Legend of Swordsman

One glance, one move.

Everyone performed their duties.

When the Zhanxian Guard received intelligence, they did everything they were supposed to do and kept following up on matters related to the Jiang Kingdom.

However, the reason they hadn’t followed up now was that they no longer had any intelligence from the Zhanxian Guard.

Yet, Yan Zhong took full responsibility and pleaded guilty to His Majesty.

But any intelligent person could see that this was all due to the intelligence issue with the Zhanxian Guard and had nothing to do with the Grand Elder.

Before the Tang Emperor could speak, the civil and military officials all began to persuade him.

“Your Majesty, the Grand Elder manages the cabinet and oversees the affairs of the world. This failure of supervision doesn’t fall under the jurisdiction of the cabinet!”

“Please, Your Majesty, be discerning!”

A series of pleas followed, but no one directly blamed the Zhanxian Guard.

They were all wise enough to know that even if His Majesty punished the Zhanxian Guard, he wouldn’t completely dismantle them. At most, there would be some penalties to maintain balance between the sides.

If they offended the Zhanxian Guard too severely, they’d surely face retaliation in the future, which wouldn’t be pleasant.

Grand Elder Yan had foreseen this long ago. For every person who feared them, there were those who did not.

Like those who had been wronged by the Zhanxian Guard.

Among the officials, a frail, white-haired old man slowly stepped forward. His hands trembled as he bowed, and though he appeared to be in his twilight years, his voice thundered like a storm.

“Your servant, willing to die for his advice!”

“The Zhanxian Guard has colluded with the remnants of the Jiang Kingdom and failed to report it, harboring sinister intentions. They are a blight on our Tang Empire. I beg Your Majesty to abolish the Zhanxian Tower!”

His words shocked the entire hall.

Yan Zhong took a deep breath and solemnly said, “Prince Yu!”

The other officials dared not utter a word.

The weight of those words was too heavy.

To die for advice—such a statement could indeed lead to death, especially when it involved the Zhanxian Guard, with their Grand Commander present in the hall! ŗ𝓪Ｎ𝐎฿Ês

Many secretly glanced at the Grand Commander of the Zhanxian Guard, wondering how this eunuch would retaliate.

Outsiders believed that the Zhanxian Guard only knew how to kill, but they didn’t realize that this Grand Commander had once wielded power to suppress the entire court.

If it hadn’t been for the Tang Emperor’s efforts to maintain balance by leaning toward the cabinet, the officials in the hall wouldn’t have dared to act so boldly.

“Uncle, why are you doing this…” The Tang Emperor seemed a bit surprised.

Not only was the Emperor taken aback, but so was the Imperial Son-in-Law.

He hadn’t expected things to escalate so quickly. Having only recently become the Imperial Son-in-Law, he lacked experience in court matters and couldn’t discern the true intentions of these old foxes.

Especially the one seated on the dragon throne.

“Let them stir things up, the more chaotic, the better. This way, the Shanhai Commandery will be turned upside down!” The Imperial Son-in-Law steeled his heart, deciding to watch how the situation unfolded.

Prince Yu, the leader of the meritorious nobles, had pledged his life for his advice. The other nobles understood that this time, they had to go all out.

After some hesitation, they too began to advise, advocating for the abolition of the Zhanxian Tower.

At this moment, the Grand Elder Yan Zhong stood aside, helping no one.

His role was to ignite the flames; the rest was no longer his concern.

As for Imperial Son-in-Law Chen Yuan, he was merely the one who had struck the match.

For a moment, the court was filled with passionate debate.

Emperor Guangfu furrowed his brows, remaining silent for a long while. His gaze occasionally drifted toward the Grand Commander, but internally, he was delighted.

The Zhanxian Tower had been a thorn in his side. In the past, he had chosen to endure certain things, but after last night’s incident, he could no longer tolerate it.

If he continued to endure, it would only jeopardize his plans sooner or later.

