shot forward, "Prime Minister speaks wisdom. Please allow it, Your Majesty!"

[Minister of War?]

Dugu Zhantian's beard shook.

All officials soon stepped up, kneeling and shouting, "We all agree!"

Even the emperor gasped with an ashen face. He knew Zhuge Changfeng's power had a long reach, but not this long, to include both civil and military officials. The man left nothing to chance.

Dugu Zhantian was overwhelmed. Those loyal officials that followed the emperor around, all but him, were in Zhuge Changfeng's pocket!

Be it civil or military, all the emperor was left with were a scarce few.

Zhuge Changfeng held his head high, "Your Majesty, this is a matter of great importance for the nation. We, loyal subjects to the flag, ask Your Majesty to make a swift decision that I may reply to the Quanrong emperor at once!"

"Humph, Prime Minister, why the rush? You have so much care for the Quanrong. The last time I checked, you are our nation's Prime Minister!"

The emperor said, looking at Zhuge Changfeng in mock and ridicule.

All officials panicked, sweating all over.

The emperor's accusation was heavy, treasonous even. He started off as a joke, but singled out Zhuge Changfeng, the Prime Minister, as the nation's traitor.

Not even the emperor could accuse someone without evidence, especially the Prime Minister.

It only went to show how enraged the emperor was, getting ahead of himself.

Zhuge Changfeng took it in stride, even chuckled, "Your Majesty, please don't joke. I am under Tianyu's payroll, working in its best interests. Try to understand, Your Majesty, everything I do is for the empire."

"Ha-ha-ha, of course I understand the Prime Minister's toil!"

The emperor forced out through gritted teeth and slammed a servant with the petition, shouting, "As per Prime Minister's petition, I shall allow the Quanrong's delegation into Tianyu. The lockdown on the imperial capital is lifted and the High Priest's case will be postponed until after my celebration!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The officials bowed, to which the emperor snorted, watching with clenched fists. Dugu Zhantian cursed them inside for being treasonous dogs.

…

Meanwhile, in the High Priest's observatory, a ten-meter-large golden compass placed at the top released a deep blue glow. A strange energy lingered over it, forcing it to move.

Zhuo Fan and Yun Shuang witnessed this phenomenon in shock.

"Is this the Yun clan's heirloom, the 8th-grade spiritual weapon, Heaven Linking Apparatus?" Zhuo Fan was amazed.

Yun Shuang nodded, "By having the Heaven Linking Apparatus commune with the world, one can see what happens in the world. As I watched the stars last night, I saw the vile dragon converge his attention here. But that is only a rough estimate. Only through the Heaven Linking Apparatus can I see it's precise focus and how it tangles with the other factions' fates."

"So that's how it is!"

Zhuo Fan nodded and looked at her in earnest, "You do what you do best and I'll be the lookout!"

Pff!

Yun Shuang giggled, rolling her eyes, "This is the home of Yun clan, having a lookout is like saying we came here to steal from ourselves."

"Uhm, you do have a point. Nevertheless, with every house having eyes and ears everywhere, I'll block them!" Zhuo Fan scratched his head awkwardly, guarding the door.

Looking at him, Yun Shuang recalled last night and blushed, "He… isn't all that bad. At least not to his people. Or they wouldn't hold a birthday party for him."

This recall also brought her unmistakably to the moment when she threw himself in his bed, like a birthday present. And there she went again, blushing harder.

Shaking her head to get rid of those thoughts, Yun Shuang focused. Her eyes turned black and she stared at the Heaven Linking Apparatus.

The stars above transformed into four dragons, roaming above Tianyu and tearing at each other. The clearer it became, the greater the alarm on Yun Shuang's face.

When she had last looked at the stars with her grandfather, the clash of the dragons resulted in Tianyu being left in a sorry state. As for the final winner, it was unclear. But the aftermath of this war would leave Tianyu filled with corpses and the people a wreck for decades to come.

The greatest casualties Tianyu had ever seen in history!

Hum~

The Heaven Communing Apparatus stopped and the stars resumed their rightful place.

Zhuo Fan ran over, interested, "Eh, it's over?"

He was stunned to see Yun Shuang crying and mournful.

"Shuang'er, what's wrong? Did the wind get in your eye?" Zhuo Fan blinked.

Yun Shuang grabbed his wrist and pleaded, "Steward Zhuo, I beg of you. You can ignore what happened to grandfather but please, you must stop the bloodshed from happening. Only you can alter Tianyu's fate and free the people from suffering!"

Yun Shuang tightened her grip. Zhuo Fan met her gaze and nodded, "I will do my best, but…"

"But what?" Yun Shuang was overjoyed that he had agreed.

Zhuo Fan was still very much serious, "I keep my private matters separate from business. Personal matters always come first. You are with me now and I will help you in your troubles. But everything else will be done in passing."

Yun Shuang was clueless.

Zhuo Fan grinned, "That's just my style. You'll know soon enough. Now, what did you see?"

Yun Shuang snapped out of it and said, "Vile dragon's focus is on the Luo clan!"

"Eh?" Zhuo Fan raised an eyebrow.

Luo clan had just received its newfound position and had not one darn relation with Quanrong. [Why is it after the Luo clan…]