Chapter 2736: Crowning Like a Monument

In the gusty rules of the Xuanlu Hall, one corner of a book page curled up but didn't actually turn over.

Several plain lines of text on the page connected with Chunyu Gui's peripheral vision.

"...Its head is indeed hanging. People at the time said, it doesn't look like a dim monarch."

Chunyu Gui knew the full text from these characters and understood that this was an inside chapter.

It was the set of history books that the current Son of Heaven most often flipped through and read.

At least, that's how it seemed from Chunyu Gui's perspective. He hadn't entered the Xuanlu Hall many times; the first time was during his initial examination of Shenlin, together with Zhao Xuan Yang. The recent times were all after Dongzhen.

But each time he came here, he could see traces of this set of history books being flipped through.

Roughly speaking, this kind of lord with the world in their heart couldn't stand those convoluted, miscellaneous historical evaluations. They only looked at the original form of history and buried all their feelings deep within their holy hearts.

Just as Penglai Island hangs alone overseas, it occasionally shows its influence, dominating the East Sea. Yujing Mountain sits in the western extremity, bearing the heavy burden of suppressing Qin Country itself.

Yizhen Dao Prime's execution was certainly a good thing.

The Great Palm Teach of Yujing Mountain being Yizhen Dao Prime was also a good opportunity for the Emperor Party to gain authority over a Dao pulse.

But Zong Dezhen's clean and neat death would undoubtedly greatly weaken Yujing Mountain's influence, which was another big gift to the rapidly rising Great Qin Empire—there was no longer any power in the west that could restrain it!

Sometimes Chunyu Gui really felt tired for the Son of Heaven.

The matter of Yizhen Dao was still ongoing, and the Son of Heaven was already starting to worry about West Qin.

In this world of six directions, where was there a moment of peace?

Such a vast empire looking extremely calm and smooth truly could not be achieved without exhausting all thought and effort!

"Mister Sima hasn't shown his face for a long time," the Emperor closed the scroll in his hand and opened the next one, saying casually.

Chunyu Gui knew his peripheral vision had been noticed, so he quickly hid his thoughts and said earnestly, "Mister Sima seeks truth in writing history, often delves deep into ancient lands. It's common for him not to be seen for several decades. It's almost time to order the book; only for this will he not let others substitute. He should appear within these few years."

Earlier during the spring hunt, the Son of Heaven suddenly asked him if he wanted to join the Execute Demon Army.

With his identity and cultivation, being a main general was too low, and being commander-in-chief wasn't enough qualification.

Jing Country was not like Qi Country. Things like Chen Zeqing holding Spring Death or Tian Anping holding Chop Rain were very hard to happen in Jing Country. Matters like Chongxuan Chuliang or Qi Wen were absolutely impossible.

Because Jing Country was too ancient and too vast, too many people were eyeing those few positions.

Yin Xiaoheng died, and behind him, who knew how many people were in line.

Of course, the most important thing was that strong armies like Execute Demon, Kill Disaster, and 荡 Evil had always belonged to the Dao Gate and absolutely would not allow someone like him from the Emperor Party to touch them!

Zong Dezhen's exposure of his identity as Yizhen Dao Prime once made him see an opportunity.

If he couldn't go to the Execute Demon Army or Kill Disaster, could he replace one in 荡 Evil?

Especially at the moment of the assassination, he was still following Ji Yumin's order to guard Withered Locust Mountain...

In the world's first central empire, leaping to become an Eight Armor Commander. For his political life, this was a huge leap. The resources and power this brought, even the positive impact on his entire family, were all clearly visible.

However, after the Son of Heaven personally went to Yujing Mountain, this possibility disappeared.

Yujing Mountain caused trouble, and the Son of Heaven smoothed it over.

Yujing Mountain couldn't bear the pressure, and the Son of Heaven endured it.

Then who should Yujing Mountain listen to?

The Son of Heaven wanted to pave the way for Lou Shu to seek the position of Great Palm Teach of Yujing Mountain, so such an important position as Eight Armor Commander would absolutely not be released by Yujing Mountain again.

