Prime Minister Cen came to the gate of the grand hall, letting the wind ruffle his white hair. Looking in the direction of the Yintian Gate, he yelled, "Do you think the Zhongzhou School can convince the public by doing this?"
Seeing that the Prime Minister was the first to step out, the crowd was surprised. Though Yimaozhai had been neutral all these years, it was still an ally of the Zhongzhou School.
As this powerful statement broke out, a strong wind broke out in the sky, and a shadow appeared in the sky in the east. The Boat of Diligent Study of the One-Cottage House dropped down from the sky at an unimaginably high speed, and then hovered steadily over the royal palace.
If the Zhongzhou School's Boat of Diligent wanted to break into the royal palace, it would have to encounter the Boat of Diligent of Yimaozhai.
Many scholars stood on the Boat of Diligent, looking extremely solemn.
Bai Zhenren's expression didn't change. Looking at Bu Qiuxiao at the bow of the boat, he said, "House Master Bu was forced to concede by the Aoyama Sect's despicable tricks. It's fine. Are you going to protect the fox spirit's son now?"
Bu Qiuxiao said, "Back then, two disciples of Aoyama said to Yun 'er,' education without discrimination '. I've thought about it carefully, and I think it's quite reasonable."
Behind him, Xi Yiyun was calm and silent. Liu Shisui was curious, thinking that such nice words must have come from his young master, but who was the messenger, Gu Qing?
If Zhuo Rusui were here, he would definitely shout, "It's me, it's me."
Bai Zhenren said, "Earlier, Prime Minister, you said that Zhongzhou School can't convince the public. I'm also curious about whether the teachers in the house all agree with House Master Bu's wish to worship the fox spirit's son as the emperor."
Hearing this, Xi Yiyun and Liu Shisui's expressions changed slightly, and the dozen middle-aged scholars on the Boat of Diligent frowned slightly.
It was obvious that Yimaozhai had different opinions on this matter, but Bu Qiuxiao had suppressed them forcefully.
If Bu Qiuxiao wanted to go against the Zhongzhou School for Jing Yao, the crack would probably get deeper and deeper. Something bad might happen on the spot.
Bu Qiuxiao had made up his mind a long time ago. He looked at Bai Zhenren and said, "I don't care about the succession of the Emperor, but I can't watch your Zhongzhou School behave like this. Immortal, have you ever thought about what will happen to the common people once you start a war with the Aoyama Sect?"
This was the philosophy that Yimaozhai had upheld for tens of thousands of years. The ruler was light, and the people were important.
It seemed that Bai Zhenren had anticipated Yimaozhai's request, saying, "I promise you that everything that has happened today will only happen in Zhaoge City."
"No!" Bu Qiuxiao said resolutely, his voice as crisp and forceful as the knocking of an inkstone. "The populace in Zhaoge City won't be able to evacuate in time. Too many people will die."
Bai Zhenren looked in the direction of the city walls and was silent for a while. Suddenly, he smiled and said, "Okay, I promise you. Let's do it at the Imperial City."
Bu Qiuxiao didn't expect the Zhongzhou School to agree to his request. He felt both baffled and helpless.
All the major sects were well aware of the power of the Great Formation of the Imperial City, because it was built with the most powerful magic treasures and energy of the various sects. No matter how powerful the Zhongzhou School was, it would take a great deal of resources and even human lives to break through the Great Formation of the Imperial City. By that time, they would have to face the power of the Imperial Court and the Aoyama Sect … where did Bai Zhenren get his confidence from?
Bai Zhenren had made an unexpected promise in exchange for Yimaozhai's temporary neutrality. The Prime Minister Cen and many other civil officials had no choice but to fall silent again.
Silence followed silence.
It was truly hilarious.
The Emperor laughed out and pointed his right hand at the distant Yintian Gate, saying, "Please."
He was inviting Bai Zhenren for a duel.
