Chapter 2247: The Imperial Throne

Ji Dengtu stroked his beard, a smug feeling rising within him. He thought, "Don't let the Regent's current arrogance fool you. There was a time when he treated me with utmost respect; if I told him to go east, he wouldn't dare go west."

Still, I need to keep a close eye on Xiao Xi; that young man is such a flamboyant charmer, what woman wouldn't be drawn to him? Even Eighth Junior Sister, usually so cold and aloof, now has stars in her eyes. I just hope my Xiao Xi doesn't get himself into trouble.

"Why are you looking at me?" Jiang Luofu asked, noticing his gaze and sounding displeased.

"Nothing," Ji Dengtu replied, pulling his neck back. His sister-in-law had always been sharp-tongued with him, and he knew that if he spoke the truth, she would be offended and likely take her frustration out on him.

"What are your thoughts on the unfolding situation?" Yan Xiangu asked gravely, a faint worry etched on his brow.

The other academy teachers exchanged uneasy glances. They had greatly admired Zu An when he first arrived in the capital, and a deep friendship had blossomed between them. However, the academy had always maintained strict neutrality from court politics. Today's events were too momentous, and for a moment, no one dared to make a definitive decision.

Ji Dengtu, however, rolled his eyes. "I don't understand what you're agonizing over," he said. "He is already the Academy Dean. Our entire academy has long been marked as his. All other factions already consider us to be allied with him, so in truth, we no longer have a choice."

Jiang Luofu took a deep breath. "Today, A'Zu saved hundreds of lives in our Jiang family," she stated. "Therefore, no matter what he decides to do next, I will support him without hesitation. None of you need to let my involvement sway your judgment."

At this, the others began to chuckle. "Eighth Junior Sister (or Sister), what are you talking about?" they said. "Of course, we are united and will advance and retreat together. Besides, the Dean has always commanded everyone's respect and trust."

Seeing everyone's firm resolve to support Zu An, Jiang Luofu suddenly turned to her father. "Father," she said, "you're not going to insist on foolish loyalty, are you?"

"How could I be so old-fashioned?" Jiang Boyang retorted, clearly annoyed. "I'll immediately contact the various prominent families and apprise them of the situation."

"Father, your injuries haven't fully healed."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Meanwhile, in the imperial palace, Zu An gazed at his hands. Ordinary cultivators relied on training and resonance with heaven and earth, drawing on that connection to unleash powerful spells. However, he now commanded the authority of the entire world, and to some extent, he had merged with the will of heaven and earth. His will had become the will of the world itself. Therefore, he was now invincible within this world, unless an enemy's power was capable of directly destroying the entire realm. Evidently, the Plague Demon Lord and the Doomsday Wraith were nowhere near that level, which was why he had been able to instantly suppress and destroy them with a thought, summoning heavenly lightning to strike them down.

He quickly reoriented himself from this profound sense of power. Ultimately, this might stemmed from his control over this specific world. Should he leave this realm, he would likely be unable to wield such formidable power.

As his thoughts settled, he descended to the ground, and his voice resonated throughout the capital. "The primary culprits have been apprehended and executed," he announced. "However, many of their subordinates are still lurking in various regions. The Embroidered Uniform Guards will now be tasked with eradicating these remaining demonic remnants." He had just extracted information from the lingering souls of the Plague Demon Lord and the Doomsday Wraith, which would allow them to meticulously track down and apprehend all the remaining hidden demons.

"As you command!" Xiao Jianren responded with a bow.

Many across the capital felt a jolt of apprehension, suspecting that the Regent was seizing this opportunity to purge those who opposed him. Yet, they acknowledged this was normal; anyone in his position would likely do the same. Zu An observed the expressions of those around him, guessing their thoughts, but he felt no inclination to explain himself.

His gaze then fell upon the lifeless bodies of Zhao Ruizhi and Bi Qi. "See that they are given honorable burials," he instructed.

"Yes!" came the reply, and their bodies were swiftly collected.

Bi Linglong's eyes reddened slightly. She knew Zu An was doing this for her, and she felt it was best for her father to be laid to rest as soon as possible.

Though Liu Ning harbored a deep hatred for Bi Qi, his tragic end diminished some of the animosity in her heart.

Zu An turned to Liu Ning. "The Liu family suffered a grave injustice at the hands of demons," he declared. "Issue an order to clear their name and restore the Empress Dowager to Cining Palace."

"Greetings, Empress Dowager!" everyone chorused, bowing respectfully.

Liu Ning, however, found it difficult to feel joy. She was likely the sole remaining direct descendant of the Liu family, and she wondered what meaning there was in being Empress Dowager now. Yet, on second thought, her status as Empress Dowager still held value; at the very least, it could be of some assistance to A'Zu. Otherwise, how could she, alone, contend with those alluring women?

At this moment, Yu Rui, one of the remaining Eight Grand Dukes, finally spoke up. "A nation cannot be without a ruler for even a day," he began. "Regent, who do you deem most suitable to be Emperor? Or perhaps... will the Regent himself ascend the throne?"

