Invincible Divine Destiny Selection System Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Emperor's Majesty_1

"I have made my decision. Three days from now, I shall receive the diplomatic delegation from the Great Qian Dynasty here in the Divine Martial Hall."

Chu Yuan spoke with finality.

"Ding! The host has selected Choice Two. One hundred Destiny Points have been awarded."

"Current Destiny Points: one thousand four hundred."

"Is it truly wise to make them wait three days?"

Li Yun’s brow shifted into a frown, his voice laced with lingering dissatisfaction. "The Great Qian envoys have already been stationed outside the palace for some time. Forcing a three-day delay will surely spark their ire, especially given the volatility of our current affairs. Conflict is imminent on the southern border. My counsel is to grant them an audience immediately."

"I concur; this delay is ill-advised."

Both the Grand General and the Prime Minister, the two most powerful figures in the court, voiced their dissent at once.

Had any other monarch sat upon the throne, the sheer weight of these two officials would have forced a submission, compelling an immediate meeting with the envoys.

"There is no issue here. The delegation is simply here to demand we surrender territory and pay reparations. Their true intentions are transparent to me, but let me be perfectly clear: such terms are unacceptable. We will not yield a single inch of our soil, nor will any gold be paid.

If the Grand General and the Prime Minister find this problematic, you are free to discuss it with them privately once court is adjourned. I shall not interfere."

Chu Yuan let out a cold laugh. He refused to be a puppet for these two men.

He was well aware that they had already turned traitor, slowly stripping away his authority. They knew that while dynasties might fall and emperors might perish, their noble clans would not only survive the collapse of Great Wu but thrive under a new regime.

He had seen through their schemes long ago.

With a sharp flick of his wrist, Chu Yuan dismissed them. Eunuch Wei immediately stepped forward, his voice ringing out: "The court is dismissed!"

"The Emperor seems transformed today."

Standing within the silent hall, Li Yun watched Chu Yuan’s departing back, his aged features clouding over with a dark expression.

In today’s exchange, they had failed to gain any ground; instead, they had been the ones suppressed.

"His words were pointed. Do you think he knows of our secret pact with the Great Qian Dynasty?"

"Hmph! He is nothing more than a fifteen-year-old boy," Shangguan Yun sneered. "Even if he has caught wind of some whispers, what of it?"

The man continued with a look of contempt, "What can he actually do? Without the elite Divine Martial army at his back, he has no foundation to challenge us. We only tolerate him because there are still those loyal to the Great Wu name. Otherwise, he would have been dethroned long ago. Does he truly believe he can maintain such arrogance before us?"

"We bear no personal malice toward the Emperor, but the Great Wu Dynasty has reached its end; it is facing the judgment of the heavens. Its fall is inevitable. The combined might of the four-nation alliance is irresistible. To resist is to ensure our own destruction. Great Qian has promised to protect our families in exchange for our internal cooperation."

Li Yun remarked indifferently, "If he played his part and followed our lead, he might have enjoyed a few more years of luxury as a puppet king. But if he chooses defiance, he shouldn't blame us for tearing down the Great Wu and elevating a new Imperial Dynasty."

"Over the centuries, countless dynasties in this land have risen and fallen. It is merely a change of the hand that holds the scepter. Yet, our two families have remained eternal."

"A wise man understands the flow of the times."

....

"A chaotic sea of blossoms can easily cloud one's vision. These flowers are exquisite, yet their beauty is fleeting; even the most vibrant garden will be trampled by the march of war."

After leaving the court, Chu Yuan bypassed his royal carriage, choosing instead to walk through the Imperial Garden.

The vast grounds were filled with rare, exotic flora. Their scent hung heavy in the air, a testament to peace. However, Chu Yuan had a vision of the future where, in just three years, this entire garden would be reduced to ash and rubble.

"It seems Your Majesty is feeling quite poetic today."

A voice dripping with mockery reached Chu Yuan’s ears.

Chu Yuan’s expression darkened as he turned. Standing there was a youth in golden armor, his face twisted in a sneer that held no reverence for the crown.

"Shangguan Yun," Chu Yuan said flatly. "Do you believe the Imperial Garden is a place you can enter without my express permission?"

"This humble servant is a Colonel of the Forbidden Army. I act under the Grand General’s orders to safeguard Your Majesty against any potential treason."

Shangguan Yun remained rooted to the spot. "Wherever the Emperor goes, I must follow."

"And if I were to retire to my private Imperial Residence, would you follow me there as well?" Chu Yuan’s eyes narrowed into slits.

