Chapter 783

Liang Qu had always been quite concerned about Jian Zhongyi's matter. Having been in the Imperial Capital for half a month, he had tried to find people to ask.

Unfortunately, Wei Lin and Xu Yuelong, who were in the know, had left the Imperial Capital and returned to Pingyang just before he arrived.

As for the others...

Even Meng Qiang, a captain of the Feathered Forest Army, didn't know much!

The matter had been suppressed.

Perhaps the Jian family was exerting influence.

When Pingyang Town was abolished and changed to a county, Jian Zhongyi was parachuted in to serve, which was enough to prove that the Jian family not only had three Perfected Form Grandmasters, but their political power was also not weak.

Perhaps the imperial court was worried that the Great Snow Mountain matter would cause panic.

The small-scale wars in the Northern Court had never ceased, and there was a fake dragon in the Southern Frontier. If the Great Snow Mountain matter broke out, it would not only attract the attention of the Great Snow Mountain, but also make more ambitious people feel they could take advantage of the situation.

At least Liang Qu felt that the Ghost Mother Church would take the opportunity to jump up, and Pingyang Prefecture would no longer be peaceful.

Or perhaps it was a combination of both.

The Northern Court, Southern Frontier, Ghost Mother Church, and Great Snow Mountain were not allies, but they were highly consistent in dealing with the Great Shun.

"As a native of Pingyang, it is normal for Lord Liang to be concerned about this. Even if I don't say it now, you will be able to find out once you return to Pingyang Prefecture and find Lord Xu." Eunuch Li paved the way, "The Jian family is still running around and operating, but His Majesty is very unhappy. The Jian family must at least sacrifice one Jiang Zongshi to give an account, and it will likely be Jian Tianyuan."

"Who is Jian Tianyuan?"

"Jian Zhongyi's direct ancestor, a Perfected Form Jiang Zongshi, over three hundred years old. When our dynasty started, he was already over two hundred and sixty years old in Qingzhou and surrendered without a fight. He is considered a meritorious official..." Eunuch Li looked around and beckoned.

Liang Qu leaned forward.

"Legend has it that the one who committed incest was this ancestor of the Jian family!"

Sure enough!

"Is it like this in all the high-gate courtyards?"

"It all depends on the family style." Eunuch Li's expression was indifferent, "In indulgent families, the children start having fun with maidservants at the age of eleven or twelve. Once they get tired of ordinary things, they naturally like perverse stimulation. The Qingzhou Jian family is a big aristocratic family, and Jian Tianyuan is not the first Perfected Form ancestor."

"Is Jian Tianyuan willing?"

"Previously, everyone said Jian Zhongyi was filial and polite. If Jian Tianyuan wasn't willing, he would be roasted on the fire."

"What about Jian Zhongyi?"

"He claims he can distinguish disaster energy. Even a Wu Sheng might not be as sharp as him. Now he is going to Blue Lake to verify whether this matter is true or false. If it is true, he will make up for his crimes with merit. If he operates well, I fear..."

Eunuch Li stopped at the point.

Liang Qu was silent.

Jian Zhongyi's rhetoric doesn't need to be true or false, it just needs to be impossible to disprove.

If it cannot be disproven, he was bewitched by evil arts, and he can still survive within the system.

This is the price of unity.

People tend toward stability, hence there is unity; because of unity, there are agreements; because of agreements, there are restrictions.

Liang Qu didn't know the Holy Emperor's own wishes.

But if the imperial court didn't react after Jian Zhongyi dealt with the Great Snow Mountain matter—rewarding merit and punishing without evidence—the result would be breaking the "agreement," making everyone feel insecure, and tearing a hole in the solid unity.

Jian Zhongyi lied this time, what if someone tells the truth next time?

Liang Qu himself is the Earl of Baron Xingyi of the Great Shun, envied by everyone. If he turns around and finds that the imperial court just gives an empty title, and they can kill him if they want to, just like an ordinary person, and all his efforts were in vain, he wouldn't be happy either.

Unity loses its meaning.

To put it bluntly.

If you are unwilling to unite, there are plenty of people who are.

The Northern Court and Southern Frontier would welcome the Great Shun's Martial Saints and Grandmasters with open arms, with good treatment and first-come, first-served.

Of course.

The situation wouldn't be that serious. Being willful once wouldn't cause the building to collapse overnight, but the collapse of a building is originally formed by the accumulation of cracks.

After a long time.

"Is His Majesty currently in the Qinzheng Hall?"

"Every winter, His Majesty is busy with government affairs, so naturally he is in the Qinzheng Hall. Lord Liang, are you..."

"Please trouble Eunuch Li to arrange it." Liang Qu stuffed two banknotes, "If not today, tomorrow is fine."

