The main hall was brightly lit with candles. Pang Shuo's charcoal basin was burning brightly. There were two golden auspicious beasts standing on both sides of the basin. They were both under a spell. One of them opened its mouth and exhaled into the charcoal basin, shouting, "Monarch's might shakes the nine provinces!" It made the flames burn even brighter. The other one also opened its mouth and shouted, "Monarch's fortune fills the heavens!" It inhaled all the rising smoke into its stomach.
These two golden beasts that loved to flatter were offered by the Murong Lian. They were deeply favored by the Monarch. However, Mo Xi felt that only an idiot would like this kind of broken toy. At this moment, the two flatterers had just finished their breathing. They each let out a metallic burp and curled up beside the charcoal basin, no longer moving.
Mo Xi glanced around the hall. Almost all the medicine cultivators of Shennongtai were present. Gu Mang was detained in the center of the main hall. He was surrounded by the most outstanding cultivators of the palace. Someone had hypnotized him and he had already fallen asleep.
The current Monarch was sitting on a soft-cushioned throne. He was wearing a black robe and a crown. His face was like jade and his appearance was unruly. At this moment, he was resting with his eyes closed.
Hearing the fluttering of clothes and the sound of hurried footsteps, he opened his eyes and glanced down.
"Everyone's here?"
The attendant replied, "Monarch, Elder Yu of the Sky Bearing Platform has not arrived yet."
The Monarch sneered, "That old thing is getting old. Even the snowy owl can't wake him up. I think it's time for him to give up his position as the first-rank manager of the Sky Bearing Platform. "
"Monarch, please calm down …"
"What's there to be angry about?" The Monarch rolled his eyes and sat up straight. He waved his wide sleeves, "Gentlemen, please take a seat."
The entire hall responded, "Thank you, Monarch."
"I know you're unhappy that I called you into the hall in the middle of the night. Perhaps you're secretly scolding me."
An old nobleman's butt had just touched the stool. When he heard this, he hurriedly knelt down and said, "Monarch, what are you saying?"
"Alright, alright, stop kneeling. You're so long-winded about the Monarch's prestige and his subjects. It's annoying. If you want to scold me, scold me as long as I don't hear it. "
The few old noblemen looked at each other.
Their young ruler's temperament was very strange and unruly, making it hard for people to understand.
Although he clearly stood in the camp of the aristocratic conservative party, and even removed the biggest slave-born general of Chonghua not long after he succeeded the throne, his style of doing things was not at all well-behaved. He always had the attitude of "I want to lead a new world".
"I know you want to go back to sleep, coax women, and prostitute." Jun Shang stammered. "Then I'll make it short."
.....
...........................
"Elder Shennongtai."
... here!..........
........... report Monarch...........................
........
The leading cultivator from Shennongtai stepped forward and bowed, recounting how Gu Mang's spirit energy suddenly went berserk tonight. He continued, "The spirit core in Gu Mang's body has indeed been destroyed and there is no spirit energy left in his body, but …"
Monarch asked, "But what?"
The medicine cultivator bowed his head and said, "There's a strong evil energy in his chest."
Monarch pondered and said, "Evil energy …"
"Yes, this official judged that Gu Mang went berserk because of this evil energy. Unfortunately, Chong Hua has always been good at cultivating the right path. They never touch those crooked paths, so Shennongtai knows very little about it. The only thing I know is that Liao Country must have done something to his heart. But if you want to investigate, I'm afraid you have to … "He looked embarrassed, and his voice gradually softened.
Monarch said, "You don't have to be afraid. There's no harm in saying it."
The medicine cultivator bowed again and said, "I'm afraid we have to wait until Gu Mang dies and then cut open his chest to check his heart."
"You mean, if we want to know what's wrong with his body immediately, we have to kill him immediately?"
... Yes. "
Monarch suddenly scolded, "Trash!"
The Shennongtai elder was so scared that he immediately knelt down, "Monarch, this official is incompetent …"
"You are incompetent! What do I need a dead person for? There are so many traces of Liao Country's magic on his body. If he's alive, we can use them to investigate. What use is he if he's dead? Bury him for fun? "
"Monarch, Monarch …"
"Think of another way!"
