Dayu State, Imperial City of the Holy City.
Radiant mists loomed over the towering Imperial Palace where officials of all ranks residing within the Imperial Capital were solemnly dressed, heading to today’s court session.
In the remote Qingzhou region, an incident in Mount Wuliang had occurred, and the news had reached the central and most complex officialdom in the capital, causing an undercurrent of unrest. Countless people had a sleepless night.
When they heard this news, many suspected there was a problem with their intelligence, and only after contacting acquaintances did they realize that a serious breach had occurred!
One was the Buddha Lord, a leader who carried the incense fire of Buddhism.
The other was a figure shining brightly like the midday sun, an unrivaled prodigy.
At a young age, he possessed terrifying strength and prominent military achievements, his future being boundless.
That these two luminaries of the Human Race would collide was a shocker.
And the impact of this collision would spread to countless powers, large and small. Even though their leader was gone, the Buddhists were not going to disperse like animals, and even ordinary sects maintain their disciples who bide their time for years for revenge, let alone a religion like Buddhism with its cohesion and beliefs.
Buddhism had deep roots, even though Emperor Yu, centuries ago, had forbidden royal family members from converting to Buddhism citing the reason of thin royal blood and the need for progeny.
But beyond the royal lineage, many past dignitaries like retired officials had voluntarily or subtly been guided to convert, seeking mental peace and comfort.
Now, with the Buddha Lord slain, the spiritual leader of Buddhism taken down, it would be a significant blow to those who followed the faith.
Outside the Xuanhuang Gate, a luxurious dragon-horse carriage arrived swiftly and descended gracefully.
The carriage door opened, and from it stepped an elegant and noble figure.
“The head of the Xia family has also come.”
“For many years, she never attended court sessions. Yet today, she has come.”
“It’s said that General Haotian managed to escape from Mo River and consecutively rescued Youzhou, Qingzhou, slaying the leaders of three Great Demonic forces. The Xia family is probably here pleading his case.”
Seeing the overwhelmingly beautiful Female General, although dressed as a noblewoman, she commanded immense prestige that made many officials take a second look but felt compelled to look away due to her imposing aura.
“That former Emperor’s important official has also arrived; it’s said he practices vegetarianism and debated with the Buddha Lord.”
People glanced toward another spot, observing an elderly man assisted by several high-ranking officials approaching.
Undoubtedly, today’s court session would be extremely intense.
As representatives of various powers arrived, within the grand hall of the Imperial Palace, on the dragon throne, Emperor Yu sat quietly, his majestic body mountainous, his eyes reflecting the sun and the moon, possessing a deterrence that was difficult to look directly at.
His eyes were deep and reserved, like a deep, serene ocean, indecipherable.
In front of the officials, Xia Linglong stood alone, her expression calm and collected, the other incumbent Xia family officials behind her.
Continue your adventure at empire
She had hurried to Dayu State immediately upon receiving the news yesterday, knowing full well the matter was of great consequence. Although the young man had tremendous combat prowess, this was the Dayu Divine Dynasty, its foundations unimaginable. Not to mention the True Person of Gan Tao Palace who ruled the land or those Jiang family stalwarts who entered the Immortal Gate a millennium ago—if they were to return, they could squash any monster.
Even the Buddha Lord dared not slaughter openly, all major powers adhering to an unspoken rule, and killing the leader was clearly a total fallout.
Now that the Buddha Lord was dead, the entangled Buddhist forces pulled at countless interests. Although they posed no threat to Li Hao, they could create troubles before His Majesty.
Moreover, the Emperor needed a reason to satisfy the public, and thus, there was a potential he might strip Li Hao of his honors to appease the masses.
A fallout between Dayu and Li Hao would offer demons a chance, something Xia Linglong knew the Emperor would consider; however, she was unsure of his final decision. If unable to satisfy the public, the disciples of Buddhism in various states and cities might also rebel, causing continuous strife within the states!
This too would give demons an opportunity to invade.
Considering from Emperor Yu’s perspective, Xia Linglong would also feel conflicted; long-term, it was wise to protect Li Hao, especially since he was still young with immense potential, highly likely to replace the True Person of the Daoist Palace.
However, she didn’t know if the Emperor harbored suspicions toward the young general.
After all, excessive merits could intimidate a ruler, and with Li Hao so young, if he continued to grow, he could even change the entire realm’s surname!
The human heart was unpredictable, and Emperor’s even more so; no one knew how the Emperor would decide.
But nevertheless, by coming here, she hoped that the Emperor, when making decisions, would consider the Xia family’s plea for a bit more deliberation.
This was her due diligence as a subject.
“Your Majesty, your Heavenly Heart surely sees clearly! General Haotian, acting arrogantly, defying heavens by killing the Buddha Lord, is utterly lawless. He does not deserve to hold the title of Duke and should be demoted to a commoner, to redeem himself by guarding the frontier, deprived of official rank for life!”
As soon as the court session started, an elderly official reported with great emotion.
“Indeed, Your Majesty, General Haotian has a pattern of misconduct, battling his father, deserting the Li family, and now murdering the Buddha Lord, causing tears among the common folk. He must be strictly punished!”
“He cannot act willfully just based on his contributions; what then is the dignity of royal authority and morals? If not curbed now, he will only grow more rampant and uncontrollable!”
“Your Majesty, General Haotian is young and poorly guided, likely taking the wrong path. Although he saved Liangzhou, his meritorious deeds come hand-in-hand with malice. He must not be indulged; otherwise, disaster will eventually descend upon the realm.”
Officials successively presented their reports, four to five in just a moment, seemingly coordinating beforehand.
Others remained silent, curious to see the Emperor’s and various parties’ responses.
