With the displaced people of Yong An City..,
Wanting to fight against the army of Xian Le Imperial City..,
Was no different from hitting a stone with an egg, a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
However, people who had no way out had the courage to hit a stone with an egg and a mantis trying to stop a chariot. After a commotion, tens of thousands of Yong An people finally left the city gate,
Retreating a distance..,
Changing a place to set up camp.
They just refused to leave. Walking on the road, they might die,
Wasting time here would probably mean death. What was the difference? Relying on the food and water that the king had previously distributed..,
The bark, weeds, vegetable roots, insects, snakes, rats, and ants in the wild..,
As well as the resentment and unwillingness that had accumulated for many days. These people had an unimaginably tenacious vitality..,
They stubbornly endured it. A few days later..,
More than a thousand people hurriedly gathered together with some hoes, rakes, stones, and branches, came back to fight.
Although this battle was a mess.., it was a crushing defeat..,
More than half of the more than a thousand people were dead or injured..,
But it was not for nothing. Lang Ying rushed into the city tower alone, carrying a few large bags of rice and a few bundles of weapons back..,
Although he was heavily injured..,
On the contrary, it aroused the fighting spirit of a group of desperadoes.
At this time, their nature was closer to that of bandits. Once, twice..,
Three times. The soldiers of Xian Le discovered that this group of "bandits" were rapidly improving.
The scattered attackers, who had no experience before, gradually found their way. The people who came were more and more difficult to deal with, and the number of people who went back increased. There was also a new wave of disaster victims who heard the news and joined them, strengthening their team. The Xian Le Nation was in an uproar over how to deal with these "bandits". After five or six such absurd battles, Xie Lian could no longer watch from the sidelines.
He hadn't gone to the Heavenly Court to report for many days. This time, when he returned to the Immortal Capital, he silently went straight to the Divine Martial Palace. When he rushed in, Jun Wu was sitting at the head. A group of Heavenly Officials were bowing their heads and listening to orders, as if they were discussing important matters. If it was in the past, Xie Lian would have chosen another day to visit, but now, he couldn't wait any longer. He went straight to the point and said, "Emperor, I want to return to the human world."
All the Heavenly Officials were startled and immediately covered their mouths, not wanting to reveal too much of their emotions. Jun Wu pondered for a moment before standing up from his throne. In a warm voice, he said, "Xian Le, I roughly know what happened. However, you must first calm down."
Xie Lian said, "Di Jun, I didn't come here to inquire, but to inform. My people are in dire straits, please forgive me for not being able to remain calm. "
Jun Wu said, "Everything in the world has its own destiny. Do you know that if you go down there, you will be breaking the rules? "
Xie Lian said, "If it's against the rules, then it's against the rules!"
Hearing this, the expressions of all the Heavenly Officials changed. There had never been a Divine Priest who dared to say these words in such a righteous and powerful manner. Even if Jun Wu favored this Xian Le Crown Prince who had ascended at such a young age, he was still too bold.
Then, Xie Lian bowed and said, "Please give me a way out and give me some time. Since the war has already started, casualties are unavoidable. However, if I can pacify this war, let the least number of people die, and control the situation to the smallest extent possible, after the war is over, I will definitely voluntarily come back to ask for forgiveness. At that time, I will be at your disposal. Whether it is to suppress me under the mountain for a hundred years, a thousand years, or ten thousand years! — — I will absolutely not regret it. "
After saying this, he maintained his bowed posture and retreated out of the palace hall. Jun Wu said, "Xian Le!"
Xie Lian's footsteps paused. Jun Wu looked at him and sighed, "You can't save everyone."
Xie Lian slowly straightened his body and said, "Whether or not I can save everyone, I will only know the answer after I try. Even if the heavens say that I must die, as long as that sword doesn't pierce through my heart, nailing me to the ground and making me unable to move, I will still be alive. I will still struggle to the end with my last breath! "
This time, when he returned to the human world, it was different from the previous times. Xie Lian felt that something had been left behind. It was a little relaxed, but also a little heavy. His first step was to impatiently return to the Imperial Palace.