"It is my duty to protect the Emperor," Shangguan Yun replied defiantly.

[Choice One: Ignore him and allow Shangguan Yun to continue his surveillance. Reward: 100 Destiny Points.]

[Choice Two: Issue a direct Imperial Decree for Shangguan Yun to withdraw. Reward: 100 Destiny Points.]

"Withdraw at once!"

Chu Yuan’s command was like a thunderclap.

"Ding! The host has selected Choice Two. 100 Destiny Points gained. Total: 1,500."

"The Emperor has spoken! General Shangguan, you must leave immediately before your disrespect incurs the Emperor's true wrath!"

Eunuch Wei, a veteran of two reigns, could see the shift in Chu Yuan’s demeanor. He knew the Emperor was reaching the limit of his patience.

"These are the Grand General’s instructions. A military order is as heavy as a mountain and cannot be set aside. Unless this servant is dead, I cannot obey Your Majesty's request."

As the nephew of Shangguan Qingyun, Shangguan Yun had been tasked with monitoring every movement of the sovereign. Since the Emperor held no real power, why would he bother to obey?

[Choice One: Lecture Shangguan Yun on the hierarchy of power, teaching him that the Emperor's will is supreme and that his loyalty should lie with the crown, not the Grand General. Reward: 100 Destiny Points and the 'Eloquent Persuasion' achievement. Note: Equipping this increases your ability to influence others through speech.]

[Choice Two: If he seeks death, grant it to him. The Emperor’s dignity is absolute; those who tarnish it must perish. When a ruler demands a subject's life, the subject has no choice but to die. Reward: 100 Destiny Points and the 'Emperor's Majesty' achievement. Note: Equipping this increases intimidation by 10%.]

Chu Yuan dismissed the idea of a lecture. Words would be wasted on such a man; the only solution was blood.

"Shangguan Yun, you are bold. It seems you have truly forgotten who I am."

Chu Yuan looked at him with an icy stare. "You prioritize a military order over an Imperial Decree. If you cannot obey, then death is your only path."

"What? You intend to execute me?" Shangguan Yun’s smirk faltered. "I am a Colonel of the Forbidden Army! Not even the Emperor can kill me without cause!"

He held no respect for this young ruler. The legendary Divine Martial Hall had been decimated, and the remaining military forces were firmly in the Grand General's pocket.

"I am the Emperor of Great Wu. I am your sovereign, the very sky above you. If I decree your death, then you die!"

Chu Yuan, currently at the fourth level of Soul Refining, gripped the Human Emperor Sword. With the weapon in hand, his combat power rivaled a fourth-level Yuan Spirit. Shangguan Yun, by contrast, was merely at the first level of the Yuan Spirit realm.

The Human Emperor Sword left its scabbard, accompanied by the roar of the Great Thunder Technique. A suffocating, majestic aura crashed against Shangguan Yun.

Thud!

The sheer pressure forced Shangguan Yun to his knees. His eyes bulged with pure terror as he gasped, "Your Cultivation! How...?"

"I sentence you to death."

With a single, fluid strike of the Human Emperor Sword, Shangguan Yun’s head was severed. A fountain of blood sprayed across the garden greenery, creating a macabre scene.

The severed head rolled away, its face frozen in a mask of shock, hatred, and disbelief.

A Colonel of the Forbidden Army, a Yuan Spirit expert, had been decapitated in one blow.

Chu Yuan looked down at the corpse, his face an emotionless mask. Though he was a transmigrator, he had fully integrated eighteen years of memories from this world. He understood its brutal logic perfectly.

Instead of horror, he felt a surge of adrenaline—a primal thrill.

In this world, strength is the only currency. The powerful rule.

Without power, an Emperor is nothing more than a title to be mocked. He would not permit someone like Shangguan Yun to insult him to his face.

The Grand General and his followers could all follow this path to the grave.

A true Emperor must possess the resolve to cut down anyone in his way!

"Ding! The host has made a choice and executed Shangguan Yun. 100 Destiny Points awarded. 'Emperor's Majesty' achievement unlocked. Total Destiny Points: 1,600."

The system’s voice chimed in his mind.

In a way, Shangguan Yun had been useful.

By offering up his life, he had provided Chu Yuan with 200 Destiny Points and a powerful new achievement.

"Eunuch Wei, see to this. Deliver Shangguan Yun’s head to the Grand General. Inform him that I personally carried out the execution."

Chu Yuan turned away without a second glance at the body, walking toward the Divine Martial Hall.

He remembered that he still had a random draw available from when the Destiny Choice system first activated.