He couldn't help but feel regret, but it was just regret.

"Tomorrow is the grand court session, and the Total Constitution will submit another chapter," the Son of Heaven picked up the memorial in his hand, lifted it slightly, showing no joy or anger on his face, only saying, "What did Lou Daojun say about that?"

The current Son of Heaven's display of undisputed strength and the first grand court session after the execution of Yizhen Dao Prime would inevitably have a profound impact on the entire empire.

The pulling out of Yizhen Dao and the huge power vacuum created by the execution of the Great Palm Teach of Yujing Mountain would be filled during this grand court session. This involved a major power adjustment for the entire central empire!

And the true decisions had already been made before walking into the central great hall.

Like the previous time when Lüqiu Wenyue begged to die in the hall, the Emperor lifted his trump card in the court hall, directly facing the pressure of the three Dao Gate pulses, and instead forced the Dao Gate to retreat... That kind of intense confrontation like jumping on the dining table was relatively rare.

The capital officials played a decent game.

The memorial submitted by the Total Constitution Shang Shuyi again involved Lou Yue, nothing more than Lou Yue's second daughter, Lou Jiangyue, joining Hell No Door, attacking Mirror World Platform Prime Fu Dongxu, and disturbing Great Prime Ouyang Jie of Jicingsi's pursuit of Qin Guangwang.

The Censorate would certainly want to impose a severe punishment on this.

At that time, during the assassination attempt, the Son of Heaven only said that Lou Yue would give an account. This was what saved Lou Jiangyue's life and didn't immediately implicate Lou Yue.

But until now, the second day being the grand court session, Lou Yue still hadn't given an appropriate account that satisfied all parties!

Especially, Chunyu Gui also heard that Lou Yue asked Great Prime Ouyang Jie to exert pressure on the Censorate and forcibly take Lou Jiangyue back to Jicingsi...

The Son of Heaven called him "Daojun," obviously still biased towards Lou Shu.

Chunyu Gui deliberated in his heart and replied, "Suddenly pulling out Yizhen Dao, the empire has lost a significant amount of blood and suffered extremely heavy wounds. It is unavoidable to have panic. The entire country, from top to bottom, is in chaos and difficult to control. Lou Daojun bears heavy responsibilities, and many things probably haven't been handled yet... I think it needs time."

The Son of Heaven waved his hand, "Summon him."

A eunuch guarding outside the hall went to relay the order.

Just as Chunyu Gui was weighing whether or not he should leave, he heard the Son of Heaven say, "You wait here."

He then stood still.

He understood in his heart that his standing here was also a reminder and urging to Lou Yue—reminding Lou Yue how much resources the Emperor Party had tilted towards him, and how he should make his decision!

Lou Yue came very quickly.

Almost as soon as Chunyu Gui adjusted his posture, he walked into the hall with big strides.

His tiger-roaring mountain and river robe lifted high and then fell lonely.

"This minister, greets the Son of Heaven!"

This majestic body directly bowed down, prostrating on the ground.

In this era of Yandao, a super extraordinary peak, a cultivator of monarchs! Practitioners at this realm could see the monarch without bowing, let alone performing such a grand ritual.

This bow showed his determination and represented his plea, almost self-evident.

But who was the current Son of Heaven? How could he repeatedly tolerate this?

Chunyu Gui was anxious for a moment and didn't dare to look up.

The Son of Heaven was still leisurely flipping through the book, seemingly unaffected at all, only saying, "Rise."

Lou Yue remained prostrate on the ground and did not rise.

"I told you to rise," the Son of Heaven said.

Lou Yue instead prostrated and knocked his head once, making a "bang" sound. His voice was also almost touching the ground, "This minister will give Your Majesty an account."

The Son of Heaven finally stopped looking at the book for the first time, shifted his gaze, and looked towards Lou Yue, "Lift your head."

Lou Yue just lay prostrate on the ground like this, raising his head to look at the Son of Heaven.

The Jing Country Emperor in the Xuanlu Hall didn't wear a crown robe; he was in ordinary clothes. He didn't wear the Pingtian crown on his head, just a bundled jade ring. Without the beaded curtain, his line of sight lacked a bit of mystery but suddenly gained a bit of naked majesty!

The Jing Son of Heaven gazed at him, "What did you say?"

Lou Yue lay prostrate on the ground, his face raised, presenting a posture of waiting to be slaughtered, "This minister deeply knows that he has failed His Majesty's grace. Even if my body is smashed and bones are crushed, I will give Your Majesty an account!"

The Jing Son of Heaven directly threw the book roll in his hand out!

He just smashed it directly onto Lou Yue's head, intending to smash his skull!

The Hall Master of the Central Domain's first True Person to achieve Yandao, a contemporary True Monarch who had hope of climbing Yujing Mountain and becoming the Great Palm Teach of Yujing Mountain, was actually smashed in the forehead by a book!

That roll was just like this embedded into Lou Yue's forehead.

It wasn't a hit, it was an insertion.

Chunyu Gui was so shocked he almost jumped out of the hall on the spot! He forcefully suppressed the Yunshen Hall, just to suppress the shock in his heart.

That thick book roll was vertically inserted into Lou Yue's forehead, like a bloody crown.

"You don't need to give me an account because I have full trust in you," the Jing Son of Heaven's voice carried a hint of anger at his failure to meet expectations, "But you need to give an account to the people of the world because you want to sit in that position!"

Lou Yue lay prostrate on the ground like a corpse, his head crowned like a stele, letting fresh blood immediately flow all over his face, and said earnestly, "That year I traveled with Seven Hate, at first I didn't know his identity and poured out my heart to him. Later I guessed his identity, hated his scheme, and wanted to use a counter-scheme to lure and kill the Demon Monarch. But from beginning to end, whether I knew him or not, it was all under his control. My thoughts were like the lines in his palm. My will was like grass under his boot. In this field of contention between me and him, I lost completely, lost everything, and almost fell into the Demon Realm—"

"Today's sorrow all originates from my incompetence."

"Today's hatred, all bear the name of Lou Yue."

"Lou Jiangyue lived for Yuan Tu, not of her own thought, not of her own wish, not of her own doing. She did nothing wrong, only because she is Lou Yue's daughter, did she incur such a fate—"

"Your Majesty, if I kill her, will it wipe away my mistake?"

Lou Yue knocked his head on the ground, "Or forever... nail down my sin!"

This was the first time Chunyu Gui had seen such a Lou Yue.

This Central Domain's first Taiyuan True Person, a figure who comprehended the world, had always been a master of the universe, high-minded and majestic.

When did he ever have such a moment of prostrating on the ground, begging forgiveness, and weeping blood while waiting to be slaughtered?

It was also today that he learned there was such a past incident back then.

It could be said that relying solely on Lou Yue's past interaction with the Seven Hate Demon Monarch was reason enough to kill him. The Son of Heaven could still tolerate him and give him such trust; it was truly broad-minded.

From a public perspective, in the current situation, Lou Yue personally killing Lou Jiangyue was the best choice.

As the Son of Heaven said—give an account to the people of the world.

Only by Lou Yue personally killing Lou Jiangyue could he truly "cut off old evils" and complete the thorough transformation from Lou Shu to Lou Daojun. Only after righteous extermination of kin could he walk up that pure white Yujing Mountain and stand high above to lead a Dao pulse sect.

As long as Lou Jiangyue was still alive, this was a wound Lou Yue could never avoid and could never cover up.

Anyone could use this to attack and criticize Lou Yue, and Lou Yue would be unable to argue back.

In fact, that Lou Jiangyue could live until today was already an unimaginable matter.

To be able to walk all the way to such a high position in the complex and intricate central Great Jing, a figure like Lou Yue would actually leave himself a fatal weakness.

Who could have thought?

The Son of Heaven sitting there didn't speak.

