Chapter 2177

Zhu Yanyi recognized the mask. It was the same one she had worn during her very first meeting with Yan Aohan. That scene was still fresh in her mind, yet their relationship had grown so close since then.

Ouyang Mingyue also took out an eagle mask and put it on. "This mask was made by the Black Emperor years ago and tossed to me casually. I never thought I’d use it today."

The Ruthless Gentleman thought for a moment, then donned a sun god mask. "I made this as a joke. It’s not a magical artifact, but it’s perfect for hiding one’s identity."

"Enough. Since you all have masks and are wearing them, let’s go meet the Emperor. Come, let’s go," Zhu Yanyi said. She then glanced at An Yun beside her. "Is this one coming too?"

"An Yun will stay behind for now. An Yun, go handle some matters. I will come find you later," the Ruthless Gentleman ordered directly.

"Yes." An Yun never discounted the Ruthless Gentleman’s orders. He agreed immediately, though he was actually quite curious.

Zhu Yanyi led Yan Aohan and the other two directly to the Imperial Study.

The Emperor was startled to see Zhu Yanyi enter like that. She stood up quickly. "Your Seat has arrived. Please sit."

Zhu Yanyi waved her hand. "Your Majesty, I have brought a few friends. They will teach you the way of being a ruler and emperor. How much you learn depends on your talent.

During the teaching, you must learn to extract the essence and discard the dross. Do not swallow everything whole. Some imperial arts may suit other emperors but not you. You must find your own path to imperial rule." Zhu Yanyi felt she was being very earnest.

The Emperor nodded slightly. "Your Seat, may I ask one question? What if I fail to find the path, or if I choose the wrong one?"

"Cold salad," Zhu Yanyi replied directly, showing no mercy.

"I have told you before. The Dayu Dynasty reaches a turning point with your generation. Whether you become a founding wise ruler or a ruler who loses the country depends on whether you can learn the imperial arts from these three.

Of course, I will also take the opportunity to teach you something. It may conflict with imperial arts. It is the Art of the People. What is the Art of the People? It is how to understand your subjects and the importance of public sentiment. This cannot be explained in one or two sentences. Anyway, I will tell you slowly."

The Emperor nodded, surprise and joy in his eyes. He indeed needed true imperial teachers. However, finding suitable ones was difficult. He dared not casually use anyone from the Mohist or Xuanyuan families. But those recommended by Zhu Yanyi were surely very suitable. Thus, the Emperor bowed to Yan Aohan and the other two. "Yuhua pays respects to the three Imperial Teachers."

"Dispensed with. Since you bow, we three will accept you as a nominal disciple in this mortal realm. Since you are not a cultivator, you can only be a nominal disciple. This is my meeting gift. My surname is Ouyang, double character Mingyue. You may call me Teacher Ouyang," Ouyang Mingyue spoke first. He handed a jade pendant to the Emperor. "This jade pendant can help you block three life-and-death tribulations. Wear it daily for protection."

"Thank you, Teacher Ouyang." Emperor Yuhua respectfully accepted it.

The Ruthless Gentleman took out a dagger and handed it to Yuhua. "My name is Wuqing. Others call me the Ruthless Gentleman. You may also call me Wuqing. This dagger is for your protection."

"Thank you, Teacher Wuqing." Yuhua dared not call the Ruthless Gentleman by his name directly, so he respectfully called him Teacher.

Yan Aohan spoke last. "My name is Yan Aohan. I am the husband of your Divine Doctor Seat. She dragged me here to teach you some things. You may call me Teacher Yan."

She then handed her a token. "This token allows the soul-reaping yin messengers to spare you when you face accidental death, and helps you escape. Remember, only three times. After three times, the token disappears automatically."

"Thank you, Teacher Yan." This was a good item. Yuhua was not a fool.

"Alright. You are all teachers. I am naturally Your Seat. I gave you my meeting gift last time, so I won’t give more. We four will take turns teaching you. Your Majesty, whether you can become a qualified emperor depends on your learning ability," Zhu Yanyi reminded Yuhua very seriously.

Yuhua nodded. He naturally agreed with this. "Your Seat, rest assured. I will certainly not fail your four’s careful teaching."

Ouyang Mingyue said, "I will teach you what an emperor is, and help you understand how to use imperial power."

The Ruthless Gentleman said, "I will teach you the Ruthless Heart Mantra of the Emperor, helping you understand when the emperor’s heart should show ruthlessness."

Yan Aohan looked at Yuhua. "I will teach you the importance of punishment. Especially as an emperor, you must know in your heart what punishment to use for what kind of people."

Zhu Yanyi shrugged. "As I just said, I will teach you the Art of the People. That is, the importance of public sentiment to an emperor."

She then added, "We four will take turns teaching one day each. Let’s follow this order: Ouyang Mingyue on the first day, the Ruthless Gentleman on the second, my husband on the third, and me on the fourth. But remember one thing. Since you are the emperor, finding your own imperial path is the most important. Do you understand?"

"Understood." Yuhua nodded seriously. It was hard for others to find a cultivator as a teacher. He had four. This was his blessing. He naturally knew that what they taught was comprehensive. How to flexibly apply it depended on himself.

Zhu Yanyi smiled again. "Alright. Since we have met, we are leaving. Starting tomorrow night, we four will take turns coming to give you lessons. Just be prepared." Then she said to Yan Aohan, "Let’s go."

Yan Aohan nodded, naturally having no objection. Ouyang Mingyue and the Ruthless Gentleman also had no objections. They returned to Ouyang Mingyue’s small teahouse.

"Strange. I have plenty of space here. Why did you and my husband have to come to this small teahouse with me?" Zhu Yanyi realized this problem upon entering the small teahouse.

Yan Aohan also nodded. "Yes. My wife and I haven’t seen each other for so long. We might have some whispers to share. Why did you make us follow you to your small teahouse?"

"(ˉ▽￣～) Tsk~~, if you want to leave, just go. I’m not keeping you," Ouyang Mingyue sneered. Clearly, the two had followed him, but in the end, it became his fault.

"It’s not a matter of keeping or not. Why did we follow you?" Zhu Yanyi asked with a smile: