On the high seat, Xiao Tianye looked down with lowered eyes, his expression cold and haughty.
Xiao Yixuan, Daoist Yuanqi, and several military governors from the Jiangnan area were lined up below in turn. Almost all the forces that now held sway over "Southern Sheng" were gathered here.
In a small place like Guangdu County, the highest - ranking official the local officials had ever seen was the military governor of Cangzhou. Now, to be in the presence of the former "emperor" who had once been in the capital and the imperial palace, how could it not make them tremble with fear?
Although this "emperor" had been ousted from the throne by his younger brother and fled the capital, after years of being an emperor, his aura still remained. Naturally, the officials of Guangdu County chose to submit.
"Your Excellencies, there's no need to be overly terrified. Father and I came to Guangdu County neither to hold you accountable nor to wage war," Xiao Yixuan said with a faint smile. He still looked as elegant and polite as ever, and the smile that often graced his face easily won people's favor.
"I've heard that there's a black - iron mine nearby. Lord Chu, is this true?"
Chu Fang, the magistrate of Guangdu County, quickly replied, "It's true. The black - iron mine is under the jurisdiction of the Guangdu County Yamen. Over the years, the common people have been strictly prohibited from approaching or mining it privately. It has always been in my control. If this mine can be of help to Your Majesty and Your Majesty's great cause, I will surely go through fire and water for Your Majesty without hesitation!"
"That couldn't be better," Xiao Tianye said. "Lord Chu is an understanding man. I like understanding men the most."
The others also followed suit and pledged their loyalty.
Chu Fang flattered with a smile, "Your Majesty and the Crown Prince have had a long and tiring journey. How about resting in Guangdu County today? After you've recuperated, you can visit the black - iron mine for inspection tomorrow."
Xiao Tianye nodded slightly. "Very well."
To welcome Xiao Tianye and his entourage, Guangdu County held a welcoming banquet in Yunying Tower, the largest and busiest restaurant in the county.
Yunying Tower had been cleared in advance. When night fell, music filled the air. The dancers, with their revealing clothes and charming figures, were posturing in the dance floor. At the banquet, the cups clinked, and the atmosphere was lively.
It was not until this banquet that people dared to look directly at the emperor's face.
Xiao Tianye was undoubtedly handsome, but the lines of his face were too sharp, and there was always a hint of cruelty between his eyebrows. Half of his body was submerged in the shadow, which further deepened the shadow on his face. When he looked at people with his scrutinizing and contemptuous eyes, his gaze would make people instinctively feel a pang of unease and lower their heads to avoid it.
Although Chu Fang was just a county magistrate, he had reached the palace examination during the imperial examination and had once caught a glimpse of the emperor's face.
The Xiao Tianye back then, although looking noble and majestic, was not like this—this—
Raising his head to drink the wine in his cup, with a bit of drunkenness, Chu Fang finally found the most appropriate adjective.
This—like a ghost.
Yes, just like a ghost.
Naturally, someone at the banquet noticed Daoist Yuanqi, who had been following closely beside Xiao Tianye. Someone stepped forward with a wine cup to strike up a conversation, "This gentleman has been silent all this time. May I know your honorable name and current position?"
Xiao Yixuan stepped forward to block the person and said with a smile, "This is our noble national preceptor of the Sheng Kingdom, from the Taoist sect."
The national preceptor?!
Everyone was shocked.
Had there ever been a position of "national preceptor" in their Sheng Kingdom before?
The Taoist sect, didn't that mean he was a Taoist priest?
Did His Majesty actually start believing in Taoism now?
Xiao Yixuan smiled and said, "It was precisely because of the national preceptor that the heavy rain in Cangzhou could stop, and the people of Cangzhou could catch their breath. With the national preceptor assisting Father, we will surely be able to regain the world and cut off the head of that traitor Xiao Tianchi who stole the country."
So this national preceptor was actually so powerful!
As soon as Xiao Yixuan finished speaking, Daoist Yuanqi raised his cup and said, "I'm a Taoist priest. It's not appropriate for me to drink alcohol. Tonight, I'll use tea instead of wine to toast all of you gentlemen."
When the banquet was halfway through, Xiao Tianye left first, citing that he couldn't hold his liquor. Daoist Yuanqi also left with him, leaving only Xiao Yixuan to win over the officials of Guangdu County.
Back in the room arranged for him, Xiao Tianye immediately supported his forehead and urgently urged, "Immortal Master, quickly, quickly bring out the spiritual pill. My head is starting to hurt again."
Daoist Yuanqi quickly stepped forward. Due to the headache, Xiao Tianye was already covered in a cold sweat on his head, and his face was full of pain.
Daoist Yuanqi poured out a pill and fed it to him. After the pill went down, Xiao Tianye immediately closed his eyes. Soon, his body began to twist, and his eyebrows were tightly knitted. He obviously looked more painful than before, but miraculously, the pain in his head was suppressed. Moreover, he felt a sense of smoothness in his limbs and lightness in his body.
It took a while for his body to calm down. Xiao Tianye let out a long breath and opened his eyes.
"How does Your Majesty feel now?" Daoist Yuanqi asked.
Xiao Tianye nodded. "I'm fine now."
Then he frowned again. "However, the frequency of my headaches has increased recently. Does the Immortal Master know what's going on?"
Daoist Yuanqi said, "Your Majesty has been away from the capital for too long. Without the nourishment of the dragon aura from the imperial palace in the capital, you can only consume the imperial fortune you've accumulated before, which is why this is happening."
"I once said that the more the people revere Your Majesty, the faster Your Majesty's body will recover. However..."
Daoist Yuanqi hesitated.
Xiao Tianye said in a deep voice, "The Immortal Master may speak his mind."
Daoist Yuanqi said, "The purple aura on Your Majesty's body has not shown any signs of growth recently..."
The fact that the purple aura on his body didn't grow at all meant that the number of people who revered him had decreased!
But how could this be?!
When they entered the city today, didn't the common people kneel on the ground to pay their respects to him?!
"What's going on?!" Xiao Tianye was shocked and angry. "These ignorant commoners, don't they know that it was I who quelled this natural disaster and gave them a peaceful life? If they don't revere me, who else should they revere?!"
Daoist Yuanqi quickly soothed him, "Your Majesty, please calm down. It's just that the purple aura hasn't grown, but it hasn't decreased either. I will surely find a way to continue to gather the purple aura for Your Majesty and help Your Majesty regain the throne."
After lulling Xiao Tianye to sleep, Daoist Yuanqi left the room and went to Xiao Yixuan's room.
"Immortal Master, how is Father?" Xiao Yixuan asked with concern. "I noticed that his complexion wasn't very good just now."
Daoist Yuanqi told him about Xiao Tianye's condition and then also mentioned the stagnation of the purple aura.
Xiao Yixuan's expression turned solemn. He quickly said, "Immortal Master, please take a look at me too."
Daoist Yuanqi scanned Xiao Yixuan from head to toe with his gaze. His eyebrows were knitted, and he shook his head. "Your Highness's purple aura has become even thinner than the day before. It's almost gone."
Xiao Yixuan's face instantly turned very ugly.
How could this happen?!
Those who carried the purple aura were the ones chosen by destiny.
Only if he also had the purple aura on his body could he truly replace Xiao Jingcheng and even one day replace his father to become the lord of the world.
It was okay that his father's purple aura didn't grow, but why was his own getting thinner instead?!
Xiao Yixuan was so restless that he hardly slept at night.
But the next day, he would find out the reason!