I am a living immortal.

There would be no need for incitement at that time. As long as the emperor was unhappy, it would be solved with just one word. The imperial power was supreme. No matter how the novels talked about deceiving the superiors and hiding the truth from the subordinates, it was either because the emperor was useless or turned a blind eye. The emperors of the Yan Dynasty were neither of these.

His father conquered the world on horseback, and his son was no pushover either.

His father had already paved the way, and the few old ministers left behind were all talented, and most of the most important military power was in his own hands, as well as the elusive Demon Slayer Division.

It truly achieved the supremacy of imperial power.

From the prime minister to the ninth-rank official, if they say you can take it down, they will take it down. It is useless to resist. The knife will be placed on your neck to tell you what the holy words are.

The north had always been impregnable, but that was because the emperor hadn't decided what to do, and since he was far away, he simply turned a blind eye. Although he had been somewhat greedy, he didn't dare to take even a cent of what the court wanted.

As for the people? Do you really expect the emperor to sympathize with them? The emperor never wanted the people to live and work in peace and contentment, but stability. As long as there's stability, nothing else matters. Whether people are living well or not is something to consider after achieving stability. The emperor will do what he can, but if it conflicts with stability, then forget it.

Everything must give way to stability.

Wei Ming had always understood this. So when the Mirage Dragon entered the north and things got more and more serious, this place became a destabilizing factor.

This was harmless, but if someone exaggerated these destabilizing factors, it would touch upon the emperor's core. More importantly, the emperor hadn't taken action because food was his lifeline, and he feared a loss of both sides. Besides, corruption was merely a minor issue, as long as it didn't cause the people to suffer.

But the emperor is no fool. It's just about trade between the north and the south, and you're reacting so strongly. Do you want to completely control it? This is different from corruption. What do you want to do if you want to control the lifeblood of a country?

Even if you don't do anything, the emperor will guess, and assume the worst. As long as suspicion arises and threatens to shake the foundations of the state, there's no room for negotiation. Everything depends on comparison.

There are already signs of this happening.

Officials of all sizes in the north didn't want to do this either, but it was a double-edged sword. Either you give up a portion of your share to avoid disaster, but the key was that this was not just a matter of money, so they didn't dare to disobey.

I just had to bite the bullet.

The situation was clear. Everyone present was smart, local tyrants, and would be defeated even by a powerful dragon. Furthermore, if we only considered combat power, they were the powerful dragons.

Since you want to play tricks, then come on, I'll stick with you to the end.

After explaining the situation clearly, Su Mu raised his glass and said, "A toast to everyone."

"You're welcome!" The rest of the group raised their glasses and drank them all. The alliance was truly established.

Next, it depends on how the other party responds.

This big net that entangled everyone was quietly spread out, and the counterattack was about to begin.

Without further ado, after drinking the glass of wine, everyone left. This banquet was just a one-night stand.

With the Yan Dynasty as the chessboard, the two forces faced off.

Wei Ming stayed a little longer, only departing when the caravan became stuck in the north. Actually, he didn't need to report. This incident had caused so much trouble that the emperor was likely aware of it, and there were plenty of people taking advantage of the situation. All Wei Ming needed was to speak up when the emperor asked.

Fortunately, he was the one who kept things in balance. He said what others dared not say, and did what others dared not do. The emperor would not do anything to him. Everything in the court needed balance and stability.

Stability, a word that's neither good nor bad, is something some emperors never quite master. Yet, the current emperor is the epitome of this principle. In Wei Ming's opinion, this emperor isn't as benevolent as his predecessor, but he's a good one nonetheless.

He could tolerate minor flaws, yet could also unleash drastic measures to intimidate his officials when faced with a problem. This was a clear message to everyone: Don't go too far, I'm watching. It's better to loosen than to block. Clear the bottom line. The choice is yours, and the consequences are yours; you can't blame others.

After Wei Ming left the Heavenly Palace, he looked at the three children and asked, "Do you have anything to say?"

Wei Zhao hesitated to speak. He felt that he had been a little naive before. His narrow perspective made him feel like a frog in a well, trying to see the moon.

Now, as he glimpsed a corner of the bright moon, he realized that the world was far more complex than he had imagined. The existence of a dynasty was due to the checks and balances of many parties, just like now.

Without Su Mu, they wouldn't even know what happened to the country, and would be completely bewildered when it ultimately led to its demise. However, without Su Mu, perhaps this unforeseen disaster wouldn't have happened.

Everything is interconnected by cause and effect.

Seeing that Wei Zhao was silent, Wei Qian spoke first: "It's fine now."

This was far better than he had imagined. Touching the jade pendant, he felt the burden on his shoulders lighten considerably.

Wei Qi didn't understand what they were talking about, but there was one thing he hadn't had time to tell his father.

"That father..." The three of them turned their gazes to Wei Qi. Speaking of which, Wei Qi had been nowhere to be seen during their discussion, and now seeing him hesitate to speak, it seemed as if he had something to say.

"You want to say..." Wei Ming didn't finish his words, perhaps by telepathy, when a light bulb went off in his head. He looked at his other two sons. His two sons' eyes widened, as if they had thought of something. The three of them were stunned for a moment, then turned their gazes to Wei Qi.

Wei Qi felt embarrassed by being looked at, and then asked, "Father, can I cultivate immortality?"

As expected, at this moment, all three of them were unsure whether to be happy or sad. Wei Qi had always been cheerful and cheerful, seemingly boundless energy. Wei Ming had originally wanted to wait until he was older to send him to a martial arts academy, or perhaps hire a renowned martial arts master to teach him martial arts and temper his temper.

He actually knew that this was a sign of being full of energy and spirit, and such people often had extraordinary talents.

Now it seemed that it was indeed true. Wei Zhao and Wei Qian might not have understood the value of the people present, but he knew. It was no surprise that Wei Qi was looked up to. He didn't understand the true nature of the Immortal Sect, but with Su Mu around, Wei Qi wouldn't be bullied no matter what.

He had asked Su Mu before, and knew that entering the immortal gate was not like severing one's past as described in the storybooks, but it was almost the same. Because the gap between immortals and mortals is not the emotions, but the life span. The gap is that after a hundred years, others will be just a handful of yellow earth, and only the pain of the world will be left. This is why there is the saying of severing one's past.