It was an honor that had existed since ancient times to be praised without fame, to be able to enter the imperial court without being rushed, and to be able to walk with the sword in the palace.
With the change of dynasties and the evolution of the times, this honor gradually became a formality.
For example, the so-called 'to be able to wear a sword to the palace' meant that one could bring a weapon to the palace without taking off their shoes. However, with the reformation of the imperial court, the kneeling ceremony was abolished. Ministers did not need to kneel in the imperial court. The floor of the golden palace was also changed from wood to stone. Everyone had to stand and listen during the imperial court. The rule of removing one's shoes in the ancestral temple and the palace had long disappeared.
It was the same with the sword.
Originally, officials were required to remove their weapons when attending court. This was for the sake of the Emperor's safety. However, since the birth of the Emperor's Weapon hundreds of years ago, this marvelous weapon had become the most powerful source of power for martial artists. It was connected to the Divine Soul and connected to the bloodline. It contained unfathomable and mysterious power. Compared to it, ordinary weapons were just a pile of scrap metal. The rules of the court that prohibited officials from carrying weapons had also turned to the Emperor's Weapon.
Therefore, the honor of being able to wear a sword to the palace had basically become a formality. It was seen as a kind of favor and trust from the emperor to a certain minister. Of course, no matter how much the emperor trusted and favored the minister, he could not bring the Imperial Army to the imperial court. The weapons that he could wear were limited to ordinary iron.
This was not only for the emperor's personal safety but also for the harmony of the imperial court.
After all, in the imperial court, black iron was an official. Between the Emperor and the Emperor, the fierce men ate the salary. The fierce and violent people were aggressive in the imperial court. The brave and fierce people were all in charge of the government. They often wanted to turn the golden palace into ruins and make the innocent suffer. Usually, they would fight for no reason. If they brought the Imperial Army with them, it would be terrible.
In order to prevent the scale and consequences of the fights from escalating, the ministers were forbidden to bring the Imperial Army to the imperial court.
Even the important ministers who had the privilege of being able to wear a sword to the palace were not allowed to bring the Imperial Army with them. They could just use an ordinary sword to show off. This was to prevent them from taking out the Imperial Army during a fight. Everyone would not be able to hold them back.
This was already a well-thought-out rule and etiquette.
However …
"General … General …"
The voice of the censor, who was responsible for monitoring the words and actions of the officials, trembled slightly. They were equivalent to the disciplinary committee. When they were waiting in line for the morning court, they would monitor back and forth to see if anyone's red scarf was not tied properly, if anyone was not wearing their school uniform properly, and even if they were talking, laughing, and spitting on the ground.
Now, a friend of the censor squeezed out a formal smile and said weakly to the important official who had just squeezed his way to the front row, "You … You are …"
Sun Lang smiled politely at him. "What's wrong?"
The imperial censor who spoke was famous for his eloquence in the court. When he scolded people, he was like a surging river. However, at this moment, he was stuttering. The scene in front of him was beyond his comprehension.
He asked, "What … what are you doing?"
Sun Lang lowered his head and looked at his court uniform. "This uniform was sent by the Ministry of Rites yesterday. Is there any problem? Although I was hit hard by General Tensei's luxurious car, it doesn't seem to be damaged. Oh, right. Speaking of which, you are the censor, right? I want to report to you that General Tensei rode his horse on the street …"
The censor pointed at Sun Lang's right hand and was about to cry. "I … I'm talking about this …"
"This …" Sun Lang suddenly understood and showed an even brighter smile. "I, Sun Lang, General of Shentse, have been bestowed by His Majesty to be able to wear a sword to the palace. I have to carry a weapon with me."
He waved the two-handed siege sword that was as long as a snake spear on his shoulder.
He smiled like a child who was the best in martial arts in the world.
The officials behind him were silent. Everyone silently looked at the figure at the front. Under the dark night, in front of the fire in the palace, a sharp giant sword was pointed at the sky.
Not long ago, they saw General Shentse jogging alone. As he ran, he knocked his forehead and stuck out his tongue, saying things like, "Oh no, I'm almost late. Hehe." Halfway through, he shouted, "Oh no, I forgot to bring my Battleship Slicing Blade."
