章節 148: Chapter 284: Not Enough
In the Great Yu Dynasty, within the sacred capital of Duzhou, the imperial city loomed large. The air was heavy with an ethereal mist as officials of all ranks solemnly made their way to the morning court.
News had already spread of the incident at the far-flung Mount Wuliang on the borders of Qingzhou, a place where officials held the most power and complexity. Rumblings of discontent had been felt, and countless sleepless nights had been spent in the wake of this news.
Upon hearing the news, many suspected that their intelligence had gone awry. It was only after cross-checking with acquaintances that they realized the sky had truly fallen!
One was the Buddha Lord, the leader who carried the incense and fire of Buddhism.
The other was a peerless genius who had risen to prominence in recent times, dazzling all with his brilliance.
Despite his young age, he possessed formidable strength and illustrious achievements, with an infinite future ahead of him.
It was shocking beyond belief that these two shining stars of humanity would collide so dramatically.
The impact of this collision would reverberate through countless large and small forces. Even though the leader was dead, Buddhism would not simply scatter and disappear. Even ordinary martial arts sects, if not eradicated, would have disciples bide their time for years to take revenge for their masters. How much more so for a religion like Buddhism, which had cohesion and faith?
Buddhism had deep roots. Although the Yu Emperor had prohibited members of the royal family from converting to Buddhism hundreds of years ago, citing the thin royal bloodline and the need for procreation, many officials, ministers, retired generals, and other once-powerful aristocrats had either voluntarily or secretly guided their way into the monastic life, seeking peace and comfort.
Now that the Buddha Lord had been slain, the spiritual leader of Buddhism had been killed. This would be a tremendous shock to those who followed the Buddhist faith.
Outside the Xuanhuang Gate, a luxurious dragon-and-sparrow cloud carriage flew swiftly and landed gracefully.
The carriage door opened, and a noble, elegant, and ethereal figure emerged.
"Even the head of the Xia family has come."
"After all these years of never attending court, he actually came today."
"I heard that the Haotian General escaped from his predicament in the river of death and subsequently saved Youzhou and Qingzhou, slaying the leaders of the three major demon forces. I fear the Xia family has come to plead for him."
Seeing the breathtakingly beautiful female general, though she now had the appearance of a noble lady, her prestige was overwhelming. Many officials dared not look at her for too long, feeling a sense of awe with just a glance.
"Even that high-ranking official of the previous emperor has come. I heard he eats a vegetarian diet and chants Buddhist scriptures. He once debated the way with the Buddha Lord."
Someone looked toward another direction, where an old man was walking with the support of several high-ranking officials.
Undoubtedly, today's court session would be extremely intense.
As representatives of various factions arrived, within the grand hall of the imperial palace, the Yu Emperor sat silently on the dragon throne, his majestic body resembling a mountain. His eyes, like the sun and moon, exuded an intimidating aura that was difficult to behold directly.
His gaze was deep and restrained, like a bottomless pool or a vast ocean, making it impossible to fathom his thoughts.
In front of the hundred officials stood Xia Linglong, alone and erect. Her eyes were cold, and her expression was calm. Behind her were other officials from the Xia family who held positions in the court.
When she had first received the news yesterday, she was shocked, but her first instinct was to rush to Duzhou.
She knew that this matter had far-reaching implications. Even though the young man possessed formidable combat strength, this was the Great Yu Shenchao, a realm with a foundation beyond imagination. Not to mention the real people of Qiandao Palace who presided over the world, even those Jiang family powerhouses who had entered the immortal realm a thousand years ago would be enough to crush all demons if they returned from the immortal realm.
Even the Buddha Lord dared not kill openly. The various forces had their unspoken rules, and killing a leader was clearly a blatant breach of those rules.
Now that the Buddha Lord had been killed, the Buddhist forces had entangled roots and affected countless interests. Although it did not pose a threat to Li Hao, it could still stir up trouble before the emperor.
Moreover, the emperor also needed to give them a reason to appease the crowd. As a result, there was a possibility that Li Hao's accomplishments would be revoked to quell the anger of the people.
