All the civil and military officials had already knelt down to pay their respects, leaving only Zu An standing alone, making him stand out conspicuously in the room.
Many people understand his current actions. He is now the strongest person in the court, and may even be the strongest person of the human race. Naturally, there is no reason for him to kneel down to a fool.
But that fool is now the emperor. In the past, emperors were the strongest in their time. Now the ruler is weak and the ministers are strong. Doesn't that mean there's a possibility of a change of dynasty in the future?
Many ministers began to feel uneasy, unsure of Zu'an's intentions. If he resolutely refused to kneel, the matter would spread, revealing his disloyalty and inevitably drawing criticism from the public.
But it's unrealistic to expect someone as powerful as him to kneel...
Many people have already begun to secretly choose sides, pondering whether they should remain loyal to the royal family or quickly pledge their loyalty to the regent.
Other upright ministers were filled with worry, fearing that the court, which had finally stabilized, would be thrown into turmoil again after this incident.
Just as Bi Linglong was about to speak, Empress Dowager Liu Ning spoke first: "I have something to announce. Zhi'er, your successful ascension to the throne is largely due to the support of the Regent. He has made great contributions and is now also the Academy Chancellor. He is highly respected. From now on, you will serve him as your uncle."
The term "仲父" refers to the father's younger brother, who, to some extent, can even take on the father's responsibilities.
Zu'an became the new emperor's uncle, so he naturally didn't need to kneel. On the contrary, the emperor had to pay homage to him.
“This is absolutely unacceptable!” Some conservative ministers immediately objected. “The title of ‘Uncle’ is no small matter. How can we allow the Emperor to casually recognize someone as his Uncle?”
Bi Linglong also had a strange expression. In fact, she did not approve of this move. If Zhao Ruizhi really recognized her as his uncle, she would be a generation lower, and her lover would become her father.
At this moment, officials from the Empress's faction immediately stepped forward to refute: "Why not? The Emperor is still young and needs a strong person to assist and guide him. The Regent Prince was the Crown Prince's teacher before, so he is an elder. Now his cultivation is unparalleled, so how can he not be a great-uncle?"
Thinking of the earth-shattering battle that the Meng family had fought a few days ago, the minister who had objected couldn’t help but feel a little guilty: “But the Regent is a bit too… young.”
Strictly speaking, it's not even certain whether Zu'an or the new emperor is older, so asking the new emperor to recognize him as his uncle seems absurd.
The ministers of the Liu family disagreed: "Looking at the world, when has age ever been the measure of a hero? Naturally, those who have achieved the highest level in cultivation are the first to be recognized. You cannot regard the Regent as a young man, but as the highest mountain in the path of cultivation. It is foreseeable that he will also be the longest-standing one in the future."
Zu An's face flushed; he was getting a little embarrassed by all the flattery.
"That's true, but..." The ministers were a bit annoyed. In the past, those with top cultivation levels were usually older and naturally wouldn't have these problems.
At this moment, Liu Ning spoke up: "As far as I know, the young emperor of the demon race also respects him as his uncle."
This statement was almost the final word, and some ministers who had wanted to argue their case immediately fell silent.
Whether you like Zaun or hate him, you have to admit that the human race needs a top expert like him to keep things in order.
However, the other party also holds a noble status among the demon race. If he were to accidentally side with the demon race, that would be truly disastrous.
Now that Zaun is so powerful, racial constraints mean nothing to him, and he will welcome him wherever he goes.
Of course, since he was born into the human race, he would definitely have more feelings for the human race, but the treatment he receives cannot be worse than that of the demon race, otherwise it would be troublesome if he lost heart and ran away.
Moreover, with the new Demon Emperor calling him "Uncle," it wouldn't be so hard for Zhao Ruizhi to accept calling him that too.
Seeing that no one had any objections, Liu Ning decided to settle the matter: "Ruizhi, Linglong, come and pay your respects to your uncle."
Zhao Ruizhi lacked assertiveness and was already flustered in this situation. Moreover, he had always been somewhat afraid of Zu'an. Upon hearing his former stern "Empress Dowager" say this, he simply said "oh" and instinctively did as she said.
Bi Linglong didn't get up; she was too embarrassed to address Zu An that way in front of so many people.
Seeing that she didn't get up, Zhao Ruizhi stood there for a moment, unsure whether he should continue to pay his respects to Zu An or sit down.
All eyes were on Bi Linglong. Her face flushed red and then turned pale. Finally, she gritted her teeth and stood up: "Linglong greets Uncle!"
Although she was unwilling, the atmosphere had been built up to this point. If Zu'an was not given the title of "Uncle," he would have to pay homage to Zhao Ruizhi. Given his personality, he would definitely refuse. How could she put him in such a dilemma because of her?
With her taking the lead, Zhao Ruizhi became even more uninhibited and followed suit, bowing slightly to Zu An: "Greetings, Uncle."
Hearing Bi Linglong address him like that, Zu An's expression was a little strange, but he couldn't say anything in front of so many people, so he hurriedly returned the greeting.
Seeing the tense atmosphere end like this, all the ministers present breathed a sigh of relief.
What followed were a series of elaborate rituals, and after a busy day, everyone was exhausted.
Zuan found some time to talk to Bi Linglong. Seeing her stern face, he couldn't help but laugh and asked, "What's wrong? Are you angry?"
“How could I dare to be angry with my uncle?” Bi Linglong said this, but her pouting lips revealed her true feelings.
What did you just call me?
"Father Zhong."
"I didn't hear you clearly."
"Zhong..."
Bi Linglong finally realized what was happening, glared at him, and then turned away angrily.
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