My low-key cultivation of immortality was discovered by the emperor in my diary.

The death of Prince An caused a great stir, plunging the entire court into panic and chaos.

Chu Lengyu's gaze was as cold as a knife as he swept over the assembled officials and said, "The crime of Prince An is just the tip of the iceberg. During my investigation, I discovered that many other princes and nobles are also involved in this matter. They have been secretly colluding with the Rong tribes and abusing their power for personal gain."

She gave no one a chance to defend themselves, continuing, "Your Majesty, I believe these people should be investigated immediately to rectify the court and uphold the law!"

The emperor's expression was solemn.

He knew very well that Chu Lengyu not only wanted to settle old scores this time, but also wanted to take this opportunity to wipe out the remaining three kings and seven dukes, to properly rectify the power and order of the Great Xia, to get rid of these parasites and rats, and to restore a bright and clear world to the Great Xia.

However, the interests involved are complex and far-reaching. If not handled properly, it will inevitably cause turmoil both inside and outside the court, and may even shake the state.

But only a swift and decisive action can resolve a complex situation.

The fact that Chu Lengyu is still willing to discuss things with me is already giving me enough face.

Coupled with his worries about the "great changes" to come and the shock brought by the appearance of demons, the emperor quickly made up his mind.

He said in a deep voice, "The Grand Preceptor is absolutely right. I will immediately issue an edict to thoroughly investigate all the nobles involved in this matter, to ensure that the truth is revealed and that they are severely punished. I hope that all of you will be honest and straightforward. If you are guilty, I will not tolerate you; if you are innocent, I will clear your name."

The moment the emperor issued his order, the tense atmosphere in the court reached its peak.

However, as Chu Lengyu stood in the center of the white jade square, no one dared to utter a sound.

Her presence alone was enough to suppress all the simmering undercurrents.

In fact, when faced with the heinous crime of treason, sophistry is useless.

Immediately afterwards, Chu Lengyu shocked the entire court once again.

She then declared in a loud voice, "The Great Xia is rich in resources and blessed with outstanding people. To demonstrate the prosperity of the Great Xia, I propose to collect the resources of the Nine Provinces and cast nine tripods to pacify the world."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a lot of discussion in the court.

The ding (a type of ancient Chinese cooking vessel) has been a symbol of power and authority since ancient times.

However, casting the Nine Tripods was no small feat; it required not only a large amount of precious materials but also countless skilled craftsmen.

Some ministers believed that this was indeed a good opportunity to demonstrate the strength of the Great Xia Dynasty, and therefore expressed their support for Chu Lengyu's proposal: "Casting the Nine Tripods will be a symbol of the Great Xia's strength, and we will definitely support it with all our might."

Other ministers were skeptical of Chu Lengyu's proposal, fearing it would consume a lot of manpower and resources and could cause local discontent.

These are turbulent times, and the Ministry of Revenue's treasury is empty, barely enough to meet the needs of disaster relief. How could it possibly support such a massive project?

Furthermore, casting the nine tripods would inevitably be a drain on the people's resources and manpower. If this were to incite public resentment, wouldn't it be a case of more harm than good?

"Forging the Nine Tripods is certainly a good idea, but is it really worth going to such great lengths?"

"This move is wasteful of resources and manpower, and is not appropriate."

"I believe that the prosperity and stability of the Great Xia Dynasty is not maintained by these empty titles."

"The casting of the tripod is unprecedented since the founding of the nation. It should be carefully considered and not done impulsively."

“While casting the Nine Tripods may demonstrate the nation’s power, it is not the most urgent matter. Your Majesty, we humbly request that you reconsider.”

Another group of people chose to remain neutral, not wanting to express their opinion on the issue too early, but rather to see how the situation develops.

These neutral ministers were all seasoned veterans of the court. They understood that revealing their views too early would often put them in the spotlight, so they chose to wait and see.

In their view, Chu Lengyu, the newly appointed Imperial Preceptor, undoubtedly had the support and trust of the Emperor.

Her sudden proposal of such a grand plan was probably not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather the result of far-reaching considerations.

Perhaps this was the emperor's own wish, but due to various reasons, he was unable to speak for himself, so he used Chu Lengyu to test the reactions of his ministers.

In fact, even the emperor himself did not know what Chu Lengyu's actions meant. Casting the Nine Tripods was indeed a waste of resources and manpower. As the ruler of a country, every decision he made would affect the fate of countless people, and he could not be so hasty.

After hearing the ministers' advice, he fell into deep thought, his gaze sometimes sweeping over Chu Lengyu, and sometimes sweeping over the ministers.

However, after a moment's thought, the emperor made his decision.

In his heart, Chu Lengyu still held more weight.

"The Nine Tripods are national treasures. Casting them will demonstrate the majesty of our Great Xia Dynasty. I approve your proposal and appoint you to take charge of this matter."

"From this day forward, every province in the Nine Provinces shall submit its special local products and treasures. Whether they are gold, silver, copper, iron, jade, or pearls, they shall all be carefully selected and shall not be mixed with inferior goods."

"In addition, the best craftsmen from all over the country, whether they are swordsmiths, goldsmiths or jade craftsmen, were selected to gather in the capital and participate in the casting of the Nine Tripods."

The emperor's open protection made some ministers worried about Chu Lengyu's existence, fearing that she would use this opportunity to further consolidate her power and prestige, threatening their own positions.

Little did they know how ridiculous this idea was.

Upon hearing this, Chu Lengyu shook her head and replied, "Your Majesty misunderstands. The Nine Provinces' Zhen Ding (a type of ancient Chinese cauldron) does not need these worldly gold and silver items."

She reached out and used her spiritual power to create a vast map of the Great Xia Dynasty, which floated in mid-air.

The territory of the Great Xia Dynasty is divided into nine regions of different colors, based on the Nine Provinces.

Chu Lengyu explained, "I discovered the demon's appearance this time, preventing it from lurking and causing a great disaster. However, the Nine Provinces are vast, and I alone cannot cover the entire area."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed, and they were horrified as they recalled the scene of the demonic clouds pressing down on the city a few days ago.

"The...National Preceptor of Chu," an official asked anxiously, "Will this demonic disturbance happen a second time?"

Chu Lengyu sighed softly and nodded slowly. The gravity of her expression made everyone present tense.

Immediately afterward, another official eagerly pressed on, "Your Excellency, what is the cause of this demonic calamity? Why are we, as high-ranking officials, completely unaware of this matter, and have never even heard of it?"

Previously, many people questioned whether the demonic incident was an omen of divine retribution, foreshadowing the decline of the Great Xia Dynasty; others had serious doubts, suspecting it was the work of treacherous officials who intended to undermine the foundation of the nation.

Chu Lengyu's gaze swept over the crowd, noticing their varied expressions; some were terrified and uneasy, while others were puzzled and confused.

Seeing this, she decided to start from the beginning, as it was time to say these things.

"Can you believe that gods, immortals, demons, monsters, and ghosts all truly exist?"

As soon as the words fell, the whole place was in an uproar.