"Lord Liang, please wait."

Watched Eunuch Li leave.

"Long Yao, Long Li!"

"Elder?" Long Yao and Long Li poked their heads out of the room.

Liang Qu weighed the seal in his hand: "Find a belt, hang my official seals full! Also, dig out the jade crown in the box!"

Evening.

The sunset was orange-red.

The light flowed on the gold bricks in the Qinzheng Hall. In the purple copper incense burner, a few wisps of light smoke rose straight up.

Liang Qu wore a white jade crown on his head, a brocade official robe, and all three seals—official, title, and tier—at his waist.

"Earl of Baron Xingyi, you ran to see me in such a hurry, are you dissatisfied with the reward?"

"Not so, Your Majesty. This subject has important matters to discuss!"

The Holy Emperor waved his hand.

The attendants retreated.

Liang Qu pursed his lips and looked around. The Holy Emperor waved again.

"Your Majesty!" The Feathered Forest Guard bowed.

"Go down."

The Feathered Forest Army stepped out quickly.

"Speak, what is it."

Thump!

Liang Qu knelt on one knee.

"Your Majesty, this subject wishes to execute Jian Zhongyi!"

The light smoke tilted slightly, then returned to straight.

Dead silence.

The Holy Emperor put down his vermilion brush.

"You entered the Hunting Tiger realm from Wolf Smoke, he wrote the memorial, are you aware of that?"

"Aware."

"Why?"

"I don't like him."

"Heh." The Holy Emperor sneered, "Jian Zhongyi's matter has not been settled yet. As long as it is not settled, he is still the Master of Pingyang Prefecture for one day. You don't like the Master of Pingyang Prefecture today and want to kill him, will you not like me tomorrow? And want to come and kill me?"

"I dare not!"

Slap!

The memorial was slapped on the table.

"I think you dare very much!"

"This subject has always spoken his mind."

Quiet.

"You don't look like someone who is black and white. Do you have the truth?"

"This subject has a Buddhist mentor whose dharma name I still don't know, only that he is the Vajra King of the Xuankong Temple, who taught me the 'Vajra Sutra of Subduing Dragons and Tigers.' We don't have the name of master and disciple, but we have the reality of it. My teacher has been working hard for several years to hunt down the evil god of the Snow Mountain. On the day Jian Zhongyi removes the disaster of the Great Snow Mountain, I will definitely kill him! This subject cannot bear for my mentor to have friction with the imperial court, so I am willing to bear the guilt for him!"

"What if I don't allow it?"

"Then I won't kill him."

The Holy Emperor was slightly startled, then laughed in anger: "Mentor? I thought you were so determined."

"This subject is a disciple of the Vajra King, but also promoted by Your Majesty. Without Your Majesty's decree, I would not be where I am today. Your Majesty and the Master are my parents. If parents have faults, I will remonstrate but not disobey."

Liang Qu lowered his head, their shadows met.

He didn't consider himself a good person, nor a bad one. If he saw someone starving on the road, he would throw them a bun, but if helping them would cause trouble, he would mostly take a detour.

Before the Dragon People officially surrendered, he had also taken advantage of the heavenly phenomena.

But once they became his own people, it was a different matter!

Liang Qu didn't want the old monk to get into trouble, and even less did he want things to become a fait accompli, leaving him in a dilemma.

So he struck first!

Is Jian Zhongyi's matter difficult to handle?

For others.

Difficult!

For him.

Not difficult!

A twenty-year-old County Earl, a third-class Earl, with numerous merits, his weight is much heavier than Jian Zhongyi's, and the "favor" he receives is much greater than Jian Zhongyi's!

Having been out in the world for so long, from his master to the King of Yue, from the King of Yue to the Holy Emperor.

The many relationships he had built were never built in vain.

This matter, he can bear it!

He can carry it!

He can settle it!

But the order of doing things must not be wrong!

Report first, then kill!

Kill first, then report, and the path is dead!

There are many paths, and Liang Qu never takes the longest, nor the narrowest.

He only takes the smoothest and most stable one.

Killing secretly will always be a thorn. Not to mention evidence, as long as someone suspects it, it will be a political stain. But the "secret killing" that the Holy Emperor knows about is completely different!

"A mere Hunting Tiger, can you kill a Perfected Form?"

"No rush for a moment."

"How to deal with the Great Snow Mountain's methods?"

"Also no rush for a moment."

The light smoke curled.

The orange light gradually dissipated.

"Twenty-two."

"What?"

"Enter Perfected Form within a year and a half. You will coordinate the Great Snow Mountain matter." The Holy Emperor picked up the vermilion brush to review, "Today you have never seen me, and I have never promised you anything."

Liang Qu was overjoyed.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

(End of chapter)