Then, under everyone's gaze, the general jumped into the endless darkness. A moment later, he ran back with a giant sword that could kill one-third of the officials of the Empire with just three swings.
"…"
Everyone was dumbfounded. For a moment, they were shocked and amused.
The Empire had been established for hundreds of years. There were many officials who had the honor of being able to wear a sword to the palace. However, everyone at most carried a ceremonial sword for show. They had never heard of any official carrying a heavy weapon like a mace, a crescent blade, an iron halberd, or a mountain-splitting axe. Damn it.
The censor was tongue-tied for a moment, but he could not say anything.
After all, the ceremonial officials who set the rules of etiquette for the Imperial Court did not set the standards or restrictions for carrying weapons. Or rather, they did not expect that after hundreds of years, there would be a powerful official or general who would carry a giant sword that could cut the Gate of Heaven Influence in half … It was simply poisonous.
Among the crowd, Di Huaiying and Bao Xiren stood together. They had been talking before.
Di Huaiying said in a low voice, "Eldest Senior Sister has already left Six Fan School. Father Hui has also resigned two years ago. They are not in the list of officials and cannot participate in the Imperial Court. However, there was a decree from the palace last night. They are now waiting in the palace. Junior Brother, cheer up. Today's Imperial Court meeting will not be simple."
As he said this, he signaled to the front with his eyes. Although the crowd in front blocked the sight of the two people who were not very tall, the extremely long heavy sword at the front was like a pointing mark on the head of the Hagura Bell. It clearly indicated that "the flashy and arrogant Master Sun Lang is here."
Bao Xiren snorted heavily. He did not like Sun Lang at all. "Reckless, impetuous, bossy, independent, not at all like an important official."
Di Huaiying smiled and said, "Junior Brother, you're here again."
Bao Xiren said coldly, "Isn't that right, Senior Brother?
He is always so capricious and does things as he pleases. Every time he does something sensational, he does not have the slightest sign of composure. In this way, those who want to rely on him and those who want to cooperate with him will all shrink back … "
Di Huaiying laughed and said, "Isn't this a good thing for you, Junior Brother?"
Bao Xiren was startled at first, then nodded and said, "He is the enemy of the country. He comes with ill intentions. Anyone who wants to shake the country is my enemy. As my enemy, it is indeed good news that he is so impetuous. However, this does not prevent me from despising his behavior and mocking his behavior …"
Di Huaiying shook his head and said, "Junior Brother, you are wrong to think this way. In my opinion, the way the General acts is not frivolous or impetuous. He is constantly breaking the rules …"
Looking at the eye-catching huge blade, Di Huaiying looked as if he was looking at a sharp and invincible divine weapon. He said, "Laughing and scolding and winning every battle, ignoring the rules as if they are nothing but cutting through bamboo … Junior Brother, you are loyal and simple. You see the General as your enemy, so you don't like him at all. However, have you ever thought about how others will feel when they see him, who speaks and acts without scruples but can suppress the imperial court?"
Bao Xiren was shocked.
He was not stupid.
Di Huaiying sighed softly, "He is a very difficult and terrifying enemy. And the worse news is that after the morning court, the four of us will have to face him directly …"
In the whispered conversation, the censor still could not find a clear law enforcement basis, so he could not do anything with the General's Battleship Slicing Blade. This was also the benefit of power and power.
If a small official made a mistake, no censor would have the leisure to reason with him. He would just reprimand him and write it down in a small notebook. In the blink of an eye, he would be criticized to death.
However, it was not the same for General Shentse … If the General was polite and reasonable to you, you had to be honest and reasonable to him. If you were unreasonable to him, he would let you see how unreasonable he was.
After waiting for a while, General Tensei came late.
When Her Highness Empress saw the Battleship Slicing Blade on Sun Lang's shoulder, she was also shocked. Then she laughed coldly and did not say anything. She maintained a suitable distance from Sun Lang. The two did not interact at all. This greatly disappointed the officials who were waiting to see a fierce battle.
