Linzi, the capital of the Great Qi Dynasty.

Every brick and tile in the city reveals the vicissitudes of time.

This city has stood for tens of thousands of years, and it has given birth to many legendary stories.

For example, the Taoist saints integrated many Taoist sects here and brought all the gods together.

In addition to being a religious center, it was also the political center of the Great Qi Empire.

This city witnessed the unification of Qi from a kingdom to an empire.

Therefore, Linzi is the most prosperous city in Jiuzhou.

The highest point in the city is in the northeast corner. In addition to the terrain, the earth has been piled up over the years to form a huge building complex that stands tall above.

Imperial Palace.

The main hall of the Great Court is luxurious and magnificent, with glazed mandarin duck tiles, vermilion lacquered windows, upright red pillars, carved beams and painted rafters, and layers of marble like steps leading to heaven. Lifting them up, the entire hall looks like a dragon's head, majestically gazing towards the southwest.

In the main hall, four dragon pillars support the four corners. The outer surface is covered with red gold and carved with dragon images, which are lifelike and seem to have souls in them.

Inside the main hall, the ministers stood on both sides, holding tablets in their hands. There was also a row of monks in Taoist robes, led by an old Taoist priest, respectfully saluting the old man in the first position.

The old man in the first position has white hair and beard, but his eyes are deep and bright, and his posture is upright.

He sat upright on the dragon throne, wearing a dragon robe, looking unstoppable.

He was the last king of Qi and the first emperor of the Qi Dynasty.

He ascended the throne at the age of ten and experienced several palace rebellions.

After he became an adult, he worshipped a Taoist saint as his teacher, swept across the world, unified the Central Plains, and became the emperor of the Nine Provinces.

It has been more than fifty years since the demise of the Shu Kingdom.

Over the years, we have worked hard to govern the country, maintain stability and ensure people's safety, and expand outward.

The life of the Emperor of Da Qi was legendary, and even the transcendent monks had to bow their heads to him.

Although the emperor is old, he has experienced and seen too much.

Logically speaking, there is nothing in this world that can make him angry.

But now, he was furious and scolding loudly.

"Jiangge County Magistrate, do you have nothing to do besides eating, sleeping, and marrying a wife? Gu Qiangqing died tragically, Yinfeng Mountain was attacked, and now a ghost immortal has appeared in Helue Town! When will you submit your resignation letter to me?!"

At the end of the hall, a middle-aged official knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Your Majesty, I am guilty!"

The emperor was furious, and everyone in the hall was in danger, even a pin drop could make a sound.

Even the Taoists in the monks' ranks were terrified and dared not speak.

They knew that the emperor's anger was directed at them.

An old Taoist priest walked out of the queue tremblingly and saluted the Emperor of Da Qi.

"Your Majesty, it is our incompetence that has prevented us from uncovering the plans of the Witch God Temple, leading to the chaos caused by the ghosts in Jiange County. Please forgive the governor. If you have any questions, please come to me."

The emperor was no longer angry. He said in a friendly manner, "How could I be rude to you, Master? You don't have to blame yourself. Monks are seeking immortality and fighting for their lives. They don't have the time to protect the peace of the mortal world."

There was a sting in the words, and the monks all looked unhappy, but the old Taoist priest remained calm.

"I once heard Confucius, the Confucian sage, say that there are galaxies above the nine heavens and the Yellow Springs beneath the nine earths. As Taoists cultivating immortality and seeking the truth, we should also have an official responsible for managing demons and monsters. I earnestly request that Your Majesty establish the Yellow Springs Supervisor to protect the people."

The civil and military officials looked at each other in surprise. They had not expected that the Taoist saint would be so decisive and give up power directly.

The old emperor shook his head. "How can you, the cultivators of your Taoist school, be as experienced in dealing with demons? Teacher, there's no need to say more. I will live up to my oath. As long as I live, Taoism will become the state religion of Da Qi, and I will share the empire with you."

The emperor changed the subject again.

"However, Jiange County has indeed been plagued by too many things recently. There are people from Sindhu breaking the law, and the Wushen Temple is causing chaos. Why not first establish the Huangquan Division in Jiange County to assist the Taoist sect in pacifying the people? Teacher, do you have any suggestions for candidates?"

"Yang Jian, a Mahayana cultivator, served in the Daotong Sect when he was young. Your Majesty has met him before. Later, he chose to retire when he grew old. However, his family is in Jiange County and he is familiar with the local situation. He is a perfect fit."

As soon as the old Taoist priest finished speaking, a civil official came out and said, "Your Majesty, this is not allowed. According to the official system of the Great Qi Dynasty, officials cannot serve in their hometowns or surrounding counties."

The emperor waved his hand. "The Huangquan Division is a special case. If the wizards there don't understand the local situation, how can they deal with the demons? Your suggestion is reasonable. I approve it. Do you have any recommendations?"

As the emperor spoke, his eyes turned to the position of the prime minister, the head of the civil officials.

The Prime Minister was a middle-aged man, tall, with ears that hung down to his shoulders.

He stepped out of the queue and said, “Since Your Majesty does not mind avoiding the question, then I have a choice.

This man's surname was Kong and his given name was Han'an. He was a down-and-out scholar from Helue Town. He had no knowledge, but he unexpectedly gained the favor of the goddess Hou Tu.

When Yinfeng Mountain invaded Helue Town, he helped the county magistrate stabilize the people's hearts. When King Wen of Shu awakened, he helped Gu Qiang's spirit to defend Helue Town. This boy may be of use.

The emperor's expression was heavy with sorrow. "Gu Qiangqing... Alas, he guarded this region for me during his lifetime, and even after his death, he protected my people. I feel so sorry for him. I order all counties in Jiange Commandery to build temples and statues in his honor. Every year at the end of June, the people will be organized to worship him!"

Changing the subject, the emperor continued, "Has Kong Han'an colluded with local tyrants?"

The Prime Minister said, "According to the county magistrate's report, the Xu family had repeatedly attempted to establish relations with Kong Han'an, but Kong Han'an repeatedly found excuses to avoid them. Xu Meng finally managed to meet him, but when he left the Kong residence, his face was filled with anger, as if he had been humiliated."

The emperor nodded. "Kong Hanan, yes... His last name is Kong. Is he related to the Prime Minister?"

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