What happens inside the palace is completely unknown to those outside.
It was still dark and quiet in the capital, with only a few lanterns flickering in the streets and alleys, marking the hurried figures of officials on their way to court.
Most of them were dressed in court robes and wore black gauze hats. Some rode horses, while others rode in sedan chairs. Surrounded by servants, they made their way solemnly toward the palace.
Officials who lived far away would get up as early as midnight, wash up quickly, and rush out the door, not even having time for breakfast, for fear of being late.
Upon arriving at the palace gate, the officials dismounted from their horses and sedan chairs, tidied their clothes, and, holding their official tablets, lined up to enter.
By this time, a large number of people had gathered in front of the palace gate. Some were talking in hushed tones about recent state affairs, while others were quietly organizing their thoughts and memorials. Occasionally, a few coughs would break the silence.
The soldiers guarding the palace gates were all in high spirits, weapons in hand, vigilantly watching their surroundings.
As the palace gates slowly opened, officials filed in one after another according to their rank.
Meanwhile, Xu Ruyu from the original timeline also entered the hall with the main group, followed by Yuan Yin and Xu Ruyan, while Qi Yanyun brought up the rear.
Inside the imperial court, the bright lights illuminated the magnificent palace and created a solemn atmosphere.
The throne in the hall was empty, indicating that the emperor had not yet arrived.
The officials found their places and stood still, then fell silent. The entire court was so quiet that only the soft sounds of breathing and the rustling of robes could be heard.
Suddenly, a loud eunuch's voice rang out: "The Emperor has arrived!"
Everyone immediately held their breath, knelt down in unison, bowed their heads in salute, and shouted, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Dressed in a dragon robe and wearing a crown, Chu Chenxiao slowly walked up to the throne. After sitting down, he glanced at the assembled officials in the court and said majestically, "All of you, rise."
The officials then rose and stood ramrod straight, awaiting the emperor's decree.
Naturally, they also noticed that Chu Yanxi was not present, but they had already automatically come up with a reason for it:
"Has the Emperor Emeritus gone on another trip?"
"That's it! The crisis in the Night Dynasty has been resolved. The Emperor Emeritus intends to train the Emperor, so he certainly won't stay here for long!"
"......"
The group spoke cautiously in hushed tones, unaware that Xu Ruyu, Xu Ruyan, Yuan Yin, and Qi Yanyun, who were scattered among the officials, had overheard everything.
Although the four had their doubts, they remained silent.
Next comes the main part of court proceedings—the deliberations.
First, the head of all officials, Prime Minister Xu Qian, stepped forward to report to Chen Xiao on recent national affairs, including the disaster situation, military situation, and financial revenue and expenditure in various regions.
Xu Qian's words were concise and clear, and Chen Xiao listened attentively, nodding occasionally or asking a few questions.
Subsequently, other officials, if they had important matters to report, would step forward in turn to present their views and suggestions to Chen Xiao.
Some officials spoke earnestly and passionately; others were cautious and careful with their words, afraid of saying the wrong thing and displeasing Chen Xiao.
During the officials' presentations, the court was silent, with only the voices of the presenters echoing in the empty hall.
Chen Xiao would sometimes ponder, sometimes discuss with the ministers around him, and then make a decision, either approving, rejecting, or ordering further discussion.
Before they knew it, much time had passed since the morning court session began. After all the matters had been dealt with, Chen Xiao announced, "This morning court session is now adjourned. If you have no other important matters to attend to, you may leave the court."
The officials knelt down again, shouting, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" and then left the court in turn.
After leaving the court, some officials breathed a sigh of relief and whispered with their colleagues about what had just happened; others frowned, seemingly still pondering unresolved issues; still others hurried to their offices to begin their day's work.
Meanwhile, Chen Xiao, who was already at Yin Yuyao's residence, was quietly waiting for his old friends.
However, this time, she did not invite Xu Qian.
After all, not everyone can accept suddenly finding that they have an extra son out of nowhere.
So she only sent someone to invite the person involved and a few bystanders.
As night fell, the main hall of Yin Yuyao's residence was brightly lit. A long table was exquisitely decorated and laden with sumptuous dishes, from which wisps of steam rose, releasing an enticing aroma.
As everyone arrived, they sat together, the atmosphere both solemn and warm.
A huge brocade hung on the wall of the hall, embroidered with the scenery of the mountains and rivers of the night court, which looked particularly lifelike under the light.
Moonlight filtered through the stained glass windows, adding a touch of mystery to the room.
Chen Xiao spoke first: "The hidden dangers of the Chaos Spirit Pearl must be resolved as soon as possible, otherwise this peaceful life will be shattered at any time."
Ning Yu nodded and continued, "We have consulted many ancient books these past few days, but we still haven't found a complete solution."
Looking at the Xu Ruyu from the original timeline, Xu Ruyu from the new timeline frowned and couldn't help but ask, "You said you come from another timeline, so how much do you know about the Chaos Spirit Pearl?"
Xu Ruyu from the new timeline picked up a piece of food and put it in her bowl. After thinking for a moment, she replied, "In my timeline, the Chaos Spirit Orb also brought many crises, and we have been exploring its secrets."
Yuan Yin said softly, "I found some records about the Chaos Spirit Pearl in ancient books, which seem to be related to a mysterious organization."
Upon hearing this, Xu Ruyan said anxiously, "Then what should we do? We can't just sit here and wait to die."
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