Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1406 - 1406 797 Reality Problems_2

Chapter 1406: Chapter 797: Reality Problems_2 Chapter 1406: Chapter 797: Reality Problems_2 Of course, before they can retire, I’ll have to check if their records are clean. If not, they won’t even get the chance to retire.

Qi Tian quickly discovered that he had underestimated some officials in the Capital City. Shortly after taking his seat at the Wumen Gates, officials began to arrive one by one. Qi Tian had already sent out all his scouts to hide in corners where they were unlikely to be discovered, monitoring the area around Wumen. If any officials passed by without approaching Wumen, they were allowed to leave; however, if they came to Wumen, Qi Tian would have Gao Jinmei bring them over.

The first to arrive was a minor official from the Imperial Horse Supervisor of the Court, not a eunuch. He was very old, lean, with a head full of white hair, but robust. He walked as swift as the wind, without any attempt at concealment. Dressed in his official robes, he strode boldly to the front of Wumen. Upon seeing Qi Tian, he casually greeted him and asked Qi Tian to clear a path, claiming he was there to pay his respects to the Emperor.

Qi Tian found the old man interesting and asked him to state his name and credentials.

The old man, without any trace of fear, recounted his name and past service to Qi Tian. Qi Tian’s eyes lit up—this was no ordinary man. He was once Emperor Tian Rui’s Minister of Civil Affairs, one of the advisory ministers left to his son. However, after Emperor Tian Rui’s eldest son ascended the throne, the old man repeatedly defied the new emperor, who in a fit of rage, demoted him to the Imperial Horse Supervisor to tend to horses.

When Prince Zhao took the throne, he was unfamiliar with the court officials and couldn’t recall such a Minister of Civil Affairs, so he never inquired about his affairs.

Although demoted to the Imperial Horse Supervisor, the old man remained deeply loyal to the Imperial family. With so many attending to the Emperor before, the old man didn’t need to worry about the Emperor’s safety, but now with the Capital in such turmoil, he was concerned and came to check on the Emperor’s wellbeing, regardless of his own safety. He wanted to ensure the Emperor’s security with his own eyes.

After learning about the old man’s background and intent, Qi Tian immediately decided to reappoint this former official named Zhang Dengkui. He told Zhang, “In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures are required. Sir Zhang, since you are so concerned about the Emperor’s safety, prepare to take on significant responsibilities. I have decided to implement a temporary cabinet system in Great Zhao Nation for a period of time, and you will be the first Prime Minister of Great Zhao Nation’s cabinet. I’ll explain the specific duties to you later.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dengkui was not pleased but incensed. He pointed at Qi Tian’s nose and scolded him. The Great Zhao Nation had an Emperor; who was Qi Tian, a foreigner, to call the shots?

Zhang Dengkui, true to being a former Minister of Civil Affairs, launched into an eloquent tirade against Qi Tian, citing classics and without repeating himself, which Qi Tian found quite admirable, even if he hadn’t wanted to admit it.

Qi Tian did not blame Zhang Dengkui for his outburst. Instead, he waited until Zhang had run out of steam, then took out a golden token and tossed it to him, urging him to look at it closely.

Upon seeing the token, Zhang recognized he had scolded the wrong person. This was the “As if I myself were present” golden token that Prince Zhao had given to Qi Tian after becoming Emperor. Displaying this token proved that Qi Tian possessed the same authority as the Emperor to decide on all affairs, great or small, of Great Zhao Nation.

Zhang knew of this token because, when Prince Zhao gave it to Qi Tian, Zhao had declared it throughout the Great Zhao Nation, informing the military and civilians alike. At the time, Zhang thought Prince Zhao had delegated too much power, which could foster powerful courtiers, a decision he believed unwise. But now, facing the token, he realized how astute Prince Zhao’s decision had been.

Instantly, Zhang knelt with the golden token in hand before Qi Tian.