The Shennongtai elder said, "But, but Gu Mang is already mentally retarded. Those traces of magic are almost negligible. I'm afraid —"
At this moment, the Murong Lian suddenly spoke lazily.
"Elder, whether Gu Mang is mentally retarded or not is still unknown." After saying this, San Bai glanced at Mo Xi meaningfully.
"Lord Xi He, don't you think so?"
Mo Xi, "…"
The Shennongtai elder's Adam's apple moved. Being called "trash" by Monarch was already terrifying enough. Then, he was interrupted by Lord Wangshu. Now, it was even more terrifying. Even the iron-blooded Lord Xi He was involved.
He only felt that he was going to faint.
After stuttering for a long time, he forced himself to say, "But, just now, this official has diagnosed many times. Gu Mang really … really doesn't remember anything. His entire person is also inclined to beastly nature. Lord Xi He … why, why do you think he's not mentally retarded?"
Mo Xi said, "Gu Mang just summoned the magic and martial arts."
When the Shennongtai elder heard this, he suddenly breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly said, "Lord Xi He misunderstood. Although summoning the magic and martial arts requires a secret chant, it's not absolute. When the host's mind fluctuates greatly, or in a very critical situation, the weapons can be summoned even without chanting. So this … this doesn't mean anything. "
Mo Xi listened silently. His face was frosty, but his eyes were staring unblinkingly at the unconscious Gu Mang.
He looked very calm, but no one noticed that the armrest of the red sandalwood seat he was holding had a dark crack.
At this time, another person among the nobles said, "Monarch, no matter what, Gu Mang is really too dangerous. If the guards didn't arrive in time today, I'm afraid that someone would have died in his hands!"
"That's right. Think about the sins he has committed. Why should Monarch be soft-hearted? Why don't we just kill him! "
Like the Murong Lian, there were only a few people who thought that "it's only interesting to live through torture". Most people still believed in the primitive doctrine of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life". Many of the nobles had blood debts with Gu Mang. Now that they had the opportunity today, they naturally wouldn't let it go.
For a moment, the voices of "immediately execute Gu Mang" were restless.
Monarch turned the jade and jewelry bracelet in his hand. Suddenly, he threw the bracelet on the red sandalwood table and said fiercely, "What's the noise about?"
Everyone immediately fell silent.
"Chattering. After the harem is done quarreling, the court is quarreling. I'm having a headache!"
"…"
Monarch pointed at the elder of Shennongtai and said, "You're a good-for-nothing! If it weren't for Jiang Fuli's unwillingness to sit in your position, I wouldn't know how many times you would be dismissed! "
The elder of Shennongtai wanted to cry but had no tears. In his heart, he thought that this position was strenuous and unrewarding. If it weren't for Jiang Fuli's unwillingness to sit in his position, he wouldn't know how many times he would have resigned.
Monarch calmed down for a while and suddenly turned to ask the attendant, "When will Jiang Fuli come back?"
The attendant also knelt down, "… Reporting to Monarch, this official is also a good-for-nothing. This official doesn't know the whereabouts of Pharmacist Jiang …"
"Alright, you can get up." Monarch waved his hand impatiently, "You're not a good-for-nothing. Jiang Fuli is very difficult to follow. If you don't know, then forget it."
The attendant almost cried, "Thank you, Monarch."
Monarch raised his eyes and said to the officials, "Gu Mang is a traitor. If I wanted to kill him, I could have killed him two years ago. I have my reasons for keeping him alive today."
Seeing that the nobles wanted to remonstrate, Monarch said impatiently, "You don't have to be long-winded. Listen to me first."
"I know that many of your relatives and friends have unfortunately lost their lives in Gu Mang's hands. You wish you could get rid of them quickly. By doing this, although you'll get your revenge, other than revenge, your Chong Hua won't get the slightest bit of growth. Therefore, I want to keep Gu Mang alive. Although the mark on his body is shallow now, Shennongtai can't get any useful information about the spell. But what Shennongtai can't do, Jiang Fuli may be able to do. What Jiang Fuli can't do now, he may be able to do in the future. I can wait. "
After a pause, he said majestically, "Gu Mang's lost memory is useful. The spell on Gu Mang's body is useful. Gu Mang is much more useful alive than dead! "
"Although Chong Hua doesn't practice the Devil's Way and has only used the Righteous Way as the foundation of cultivation for a hundred years, if you don't even dare to understand it and remain stagnant, I don't know what the enemy of Burning Country is like." He sneered, "In my opinion, Chong Hua won't be a match for Burning Country sooner or later!"
Monarch wanted to study the Devil's Way of Burning Country?! Everyone had different expressions on their faces.
"This …"
"How can Chong Hua dabble in the Dark Way? Even if it's to know yourself and the enemy, it's still too dangerous. "
One of the nobles present was the brother of Monarch's favorite concubine. He was very stupid and couldn't help but ask, "Monarch, if you want to understand the power of the Dark Way of Burning Country, can't you just capture captives in the future? Why does it have to be this? "
Monarch rolled his eyes, "Because a lot of Burning Country's efforts have been poured into him. He's different from others. Why haven't you died of stupidity? "
Everyone was silent for a moment.
After a while, the Murong Lian suddenly stood up and bowed to the throne, saying, "Since Monarch has said it clearly to us, we naturally won't have any objections. But … "
"Speak."
The Murong Lian said, "Today, something like this happened in Fallen Plum Garden. It means that the evil energy in Gu Mang's body is very strong. It can actually break through the protective barrier outside the garden. It's no longer safe to keep him there."
He paused, "If Monarch trusts me, why don't you allow me to take him back to the residence and keep him in custody? I will definitely watch over him strictly. It can also be considered as atonement for today's disaster."
Monarch thought for a while with a listless expression, saying, "Hmm … this is also a way …"
The Murong Lian said, "Thank you Monarch, then —"
Before he could finish, he was interrupted by another deep voice.
"No."
Mo Xi, who had been silent with his eyes closed, finally spoke from his red sandalwood chair.
He raised his head and looked at the Lord Wangshu, repeating his previous rejection, "No. You can't take him away. "
Monarch was startled at first, then he rubbed his chin with surprise and interest, looking back and forth between the Lord Wangshu and the Lord Xi He.
The Murong Lian stiffened, then a cold smile appeared on his face, "Lord Xi He, what brilliant idea do you have? Just now, weren't you the one who thought that Gu Mang might have retained his memories? "
"I did say that." Mo Xi stood up. His height and the expression on his face were just as oppressive, "So I'll take him away."
The Murong Lian narrowed his eyes, "On what basis?"
Mo Xi said concisely, "On the basis that you can't beat him."
"You —!"
Mo Xi turned to look at the throne, saying, "Monarch, although Gu Mang has lost all his strength, if he goes berserk again, his strength won't be lower than it is today."
"That's true …"
"You know his fighting strength. In terms of one-on-one combat, it's hard to find anyone in Chong Hua who can match him." Mo Xi said coldly, "Monarch, please send Gu Mang to Xi He's residence. I'll definitely control him strictly and won't let him hurt Monarch or anyone in Chong Hua."
"…" The Murong Lian was silent for a moment, then suddenly sneered, "Lord Xi He, your words sound nice, but in my opinion, where do you think you're trying to protect Chong Hua and Monarch?"
Mo Xi said, "What do you mean?"
"What do I mean?" The Murong Lian raised his pale face and narrowed his eyes, "Doesn't Lord Xi He know what I mean?" He tilted his chin and gestured in Gu Mang's direction, "Don't you want to protect him selfishly by bringing him back?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Mo Xi's face suddenly darkened, "Gu Mang almost died in my hands just now, and I want to protect him?"
"Didn't you almost die?" The Murong Lian's eyes were cold, "Didn't you say he didn't die? What's more, I asked Lord Xi He outside the main hall if he really wanted to strangle Gu Mang with his own hands, but Lord Xi He didn't answer, right? "
Mo Xi suppressed his anger, saying, "Why should I tell you whether I want him or not!"
"That's right. Whether you want it or not, whether you're willing or not, why do you have to tell me? What's your relationship with him? Why should you tell outsiders about what happened between the two of you? Haha, the other colleagues here are really forgetful. Why don't I remind everyone of something? "
The Murong Lian paused, his eyes shining, "Wasn't Lord Xi He Marshal Gu's friend in the past?"
