Chapter 470: Imperial Court

Anyang City's defenses were strict, extremely strict.

To let the Divine Emperor rest easy, Anyang City strictly prohibited airborne flight, and its massive defensive barrier ensured this ban was perfectly obeyed.

Moreover, there was another ban: except for a very few, no one could directly receive magical transmissions from outside Anyang City. This, too, was to let the Divine Emperor of Great Jin rest easy.

As Vice Hall Master of the Cardinal Hall, Zhao Xiu's transmission seal in his hand could directly penetrate the city's defensive barrier to receive external emergency intelligence; any emergency intelligence meeting a certain confidentiality standard could be transmitted through the seal.

Sitting in the speeding small carriage, playing with the seal in his hand, Zhao Xiu's face alternated between gloom and clarity.

The Imperial City's alarm bell had already rung; evidently the Divine Emperor had received some urgent intelligence, yet this Vice Hall Master of the Cardinal Hall had still not received the information sent by his subordinates……

Some people in the Cardinal Hall clearly needed a good disciplining.

At the same time, Zhao Xiu felt a hint of wariness; it seemed the Divine Emperor still controlled an information channel that was extremely efficient, highly secret, and even he could not touch.

This, is deadly.

The Divine Emperor's methods exceed imagination; this warrants caution.

Zhao Xiu drew a deep breath, fully exerted his cultivation method, expanding his six senses to their peak. He quickly heard, from far away, the heavy thud of powerful horse hooves striking the stone-paved street.

The horse-hoof sound resembled muffled thunder, coming from the four city gates, then quickly spreading along the various major streets.

Zhao Xiu had a clear mental map of all the streets and alleys of Anyang City; his ears twitched slightly, and he could even discern which major street or lane the distant or near horse-hoof sounds were rushing toward which noble's mansion.

It seems the news has after all spread.

Zhao Xiu tapped the carriage window with his fingers, making a 'duk-duk' sound; his left hand's five fingers spun the seal ever faster, his face growing uglier. Yet the seal remained dim and dark, the expected news never returning.

Zhao Xiu's mood grew ever colder; this trend was not right, very wrong.

Even if, for some reason, he hadn't immediately received the transmission from outside the city, since an envoy had urgently ridden into Anyang City, he should at least have heard some rumors.

Not to mention the Cardinal Hall's professional spies, just considering the connections he'd cultivated over the years—could they all be dead?

The carriage sped forward at the pace of two odd small braying donkeys; Nine Bend Creek Hall was not far from the Imperial City, and they would arrive soon. The muffled thunder-like alarm bell ringing in his ears never ceased, and Zhao Xiu's face grew ever darker and stern.

He produced another transmission seal and began swiftly issuing orders, communicating information.

Not only did he contact his trusted subordinates in the Cardinal Hall, he also communicated with the elders of the Zhao family, exchanged information with those court officials he was on good terms with who held real power, and proactively sent inquiries to several top bigwigs of the Military Department.

The transmission seal he had been playing with for a long time, specially used for emergency communication, finally lit up.

In the Cardinal Hall, a trusted subordinate directly under Zhao Xiu appeared with a grim face on a small light curtain; in a few words he conveyed the information he had just received: in the southwestern barbaric wildlands of Great Jin, the vanguard army of the Great Martial Divine State had appeared.

The army of the Great Martial Divine State had boldly already approached the territory of the Great Jin Divine State.

Zhao Xiu's body suddenly stiffened; he shivered slightly, and a sudden sheet of cold sweat seeped from his back, instantly soaking his inner garments.

He recalled Sima You and others he had sent to the southwest, and recalled Huo Xiong, whom he had conscripted by military order!

Their task was to blaze secret passages, reaching the heart of the Great Martial Divine State, to open roads for the Great Jin Divine State's army to launch a surprise attack, making all necessary preliminary preparations.

Zhao Xiu's plan was to let these damned fellows blaze the secret passages; then all the credit would be his, and he could easily, at some point during the passage's opening, let Huo Xiong and the others 'die for the country'!

As a senior strategist of the Military Department, Zhao Xiu liked to solve problems with his brain; sometimes he did not like relying too much on violence.

Of course, slaughtering Huo Xiong's entire family and using the blood of his kin to temporarily suppress his own rage was another matter.

The methods he used on Huo Xiong's kin, Zhao Xu was unwilling to apply directly to Huo Xiong himself.

But……

But……

The Great Jin Divine State had only just begun to blaze secret passages, yet the vanguard army of the Great Martial Divine State had already rushed over?

Whose responsibility should this be?

Who should take the blame for this black pot?

Zhao Xiu drew a deep breath, put away the seal, and took out from the many rare treasures he had just collected from the Listening Wind Pavilion an exquisitely crafted jade box over a foot long.

Wan Hong had indeed laid down the capital.

For the post of Military Department Grass and Fodder Officer, he had still laid out a fortune.

