Chapter 1543: Goddess and Moonlight
Suddenly, however, the emperor gave Bi Linglong a look. Bi Linglong had thought she’d hidden it quite well, but for an earth immortal, not a single detail in this place could escape detection. For example, when King Qi’s faction had been exchanging looks with each other, and even the emperor’s own officials who were loyal to him, he knew exactly which camp they really belonged to.
Previously, when Bi Linglong heard that Zu An had returned, her heart rate had accelerated a bit. Even though she quickly hid it, there was no way it could escape his detection. Zu An had been an important official of the Eastern Palace to begin with; he was a capable general under Bi Linglong. It was normal for her to be happy when she saw his return. However, the fact that she was hiding it was problematic.
The emperor frowned, his complexion turning a bit ugly. Even though Bi Linglong was his daughter-in-law, because he had previously sent his own soul fragment into the Crown Prince’s body, he actually considered her equivalent to a child bride. He wouldn’t allow any other man to corrupt her.
Of course, he didn’t think too deeply about what he had sensed. He didn’t think that the two of them would ever brazenly do something that crossed the line that way. Still, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t punish them later.
A tall and slender figure slowly walked into the main hall. Discussions immediately broke out amid the court. There were some who were shocked, some who were happy, and some whose mood turned grim… There were all kinds of reactions.
Zu An bowed toward the emperor and said, “I greet your majesty!”
The officials of King Qi’s faction finally reacted to the situation. One exclaimed, “Who let this traitor in? Guards, arrest him!”
Zu An gave him a cold look and retorted, “Who did you say was a traitor?”
For some reason, when the official was caught in Zu An’s gaze, he immediately felt a chill run through his entire body. He shrank back in fear, briefly unable to respond.
How could he know that recently, Zu An had killed the Fiend Emperor in an Unknown Region? Even though many special conditions had lined up, Zu An had still killed one of the most powerful beings in the world. Later, he had killed many famous grandmasters during the Fiend King Court’s upheaval. An unrivaled killing intent had already naturally gathered around him, sufficient to easily intimidate any normal cultivator
The emperor and King Qi both gave Zu An a look of surprise. They clearly noticed how strange Zu An’s body was.
Bi Linglong was a bit confused. Why couldn’t she sense any ki aura from Zu An’s body? Could it be that they were too far away? He looked just like a normal person right now! A look of deep concern appeared between her brows when she realized that. Could it be that something had happened to him on the trip that made him lose all of his cultivation?
Many officials in the court had similar thoughts. They were caught off guard by Zu An’s return at first, but they now realized that he was practically a cripple. What did they have to fear? As such, they immediately thought of using violence.
Magistrate Yi Chun took the lead and said, “Zu An, I have conclusive proof that you and the Medusa Queen were on the fiend side this whole time…”
“That’s right, I did send her to the Fiend races’ territory before,” Zu An said, directly confirming the claim.
The court erupted into a commotion. Many people who had spoken up for him before had expressions of pity and regret. He’s still too young; he doesn’t use his head before he speaks.
Bi Linglong was also upset, panicking. We all know that you definitely sent the Medusa Queen to the Fiend Races, but you can’t admit to it out in the open like this! If you refute it, we can still try to help you find a way out, but we can’t do anything to save you if you admit to it.
King Qi’s faction was overjoyed by the unexpected turn of events. They all began to denounce and condemn Zu An for colluding with the Fiend races and committing treason.
Zu An calmly replied, “I admit that I sent the Medusa Queen to the Fiend Races, but when did I admit to treason?”
Yi Chun asked with a sneer, “Is there a difference?”
“Of course,” Zu An said, sweeping his gaze across the ministers. He noticed that compared to last time, there were already many people missing. He continued, “Even though Madam Yu has the Medusa bloodline within her, that’s something from the previous generation. That’s not something she can control. Furthermore, half of her blood is human too. Why must you insist on treating her as a fiend?
“Madam Yu’s reputation over the years is something I believe everyone knows about. She’s always been kind and charitable. In terms of public achievements, the mine industry she commands has also made tremendous contributions to the court. Privately, she’s always done all kinds of kind things, helping many people in need. Has anyone ever heard of her harming anyone in all of these years?”
“Hah! Even if she hasn’t yet, that doesn’t mean she won’t in the future. Those who aren’t human all have wicked hearts!” Yi Chun exclaimed in a loud and powerful voice. “What she did was merely to bribe the hearts of the people. That way, it would be much more convenient for the Fiend races to do whatever they wanted.”
“Everything you’ve just done is what we call groundless, convicting one of a crime that has never happened. Commandant of Justice Jiang, can our court’s laws be carried out like this?” Zu An called out, looking toward Jiang Boyang to solicit his opinion. Jiang Boyang was the Commandant of Justice, which was the highest position in the judicial system.
Jiang Boyang stroked his beard and replied, “This dynasty’s laws indeed lack any such rule.”
Yi Chun looked at Zu An and sneered. “Yu Yanluo secretly sent supplies to the Fiend races; you can’t deny that proof, can you?There have already been reports from Cloudcenter Commandery’s officials. If you haven’t looked at them yet, I advise you to look through them first before speaking to me.”
