Chapter 738

Among them, the Huashan Sect, from its self-appointed sect leader Yue Buqun downward, was almost entirely slaughtered.

The Wu Dangpai was reduced to only the Wu Dangqixia surviving.

The Great Ming court suffered devastating losses, with the Western Depot and Embroidered Uniform Guard decimated, and Jingcheng nearly captured.

All of this, Qin had known some of.

But only now did they learn that the annihilation of the Wu Dangpai was orchestrated from behind the scenes by the Long Xiang Seng.

The founding patriarch of the Wu Dangpai was none other than Zhang Sanfeng, one of the Seven Dragon Heads of the Qinglong Society.

These past days, the Yiqinglong Society must have investigated this matter extensively.

Now, through the Heavenly Dao Golden List, this matter has been fully exposed.

Given the Yiqinglong Society's nature, the Long Xiang Seng is certainly not getting away.

That is why Li Si proposed that, to cooperate with the Yiqinglong Society, they must start by targeting the Long Xiang Seng.

Hearing Ying Zheng pondered long, then finally shook his head.

"We have no need to offend the Great Yuan over this, especially since the Yiqinglong Society may not even want us to act."

But didn't Zhang Han previously say the Long Xiang Seng had already gone to Youzhou?

Then, Fusu, lead a team with Xiaomeng, Xuan Jian, Wang Ben, and others to Youzhou.

You won't confront the Long Xiang Seng—but we can lend our support to the Yiqinglong Society!"

This was essentially instructing Fusu to act according to circumstances.

Fusu understood, and immediately took his leave.

543 Do you really think the Heavenly Dao Golden List masters are as common as cabbages?

Great Tang, Great Ming Palace.

Due to constant frontline warfare, the outer court's chief minister Di Renjie personally oversaw troop deployments and elite reinforcements south of Youzhou, arranging the counteroffensive strategy.

The inner court's head, Shangguan Wan, was also busy, constantly shuttling between departments to coordinate with Di Renjie's operations.

This recovery of the Hetao region by Great Tang is the greatest achievement since Wu Zetian ascended the throne.

As Wu Zetian's childhood confidante, Shangguan Wan naturally intended to guard this glory well and hold her final post.

Thus, when the Heavenly Dao Golden List was announced, Wu Zetian sat listlessly in the grand hall.

Below her, the ministers, seeing the Empress show no reaction to this Heavenly Dao Golden List, couldn't help but find it strange.

With Di Renjie and Shangguan Wan absent, the ministers looked to Zhang Jianzhi, the Vice Secretary of the Central Secretariat, as their leader.

Seeing all eyes turn to him, Zhang Jianzhi could only step forward and ask,

"Your Majesty, this announcement of the Heavenly Dao Golden List is a momentous event, yet you seem distracted—why…?"

Wu Zetian, upon hearing this, slowly came back to herself, glanced at the ministers below, and couldn't help smiling inwardly.

These civil and military officials always debate every single Heavenly Dao Golden List and Heavenly Dao Hundred Flowers List announcement.

But this time, the Golden List contains only five names.

Two from Qin, one from Great Yuan, one from Yin Yue Imperial Court, one from Xuanxinzheng Sect.

Great Tang, one of the Three Imperial Dynasties, has none.

And yet you still dare to ask?

"Minister Zhang, what is there to discuss about these five on the list?

Are we debating Lan Mo's unyielding devotion, or Zhuge Qingtian's heartless betrayal?

Or the Long Xiang Seng digging his own grave?

Or why Bai Qi made the list, yet an obscure Xiaomeng did too?"

Though spoken to Zhang Jianzhi alone, she scanned the entire hall as she spoke.

Every minister she looked at immediately drooped their heads.

Zhang Jianzhi, seeing the ministers retreat again, could only feel speechless.

But Wu Zetian had just asked him, the Vice Secretary of the Central Secretariat.

He could only answer,

"Your Majesty! Xiaomeng is a high disciple of the Tian Zong; her talent was already known before.

Her success on the list is entirely due to the Tian Zong's forbidden techniques and the Yijiren Sect's secret treasures.

Moreover, this woman already suffers from a hidden illness.

The exact nature remains unknown.

But how many in the world could be even one major realm above her?

I suspect only the Tian Mo himself exists within Great Tang's borders.

Xiaomeng will likely follow in the footsteps of Jue Wushen and Xuanwu Jun!"

Jue Wushen had barely appeared on the list before being instantly slain by Li Taibai before all eyes.

Xuanwu Jun fared even worse—never even showing his face to the world, he was immediately removed by the Heavenly Dao Golden List.

Zhang Jianzhi's implication was clear: Xiaomeng may have made the list, but she'll be removed just as quickly.

Wu Zetian did not agree, only saying,

"True! Great Tang may have only the Tian Mo. But do you think there are no stronger ones beyond?

Not to mention Ximen Wudi…"

In the world today, no matter where, even the Three Imperial Dynasties address Ximen Wudi with the honorific title Great Dragon Head.

After all, when Qiao Feng was near death, he suddenly crossed realms to appear.

It is said that Qiao Feng, on his deathbed, finally comprehended the final move of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms.

Ximen Wudi, impressed, deliberately crossed realms to come.

At this point, who in the world would dare speak ill behind his back?

After all, no one knows whether the First Forbidden of the Nine Provinces is listening when they grumble.

At this moment, Wu Zetian publicly named Ximen Wudi; the ministers were all startled, then fell utterly silent.

As if Ximen Wudi had truly, merely because of Wu Zetian's words, turned his gaze here.

Many ministers, like ostriches, nearly buried their heads into the floor.

"You fools..."

Though Wu Zetian admired Ximen Wudi, seeing her ministers so terrified of the Great Dragon Head, she grew furious.

"Enough, dismissal! Let it be this way!"

Yet she was helpless, knowing the Great Dragon Head, the First Forbidden of the Nine Provinces, was no empty title.

"You all should think harder about how to serve the state."

For instance, how to govern the Great Tang Realm well, and how to defend the land and pacify the people."

As for the Heavenly Dao Golden List, if you truly care about it,"

then find a way to recruit a few Heavenly Dao Golden List-level experts for me, for the Great Tang."

If you cannot recruit any, learn from the Daoists of Great Qin."

Why can they, through forbidden Dao arts and secret treasures, produce a Heavenly Dao Golden List-level expert?"

Are you all so stupid you can't even match those Daoists?"

Wu Zetian grew angrier as she spoke; nearly all these ministers were censors, while the ones who actually did work had long since left.

That was why Wu Zetian held no fondness for these men.

Daily, beyond picking fights, these censors did nothing of substance.

After scolding them, Wu Zetian lifted her robe and departed the court, attended by her maids.

Just leaving the hall, she faced Shangguan Wan walking toward her.

"Ah! Your Majesty, why are you dismissing court so early today?"

Shangguan Wan had been smiling, but looked up at the hour and realized it was still early.

She immediately assumed her empress was slacking off again.

Seeing no one nearby except the empress's two trusted maids, she stepped close to Wu Zetian.

Before Wu Zetian could answer, she whispered,

"My Empress, my sweet Wu Meiniang, can't you just be a proper empress?"

These past days, I've run myself ragged for the Great Tang, for your sake."

I've stayed up all night for days on end—what was it all for?"