Chapter 2402: The Player's Sin

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The emperor on the imperial throne still did not speak.

The full hall of civil and military officials each observed their own hearts and guarded themselves, everyone looking at their own toe tips.

In the vast San Qing Xuan Du Shang Di Palace, unexpectedly there was no second sound.

Lüqiu Wen Yue's pair of hands that placed pieces to dominate the world slowly sank down. She seemed unable to bear the weight of that original register, thus being pressed bent at the waist: "Your minister relies on the emperor's selection, receives the world's trust, self-confidently possesses strategy and talent, desires to fill the vast sea. Raising the central power, yet cannot fully accomplish, exhausting the state treasury, yet cannot control the overall situation. To the extent that elite soldiers and famous generals were lost in one evening. A hundred years of accumulation, swallowed by the mad waves. Your minister's crime also!"

Today was a very rare great court assembly where the four great celestial masters were all present.

East Celestial Master Song Huai, South Celestial Master Ying Jiang Hong, West Celestial Master Yu Xi, and North Celestial Master Wu Dao You, in addition to the hundred officials, had separate seats, each occupying one seat, sitting upright on the silver river golden bridge on both sides of the great hall. This was to show supervision of court affairs, while transcending from outside.

Celestial Master, teaches the emperor, guards the heaven gate for the world!

Since the establishment of Daoism, it has been the existence that bears responsibility for the present world and manifests in various directions.

Now although it is not like before, where outside the Dao state there are various countries, and outside Daoism there are various sects, the position of celestial masters, within the Dao state, is still beyond doubt.

One must know that even Jin Wang Ji Xuan Zhen, in this San Qing Xuan Du Shang Di Palace, could only stand in the imperial clan ranks.

He is the current imperial clan's first person, with a proper prince title.

Great Jing's Prime Minister self-declared her crime, and the hundred officials were silent, the imperial clan and nobles all without a word.

And at this time, the West Celestial Master Yu Xi, wearing a gold and jade inlaid colorful luxurious Dao robe, yet rose from his seat, walking down the golden bridge, to the center of the hall.

Among the contemporary four great celestial masters, only in terms of appearance, he was the one who looked the youngest, with handsome facial features, an extremely good complexion, and between his moving steps, there was a kind of noble posture.

He just so crossed the hundred officials' ranks, under the emperor's eyes, and walked to Lüqiu Wen Yue's front.

Prime Minister Lüqiu Wen Yue bowed her body but did not rise.

Celestial Master Yu Xi just stood in front of her, his back facing the emperor and his face facing the hundred officials.

He said: "If you say the names of conscripted soldiers are crime names, then not only these."

Saying this, he held a register and threw it on top of the register that Lüqiu Wen Yue was holding.

This was also a register, also a book of blood accounts!

Register and register collided, with only a light sound. But in this great hall where all sides were silent, it sounded excessively loud.

On the cover was written—

《List of Warriors Trapped and Perished in the Bewildering Realm》

This was the list of Dou E Army soldiers lost in the bewildering realm in this Subdue Sea War, with an actual number of thirty thousand two hundred and seventy-one people.

Even with Jiang Wang erecting the star tower to guide the way, with Fishing Sea Tower supporting, Qi Country permitting passage, and Jing Country's prodigies supporting, those Dou E Army warriors scattered in the bewildering realm still died so many— in fact, only Dou E, such a strong army, elite among elites, could in the situation of their commander dead, their formation scattered, trapped in the bewildering realm, actually not be all wiped out. Instead, they transformed whole into parts, one small team after another returning. Crossing nests and seas, traversing life and death, along the way people continuously died in battle, and people continuously proceeded, finally crossing heavy barriers, ten thousand people returned home.

This embodied the concrete soldier quality of every warrior. It was all firm wills converging into the Dou E Army's military soul.

In the past, Great Jing's famous general Yu Que, commanding the world's first strong army, leading a hundred thousand people, ascending the ancient heavenly road, horizontally pressing the vast sea, what kind of prestige!

The number one hundred thousand was the Dou E Army's full establishment, with the actual expedition number being around one hundred and ten thousand people.

