Chapter 54: Is His Majesty Mad? (Request for Follow-up)

Jinan, the capital of the State of Qi.

The struggle for the crown prince position is about to be settled. Chen Gelao, who supported the Third Prince, has already submitted his resignation, which was approved by the Emperor of Qi.

Chen Gelao's retirement and departure from the capital is already a significant achievement, given the intense struggle for the crown prince position. This is largely due to his revered status as a senior official who served two reigns.

The ultimate fate of Guo Rongshan, the Minister of Personnel and one of the Third Prince's key confidants, has yet to be determined. The best outcome for him would be dismissal from office. A more severe punishment would be exile, and the worst would be the extermination of his entire family.

It is well known in the court that the First Prince's faction is taking action in Donghe County. The final outcome, whether Guo Rongshan's son-in-law is imprisoned for colluding with the Heavenly Mother Sect or charged with another crime, will determine Guo Rongshan's fate.

In the imperial palace, in the Imperial Study.

The Emperor of Qi, reading the secret order from Donghe County, trembled, his lips quivering.

As the supreme ruler, the Emperor felt fear for the first time.

One person sweeping through ten thousand soldiers!

Is this something a mere mortal can do?

But the secret order cannot be false!

Guo Rongshan's grandson, Xu Yan, single-handedly defeated ten thousand Divine Might Army soldiers, not only unscathed but also with ease.

Moreover, during the battle, he had the restraint to not slaughter all the Divine Might Army soldiers.

"Wasn't Guo Rongshan's grandson said to be mentally deficient? Is this what you all call mentally deficient?"

The Emperor of Qi trembled, his face turning ashen with anger.

A mentally deficient person, how could he cultivate such an incredibly powerful martial art?

Who is really the one with the deficient mind?

The legends are true!

There are indeed reclusive masters with god-like abilities, and there are indeed incredibly powerful martial arts!

"Guo Rongshan must die! Exterminate his entire family! Drag his entire family to be buried with the State of Qi!"

A fierce look flashed in the Emperor's eyes.

Since the State of Qi is about to fall, before the enemy reaches the capital, he will have Guo Rongshan's family executed to be buried with the State of Qi, to die together!

"No!"

Just as he was about to issue the order to exterminate Guo Rongshan's family, the Emperor suddenly paused.

He picked up the secret order again and examined it carefully.

"Xu Junhe did not rebel; he only defeated the Divine Might Army and did not kill Jiang Pingshan, nor did he allow the Heavenly Mother Sect to occupy the government offices..."

At this moment, the Emperor understood.

Whether the Xu family rebels depends on his attitude, on how he treats Guo Rongshan's family!

If Guo Rongshan dies, the royal family of Qi will be completely destroyed!

But if Guo Rongshan remains a minister of Qi, then Qi will still be Qi!

The Emperor took several deep breaths, his expression extremely serious. This decision concerns the survival of the State of Qi, and he cannot afford to be careless.

"Summon the Third Prince to the palace, summon the Minister of Personnel Guo Rongshan to the palace, and order the ancestral temple to prepare for the Third Prince's apprenticeship ceremony..."

The Emperor ordered with a stern expression.

Everything must be handled properly before the news from Donghe County reaches the capital.

The chief eunuch bowed and left, personally overseeing the matter.

The Third Prince received the imperial edict and hurried to the palace, while Guo Rongshan, upon receiving the edict, was somewhat surprised. What could the Emperor's urgent summons mean?

Could it be that his family will come out of this struggle for the crown prince position unscathed?

He rushed to the palace.

Upon arriving, the Emperor did not summon him to the Imperial Study but to the ancestral temple!

Guo Rongshan was bewildered. The ancestral temple is not a place for a mere minister to go.

Led by the eunuch, he arrived at the ancestral temple.

Upon entering, he saw the Third Prince, and the arrangement of the ancestral temple seemed off!

"Your Majesty..."

Guo Rongshan was about to bow, but the Emperor, with a smile, personally supported him and said, "Minister Guo, no need for formalities, come, sit!"

