Chapter 225: Hole in the Throne Room
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Xing Qingsui, Nangong Mu, and Yan Xiu were all here because of Fang Zhengzhi and the sword.
However, they all knew what the Emperor, Lin Mubai, meant when he refused to say anything explicitly, calling it the decision of the courts.
Going against the Emperor's wishes was extremely dangerous.
However, after looking at each other, they could feel the determination in each other's eyes.
Xing Qingsui was pale from standing so long. He had been stabbed in the chest during the combat examinations. Even though he was carried here, the strain of standing was taking its toll on him.
However, as someone who had fought on the battlefield, and as the heir of the Stabilisation Constabulary, he would stand for what he believed in, even if it meant a possibility of going against the Emperor's wishes.
Xing Qingsui stepped forward, but did not answer.
Yan Xiu had already stepped forward before this. Nangong Mu virtually stepped forward in synchronisation with Xing Qingsui.
"Your highness!"
Before the three of them could say anything, Fang Zhengzhi stepped forward and blocked them. Then, he turned to smile at them.
Fang Zhengzhi had no idea why Xing Qingsui and Nangong Mu came. However, since they were here, he could not possibly let them go up against the Emperor.
He had been listening in from start to finish. In actual fact, he had expected everything that the officials had said. What had surprised him was that the Emperor wanted him to stay in the capital.
Does he really want to make me an official?
If Fang Zhengzhi was merely an ordinary citizen, any wronged feeling of his would have been eliminated. The Emperor was incredibly generous to reward him with gold and an official position in exchange for the sword.
It was a pity that Fang Zhengzhi's ambitions were never political.
As such, the position of an official was not particularly attractive to Fang Zhengzhi. In fact, it was almost negligible.
Just as he was preparing to voice his opinion, a red figure rushed in from outside the door. Then, it ran up to the Emperor.
"Father, you've been so biased. How can you ask them both to go to the Imperial Gardens? Who will accompany me then..." A crisp voice rang out.
There were only a few people in the Great Xia Dynasty who could rush into the Throne Room unobstructed. Those were all the dictators of a particular region, people who were on par with Lin Mubai.
Other than those people, there was one other...
That was Ping Yang.
Ping Yang was the Emperor's favorite princess. As such, she could go find the Emperor at all times of the day unobstructed. Even the officials did not dare to breathe a word about the regulations when speaking about her.
She was the most pampered princess of the Great Xia Dynasty.
"Haha... Ping Yang is here, then I must definitely accompany my Ping Yang first!" Emperor Lin Mubai smiled as he looked at Ping Yang in the red cloak. He then motioned for her to sit by his side.
"Father is the best! You promised to accompany me first ya? Then let's go to the Imperial Gardens!" Ping Yang grabbed the Emperor's hand and shook it lightly.
"Hang on for abit, my morning court session has not ended. When this is over, I will accompany you in the Imperial Gardens." Emperor Lin Mubai said in a pampering manner.
"Isn't it just a broken sword? Can it be better than the Blazing Qilin Spear you gave to me?"
"Ping Yang, you can't say that. Sagely Battle God Meng Tian is a hero. How can you say his sword is a broken sword?"
"Is that so? Then let's say it's a treasure, but why should there be an argument about it? I say that the sword belongs to who has it. Don't... you all agree?" Ping Yang looked at the Emperor innocently before turning to the other officials, smirking as she did so.
"About this..." All of the officials looked at each other. They could tell that Ping Yang was here about the sword as well.
However, Ping Yang was different from Yan Xiu and the others.
Yan Xiu and Xing Qingsui represented the future powers of the Great Xia Dynasty. However, Ping Yang represented the current power of the Great Xia Dynasty, a power which no one dared to antagonize.
At the very least...
No official wanted to go against Ping Yang in public.
If they went against Ping Yang, it was very possible that their backyard may catch fire, their house may be sacked, and their official robes may be torn of their body as they walked on the street...
That kind of mental torture was possibly worse than death.
Emperor Lin Mubai was still smiling. He knew from the moment Ping Yang entered what she was here for. However, he was unwilling to call her out.
As such, he looked to his Left Prime Minister, Yu Yiping.
Yu Yiping knew that he was probably the only person who could say something. Ping Yang would probably diss anyone else.
"Princess is logical. However, that can only apply for items without owners. If the item is already owned by someone, then the rule cannot apply. I have a jade bracelet here that was given to me by an ancient Emperor. Everyone here knows that this is mine. Even if I drop it now, anyone who picks it up cannot claim it. It is still mine. I wonder if Princess agrees with this?"
Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping smiled and took out his jade bracelet as he looked at Ping Yang calmly.
In fact, his statement may have seemed ordinary, but it was incredibly loaded. He had made it known that this jade was given to him by an ancient emperor. No matter how rebellious Ping Yang could be, she would not be so willful when she was talking about the ancestors.
"You..." Ping Yang's face was flushed. She swallowed her words just before she said it out loud. She may be rebellious, but she still knew her limits.
If an ancient emperor had presented this to Yu Yiping, who was she to say that it did not belong to him? That fact itself was a deal breaker.
All of the officials knew exactly what Yu Yiping was doing. He managed to stump Ping Yang with a single sentence.
As an official and a minister, Yu Yiping was able to understand what the Emperor wanted and felt, was able to resolve the Emperor's problems and put the Emperor's mind at ease. His skills were indeed admirable.
The Emperor nodded and smiled. He did not want to see Ping Yang argue with his officials.
The best way was to use the ancient emperors to shut Ping Yang up. This way, the issue could be easily resolved.
"Minister Yu is wise! I am extremely convinced!"
Just as everyone was awed by Yu Yiping's intellect and wit, a voice rang out.
All of the officials looked in the direction of the voice. They quickly realized that the voice had come from Fang Zhengzhi.
"Fang Zhengzhi?! He's praising Minister Yu?"
"He has given up I guess?"
"Give up? Official Li is rather deep. Did you think that a hillbilly like him could possibly go up against all of us? Won't we all be put to shame?"
All of the officials looked at Fang Zhengzhi mockingly. That being said, everyone thought that Fang Zhengzhi was doing the right thing.
Fang Zhengzhi was able to react to the situation and find some support in a huge pillar who was Yu Yiping. At the same time, he did so whilst following the wishes of the Emperor. This was quite the feat.
Heir Lin Tianrong looked to Fang Zhengzhi.
He had always thought of Fang Zhengzhi as a hillbilly. He never thought much of his 'extraordinary' abilities. However, seeing Yan Xiu, Xing Qingsui and Nangong Mu all step up for him was quite the sight.
Fang Zhengzhi was also about to be given the post of an official.
If that was the case...
It would not be a bad thing for him to absorb Fang Zhengzhi into his camp. If Fang Zhengzhi really decided to side with Yu Yiping, then he would have a stake in the claims to the sword as well.
After the Heir, Lin Tianrong, glanced at Fang Zhengzhi, he turned quickly to Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping and nodded his approval.
Yu Yiping knew what Lin Tianrong was thinking. However, he did not think that Fang Zhengzhi would be easy to absorb. That being said, since Fang Zhengzhi was willing to show such sincerity, he would not be too petty.
"Young master Fang, thank you for your compliment. In this Imperial Examinations, you have proven yourself to be the undisputed best. You finished the entire Theory Examination flawlessly, stunning the empire in the process. Then, in the Combat Examinations, you defeated one of the demon's Vice Domain Chief, saving Princess Ping Yang and countless candidates in the process. These are all great achievements. I believe that you will serve well as an official in the capital!" Yu Yiping's attitude changed as he smiled warmly at Fang Zhengzhi. His last statement showed his approval to make Fang Zhengzhi an official in the capital.
King Duan clenched his fists tightly when he heard it.
He could tell that Yu Yiping was trying to recruit Fang Zhengzhi. However, thinking about the possibility of Fang Zhengzhi siding with the heir sent chills down his spine.
He was extremely unsettled. He did not understand why he felt this way. Fang Zhengzhi was just a hillbilly. Even if he was made an official, he would just be a Rank Five Official.
With countless officials in the capital, a Rank Five Official was really not particularly powerful.
But...
Why did he feel so unsettled?
King Duan was furious.
However, Ping Yang was even more furious.
She was here to help Fang Zhengzhi claim the sword. Instead of appreciating her held, Fang Zhengzhi spoke up for Yu Yiping. This enraged her immensely.
"Fang Zhengzhi, I came here to help you!" Ping Yang exploded with rage.
"Thank you your highness. However, I do think that Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping makes sense. Any item with an owner should not be taken away even if it's lying on the floor. For example... this sword!" Fang Zhengzhi smiled.
As he spoke, a ray of light shone from his chest, shooting high up in the throne room, before...
"Boom!"
A loud sound echoed out and a two meter wide hole appeared in the throne room.