After You Broke Off the Engagement, I Broke Through Twelve Realms in a Single Day! - Chapter 22:

Chapter 22: Willing to Offer the Position of Prime Minister

The next day, just before noon, Li Feng changed into a brand-new azure official robe, with the emperor-bestowed heaven-grade treasured sword at his waist, and stepped into the towering imperial city. Inside, crimson walls and golden tiles gleamed under the sun, guarded by imperial soldiers standing solemnly. As he walked, the guards saluted him respectfully, their eyes full of awe.

At only eighteen years old, he was already a Martial Emperor, Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince, and Grandmaster of the National Academy—any one of these titles was enough to command reverence.

However, as he stepped into the Jinluan Hall, the atmosphere immediately froze. Civil and military officials stood divided on both sides, their gazes varied. Some were respectful, some envious, and some harbored hostility.

Standing at the forefront was a young man in a brocade robe, handsome yet sullen—Xu Wenlong, the top scholar of the current imperial examination. Xu Wenlong had been privately promised the position of Grandmaster of the Hanlin Academy by his teacher, but with yesterday’s imperial decree, the position was handed to Li Feng. What infuriated him even more was that the princess he had long admired, Luo Qingxian, was now to be married to Li Feng by the Emperor!

“Your subject, Li Feng, greets Your Majesty,” Li Feng bowed slightly toward the Emperor seated on the dragon throne.

“Rise, my dear subject,” the Emperor said warmly, clearly very pleased with Li Feng.

Before the Emperor could speak further, Xu Wenlong stepped forward and cupped his hands. “Your Majesty, your subject has a question!”

The Emperor’s brows furrowed slightly. “What question do you have, my dear subject?”

Xu Wenlong stared sharply at Li Feng and raised his voice, “Lord Li, at such a young age, has been appointed Grandmaster of the National Academy, overseeing the nation’s education. May I ask, have you ever read the Four Books and Five Classics? Do you understand the teachings of the sages? I have recently struggled with my studies and wish to seek your guidance!”

The hall fell silent at once. Everyone understood—Xu Wenlong was openly challenging him.

Li Feng’s expression remained calm as he said lightly, “Indeed, I have not read the Four Books and Five Classics.”

“What?” Xu Wenlong feigned shock. “Lord Li hasn’t even read the sacred texts—how can he be qualified to be Grandmaster of the National Academy or instruct the scholars of the empire?”

“Exactly!” a civil official immediately echoed, “The Grandmaster must lead the literary world—how can a mere martial artist without scholarly knowledge assume such a post?”

“Your Majesty, this appointment is highly inappropriate!”

“I have heard that he is a mere live-in son-in-law, uneducated and without any scholarly title. How can such a man teach the Crown Prince and be his mentor?”

“Please, Your Majesty, dismiss Lord Li from his post and select someone truly virtuous and capable!”

Officials protested one after another, their dissatisfaction with Li Feng’s sudden rise evident.

The Emperor frowned deeply, about to speak, when Li Feng suddenly smiled.

“Top Scholar Xu speaks rightly.” He slowly raised his head, his gaze sharp as a sword, making it impossible for others to meet his eyes. “Indeed, ruling a country cannot rely solely on martial strength. However…”

Before he finished speaking, Li Feng suddenly drew his sword.

“Zheng—”

A dazzling sword light shot up, piercing through the roof of the Jinluan Hall and streaking far into the distance.

“Boom!”

In the distance, a towering mountain was split cleanly in two by that strike. Rocks collapsed, dust filled the sky, and the entire imperial city trembled.

The entire court was stunned.

Li Feng sheathed his sword calmly and said indifferently, “But if one doesn’t even have the strength to defend oneself, how can one talk about ruling a country?”

“This sword embodies eighteen years of cultivation. Which book could have protected you from it?”

Xu Wenlong’s face turned deathly pale, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

The Emperor’s eyes gleamed brightly, and he burst into hearty laughter, “Excellent! My dear subject Li is truly a heaven-sent genius!”

Behind the beaded curtain, Princess Luo Qingxian’s eyes sparkled brilliantly as she witnessed Li Feng’s sword strike and his domineering aura. Such a man, brimming with unrivaled talent, was her dream consort.

However, though the civil officials were shaken, some remained dissatisfied.

“Your Majesty, while Lord Li’s martial prowess is unparalleled and we admire him greatly, the Grandmaster of the National Academy is a literary post. Shouldn’t we at least test his scholarly knowledge?” an old minister said stiffly.

The Emperor pondered for a moment and looked at Li Feng. “What does my dear subject think?”