Qi Tian sighed. He realized that up to now, not a second official had come over, and he was idly bored, so he picked the most pressing matters of the past few days and shared them with Zhang Dengkui. It wasn’t until then that Zhang Dengkui learned how Prince Zhao had died, and that the newly ascended Emperor Zhao Song had already had his consciousness erased by those foreign cultivators and had been turned into a puppet.

Originally, Zhang Dengkui had thought Qi Tian’s killing was excessive, but now, he felt that Qi Tian hadn’t killed enough. He thought that all the cultivators lingering in the Capital City should be killed to appease the spirits of Prince Zhao and his son.

Qi Tian reiterated his earlier words, asking Zhang Dengkui to become the Prime Minister of the cabinet. This time, Zhang Dengkui didn’t refuse. The situation of the Imperial Family and the Great Zhao Nation had become so perilous that it required capable officials like him to step up; he couldn’t just stand by and watch.

Zhang Dengkui, indeed a Minister of Civil Affairs, was very familiar with the officials of the Great Zhao Nation, particularly those of various ranks in the Capital City, as if they were the palm of his hand. He immediately stepped into the role and started introducing them to Qi Tian. He knew which officials were competent and which ones were corrupt through and through.

Qi Tian had never wanted to deal with these administrative matters of the Great Zhao Nation, as they were trivial and extremely time-consuming, which greatly hindered his cultivation. Now that he had appointed Zhang Dengkui as the Prime Minister of the cabinet, Qi Tian quickly delegated these matters to him.

He tasked Zhang Dengkui with forming the Great Zhao Nation’s first cabinet according to his own wishes, and then to present the list to him. If Qi Tian found no issues with it, they could announce the successful formation of the cabinet.

Zhang Dengkui accepted the daunting responsibility calmly in the face of danger.

Qi Tian was pleased and left without looking back, leaving Gao Jinmei behind to temporarily ensure Zhang Dengkui’s safety before departing. As for whether Zhang Dengkui planned to continue waiting at Wumen like him or whether he would take the initiative to recruit officials directly, that was now Zhang Dengkui’s decision to make, and Qi Tian no longer interfered.

Qi Tian then returned to the palace and sought out his acknowledged disciple, Zhao Song.

Zhao Song’s eyes were vacant. He had completely lost hope of recovery. Qi Tian looked at him, not knowing how to deal with Zhao Song. Logically, the best course of action was to put Zhao Song out of his misery, to let him die and be reincarnated sooner, so he wouldn’t continue to suffer in this world or live on as a walking corpse. But Qi Tian couldn’t bring himself to do it; on one hand, Zhao Song was his acknowledged disciple, and even though he hadn’t really taught him anything after accepting him, the nominal master-disciple relationship still stood. On the other hand, Zhao Song was Prince Zhao’s only remaining bloodline. If Zhao Song died, Prince Zhao’s lineage would be completely severed.

In the end, Qi Tian sighed helplessly. He didn’t kill Zhao Song, nor did he attempt to recover Zhao Song’s consciousness. Zhao Song’s awareness had been thoroughly obliterated, and even if it were possible to give him a new consciousness, it wouldn’t be Zhao Song anymore.

Qi Tian decided to let Zhao Song continue living. He would instruct the new emperor to take good care of Zhao Song and, if possible, to help Zhao Song sire offspring. This way, Prince Zhao’s lineage could be prolonged, and this would be the last thing he could do for Prince Zhao and his son.

Qi Tian found a random spot in the palace and stayed there, browsing through the various scriptures he had brought from the Imperial Family Secret Territory to broaden his knowledge and expand his understanding of the Cultivation World. All of this was a guarantee for him to go further on the path of cultivation.

In the blink of an eye, two days passed. During these two days, Qi Tian had still not received a reply from Xiao Xiaowu. In comparison, the progress made by Zhang Dengkui was much faster. In two days, following his own ideas and Qi Tian’s advice, and considering the actual situation of the Great Zhao Nation, Zhang Dengkui managed to compile a name list of cabinet members and then personally went to Qi Tian for review.