Mythical Three Kingdoms

”Why didn’t that fool Yang Dezhu manage to kill you?” Chen Xi, though furious, was at a loss for words.

”Ha, Yang Dezhu tried to mess with me? I went up and slashed him with a sword several times, finally stabbing him in the chest and kicking him down,” Yuan Shu said smugly.

”Okay.” Chen Xi felt like he was about to explode with anger, but seeing Yuan Shu’s expression, he decided there was no point in being angry any longer.

”But that doesn’t seem right. That guy had spiritual talent. If he was dying, he definitely would have dragged you down with him. Are you sure he’s dead?” Chen Xi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. If Yang Dezhu was dead, this could mean serious trouble, having killed someone with such a promising future.

”Uh, Marquis Chen,” Lu Yu, who had been following Yuan Shu, meekly spoke up from the side.

”What’s up, Zijia?” Chen Xi turned to ask Lu Yu.

”Yang Dezhu did indeed release spiritual capacity, but I was right there beside him...” Lu Yu said awkwardly. This was part of the important reason why Lu Yu had been sticking closely with Yuan Shu lately instead of reporting back. Yang Xiu’s desperate counterattack was blocked by Lu Yu, after which Yang Xiu collapsed.

Chen Xi’s cheeks twitched twice before he turned to Yuan Shu. ”Gonglu, it seems you really did take down Yang Dezhu. What do you think about that?”

”A guy with a problem in the head gets killed, so what’s there to think about?” Yuan Shu rolled his eyes with an indifferent look.

”Hmm, makes sense,” Chen Xi nodded profoundly. ”I’ll have someone keep an eye on the Yang Family to see if they make any suspicious moves.”

”Don’t worry, I know my father-in-law well. Yang Dezhu is dead and even if he wants to mess with me, he’ll have to consider the occasion. Which aristocratic family hasn’t lost a head or a genius? But dead is dead. My father-in-law won’t dare to mess with me. When you’re alive, it’s about interests. Only when there’s no way forward do you talk about honor.” Yuan Shu waved dismissively, thinking the Yang Family had no guts to confront him.

To be precise, it’s not just the Yang Family; no aristocratic family in the world dares to go against someone whose brain seems only to consist of brain holes and not actual brains.

”I just find it strange that the Yang Family hasn’t held a funeral, but Yang Dezhu, having died, isn’t even qualified for one. Thinking about how lively he was back then just makes me laugh.” Yuan Shu started laughing heartily as he spoke.

”Alright, it seems you can handle this situation, so let’s just leave it to you.” Chen Xi had calmed down, realizing that the dead cannot be brought back to life. Besides, it was Yang Xiu, someone not very familiar, who had died. He could let it go.

As for the Yang Family gone, how the mediation team should operate was now Yuan Shu’s problem. After Yuan Shu managed to make such a mess of the previous issue, it seemed this one could be handled well too. Ha, let Yuan Shu deal with it.

Once Yuan Shu was dismissed, Chen Xi began addressing various issues related to the Grand Assembly. As for the emperor being replaced by the Regent Grand Princess, any changes in ceremonial aspects were obviously not Chen Xi’s responsibility, certainly a matter for the Minister of Ceremonies and the Minister of Ceremonies.

However, other aspects of the etiquette don’t need mentioning. When it came to reopening the Grand Assembly, Chen Xi was the first to propose abolishing the absurd etiquette of gifting to the emperor found in the Zhou Rites, considering it as sheer idiocy.

The feudal lords holding the gui facing the Emperor, the Emperor holding jade; the marquis holding the bi, the prince holding jade and silk—these are fundamentally sound, but then the Nine Ministers with a lamb, the Dai Fu with a wild goose, and even the attending ministers with a pheasant...

Have they considered how awkward the Grand Assembly site would be with such antics, especially as the lambs and wild geese are alive? If one slips away, well, the official posts are gone.

Alright, losing official posts would be trivial. If you really think about it, it’s a loss of decorum before the emperor, and the whole family might face exile if things go wrong.

So Chen Xi’s first suggestion was to abolish this rule. The Minister of Ceremonies even debated Chen Xi, arguing these were ancient rites that couldn’t be tampered with. Chen Xi decisively tore into the ancient texts: ”Your ancient rites, let me introduce Emperor Yu. ’Yu assembled the feudal lords at Tushan; those holding jade and silk were from ten thousand nations.’ See, even the village chief could use jade and silk as gifts, and we’re getting worse over time.”

Fine, you say this might lead to officials exploiting the common folk? Then let’s compromise: local officials can bring local specialties. After all, a pheasant isn’t that expensive. As for the feudal lords and marquis, just use jade and silk to avoid chaos later on.

Chen Xi, including the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, responded to the Minister of Ceremonies’ further questions about the Dai Fu. Chen Xi simply said, ”A roll of cloth woven at home.”

