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Inside the Tai Ji Hall, the civil and military officials of the court were arrayed in their respective positions, wearing their formal robes according to rank.

On the gilded, resplendent platform, the Empress Dowager Lin Yaoji sat with a lazy demeanor. Despite her seemingly indifferent posture, her aura remained noble and graceful. She was seated to the left of the vacant Dragon Throne.

As her eyes briefly flickered toward the empty throne, a subtle heat flashed in her gaze, and her breath quickened for a moment.

When the late emperor passed away, he left a decree stating that the throne of Great Zhou would pass to the Ninth Prince, Gu Changsheng.

This unexpected development had left both the Empress Dowager and the entire court in shock. None had anticipated that the late emperor would choose Gu Changsheng, a prince who had long been dismissed as insignificant.

However, to the Empress Dowager, this was a stroke of great fortune.

In her eyes, Gu Changsheng was nothing more than a useless prince. Even if he ascended to the throne, he would be a mere puppet, easily manipulated by her, allowing her to maintain full control of the court.

For Lin Yaoji, the Zhou Dynasty belonged to her, and her alone.

The officials of the court wore complex expressions. Some looked contemplative, while others appeared troubled.

Since the death of the previous emperor, the Empress Dowager had consolidated immense power. Her influence was such that many in the court felt compelled to align themselves with her, knowing full well that Gu Changsheng, without any foundation or power, would be no match for her.

As Lin Yaoji’s cold gaze swept over the officials, a trace of indifference settled on her face. If anyone dared to defy her today, they would soon find out just how ruthless she could be.

Suddenly, a booming voice resounded through the Tai Ji Hall.

“His Majesty, the Emperor, arrives!”

The civil and military officials were startled, their faces reflecting various degrees of surprise and disbelief.

Gu Changsheng, dressed in his imperial dragon robes and adorned with a crown, strode forward with a commanding presence. His steps were steady, and his bearing radiated authority. His expression was solemn and imperious as he approached the Dragon Throne.

Within moments, Gu Changsheng stood before the throne. With a graceful sweep of his sleeve, he seated himself with regal poise.

His eyes were cold, his demeanor proud, as his gaze swept across the entire court. A powerful aura of sovereign authority surged from him, enveloping the hall with an overwhelming sense of imperial might.

The grand hall fell into a deathly silence. Not a sound could be heard.

The officials, who moments earlier had harbored their own thoughts, now stood frozen in shock. Their gazes were locked on the newly ascended emperor.

Is this truly the Ninth Prince, Gu Changsheng?

In the entirety of the Zhou Dynasty, everyone knew of the Ninth Prince. Over the span of eighteen years, he had barely achieved the status of an Innate Realm cultivator and was widely regarded as a talentless failure.

His reputation as the “useless prince” had spread across the entire land, becoming a source of ridicule.

Yet today, as he ascended to the throne, his bearing and authority were entirely out of sync with that reputation.

Could it be that the Ninth Prince had been hiding his true abilities all along, waiting until this moment to reveal his strength?

If that were the case, then Gu Changsheng’s cunning was beyond terrifying. Such depth of strategy would be chilling.

The officials’ expressions became even more complicated. They realized that the man before them might not be as simple as they had assumed. Many who had thrown their lot in with the Empress Dowager suddenly began to reconsider their position.

In the face of such a drastic shift, the atmosphere in the hall became uneasy. Some ministers began to grow visibly anxious.

Sensing the shift in the court’s mood, Empress Dowager Lin Yaoji’s brow furrowed ever so slightly. Her frosty gaze locked onto Gu Changsheng, a glint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

His behavior today was unexpected, and more than a few ministers appeared to have been shaken by his presence. However, the Empress Dowager had long prepared for this day.

Regardless of how the Ninth Prince performed, she had already devised a plan to strip him of power and fully control the court. Once her plan was set in motion, no one in the court would dare stand against her.

