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墨書 Inktalez
Night Star had just pushed open the grand hall's door when the Emperor's furious voice echoed within. Moments later, the sound of shattering porcelain followed, and even standing at the entrance, one could feel the anger radiating from within.
With a slight furrow of his brows, Night Star stepped forward and respectfully bowed to the Emperor, saying, "I pay my respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"
The Emperor stood imposingly at the head of the hall, his hands clasped behind his back, his sharp eyes glaring with authority. Kneeling before him were a group of officials, all trembling in fear, afraid that any wrong move might provoke the man. Their quaking bodies revealed just how terrified they truly were.
Dressed in a yellow Dragon Robe, the man exuded a serious aura. If anyone else met his gaze, they would likely be too frightened to lift their heads.
But Night Star was not just anyone; as a general of the Heavenly Universe Kingdom, he had seen much. He was no stranger to the Emperor's wrath and had long cultivated an attitude of indifference towards such displays.
"Hmph..." The Emperor let out a cold snort without speaking further, slowly taking his seat on the dragon throne. The anger in his eyes seemed barely contained, as if it could erupt at any moment.
Faced with this attitude, Night Star felt a sense of confusion and promptly asked, "I do not know what I have done to provoke Your Majesty's anger. I am foolish; I hope Your Majesty will enlighten me!" His hands clasped in salute, every movement exuded the natural masculinity of a soldier.
As soon as he finished speaking, a bright yellow memorial was thrown down before him. The Emperor coldly commanded, "Look for yourself and see what is written there!
The situation at the border is critical. As a general of the Heavenly Universe Kingdom, do you have no news at all? Must I worry about these matters myself? What use is it to keep you people around?"
Upon hearing this, the officials kneeling on the ground lowered their heads even further. If there had been a hole in the ground, Night Star believed they would have jumped into it without hesitation!
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!" The officials spoke in unison. This statement only seemed to ignite further fury within the Emperor, who could be heard gasping for breath.
"Calm my anger? You useless lot! All you can do is speak flattering words! My Empire is on the brink of collapse! And you still ask me to calm down? If I calm down, what will happen to my Empire? Will I just hand it over to others?"
The Emperor's fury seemed to reach its peak as he pounded his hand on the table, causing the nearby teacup to tremble incessantly, as if it would fall to the ground at any moment.
Such a thunderous rage instantly silenced the officials kneeling on the floor; none dared to speak.
What a joke! The Emperor was in a fit of anger, and speaking more would only lead to more mistakes. They wanted to live a few more years, so they had to protect their own heads!
The officials remained silent, but Night Star picked up the memorial from the ground and began to examine it carefully.
The memorial was quite brief, simply stating the current situation at the border, where three tribes were besieging them. These tribes were not particularly large; under normal circumstances, they would never dare to be so arrogant. What could have caused them to become so restless and even unite?
As he pondered this, the door of the hall was pushed open once again, and a gust of night wind swept in, cooling the atmosphere inside considerably.
The newcomer wore a formal official robe and had a stern expression. He hurried in, panting heavily, clearly having just rushed over. It was Prime Minister Jiang!
"Your servant pays his respects to Your Majesty. Please forgive me for being late," he said.
"Prime Minister, please rise," the Emperor replied slowly, casting a glance at him. His anger seemed somewhat diminished compared to earlier as he spoke in a low voice.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" As the Prime Minister stood up, he caught a glimpse of Night Star kneeling on the ground and revealed a strange smile at the corner of his mouth, which was deeply concealed behind his stern demeanor, unnoticed by anyone.
With his hands clasped before his chest, he said slowly, "I hope Your Majesty can forgive Star. This border crisis was not something he could have foreseen. Mistakes are inevitable; fortunately, I discovered it early and managed to prevent disaster."
"Prime Minister Jiang, I naturally have my own judgment on who is right and who is wrong. I am no longer a three-year-old child; do you need to teach me about right and wrong?"
His words were filled with authority; although his tone sounded somewhat flat, each word served as a warning for the speaker to be mindful of his status.
How clever is Prime Minister Jiang? Having accompanied two generations of emperors in the Heavenly Universe Kingdom for so long, could he still not fathom the thoughts of those in power?
He then chuckled and said, "I merely wanted to help Star explain. If it weren't for that woman being around, Star wouldn't have been so tense about this news."
Suddenly, Prime Minister Jiang stopped, a look of fear in his eyes as he glanced at Night Star, as if there was a hint of dread in his gaze.
"I spoke out of turn!" he then said, falling silent and bowing his head.
At this point, Night Star had a rough understanding of the situation tonight. It was false that he couldn't obtain the news; it was likely that someone had intercepted it on the way back.
Deliberately withholding the information from him until the right moment to present it directly to the emperor was clearly intended to embarrass him in front of His Majesty!
Now, mentioning Mo Xier's existence on purpose was meant to make the emperor think he had neglected state affairs due to his infatuation with a woman!
