In the Imperial Court of the Yellow Dragon Empire, Prince Ann held a high and influential position and had authority over the Empire's penal system, so he had the right to inquire into this matter.

However, it was ultimately up to Huang Ce to decide, so Prince Ann's words just now, despite their deterrent effect on the ministers, were for Wang Xiaoqiang like a fart in the wind.

Wang Xiaoqiang remained motionless, his expression unchanged.

Let them be erratic and perverse, let them be topsy-turvy and peculiar; I stand unshaken by the eight winds, my heart as firm as stone.

The grand hall was so silent that one could hear a pin drop.

The coarse breathing of the ministers could be heard, while Zhao Wenxuan was nervous, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Huang Ce stared intently at Wang Xiaoqiang, and seeing that he did not show any signs of panic, felt a sense of surprise and secretly admired Wang Xiaoqiang's psychological strength.

After a long moment, Huang Ce slowly began to speak, his words taking everyone by surprise, "I think Wang Xiaoqiang's words make some sense, and they also reveal a phenomenon—we all understand the ritual of kneeling, but some people kneel with their bodies and not their hearts. They do not submit to me; some might even kneel before me while cursing me in their hearts. People like these are no better than Wang Xiaoqiang. Although Wang Xiaoqiang is obstinate, he is genuine and dares to speak the truth...!"

As Huang Ce went on, his voice became more severe, compelling and forceful, containing a hint of evil Qi that made the ministers' ears ring and hearts tremble, their bodies shaking, not even daring to breathe heavily.

"Therefore, I have decided that henceforth, the champion of the Armor Snatching Tournament need not perform the kneeling ritual when meeting me," Huang Ce declared with a wave of his hand.

Upon hearing this, the ministers all inwardly sighed with emotion. Wang Xiaoqiang was the first person to make Huang Ce change the rules!

This clearly showed how much Huang Ce valued Wang Xiaoqiang.

For Prince Ann and his daughter Ann Miaoyi, it was like a punch to the gut. Because of Huang Ce's attention to Wang Xiaoqiang, it was obvious that they were being sidelined and excluded from the Ann Family.

Indeed, this was the case. As the ruler of a nation, one of the first things to do in managing the ministers was to suppress their power, and the best way to do that was to let the ministers balance each other out.

Among the ministers of the Yellow Dragon Empire, Prince Ann held the greatest power and had a high cultivation base, wide connections, numerous students, and a great influence, which posed an implicit threat to his sovereign position, especially since Prince Ann's cultivation base was on the verge of breaking through to the Immortal Emperor Realm. Once he broke through, even Huang Ce would not be able to suppress him.

Huang Ce had been worried about this for a long time but struggled to find a better solution until he saw during this Armor Snatching Tournament that Wang Xiaoqiang was an exceptional talent. Crucially, Wang Xiaoqiang had developed a grudge against Prince Ann, making him the perfect candidate to balance out Prince Ann. Huang Ce decided to elevate him to a high position.

It was for this reason that he went to great lengths to protect Wang Xiaoqiang, even at the expense of changing the rules and regulations.

After hearing Huang Ce's words, Wang Xiaoqiang was surprised and also let out a sigh of relief internally. He had not expected the final outcome to be this, and he secretly rejoiced in his heart.

Having spoken, Huang Ce then lifted his dragon robe and sat upon the Dragon Throne, then cast his gaze downward sweeping over the top three of the Armor Snatching Tournament. Noting that besides champion Wang Xiaoqiang, the runner-up Ann Miaoyi and third place winner Zhao Wenxuan had also arrived, he then said, "The main affair in today's court is the imperial conferment for the top three of this Armor Snatching Tournament. But before that, there are two matters I need to address...

Firstly, the first matter is that this Armor Snatching Tournament was conducted very successfully, and the officials in charge will be rewarded; however, the one flaw is that during this Tournament, there was fraud, there was abuse of power to oppress others, and someone submitted to this power and gave up their right to compete for the armor..."

As Huang Ce spoke, both Ann Miaoyi and Zhao Wenxuan kneeling below shuddered, then quickly bowed their heads, scared to even breathe.

Huang Ce's voice continued, "As for who I am referring to, they are well aware. Today, I'm giving you face by not calling out names, but there will be punishments. As for the nature of that punishment, you will find out eventually..."

As they heard this, both Ann Miaoyi and Zhao Wenxuan's hearts skipped a beat, with Zhao Wenxuan immediately thinking of his Clan Leader's pursuit of a military position, guessing that it would probably be ruined by this.

Although Ann Miaoyi was unsure what punishment Huang Ce would give her, she knew that this was Huang Ce's way of elevating Wang Xiaoqiang. Wang Xiaoqiang was now a favored figure beside Huang Ce, and it would not be easy to move against him in the future.