Yet, Bai Zhenren had no intention of accepting the challenge. "Our sect has always respected the Emperor," he said calmly. "The Emperor has worked hard for more than three hundred years, and it is the last day of his life. Why do you have to work so hard?"
After a moment of silence, the Emperor said, "It seems reasonable."
Having said that, he left the grand hall and entered the side hall.
Royal Concubine Hu and Jing Yao came up to him.
There were two cups of tea.
The Emperor and Royal Concubine Hu didn't say anything to each other. They talked about the past and the future casually, just like they did every night.
They talked about how they met, how they fell in love, how they were separated, and how they reunited in the end.
Standing by the side, Jing Yao didn't know what to do. He felt that he should leave, but he didn't want to.
There was a quiet room in the deep end of the side hall. Jing Jiu sat by the window, looking at the unattractive flowers and trees in the imperial harem. He held a cup of tea in his hand, but didn't take a sip.
Apiao and Ping Yong-Ka stood by the door, eavesdropping on the conversation between the Emperor and Royal Concubine Hu, listening intently.
After a long while, Apiao turned her head around and looked at Ping Yong-Ka, asking confusedly, "They are talking about love affairs and family affairs. What kind of emperor's method is this?"
Ping Yong-Ka replied indignantly, "You ask me. Do you think I should ask my Master?"
Apiao nodded forcefully, saying, "That's what I meant."
…
…
It was impossible for Ping Yong-Ka to ask Jing Jiu. Even though he had behaved straightforwardly, he was not an idiot. He knew that his Master was in a bad mood that day, so there was no point in asking him.
Jing Jiu and Apiao were well aware of the reason why Jing Jiu was in a bad mood. In fact, the whole of Zhaoge City and even the whole of Chaotian would soon know the reason.
… … The setting sun had already set to the west of the distant West Ocean. The darkness of the night occupied the sky. The stars in the sky were mostly covered by the black cloud boats, looking a bit dreadful.
The divine crossbows on the city walls were aimed at the night sky; it was unclear if they intended to shoot down the stars or do something else.
The court meeting had been over for a long time, but the chancellors hadn't left yet. It was because this might be the last night of the Emperor's life, and it was also because many of their manors were empty. What would they eat and drink when they went back?
The evacuation of the populace in Zhaoge City was still going on. The streets were full of noises and noises. As for those pitiful people who had been trampled to death, they had no time to worry about them.
A dozen cloud boats hovered in the starlight in Silence. They had no intention of attacking, waiting quietly.
The whole world was waiting; but something had happened while they were waiting.
Some figures gradually appeared in the seemingly deathly quiet manors and courtyards. It was unclear if they were about to wake up because of the night or some conspiracy.
Two figures appeared in the mansion of the minister of the Ministry of Rites.
They were a youth in red and a young woman in green.
"The food in the Manor of the Minister is pretty good. The pastries are made on the same day even at such a time."
Yin San placed two plates of exquisite pastries on the table, motioning for Qing 'er to have a taste.
Qing 'er wasn't in the mood to eat at the moment. Looking at those huge shadows in the starry sky, her eyes full of worry.
In the forbidding formation under the city wall, Gu Pan, the deputy commander of the Pure Heaven Bureau and the assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites had been standing there for ten hours without eating or drinking anything.
The officials responsible for maintaining the operation of the forbidding formation couldn't help but glance at the stone platform every once in a while, feeling that the atmosphere there was even more intense than that in the royal palace.
Time passed slowly. The starlight in the night sky grew brighter and brighter. All of a sudden, all the stars in the sky glowed together, as if it were daytime in Zhaoge City.
Along with the morning sunlight, the bell in the deep part of the palace rang out.
"The Emperor has left."
The deputy commander of the Pure Heaven Bureau opened and closed his chapped lips slightly, indicating that he was shocked.
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites murmured with a pale face, "All the people in Zhaoge City have been evacuated."
