Xiao Jun's sudden kneel truly caught the other generals by surprise.
Jiang Tao, Zhong Chunhua, and the others were all stunned. They remembered that at the previous meeting, Xiao Jun had been eloquent and outspoken, so how did he kneel faster than any of us?
Those who had previously formed alliances with Xiao Jun, even swearing to march to the battlefield together, were now completely bewildered. What was going on? This strong and determined man, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, had become the first to betray us?
But the group was full of seasoned officials who had been navigating the political landscape for years. Their reactions were quick, and almost immediately, they all kneeled in unison with a loud "Thud" and shouted, "Long live the Emperor! Long live! Long, long live!"
Fang Yuan watched this scene, a playful smile appearing on his face. His gaze caught an interesting detail—above Xiao Jun and the other generals' heads, the color quickly shifted from orange to blue and then to green.
Such a swift change of heart.
Fang Yuan silently shook his head, "Alright, rise… uh, no, you may all stand."
The generals stood up, and Zhong Chunhua quickly stepped forward to ask, "Your Majesty, who are these two?"
"Oh, these two are individuals I've dug out from the earth. From today onwards, they will be the pillars of our nation and work alongside you all to protect the country," Fang Yuan casually explained.
Although Fang Yuan had felt awkward calling himself "Your Majesty" before, in the face of all the ministers kneeling before him, he instinctively adopted the role.
Sigh, it seems he's truly cut out to be an emperor...
"Digged out from the earth... You can find two Grandmasters from the earth?"
The generals were puzzled but dared not ask further.
Fang Yuan shifted his gaze back to Xiao Jun, who had been the first to kneel, and with a teasing smile said, "Could you be the legendary Wei Junjie?"
"Huh? No, no, Your Majesty. My name is Xiao Jun, and I am the general of Xining Province!" Xiao Jun said, looking confused, hastily introducing himself. He was pondering what Fang Yuan's words meant but couldn't make sense of it.
Chatting with these ancient folks who didn't get the references was so frustrating... Fang Yuan shook his head and waved his hand, "Alright, let's talk inside."
Xiao Jun immediately led the way, saying, "Hurry, hurry! The Emperor has called us in!"
A while later, inside the South Town Office Hall, Fang Yuan sat high on the main seat, with generals from various provinces standing on either side, all standing straight and tall.
The three Grandmasters, Lin Lie, Gao Shang, and Mo Tianxing, were quietly standing behind Fang Yuan.
This was Fang Yuan's first meeting with the senior officials of the Yan Kingdom after ascending the throne.
"Please, sit," Fang Yuan said in a gentle tone.
"Your Majesty, this is not in accordance with the rules." Lin Lie quickly reacted and stepped forward, "How can the Emperor sit with the ministers during court meetings?"
The other generals nodded in agreement.
"Just some formalities." Fang Yuan rested his chin on his hand and muttered lightly.
He was never one for such formalities and didn't feel like arguing over them. He swiftly changed the subject and got to the point. "Now that the world is beginning to settle, I invite you all to share your thoughts on how to govern the country and ensure its safety."
Now as Emperor, Fang Yuan had to force himself to say these formal, flowery words.
"Your Majesty, according to tradition, we must quickly repair the Imperial City, select a national title, announce it to the world, and choose an auspicious day to hold a grand and solemn coronation ceremony. Only then can your position be made legitimate and the hearts of the people be at peace," Ji Tianqi was the first to speak.
"The reasoning is sound," Zhong Chunhua quickly followed, "But while the internal troubles have been resolved by Your Majesty's thunderous methods, the external threats remain serious."
"The Barbarian tribes of the Ice Plains are watching closely, and the southeast countries are stirring. I suggest we simplify the coronation and focus on dealing with the external enemies first to ensure peace for the people of Yan Kingdom."
Fang Yuan's takeover had been swift and forceful, marching directly into the Imperial City without disturbing the citizens at all.
Moreover, he had built up a strong reputation among the people by eliminating demons and protecting the people, resulting in a stable domestic situation, though the foreign threats remained ominous...
"I also agree with General Zhong's opinion," Lin Lie said gravely. He had been guarding the frontier for many years and felt the external threats more acutely.
"I don't agree with that!" This time, it was Xiao Jun who spoke. "Your Majesty is powerful beyond compare, and with the assistance of three Grandmasters, our military strength is top-tier in the world!"
"In my opinion, we should make the coronation ceremony grand and announce Your Majesty's power to the surrounding countries. This way, we can defeat the enemy without fighting!"
These words caused mixed reactions in the hall, and a few other generals also voiced their opinions one after another.
Fang Yuan quietly listened to the ministers' advice and noticed something—those generals who had long suffered from the invasion of demons and monsters saw defending against external enemies as their top priority.
On the other hand, those from peaceful regions had relatively easier lives and lacked such a sense of crisis.
Different life experiences represented different attitudes.
Born in trouble, perish in comfort...
The Grandmasters behind Fang Yuan, Gao Shang and Mo Tianxing, had just emerged from the earth and were unaware of the current situation, so they could only silently stand aside and listen quietly.
After a moment of thought, Fang Yuan had made his decision. He looked at the ministers and calmly spoke, "Alright, I have listened to all of your opinions."
"But this is my first time being Emperor. How could the coronation be simple? It must be grand and glorious!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Tao, Zhong Chunhua, and the others furrowed their brows, while Xiao Jun showed a pleased expression.
Fang Yuan continued, "The ceremony will be held one month from now. You must all carefully prepare, and as for the Imperial City, repair it, but don't make it as large as before. A third of the original size will be enough."
The former Imperial City was even bigger than the capital of Jianghai, which was excessively extravagant. Even if Fang Yuan had a harem of three thousand beauties, he couldn't live in such a large place.
"Also, issue my decree to notify the entire world. Even the neighboring countries must be informed and invited to attend the coronation ceremony."
"Invite neighboring countries too?" Lin Lie asked, his face full of surprise. He couldn't understand why they would invite neighboring countries that were usually hostile.
"Of course, the more people attend, the better," Fang Yuan said with a slight smile, his lips curling up, revealing a meaningful grin. "Only then can we say that all nations have come to pay tribute, showing the prosperity of our nation!"
The ministers were somewhat confused by this decision, but no one dared to oppose it.
"Your Majesty, have you decided on the national title?" Jiang Tao asked.
"The national title..." Fang Yuan pondered for a moment. In his previous life, he knew that many emperors based their national titles on the places they conquered or their titles.
For example, Liu Bang was titled King of Han, and thus the country was called Han. Li Yuan, who was titled Duke of Tang, named the country Tang.
There were also those who followed metaphysical thinking, like the Yuan Dynasty, which took its name from the Book of Changes, and Emperor Hong Taiji changed the name from "Jin" to "Qing," believing that the former would be overpowered by the "fire" of the Ming Dynasty, and the latter could counter that.
Following this line of thought, he had overthrown the Yan Kingdom, so he could call his country [Qing]...
But that title would be humiliating, so Fang Yuan immediately dismissed the idea.
"Hm, let's call it 'Xia'," Fang Yuan finally decided.
Xia... It was the first dynasty in the historical records from his previous life, and using this name would be a small tribute to that.
The ministers all bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise."