The officials marched into the hall, the civil and military officials lining up on both sides.
A guard called out, "The Sovereign King has arrived at court. All the officials respectfully welcome him!"
Other than the two ministers, the three Princes, and the High Generals in the front row, all the other officials kowtowed and said, "Your officials respectfully welcome Your Holiness!"
The Holy Son of Heaven, dressed in his golden robes, ascended the dragon throne. Behind him were twelve eunuchs and twelve guards, standing on the steps to the left and right. He looked down at the officials, holding various weapons of the Imperial Army in his hands. All of these were the Son of Heaven's ceremonial armaments. As the officials praised him, the most powerful man in the empire scanned the officials and slowly said, "My officials, rise."
The officials thanked him once more before rising to their feet and kneeling on their seats according to ancient etiquette. Their movements were gentle and silent. The enormous golden hall was silent. Everyone sat upright and still, their expressions solemn. Their eyes were focused on their noses, and their noses were focused on their hearts. They were like clay statues, not saying a word. After all, Gado had not come.
So how was this play going to be played out today?
The Emperor was the most well-informed person in the capital, and in today's morning court session, he was most concerned about that bastard's movements. The Imperial City was his home, and as long as he wanted to know, nothing that happened here could escape his eyes. Yesterday, the Emperor had promised, but that traitor had dared to break his promise with the Sovereign King.
The Sovereign King was the most controlling person in the world, and the Emperor hated variables the most. In his view, Sun Lang was undoubtedly the most disharmonious variable in the empire.
The officials wanted power, the great clans wanted a foundation, the tyrants wanted land, the martial artists wanted the Imperial Army, and the common people wanted stability. The Sovereign King ruled the world for the sake of balance, for the sake of coordinating all sides and stabilizing the world. But that man who had come from another world eight years ago wanted revenge, revenge, and the destruction of everything.
What kind of joke was this? You dare to kill Us?
As expected of a fatherless disciple, born in a rebellious world, without a Sovereign King, without respect for the heavens, without obedience to the Emperor, without discipline, and thus raised such a crazy disciple.
He deserved to be killed!
He should have died two years ago in the Great Desolate Mountain.
High prestige, great contributions, and a secret identity. Most importantly, he must have a grudge against the Imperium, because it was the Imperium that took away his stable life. Anyone would hate the Imperium. Since he hated the Imperium, he would naturally seek revenge. When the time was right and his wings were fully grown, he would definitely stab the Imperium with a knife without hesitation. Since that was the case, why not strike first?
Moreover, this thief was the most important sample of the Longevity Project. Originally, two years ago, the project was going to be carried out. The soul and the weapon spirit would transform into each other, and the weapon spirit could also take over the human body. Once this was proven to be feasible, a path to immortality would be placed in front of the Emperor.
This was the path that all the previous emperors had pursued throughout their lives.
They were born as humans, lived long lives, and held supreme power in their hands. From then on, the people would be ruled by a Saint King who would never make mistakes. From then on, the world would be ruled by a group of capable and loyal officials. They would live forever, so there would be no need to worry about a muddle-headed ruler causing chaos in the world. There would be no need to worry about chaos in the world, and there would be no need to worry about corruption. The world would be united, and the Divine Prefecture would be restored to the rule of the Saint King.
It was supposed to be like this.
But there was a huge mistake in the plan.
He, his partners, and his empire, all three had paid a heavy price. Even so, they did not manage to keep that person. Instead, they left behind endless disasters.
At the thought of this, the Emperor of the Empire showed an endless desire to kill. Such a deranged thief had never been seen in the hundreds of years of the Empire. He wished he could tear that thief into pieces, grind his bones, and scatter his ashes.
But, he could not do it.
This was very awkward.
After countless nights of rage, regret, mania, and dissatisfaction, the Emperor of the Empire finally admitted one thing in frustration — even if he had the four seas and thousands of troops under his command, he, as the military chief of the most powerful country, could not do anything to one person. The Emperor never made mistakes, so he could only admit in private that the actions and changes in the Great Desolate Mountain might have made that thief even more terrifying.
How could such a thing happen?
But things had already come to this point. Regret and doubt were useless. After several confrontations, that thief finally set foot on the land of the Imperial Capital. Was he here for revenge?
Yes, it must be so.
— We have also been waiting for you for a long time, Jia Ying … no, Sun Lang.
We will win, we will definitely win, because We are the Emperor, the Emperor of the Empire. We have the four seas, We rule the world. Our wealth and power have already reached the peak of the human world. Even the leaders of the other four countries are unable to compete with us. Our enemy has already changed from a specific person to a concept.
Our enemy is the Heavenly Dao.
And you, you are only a manifestation of the Heavenly Dao, a stumbling block to obstruct Our great cause of the Sage Monarch. You are the greatest obstacle to Our pursuit of immortality!
By defeating you, We have kicked away the greatest stumbling block. By obtaining you, We will once again obtain the key to immortality. What you took away two years ago, We want you to return it back in double.
If you had concealed your identity and not returned to the Empire, that would have been fine. But now, you actually dared to come back on your own. You are simply walking into a trap, seeking your own death!
You thought that you had obtained a complete victory in these two days, but you are wrong.
