Taiyi Dao Fruit

"I said everything, Lu Xun once said,"People are always compromising, caught in the middle. For instance, if you say, 'This room is too dark, let's open a skylight here,' everyone would definitely not allow it, but if you advocate for tearing off the roof, they will compromise and agree to open the skylight."

Although there was no Mr. Lu Xun in this lifetime, it seems that people in this world also compromise.

Here we are, now that King You wants to open the skylight.

Replacing the naturally evil Jiang family demon as Regent would still be better than continuing to have the Princess oversee the state.

At least, the Princess is one of our own, whereas the Jiang family demon will solely usurp the Ji Family's Jiangshan.

Despite the talents displayed by Jiang Li, who would most certainly become a Supreme barring premature death, not sacrificing himself for the Emperor Dao Fruit, but what if?

Moreover, the Emperor Dao Fruit is still sealed within the Emperor's body; seizing great power at this moment might lack the Supreme power that comes with the Emperor Dao Fruit, but it is also free from its shackles.

Anyway, no matter what, King You would never let Jiang Li get a chance to dip his fingers into the Jiangshan.

"Minister of Works wouldn't be talking about himself, would he?" sneered King You.

"Ah, you joke, my lord. I only satisfy the first two prerequisites, having righteousness and great merit. My virtue may not necessarily be acknowledged by the officials."

Jiang Li modestly waved his hand and asked everyone, "Don't you agree?"

"Minister of Works, this subordinate, Yang Yan, must respectfully disagree."

Among the attending officials, one immediately stood out and said loudly, "Minister of Works has supported the Realm's altar and defeated the Taiping rebels. If we say that Minister of Works lacks virtue, then all of us officials are nothing but roughnecks and ruffians, unworthy of standing in Ziwei Hall."

These words were indeed imposing and reasoned, causing all officials to look sideways, curious to see who the commanding officer was.

Seeing it was Taicang Prefect, Yang Yan, there was no problem.

The Taicang Prefect is a subordinate of the Minister of Agriculture, one of the Nine Ministers, which, in turn, should come under the Minister of Works, directly under Jiang Li's command.

Of course, that's not the point. Jiang Li just assumed office as Minister of Works; even theoretically, a subordinate wouldn't need to be so sycophantic, but this Yang Yan also happened to be a student of Zhu Hui'an. Initially, when Tianxuan proposed for Jiang Li to succeed as Minister of Works, it was Yang Yan who first voiced approval.

And now with Jiang Li stirring things up, Yang Yan naturally and vehemently supported him.

As Yang Yan spoke, immediately many followed suit, and King You, noticing that they were all old faces who initially supported Jiang Li's succession as Minister of Works, realized that this young Jiang truly had a rebellious mind, having rallied Zhu Hui'an early on and implanted his own people in the court. Just upon assuming office, he already had a considerable foundation.

King You's gaze was inscrutable, noting those who voiced their agreement, then looked at Grand Commandant Meng Jun, only to see the old family head of the Meng family half-closed his eyes in seeming weariness, beginning to feign sleep.

It appeared he neither supported nor opposed Jiang Li.

The Princess's stepping down truly benefits the Eldest Prince, and Jiang Li's rise also bodes ill for him, but now with King You pushing forward, why should people from the Eldest Prince's faction bear the brunt together?

Moreover, the Immortal Queen recently also allied with the Gongsun Family Master Tianxuan, and without a fallout on either side, the Eldest Prince's faction lacked a bit of morale.

Thus, King You could only step up himself.

"Minister of Works, who refers to himself as a brother to Feng Manlou, this battle in Liangzhou Province also had the aid of the Devil God Sect, virtue..."

King You chuckled, "I see it might not be praiseworthy."

Since there was this flaw with Feng Manlou, King You focused fiercely on it, starting to drag others into it, using Feng Manlou as a pretext.

And it really worked pretty well.

After all, the reputation of the Devil God Sect was such that calling them hated by gods and reviled by ghosts was no overstatement, and anyone associated with them hardly ended well.

But then, it wasn't just Jiang Li who had ties with the Devil God Sect.

"Are you trying to say that my virtue is lacking, or are you trying to say that the virtue of the Gongsun Family and the Royal Family is lacking?"

Jiang Li spoke unhurriedly, "According to your association method, my lord, you're likely counting both the Royal Family that took Feng Manlou as a son-in-law, and the Gongsun Family that took in the orphans. Each and every one of us connected to the Prince Consort shares in this lack of virtue."

"Princess."

Jiang Li turned to Ji Lingguang and sincerely asked, "King You wasn't adopted, was he? Otherwise, why would he always think about tarnishing the Royal Family?"

"Except for the Master of the Jiang Family, no one outside the Ji Family shall be crowned. This is an ancestral decree, not to be breached."

The Princess spoke sternly, glancing at King You, "But based on today's events, I suspect there might be some oversight."

What oversight?

Naturally, the oversight whether King You might have been adopted.

The Princess, who had contended with Tianxuan for many years, was no easy adversary; previously caught by King You using Feng Manlou, the affiliated son-in-law, in his speech, and now not avenging it would be strange.

The two exchanged sarcastic remarks, leaving King You so incensed that his eyes emitted a ghastly light.

"Jiang Li, you're insolent!" King You shouted coldly.

"You're the insolent one!"

Jiang Li shouted back equally loudly, his tone no less fierce than anyone else's.

"I had brought peace to the disaster of Yong Province, quelled the rebellion of Lu King; I had stopped the water disaster in Liangzhou, slain the Huai River True God Wuzhiqi; I have now personally put down the revolt of the Taiping Sect, beheading Zhang Zhixuan. King You, what are your merits? What right do you have to question me?"

Jiang Li shouted sternly, just short of pointing at King You and proclaiming his incompetence.

King You's eyes blazed with anger, raising his voice, "I see you claiming lofty merits, attempting to overshadow the master, I see you plotting to usurp the throne, creating chaos in Great Zhou's Jiangshan."