8mi Chapter 156 Standoff at the Golden Palace!
Chapter 156 Standoff at the Golden Palace!
Chapter 156 Standoff at the Golden Palace!
The atmosphere in the Golden Palace was solemn.
Ye Li held his sword and looked around, pouring his inner energy into the sharp blade, his gaze showing no sign of yielding.
The group of kneeling officials around him felt as if they were being pricked by thorns, and their eyes flashed with surprise.
"You madman! Put down your weapon and kneel down to beg for forgiveness!"
An elderly official, his white hair and beard trembling with rage, pointed at Ye Li and shouted sternly, his voice shrill with fear: "This is before the Emperor himself! How dare you act so recklessly with your weapon! Do you wish to have your entire family executed?!"
"Ye Li! His Majesty is the Son of Heaven, ordained by Heaven! How dare you, a mere warrior, so defy the majesty of Heaven!"
Another official, dressed in a scarlet robe, was deathly pale, but his voice was forced to remain calm: "Quickly kowtow! Don't ruin your own life and implicate the Imperial Academy and Martial Arts Institute behind you!"
"Young Master Ye! Think it over!"
An official with some connection to the Imperial Academy's Martial Arts Department spoke with urgent admonition, trying to rouse Ye Li to his senses: "You are exceptionally talented and have a bright future! There is still room for maneuver in today's matter. Do not ruin your promising future because of a moment of anger! His Majesty is magnanimous; as long as you are willing to admit your mistake—"
"That's enough!"
Ye Li's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a thunderclap, instantly drowning out all the noise in the hall.
"Now I understand why the Xia Kingdom only has four Innate Realm experts!"
Ye Li spoke, his tone solemn, drawing everyone's attention, eager to see what insightful opinion he had.
"Feudal ethics have devoured countless people. You bow to officials and kneel before the emperor, which has long since worn away all your pride."
Ye Li took a step forward, the soft sound of his foot landing echoing in the deathly silent hall: "Martial arts defy the heavens, seeking immortality from the world, harming all things for personal gain."
"Those born with innate qualities are thieves of heaven and earth; those who achieve this will have their lifespan extended by three hundred years."
"Slaughtering mortals is sinful, but slaughtering martial artists is not. All of you here are people rejected by heaven and earth, and killing you would be a great merit."
"Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher! Even Heaven and Earth despise you, yet you kneel before the king before you. What merit does he possess that allows him to rise above Heaven and Earth and receive the worship of martial artists?"
"Martial artists are rejected by heaven and earth, and they prioritize their own will. Righteousness can bring blessings to all people, while evil can slaughter the world. Both are in accordance with one's nature."
"But you have damaged your own dignity, lost your courage, and your spirit and body have separated."
"His mind was filled with reckless thoughts, but his body was engaged in the act of kneeling before the emperor."
"A bunch of scoundrels, neither entirely righteous nor entirely evil, wasting their days in officialdom, scheming and plotting against each other, their hearts already filled with resentment—how could they possibly achieve anything greater!"
Ye Li spoke with a strong and forceful voice, his words filled with humiliation, but the meaning behind his words left everyone speechless.
Some officials thought of their younger selves, feeling like complete strangers.
But the next moment, a cold snort came from the crowd, and an official said, "In the end, you're just arrogant because you rely on your strength. If Xiantian were here right now and asked you to kneel, would you kneel or not?"
"So what if I kneel?"
Ye Li sneered, "My martial arts are not about unyielding and breaking, but about adapting to circumstances and prioritizing strength."
"The strong prevail. If someone is inherently stronger than me, I can't beat them, so naturally I have to kneel. Not only do I kneel, but I kneel decisively and cleanly."
"But I will not be like you hypocrites, kneeling before mere peers and acting as if it's your right, as if you were born to kneel!"
"Kneeling to everyone who comes—that's just too servile!"
"Even brothels only cater to clients for money. Those who don't care about money and just take any client are generally called 'whores'!"
"What? Perfect ending the day after tomorrow!"
As he spoke, Ye Li stared directly at Xia Changhan, his longsword slightly drawn from its sheath: "You want me to kneel too?"
Ye Li's meaning is quite clear:
Brother, with your skills, you think you can make me kneel? That's enough!
Xia Changhan was protected by several half-step Xiantian (a type of cultivator) behind him.
Seeing Ye Li's current appearance, they didn't dare to look directly into the sharpness in Ye Li's eyes for a moment.
He wanted to rebuke him, but in front of Ye Li, whose sharp edge was now fully revealed, he was too afraid to speak.
Among these eunuchs who were half-step into the Innate Realm, there were also powerful figures at the Transformation Realm. If they joined forces, they should be able to suppress Ye Li.
But he was going to gamble: would Ye Li die first, or would he die first?
The king felt the threat of death in front of his subjects.
Should I yield to Ye Li—to the person who humiliated me—?
A thought suddenly popped into Xia Changhan's mind, but where was the emperor's majesty?
"Your Majesty, the fate of the nation is of utmost importance!"
Just as Xia Changhan was struggling with his decision, countless voices rang out from among the officials: "Young Master Ye shoulders the heavy responsibility of the entire Xia Kingdom; he is no ordinary talent."
"Indeed, Your Majesty, please be patient for now; the fate of the nation is paramount."
"If Your Majesty shows leniency for the sake of the people, it may become a celebrated story a hundred years from now. The prodigies are always treated specially."
If those who spoke earlier were royalists and traitors who disliked Ye Li.