The Minister of Ceremonies wanted to continue, but Chen Xi cut him off, ”If someone can be an official earning two thousand bushels and even one additional roll of cloth would be a problem for their household, either they’re grandstanding or they have a serious problem in the head and should be dismissed as soon as possible.”

In summary, this is how it stands. The ban on carrying weapons is essentially abolished because Inner Qi Manifestation level generals always keep their weapons close. Without Cloud Suppression, it doesn’t make much difference whether Inner Qi Manifestation brings weapons or not.

Thus, after consulting with the Minister of Ceremonies, all registered Inner Qi Manifestation martial artists can bring weapons to the Grand Assembly. Those unregistered cannot bring weapons inside.

As for Grand Princess Liu Tong’s guard, it has already appeared, a female immortal. It’s likely known that if a male immortal were appointed, even if the immortal didn’t care about gender, Liu Tong would feel awkward. So no one knows where Zuo Ci got a female immortal to serve as Liu Tong’s escort.

In March of the first year of Yuanfeng, Weiyang Palace was rebuilt on the ruins of Weiyang Palace. The City of Han Chang’an once again possessed a palace for handling internal affairs. Chen Xi and others finally completed all preparations; since Emperor Ling, the formal Grand Assembly had not been held but was now unfolding once more.

Although Chen Xi had already agreed with the Minister of Ceremonies and others to change the assembly time from dawn to Chen Hour and divide the whole day’s assembly into two sections to avoid the massive challenge to the endurance of normal people as seen in history, before dawn, Weiyang Palace was already bustling.

Besides the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, nearly all officials of six hundred stones and above were present. They naturally formed several neat lines based on their offices, quietly waiting for the hour in the firelight as bright as daylight.

Outside Chang’an City, luxurious decorated carriages, escorted by guards and servants, slowly proceeded along various roads toward Chang’an City.

Seated in these carriages were high officials and marquises not residing in Chang’an. Although they arrived in Chang’an days ago, they went out of the city yesterday, then today, at this hour, reentered by carriage to complete the ceremony.

If Chen Xi were to consider these high officials and marquises now, he’d likely find that most of them are aristocratic family spokespersons who are submissive in front of him. These people are either hereditary marquises or hereditary high officials.

This time, it can be said to be the most comprehensive gathering of Han marquises since early Eastern Han, even many marquises who usually keep their doors closed have appeared again.

”Suddenly realizing these family foundations are quite substantial. No wonder it’s said the aristocratic families hold eighty percent or even more of the wealth under heaven,” Chen Xi stood on the wall of Chang’an City; he should have left the city last night and entered Chang’an by carriage this morning.

”There are nearly a hundred marquises,” Jia Xu looked at the bright roads below illuminated by firelight and the extremely luxurious carriages along those roads.

”Indeed, there are still so many. We newcomers can’t even make half,” Chen Xi also gazed at the carriages slowly entering below with a composed expression, ”Forget it, let’s not dwell on this. I wonder what they came out to see?”

”Rest assured, not to mention they can’t have major intentions, even if they did, they wouldn’t have any means. Everything you want to say, I’ve already informed them,” Jia Xu coldly looked at the carriages slowly entering, now the situation is as stable as Mount Tai.

”Should have known to properly drill some soldiers, let this group enjoy a military parade in Chang’an,” Chen Xi suddenly chuckled, ”Let’s go, time’s about right. I actually saw our family’s previous head.”

”The previous head of the Xun Family also came,” Jia Xu casually glanced at the two carriages slowly entering, the Chen Family’s previous head Chen Ji retired from the position of Grand Herald, and the Xun Family’s previous head retired from the position of Minister of Works.

Adding to these two’s own fame, as long as it’s an assembly, these two belong to those who can attend or not attend, previously either claiming they were ill or others were ill, they haven’t attended, now these two actually both came.

”No need to worry at all,” Chen Xi sneered, ”I’ve almost bought off these two, and another came, oh, I thought he passed away, how is he still alive.”

”Sima Yuanyi?” Jia Xu was equally surprised. This is Sima Fang’s father, Sima Yi’s grandfather, already over eighty years old, yet managed to make his way from Henei to Chang’an, not fearing dying halfway.

”For him, living one day is one day, better to do something meaningful,” Chen Xi shook his head and said, then looking at the carriage of Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun below, sighed, ”Marquis of Duxiang and Marquis of Qiantang also came, after Li Jue and Guo Si, these two disappeared, I guessed they weren’t dead, sure enough, they’re living quite well.”

”They’re merely sixty, both are renowned generals in battle formations, have never suffered major injuries, didn’t harm their vitality, living till seventy or eighty is very normal,” Jia Xu said very casually, Huangfu Song was a true renowned general.

Chen Xi nodded, he was not quite sure how fierce Zhu Jun was, but as for Huangfu Song, just after experiencing the Han and Huns’ battle Zhui Yu, probably now is just on par with him, this guy is a true renowned general, both are infuriated by Li Jue and Guo Si.

In a certain sense, Li Jue and Guo Si were indeed figures.