Via the vast sea overturn and the bewildering realm pursuit and kill, finally returning from the bewildering realm, there only remained sixteen thousand three hundred and sixty-six people.

Up to yesterday, the last lost Dou E Army warrior from the bewildering realm was brought back to Tianjing City by Xu San of Da Luo Mountain— Jing Country did not abandon any Jing Country person.

But that prodigy carrying a wine gourd also had broken hands and feet, with seventy-one wounds all over his body, and was now still in a coma in the medical pavilion.

Yesterday, all the conscripted soldiers returned, thus having today's great court assembly.

It was time to make a summary of everything!

But…

Where to start from?

Should they talk about Jing Country's smooth politics and harmonious people in recent years, about the empire many people called "old and decrepit" self-trimming, about the demon world's land expansion, about the central empire's great victory on the grassland, about why Lüqiu Wen Yue's achievements were called "the first female prime minister of the various countries"?

Or should they say one great defeat and then overturn everything?

The full hall of civil and military, no one could speak.

Today, Yu Xi added a charge to Lüqiu Wen Yue's crime responsibility, asking what was more than Lüqiu Wen Yue!

Monarch and minister, monarch and minister, pushing politics as one body.

Openly questioning the prime minister, implicitly questioning the emperor.

The prime minister was already of shallow talent, but was the emperor of thin virtue?

Originally, Jing Wen Emperor could reclaim the governing rights of various prefectures, centralize power, call Jing Country's forty-nine prefectures, upper prefectures, dao prefectures, yuan prefectures, ling prefectures, all twisted into one body. Could today's Jing emperor loosen his grip?

This was not impossible.

Just like originally Jing Tai Zu guarding the gate of ten thousand demons with Tianjing City, in a great battle with the demon race, solely dividing the demon vein; Jing Wen Emperor forming alliances with various sides, holding knives to divide cakes, slaughtering demon world interests; by the time of Jing Qin Emperor, he had to open deputy gates for five countries, making the gate of ten thousand demons truly shared by the world.

From coming times, the world shifted and changed, ancient and modern were slightly similar!

When the West Celestial Master opened his mouth to question, in the entire San Qing Xuan Du Shang Di Palace, there were not many people who could dialogue with him.

Naturally, there were people who wanted to speak for the prime minister.

But Lüqiu Wen Yue did not wait for others to open their mouths.

"Yes, not only these, and not only the names celestial master added, not only those warriors who died in the vast sea, the bewildering realm, the near sea."

She did not shift the blame, instead fully accepting it: "In the present world, various countries contend, group heroes rise together, one must not advance then retreat. We failed this time, injuring our muscles and bones. What can be seen is the name of one living person, what cannot be seen are countless provisions, the vast central empire, using how much manpower and resources, scheming for many years becoming bubbles, how is this not the crime of the schemer? I, as Great Jing's prime minister, bear responsibility for the world, both cannot aid the world and pacify the people, and cannot defeat enemies outside, how can my crime responsibility only be these?"

Thick registers on top of thick registers.

Some dead added noted another some dead.

This sinking heavy weight made Lüqiu Wen Yue's hands sink down again.

Yet at this time, she raised her head, and with a bowed body posture, looking up at the noble West Celestial Master, asked: "West Celestial Master, I will perform a great ritual, do you want to receive this bow of mine?"

Yu Xi slightly paused, then stepped aside, letting open Lüqiu Wen Yue's front position, so that the line of sight between the emperor and Lüqiu Wen Yue was no longer obstructed.

Lüqiu Wen Yue bent down her waist, and those two registers were properly placed on the ground, as if setting up graves for those warriors who could not return home.

Immediately after, she retreated one step, and bowed to the end: "Thirty years of bitter studying in a cold window, only knew effort in outside books; fifty years of official sea blue clouds, unaware that outside the mountains are higher mountains. Looking back at past memorials, your minister spoke freely before the monarch, wanting to achieve the six directions scheme for the king. Looking back at past events, it was a big dream. Our group hearts were higher than the sky, our fate as thin as paper, the chess difference was not just one move, and it was difficult to exist in the world with a thick face. The Subdue Sea plan arose from Lüqiu Wen Yue, and also ended from Lüqiu Wen Yue!"