Sun Lang carried his legal sword and occasionally spoke a few words with the important officials beside him. They were all people he was familiar with. Most of the important officials in the court had a calm expression and did not smile, treating him as if he was nothing … When the political battle reached this level, it involved the lives of hundreds and thousands of people. Many people had not made up their minds, many people were still watching from the sidelines, and many people were not ready to take sides.
Before this, it was better to have less contact.
After a while, it was finally five o 'clock. It was time to go to court. As the censor called out a greeting, the guards inside responded in unison. The huge Gate of Heaven Influence slowly opened. The ancient Imperial City announced its awakening. The officials waiting quietly outside the Gate of Heaven Influence were about to enter the court one by one to pay their respects to the Emperor and participate in the court meeting.
The censor was about to lead the officials into the court when he discovered an even more serious problem.
It was a problem of order.
The gate was only so big. There was a difference in order of entry. First-rank officials walked in front of second-rank officials. This was something that could not be more normal. But among the first-rank officials, who would walk in front?
Originally, this problem of order had been solved long ago. It could be based on seniority. But this was the first time that General Shentse had entered the court. In terms of military exploits, reputation, and official position, he was the best choice. As a famous official of the age, where would he be placed?
It had to be known that this was not a small matter …
But what made the Imperial Censors let out a sigh of relief was that the general displayed his style and displayed an extremely humble and good quality. He carried his Battleship Slicing Blade and flashed behind Her Highness the Empress Concubine. He smiled at the surrounding first-rank officials and said, "I naturally have to walk behind my family's Shi 'er."
The others did not hear the filth in these words. Hearing these words, they all responded with kind, joking, or mischievous smiles. They thought that Sun Lang said ladies first and took the opportunity to take advantage of Empress.
And Her Highness Empress took a deep breath.
Only she heard the true meaning of Sun Lang's words.
First-rank military officials went first, followed by first-rank civil officials. Empress wanted to show respect for the wise and humble, so she waited until the last to walk.
And Sun Lang was standing behind her.
Behind, behind.
God damn it.
She thought about how this despicable and shameless pervert was right behind her, and how his eyes were probably looking around. What was worse was that as long as the other party poked her gently with his hand, something terrible would happen.
The feeling of the faucet being held in someone else's hand was very uncomfortable.
Sun Lang's voice drilled into her ears, "If I poke you gently, will you fall out with me?"
The Empress Concubine felt the muscles on her back as she coldly said, "Guess."
Sun Lang said, "Then guess where my hand is?"
Empress was silent for a moment. Her body suddenly leaned back. Sun Lang was startled and subconsciously shrank back.
General Tensei lightly said, "Ha."
Sun Lang gritted his teeth, "Hey, you're getting better."
The Empress Concubine didn't say anything and walked forward. Excluding the nobles, there were a total of ten to twenty first rank officials in the court. Very quickly, it was their turn. Sun Lang humphed twice and immediately followed.
When the guards received the news, they were mentally prepared. But when they saw General Shentse walk in with a serious expression while carrying a giant sword, they still had mixed feelings.
The visual impact made them speechless for a moment.
The feelings of the many courtiers following behind the general were even more indescribable. They lined up and silently entered the palace, but their eyes followed the constantly swaying sword in front of them. Even though the courtiers were all skilled martial artists of the present age, and more than half of them were meritorious heroes who had been on the Tianyuan battlefield, the swaying sword was in the hands of a madman called Sun Lang. This made many people tremble with fear.
Along the way from the Gate of Heaven Influence to the Five Gates of the Emperor, there were palace guards all along the way. Along the way, there were eunuchs and palace maids passing by. There were even young princes and princesses who came out to take a peek. Under everyone's astonished gazes, the General of Divine Strategies carried a huge superweapon and walked through the streets. Furthermore, he looked around without any shyness or embarrassment. His skin was so thick that he could receive an Emperor Weapon with his face.
The Hall of Politics was in sight.
Walking through the vast square and ascending the long stairs, the sky was slightly bright, and the stars were still bright. The highest meeting place of the Empire was right in front of them. This was the highest power center of Houtu Territory and the biggest stage of the country.