Lou Yue, prostrate on the ground, his voice sorrowful like weeping, "This minister also knows that with just one knife, the sky will be high and the sea wide from then on, climbing to the peak of the Dao pulse. Advancing can live up to Your Majesty's deep love, retreating can preserve my life's pursuit. But this one knife, which could not be struck on the swaddling clothes back then, has become harder and harder to strike as time passes—"

"The years this minister has hesitated and lingered are also the years Jiangyue has resisted Yuan Tu. This minister watched with wide eyes as she slowly grew up, watched her laugh, watched her cry, watched her live in pain every day, yet struggle forward every day. How difficult it was for her to grow to this day!"

"Although she yearns for death, this minister is incompetent and cannot fulfill her wish."

"This minister went to the Jicingsi prison and saw Jiangyue's face."

"She is truly a very, very good child."

"She told all the reasons, told why she wanted to do this, only one point she didn't say—"

"Only by committing such a crime can I not save her and not suffer pangs of conscience."

Lou Yue lay on the ground, crawled two steps, and raised his blood-colored, blurred face, "She loves me."

For a moment, it was impossible to distinguish whether it was blood or tears on his face, "Loves me, this father who cannot protect her. Loves me, this hateful face, implicating her most beloved blood relation to be like this today!"

Chunyu Gui was suddenly moved.

All the pain in the world cannot compare to the sorrow of being a parent.

He felt Lou Yue's struggle in these years.

He also seemed to re-recognize this Lou Shu.

"Go down," the Emperor sat there, his face showing no emotion.

"Your Majesty!" Lou Yue knocked his head on the ground again, and suddenly a bloodstain appeared.

"Lou Jiangyue can live, but she cannot be released," the Jing Son of Heaven waved his hand, a hint of weariness finally appearing in his voice, "Let it be like this."

"This minister, thanks the Son of Heaven!" Lou Yue knocked his head again, then retreated backward, leaving the hall step by step.

From the moment Lou Yue entered the door until he walked out of the Xuanlu Hall, throughout the entire process, Chunyu Gui remained silent like a stone sculpture, not daring to breathe.

To hear a secret is naturally to gain the Son of Heaven's trust.

But some secrets, once heard, must be borne.

He wasn't sure he could truly bear it.

Permanent imprisonment was Lou Jiangyue's fate. But for Lou Jiangyue, this was already the best outcome. The Son of Heaven ultimately cared deeply for Lou Yue.

"Ancient hearts are hard to measure. Even if you are high in the clouds, or mixed in the mud, you cannot control everything."

The Son of Heaven sighed faintly, "I've paved the road for him to climb to the top. He only needs to lift his foot to walk up that step."

"Kinship, power, strength, why do you say he wants it all?"

"I can't have it all either."

The Emperor's hand hung on the chair, and blood drops suddenly fell from his fingertips like rain, blooming onto the ground tiles point by point.

A book smashing Lou Yue's forehead certainly wouldn't injure this Emperor.

The blood emerging from his fingertips showed the remnants of his battle with Yizhen Yitui.

Of course, serving and standing in the Xuanlu Hall, where would Chunyu Gui dare to assume this was true?

What the Son of Heaven wanted you to see was what you could see.

Chunyu Gui stepped forward, "Your Majesty..."

The Emperor waved his hand, "No harm."

The Son of Heaven sighed and said he couldn't have it all, and Chunyu Gui couldn't help but think of the rumors boiling in the capital recently—saying that among the Great Jing imperial heirs, there were members who had been misled by Yizhen Dao. If the assassination succeeded, Zong Dezhen had originally intended to support that person in climbing to the top...

But he didn't say anything, just half-squatted down, wiped the blood with his hand, and slowly wiped away the bloodstains on the ground.

The Jing Son of Heaven just quietly watched him do this, and suddenly said, "Tai Yu True Monarch mentioned that his sword would leave the East Sea, but someone sent Xu San back to Daluo Mountain completely unharmed, and he then stayed put—do you have any clues about this matter?"