Gu Pan said expressionlessly, "The Emperor didn't leave until all the people were evacuated."
…
…
The morning sunlight faded away, and the world returned to the dark night.
The cries could be heard in the royal palace.
Everybody knelt down on the ground, weeping bitterly toward the side hall.
Even though they were the officials from the Zhongzhou School, their sorrow was sincere at the moment.
The Emperor had been on the throne for three hundred years, and it was the most peaceful three hundred years in Chaotian.
This peaceful and happy time was his gift to the world.
The saying "those who were good at fighting are not famous" was used to describe someone like him.
In the manor house of the minister, Yin San took out a green cloth from somewhere and changed it into the red cloth he was wearing.
Qing 'er mocked, "What a hypocrite."
Yin San said, "He is a good emperor, much better than his father and uncle."
The cloud boat of the Zhongzhou School in the sky retreated a bit.
The patch of cloud and fog above the Yintian Gate dispersed a bit more. Bai Zhenren lowered his head slightly.
The scholars of Yimaozhai on the Boat of Hardship all expressed their condolences.
Royal Concubine Hu crouched on the bed and looked at the dispersing light specks, her eyes full of sorrow and despair. She was on the verge of passing out.
Jing Yao knelt by her side and held her hand tightly, his face full of tears and worry.
Seeing this, Apiao and Ping Yong-Ka felt sympathetic.
Jing Jiu by the window didn't turn his head around.
…
…
"Your Majesty, please ascend the throne!"
The voice of the minister of the Rites Ministry was trembling slightly but loud enough in the grand hall.
Hearing this, Royal Concubine Hu's body trembled slightly, and she came back to her senses with difficulty. She pushed her son's hand away forcefully and said while staring into his eyes, "You can cry at night!"
Jing Yao wiped the tears off his face and uttered "hmm" in a sobbing voice. He got up and walked toward the grand hall.
It was only a distance of one hundred feet from the side hall to the grand hall. As he appeared in front of the chancellors and generals of the Jing imperial court, he had already calmed down, with a determined expression on his face, but his eyes were still red.
Seeing Crown Prince Jing Yao walking toward the throne, the chancellors had complicated emotions. Regardless of whether they supported or opposed the Crown Prince's decision, they had to admit that the Crown Prince had performed well at the moment; but they were also aware that he couldn't sit on the throne so easily. … …
On the Yintian Gate.
Looking at the cluster of palaces, Bai Zhenren said calmly, "Open the formation."
A dozen cloud boats of the Zhongzhou School approached the royal palace slowly. The starlight was blocked from time to time, and the shadows were on the verge of swallowing the cluster of palaces.
The divine crossbows on the city walls didn't fire; it was probably because they hadn't received the order yet.
Whoosh!!! A faint green circle of light appeared in the night sky, at least ten square miles in circumference, enshrouding the entire royal palace.
This was the Great Formation of the royal palace built by the various sects in Zhaoge City. It was usually invisible, but it reflected the starlight and the cloud boats, looking like a large smooth bubble.
The Great Formation of the royal palace couldn't burst like a bubble. Besides the Great Formation of Cloud-Dream and the Great Formation of Aoyama, this was the strongest defensive formation in Chaotian.
Was the Zhongzhou School going to use the cloud boats to attack?
Right at this moment, an extremely unimaginable thing happened.
The color of the circle of light grew fainter, and it became thinner in the perception of the people.
Countless gazes were fixed on the cloud boats, stunned speechless. It turned out that Zhaoge City had been under the control of the Zhongzhou School the entire time!
That was why Bai Zhenren agreed to Bu Qiuxiao's request so calmly.
As everybody thought that the Great Formation of the royal palace had collapsed, the person by the window in the side hall of the royal palace had finally spoken.
"Do it," Jing Jiu said.
Meanwhile, in the manor house of the minister of the Ritual Ministry, Yin San said while looking at the cloud boats in the starry sky, "Kill them."
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
