Chapter 229
Thanks to the book friend Zheng Luoyun of Tianji City for rewarding 10 chapter-urging talismans, here is a special bonus chapter.
For those who lost control of their facial expressions, their inner emotions were written all over their faces. They were utterly terrified, yet no one doubted the truthfulness of the two ancestors' words.
System: No helping it, this is what you call a good reputation!
Yue Fuguang lowered her head and played with the jade beads in her hands, kindly asking the question that was on everyone's mind.
"Little Zhu, why are you so certain that an epidemic will inevitably break out in Great Yan? Hasn't the imperial court already started digging up and burying the corpses? Although spring has already begun, a few days' delay with the bodies shouldn't matter, right?"
Many people frantically nodded in their hearts. Yes, yes, yes! If we act a bit faster and mobilize the commoners, we can definitely finish disposing of the corpses before the weather gets hot and they start to rot.
[Master, it is because this epidemic that sweeps across multiple provinces and counties in Great Yan is both a natural disaster and a man-made calamity. As for the natural disaster aspect, the sovereign and ministers of Great Yan have already minimized its impact. However, the man-made calamity has not been resolved. Therefore, Little Zhu says that the epidemic will definitely arise!]
"There's a man-made calamity in this too? The Four Great Families were the man-made calamity during the snowstorm, and there's another one in the epidemic?"
Emperor Mingxi gripped the golden armrest tightly with his right hand. The carved dragon head on the silver-plated gold armrest of the dragon throne showed faint signs of deforming.
Dragon armrest: You win, you're strong. You don't dare offend those two ancestors, so you take your anger out on a dead object like me. Is there not a single breathing soul who will speak up for me?
Everyone: Why are there so many people scheming behind the scenes? Not a single one of them rests. Just how fragrant is the Xie family's throne? Exactly how many people want to replace them?
Emperor Mingxi: I'd like to know too!
[Master, this time the epidemic is primarily man-made, and secondarily a natural disaster. If someone hadn't deliberately mixed infected individuals among the refugees, it wouldn't have led to the epidemic breaking out simultaneously in multiple places later on with such ferocity. The True Records of Great Yan records that in the early spring of the fifth year of Yuankang, epidemics broke out in multiple provinces. It also describes the tragic devastation with the phrases 'entire households perished' and 'families completely wiped out'!]
Entire households perished! Families completely wiped out!
These words continuously looped in the ears of the sovereign and ministers of Great Yan, and the entire grand hall fell dead silent. Cai Xian, who had been reporting on the subsequent trial matters of the Four Great Families, opened his mouth, only to find that he couldn't make a single sound.
Elder officials like Bao Yuanjun, Wu Yuanjing, and Wang Shouchen even staggered back two steps, their violently trembling bodies caught just in time by the people behind them.
The abnormal behavior of these people was noticed by certain observant individuals, making them even more certain that something they were unaware of was happening in this royal court.
Otherwise, Minister Cai's requested final trial and sentencing for the Four Great Families could be considered quite standard; it was impossible for so many people to have such massive reactions all at once.
The strange behavior of these people couldn't simply be explained away by saying they were 'having an episode'!
Imperial Physician Sun Huajing claimed that some of them had hidden ailments, but why did they find that so hard to believe!
The hissing sounds of sharp intakes of breath and the gasping noises that sounded like people were dying made it feel as if they were in a snake pit or at a memorial service.
Yue Fuguang was right in the middle of it all. If she still couldn't notice that something was wrong with them, her playing deaf and dumb would be too obvious!
"Little Zhu, what's wrong with these people? Cai Xian just wants to use torture on the family heads, so why are they making those faces?"
[I don't know! Could it be because the torture methods he mentioned are too cruel?]
"Could it be even more cruel than branding, the nail chair, rat torture, or the paper-on-face suffocation? Look at them, their faces have all gone pale!"
Everyone looked utterly bewildered upon hearing these punishments. Why did the hair on their bodies stand on end just from hearing the names!
