He didn't care about the titles of duke or marquis; after all, he had served in the capital, so the difference between duke and marquis didn't matter.
The human race has a lot of formalities and strict rules for promotions. They also take into account your family background. It's absolutely unrealistic to be made a king. I originally thought that such a great achievement would at least earn me a dukedom, or even a county duke, which is a relatively low-ranking position.
Unexpectedly, he was later demoted to the rank of Marquis. Although it was ostensibly because of the killing of Yi Zhibing, the emperor could have investigated the Sang family matter first if he wanted to. Yi Zhibing deserved to be executed for his actions.
But the emperor punished him before the investigation was completed. Perhaps Yi Chun and the others thought the emperor was protecting him, but Zu An knew very well that it was just because the emperor did not want to grant him the title of duke.
I had a long chat with Sang Hong about this emperor before. Although he was a man of great talent and ambition, he was too suspicious and extremely cold-hearted.
This time, it was obvious that Zhao Hao wanted to claim the credit for the demon race's tribute as his own. If he were to bestow too high a reward upon himself, people would think that the credit was his own, which was something he absolutely could not tolerate.
Couldn't you come up with a nicer title? Phoenix Man, Green Hat, Great Ji Bo, and now Marquis Shen, what will it be next, Duke?
Seeing his dark face, Zhao Hao assumed he was dissatisfied and couldn't help but feel a little smug. No matter how this kid changes his mind, his future is still in my hands.
The Prince of Qi had a knowing look on his face. He had naturally noticed the Emperor's subtle suppression and knew that Zu'an was definitely unhappy. He was thinking about taking this opportunity to win him over to deal with the Emperor together.
However, this thought was quickly extinguished. This kid was a jinx. It wasn't that I hadn't thought about winning him over, but every time I got involved with him, nothing good ever came of it. He was also the instigator of my power's decline. Such a hated guy deserved his fate.
Even Bi Ziang and many others who were in some ways on the same side as Zu'an breathed a sigh of relief. If Zu'an had granted them the title of Duke, they would have felt ashamed.
Everyone in the court was satisfied, except for Yi Chun. Her son's life had been so easily spared.
He wanted to say something more, but the emperor frowned, and even those who had previously been on his side began to offer their advice.
In fact, in most people's eyes, he had already paid for his son's life with the title of duke, and it would be a bit much to be dissatisfied.
That's how the world is. Everything has a standard of measurement. The idea that life is priceless is just something people say, but in reality, everyone has their own scale in their heart.
Everyone knows what kind of person Yi Zhibing is, so most people believed Zu An's words, and he deserved to die.
Sensing the emperor's displeasure, Yi Chun felt a chill in her heart. She knew that the emperor was in high spirits, and if she continued to entangle and disrupt his grand plan for the Fengshan ceremony, she would likely be in danger.
Helpless, he could only accept his fate and glare at Zu An with resentment.
Anger from Yi Chun: +555 +555 +555...
Zuan remained calm throughout, as if he had expected this.
Then, the court began to discuss the matter of the demon race again. Many people inquired about information related to Zu'an. Everyone in the court was quite excited, after all, this was one of the greatest victories for the human race in thousands of years.
After the court session ended, the officials came one after another to congratulate Zu An. Whether they liked him or hated him, they all had to admit that his status in the court was now very important.
Zu An responded politely, and was soon informed by a eunuch that the emperor had summoned him to the imperial study.
Zu An felt a chill run down his spine and followed them to the Imperial Study.
This place is called the Imperial Study, but it has actually been transformed by Zhao Hao into a secluded place for cultivation and seclusion. Only a few trusted ministers are qualified to be summoned here.
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After bowing, Zu An quickly said, "Your Majesty, Lord Sang is innocent. The claims that he colluded with the demon race to harm the delegation are absolutely nonsense."
“I know what I’m doing, and I’ve already sent people to investigate.” Zhao Hao said casually, then stared at him. “Tell me the specific details of how the Demon Emperor died.”
If the Demon Emperor, who was the only rival in the world, died unexpectedly, wouldn't that prove that I might also meet with misfortune for the same reason?
Zuan was well-prepared, so he filled in many details about the secret realm, which were not mentioned in the court.
Of course, it omitted its own existence and instead emphasized the role of various immortals in that secret realm.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hao's eyes lit up, and he quickly became restless, pacing back and forth in the study. His heaving chest testified to his excitement: "I never imagined that immortals truly existed in this world!"
Like the Demon Emperor, he had been stuck at his current realm for many years. Although he had seen some records in historical books, the further he went, the more he felt that they were just vague legends, and he even doubted that there was no way forward.
Now that he knows there really are immortals, how could he not be excited?
Zuan hurriedly said, "The Demon Emperor was also very excited at the time, but it was this curiosity that killed him... Later, the path between heaven and earth was severed, and that unknown place was completely closed. It is estimated that it will not be able to be opened again for thousands of years."
He was worried that Zhao Hao might suddenly decide to go and see for himself. Now that the old demon emperor was dead, how could the demon race possibly stop him?
Of course, with the elders all together and the royal court's protective formation, they would have some ability to resist. However, after a battle, there would definitely be heavy casualties. He had finally built up some foundation there, and he didn't want it to be destroyed in an instant.
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