However, a rift between the Great Yu and Li Hao would give the demons an opportunity to exploit. Xia Linglong knew that the emperor should consider this, but she didn't know how he would decide, especially if he couldn't appease the crowd. In that case, the Buddhist disciples in various states and cities might also rebel, and forceful suppression would only lead to unrest within the states!
This would also give the demons an opportunity to invade.
If Xia Linglong were in the emperor's position, she would also feel torn. In the long run, it would be best to protect Li Hao, as he was still young and had immense potential. There was a high likelihood that he could even replace the real person in the Dao Palace.
However, she didn't know if the emperor would feel suspicious of the young general.
After all, when merit was high, it could shake the ruler. How much more so for Li Hao, who was so young? If he were allowed to grow unchecked, there was even a possibility that the world would one day bear his name! The emperor's heart was inscrutable, and no one could predict his choice.
Regardless, Xia Linglong's presence here was a plea for the emperor to consider the Xia family's loyalty when making his decision and to give a little more thought to their plea.
This was the extent of her loyalty as a subject.
"Your Majesty, you are the embodiment of justice! That Haotian General killed the Buddha, defying the heavens and committing heinous acts. He does not deserve the title of duke and should be demoted to a commoner. Let him atone for his crimes by serving on the border and never receiving a salary!"
As soon as the court was in session, an elderly official emotionally pleaded.
"Yes, Your Majesty, that Haotian General is full of faults. He fought with his father, rebelled against the Li family, and now he has killed the Buddha, bringing tears to the people. He should be severely punished!"
"He cannot rely on his own achievements to act with impunity. Otherwise, what is imperial power? What is the moral fabric of the world? If we do not curb his behavior, he will only become more rampant and act with even greater audacity!"
"Your Majesty, General Haotian is still young and lacks proper guidance, making it easy for him to stray down the wrong path. He relies on brute force and acts arbitrarily. Although he has the merit of saving Liangzhou, his crimes cannot be condoned. If we do so, the world will eventually decline and perish."
One after another, four or five officials made their pleas, as if they had discussed it beforehand.
The others remained silent, wanting to observe the reactions of the emperor and the various factions.
After all, the court was not solely composed of those affiliated with Buddhism. While some were indignant, others had no connection to Buddhism and were now worried that severely punishing the Haotian General would be detrimental to the Great Yu Dynasty in the face of the current demon threat.
"I am a military general. If demons were to attack the city, within my jurisdiction, I would lead the army as the vanguard!"
A man stepped forward and looked directly at Xia Linglong. "However, credit should be given where it is due. Who among those present does not have achievements? Aside from killing the Buddha Lord, even killing a commoner is a crime. If everyone relies on their own merits and disregards life, how can the common folk survive, and how can our dynasty continue? Are we relying solely on you and me? What would be the difference between that and a den of bandits!"
Xia Linglong's face changed, and she looked at him coldly. The speaker was not a general from the Five Great Divine Generals, but a general who had risen to prominence and established a remarkable career later on.
However, she could sense that his words were not directed at Li Hao but at the monopoly of the Five Great Divine Generals over military achievements.
This brought to mind the issue of the Five Great Divine Generals' achievements on the battlefield. Special first-class or first-class merits were usually given to those with close relationships or family members. As the head of the Xia family, even if she didn't encourage this practice, she couldn't completely eradicate it, as it was similar to corruption and impossible to stamp out.
Other forces could only strive for achievements in the gaps between the Five Great Divine Generals, and this contradiction had existed for a long time.
These people had also secretly formed alliances, creating a faction. Although they couldn't compete with the Divine Generals, they were covertly hostile, and with the Emperor watching, no one dared to break the rules openly.
"You're right. If one can commit murder with impunity because of their achievements, what kind of societal norms would that instill? The people would live in fear, and the dynasty would only briefly prosper before eventually declining!"
