How did a bastard like him become an immortal?

Li Muyun waved his sleeve with a flourish. He had always heard Zhu Jiutong exaggerate the power of the Yin-Yang Order, which aroused his curiosity.

He immediately wanted to experience it for himself. Although he was a chosen one of heaven in the Tang Dynasty and had repeatedly outshone others in the imperial examinations, he had never been able to obtain any official rank or title.

All that exists is a fleeting, superficial fame.

It wasn't that he coveted worldly fame and fortune; it was just that, in comparison, when he first entered the Sun Moon Empire, he had only comprehended one formation and was directly promoted to Yin Yang Commander.

The Sun and Moon Emperor was able to make the final decision on such an important position as the person who truly held power behind the scenes of the empire in just a few days.

Thinking about this, Li Muyun realized even more that the Sun and Moon Emperor had a deep and centralized power, and the establishment of this Imperial Cinema was a testament to the Emperor's authority and his dominance over his ministers.

Unlike the four great marquises and numerous officials and dukes of the Tang Dynasty, even Emperor Li Tiandi of Tang found it difficult to turn the court into a place where one person could have the final say.

No matter how government orders are issued, the interests of all parties must be taken into account and the power of all parties must be balanced in order to avoid an imbalance of power and the resulting troubles.

The situation in the Sun and Moon Empire was quite different from that of the Tang Dynasty. The Sun and Moon Emperor's power and centralized authority were so great that they became the symbol of the Sun and Moon Empire, and he was deeply loved by the people.

It's like if Emperor Li Tiandi were to die, would the Tang Dynasty still exist? Would various warlords rise up in rebellion? And if Emperor Zhu Hongwu of the Sun and Moon were to pass away, would the entire Sun and Moon Empire collapse?

"No, Brother Li, you go by yourself..."

Faced with Li Muyun's invitation, Zhu Jiutong shook his head and said with a serious expression.

"The royal decree states that no member of the royal family is allowed to interfere with or participate in matters related to the Royal Cinema. If discovered, the consequences range from being stripped of their eligibility to succeed to being banished to the cold palace to being exiled."

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Li Muyun narrowed his eyes and said in disbelief.

"Is this true?"

"Indeed, Brother Li, please don't tempt me. My private interactions with you are not excessive, but if you were to take charge of the Yin-Yang Order, our meetings would have to be conducted according to our respective positions..."

At this point, Zhu Jiutong's expression turned melancholic, and he seemed somewhat wistful.

But what lay beneath those words was a deep sense of joy.

Even though the Emperor knew that it was he who had discovered Li Muyun and brought such a genius into the Sun Moon Empire, he still granted Li Muyun the position of Yin Yang Commander.

He and Li Muyun had always been on good terms, and he was also a member of the royal family, so his father would naturally know this. However, his current intention was to turn a blind eye, and as long as he didn't go too far, there was still room for maneuver.

The reason for this ban is that the Imperial Cinema is extremely influential, encompassing everything within the Sun Moon Empire and overseeing all matters.

Without this ban, it's foreseeable that the influence of the Imperial Cinema on the succession of princes would mean that the succession would not be based on individual ability, but rather on who could win more support from the Imperial Cinema.

The original intention of the Imperial Cinema was to assist the Emperor and supervise the Sun and Moon Empire. However, without prohibition, it has instead extended its reach into the Emperor's home, which is a serious overreach and dereliction of duty.

Li Muyun nodded, suddenly realizing what was going on.

So that's how it is. He had heard of the many wonders of the Imperial Cinema and its immense power, which was above all the officials. If it were to interfere in the affairs of the royal family, how would he plan to deal with it?

Unexpectedly, the Sun and Moon Emperor had already considered this and directly forbade his eldest son from having any dealings or interactions with the people of the Imperial Cinema.

However, his expression immediately turned somewhat strange.

What about him?

Now that it has become the Yin-Yang Order, how should its relationship with Zhu Jiutong be calculated?

He didn't want to distance himself from Zhu Jiutong just for the sake of this Yin-Yang Commander position.

Perhaps sensing his confusion, Zhu Jiutong quickly pulled Li Muyun aside.

“Brother Li, although you are now serving as the Yin-Yang Commander, as long as you abide by the rules and nothing else, our personal relationship will not be affected at all…”

Li Muyun was relieved and nodded.

“That’s good. I have relied on Brother Zhu a lot since entering the Sun Moon Empire. Naturally, I cannot distance myself from Brother Zhu for the sake of this official position…”

"Brother Li!"

Zhu Jiutong's expression flickered with gratitude and trust. He stepped forward and hugged Li Muyun tightly.

“I have always trusted Brother Li’s character. I will never betray Brother Li’s trust and put him in a difficult position…”

After exchanging pleasantries, their relationship subtly warmed up.

After Zhu Jiutong finished explaining the precautions to Li Muyun, he also pointed out the way for Li Muyun. However, due to his special status, even seeing him off would be against his wishes.

After seeing Zhu Jiutong off, Li Muyun first returned to his own residence.

Along the way, peach blossoms and willows were in full bloom, a riot of colors, a perfect time of spring. Inside the Sun and Moon Temple, the sun and moon seemed to share the same sky, creating a myriad of scenes. There was the fragrance of daytime flowers and the chirping of nightingales, a spectacle of day and night, whispering to each other, a truly wondrous sight.

However, at this moment, Li Muyun was immersed in boundless emotions.

He was deeply impressed by the grand vision and rule of the Sun and Moon Emperor. Through his interactions with him, he had come to admire him greatly, finding him far superior to the Tang Dynasty, which relied on power struggles and territorial divisions.

In the Tang Dynasty, the four major warlords alone each controlled their own territory, and there were also numerous civil and military officials of all ranks, forming numerous factions. Furthermore, several major sects remained aloof from worldly affairs, subtly harboring the intention to challenge the monarchy's power.

Under this mechanism of mutual division and checks and balances, and mutual wrangling, the imperial power could not be exercised unilaterally, and each faction only cared about its own small territory, as was the case in Hudao City.

Faced with the momentous event of the demon race's breakthrough, they sought help from within the imperial court, only to be met with the result that not a single soldier could be mobilized, and only a small number of local cannon fodder were available.

If it weren't for my own valiant fight, nearly costing me my life, and holding the breach, once the protective city pass crumbled, the entire Tang Dynasty would have been caught in a passive situation, attacked from both inside and outside.

Not to mention those prestigious clans, each arrogant and powerful, who ignored Emperor Li's summons, which led Emperor Li to take action to eliminate them.

Ultimately, it all boils down to Emperor Li's weak governance and inability to consolidate power, which in turn led him to cut off his own arm.

Li Muyun felt a growing contempt for Emperor Li. He had never thought Emperor Li was so incompetent before, but compared to Emperor Sun and Moon, Emperor Li's methods of governance were riddled with errors and he was clearly exhausted.

The Sun and Moon Emperor established the Imperial Cinema to intimidate his ministers and the people, and centralized power in his own hands. If any minister dared to make any moves or form factions, the Yin-Yang Guards would likely come knocking on their door the very next day.

Furthermore, members of the royal family were forbidden from currying favor with the Imperial Cinema, ensuring that the Imperial Cinema would not interfere with imperial power and would remain firmly in their hands, serving only as a weapon to intimidate the world.

The Imperial Cinema firmly holds the power of the Sun and Moon Emperor, concentrating power in a way that both intimidates all sides and is legal and reasonable, preventing public opinion from rising and giving rise to opposition.