Peace Order-Chapter 92 - 66: Fate of the Heavens, Determined by Me!

Emperor, an Imperial Decree?

Li Guanyi, due to his own background and his aunt’s admonitions, was inherently wary of the Chen royal family. Yet at the moment, he felt it justified to reply, "... Alright."

Meanwhile, a multitude of thoughts arose in his heart.

Insisting that he be present, too.

They knew of his presence here? No, it shouldn’t be for that reason. If that were the case, instead of an inspecting eunuch, it would have been at least a Night Rider Cavalry from the second realm of the Multi-story, or even an expert from the third realm, who had mastered Qi Condensation, to directly kill him.

Stay calm, think about the situation.

It must mean that the affairs involving Mr. Wang Tong and others in the Capital City had concluded, and the struggles among the various powers were settling down. Hence, after so many days, the Emperor brought up the matter of Guan Yi City.

Li Guanyi took off the weapon bag from his shoulder and handed it to Zhao Dabing, along with the official document for passing through gates. He tucked his waist card bearing the rank of Captain Zhenwei, and was then taken to change into an official uniform of the same rank. Li Guanyi tugged at the robe and the buckle, full of distaste.

Like a green toad.

He arrived at the Wind Listening Pavilion and upon entering the inner courtyard, there were brave guards from the palace on both sides of the path.

They were all wearing armor, grasping swords, their aura robust.

The elite soldiers of the world were all at the second realm, bearing the rank of military officers;

The Imperial Guards of the palace, at the very least, were Martial Artists who had reached the Entering Realm, donning fine armor, wielding excellent swords and crossbow arrows, most of whom hailed from families with a history of Military Merit. They weren’t necessarily skilled at fighting, but their attributes were certainly of the highest order.

Li Guanyi, upon entering, saw Xue Daoyong with a gentle smile and Xue Shuangtao and Xue Changqing attending by his side. There was a man in front of them, pale and beardless, dressed in a round-necked, narrow-sleeved robe, which was purple in color. Below the robe was a horizontal pleat, and in his hand, he held a yellow scroll, saying with a smile:

"Is this Captain Zhenwei Li Guanyi?"

"Truly a young hero with a striking presence."

"Everyone has arrived, please receive the Imperial Decree, hahaha, the Saint said that Elder Xue is his father-in-law, so today’s message is merely a verbal one, not an Imperial Decree; please, everyone sit down."

In all the lands, there are several types of imperial will.

Instructions, Imperial Commands, Decrees, Directive Edicts, Notices, Proclamations, Policy Announcements, and Orders.

Only two types warrant kneeling to receive: one is the appointment or dismissal of Princes and Prime Ministers;

The second is the issuance of decrees sent from the Capital City to all the states.

Ordinary orders do not require kneeling. Confucianism emphasizes "rituals do not extend to the common folk"; thus, the various complex protocols are not mandated for the public to follow. There have been instances where emperors, upon seeing a commoner’s breach of protocol, became enraged and ordered the decapitation of the commoner, yet the official in charge of legal punishments refused to execute the order.

An ordinary Imperial Decree simply demands standing with respect; today’s eunuch, with a smile, is asking Elder Xue to sit and enjoy his tea.

Xue Changqing, Xue Shuangtao, and Li Guanyi, as the younger generation, although the eunuch said they could sit at their leisure, naturally would not be so casual. The eunuch took out the Imperial Decree and without a tone of excessive seriousness, spoke of the matter of Guan Yi City, saying, "Yue Qianfeng, that Qiu Ba, has been causing a real headache with his raids."

"With his reckless behavior, even if I want to spare his Commander’s life, I can’t lose face."

"The Prime Minister and all the officials are pressuring me, and this Qiu Ba is adding fuel to the fire, leaving me unable to be a good Emperor either way."

"What a stench that Qiu Ba has; when caught, he will be flogged with three hundred strokes come autumn."

"I thank you, my father-in-law, for stepping in to stop him. I’ve heard that assassins have attacked you; I’m not sure how you are faring. Honestly, the Court’s Grand Sacrifice is terribly annoying, but society and our ancestors represent significant matters of the state. Only now do I, your son-in-law, have the time to write you this letter."

The eunuch read out the Imperial Decree with a chuckle.

It genuinely sounded like personal correspondence, even to the point where the Emperor referred to himself as a son-in-law in the letter, speaking with a tone of calm. Xue Daoyong, smiling, received the Imperial Decree and passed over a hefty pouch, which made the eunuch’s smile all the more sincere.

However, within these words, Li Guanyi felt uncertain about what was true and what was false.

It wasn’t a matter of being too busy to write a letter.

Rather, it was only after the balance of power among the various forces and their dust had settled that the Emperor wrote the letter.

Judging from the tone of the Imperial Decree, Mr. Wang Tong and Mr. Siming appeared to have gained the upper hand.

Li Guanyi stood there quietly, pondering what to do next in an unperturbed manner. The eunuch’s gaze fell upon him, and with a tinted smile, he said, "Captain Li, please come forward to receive the decree."

Li Guanyi composed himself, stepped forward, and gave a slight bow.

The eunuch said, "The Saint has heard that Jiangzhou City has produced a young hero who can combat enemies on horseback and write poetry on foot; he has been noticed by Mr. Wang Tong and is much admired. Our Chen Country needs such spirited young talents, hence a rhinoceros horn buckle and a suit of soft armor are specially granted."

"Forty-five days later, at Chen Country’s Grand Sacrifice, only officials from the Capital may enter."

"Captain Zhenwei Li Guanyi of the Xue Family is specially granted permission to enter the palace and participate in the Grand Sacrifice."

Li Guanyi’s heart sank slightly.

His actions during the battle outbreak caught attention; coupled with his status as a Guest Elder of the Xue Family, nations generally valued such young men with Martial Arts skills and noble connections. This form of goodwill, however, ran counter to Li Guanyi’s intentions.

Even in Chen Country, the officials tasked with handling the passage documents were eager to send him away.

To free up his occupied position.

Facing the situation where the Emperor had mentioned having him accompany the Grand Sacrifice in the palace as an attendant, they dared not let him leave; in fact, if he decided to go, they would even report his intentions to leave, potentially attracting unnecessary trouble.

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