Seated upon the Dragon Throne, Gu Changsheng remained composed. His eyes, like stars piercing through the darkness, scanned the assembly of officials. Beneath his calm demeanor, a quiet fury simmered within him.

The loyalty of the officials was laid bare before him. Aside from a handful of elderly ministers whose loyalty remained acceptable, a shocking seventy percent of the court held loyalty scores below 60.

Such a score indicated that these officials had no respect for him as their emperor.

The power of the Empress Dowager in the court was indeed vast. Seven out of ten officials had chosen to align themselves with her.

Gu Changsheng’s gaze briefly shifted to the Empress Dowager, and an image appeared before his eyes.

[Name: Lin Yaoji] [Identity: Empress Dowager of Great Zhou, Demon Queen of the Demon Sect] [Age: 30] [Cultivation: Semi-Saint]

Seeing her true identity revealed, Gu Changsheng was not surprised. After all, he had already known from the original story that she was no ordinary woman.

“A semi-saint at the age of 30, huh? The Empress Dowager has hidden herself well.”

In terms of strength, there was no one in the entire Great Zhou who could rival her, aside from the late emperor and the Zhou Dynasty’s saintly ancestor.

However, Gu Changsheng was not one to act rashly. He had no intention of confronting her head-on, at least not yet. Instead, he planned to unsettle her, to make her realize that he was not as easy to control as she had believed.

After all, the Empress Dowager still needed him as the legitimate emperor to maintain her grip on power. As long as she believed she could manipulate him, she would not move against him openly.

Without further hesitation, Gu Changsheng glanced at his loyal eunuch, Xia Wudao, who caught the silent command and nodded respectfully before stepping forward to read the imperial edict of succession.

“Since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty under the reign of the Emperor Shenwu, countless emperors have ruled, spanning over ten millennia and hundreds of dynasties…”

“Now that the previous emperor has passed away, the world is in poverty, the king’s power is not established, the five latitudes are in disorder, and other auspicious signs are seen. Those who speculate on numbers, considering the ancient ways, all think that it is the calendar of heaven!”

“…”

The ceremony continued, and when the edict was finally read in full, the entire court knelt and chanted in unison, “Long live His Majesty, the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!”

At that moment, Gu Changsheng officially ascended to the throne, becoming the sovereign of the Great Zhou.

“Rise,” Gu Changsheng said, his voice authoritative as it echoed through the hall.

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” the court chorused as they stood, but many of their eyes immediately darted toward the Empress Dowager rather than toward their new emperor.

This scene did not go unnoticed by the older, more experienced ministers, who sighed in silence. They knew well enough that the young emperor lacked a firm foundation. The officials clearly viewed the Empress Dowager as the true power behind the throne.

Even those loyal to Gu Changsheng found themselves hesitating, for to defy the Empress Dowager would not only cost them their lives but also endanger their families and clans. Thus, they could only remain neutral, unwilling to risk everything.

The eunuch Xia Wudao stepped forward once more, his voice loud and clear as he asked, “If there are matters to report, speak now. If not, court is dismissed.”

One official, dressed in his formal robes, stepped forward. His demeanor was haughty as he bowed slightly to Gu Changsheng and spoke in a righteous tone.

“Your Majesty is still young. Should we not follow the traditions and allow the Empress Dowager to act as regent, ruling on behalf of the Emperor?”

The moment those words were spoken, the expressions of the court officials shifted slightly, though none were surprised. Everyone knew that this was the Empress Dowager’s plan to seize power, and many had already resigned themselves to the outcome.

Some of the loyal ministers clenched their fists in anger, feeling a deep sense of regret for their emperor. Gu Changsheng had shown great potential today, and if he were allowed to grow and strengthen his position, the future might have unfolded differently.

But now, with the Empress Dowager’s move, the outcome seemed all but sealed.

As the tension in the hall mounted, Empress Dowager Lin Yaoji remained impassive, her gaze cold as it settled on Gu Changsheng. To her, he was still just a puppet prince, a mere obstacle to be swept aside.

Now, she wanted to see how he would respond to this crisis.