After all, the court and field are not exclusively for Buddha’s Path, although some are fervent, others have no relationship with Buddha’s Path, and now they worry that if the Haotian General is severely punished, it would be extremely detrimental for the Human Race facing the external threat of demons.
Before Emperor Yu could make a statement, Xia Linglong had already turned around, her purpose today was to shield the young man from all hardships with her own body.
“You all speak as if it’s easy, but when the demons attack the city, I wonder how many of you would dare to stand on the city walls to face the enemy?”
Xia Linglong said with a cold laugh, “Saving three provinces is spoken so lightly in your mouths, always saying that scholars’ pens can break warriors’ blades, your lips are indeed sharp!”
“I am a Military General, if demons attack the city within my jurisdiction, I will lead the troops as the vanguard!”
One person stood up, looking directly at Xia Linglong, “But while credit is due for credit, who among us doesn’t have credit? Not to mention killing the Buddha Lord, even killing commoners is a crime, if everyone relies solely on their merit to belittle life, how can the common people survive, how can the Dynasty continue, just by relying on you and me? Would that still be a Dynasty, or just a den of bandits?”
Xia Linglong’s expression changed, her eyes chilling as she looked at him, this man wasn’t one of the generals from the five major Divine General Mansions, but a general who later rose to make his mark.
But she could feel that his remarks were not targeted at Li Hao, but at the monopolization of military credits by the five major Divine General Mansions.
This brings us to the issue of earning distinctions on the battlefield by the five major Divine General Mansions. Special merit or first-class merit, typically given to closely related or own family members, she as a Family Head, although not endorsing it, couldn’t completely prohibit it, as this resembled corruption and could not be eradicated.
Other forces trying to make a name for themselves could only survive in the cracks of the five major Divine General Mansions, long-standing contradictions.
These people had also secretly formed an alliance, a force, although unable to confront the Divine General Mansion openly, but there was already a hidden animosity, with His Majesty watching over, no one would break the rules.
“You’re right, if having merit means you could kill anyone on the streets, what kind of public morals will that lead to? The populace living in constant fear, the Dynasty may flourish briefly but will surely decline long term.”
“Military can kill demons, civil officials run the country, this is an unchanging truth for a thousand years, if everything is suppressed by military force, the people indeed dare not speak, but what will happen over time?”
Several ministers then spoke.
Xia Linglong’s face darkened, knowing from a logical perspective, as long as they insist that killing is a crime, this aligns with the laws of Dayu Divine Dynasty, she could not argue.
“Now the realm is in chaos with demons, you have lived in this Imperial City for too long, perhaps even forgotten what demons look like. When the demons attack, I wonder if you can still reason with the demons with tough talk?” Xia Linglong said.
“We are giving General Xia reasoning, could it be that General Xia is comparing herself to a demon?”
“We pursue the great path of former sages, consider ourselves the most intelligent of all creatures, and not to be compared with beasts. Are we now disregarding life and moral decline?”
“Exactly, there are laws in the state; even if Haotian General has an unparalleled talent and great merit, he has made a grave mistake by killing the Buddha Lord, how can we blindly show favoritism?”
“Today he dares to kill the Buddha Lord, wouldn’t he dare to kill True Persons, or even us tomorrow?”
“How is he any different from the demons?!”
The others angrily chimed in.
Xia Linglong was almost amused by the quarreling, but she knew it was difficult to reason clearly with these people.
Unless she took action to suppress them, which would also mean admission of defeat.
“I see that you are the real demons, could it be that demons have infiltrated your homes and bewitched you?”
Seeing Xia Linglong out-argued by several voices, some other scholars from Hanlin Academy also started speaking up.
“You dare judge the Haotian General, who suppressed the demonic threat in three provinces, without even investigating properly?!”
“It seems you have ulterior motives, attempting to harm a loyal official of Dayu, Your Majesty, I suggest we first investigate their family backgrounds, to see if demons are causing chaos!”
“Exactly, the merit of the three provinces, such great contributions, I see they deserve to be named Divine General, would you dare to despise a Divine General?”
“This matter is full of doubts, yet judged so abruptly, ultimately what are your intentions, to cause our Dayu to lose a great general of a thousand years?!”
As others joined, the debate became even fiercer.
Xia Linglong slightly opened her mouth, watching the civil officials quarreling, eventually choosing to step aside and silently observe, her eloquence good, but still insufficient compared to these folks.
She turned to look at His Majesty but saw no change in his expression, neither happy nor worried, she couldn’t help feeling anxious, wondering what His Majesty was truly considering.
As the argument dragged on, the words became repetitive, and Chu Jiuyue in the court coughed lightly.
Although his voice was soft, it quelled the ongoing arguments.
Everyone paused and turned towards His Majesty.
Emperor Yu’s face was serene, he said, “My beloved ministers speak reasonably, but reason is meant for the common people, for us, as we are part of the Human Race, but would the demons listen? Now with the external threat of demons, you suggest stripping Haotian General of his honors, I ask, after stripping his honors, when the demons attack, who can replace him in battle?”
Upon hearing Emperor Yu’s words, many exchanged looks, those on Xia Linglong’s side quietly gazed at those who previously denounced Li Hao.
Indeed worthy of His Majesty… Xia Linglong silently praised, not engaging in arguments but discussing the most practical issues.
However, she wondered if His Majesty’s move was to side with Li Hao, or out of concern for the demonic threat.
After a brief silence, a previous elder trembled and said, “Your Majesty, I have received the Buddha Lord’s plea, Buddhism promises that if Your Majesty grants fairness to Buddhism, eight million Buddhist disciples are willing to enlist and join the war.”
Upon hearing this, many faces shifted, stunned by Buddhism’s determination.
To exchange eight million Buddhist disciples for Li Hao.
“Eight million disciples…”
Emperor Yu murmured softly and spoke calmly, “I fear that’s still not enough.”