If the emperor truly became furious over this matter, whether he could save himself would be questionable, let alone having the energy to protect Mo Xier.
One must admit, this two-birds-with-one-stone strategy was indeed brilliant, and throughout this process, he had not sensed anything amiss!
Sure enough, the emperor's attention shifted immediately to the mention of a woman, and he asked in a deep voice, "Is the woman Prime Minister Jiang referred to Miss Mo?"
He still remembered Mo Xier very clearly; such a stunning beauty was hard to forget! Moreover, the feeling of infatuation from before seemed to linger in his heart—how could he possibly forget?
"Your Majesty, your health is of utmost importance. It would be best not to get too agitated. As for the situation at the border, you can send me to handle it," Night Star did not directly answer his question, taking all the burdens upon himself.
"You? Tell me, with the current situation at the border, what do you plan to do?"
Night Star's lips slowly curled into a cruel smile, his eyes filled with coldness, as if just one glance could freeze someone in place.
"It's merely a temporary alliance of three tribes; it's nothing to worry about. I have my own methods. If Your Majesty trusts me, then leave it to me. I will not disappoint you!"
Such a promise, imbued with the steadfastness of a soldier, was as solid and powerful as stone, making people unconsciously believe in him and trust that he could handle it well.
In just a few short sentences, the atmosphere shifted dramatically from initial anger to a now profound silence. The officials kneeling on the ground exchanged glances, unsure of what to do.
The Emperor's mood changed too quickly; they say women's tempers are the most changeable, like the weather, but it seems the Emperor's temper changes even faster than the weather outside!
The ministers remained kneeling, motionless, quietly stealing glances at the man beside them. Night Star's lips slightly curled up, maintaining his usual indifference, making it impossible for others to discern his thoughts.
The Emperor slowly waved his hand, signaling the kneeling ministers to rise. He spoke in a deep voice: "Since this matter has been resolved, you need not stay here and embarrass yourselves before me!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" came a uniform response that echoed throughout the hall.
With his brows slightly furrowed, the Emperor's expression was still not particularly pleasant as he continued: "Although this matter has been resolved, I cannot let you go without punishment! Three months' salary will be deducted! Go back and reflect on your actions!"
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"
Even after being punished, they could only express gratitude to the Emperor, which exemplified the power of those in higher positions.
Prime Minister Jiang had not yet reacted when the situation in the hall underwent a dramatic change. He had intended to teach Night Star a lesson, but unexpectedly, Night Star showcased himself before the Emperor!
As long as he appeared on the battlefield, there would be no room for others. It was as if he had handed over his achievements directly to him!
No matter how much he hated it, there was no way to reverse the situation; he could only smile and respectfully bow along with the other ministers.
"You may all leave. Night Star, stay behind; I have some matters to discuss with you," the Emperor said, his gaze fixed on him, eyes filled with scrutiny.
Prime Minister Jiang deliberately slowed his pace as the ministers gradually retreated, his eyes revealing a hint of reluctance and hesitation. But what could he do? He still had to turn and leave.
Once everyone in the hall had exited, the Emperor reached out to stroke the dragon head of the throne, his eyes filled with contemplation. "Star, what do you think about today's events?"
The Emperor was not foolish; how could he fail to see the clues in this matter? He simply did not wish to bring it up in front of everyone.
Night Star's expression shifted slightly. After a moment of silence, he spoke softly, "I believe this matter was orchestrated by someone intentionally; otherwise, I would not have received no information at all."
This reasoning was clear not only to him but also to the Emperor. The furrow in his brows deepened; such an unexpected event could not happen without a trace.
Seeing his expression, Night Star continued, "Your Majesty need not worry. I will investigate thoroughly and provide you with an explanation! I assure you that such incidents will not occur again!"
"Star, I trust you. I hope you will not disappoint me."
"This is natural!" The confident response instilled a sense of trust in those who listened.
Nodding in satisfaction, he picked up the teacup on the table and slowly took a sip, seemingly pondering something. After a moment of silence, he said in a deep voice, "As soon as you find out about this matter, report it to me immediately. Do not mention it to anyone else."
Night Star nodded heavily. He and the Emperor had grown up together; they were of similar age. On the surface, they appeared to be ruler and subject, but they both understood that their relationship was more like that of brothers.
It was precisely because of this that they could trust each other so deeply.
After exiting the main hall, Prime Minister Jiang paced back and forth at the entrance, occasionally looking up at the door, clearly waiting for someone.
When their eyes met, he stepped forward and respectfully bowed, saying, "Star greets Uncle."
"Have you come out?" Stopping in his tracks, there was a profound scrutiny in his gaze.
After bowing, Night Star nodded indifferently, placing his hands behind his back. The two stood together, their presence equally imposing.
Prime Minister Jiang exuded an air of age and stability, while Night Star appeared cold and somewhat distant.
"What else did the Emperor say to you?"
Shaking his sleeves lightly, he smiled and replied with a question, "Uncle, how long have you been serving in court?"
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