Chapter 2163

He was very courteous to Wang Xingyi. The Grand Tutor changes every few years, but the State Preceptor has long held his post.

Wang Xingyi nodded, also knowing he was the most suitable choice.

The court discussion ended, and the officials left the palace.

Guo Shaoping happened to walk side by side with You Huan, and as they stepped into the outer corridor, he whispered:

"Your proposal today was good. The Emperor's anger did not erupt."

You Huan shook his head: "What I said happened to be exactly what the Emperor had in mind, so it was accepted."

"Just happened to be?" Guo Shaoping chuckled: "That's impressive."

He glanced at You Huan again, recalling some rumors from outside.

After saying just those two sentences, there was nothing more to say. At the end of the long corridor, the two went their separate ways.

But You Huan had not walked a hundred paces when a palace servant hurried over:

"You, my lord, please wait—the Emperor summons you."

……

In the Imperial Study, Emperor Mou summoned You Huan alone, then produced the handwritten letter of the Nine Abysses Great Emperor for him to see.

The letter contained no explanation whatsoever for the Blue Yan's taking of Bailie—

State to state, emperor to emperor, the Nine Abysses Great Emperor need not explain himself to Emperor Mou.

Yet the Nine Abysses once again reiterated that the two states were on friendly terms, hoping for mutual aid and shared benefit.

Considering he had just taken Bailie and was now pointing his sword at Blade Edge Harbor, saying this would inevitably make the Mou people want to sneer. But Emperor Mou remained expressionless:

"You spent a long time examining those eleven testimonies, longer than anyone else—what did you find? There are no outsiders here; you may speak."

Emperor Mou then noticed that You Huan had scrutinized the testimonies especially closely, holding two or three copies at once for comparison.

Examining them so meticulously, you must already have a plan in mind?

"Your Majesty's discerning eyes are like torches." You Huan knew that although the Emperor remained silent in court, he could observe the entire assembly, and none of his movements escaped his notice.

Emperor Mou summoned him for a private audience not to hear his flattery, so he immediately continued:

"Compared to the testimonies of Huang Dutong and others, we can basically confirm the sequence of events that day. The Nine Abysses Great Emperor first produced his ancestral jade pendant, revealing his identity as the son of Lu Xiaoyun of the Lu clan's main line, then underwent the test of the Lu clan's ancestral treasure. During this process, Lu Zhensheng attempted to use the treasure to ambush him but failed; the Nine Abysses Great Emperor passed the test on his own, completed the treasure, then gained the acknowledgment of the Lu clan elders and people, seized Lu Zhensheng. The Martial Dutong and his subordinates moved to intercept, were killed. Finally, he used the ancestral treasure of the immortals to slay Lu Zhensheng before the shrine."

He added no embellishment, merely stating the facts objectively.

Emperor Mou nodded: "That is indeed the sequence."

"From these testimonies, it appears the Nine Abysses Great Emperor underwent the Lu clan's treasure test to prove himself a 'Child of Fate,' though he clearly knew Lu Zhensheng would move against him, yet he still walked into danger."

Emperor Mou glanced at him and deliberately said: "He is of such temperament. Earlier, when he caused havoc in the Bei Jia Heavenly Palace, it was likewise a case of courting danger."

You Huan could not directly contradict, so he spoke more tactfully:

"With the Nine Abysses' current status and position, he hardly needs to court danger anymore. When he arrived at Bailie, he could simply produce his ancestral jade pendant and overawe them by force. He did bring ten thousand Black Armored troops! If it were some rough, foolish, mediocre rustic, he would likely just wave his hand, slay the Martial Dutong on the spot, and seize Lu Zhensheng—why undergo testing, why court danger? Yet the Nine Abysses Great Emperor still completed the entire certification process flawlessly, without omission."

Emperor Mou said nothing.

"As for the Martial Dutong," You Huan chose his words more carefully, "our Mou soldiers are indeed extraordinarily brave, fighting to the last man for their duty."

"But then?"

"I repeatedly compared seven or eight testimonies, all mentioning a detail: the two sides did not clash upon meeting; the Black Armored troops and the Martial Dutong faced off three times before and after. And when they truly fought, it was——" You Huan paused, seeing Emperor Mou's unchanged expression, then continued, "——the Martial Dutong's subordinates first shot an arrow at the Nine Abysses Great Emperor; his guards nearby immediately shouted, 'Good, you dare to move against the Great Emperor!'—and then the bloody battle began."

"That shout was meant to tell everyone nearby, including these eleven survivors we left behind: it was our Mou army that struck first, the Black Armored troops only acted in self-defense, ……forced to do so."

"In my view, the Nine Abysses Great Emperor's actions that day were meticulously planned. Bailie is a mere speck of land, Lu Zhensheng a vulgar man—not worth such earnest treatment. Thus, this conduct was not for the Bailie people or the Lu clan, but to signal to our Mou that his taking of Bailie and reclamation of Blade Edge Harbor were every step grounded in law, reason, and righteousness, leaving no fault to be found."

Put plainly, the Nine Abysses Great Emperor is sending a signal to our Mou state.

"Indeed." Emperor Mou lifted his tea, took a sip, and gave a soft chuckle. The Nine Abysses is a master strategist—if he hasn't placed all his pieces, ordinary folk cannot see the pattern,"Your conclusion?"

"The Nine Abysses Great Emperor wishes to shape an image of himself as one who upholds principle and keeps faith, with righteousness first. Even his earlier invasion of Ya State was justified." You Huan then offered his conclusion, "He went to great trouble to stage these performances—not to show he does not wish to completely break with our Mou, nor to truly become our enemy? He has reservations, hence the pretense."

"If the Blue Yan truly cared nothing for our Mou and truly wished to wage war, he could simply lead his troops to flatten Bailie and the Lu manor, first slay Lu Zhensheng and the Martial Dutong, then afterward produce the jade pendant and ask, 'Who dares not submit?'"

That would be truly contemptuous of others, that would be the genuine provocation, that would be unwilling to relent, that would be bent on escalating the situation.

In that case, our Mou would not fail to make him seek benevolence and receive benevolence.

"Rather than like the Nine Abysses now, where right comes before strength, with measure and evidence."

As he said this, You Huan actually felt two parts of emotion in his heart.

He Gaozhong has always held proof of the Lu clan main line's descendants in his hand—why did he not produce it earlier, why endure for years, waiting until he became the 'Nine Abysses Great Emperor,' his territory shifting from the Yangshan Islands to the Jinjin Plains, before beginning to act 'with reason and evidence'?

Alas, is it not because behind reason stands the fist?

Conversely, as one grows stronger day by day, 'reason' and 'order' also become the sharpest weapons in one's hand.

Reason can leave others speechless and helpless;

Order is the finest iron hoop and shackle for binding others.

Emperor Mou gave a faint smile: "Then what do you think he still wants? The Qing State?"

"The Nine Abysses acts under the banner of 'Heavenly Mandate and Earthly Righteousness'; reclaiming Blade Edge Harbor per agreement is reasonable enough, but to take the entire Qing State would lack justification. Unless the Qing State fights to the death over Blade Edge Harbor." You Huan saw clearly, "As long as our state does not send troops, the Qing State's spine will not stiffen."

He knew Emperor Mou did not wish to send troops for the Qing State.