Emperor Yonghe, who wore a crown on his head, frowned deeply as he looked down at the courtiers standing in an orderly manner in front of the palace. His eyes appeared distant, and his face seemed tired, clearly burdened by heavy thoughts.
Since ascending to the throne, whenever something troubled him, it was often related to the Immortal Gate.
And today’s thoughts were no different.
Two disciples from the Great Dao Sect in the Foundation Building period fought at the market square in the Imperial Capital, causing a tragedy that affected hundreds of people.
It’s important to know that this is the Imperial Capital, and such an incident clearly brought great shame to the court and Emperor Yonghe…
If he were twenty years younger, he might have flown into a rage and demanded an explanation from the Great Dao Sect.
However, now in his forties and as the emperor of this dynasty, he had to act with caution and not be driven by impulse.
Starting from the moment he pulled out the Human Emperor Sword, he felt that he held the power in his hands. The attitude of the Nine Immortal Gates towards him was noticeably different from before, and they appeared to be more restrained… Especially the Xuantian Sect, which was targeted by the Eight Immortal Gates together.
While he was pondering, suddenly an old voice rang out.
"I have a memorial to present, Your Majesty."
He lifted his eyes and saw Minister of Rites Hai Wuya clearing his throat a few times and stepping forward.
The attendant by the side quickly took the memorial and presented it.
But Emperor Yonghe didn’t even glance at the memorial, instead, he stared at Hai Wuya.
Hai Wuya was already in his late seventies, with white hair and age-related frailty. His complexion was slightly yellow, and despite being a martial artist, he didn’t appear very strong.
Among the court officials, this elderly man stood out prominently.
Hai Wuya, at present, was one of the few remaining senior officials from the time of the previous emperor. He was a generation or two older than the other court officials.
The court officials from the previous emperor’s time were either dead or retired, like Wang Shanhe, or trapped like Hai Wuya in a heavenly prison.
Besides Hai Wuya, the only other person able to firmly stand in the current court was the prime minister, known for his smooth and accommodating nature, called Bai Xiang.
After casually scanning through a few memorials, Emperor Yonghe gradually furrowed his brows.
The content of the memorial was not much different from what he had expected.
Hai Wuya didn’t try to clear Qiao Zhong’s name, but only said that Qiao Shuanglin was a loyal and righteous person, and should not die with a bad reputation… especially since he also took the blame for Immortal Gate.
"I…. am tired. Let’s continue this tomorrow, let the court adjourn."
The court officials looked at each other and left one by one.
However, Hai Wuya didn’t leave.
He stayed in the Golden Hall, even after most of the court officials had scattered, and suddenly looked up, and said seriously:
"Your Majesty, can we let the reputation of someone who sacrificed themselves for others be tarnished after they have frozen to death?"
"Countless people were affected by the disaster at the market, and there were probably thousands of people who witnessed it with their own eyes. Even if they cover it up, can they hide the words spreading throughout the world?"
"The inhumane tyranny, the inhumane disaster is everywhere. This kind of thing has happened more than once. This time, the disaster caused by inhumane actions has appeared in the Imperial Capital. If the court retreats as usual, then what about the next time?"
"Your Majesty, if you take one step back, you will keep retreating. When will you stop retreating?"
"A small hesitation can lead to a great plan’s failure. Today’s retreat is only for the sake of future calculations, for the sake of the descendants of Great Yan."
Hai Wuya remained silent for a moment and then said with emotion:
"Your Majesty, the Inhuman War has been going on for forty years. The retreat by the previous emperor forty years ago led to the opening of the Nine Immortal Gates’ temples in the major cities of Jiu Province. It also led to the current widespread Inhuman Disaster."
"May I dare to ask… where is Your Majesty’s grand plan?"
Emperor Yonghe’s face turned gloomy.
When he was young, he once saw Wang Shanhe’s determined appearance when he raised objections at a funeral, and he was very inspired by it.
But now, after Hai Wuya came out of the heavenly prison, perhaps because he knew his days were numbered in old age, he became even more resolute than when he was young. He unexpectedly remembered the same resolute Wang Shanhe, who led a group of loyal ministers to speak out against the emperor’s decisions.
However, now that he was the emperor, he realized at this moment that having ministers stubbornly objecting to him was not a pleasant thing.
"Since you brought up the Inhuman War, let’s talk about it today."
Emperor Yonghe lamented and said,
"Forty years ago, the Martial Saint led a hundred thousand elite troops, following the orders of the late emperor to suppress the rebellion of the inhumans. But before the army even left the Zhong Province, they encountered the inhumans of the Great Dao Sect in the Anxi City area."
"What was the result? Our Great Yan’s hundred thousand elite troops were completely wiped out, and Anxi City was flattened. They didn’t even leave behind ruins."
"The Martial Saint was seen as the army’s only hope, so before the annihilation of the whole army, his soldiers sacrificed their lives to send him away."
"Even though the Martial Saint’s martial arts skill improved by leaps and bounds every day, he has now become a handful of yellow soil. I witnessed his death with my own eyes."
When Emperor Yonghe thinks of the Nan Province praying to the gods, he feels a bitter sorrow in his heart.
Martial Saint is not a savior, nor is he the last hope of the human race. His tragic death only shows Emperor Yonghe the vast difference between mortal life and the Immortal Gate.
"Such a great disparity cannot be erased by mere ‘grand plans’," Emperor Yonghe said, looking at the Human Emperor Sword at his waist.
Hai Wuya fell silent once again.
The implication is… Emperor Yonghe himself doesn’t have a grand plan powerful enough to turn the tide?
His talk of planning for future generations is actually just a desperate hope, as there are currently no effective strategies to counter the inhuman threat. So he places his hopes on future generations?
Hai Wuya said, word by word, "I only know that if we keep retreating, when we finally want to advance, will we be able to?"
"If we lose the Keep reading on NovelHub - where stories come alive!
The Great Yan Imperial Court is not one person. Whether advancing or retreating, it cannot be controlled as easily as a real person.
The words made Emperor Yonghe unconsciously glance at the Human Emperor Sword around his waist, giving him a sudden awakening feeling like coming out of a dream.
What people desire is not just an empty statement.
In the present Great Yan Imperial Court, what people desire is closely connected to the fate of the country and also closely related to this Human Emperor Sword at their waist.
If they lose the Keep reading on NovelHub - where stories come alive! He remained silent for a long time before slowly saying,
"Could you give me… some time to think?"
The people are like chess pieces, and the emperor is the player. He needs more time to weigh the pros and cons, just as he usually does.
Perhaps… now that he is already a chess player, he doesn’t need to be as cautious as before?
The thought of testing the Immortal Gate crossed Emperor Yonghe’s mind.