Li Feng smiled calmly, “Though I am not versed in literature, if someone wishes to test me, feel free to try.”

Xu Wenlong’s eyes gleamed coldly as he prepared to question Li Feng about disaster relief and governance, but suddenly, a guard’s urgent report interrupted.

“Report—!”

A guard rushed into the hall, kneeling down. “Your Majesty, an envoy from the Yun Empire requests an audience!”

“An envoy from the Yun Empire?” The Emperor’s brows knitted. He waved his hand. “Summon them!”

Soon, a middle-aged man in exotic attire strode into the hall, followed by a dozen strong men carrying a massive iron cage. Inside was a colossal creature.

The beast had the head of a dragon and the body of an elephant—a Dragon Elephant Beast, native to the Yun Empire.

The Dragon Elephant Beast stood about 9 meters tall, covered in dark green scales, with two curved tusks sharp like blades, exuding a fierce and savage aura. Many civil officials turned pale at the sight.

“Envoy Wumuhe of the Yun Empire, greets the Emperor of the Great Qing Empire!” the envoy bowed, though his eyes carried a hint of disdain.

Today, he was tasked to demand a few border prefectures from the Great Qing Empire. If they refused, war was inevitable. With the Great Qing’s only Martial Venerable nearing death, the Yun Empire believed no one could stop their National Preceptor and their ferocious army.

But first, they had to test whether the Great Qing Empire still had anyone capable of supporting the empire, lest they underestimate them and suffer losses.

“No need for courtesy,” the Emperor said calmly. “What brings the envoy here?”

Wumuhe smiled slightly, “Our Yun Empire recently captured a Dragon Elephant Beast and have brought it as a gift to Your Majesty to signify friendship between our empires.”

“Oh?” The Emperor’s eyes flickered. Since when did the Yun Empire become so kind-hearted?

“Then I shall thank the Yun Empire for its kindness.”

“However—” Wumuhe changed the subject, “this Dragon Elephant Beast is incredibly heavy. Our National Preceptor used a special method to weigh it and found it to be 449,000 kilograms. I wonder if anyone in the Great Qing Empire can accurately weigh this beast?”

The entire court was in an uproar.

As expected, they came with ill intentions!

The Dragon Elephant Beast was enormous; ordinary scales couldn’t weigh it. Clearly, the Yun Empire was trying to cause trouble. Only a Martial Venerable could lift such a beast, but summoning Dean Zhang from Jishang Academy over such a trivial matter would only make the Great Qing Empire look weak.

The Emperor’s face darkened as he looked at the officials. “Do any of you have a solution?”

The civil and military officials exchanged glances but remained silent. The scholars who had earlier boasted about the Way of the Sages were now mute.

Sweat trickled down Xu Wenlong’s forehead. Though he was well-read, he had no idea how to tackle such a practical challenge.

Seeing this, Wumuhe’s contempt deepened. “Could it be that the Great Qing Empire has no one capable of solving such a minor problem? Perhaps your National Preceptor should personally attempt it!”

At this moment of helplessness, a clear voice rang out.

“How difficult can it be?”

Everyone turned toward the voice and saw Li Feng standing calmly with his hands behind his back.

Wumuhe squinted, “Does this lord have a solution?”

Though he had never seen Li Feng before, the aura emanating from him surpassed even that of a 1st stage Martial Emperor like himself. When had the Great Qing Empire produced such a young powerhouse?

Li Feng said indifferently, “Bring a large ship. Drive the Dragon Elephant Beast onto the ship, mark how deep the ship sinks. Then remove the beast and fill the ship with stones until it sinks to the same mark. The weight of the stones will be the weight of the Dragon Elephant Beast.”

Hearing his plan, the previously clueless ministers’ eyes lit up.

“Right! How could we forget that method!”

“This is brilliant! Lord Li is truly a genius!”

“Clearly, we misjudged Lord Li. He has such wisdom—he is no unlettered brute!”

The wind shifted instantly, and all the officials looked at Li Feng with newfound respect.

The Emperor was delighted. “Carry out the plan immediately!”

Half an hour later, the result was announced.

448,750 kilograms—almost exactly as the Yun Empire had reported.

Wumuhe could no longer maintain his arrogance. He bowed deeply to Li Feng. “Such talent is truly admirable! May I ask your esteemed name?”

“If you are willing to serve in our Yun Empire, we are ready to offer you the position of Prime Minister!”

The entire court was shaken—Yun Empire was willing to offer Li Feng the position of Prime Minister!

Xu Wenlong looked at Li Feng with only admiration left, no trace of rivalry.

Li Feng’s wisdom surpassed his by not just tenfold, but a hundredfold!