novelraw Chapter 489 - 255, I... have a name called Emperor Tiande_2
Chapter 489 - 255, I... have a name called Emperor Tiande_2
Although a common saying goes, what you cannot obtain on the battlefield, you cannot obtain at the negotiation table. However, in contrast, when a large country oppresses a small one, sometimes there is no need to wage war; one can obtain what one wants through negotiation alone... Times change and power shifts! The Hai Family and Flying Feather Immortal Palace are "great powers" in his eyes at present, but a little later, that might not be the case.
Several months passed in the blink of an eye.
Within Fengxi Country, due to the grave relocation issue, the Xu Royal Family had split into two factions. One faction, led by Emperor Xiaochang, prioritized state affairs and agreed to the grave relocation. The other faction, led by the Three Princes of the Royal Family and various Local Kings, disagreed with the relocation...
To purify the Royal Court! This well-tested excuse, used by feudal kings throughout generations, was now being employed by the Xu Family’s Local Kings to gather troops and incite rebellion in various places.
The members of the Xu Royal Family living in Shenjing were also caught up in this matter, kneeling and wailing outside the palace gates every day, imploring Emperor Xiaochang to retract his command.
One day, Emperor Xiaochang, dressed in civilian clothes, came to visit Xu Xing at the Daoist Temple in Hongchang Square where he resided. Upon seeing Xu Xing, the young Emperor’s tears flowed freely as he began to pour out his grievances, "Feudal Official Yan, I... have I done something wrong? If our national fortune wanes and my Xu Royal Family loses the empire, our descendants might survive as commoners. But these nobles, how could they possibly endure?"
However, compared to a few months prior in the Ziwei Palace when he had strongly supported Emperor Xiaochang, Xu Xing now appeared calm, showing no sign of being moved.
"Since Your Majesty is the Emperor, you should know that an Emperor’s words carry immense weight. Decisions cannot be made lightly, and once made, you must be prepared to bear the responsibility."
Xu Xing waited until Emperor Xiaochang had finished crying. Then, with a wave of his sleeve, he used his Magic Power to help the Emperor rise from the ground. Xu Xing slightly raised his eyelids, looking indifferently at the young monarch.
"Your Majesty means..." Emperor Xiaochang began.
"It is not difficult to guess," Xu Xing said lightly. "You wish for me to deploy my Daoist arts and save your empire?"
Unsolicited attentiveness often hides ulterior motives—either treacherous or thievish, Xu Xing thought. He and Emperor Xiaochang had little prior interaction. The Emperor’s tearful plea could only mean one thing: the young ruler was buckling under internal and external pressure.
Not all civil and military officers in the Imperial Court were members of the Huan Family Traitors. Disturbing ancestral graves was an act of filial impiety, and conscientious officials were bound to submit memorials of remonstrance. Pressured by court officials from within and facing Local Kings proclaiming a ’righteous’ rebellion from without... this was not a situation the newly enthroned Emperor Xiaochang could easily resolve.
"Feudal Official Yan..." Emperor Xiaochang managed a sheepish smile, a hint of embarrassment on his flustered face. "Since you came to support my Han Dynasty, why not lend me your aid now?"
Initially, before meeting Xu Xing, he had prepared a speech. Just as with the power seizure in the Ziwei Palace, he had mentally rehearsed it multiple times. But now, with Xu Xing having so bluntly exposed his true intentions, the ’embellished words’ he had prepared caught in his throat, impossible to utter.
"As I have said before, I am protecting the Xu Family’s domain, not you specifically, Emperor Xiaochang," Xu Xing stated, shaking his head.
As he spoke, he retrieved a low table and two cushions from his Storage Bag. He gestured for Emperor Xiaochang to sit and then produced a jar of Spiritual Wine, using his Magic Power to pour a small half-cup for the Emperor. The wine arced from the jar, drawn by his power, and flowed into the wine cup like a miniature white waterfall.
Watching this, Emperor Xiaochang was momentarily dazed, his eyes filled with fascination and a touch of envy.
Being an Emperor is good, Emperor Xiaochang thought, but how can it compare to being one of the long-lived Immortals?
"If Feudal Official Yan is unwilling to help me out of this crisis, I understand," Emperor Xiaochang said hastily. "But... Feudal Official Yan... could you at least save my life? I am willing to abdicate and dedicate myself to cultivation from now on!"
He knew that if the political situation continued to deteriorate, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Local Kings usurped his throne. Even if he wasn’t overthrown, Empress Dowager Li would surely seize the opportunity to appease the anger both within and outside the Imperial Court by deposing him and installing Prince Zhou. If he remained in the Imperial Palace, death was his only certain fate.
"The Xiaoyao Sect and Xuanji Temple, two great martial arts sanctuaries, are both subordinate powers of the Higher Teachings of the Immortal Sect," Xu Xing said, understanding Emperor Xiaochang’s underlying meaning. After a moment of contemplation, he continued, "If Your Majesty wishes to learn the Dao, you can join the Xiaoyao Sect. If you wish to renounce the world and enter monastic life, you can go to Xuanji Temple." He pointed out these two clear paths for cultivating immortality within Fengxi Country.
If this Emperor Xiaochang were his own son, Emperor Kaiming Xu Zhang, and if Xu Xing himself had, at this time, already reached the Nascent Soul Daoist Lord realm and possessed the ability to establish his own School and protect himself, he would indeed be willing to support Xu Zhang. However, he was unwilling to expend effort cultivating a distant descendant.
"Those two martial arts sanctuaries... they only accept individuals of exceptional talent..." Emperor Xiaochang said with a bitter smile. "Although I am the Emperor, the leaders of those two Schools are figures from the Immortal Sect. Even if I were to join their ranks, I doubt I would be given much importance..."
Trapped by internal and external pressures, he had considered seeking aid from these two martial arts sanctuaries to resolve his predicament. However, both the Xiaoyao Sect and Xuanji Temple had, without exception, refused to even meet with the imperial envoys he had dispatched.
Xu Xing was not surprised to hear this. After he was branded an ’outcast’ by the Flying Feather Immortal Palace, the Xu Royal Family lost its powerful backing. These martial arts sanctuaries didn’t depend on the Imperial Court, so why would they show any deference to Emperor Xiaochang, a mere mortal emperor?
"Drink this cup of Water Wine, Your Majesty, and then you should leave the Daoist Temple," Xu Xing said, changing the subject and gesturing to the wine cup on the low table before Emperor Xiaochang.
"If Feudal Official Yan is unwilling to help me, then what is the point of drinking this Water Wine...?" Emperor Xiaochang replied, his face etched with disappointment.
In his eyes, this cup of Water Wine was merely Xu Xing’s polite way of dismissing him, akin to the custom of serving tea to signal the end of a visit.