UGB Chapter 19 Questioning in the Palace
Chapter 19 Questioning in the Palace
Daji was followed by two maids and an elderly nanny. Upon seeing this, they quickly stepped forward, shielding the woman behind them and warily eyeing Yun Zhongzi.
Yun Zhongzi lowered his eyelids.
What a cunning Su Daji! No wonder the nine-tailed fox wanted to use her body to enter the palace in the original story.
Such beauty and charm would be irresistible, not to mention Emperor Xin, whose mind was bewitched by the Seven Treasures Tree, even a clear-headed emperor might not be able to resist.
"It's nothing."
Yun Zhongzi gave a faint reply, stepped aside, and left.
Su Daji turned around, watching the figure in the blue Taoist robe disappear into the crowd, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes. The way that Taoist looked at her was different from how he looked at others.
There was none of the usual amazement, infatuation, or even avoidance.
He glanced at it only once before looking away, as if he were looking at a dead person.
She shook her head, dismissing the strange feeling.
The old woman urged her on, but she lifted her skirt and continued to enjoy the rare liveliness. Jizhou was remote, and it was a rare occasion for her to accompany her father to the capital. She wanted to take a good look at the prosperity of Chaoge City.
Three days later, all the feudal lords gathered.
The Imperial Palace, the morning court session.
In the Nine-Room Hall, Emperor Xin sat upright on the dragon throne; he wore a black imperial robe and a flat-topped crown, his face was handsome, and his whole body exuded the awe-inspiring majesty of an emperor.
The civil officials were led by Shang Rong, and the military generals were led by Wen Zhong, standing on either side; Huang Feihu stood beside Emperor Xin with his hand on his sword, his phoenix eyes scanning the hall, his blood and qi surging.
Inside the hall, the feudal lords of the world stood in their respective ranks.
The four great lords—Jiang Huanchu (Eastern Marquis), E Chongyu (Southern Marquis), Ji Chang (Western Marquis), and Chong Houhu (Northern Marquis)—each led two hundred subordinate lords, filling the entire hall in a dense, imposing mass.
Before that, Yun Zhongzi's figure swayed.
Guang Chengzi's magical aura surged forth. He wore a fish-tail crown, a purple robe with the Eight Trigrams, a face like a full moon, and a long beard with three strands. His aura was exactly the same as that of the real Guang Chengzi. Even if the Antarctic Immortal himself were to come, he might not be able to recognize him.
He remained hidden outside the hall, but his divine sense probed into the hall.
The atmosphere in the hall was solemn, and Di Xin's gaze swept over the feudal lords below.
Wen Zhong stepped forward.
Wearing a dark battle robe, with his divine eyes half-open and half-closed on his forehead, he stepped forward, facing the ranks of feudal lords, his gaze like lightning, fixed on one of them.
"Ji Chang".
The sound wasn't loud, but it made the entire nine-room hall tremble slightly.
The princes in the hall all changed color.
Ji Chang, the Marquis of Xibo.
The ruler of Xiqi, renowned throughout the land for his benevolence, stood among the ranks of the feudal lords. He was about fifty years old, with a kind face, and wore a plain-colored feudal robe, which appeared quite simple compared to the brocade-clad feudal lords around him.
Wen Zhong's divine eye suddenly opened, and a beam of golden light enveloped Ji Chang.
Do you know your crime?
Wen Zhong's divine eye suddenly opened, and a beam of golden light enveloped Ji Chang.
Bathed in golden light, Ji Chang knelt on the ground, his expression one of terror. All the feudal lords in the hall held their breath, none daring to utter a word.
Yun Zhongzi remained hidden outside the hall, his divine sense covering the entire area. Just as the golden light of his divine eye enveloped Ji Chang, he caught a glimpse of something unusual.
A flash of clear light passed over Ji Chang.
The faint light vanished in an instant, merging with the golden light of the divine eye in a single touch. None of the officials in the hall, including Wen Zhong himself, noticed it. Ji Chang remained kneeling, his expression unchanged, though a fine layer of sweat beaded on his forehead.
Yun Zhongzi's pupils constricted slightly.
Jade Purity Immortal Light!
If it weren't for his extraordinary spiritual sense and meticulous attention to detail, even he wouldn't have been able to detect this slight anomaly.
Who planted the Jade Purity Immortal Light on Ji Chang's body?
"I am innocent!"
Ji Chang touched his forehead to the ground, his voice trembling:
"Your Majesty, please be wise! I have served Your Majesty in guarding Xiqi with utmost diligence and loyalty for decades, never daring to slacken in the slightest. What crime have I committed? What crime have I committed!"
His words were earnest, and he was moved to tears.
