NOVPUBAt this moment, in the Golden Throne Hall, Wu Fei's headless body lay on the ground, his blood slowly trickling from the stump of his neck, filling the air with a pungent scent of blood.
Wu Fei died with eyes wide open, unable to fathom that Gu Chen would have the audacity to act against him in this way, decapitating him in the Golden Throne Hall.
Let alone Wu Fei, even the rest of the nobles and high officials, the dignitaries of the court, were all stupified, standing there gaping and tongue-tied.
This included Minister of the War Department Chen Yuanli and the other ministers of the six departments as well.
Meanwhile, Gu Chen and King Huai locked gazes midair, their auras colliding. Subtle threads of electricity surged through the empty space between them, and the entire Golden Throne Hall seemed to tremble.
King Huai's gaze was deep and solemn; to him, Wu Fei's death was insignificant, and Gu Chen's actions in the Golden Throne Hall were of little concern.
What really caught his attention, or rather, what he found unexpected, was how the Tower Supervisor had, by some means, managed to advance all eleven Jing Tian Department enforcers to the divine realm of martial arts, turning them all into top-tier grandmasters.
This was the most shocking development for King Huai.
Seeing Gu Chen's gaze turn towards him, King Huai held the eye contact for a few moments before looking away, clearly indicating he wasn't ready to confront Gu Chen in the Golden Throne Hall just yet.
For King Huai understood quite clearly that Gu Chen was nothing before him; what really concerned King Huai was the Tower Supervisor of the Qintian Monitor.
If he were to engage with Gu Chen there and then, the Tower Supervisor would surely intervene, and King Huai was not keen on starting conflict with the Tower Supervisor so soon.
"Tower Supervisor, what methods did you use to advance all eleven enforcers to the divine realm, achieving the status of martial arts grandmasters? Could the Heavenly Human Gazing Skill be so formidable?" King Huai spoke with a chilling gravity, his respect for the Tower Supervisor intensifying considerably in his heart.
On the other side, Gu Chen saw that King Huai had averted his gaze, and despite holding back his own provocative urges, he felt somewhat disappointed that he did not engage.
However, he quickly recomposed himself and with a cold gaze surveyed the crowd of officials. Any who met his gaze, many of the nobles included, changed their expression, shrank their necks, and began to look evasive.
Even Minister of the War Department Chen Yuanli kept a solemn face, turning his head to one side.
"Now, does anyone still have any objections?" Gu Chen asked expressionlessly, his voice echoing in the Golden Throne Hall.
As Gu Chen's words resonated, not one among the assembled officials dared to respond, as if they had all suddenly turned mute.
Gu Chen alone had silenced everyone present.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan atop the dragon throne felt quite vindicated; these ministers behaved very differently in his presence, and so, seeing them humbled now brought him much satisfaction.
As for Gu Chen's action in the Golden Throne Hall, it was clear that it had been discussed and consented to by Ji Yuan the night before.
Gu Chen had made it clear that to establish authority, he needed to take swift and decisive action, as the ministers were tough individuals to subdue without a display of force.
After some deliberation, Ji Yuan had agreed, given his own strong dislike for Wu Fei, leading to the earlier spectacle of Wu Fei's blood spattering the Golden Throne Hall.
Now it seemed, just as Gu Chen had said, the effect was indeed satisfactory and served its intended purpose.
"Good, it seems that no one has any objections now. We can calmly communicate," said Gu Chen indifferently.
At the same time, Ji Yuan ordered for Wu Fei's body to be carried away and the blood to be cleaned up.
"Your Majesty, I wish to know, why have the eleven enforcers of the Jing Tian Department come to the capital without any prior notice? Why was there no information about this beforehand?"
Minister of the War Department Chen Yuanli took a deep breath to ease the turmoil within him and turned his gaze to Ji Yuan seated on the dragon throne.
Ji Yuan replied with a composed face, "The arrival of the eleven enforcers in the capital was to report an urgent matter. The current situation in the realm is precarious, and naturally, such information must be kept secret. Their presence in Tiandu is with my consent. What, does Master Chen suggest that I should report to you in advance?"
"I would not dare," Chen Yuanli lowered his head.
"Hmph," Ji Yuan huffed lightly, and after a brief pause, said, "Weren't all of you quite vocal before, accusing Gu Chen? Now that he is here, why do you not speak?"
At that moment, Ji Yuan, sitting at the head, looked down at the ministers, his eyes filled with mockery.
He had been subjected to quite some frustration recently; now seizing the opportunity to vent was something he could certainly not pass up.
Hearing Ji Yuan's words, the officials remained silent, none daring to speak. They all resembled defeated roosters—deflated, spiritless, afraid to follow in Wu Fei's footsteps.
"Humph, Gu Chen was right. With a formidable enemy at our doorstep, you should all be uniting, but instead, you contemplate internal strife and the sacrifice of our own people for fleeting peace. I truly cannot understand—has your reasoning failed you? How could you dare suggest such a self-destructive solution?" Ji Yuan, seizing the upper hand, began to scold the ministers.
"Each of you self-important, basking in peace when times are good, but quick to flee at the first sign of trouble, all hiding away, fearing being burnt by the fire. That Da Xia has raised such a welfare of incompetents truly disappoints me."