We said before that Our opponent is not you. Our opponent is the Heavenly Dao.
In a battle with the Heavenly Dao, there is no need to worry about momentary gains or losses. We only want the result. We only want the final victory.
The Emperor's gaze wandered back and forth.
His gaze rested on his daughter for a few moments, and then he looked behind him. He took in everyone's expressions and inwardly sneered.
These selfish and contemptible people, all of them crafty and crafty, all of them only caring about their own land. Who would be willing to put in effort for Us and the country, disregarding gains and losses?
Now that Sun Lang was so domineering, openly challenging the sovereign's authority and treating the dignity of the Imperial Household as nothing, why did no one dare to speak up for justice?
All of you are waiting to see Us make a fool of ourselves.
But how could We let you do as you wish?
His gaze ultimately fell on one person.
His bearing was dignified, his face was unusual, and he was famous in the capital for his strength. He did not fear power, cared about the people, and was righteous. This was the best chess piece, a good general to charge and break through enemy lines. Most importantly, he was old friends with Sun Lang, but he would not let his personal interests overshadow his official duties. This was truly wonderful.
Sun Lang, let your good friends and old friends see the fate of those who go against you.
The Emperor inwardly sneered, and then he said, "Where is the Capital Governor, Bao Xiren?"
Everyone's gaze fell on Bao Xiren, but Lord Bao stood up and bowed. "This lowly subject is here."
The Emperor smiled and nodded.
— — Sun Lang, did you think that if you didn't come, this play wouldn't be able to continue?
Wrong, this play is even better. I know why you didn't come. You didn't dare to come, because no matter how strong you are, you are only one person. You can't split yourself. Once you came to the Imperial Court, you couldn't care less about the Copper Sparrow Pavilion. You made up a big lie to deceive the capital. What would happen if your lie was exposed?
— — This is called the rules. Since you accepted an official position and returned to the capital, you have to abide by the rules. You want revenge, you want to be a powerful official. Fine, come.
He looked at Bao Xiren and said calmly, "We heard that two days ago, a major event happened in the capital. My beloved subject had submitted a memorial and was also present at the scene. What is written on paper can't be compared to what is presented in person. Why don't you tell us what you have seen in the past two days in the Imperial Court so that all of us can listen carefully?"
Some people frowned, but even more people were secretly excited.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, poor Bao Heizi. He was really a mouse in a bellows being bullied by both sides.
It was ironic that the most honest official in the world was often the one who was ostracized the most. Even though Bao Xiren's life was like a cheat code, it didn't stop him from having very few friends.
Bao Heizi had offended many people in the past few years.
Now, he was clearly being used as the first spear by the Emperor to attack Sun Lang. The Emperor would directly ask him, the capital governor, what had happened in the capital in the past two days.
If he told the truth, he would offend Sun Lang's faction.
If he lied, not only would he risk being exposed in court, the Emperor would also not let him go.
Given everyone's understanding of Bao Xiren, they didn't even need to think about what choice he would make.
Kneeling not far away, Di Huaiying sighed and slowly closed her eyes.
Bao Xiren's unwavering voice resounded throughout the Imperial Court.
"Your Majesty, the original Commander Of War, Jia Ying, gathered troops in the capital. Without orders from the Bureau of Military Personnel and Your Majesty's Tiger Tally, they brazenly attacked the Copper Sparrow Pavilion, claiming that the remnants of the Sky Demon were behind it. It's hard to tell if it's true or false — this is the first reason."
Cold gazes fell on Lord Bao.
Bao Xiren didn't seem to notice.
"The suspected Fire Sword Saint, the second son of the Chi Clan, Lianyan, died on the streets in front of the Great General. The coroner examined him and found that his death was extremely strange. The cause of death is unclear and the identity of the murderer is unclear …"
The Emperor's smile deepened.
He even felt that Bao Xiren had become more sensible, knew how to speak, and knew how to be an official.
But obviously, he was wrong.
The next moment, the Capital Magistrate's slap to the face came quietly. "Of course, it was Chi Lianyan who provoked us first. As a Sword Saint, he used the public weapon to fight against the Great General of Tianyuan and spread all kinds of unruly things, causing the people to be heated and our allies to be surprised. In this humble subject's opinion, Chi Lianyan's actions were indeed extremely abnormal. This is the unanimous opinion of the people present, so it's highly credible. Someone did instigate Chi Lianyan …"
The Emperor's eyes suddenly turned cold.
The gazes of the crowd turned into pity.
— — You're a rat caught in a bellows. You should at least cling to one person's thigh. Then, you can go and slander the other person. Why did you offend both sides?
What are you after?
The Emperor directly interrupted him. "Where is the Great General of Shentse, Sun Lang?"
The Imperial Court was silent. No one answered.
The Emperor asked again.
Still, no one answered.
He slowly said, "I sent a eunuch yesterday to invite the Great General to come to the Imperial Court today. Since you've already received the decree, why did you miss the appointment?"
At this moment, Empress Tensei brazenly stepped forward.
She cupped her hands and said resolutely, "This is the crime of deceiving the Emperor!
He relied on his military achievements, disregarded the law, and disrespected the Emperor. This subject asks Emperor Father to punish him! "