"Emperor? I have no interest," Zu An replied. He found their tense expressions somewhat amusing; perhaps the throne was incredibly precious in their eyes, but to him, the current master of this world, it was utterly insignificant. Still, he couldn't simply allow just anyone to become Emperor. If the throne were to be exploited again, he certainly didn't want a repeat of today's events.

"Going forward, everything will proceed as normal," Zu An continued. "State affairs will continue to be managed by Linglong, with the Empress Dowager and Yun Yuqing assisting her."

Both Bi Linglong and Liu Ning turned to look at Yun Yuqing. They were, in fact, old rivals, each having overseen state affairs for many years. They wondered what the King of Wu's Consort was doing in this arrangement.

A sudden realization dawned on Liu Ning: with her family effectively wiped out, she would be hard-pressed to manage alone. Yun Yuqing presented herself as a natural ally, and she could discreetly try to win her over.

Bi Linglong was equally surprised. After her father's coup and the subsequent chaos in the capital—events largely stemming from her own oversight—she hadn't expected A'Zu to still entrust her with the primary role in managing state affairs. Had it been anyone else, she would have been gracefully retired, if not outright purged. She glanced at him, and suddenly, everything seemed to make sense. As for Yun Yuqing's inclusion, it wasn't a significant issue. Her previous oversight had led to such a major upheaval in the capital, directly causing the tragedy of the Liu family. Bringing in another individual might, in fact, create more stability.

Yun Yuqing was a mixture of shock and delight. She had, with great boldness, directly betrayed the King of Wu that day, defying all conventions. While Zu An was aware of her true relationship with the King of Wu, others were not and would perceive her as a woman who abandoned her husband for personal gain. She had initially been content to merely be Zu An's secret lover. Yet, A'Zu had not only publicly appeared with her, descending from the sky, but now he was entrusting her with such a significant role. Wasn't this, in effect, publicly acknowledging their relationship? He was seemingly unafraid of her potentially tainting his reputation. As this thought crossed her mind, her eyes welled up slightly, and she looked at him with an gaze full of tender affection.

Yun Jianyue felt a surge of irritation seeing her sister's gaze. Though her relationship with Yun Yuqing wasn't particularly close, they were still sisters. Had they both simply been swept away by that man?

At this point, Grand Tutor Zhuang He, one of the Eight Grand Dukes, could not help but interject, "Allowing women to govern... that... that might be inappropriate."

"Why not?" Zu An replied calmly. "Just a few days ago, among the Sea Race, I instated the former Mermaid Queen as the Empress of the Sea Race, to rule over their people. If men can govern, why can't women?"

At his words, everyone present was stunned. After all, news from the Sea Race had not yet had time to travel so quickly.

"May I ask what became of the previous Dragon King?" Zhuang He asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

"He died," Zu An stated nonchalantly, as if discussing an everyday occurrence. "They were bitterly contending over who would be the successor, so I simply appointed Shang Hongyu."

Those present wore peculiar expressions. He hadn't mentioned how the Dragon King died at all. Could it be that he had also killed him? However, compared to his casual assertion of being able to install anyone as the Sea Emperor, the notion of an Empress seemed far less surprising. It was astonishing that Zu An's power had reached such a pinnacle. Coupled with his influence over the demon race, he was, in effect, the true master of this world. No wonder he held the imperial throne in such low regard.

A thought struck them: The young Demon Queen, who ruled the demon race, seemed to have a close connection with him. Now, the Mermaid Queen had become the Sea Empress. Could it be that he also intended to follow the example of the Sea Race and, in the future, elevate Bi Linglong to become the Queen of the human race? The de facto empresses of all three major races were, in fact, his women... This young man certainly had a way with women!

At that moment, Bi Linglong and the other women narrowed their eyes. They hadn't expected Zu An, during his visit to the Sea Race, to become involved with the Sea Queen? They found it hard to believe that Zu An would arbitrarily instate a woman with whom he had no personal connection. Each of them felt a pang of frustration. A'Zu was practically the perfect lover; his only drawback was the sheer number of women in his life.

"Does anyone else have an objection?" Zu An asked, his gaze sweeping over Zhuang He and the others.

The Eight Grand Dukes instinctively shook their heads. What a joke! He could decide the fate of the Sea King with a single word and even appoint an Empress. Now, merely allowing Bi Linglong and the others to manage state affairs seemed utterly insignificant. Since they had no objections, the other imperial officials naturally dared not voice any opposition.

He then delegated the cleanup and follow-up matters to Bi Linglong and the others, as they were more experienced in such affairs. As for Li Guanshi and the others who had participated in the previous coup, Zu An didn't even spare them a glance. Linglong would handle them; there was no need for his personal intervention.

Zu An then turned to Yun Jianyue. "Sister Yun," he said, "please come with me. I have something to tell you."

Yun Jianyue raised an eyebrow slightly, casting a subtly provocative glance at her sister before following him into the room.

The palace staff were utterly numb by this point. They had witnessed far too many outrageous events today; the leader of a demonic cult running into the imperial palace was, ironically, the most normal occurrence among them.