The capital was on the cusp of dawn.
The Senate Hall was brightly lit, with the four Elders, who had not slept all night, sitting there with grim faces.
In front of and behind them, various aides, generals, guards, and secretaries bustled about.
It was unclear what they were so busy with.
Outside the Senate Hall, the atmosphere was tense, with troops in disarray.
"Reporting to the esteemed Elders, the Guard Camp, the Shenji Camp, the Elder Guards, and the Capital Guard, four major armies have arrived and are now respectively guarding the four directions of the Senate Hall.
The Senate Hall stood alone on the summit of Longquan Mountain, surrounded by plains.
It was still more than eighty li from the city center, a location that was both easy to defend and difficult to attack.
"Originally, our Grand Dean surveyed the ten thousand li of rivers and mountains of the capital and finally chose this place as the headquarters of the Senate, recognizing its excellent feng shui and ease of defense!"
Chief Elder Zhou said calmly, "The four guardian forces number eight thousand men, each defending a crucial point. I believe that even if Qin Yexuan brought an army of tens of thousands, he would not be able to break in."
The other three Elders relaxed.
In fact, after their complete falling out with Qin Yexuan last night, they had been quite nervous.
Qin Yexuan's reputation was truly terrifying.
An old fox like Elder Chen frowned deeply, "Brother Zhou, it's not that we're timid, but back then, Qin Yexuan, through his battles at Mount Tai, Mount Hua, and Kunlun, almost single-handedly cleared out the hidden sects. His personal strength cannot be underestimated."
Elder Zhou scoffed, "What was the situation back then? There were fewer than a hundred people capable of acting in the capital, and even with the combined forces of the guards from all over Great Xia, there were only three thousand troops. So at that time, we could only rely on Qin Yexuan's personal might. What about now?"
Now, Great Xia's special guard organizations exceeded a hundred, with a total force of over a million.
"With these million troops, let alone the hidden sects, even a hundred Qin Yexuans could be easily subdued."
That made sense.
The three Elders drank their tea, discussing with smiles.
"Li Tianxing has stepped down, and the Shenzhou General Chamber of Commerce is also in our hands. The next step is to appoint trustworthy individuals."
Elder Zhou raised his hand, "I nominate the southern renowned general, Ling Jiuyou, from the Ling family, to serve as the Grand Marshal of the War Department, fully responsible for dealing with the hidden sects!"
The other Elders unanimously agreed, "The Flower of Renowned Generals, Ling Jiuyou, is indeed a talent surpassing Li Tianxing."
"As for the Shenzhou General Chamber of Commerce, let our Senate's Head of Commerce, Yang Shanshan, be in charge."
Yang Shanshan, a woman in her thirties, wearing black-rimmed glasses and a gray uniform, appeared with high heels. She directly refused, "Commercial matters are not like military affairs, where a command can change leadership. The military has extremely high discipline, with obedience to orders as its sacred duty. Commercial matters, however, involve exchanges of interests."
A look of determination was on her beautiful face. "Chen Tian Ce has managed the Shenzhou General Chamber of Commerce for many years. All departments and business dealings were handled by him. The various branches only recognize Chairman Chen and will not obey me."
Elder Zhou slammed the table, "If they don't obey, we'll force them! With our support, who would dare defy us?"
Yang Shanshan was speechless. "Then what about the business accounts? All the investments and dealings of the Chamber of Commerce, I don't know any of the business magnates. Do you think doing business is like fighting a war? Openly? Those deals were negotiated in secret countless times and involved the exchange of immense benefits."
The four Elders paid no heed to Yang Shanshan's words and even signed orders on the spot, forcibly handing over the Chamber of Commerce to Yang Shanshan.
Just then, a guard rushed in, "Reporting, Qin Yexuan is coming up the mountain!"
What?! Su Dan Novel Network.
Without a sound, that fellow had actually arrived.
"He, he, how many people did he bring?" Elder Zhou subconsciously asked.
"Reporting, only three people! One is an old man with his personal guards, but he stopped at the foot of the mountain. In the end, only Qin Yexuan, a follower, and that old man ascended."
Elder Zhou sneered, "I knew it. This Qin Yexuan is all about arrogant self-importance. He wants to emulate Guan Yu's single-handed confrontation!"
Elder Chen jumped up, "Guards, put all units on combat alert! Snipers, prepare. I want Qin Yexuan to come up and never go down!"
The atmosphere became solemn, and the Senate Hall fell into a reverent silence.
Yang Shanshan stood there curiously, "Is this Qin Yexuan really Chen Tian Ce's teacher?"
"Mmm, Li Tian Xing and those few seem to have taken some strange medicine, treating Qin Yexuan like a deity."
Yang Shanshan became even more curious. "I admire Chen Tian Ce the most. I really want to see how powerful Chen Tian Ce's teacher is."
As they were speaking, Qin Yexuan appeared at the doorway.
The white-haired elder did not enter. Qin Yexuan only entered the hall with Ye Fangjin.
Yang Shanshan was greatly surprised at a glance, "What, so young?"
Qin Yexuan appeared even younger than when he was in Jiang City, looking only in his early twenties.
However, the brilliance in his eyes and his demeanor conveyed maturity and composure.
Yang Shanshan looked him over again and sighed, "He's quite handsome, but not as terrifying as I imagined."
Qin Yexuan turned his head and looked at her, "Hmm? What did you expect me to be like? Three heads and six arms, or a black-faced asura?"
Yang Shanshan was amused, "Actually, I'm quite disappointed. Such a powerful person as Chen Tian Ce would actually take a pretty boy like you as his master. I really can't understand it."
Ye Fangjin frowned, "Presumptuous! Is Mr. Qin someone you can judge?"
Qin Yexuan smiled gently, "Fang Jin, don't underestimate this lady. If I'm not mistaken, she is Minister Yang, responsible for the commercial affairs of the Senate."
Yang Shanshan was shocked, "You, you actually know me?"
For years, she had worked behind the scenes, managing the Senate's commercial affairs, never revealing her face.
She couldn't quite believe that Qin Yexuan would know about her.
Qin Yexuan looked very calm, "Your name is Yang Shanshan, thirty-two years old, a single mother. Your husband was originally the head of the Senate's Chamber of Commerce, but he committed suicide due to business failure. You took over your husband's position, becoming a talent valued by the Senate. Over the years, you have gradually taken over most of the Senate's affairs, not just in commerce."
Yang Shanshan's face changed, "Amazing. So Qin Yexuan, you've been monitoring the Senate. Do you know that's illegal?"
Elder Zhou and the others were getting impatient and stood up, "Qin Yexuan, you..."
"Shut up!" Qin Yexuan turned and rebuked, "I'll deal with you four later. Can't you see I'm talking with Minister Yang?"
The four Elders were subdued by his aura and actually kept quiet.
Qin Yexuan then looked back at Yang Shanshan, "Don't think too much about it. Before coming here, that child Chen Tian Ce specifically pleaded with me, saying that you are a talent he values, and he has always wanted to invite you to work at the General Chamber of Commerce, which is why I'm wasting time talking with you."
Yang Shanshan said with a stern expression, "I will not go. The Senate has always nurtured me and helped me through the most difficult times. The four Elders are my closest family. Don't expect me to betray the Senate!"
Qin Yexuan smiled, "I only need to say one sentence, and you will betray them without hesitation. Do you believe it?"