“I’m aware of that as well,” Zu An explained. “Those were merely the most basic goods for survival. She does have half Snake race blood. There isn’t anything too wrong with taking care of her people a bit, no? After all, she didn’t send any strategic supplies, unlike a certain someone…”
King Qi raised his brows slightly. Fortunately, Yi Chun reacted quickly and replied, “Stop trying to change the topic and talk about unrelated things. Who knows if she sent any strategic resources or not? Furthermore, even if it was normal goods, that’s still prohibited by the court. Aren’t you rambling on and on like this because you want to say you haven’t colluded with the Fiend races?”
Zu An smiled and replied, “So I’ve colluded with the Fiend races if my relationship with Madam Yu is on the good side? From what I know, in the past, Madam Yu’s unmatched beauty was famous in the capital. There are still many in the court who have good relationships with her, and even his majesty and King Qi were previously her good friends. Could it be that you want to say that they’ve colluded with the Fiend races too?”
The emperor and King Qi’s faces both twitched. This guy really did know how to poke at their sore spots! In the past, they had indeed pursued Yu Yanluo, asking for her hand in marriage. However, back then, because of the fierce competition over the throne, both of them had cared a lot about their reputation. They hadn’t wanted to ruin their prestige over a woman.
The other nobles had all been aware of the emperor and King Qi’s competition, so even though they had been completely smitten by Madam Yu’s beauty and fawned over her, none of them had dared to do anything else to her.
In spite of that, while Yu Yanluo had remained in the capital for many years, she had never favored any particular individual. Then, she had left the capital suddenly, taking the hearts of countless nobles with her.
Later, when they learned that she had married Cloudcenter Duke, the hearts of the capital’s men shattered. There was even a rumor that on that day, the emperor had flown into a terrible rage, smashing many teacups. King Qi had also shut his door and refused guests for three days before returning to normal.
Many people in the court knew about that. They were all interested in seeing how this would play out.
Yi Chun coughed before saying, “Ahem, who are his majesty and King Qi? How can you be compared to them? In the past, no one knew about Yu Yanluo’s Medusa bloodline…”
“I didn’t know about her Medusa bloodline when I first met her either,” Zu An immediately replied before continuing, “Furthermore, Madam Yu showed me great favor in the past. This is something that his majesty can attest to. When it comes to someone who showed me great favor, and never committed evil in the past, how could I leave her alone when something happened to her? Doesn’t that go against the system of values the court has proclaimed over the years?”
The court had always regarded ‘loyalty’ as its foremost value. However, because the emperor who founded the dynasty had been a minister of the Meng Dynasty, and the method he had used to seize the throne wasn’t all that honorable, they couldn’t use the word ‘loyalty’ and had instead replaced it with ‘piety’ and ‘justice’. Meanwhile, if Zu An didn’t return kindness, he would be considered an unjust sort.
With that opening, the Eastern Palace’s people immediately regained their resolve and once again spoke up for him. The way they quoted the classics left even Zu An blushing with shame.
Yi Chun frowned, thinking, This kid is crafty as expected, and difficult to deal with. He could only reply, “Justice is still relative. If you’re discussing justice in relation to the Fiend races, aren’t you just colluding with the Fiend races?”
“Sir Yi, please don’t be so narrow-minded,” Zu An said calmly. “Madam Yu was being attacked, but while I was escorting her out, I stumbled upon a spatial rift. Terrifying monsters from another world, called Scaled Deathworms, invaded through it. It was precisely because of Madam Yu’s help that I was able to kill those invading monsters and also close up the rift, thus saving the lives of countless people living in Cloudcenter Commandery.”
He concluded, “In my opinion, Madam Yu shouldn’t be punished, but should instead be rewarded!”
One thing Zu An had really wanted to do on this trip was to restore Yu Yanluo’s identity so she could properly return. Whenever he had seen her stare blankly towards the south, even though she always said she was fine when he asked her, anyone with eyes could see the loneliness in her gaze.
Yi Chun sneered. “Who knows if you’re telling the truth or not? You might have been trying to destroy the Yu clan’s mines on purpose so the court couldn’t make use of the ki stones inside for some time. That way, if the court’s resources were delayed, wouldn’t that further strengthen the case for your act of treason?”
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Zu An seemed to have already anticipated that response. He quickly retorted, “If Sir Yi doesn’t believe me, you can ask White Jade Sect Master Yan. She was also there at the time.”
He felt amazing when he said that. Having more wives really is awesome; they’re so great.
However, Yun Jianyue was the Devil Sect Master, someone viewed as a villain by the court. He couldn’t bring out her name.
When they heard him say Yan Xuehen’s name, the court became lively once more. If Yu Yanluo was a goddess they pursued but couldn’t obtain, Yan Xuehen was like a ray of moonlight cast across their hearts. Almost all of them had at one point been enamored by her purity and elegance.
Unlike Yu Yanluo, Yan Xuehen was too powerful, and she was also a daoist with a special identity. That had made it hard for them to even try to pursue her. Even so, that white-clad goddess often appeared in their dreams. The court’s officials all began to recall her figure fondly, as if they were remembering their own youth.
When he heard the name Yan Xuehen, Yi Chun was also a bit at a loss for words. If she really was willing to testify to such a thing, no one would doubt her words. Furthermore, Yan Xuehen had always been cold in nature, while utterly detesting evil. Zu An wouldn’t talk recklessly about someone like her.
Suddenly, a messenger quickly entered to report, “Most of the bailiffs who were sent to the Sang clan were killed! The casualties are severe.”
Yi Chun was horrified. He immediately rushed forward and exclaimed, “What about my son?!”
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