Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector

Rebellion is a delicate craft.

To succeed, three elements are indispensable: favorable timing, a strategic location, and popular support.

This was especially true in a world where imperial authority was deeply ingrained in the public consciousness.

The previous Emperor of Great Yong had been suspicious of him, but he had never faltered on major matters. He allowed the nation to recover internally and defended it from powerful enemies externally. As a result, he enjoyed immense prestige among both the common folk and the military.

Thus, if Chen Ye were to act rashly, he would easily be branded a traitor and a usurper.

Although Chen Ye didn’t care about such labels.

But it was important to remember that without a legitimate cause, one’s words would lack authority.

If this were a truly chaotic age, a time of complete moral and social collapse, it wouldn’t matter. But the problem was, Great Yong was not in such a state. While the common people’s lives weren’t exactly wonderful, they could at least fill their bellies. In this world, that was considered a golden age.

In such a situation, acting rashly without a just cause would only make him a target for all to attack.

Still, this wasn’t Chen Ye’s primary concern.

He was paying such close attention to these details because he wanted to try an experiment.

In his last life, he had relied on his abilities as the Thousand-Faced Thief Saint to usurp the throne and reverse the fate of the nation. His final evaluation had been decent, but all it had earned him was the Nightwalker Profession.

So, in this life, Chen Ye planned to become a Saint Monarch whose fame would last for ages. He wanted to see if this would increase his achievements and, in turn, earn him a greater reward.

Moreover, Chen Ye intended to unify the Martial World, bringing even the Sects under his control.

At this thought, Chen Ye turned, walked over to his desk, and picked up a brush to write a memorial.

The memorial was worded with the utmost humility. It first expressed his profound grief over the former Emperor’s sudden death, then his joy in congratulating the new Emperor on his ascension. Finally, it declared his unwavering loyalty, promising to forever stand guard in Great Liang and defend the borders of Great Yong.

Every line overflowed with the sincere devotion of a loyal official and a fine general to his new sovereign. Any outsider who read it would likely be moved to tears.

Barely half a month after the memorial was sent, a commendation arrived from the Capital City.

It was an effusive reply, lavishing praise on Chen Ye and even calling him the "Pillar of the State" and "Our own right arm."

Along with the letter came one hundred thousand taels of silver coins, thousands of bolts of brocade, and countless exotic treasures.

Both sides projected a harmonious image of a ruler and his minister in perfect accord. But both Chen Ye and the new Emperor knew this was merely the first, unspoken round of probing.

The new Emperor needed time to purge the imperial court and secure his throne.

Chen Ye, meanwhile, was waiting for him to show an opening.

They were two exceedingly patient hunters, waiting to see who would lose their composure and reveal a fatal weakness first.

In the time that followed, Chen Ye kept a low profile, rarely venturing out or appearing in public.

In private, however, Chen Ye ordered his men to disseminate stories among the populace, especially within the Great Yong Capital City.

Soon, legendary tales of Chen Ye, the Marquis Zhen Xi, began to circulate.

In these stories, he loved the people as his own children and always led his soldiers from the front, willing to sacrifice himself for the common folk.

He was portrayed as a near-perfect, loyal official and brilliant general—the kind of incorruptible protector every commoner wished for.

Thus, the seeds of public opinion were sown, quietly taking root and sprouting among the people.

Meanwhile, things were not idle in the Great Yong Capital City.

The new Emperor, Cao Xun, proved even more ruthless than Chen Ye had anticipated.

In a mere three months, he purged the court with lightning speed. Under the pretext of rooting out corruption, he dismissed dozens of high-ranking officials of the Third Grade or higher and replaced them with his own trusted followers.

Even the Meng Family, a line of Military Families with unparalleled prestige in the Great Yong Army, was stripped of its power under various pretexts and gradually pushed out of the inner circle.

Furthermore, Cao Xun began to reinstate members of the Bai Family.

Bai Yuge may have been dead, but the Bai Family had not been completely toppled.

A scion of the Bai Family named Bai Jing received an unconventional promotion to Commander of the Imperial City Guard, making him responsible for the defense of the entire Imperial City.

This man lacked Bai Yuge’s military command skills, but he was sinister and his methods were vicious. More importantly, the Bai Family were now isolated courtiers with no path forward except total reliance on the throne, which made them the most dependable of servants.

Having done all this, the new Emperor finally turned his blade on his own brothers.

First, he used various pretexts to place several of the more threatening Princes under house arrest. Then, less than a month later, the Seventh Prince—once the most favored to inherit the throne—died of a sudden illness.

Upon reading this news, Chen Ye fell silent for a moment. He then held the secret report to a candle flame, watching quietly as it burned to ash.

Once the situation in the imperial court had stabilized, Cao Xun finally turned his attention to Great Liang, a thousand leagues away.

How could he allow another to snore beside his own bed? An Alien Monarch who wielded immense military power and was beloved by the people was a threat that kept Cao Xun from sleeping soundly.

But how to eliminate him was a critical question. After all, Chen Ye was now powerful and deeply entrenched. The slightest misstep could have severe consequences, so the matter required extreme caution.

A month later, with the Grand Empress Dowager’s birthday approaching, a grand procession arrived in Luojing City.

Leading the procession was an imperial envoy, personally dispatched by the new Emperor, Cao Xun. The official reason was to reward the army, but no one knew his true purpose.

The atmosphere immediately grew tense. Chen Ye, however, remained perfectly calm and personally welcomed the imperial envoy outside the city gates.

After the tedious formalities were over, the imperial envoy unfurled the bright yellow scroll in his hands and read aloud.

"On the occasion of the Grand Empress Dowager’s eightieth birthday, We wish for the entire nation to celebrate. Marquis Zhen Xi has served with great merit, guarding Our borders for many years without once returning to the capital. We think of him fondly, and so We specially summon Marquis Zhen Xi to return to the capital to attend the Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration, report on his duties, and reaffirm the bond between ruler and subject. By Our Imperial Command!"

When his voice faded, the hall fell into a dead silence.

All the officials kept their heads bowed, not daring to even breathe too loudly.

For everyone knew this was a treacherous banquet. The problem was, the reason given was perfectly legitimate and honorable.

To go would be to walk into a trap from which there was no return.

To refuse would be to cede the moral high ground, giving Cao Xun a perfectly valid reason to attack.

It was an exceptionally venomous move.

The imperial envoy watched Chen Ye with a smirk, eager to see how the King of Great Liang, whose power shook the very foundations of the court, would respond.

Under the watchful eyes of all present, Chen Ye’s expression remained placid, betraying no emotion.

As his silence stretched on, the atmosphere in the hall grew heavy and murderous. A menacing glint appeared in the eyes of many military officers. Some even rested their hands on the hilts of their swords.

Everyone present was one of Chen Ye’s trusted subordinates. Never mind an imperial envoy—even if the Emperor himself were standing there, they would draw their swords at a single command from Chen Ye.

The imperial envoy sensed the shift in the atmosphere. The smirk on his face slowly vanished, replaced by a flicker of anxiety.

"Mar... Marquis, will you not receive the Holy Decree?"

Chen Ye suddenly chuckled. He reached out, took the imperial envoy’s hand, and said in a gentle tone, "You must be exhausted from your long journey, Imperial Envoy. Please, rest for a while. I will personally host a welcome banquet for you this evening."

"Marquis, the Holy Decree..."

"Guards! Escort the imperial envoy to his chambers to rest."

"Yes!"