She directly prostrated on the ground, all five limbs thrown to the ground: "Your minister! Begs death!"

This was the highest ritual.

Completely abandoning one's life, dignity, and everything accumulated through this lifetime's struggle, becoming fish on the chopping board, prisoners on the execution rack.

This kind of ritual, Yu Xi indeed could not receive, even if he was the West Celestial Master, even if he represented Jade Capital Mountain today.

Only the emperor could receive this bow from the prime minister.

Yu Xi's yielding showed the supreme imperial power.

Jing Country's prime minister would use her life to bear responsibility and redeem her crime with death!

This was also equal to taking all the responsibility for the failure of the entire Subdue Sea plan upon herself.

The full hall of civil and military were all moved.

At this time, a tall figure stepped forward, walking out of the ranks: "Your minister Lou Yue has a memorial!"

Taiyuan Zhenren Lou Yue was a world-renowned hero, but in today's San Qing Xuan Du Shang Di Palace, his identity and strength were yet still not enough to be casually seen, so he could not speak casually like Yu Xi. If he had words in his heart, he must "request and then memorialize".

On the jade steps, there was no sound. The emperor silently permitted his speech.

Lou Yue then turned his body, facing Lüqiu Wen Yue's prostrate figure, and bowed deeply again: "Lower official requests the prime minister to rise! You shoulder the world's responsibility, bear the hopes of ten thousand people, lead the virtue of the hundred officials, how can you lightly speak of life and death, abandoning the common people and leaving?"

Lüqiu Wen Yue prostrated on the ground without a sound, and Yu Xi lifted his eyelids slightly.

And Lou Yue said: "Although the East Sea layout failed, who can deny the grandeur of the Subdue Sea plan? Far summoning the power of the Dragon Emperor's ninth son, skipping over Qi people's hundred years of operation. Constructing the ancient heavenly road, crossing the bewildering realm barrier, directly approaching the vast sea core. The sea race's strong army formed as virtual, a crowd of monarchs were stupid as wooden chickens! Engraving the eternal heavenly stele, casting the Penglai reflection, suppressing the vast sea had once already become a reality, the East Sea Dragon King even self-destroyed his home, and the whole clan fled— this kind of layout, this kind of preparation, put your eyes on the world, how many bureaus can match?!"

"From ancient times, schemes are in people, accomplishments are in heaven. Although time and fortune did not aid, how can the prime minister's schemes be picked apart? Although this one bureau failed, it was not lost to anyone. Qi Country is picking up the cheap, the sea race is swallowing the last straw. We lost outside the chessboard!"

"Transcendence from the beginning was not in the bureau, who could calculate the transcendent ones?"

"Ao Shu Yi has guarded the Long River for several hundred thousand years, who all thought It submitted to the human race, who could know It deeply hid evil intentions? Occurring today ruined my great plan. Occurring in Shen Xiao, I dare not imagine! Now with the loss of Subdue Sea, gouging the old sores of the Long River, Jing Country has suffered a loss, but the human race has benefited, how is this account to be calculated again?"

"Before the vast sea was subdued, who knew Ao Shu Yi's heart? Before Subdue Sea, who could scheme this bureau to forever end the troubles of transcendence?"

After one bow, he straightened his body and raised his voice: "Those who did not participate in the war do not know the hardships within it, do not see the one wave with three folds, victory already in grasp yet buried by transcendent ones, this kind of heart-piercing pain, although various lords cannot perceive it! I went to the vast sea, embracing the determination to die. I did not know beforehand there was Penglai, nor did I know the eternal heavenly stele was there, the prime minister's schemes were secret to this extent, how can they be lightly pointed out! Upon the commander's generous going to death, Ling Chen Dao Lord's resolute rear breaking, tens of thousands of Great Jing men, three or five forming teams, involving the sea and returning— various lords! This time's Subdue Sea plan, did we really not exhaust our efforts? Suppose various lords replaced their bodies, ask who could do better?"