When he said this, the others were not surprised, but rather speechless.
Mo Xi and Gu Mang used to be very close, everyone knew that. But after Gu Mang betrayed the country, he almost stabbed Mo Xi to death, this matter was even more well-known. The relationship between the two of them had long been irrevocable after that stab.
Everyone was embarrassed, and a few of them smiled awkwardly, but didn't respond.
Someone else said, "Lord Wangshu, it's all in the past, what's there to talk about …"
The Murong Lian seemed to have expected their reaction. He just snorted lazily, the curve of his mouth becoming more and more dangerous, "Okay, I won't talk about this."
He met Mo Xie's gaze again and sneered, "Then let me ask you, Lord Xi He. You've always been a righteous man with few desires. You've never been involved in those brothels … dare I ask you, why did you go to the Fallen Plum Garden alone and look for Gu Mang in private?"
Mo Xi's heart skipped a beat, thinking that the servant had indeed spread the news that he went to Luo Mei Bie Garden to visit Gu Mang.
But he didn't intend to deny it, and said with a glance.
"Revenge, what else can I do?"
"Since you're here for revenge, why did you personally feed him food and water?" The words soaked in the Murong Lian's mouth and spat out like a poisonous snake, "Is it because you saw your brother Gu Mang suffer — your heart ached?"
If they weren't in the Chong Hua Palace and Jun Shang wasn't watching from the side, Mo Xi would have already thrown seventeen or eighteen fireballs at the Murong Lian. Perhaps the Murong Lian's head would have been smashed off.
"What's wrong with you?" Mo Xi said angrily, "You followed me?"
The Murong Lian sneered, "Luo Mei Bie Garden was originally my place, what's there to follow or not to follow? Besides, are you afraid of others knowing what you've done? "
Seeing that they were quarreling fiercely, a relative couldn't help but persuade, "Forget it, Lord Xi He has always been cold on the outside but kind on the inside. He just gave a person who was dying of thirst a mouthful of water, Lord Wangshu, why do you have to be so aggressive …"
"A mouthful of water?" The Murong Lian's eyes were cold, "Ridiculous. It's rare that ordinary people don't hit a person when he's down, but Lord Xi He actually helped him in his hour of need. This noble character and unquestionable integrity has really opened my eyes. "
After saying that, he bowed to the throne, "Jun Shang, I can take Gu Mang away today, but Lord Xi He definitely can't bring him back to your residence."
It was rare for Jun Shang to see the Murong Lian and Mo Xi quarreling like this in court, but he actually didn't feel a headache and was watching with great interest. Now that he was suddenly asked by the Murong Lian like this, he couldn't make a decision and muttered, "This …"
Seeing that Jun Shang was hesitating, the Murong Lian continued, "Lord Xi He even gave Gu Mang a mouthful of water when he was in Luo Mei Bie Garden. If he was really brought back to the residence, who knows where Lord Xi He will control him?"
These words were 70% harsh and 30% ambiguous. Some of the nobles present felt that he had gone too far and winked at the Murong Lian, hinting him to stop talking.
In Chong Hua, it wasn't a big deal to visit a brothel or stay with a male prostitute, but it was absolutely forbidden for men to fall in love, especially for pure-blooded nobles like Mo Xi. This kind of person's bloodline was too precious, and carrying on the family line was the right way to go. Therefore, Chong Hua explicitly forbade them from having any incestuous love.
Moreover, Lord Xi He was such a noble and noble person, how could he get together with a lowly and filthy person like Gu Mang? Everyone felt that it was too absurd. They only felt that the Murong Lian, as Mo Xi's competitor, was crazy to want to splash dirty water on Mo Xi.
Only Mo Xi himself, who had been 'splashed dirty water', knew that he had really been poked in his sore spot.
The Murong Lian lazily said, "Lord Xi He, avoid arousing suspicion. You don't have to care about this matter anymore."
After a moment of silence, Mo Xi turned sideways and stared fiercely at the Murong Lian, saying, "If I don't stop, what are you going to do?"
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