As for the other rare treasures, various items greatly beneficial to cultivation set aside for now, Zhao Xiu lightly opened the box; inside lay a row of nine thumb-sized pills, their bodies flowing with treasure light, wrapped in a clump of gentle golden flame—the 'Great Dao Cave Heaven Treasure Flame Pill'—which made Zhao Xiu quite pleased.

This is the supreme Dao pill, and also the highest grade of Dao pill that can be refined using the alchemical techniques mastered by the Great Jin Divine State.

Each Cave Heaven Treasure Flame Pill can increase a Fetal Storage Realm cultivator's refinement of one Dao and the Divine Fetus by ten percent; nine pills can increase it by ninety percent.

And a hundred percent lotus degree is the ultimate of the Fetal Storage Realm.

These nine pills could almost literally pile up into an ultimate Fetal Storage Realm expert!

Even for Zhao Xiu, these nine Dao pills were a highly attractive heavy gift.

"What a pity." Zhao Xiu let out a light sigh: "Rong Bo, when you return, tell the lady to take out the three Great Dao Clear Tranquility Mystic Altar Pills and six Great Dao Perceive Mystic Frost Heaven Pills I have stored in the secret treasure compartment, and personally bring them to the Imperial City."

The white-haired old man driving the carriage answered with a sound, then hesitated: "Young master, is this troublesome?"

Zhao Xiu pressed his lips together.

He closed his eyes, not replying to the coachman, but instead lightly tapped the window.

The Imperial City soon arrived.

From all directions, carriage after carriage hurried toward the Imperial City's South Gate, the Nine Heavens Gate; the various precious birds and beasts pulling them made not a sound, as if awed by the solemn aura of today's Imperial City.

Zhao Xiu put away the jade box, stepped lightly down from the carriage, a faint smile on his lips, and with wind at his feet quickly walked toward the Imperial City's Nine Heavens Gate.

With each step he took, a layer of radiance appeared on him; after nine steps, the originally casually dressed Zhao Xiu had already donned a full set of robes, his body's faint radiance bringing forth a streak of flowing light that escaped into the Nine Heavens Gate.

One after another, high officials of the Great Jin Divine State rushed into the Imperial City; the air trembled slightly, countless officials were communicating via secret arts, countless gazes flickered, and several more wore a twisted smile.

Someone was about to suffer misfortune.

And when someone suffers misfortune, it represents an opportunity for others.

Several gazes burned like fire, fixed tightly on Zhao Xiu's back.

The layout of the Great Jin Imperial City roughly resembled the temporary palaces of the egret and crimson ibis that Wu Tie had seen.

Officials hurriedly stepped, swiftly winding past layer upon layer of palace towers, crossing a golden bridge over a river a thousand zhang wide, rainbow‑shaped, and arrived before a hall situated on a high jade terrace.

On the hall's lintel, the three golden characters 'Nine Heavens Hall' on a black plaque were particularly conspicuous.

Great Jin officials entered the hall with solemn faces, quickly taking their places according to rank.

The hall, capable of holding tens of thousands, was quickly filled with imperial relatives and senior officials in crimson and purple robes; everyone stood silent, hands tucked in sleeves, like wooden stakes, each in their proper place.

The Left Chancellor Linghu Qingqing and the Right Chancellor Gongyang Sanlü, the two highest‑ranking officials of Great Jin, stood first in the civil and military ranks, their positions even surpassing several Great Jin imperial princes.

Gongyang Sanlü's expression was relaxed, even bearing a faint smile.

Linghu Qingqing's face was dark as ink; although he stood with his head lowered, all the civil and military officials felt as if he had widened his eyes and was glaring at them fiercely.

Thus the atmosphere grew ever more stagnant.

Dense footsteps came from behind the screen at the jade platform at the hall's far end; after nine successive urgent chimes of the jade bell, the present Divine Emperor of Great Jin, Sima Xian, emerged from behind the screen amidst countless eunuchs and palace maids, striding forward to stand behind the long table on the jade platform, which flowed with light and emitted a mighty vibration.

Over ten feet tall, slender, with a three‑inch short beard, his aura refined like a scholarly gentleman, Sima Xian stood behind the long table, lowered his gaze to survey the dense crowd of civil and military officials below the jade platform, then slammed his palm heavily onto the table.

With a booming sound, the post‑heaven spirit‑treasure‑grade long table was struck by Sima Xian's palm, shooting out firelight; the huge roar shook the hall with endless reverberations, like countless thunderbolts rolling back and forth.

"Those belonging to the Secretariat Hall, step forward." Sima Xian said, expressionless, in an icy tone.

Linghu Qingqing slowly raised his head, but said nothing.

The head of the Secretariat Hall, Linghu Wuyou, expressionlessly stepped out of the ranks; behind him followed Zhao Xiu and the twelve vice hall masters, as well as dozens of senior officials qualified to attend court who belonged to the Secretariat Hall's roster.