"Your Majesty, this..."

Guo Rongshan was terrified as the Emperor pulled him to sit in the main seat of the ancestral temple.

"Minister Guo is a unique talent in the world. It is a great honor for my third son to be favored by you. Today, let my third son formally become your disciple!"

The Emperor said solemnly.

"Your Majesty, this is not appropriate!"

Guo Rongshan was shocked. How can a prince become a disciple like this?

The Emperor, without further ado, pressed him into the seat and turned to glare at the Third Prince, scolding, "What are you standing there for? Kneel and pay your respects to your master!"

"Father..."

The Third Prince was bewildered. What is happening?

Seeing the Emperor's stern gaze, he trembled and hurriedly knelt, performing the three kneels and nine kowtows, presenting tea, "Disciple pays respects to Master!"

Guo Rongshan was completely bewildered.

His mind was a blur, and he was in a daze.

What is the Emperor trying to do?

"Minister Guo, drink your tea!"

The Emperor urged.

Guo Rongshan took a sip of the tea, still in a daze.

"Third Son, remember, once a master, always a father. From now on, treat Minister Guo with the same respect as you would me!

"Visit Minister Guo daily, and any disrespect will be severely punished!"

The Emperor's tone was extremely stern.

The Third Prince trembled, his face pale, and hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, Father!"

His mind was a blur, thinking his father might have gone mad to do such a thing.

"Get out of here!"

The Emperor glared, and the Third Prince hurriedly left.

"Minister Guo, come, come, the affairs of the state still need your help. With a minister like you, I am at ease!"

The Emperor held Guo Rongshan's hand and strolled through the palace garden.

As if they were old friends, they chatted about family matters, occasionally mentioning his grandson Xu Yan, and praising Guo Rongshan for his dedication to the state.

Among all the officials, only Minister Guo is truly loyal and patriotic!

Guo Rongshan's mind was a blur, even suspecting he was dreaming!

After a walk in the royal garden, the Emperor led Guo Rongshan back to the ancestral temple, where he pulled Guo Rongshan to bow to heaven and earth, to become sworn brothers!

Guo Rongshan's face turned pale, his body trembling, almost fainting.

His mind was filled with one thought: "Is His Majesty mad?"

Thump, thump, thump!

Kneeling, blood oath, becoming brothers!

The entire process left Guo Rongshan exhausted, both physically and mentally.

The Emperor, however, felt a slight relief.

His thinking was simple: I am your grandfather's sworn brother, so I am half a senior to you, Xu Yan. You should go easy on me, right?

After the ceremony, the Emperor led Guo Rongshan out of the palace. On the way, they encountered one of the Emperor's favorite concubines, who approached gracefully.

Guo Rongshan, in a daze, subconsciously looked up and stared at her.

This was a grave disrespect, but his mind was a blur, and he did not realize it.

The Emperor, seeing this, asked with delight, "Brother Guo, what do you think of Concubine Yun?"

"Concubine Yun is beautiful and virtuous, naturally..."

Guo Rongshan was startled, his heart racing. How could he be commenting on the Emperor's favorite concubine?

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Suddenly, he heard the Emperor's delighted voice, "Since Brother Guo likes her, bring Concubine Yun to Minister Guo's residence!"

What?!

Guo Rongshan was horrified and hurriedly said, "No, no, Your Majesty!"

His mind raced, and he quickly added, "My wife is fierce, I am afraid..."

"In that case, never mind!"

The Emperor looked regretful.

Guo Rongshan's wife is Xu Yan's grandmother.

If he offended her, he would be inviting trouble.

On the other side, Concubine Yun was already scared stiff and had fainted.

Guo Rongshan returned home in a daze, his mind a blur, the palace visit feeling like a surreal dream!

"Father, why did His Majesty summon you?"

Guo Yunkai, with a worried look, followed his father into the study and asked anxiously.

His father seemed off after returning from the palace!

Guo Rongshan looked up and, after a long pause, managed to say, "His Majesty seems to have a mental illness, his mind is somewhat deranged!"

Guo Yunkai: ???