However, the Zhanxian Tower had grown too large to control. Despite several attempts to curtail its influence, the highest authority in the tower remained the Grand Commander—a loyal minister who had once served the late emperor.

Defeating it in one blow was impossible.

Moreover, balance was necessary.

Seeing that the situation had reached a critical point, Emperor Guangfu rubbed his temples, his voice weary. “Commander Wei, do you have anything to explain to me?”

A way out!

Upon hearing these words, the officials below were all startled, realizing that the emperor intended to protect Zhanxian Tower once again.

The emperor had now provided Commander Wei with an escape route. All it would take was a few flattering words and an admission of guilt, perhaps forfeiting some salary for a year or so, and the matter would be resolved.

All their efforts just now would have been in vain.

The elderly King Yu almost fainted at the sight, having waited many years for this opportunity.

“Wei Jiuxian!” King Yu ground his teeth in hatred.

Years ago, in an attempt to secure his eldest son’s path to becoming an immortal, King Yu had secretly divided spiritual mines within his fief. However, the Zhanxian Guard had discovered his actions, killing his son on the spot and confiscating the entire mine.

How could he not hate them?

He didn’t dare to hate the emperor, but he had no qualms about hating this eunuch—and his hatred was immense!

“Your Majesty, our Eastern Tang Empire spans a million miles of fertile land and governs countless millions of citizens. We cannot allow a eunuch to place the Tang Empire in jeopardy. Otherwise, I would be ashamed to face our ancestors!” After speaking, King Yu kowtowed again.

Emperor Guangfu’s eyelids twitched as he listened, his frown deepening. This time, the words struck a chord.

With the court now silent, everyone waited for the emperor’s response.

“Sigh!” Emperor Guangfu let out a long sigh and slowly stood up. His gaze swept across the court as he spoke in a restrained but angry tone, “Minister Wei, this matter started with the Zhanxian Guard. Do you have an explanation?”

In the end, the focus shifted back to Wei Jiuxian, just as initially planned.

Using today’s events to offset yesterday’s mistakes—such was the emperor’s strategy.

Reaching this point as emperor left Emperor Guangfu feeling somewhat helpless, but for the sake of…

In the court, Wei Jiuxian finally raised his head after hearing the emperor speak.

He slowly turned around, surveying everyone before fixing his gaze on Emperor Guangfu. In a solemn tone, he said, “I have no explanation to offer, Your Majesty. However, I must report that the situation in Mangshan County has already affected the capital. The demonic cult has ravaged the Eastern Tang region, leaving the southeastern nine counties empty of people. This is the critical issue for the Tang Empire, far more serious than any border conflict!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire court was shocked!

Empty of people?

The southeastern nine counties?

The officials who had lived in the capital all their lives had no idea of the actual situation outside. All they had received were reports filtered through layers of approval.

Now hearing Wei Jiuxian say that the southeastern nine counties were so devastated that not a single living person could be found, how could they not be shocked?

Senior Grand Secretary Yan Zhong was the first to stand up and angrily rebuke, “Absurd, utterly absurd! The southeastern nine counties have a population of tens of millions. How could they be empty? Over the past few years, the Tang Empire has enjoyed favorable weather, with no wars, plagues, or famines. How could so many people have perished?”

“Minister Yan!” Wei Jiuxian’s gaze turned cold as he responded, “I said it was due to the demonic cult’s ravages!”

His words directly targeted Emperor Guangfu.

Everyone in the court knew that in recent years, Emperor Guangfu had considered establishing the Chiyang Sect as the state religion. Yet, Chiyang Sect was nothing more than a demonic cult. Three years ago, they had been allowed to participate in the court, but they should never have been accepted into the imperial hall.

To the civil and military officials, the Chiyang Sect had behaved with restraint over the years, with no egregious actions. The idea of establishing it as a state religion seemed acceptable.

But now, hearing that the Chiyang Sect had committed such atrocities, their confidence wavered.

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