He surveyed the surroundings, staring at all the people: "Regardless of matters before, matters occurred, and matters after, who is in charge, can surpass upon the commander? Who is in charge, can excel upon the prime minister? The whole country exerted itself in one matter, the generals exhausted themselves with one heart, yet were defeated outside the bureau, various lords actually only have the posture of watching from the shore, tsk tsk exclaiming, evaluating heads and discussing feet?!"

Whether Ao Shu Yi truly deeply hid evil intentions and falsely submitted was not that important. Jing Country would necessarily define it as such.

Lou Yue stood out today, especially standing out in front of Yu Xi, sentence after sentence protecting Lüqiu Wen Yue, word after word protecting the current emperor, was a clear declaration of attitude, indeed the most loyal imperial party.

One must know that his title "Taiyuan Zhenren" was precisely recorded in the Yuan Shi Jade Register.

That year when he was cultivating in seclusion in Jade Capital Mountain, Yu Xi still guided his cultivation.

If it were another occasion, he would necessarily be extremely respectful to Yu Xi. But today, they could only face to face, with words like blades.

Political stance is higher than all stances.

Jing Country's history condensed into one sentence is the struggle between Dao authority and imperial authority.

Yu Xi gazed deeply at Lou Yue: "Taiyuan Zhenren, are you saying this seat lightly?"

Lou Yue retreated a step and bowed again: "A vulgar person dares not lightly point at the celestial master!"

"But you already have lightly pointed!" Yu Xi's face turned cold, and his voice gradually rose: "This seat did not participate in the vast sea war, but was sitting in town outside heaven, allowing you all to look east to the vast sea with no worries behind you. Could it be that not participating in the war means I cannot evaluate your wins and losses? Could it be that this seat lost the heaven gate, and also has to escape responsibility, also to face the full court of civil and military, and ask one sentence, you can excel me, if you have the ability, you come?!"

At this time, Lou Yue, instead of retreating, spread his robe sleeves: "Celestial Master adult! The words of this lower official and the words of the celestial master are not the same. When a bureau of chess ends, wins and losses are clearly visible, right and wrong are divided by people. Those who understand chess and those who do not can all speak freely, idle men discussing national players is also common. But this bureau of chess was not lost to the opponent, but overturned by transcendence outside the bureau, dare I ask what crime the players committed? Can you say she did not exhaust her efforts?"

"Again, I ask the celestial master, how is this word 'crime' explained?"

He raised his voice and said: "Mistakes are crimes, violating the law is a crime. I do not know what law the prime minister adult violated, or where her mistakes were? Transcendent ones cannot be calculated, cannot be discussed, cannot be imagined. Besides the transcendent ones discussed outside, precisely where in this bureau did the prime minister place insufficient pieces?!"

He said again: "This lower official asks precisely who can do better, and also wants to glimpse precisely, to know if there are better methods, better choices? If it can benefit the country and the world, who is willing to be insufficient? This lower official blocked Cao Jie's path in the near sea archipelago, personally saw the style of the East Celestial Master, and greatly admired it. The East Celestial Master consolidated the winning position in a winning bureau, making Qi people dare not peep eastward, stabilized the situation in a losing bureau, ordering warriors to return to the country— dare I ask West Celestial Master, if it were you who went to the near sea archipelago at that time, could you do better, could you recover the losing bureau?"

Song Huai sat there, his face expressionless.

Yu Xi of course would not truly compare himself with Song Huai at this time; the linguistic trap of this degree felt shallow even with a shoe sole buried.

He only looked at Lou Yue: "This word 'crime' may not have been said by this seat, it was said by Prime Minister Lüqiu herself. Taiyuan Zhenren, although Prime Minister Lüqiu's matters failed now, she also had high laborious merits, are you going to deny her even this point?"

"Celestial master also knows the prime minister had high laborious merits! In the past, according to Tai Zu's regulations, speakers were without crime, doers were without crime, so that civil and military dared to make suggestions, so that the hundred officials dared to take charge." Lou Yue's voice lifted: "Since Prime Minister Lüqiu did not once violate the law, had no mistakes, was defeated outside the bureau and not in the bureau, defeated by heaven's will and not in human affairs, what crime does she have again?"

As Lou Yue spoke, he actually walked forward: "The prime minister speaking of crime is her bearing. Others speaking of crime, I want to ask… what intentions do they have!"