Within the golden light of the divine eye, Ji Chang's aura remained calm and composed, without the slightest abnormal fluctuation.
Wen Zhong frowned, and his divine eye slowly closed, but there was no sign of relief on his face. He had just used his divine eye to look at Ji Chang and indeed saw nothing unusual, but the more he saw this, the deeper his doubts became.
The biggest question is the one that even the eyes of God cannot see!
Wen Zhong turned around, faced Di Xin, cupped his hands, and said in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty, Ji Chang is aggressively winning over the hearts of the people and annexing the territories of the surrounding lords. This is a sign of his treacherous intentions and rebellious thoughts."
These words caused an uproar throughout the hall.
Marquis Jiang Huanchu of Dongbo had a stern face. He and Ji Chang were on good terms, so he immediately stepped forward and bowed in greeting.
"Your Majesty, please accept my report. The Marquis of the West's policy of governing the people with benevolence and ruling the land with virtue, and winning the hearts of the people, is truly for Your Majesty's better defense of the western frontier. As for annexing the territories of other vassal states..."
He paused, then looked up at Di Xin:
"Among them were those who willingly submitted, and those who disrespected His Majesty, who were suppressed by the Marquis of the West. If this is considered a crime, wouldn't it discourage all the feudal lords in the land?"
Di Xin nodded slightly; everything Jiang Huanchu said was true.
Each of the four major vassal states governs a region. If they do not exercise the power of conquest, how can they deter the villains? If Ji Chang is punished based solely on the two points of "winning people's hearts" and "annexing territories," then who among the other three major vassal states can claim to be clean?
Before Emperor Xin could speak, Marquis E Chongyu of the South and Marquis Chonghouhu of the North stepped forward at the same time.
"We second that request! The Marquis of Xibo's loyalty is beyond question; we beseech Your Majesty to investigate!"
The four powerful lords, being of the same blood and of the same lineage, all knelt down.
Di Xin frowned and turned his gaze to Wen Zhong.
There was a hint of confusion in his eyes. Why was the Grand Tutor so fixated on Ji Chang today?
He knew that Wen Zhong was a cultivator who had entered the court to undergo the tribulations of the mortal world, and that he would leave sooner or later. Because of this, he never doubted Wen Zhong's loyalty in the slightest, but what happened today was rather far-fetched.
Wen Zhong's expression remained unchanged.
He naturally knew that these remarks were not enough to convict Ji Chang; but the chaos in the North Sea, the fate of the Chan Sect, the scheming in the Nuwa Palace, and Guang Chengzi's gift of the sword—all these things pointed to the same direction: someone was setting up a plan, and someone was plotting against the Shang Dynasty.
As for Xiqi, its strength has expanded too rapidly in recent years. With civil officials like San Yisheng and military leaders like Nangong Shi, Xin Jia, and Xin Mian, talented people from all directions flock to it. Among the four major vassal states, Xiqi is the strongest.
If the Shang Dynasty were to change, Xiqi would become a major threat; however, he could not say these things outright.
Wen Zhong glanced slightly to the side and landed on the two people beside him.
One was tall and thin, the other short and stout; they were Fei Zhong and You Hun.
Wen Zhong knew better than anyone what these two were like, but some things were better left for them to say.
"Your Majesty!"
Fei Zhong and You Hun understood, and stepped forward into the ranks, kneeling on the ground: "Your Majesty, we, Fei Zhong and You Hun, pay our respects! We have witnesses! Ji Chang not only wins over the people and annexes territories, but also oversteps his bounds!"
All the officials in the hall turned their gazes to the two men, whose fame was not known because Daji had not entered the palace.
Hidden within the hall, Yun Zhongzi watched as the two infamous traitors of the Shang Dynasty made their appearance, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Wen Zhong is indeed shrewd." Such scoundrels must have had something on the Grand Tutor, which he could now use as leverage.
"What evidence do you have?" Di Xin asked.
Fei Zhong presented a scroll of bamboo slips with both hands: "Your Majesty, we have ascertained that Ji Chang, the Marquis of the West, has built the Lingtai, a sacred altar exclusively for the Emperor, and the Biyong Academy in Xiqi, using the rites of the Emperor to educate the people. Furthermore, through the 'resolution of the lawsuit between Yu and Rui,' he has gained the allegiance and support of the feudal lords and vassal states; he claims that Xiqi has now formed a situation where it 'controls two-thirds of the world'..."
He raised his head, his voice sharp: "Such actions imply a political ambition to replace the Shang Dynasty and possess the entire world!"
These words caused an uproar throughout the hall.
He built the Lingtai Terrace, constructed the Biyong Hall, and resolved the dispute between Yu and Rui.
Each of these three things crossed the line that was reserved for the Emperor.