At this moment, all the ministers who spoke up were members of the pro-country faction.
These people were loyal to the Xia Kingdom and considered the country to be of paramount importance.
The National Fortune Challenge represents the fate of the nation. A true wise ruler, upon witnessing Ye Li's talent, should voluntarily step aside and refrain from affecting the nation's destiny.
As Xia Changhan observed, nearly half of the officials and civil servants in the court held this view.
This even included Su Xingcheng, a cultivator at the Qi Condensation Realm, who was listening in from the sidelines.
Patriotism faction.
At this moment, we are the pro-Ye faction!
Xia Changhan felt a thorn in his back, and his spine went cold.
He suspected that if Ye Li really killed him now, half of these people would also stand on Ye Li's side and claim that the fate of the nation was more important.
The entire political arena of the Xia Kingdom was torn in two because of this young man.
With just himself and his sword, he had already made the majestic Golden Palace teeter on the verge of collapse!
Xia Changhan's hands, hidden beneath the wide sleeves of his dragon robe, were clenched tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, causing a sharp pain. Only then could he barely suppress the trembling in his body and the overwhelming rage and fear he felt.
But then—
Emperor Xia Changhan slowly raised his hand and gently waved it at the black-robed eunuchs in front of him, who looked as if facing a formidable enemy.
The eunuchs paused slightly, and although they remained on high alert, they pushed the eunuchs away.
"Ye Qing—" Xia Changhan finally spoke, his voice deliberately adjusted, carrying a hint of the helpless tolerance of an elder looking at a mischievous child: "What a fine example of strength as the highest virtue, adaptability at will, youthful spirit, unstoppable, it reminds me—of my own youth."
"The path of martial arts is inherently about overcoming obstacles and making courageous progress! Without this indomitable spirit, how can one reach the pinnacle? How can one defeat powerful enemies and reclaim the land for our Great Xia on the national arena?!"
"In today's events, although Minister Ye was impulsive, without such a mindset, how could one overcome obstacles on the path of martial arts? Extraordinary people do extraordinary things. As the ruler of the four seas, I have the capacity to tolerate others and should naturally forgive him."
"Someone come here—"
"Please prepare a seat for Minister Ye!"
"A...a seat?!"
The chief eunuch thought he had misheard and stood there dumbfounded.
In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, is a seat offered to His Majesty?
This is treatment reserved for princes and prime ministers!
But at this moment, seeing the cold expression on His Majesty's face behind the beaded curtain, he shivered and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes! Yes! As the decree commands! Quickly! Quickly prepare a seat for Young Hero Ye—oh no, for Lord Ye!"
The chief eunuch snapped out of his daze and scrambled to direct several equally terrified eunuchs.
Soon, a rosewood armchair covered with a bright yellow brocade cushion was carefully carried to the left side of the steps leading up to the dragon throne.
This position, closest to the emperor and higher than all the kneeling or standing officials, symbolizes supreme favor and status!
Ye Li slowly loosened his grip on the sword hilt.
The Cup Shadow Sword emitted a low hum as it slid back into its sheath.
Everyone in the hall, including the eunuchs in black robes, couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off their shoulders.
His gaze swept calmly over the throne that symbolized imperial honor, and he said nothing.
There was neither gratitude nor humble words.
It was as if this bestowal of a seat was a matter of course.
Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of people, Ye Li took a step forward, his boots echoing clearly as they trod on the polished gold bricks.
Then, in the Golden Palace, which symbolizes supreme imperial power, Ye Li sat down calmly!
"Kneel down! Pay your respects to Your Majesty!"
As the master of ceremonies' signature chanting rang out, the ceremony resumed.
But without Ye Li causing trouble, everyone felt justified in kneeling.
only--
Xia Changhan looked at the officials kneeling before the emperor, his face behind the beaded curtain turning ashen.
He didn't know whether the people kneeling before him were kneeling before him or Ye Li!
Even though Ye Li was not strong enough, he did not dare to order Ye Li's death at this moment.
Because of the overwhelming public opinion, in everyone's eyes, Ye Li, who represents the fate of the nation, is even above the emperor.
Sitting on the throne, he was like a puppet emperor.
On the contrary, Ye Li is more like a king among kings!
After all, you are the emperor.
Am I the emperor?
Unconsciously, a trace of killing intent rose in his heart.
But when she saw Ye Li's casual gaze, her heart skipped a beat.
Looking at the petty scheming and corruption in the court, Ye Li felt somewhat disheartened.
It's not as enjoyable as practicing at home to open up my bone orifices and Jiang Xiyue's spiritual energy as hanging out with these people. It's really boring.
The morning meeting was not long.
After praising the talents of the Ten Cities Grand Competition, the event quickly came to an end. Ye Li did not linger and got up to leave without any regrets.
Only after Ye Li's figure disappeared from the Golden Palace did the court officials finally relax, demonstrating Ye Li's formidable power.
Xia Changhan acted as if he hadn't noticed anything, like a victim who was completely unaware of the power shift.
They deliberately ignored Ye Li, that arrogant blond-haired guy.
After everything had settled, Xia Changhan, maintaining his imperial dignity, announced the adjournment of the court with a blank expression.
He suddenly stood up from the dragon throne!
He ripped off his heavy twelve-tassel crown and slammed it to the ground!
The pearls and jade shattered and tumbled to the ground!
"ah-!!!"
Xia Changhan's expression instantly turned incredibly ferocious, his voice hoarse and filled with deep-seated resentment: "I want him dead!"
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