"The military can slay demons, while the scholars govern the country. This is an unchanging principle throughout the ages. If we rely solely on military might to suppress everything, the common folk may not dare to speak, but what about in the long run?"
One after another, several ministers spoke up.
Xia Linglong's face turned gloomy as she realized that, logically speaking, as long as they insisted that killing was a crime, it would be in line with the laws of the Great Yu Shenchao, and she would have no room to argue.
"Nowadays, with the chaos of demons all over the world, you have probably stayed in this imperial city for too long and forgotten what demons look like. When the demons attack, I wonder if you can rely on your silver tongues to reason with them?" Xia Linglong said.
"We are reasoning with General Xia, not with the demons. How can you compare yourself to demons?"
"We pursue the Dao of the sages and consider ourselves the most intelligent of all creatures, not comparing ourselves to pigs, dogs, and beasts. But now, do you disregard life and let morality decline?"
"That's right, the country has its laws. Even though General Haotian has exceptional talent and outstanding achievements, he killed the Buddha Lord, making a grave mistake. How can we cover up for him indiscriminately?"
"Today he dares to kill the Buddha Lord, tomorrow he may dare to kill a True Immortal or even us!"
"What's the difference between him and a demon?"
The others chimed in angrily.
Xia Linglong was so angry that she wanted to laugh. However, she knew that it would be difficult to explain things clearly to these people.
Unless she used force to suppress them, but that would also mean losing the argument.
"I think you are the demons here. Could it be that demons have invaded your homes and bewitched you?"
Next to her, some of the scholars from the Hanlin Academy saw that Xia Linglong was at a loss for words against so many tongues, and they also spoke up.
"The matter hasn't been properly investigated yet, and you dare to say that General Haotian, who suppressed the demons in the Three Regions, is no different from a demon?"
"I think you have ulterior motives and are trying to harm our Great Yu's loyal subject. Your Majesty, I suggest that we first investigate their mansions to see if there has been any demon intrusion and chaos!"
"That's right, the achievement of saving the Three Regions is an extraordinary merit. In my opinion, he should be awarded the title of Divine General. How dare you disrespect a Divine General?"
"This matter is full of doubts and has not been clarified yet. Your stance is extremely arbitrary. What are your intentions? Do you want our Great Yu to lose a thousand-year-old good general?"
With the addition of these voices, the argument became even more intense.
Xia Linglong opened her mouth slightly and watched the two sides of scholars argue. In the end, she chose to remain silent and observe. Although she was eloquent, she felt that she still fell short when compared to these people.
She turned her head to look at the Emperor, but his expression remained unchanged, neither happy nor worried, which made her feel anxious and uncertain about his thoughts.
As the argument dragged on and the words began to repeat, Chu Jiuyue, who was present in the court, gently coughed.
His voice was soft, but it silenced the debate.
Everyone stopped and looked at the Emperor.
The Yu Emperor's face was calm as he said, "What you all say is reasonable, but reason is for the common folk, and it is for us because we are humans. But will the demons listen? Now that we face external threats from demons, you suggest stripping General Haotian of his achievements. May I ask, after stripping him of his achievements, if the demons attack, who can take his place in battle?"
Hearing the Yu Emperor's words, many people looked at each other, and those who had stood with Xia Linglong looked at those who had denounced Li Hao.
As expected of His Majesty... Xia Linglong sighed inwardly, impressed that the Emperor had cut through the debate by bringing up the most practical issue.
However, she didn't know if the Emperor was taking Li Hao's side or if he was genuinely concerned about the demon threat.
After a brief silence, the old man who had spoken earlier tremblingly said, "Your Majesty, I have received a petition from the Buddhist disciples. The Buddhist sect promises that if Your Majesty gives them justice, they are willing to send eight million Buddhist disciples to serve and fight."
Hearing this, many people's expressions changed slightly, surprised by the decisiveness of the Buddhist sect.
They were offering eight million disciples in exchange for Li Hao.
"Eight million disciples..."
The Yu Emperor murmured softly, then calmly said, "I'm afraid it's still not enough."
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票