Sun Lang followed behind the Empress Concubine and walked up the long and wide steps. This was the first time he had come here. This was his final battlefield and stage. It had been eight years. Until today, he finally stood at the highest point of this country. He had come here to do some things, to do some things that he had to do.
His heart was in turmoil.
Sun Lang said in a low voice, "I've finally come here with you."
Empress in front of him seemed not to hear him. His steps were still steady, and his back was calm, just like before.
It was strange yet familiar.
It was a pity that he was two years late. It was a pity that things had changed.
Everything had gone against his best dream. He had already woken up from the dream.
"Now," he said, "get out of the way."
The sharp tip that was almost solid pierced towards the Empress Concubine's back. As a martial artist, General Tian Ce's instincts allowed him to quickly dodge. The sound of the wind rang in his ears as a familiar yet unfamiliar figure flitted past him and walked forward.
The ministers who were walking at the front all sensed something and turned their heads back. An extremely dense will erupted from their backs, containing an incomparable power. That power was so blazing, so indomitable, like a landslide, like a flood, like a raging flame. It condensed into a beam of sword light, slashing out with a roar of anger and unwillingness. It slashed out with the satisfaction of revenge, the helplessness of being used, the sadness of being betrayed. Finally, he relied on his own strength to come here, to accomplish some things.
He said, "Excuse me, let me go first this time."
The noblest and most powerful First Grade ministers of the Empire who were walking at the front opened up a path for them.
Whether they were willing or forced to do so.
Sun Lang's aura at this moment was above everyone else.
Sighs rose in the eyes of those who knew, and shock appeared on the faces of those who didn't.
The Imperial Guards standing in front of the palace were responsible for protecting, but when the Shentse general with a large number of soldiers came closer, the most powerful soldiers were shocked into silence and couldn't say a word.
They watched with wide eyes as Sun Lang stepped over the high threshold and walked into the magnificent palace.
The Emperor had not yet arrived. There were only a few ceremonial officials, eunuchs, and eunuchs in the palace doing the final inspection. They saw the Shentse general enter with a sword and soldiers and were so scared that they trembled.
Sun Lang raised his head and looked around at the towering palace. There were 12 pillars, extremely high royal stairs, and the majestic dragon throne. This place was much larger than the Golden Room in the Forbidden City.
"So this is what it looks like."
His voice was very calm. He walked forward a few steps and asked a eunuch, "Where is my seat?"
The poor guy seemed to have thought of something and looked at Sun Lang with fear and trepidation. Three seconds later, a look of shock appeared on his face. He unconsciously glanced at the dragon throne and then his eyes rolled back and he fainted.
You guys just listen to rumors and always want to create big news.
The sound of footsteps rang out behind him as the officials filed in. They looked at Sun Lang with complicated gazes. Sun Lang turned his head to look at them and tilted his head. "Did I do something wrong?"
Many of the people who were secretly angry were startled when they heard this.
Ah … it seemed like he didn't do anything wrong.
Entering the palace with a sword was originally allowed to carry a sword. The court didn't set a standard, and he wasn't carrying the Imperial Army. Even if he was carrying a heavy sword, it wouldn't be against the rules.
Just now, there wasn't any problem with being the first to enter the palace. He didn't make a lot of noise, didn't show a fierce look, and didn't hurt anyone. He just walked a little faster and was a little faster. But in fact, there wasn't much of a problem.
Even if these things were done by a third or even second rank official, what greeted him would certainly be an earth-shattering amount of documents and criticism. He might even be arrested on the spot.
All that greeted him was a strange silence.
The officials silently entered the palace and stood in the formation they were familiar with for a long time. Sun Lang smiled at Empress who was walking over. When the smile fell into the eyes of General Tensei, it revealed an indescribable coldness.
He still stood beside Empress.
The eunuchs sang the ceremony. The Emperor had arrived, and the officials all cheered.
Zhi Zun wore a dragon robe and sat on the dragon throne. General Shentse stood below and looked up. The two people's gazes met. Sun Lang carried the huge sword on his shoulder and smiled at him.
It was as if he was carrying a butcher's knife.