Chapter 1190: Heavenly Edict
Wang Jiaohe emanated an awe-inspiring righteous aura, his face set with resolute determination, giving the impression of one prepared to sacrifice himself for moral righteousness.
He raised both hands, with palms facing up, as though he were receiving an imperial decree. At once, a vast, overwhelming presence pressed down. This pressure had no effect on the physical body, but it weighed on the mind, like an emperor rebuking his ministers in court.
Wang Jiaohe declared the heavenly edict, “The righteous duty between sovereign and subject!”
Anyone raised on the doctrine that the sovereign had supreme control over their subjects—or even rigid, blindly loyal fools—would likely not be able to withstand this decree, even if they had a lofty cultivation. They would be compelled to search their own conscience, asking whether they had lived up to the grace of their sovereign and whether they truly conformed to the proper way of conducting themselves in the world.
The foundation of the Confucian School lay in etiquette. It was a social order where one’s life and death hinged upon the sovereign. Meanwhile, the sovereign himself was without fault. All blame was on everything else.
Though Qi Xuansu was not a Confucian disciple, the Daoist Order was no less rigid in hierarchy. At its core, it still operated according to Confucian principles.
The Grand Master was not an emperor—he was better than one. The Three Deputy Grand Masters were no different from high-ranking ministers.
What they called the heavenly edict was none other than the Confucian School’s doctrine. How could Qi Xuansu possibly contend against it?
For a moment, Qi Xuansu felt as though a massive mountain weighed upon his shoulders.
Wang Jiaohe then recited calmly, “Affection between father and son; harmony between husband and wife.”
In an instant, layers of illusions arose before Qi Xuansu. He saw Madam Qi and his master condemning him for unfilial conduct and rebellion. He also saw Zhang Yuelu and Little Yin reproaching him and blaming him for his incompetence and inability to shelter them from dangers.
Beyond them were countless voices joining in—superiors, colleagues, friends, and classmates—all of them harshly accusing him. He was like a rat crossing the street, cursed and reviled from every direction, rejected even by kin, with not a single place left for him to stand.