"Drag them out, each to receive one thousand strokes." Sima Xian seized the golden dragon paperweight on the long table and slammed it repeatedly against Chang'an, shouting hysterically: "You bunch of good‑for‑nothings, what use are you to me? Drag them out, strike hard, strike sincerely, strike truly—one thousand strokes each, no favoritism; whoever shows favoritism, I will take his head."

Zhao Xiu and the others' faces instantly turned grim.

Even if they were Embryonic Storage cultivators, a thousand blows of the court rod would cost them half their lives, for the executioners were likewise Embryonic Storage cultivators, specialized body refiners, wielding court rods that were heavenly‑dao divine‑weapon‑grade treasures; a single strike delivered with full force could flatten a mountain to ashes.

One thousand strokes?

And strike hard, strike sincerely, strike truly?

It might even cost lives!

Linghu Qingqing suddenly stepped forward a few paces from the ranks, bowed slightly to Sima Xian and said, "Your Majesty, rewards for merit, punishments for faults; the Secretariat Hall's omission of military intelligence this time has placed Great Jin in a dire passive state—truly an unpardonable sin."

But we must distinguish primary from secondary responsibility… Linghu Wuyou, who heads the Secretariat Hall and oversees its operations, bears fault but not direct blame; the other vice hall masters are entirely innocent, and regarding the sudden attack by the Great Martial God State in the southwest, the chief culprit…

Sima Xian raised his eyebrows, suddenly laughing: "The Left Chancellor speaks sense. Well, Linghu Wuyou, thirty strokes and a three‑year salary cut—what do you think, Left Chancellor?"

Linghu Qingqing nodded, calmly saying, "Quite appropriate. Your Majesty, indeed sagacious."

Sima Xian's eyes shifted, then he turned to Zhao Xiu and the others, speaking solemnly: "I only recently heard that Great Jin is also opening a secret path into the heart of the Great Martial God State; who is to be in charge of this?"

Zhao Xiu's body swayed; he flung open his robe's front, dropped heavily to his knees, and slammed his forehead to the ground: "Your Majesty, I, your servant, deserve death ten thousand times."

Sima Xian smiled, nodded slowly: "Well spoken, quite reasonable; you truly deserve death ten thousand times."

Sima Xian suddenly seized the golden dragon paperweight, about to smash it onto his own head.

Sima Xian's cultivation is extraordinarily strong, and he practices the Great Jin royal secret divine‑level art; one can imagine his power. Though the golden dragon paperweight is merely a trinket, it is also a post‑heaven spirit treasure, exceptionally hard and heavy; should he strike with it and Zhao Xiu offer no resistance, the result would surely be a shattered body.

Linghu Qingqing coughed: "Your Majesty, please maintain decorum."

Sima Xian fell silent for a moment, then dropped the paperweight, pointed at Zhao Xiu, and said: "Drag them out, together with his direct subordinates, drag them out—each to receive one thousand strokes; we'll speak of other matters after the punishment."

A group of wolf‑like imperial guards rushed forward, swiftly dragging Zhao Xiu and his few close aides out to the Nine Heavens Hall exterior, where they threw them to the ground and began to beat them heavily with specially made court rods.

Linghu Wuyou voluntarily left the hall and voluntarily accepted the court‑rod punishment.

The thirty court‑rod strokes took only a blink; shortly afterward Linghu Wuyou returned, bowed his head to apologize to Sima Xian, received his assent, and then calmly returned to his place in the ranks.

Anyone could see that the thirty strokes Linghu Wuyou received were likely delivered without much force by the guards.

"Left Chancellor, pass along the military intelligence just received to all the ministers… heh heh, Great Jin, this will get lively." Sima Xian's forehead veins bulged as he gritted his teeth, squeezing out icy, hissing words from between them.

"Six thousand years ago the traitor Sima Sheng's pair of orphaned daughters, leading a group of Eastern Palace remnants, are now resisting the Great Martial vanguard army."

"Ministers, ministers, ministers, my vital ministers!!!"

Sima Xian, as if seized by goat‑horn frenzy, raised both hands high and shrieked hysterically: "Eastern Palace remnants, you have helped Great Jin resist the sudden onslaught of the Great Martial vanguard army, hey!"

"If it were Sima Sheng, I would accept it, for he is my own maternal elder brother, known to all as wise and martial, his talent exceeding mine by a hundred, thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand times!"

"But that is not that dead man Sima Sheng; it is the pair of orphaned daughters he left behind! A pair… girls under twenty!"

"I have so many civil and military officials, all you dukes and lords—who can tell me, if the two scoundrels of Wei and Wu learn that I intend to rely on the two orphaned daughters Sima Sheng left behind to help me resist the Wu army… will I still have face? Ah? Will I still have face?"

Sima Xian stretched out his hand and slapped his own cheek, bellowing hysterically: "Me, do I still want face?"

Linghu Qingqing sighed, bowed to Sima Xian, and said softly: "Your Majesty, though this matter is urgent, it is no great obstacle; in the southwest there are nearly a hundred newly opened prefectures—even if they all fell to Wu, what then?"

"I have a plan; perhaps this could still be an opportunity for Great Jin."