"Senior, please do not stand on ceremony."
Sect Leader Liu was practically flustered, hurriedly returning the courtesy.
The Zhu family ancestor before him was of a terrifyingly ancient seniority and possessed fearsome power, making Sect Leader Liu a bit nervous facing him.
"Sect Leader Liu, no need to feel restrained. The Zhu family has served our Ziwei Sect as masters for generations; his respect for you is only proper," Ye Yunfei transmitted to Sect Leader Liu via sound transmission.
"Alright!"
Hearing Ye Yunfei's transmitted words, Sect Leader Liu couldn't help but straighten his back a little.
"Sect Leader Liu, please enter the imperial palace. Next, I will personally select a new emperor and ask the Sect Leader to bear witness for me," Zhu Tianming said to Sect Leader Liu.
Sect Leader Liu hesitated for a moment, looking toward Ye Yunfei.
Not long ago, the Ziwei Sect and the Yan Kingdom Royal Family were mortal enemies. Now, entering the imperial palace felt a bit sudden.
"Let's go in.
The territory of the Yan Kingdom Royal Family is the territory of our Ziwei Sect. No one here can touch us, so rest assured. There is nothing to fear," Ye Yunfei transmitted.
"In that case, very well!"
Sect Leader Liu's spirits lifted.
"Sect Leader, please."
Zhu Tianming made a gesture of invitation and then led the way ahead.
"Move out!"
Sect Leader Liu waved his hand and led the Ziwei Sect contingent toward the imperial palace.
Ye Yunfei also followed beside Sect Leader Liu.
This scene left the other members of the royal family dumbfounded.
Not long ago, the people of the Yan Kingdom Royal Family were single-mindedly thinking about destroying the Ziwei Sect.
Who could have imagined that now the royal ancestor was treating the Ziwei Sect members as honored guests, personally welcoming them into the imperial palace?
All the civil and military officials in the court also stood rooted to the spot, unsure of what to do.
"What are you all still standing around for? The honored guests are at our gates, hurry and make arrangements!"
Suddenly, Zhu Tianming glared at the officials and shouted loudly.
"We obey the ancestor's command!"
Finally, one minister gritted his teeth and spoke.
The emperor had already been deposed; the matter was settled. Moreover, the person before them was the tenth-generation ancestor of the Zhu imperial family, whose seniority was frightening. These ministers dared not resist.
Because this tenth-generation ancestor could represent the Zhu family even more than the emperor himself!
"We obey the ancestor's command!"
The other ministers also made their decisions one after another.
"Immediately clean up the capital and prepare a lavish banquet to welcome the honored guests from the Ziwei Sect!" a eunuch screeched.
"You fickle, opportunistic scoundrels! I treated you so well all this time for nothing!"
The deposed emperor, Zhu Youfeng, lay slumped to the side, unable to get up for a long while. None of the officials from before went to help him; they even deliberately avoided his gaze, pretending not to see him.
Next, Sect Leader Liu led the Ziwei Sect contingent to temporarily settle within the imperial palace. Zhu Tianming ordered the royal personnel to provide the highest standard of reception and the most attentive service.
Zhu Tianming personally selected the next emperor from among the Zhu family clan members. After a day of strict screening, he finally selected a person with a loyal disposition and good aptitude.
He was the nephew of the current emperor Zhu Youfeng, named Zhu Qijie.
Zhu Qijie's father and the current emperor Zhu Youfeng were biological brothers. In the past, he too had been a candidate for emperor, but Zhu Youfeng gathered a large group of courtiers, played various tricks, and ultimately seized the throne.
Zhu Qijie's father, on the other hand, became a prince without any real power, living a reclusive life.
"The new emperor will ascend the throne immediately!"
Zhu Tianming announced.
Thus, a grand enthronement ceremony was held in the imperial palace.
Sect Leader Liu and the Ziwei Sect contingent were seated in the seats of honor.
Zhu Tianming personally presided over the enthronement ceremony.
"After becoming emperor, remember this: our Zhu imperial family must not betray the Ziwei Great Emperor and must always serve the Ziwei Sect as master!