Although they had their doubts, they didn't have time to dwell on what on earth those things were. The most urgent task was to dispel the suspicions of these two ancestors.
Ling Yinghua was the first to step forward and say, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this humble subject believes that Minister Cai's words are somewhat inappropriate. Although the Four Great Families are at fault, those who deserve death should be killed, and those who deserve trial should be tried. However, wouldn't the abuse of severe torture raise suspicions of extracting confessions through force?"
Shang Xuewen also stepped out of the ranks and said, "Your Majesty, this humble subject feels that Chancellor Ling's words are reasonable. My fellow colleagues surely share the same thoughts as this lower official."
He pointedly looked at a few officials whose facial expressions had been the most obvious.
Those few people immediately caught on and bowed one after another, saying, "We second the motion. Minister Cai's proposal is truly frightening!"
As they spoke, they even wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads. It seemed they really were quite frightened!
[The benevolence of women! These officials are too pedantic, especially that Chancellor Ling! If the people of the Four Great Families hadn't been caught now, the commoners of these provinces wouldn't have known peace for the next few years!]
Ling Yinghua: Who did I provoke? I just came out to smooth things over, so how did I get called out and scolded!
He looked at Emperor Mingxi with a bit of grievance. Emperor Mingxi pressed a hand to his lips. How novel! Even I don't dare talk back when I get scolded, do you think you'd be an exception!
Shang Xuewen and the others silently stepped back and hid within the ranks. Lord Divine Artifact can't see me, can't see me!
Ling Yinghua: No loyalty at all! Who did I do this for!
Emperor Mingxi: You'll get used to it!
Ling Yinghua: I can't get used to it at all!
"It's normal. Some old fogeys just read too much and turn their brains rigid! Let's not talk about them. Tell me, who exactly does this man-made calamity refer to?"
[Master wants to intervene in this matter?]
"Little Zhu, haven't you noticed that your master's divine power is slowly recovering?"
[Master possesses divine power in a mortal body?]
"Not quite to that extent. I can just do some things that mortals cannot. However, I've only recovered a tiny sliver, so it's normal that you didn't notice."
[Master, that's not right. Your physical body is just that of an ordinary mortal, so how could your divine power recover? How can a mortal body withstand Master's divine power?]
"It's because I have received the power of incense offerings. With my primordial spirit controlling this mortal vessel, I can perform extraordinary feats."
[Then what does this have to do with you interfering in the epidemic?]
"Little Zhu, where do you think my incense offerings come from?"
Wu Yuanjing and the others, who offered three sticks of incense to Yue Fuguang at home every day, silently thought to themselves: Could it be because of the incense we offer?
"Naturally, it comes from the mortal commoners. By taking care of this matter, I can consider it settling the karma."
They finally understood. The Little Immortal Lord had recovered a bit of divine power because of their offerings, but she was anxious to settle this karma.
She wanted to cut ties with them! That absolutely wouldn't do!
The sovereign and his ministers exchanged a glance, everything understood without words.
Since the Little Immortal Lord wouldn't board their boat, they would board hers. The incense must not be broken, and the offerings would not lessen. If she settled the karma today, they would renew it tomorrow, renew it abundantly!
It seemed it was time for the title of Junior Preceptor to resound throughout all of Great Yan! Perhaps her title as an Immortal Lord could also slowly spread...
With the offerings from the millions of commoners in Great Yan, and the imperial court funding the construction of temples everywhere, creating a flourishing stream of incense, how would the Junior Preceptor ever be able to cut off this karma!
Wanting to wash her hands of them and run away at the drop of a hat like she did before? That definitely wouldn't do!
[Then how does Master want to handle this? Although Little Zhu brought some panaceas and miraculous medicines, there are so many mortals that it won't be enough.]
Bros, please move your wealth-bringing little hands and urge for more updates. The stats are getting worse and worse. Don't let chapters pile up before reading, or the book will die! Thank you, folding hands in respect.