Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 551 - 352: Military Power in the Court

Chapter 551: Chapter 352: Military Power in the Court

Early morning court assembly, a demanding task.

Although the assembly time was set at the Mao period, unwritten rules required officials to arrive at the palace gradually starting from the Yin period, waiting silently.

Fortunately, most of the ministers attending the imperial audience had cultivation, and the Imperial Court had built many assembly rooms within the Imperial City for officials to rest according to their rank.

As the Mao period approached, the full moon hung in the sky, and dawn had not yet broken.

While most common folks were still in deep sleep, within Weng City outside the Zhengwu Gate, the important courtiers had already gathered in large numbers.

Above the palace walls, imposing Imperial Guards stood with blades at hand; below the walls, officials in various colored robes were arranged in an orderly hierarchy.

No one whispered privately; the vast Weng City was quiet as a dead city.

By the ancestral regulations of Dayan, after entering the palace, the monitoring officials would scrutinize the courtiers’ appearance and etiquette.

Several hundreds of officials at the pinnacle of Dayan’s power waited silently for the eunuchs from one of the four departments of the Inner Court, the Honglu Temple, to strike the morning bell at the Yin period.

Suddenly,

"Dang——dang——dang——"

Three long chimes of the morning bell sounded.

Following the bell chimes, a thunderous noise of opening gates also reverberated throughout Weng City.

As per court tradition, the Zhengwu Gate would not open during the officials’ entrance; they would use the left or right Yeomen instead.

Civil officials entered from the left, while military officials entered from the right.

Although the Yeomen were now open, the civil and military officials standing in front remained quietly in place.

No one moved, nor did anyone speak out, as if waiting for something.

In the midst of silence,

"Clip-clop...clip-clop...clip-clop..."

The sound of horse hooves and the slow roll of carriage wheels came from behind Weng City, as a chariot made its way to the very front amidst the quietude of the officials.

The chariot was carved with a vivid black dragon, especially the eyes of the dragons.

And with the arrival of the black dragon chariot, the hitherto tightly shut Zhengwu Gate suddenly let out a "boom."

After several moments, the towering Zhengwu Gate was fully opened, and the black horses stopped before the gate.

For this chariot alone, the grand gate was opened.

As the horse’s hooves halted and the carriage door opened, a middle-aged man in a Black Dragon Robe stepped down with light footsteps, each step seeming to weigh upon the hearts of the courtiers.

Standing alone before the courtiers, below the Zhengwu Gate.

Xu Yinhé lifted his gaze toward the direction of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, sighed enigmatically, and then ascended the steps.

Watching his departing figure, some high-ranking officials closed their eyes in silent contemplation, others showed disgust in their eyes, and still others had a gleam of ambition.

And as the figure of the middle-aged man completely disappeared into the shadows of Zhengwu Gate, a modulated and soft voice resounded from atop the palace walls:

"Officials~enter the court~"

As the voice died down, civil and military officials entered the court in an orderly procession, following the rituals of the Great Yan court.

The generals entered first, followed by close attendant officials, then princes and noble prince consorts, the Six Ministries and Five Departments, and other miscellaneous officials in the capital.

Amidst the procession, the previous silence was broken by some discreet communication.

"Brother-in-law of State Qin, in past assemblies, Prime Minister Xu also walked through the left Yeomen with civil officials; why is the Zhengwu Gate opened for him today?"

"With the conflict at the Northern Frontier, tens of thousands from the Barbarian Tribes were annihilated. This Prime Minister Xu has earned the top merit; His Majesty cannot but reward him."

"To precede the imperial carriage, enter without haste, be saluted without name, be bestowed the Nine Bestowments, and now to be accorded the same respect as the Emperor, how else can he be rewarded? Is he indeed to be named Great Yan’s first king not of royal blood?"

"Opening Zhengwu Gate for him today signifies His Majesty must have his profound intentions."

"Ha, posing as the Prime Minister but actually a traitor to the state."

"Chief of Staff Liu, be cautious with your words. Prime Minister Xu’s cultivation is unfathomably profound; he might detect our communication."

"So what if he detects it? We, the men of duty, die only where it is right to die."

After entering the court and following the streets teeming with Imperial Guards towards the north, after a series of complex rituals, the civil and military officials once again saw that solitary figure against the darkness at the front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

As the first ray of dawn fell upon the earth,

The magnificent forecourt of the Hall of Supreme Harmony was solemn and majestic.

The Prime Minister of Dayan stood at the center, Deputy Minister to the left at the head of civil officials, Great General to the right at the head of military officials.

To the left and right of the palace steps were the bands from the Honglu Temple, the door guards included the head of the Imperial Guards in full armor, and on either side of the imperial path, as well as behind the civil and military officials, stood Colonels with swords at the ready.

After a moment of silence, the Honglu Temple band played the ancient court music, and an official from the Honglu Temple announced with a modulated and soft voice:

"Take your positions~"

As the call ended,

The Prime Minister led the way up the imperial path, as civil and military officials followed the stairs on either side into the hall, those of insufficient rank standing outside in the courtyard.

After entering the hall, the vast space was filled with the fragrance of incense, and the vermilion pillars stood solemn and majestic.

High upon the throne sat no one, and below it, a low table carved with a great serpent stood, behind which a young man clad in a python robe, with a gentle jade-like face, was already seated.

It was the Regent Crown Prince, Li Yucheng.

Upon seeing the middle-aged man who first entered the hall, Li Yucheng immediately rose from behind the low table on his cushion, bent forward in a bow with a warm and smiling voice:

"Teacher."

Xu Yinhè glanced at him flatly, nodded and replied:

"Crown Prince."

Saying this, he then turned his gaze away from the Crown Prince and instead looked behind the throne at the screen.

After observing for a moment, he withdrew his gaze and lowered his head in contemplation.

Following the simple exchange of courtesies, Li Yucheng settled back onto the cushion behind the low table before the arrival of the officials.

As the high-ranking officials entered, they stood in an orderly fashion on either side, and the eunuch superintendent from the palace began with a modulated soft tone:

"Officials, pay respects~"

Rustling——

Xu Yinhè remained standing in place, while all officials behind him bowed deeply.

Since it was the Crown Prince as regent, according to Dayan’s ancestral regulations, the officials did not need to perform kneeling salutations; a deep bow was sufficient.