"Minister Wen, isn't this pressure a bit too harsh?"
Li Chenggan couldn't help but feel somewhat hesitant.
"Your Majesty, in times of extreme danger, we must take extreme measures. Right now, the foreign enemies are advancing rapidly, and we don't have time to slowly battle with the court officials, or investigate the truth."
"Very well, if one hesitates in making a decisive action, it will lead to chaos. I'll go along with this plan." With the impending threat of the four enemy nations, Li Chenggan immediately made up his mind.
"Your Majesty is wise!" Li Ru sincerely praised. It was known that once this plan was executed, it would inevitably affect Li Chenggan's reputation, but his ability to make such a decision decisively showed the qualities of a true ruler.
Afterwards, Li Ru discussed some details with Li Chenggan and then withdrew to prepare for the events of tomorrow, not even bothering to attend the evening banquet.
As for Li Chenggan, once Li Ru had left, he lost all appetite for food. After all, tomorrow's matters were of great importance, and there was no time for him to indulge in leisure.
After carefully thinking through all the possible events that might unfold tomorrow, Li Chenggan let out a long sigh and felt slightly relieved.
"After all, proper planning leads to success, and lack of planning leads to failure," Li Chenggan firmly believed in this principle. The more thorough the plan, the better the outcome would be.
As for other arrangements, Li Chenggan didn't consider them much. Since he had just ascended to the throne and there was no one trustworthy by his side, he dared not casually assign tasks.
"Fate Tablet, summon two second-tier talents for me."
At this point, Li Chenggan decided to use up the 3,000 luck points and summon a bit of strength for himself.
"Lord of Destiny, do you confirm spending 2,000 luck points to summon two second-tier talents?"
"Confirm."
"Congratulations, Lord of Destiny, you have successfully summoned Zhou Cang and Guan Ping from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms."
"Fate Tablet, are you trying to go head-to-head with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms?"
Li Chenggan couldn't help but feel a little exasperated. From Li Ru to Zhou Cang and Guan Ping, all three summoned figures were characters from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
It seemed that the Fate Tablet considered Li Chenggan's question trivial and gave no answer.
"Alright, I admit I may have overthought things," Li Chenggan quickly stopped dwelling on the issue.
Zhou Cang and Guan Ping, though not the most extraordinary talents, were second-tier heroes, so they must have some merit.
Besides, many temples dedicated to Guan Yu also honored Guan Ping and Zhou Cang, which showed their esteemed positions.
"Fate Tablet, show me the details of Zhou Cang and Guan Ping."
"Name: Zhou Cang
Courtesy name: Yuanfu
Dynasty: Late Han, Three Kingdoms
Source: Novel *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*
Personal History: Zhou Cang, a fictional character in *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, does not exist in real history.
In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, Zhou Cang was originally a general under Zhang Bao of the Yellow Turbans. After Zhang Bao's death, Zhou Cang and another Yellow Turban leader, Pei Yuanshao, gathered their forces in the mountains.
When Guan Yu was passing by the vicinity of Woniu Mountain on his way to see Liu Bei, he encountered Pei Yuanshao's forces trying to steal horses. Zhou Cang ordered Pei Yuanshao to return to the mountains and decided to follow Guan Yu, becoming one of his generals.
Zhou Cang fought bravely alongside Guan Yu during his defense of Jingzhou, capturing Wei generals Yu Jin and Pang De in battle. After Guan Yu and his son were killed, Zhou Cang committed suicide in mourning.
Level: Second-tier General
Potential: 2.5 Stars
Realm: Fifth Stage of Meridian Opening
Martial Art: The Book of Loyalty and Righteousness."
"Name: Guan Ping
Courtesy name: Tanzhi
Dynasty: Late Han, Three Kingdoms
Source: Novel *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*
Personal History: Guan Ping was born in Jie Liang, He Dong. He was a general under Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty. In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, he is depicted as Guan Yu's adopted son and the son of Guan Ding. He was taken in by Guan Yu during his journey, and served his father with loyalty, eventually dying for his father's cause.
Level: Second-tier General
Potential: 2.5 Stars
Realm: Fifth Stage of Meridian Opening
Martial Art: The Book of Loyalty and Righteousness."
Note: Second-tier figures can have their birthplaces randomly assigned by the Fate Tablet.
Upon reading their information, Li Chenggan was somewhat surprised.
Both Zhou Cang and Guan Ping had a potential of 2.5 stars, which, according to the Fate Tablet's rankings, meant they were considered half-step first-tier figures. It seemed that the two summons had been quite a bargain.
"Fate Tablet, summon 1,000 Tang Imperial Guards for me."
At this point, Li Chenggan only had a few reliable individuals at his disposal: Li Ru, Zhou Cang, Guan Ping, and Li Ru's 300 Shadow Death Guards.
Fearing that his forces were too small, Li Chenggan decided to summon 1,000 Tang Imperial Guards to be on the safe side.
"Congratulations, Lord of Destiny, 1,000 Tang Imperial Guards have been successfully summoned and are currently stationed in the imperial palace training grounds, awaiting your orders."
"Yuanfu, Tanzhi, please come in." Li Chenggan decided to avoid any trouble and directly ordered Zhou Cang and Guan Ping to appear at the door.
"Zhou Cang, Guan Ping greet Your Majesty."
"Please rise, both of you."
Both men, standing tall and full of righteous spirit, looked impressive and exuded authority.
"Yuanfu, Tanzhi, quickly go to the training grounds and take command of the 1,000 Tang Imperial Guards. Tomorrow is crucial."
There was no time for pleasantries; Li Chenggan immediately issued his command.
"Zhou Cang, Guan Ping obey your orders!" The two men were not ones to hesitate, and upon receiving their orders, they left immediately.
"Tomorrow will be the day I rise to power!" A quiet murmur escaped Li Chenggan as he spoke, his voice drifting into the air.
...
"Your Majesty, the time has come, it's time to attend the court session." Early the next morning, Minister De quietly reminded Li Chenggan, who was sitting in thought, dressed in his royal attire.
"Good, let us go to court."
Li Chenggan shouted in a booming voice, stood upright, and walked confidently to the Council Hall.
In the Council Hall, the ministers had been waiting for some time. However, as they saw the ministers standing in disorder with no sense of formality, it felt more like a noisy market than a court session. The ministers were chatting, laughing, and idly talking among themselves.
Even when Li Chenggan entered and took his seat on the dragon throne, the scene did not change. No one seemed to notice his arrival. The ministers continued with their conversations, unaware.
Seeing this, Li Chenggan's eyes narrowed, and his heart sank. The situation seemed even worse than he had anticipated.
Beside him, Minister De's expression was one of sorrow, as though he had expected this outcome.
"Why? Have all of you ministers gone blind or deaf?" Li Chenggan's loud voice rang out, and the hall immediately fell silent. The ministers looked at him with expressions of mockery.
"Heh, you're just a young child, how dare you speak like this?" A mocking voice rang out in response.
"Preposterous! How dare you speak like that to your king? You deserve death!" At this moment, Zhou Cang entered the hall, holding a large blade.
"Your Majesty, I request permission to execute this man as an example to others!" Zhou Cang said.
"Granted!"
"Li Chenggan, how dare you! Who gave you the courage to kill me? I am Jiang Ran, the Minister of the Army, and the head of the Jiang family in Shengjing. Do you dare kill me?" The man who had mocked Li Chenggan, Jiang Ran, was unafraid, pointing at him and shouting angrily.
"What is there to be afraid of? Yuanfu, carry out the execution without mercy!"
"Understood!"