"That will be all regarding the Armor Snatching Tournament. Now for the imperial appointment!" Huang Ce announced. At his side, a eunuch pulled out a scroll from his sleeve and read with a sharp, high-pitched voice, "By the mandate of Heaven, may the Emperor's decree be known. Zhao Wenxuan, who finished as the third place winner in the Armor Snatching Tournament, is hereby appointed as jail warden, overseeing the Dragon City Prison; Ann Miaoyi, the runner-up, is appointed as the head of the Ministry of Education, in charge of the Dragon City Academy; Wang Xiaoqiang, the champion, is conferred the title of Myriad House Marquis, to govern all counties and prefectures in Yue Land… This decree is promulgated in the seventh month of the year in the Yellow Dragon Era!"

After the appointment, Zhao Wenxuan and Ann Miaoyi were overwhelmed by a wave of disappointment, frustration, and jealousy.

They were disappointed because they had not been granted the title of Myriad House Marquis.

They felt frustrated because their official positions were far from prestigious.

They weren't even considered as good as minor sinecures.

Take prison management as an example. The person in charge of a prison is called the prison warden, who is the head of the entire prison. The prison in Dragon City is not an ordinary one—it houses evil cultivators, adherents of the Ghost Path, and members of the Demon Species, all notorious for their cruelty. Moreover, they are vindictive beings who, if they were to escape, would assuredly seek revenge on the warden first and foremost.

Therefore, being a prison warden is not a desirable position; it can easily bring about one's own downfall.

What ignited their envy was the fact that Wang Xiaoqiang had been given the impressive title of Myriad House Marquis, and even more so, the rich land of Yue.

Yue Land is a land of strategists. When foreign enemies invade the Yellow Dragon Empire, Yue Land is always the first target. By stationing Wang Xiaoqiang in Yue Land, the Emperor obviously placed great trust in him.

"Now, I hope that when you take up your positions, you will fulfill your duties with utmost dedication, particularly you, Wang Xiaoqiang. As the Marquis of Yue Land, you must manage it well and develop it further. As it belongs to the Strategist Family, I expect you to hold it securely..."

With that, Huang Ce ordered a feast to be held in the Jade Banquet Hall to entertain the courtiers and the three freshly appointed officials.

Seeing Wang Xiaoqiang conferred the title of Myriad House Marquis and so favored by His Majesty, the courtiers all sought to make his acquaintance. They took the meal as an opportunity to chat and engage with him.

Contrastingly, Ann Miaoyi and Zhao Wenxuan, who had been assigned minor and unenviable positions, were largely snubbed, with almost no one willing to connect with them. This was especially true for Zhao Wenxuan, whom no one seemed to mind ignoring even when he took the initiative to socialize.

Prince Ann and Ann Miaoyi watched with darkened faces as Wang Xiaoqiang received a warm welcome.

The dishes at the Jade Banquet Hall were naturally incomparable to those outside. Remarkably, the feast even included the meat of Spirit Beasts, which is far superior to that of Demon Beasts. Particularly for those practicing Body Refinement, consuming the meat of Spirit Beasts strengthened the body and increased energy and Body Refining Cultivation.

The wine was a well-aged royal brew, its rich fragrance was endlessly delightful to drink.

As everyone dined, their enjoyment was enhanced by a performance of song and dance. A large group of gracefully shaped and sweet-faced palace maids, selected from among the common folk, sang and danced, all undeniably beautiful.

Especially the lead singer, truly a stunning beauty, sang and danced, "The Jinse is inexplicably set with fifty strings, each string and each bridge recall the splendid years. As Zhuangzi had dreams of butterflies, so did the hopes of spring rest upon the cuckoo;

The azure sea under the bright moon bears tears of pearls, the warm sun over the blue fields brings forth smoke of jade. Can such feelings await reminiscence? Yet at that moment they were already lost in confusion.

"

Upon hearing this song, Wang Xiaoqiang suddenly remembered his arrival in Dragon City, when he, together with True Person of Taiyi and the two daughters of the Yan Family, approached the Imperial Palace and heard the pipa being played and sung. It seemed to be this very song, though the performance he heard today paled in comparison to the beauty he recalled.

Overcome by nostalgia for the sweet and gentle singing of that day, the more Wang Xiaoqiang thought about it, the more he believed that the singer from that day must have been an unparalleled beauty. Thus, he quietly asked an official beside him, "Ah, this piece is truly nice, but the young lady's singing isn't quite up to par. There must be an even better singer in the Imperial Palace, do you know who she might be?"

"Shh!" The official gestured cautiously, signaling Wang Xiaoqiang to be silent, and then whispered even more softly, "That is His Majesty's favorite consort, known as Lotus Princess!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com), and your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

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