Master of Strange Dao

Yu Ziqing looked at the densely packed crowd before him. That they had gathered so quickly, he absolutely refused to believe there had been no premeditation, no rehearsal.

The former Chief Cabinet Minister, Zhang Quli, would occasionally mention it, suggesting that it was best to complete the coronation ceremony as soon as possible.

It seemed like an offhand comment each time, and Yu Ziqing would reply, "Next time for sure," after which Zhang Quli would drop the subject.

The firmness and solemnity of today's events indeed caught Yu Ziqing by surprise.

He still hadn't figured out what psychological changes these people had undergone.

He could understand why at first, they all addressed him as 'Your Majesty.'

It was because, at that time, the Dadui Divine Dynasty was nearly done for, its national fate had plummeted to the point where it could not even perform another large-scale Dadui Seal.

Selling the entire Dadui wouldn't cover the debt owed to Yu Ziqing.

This was not a matter of financial debts, fiscal deficits.

When applied to a person, it was the kind of debt of favors and opportunities that had to be repaid.

For the Dadui Divine Dynasty, it meant repaying with the nation's fate.

And yet, the nation's fate never went negative; when it was gone, it signified the collapse of the country.

The incarnation of the nation's fate always had a physical form; when the nation's fate dissipated, this item would also be ruined.

Even if the nation was later restored under the name of Dadui, it would no longer be the same Dadui.

Having stabilized Dadui, instead of heaving a sigh of relief, they became even more eager to have Yu Ziqing ascend the throne.

This was something Yu Ziqing couldn't quite understand.

At least now, it wouldn't be a case of paying off debts and then being finished, right?

Was his modest ability sufficient to assume the role of Emperor Dui?

Yu Ziqing was quite aware that with his capabilities, insight, and decisiveness, he was definitely not up to the task.

The Great Divine Dynasty was not something he could manage with a few keystrokes.

In a new edict, overlooking a minor issue could ultimately lead to millions, tens of millions of people being displaced.

"Gentlemen, what is this about? Please stand up first, then we can talk."

Seeing that Yu Ziqing was about to decline again, Zhang Quli promptly fell to his knees with a thud, bowing his head and shouting out loud.

"I, your humble servant, humbly request that Your Majesty choose a date for the coronation!"

The dark mass of people behind him immediately followed Zhang Quli's actions, continuing to shout.

As they raised their heads, Yu Ziqing saw several elderly ministers with red-rimmed eyes, their expressions agitated.

They stared at the dragon pillar nearby, their bodies tensed as if they were ready to leap up at any moment and dash their heads against the column, spilling blood on the spot.

Yu Ziqing's heart skipped a beat and he immediately put on a stern face, quickly stepping forward to help Zhang Quli up first.

"Gentlemen, please stand up first and don't act impulsively. Think carefully before you act."

"Your Majesty, we have thought it over dozens of times, please ascend to the throne."

Zhang Quli's face was full of emotion, his eyes brimming with hope, and the intense gaze made Yu Ziqing avert his eyes, sighing softly.

"Old Zhang, let me speak frankly to you.

It's not that I am declining, truly, I am genuinely of the belief that my abilities in every respect are not up to this position.

I'm someone who overlooks minor details, and yet this position is about taking care of details in all aspects.

I truly do not dare to take on this heavy responsibility.

Just the thought of one edict leading to the displacement of a million people, and I cannot sit still.

Others may see power first, but the first thing I see is the suffocating responsibility."

Upon hearing these words, all seven members of the Cabinet were visibly moved and deeply touched.

Zhang Quli, the elder statesman, even lost control of his emotions completely, his hands trembling as he grasped Yu Ziqing's hands, tears streaming down his face.

His entire life was dedicated to thinking about how to save Dadui, how to avert disaster.

In the end, he still couldn't break free from the shackles of past thinking and watched helplessly as the vast Dadui became shrouded in Death Qi.

He looked around to see nothing but soulless bodies, apathy, and felt utter despair.

If only, back in the day, the officials and members of the Imperial Family of Dadui had thought of responsibility before power.

If only someone had been able to say "a single edict, a million displaced," if only someone had been this cautious.

How did it come to this, how did it come to this.

Now he finally saw through it; intention mattered more than ability.

With the wrong intention, the greater the ability, the more skewed the result.

With the right intention, it's okay if the ability is a little lacking, at least the path is correct.

To proceed slowly is far better than taking a wrong step, by a thousandfold, by a millionfold.

"Your Majesty, it is not that we wish to press you; it truly is the common wish of the billions of subjects of Dadui."

"Then let me go and see, listening isn't as good as seeing for myself. I will make a trip personally to look around."

Yu Ziqing took the opportunity to step back, proposing to go out and take a look first.

Fearing that Zhang Quli's emotions were out of control and that the old minister might suffer an accident, Yu Ziqing hurriedly asked him to sit down, and at the same time, arranged for those elderly individuals to be helped up to sit as well.

This move disrupted the rhythm of the coronation requests.

However, to others, it was seen as Yu Ziqing's gesture of respect toward the elder statesman.

After all, when people are fond of you, whatever you do, they can always find the good side in it.

The ministers were more and more satisfied with him, with the exception of Yu Ziqing having been hands-off for ten years; other than that, everything was satisfactory.

After all the commotion, the proposal for the coronation had been thwarted.

When the crowd had left, leaving only the Cabinet members, Zhang Quli had originally intended to report something, but in the end, as he opened his mouth, it turned into something else.

"Your Majesty, rest for a few days. We, your servants, will accompany Your Majesty on a secret visit in plain clothes."

"No need, there is no better day than today. Let's do it today, and you need not accompany me; I will go and see for myself."

"Your servant will accompany Your Majesty."