Furthermore, you will pass this ancestral injunction down through the generations.
If you dare violate it, I will personally come to execute you in the future!"
After the enthronement ceremony concluded, Zhu Tianming stared at Zhu Qijie and said in a severe tone.
"Tenth-Generation Ancestor, please rest assured. Qijie will surely remember the ancestor's teachings!
I will never go against them!"
Zhu Qijie nodded emphatically.
"Hmm, very good."
Zhu Tianming nodded in satisfaction.
"Sect Leader, young man, my task is complete. I shall take my leave first.
Sect Leader, please be at ease. Our Zhu family will not betray the Ziwei Great Emperor."
Zhu Tianming bowed to Sect Leader Liu, then his figure flashed as he sped toward the Zhu family's ancestral temple deep within the capital, disappearing in an instant.
"We respectfully send off the Tenth-Generation Ancestor!"
All the Zhu family clansmen lined up behind Zhu Qijie and respectfully shouted in unison.
"Sect Leader Liu, from now on, our Yan Kingdom Royal Family shall serve the Ziwei Sect as master. In the future, if you have any orders, just give them directly," Zhu Qijie said respectfully, arriving before Sect Leader Liu with a group of ministers.
"Our Ziwei Sect currently has nothing requiring the royal family to do. However, I feel your most urgent task should be to properly reorganize the imperial palace. Since the dynasty is changing, there should be a new atmosphere. Those who need to be replaced should be replaced.
Remember, if you fail to cut decisively, disorder will surely follow!
I will stay in the capital for the next few days and will not leave until you have completed the reorganization."
Ye Yunfei said.
"Alright, I understand."
Zhu Qijie was taken aback at first, then understood Ye Yunfei's meaning and nodded in reply.
Although he was loyal, he wasn't foolish; on the contrary, he was quite intelligent.
He understood that Ye Yunfei's meaning was for him to purge the trusted confidants of the previous emperor.
As the saying goes, new monarch, new ministers. Every emperor needs to cultivate a group of his own trusted aides to get things done properly.
The confidants cultivated by the previous emperor naturally couldn't be used by the new emperor.
Thus, over the next three days, Zhu Qijie, with swift and thunderous methods, rapidly cleaned out the previous emperor's confidants. Some were executed, others were driven from the capital, never to return.
The previous emperor was already a cripple, and with Ye Yunfei and the Ziwei Sect forces personally overseeing things, the previous emperor's confidants simply dared not resist.
Meanwhile, the events that occurred in the Yan Kingdom capital had already spread rapidly throughout the entire Yan Country.
"The Ziwei Sect's Senior Brother alone stormed the capital, using a secret technique to summon the Tenth-Generation Ancestor of the royal Zhu family!"
"The Tenth-Generation Ancestor of the royal Zhu family personally deposed the current emperor and installed a new one on the throne!"
"From now on, the Yan Kingdom Royal Family will forever serve the Ziwei Sect as master!"
The various incidents and details from the capital continued to spread, thoroughly shocking the entire Yan Country.
"The sky over Yan Country has indeed changed!"
"In fact, ever since the moment the Ziwei Sect defeated the allied forces of the three major powers, I knew the sky over Yan Country was bound to change. I just never imagined it would be this way!"
Throughout Yan Country, many martial artists discussed fervently.
Those who felt the most aggrieved were the Sheng Yuan Sect and the Qianyang Sect.
These two sects had been recruited by the Yan Kingdom Royal Family earlier, sending their forces together to deal with the Ziwei Sect. They suffered casualties, their troops diminished, and they had already incurred severe losses. Who could have known that now the Yan Kingdom Royal Family would announce it would serve the Ziwei Sect as master from now on?
"Doesn't that mean our previous battle with the Ziwei Sect was completely pointless, unnecessary extra effort?
If we had known earlier, why would we have attacked the Ziwei Sect in the first place?"
Many members of the Sheng Yuan Sect and Qianyang Sect grew angrier the more they thought about it, with nowhere to vent their frustration.