The King and Empress were in the Imperial Study, their expressions heavy and tired as they whispered to each other. Xie Lian arrived outside the door. He was slightly nervous for a moment before he calmed down. Lifting the curtain, he walked in and said, "Imperial Father."
The King and Empress both turned their heads, both stunned. After a short while, the Empress was the first to stand up. Overjoyed, she said, "My son!"
She stretched out her hands and came over to greet him. Xie Lian supported her. But before his smile faded, he suddenly saw the King's face sink. He said, "Why did you come down!"
The smile on Xie Lian's face stiffened.
Previously in the Imperial Palace, when he heard his parents talking behind his back, Xie Lian felt that his father still missed him. He didn't seem to have many opinions about him like he did on the surface. Originally, he thought that with his return, the King would at least show some happiness. If that was the case, his attitude would definitely soften. Who knew that the King would have such a reaction? Xie Lian's anger rose as he solemnly said, "Why did I come down? Isn't it all because of you? For Yong 'an to have today's chaos, you should ask yourself honestly, don't you also have a certain degree of responsibility? "
The King's expression greatly changed as he sternly said, "My responsibility? Is this what you should be saying to me?! "
He was actually so angry that he didn't even pay attention to how he called himself. The Empress said with tears in her eyes, "It's already like this, why are you still arguing?"
Xie Lian said, "I'm not arguing, I'm being reasonable. Even if you are the King, even if you are my Imperial Father, if you have a responsibility, why can't I say it? Why don't you do your best to provide disaster relief? Even if the disaster relief funds were swallowed layer by layer, why don't you punish the corrupt officials? If you acted swiftly and decisively, catching and dealing with one by one, who would dare to be greedy? Wouldn't the situation be better than it is now? "
The veins on the King's forehead bulged. He slammed the table and said, "Shut up! Do you think the national treasury is a bottomless pit? Fill whatever gap there is? Catching and dealing with one by one? If it was that easy, then with a single order from the King, you could immediately see results and act swiftly and decisively. Then why haven't corrupt officials been eradicated? What do you know, ignorant child? Talk to me about governing the country! "
Xie Lian said, "Fine, I don't understand. Then even if the Imperial City has no place for the victims, it is inevitable that they will withdraw. But why don't you give these victims some travel expenses? Why didn't you pacify them and send troops to escort them to the east? "
The king glared angrily at the sky and said, "Scram. Get lost! Go back to the sky! Just looking at you annoys me! Do not appear again! "
Xie Lian's heart was filled with hot blood. When he saw his parents for the first time, he heard his father telling him to scram back to the sky. Without saying a word, he bowed to him and retreated. The Empress chased after him and pulled him back. "My son!"
Xie Lian warmly said, "Imperial Mother, don't worry. I'm just going to the capital to take a look at the current situation."
The Empress shook her head and said, "My son, I don't understand these national affairs, but I understand your father. Over the years, I've seen how he's become a monarch. You can think that he didn't do a good job. Sometimes I feel the same way too. I just don't want to say it. But don't say that in front of him. He is your father after all. If you say that he doesn't have a good heart to his face, it will really hurt his feelings. "
Xie Lian wanted to say something but hesitated. The Empress said, "Although you are the Crown Prince, you have never been a king. Governing a country is different from cultivating the Dao. When you first entered the Emperor Polarity Temple, the Imperial Preceptor said that cultivating the Dao is only about one's heart. Is that what he said? "
Xie Lian slowly nodded. The Empress held his hand and said, "But, there are many things in this world. It is useless to put your heart into it. You also need to be capable. Not only you, but your subordinates also need to be capable. Not only do they need to be capable, but they also need to be of the same mind as you."
Xie Lian was silent. After a long time, he said, "Isn't the national treasury very deflated? I don't need temples. Tell him not to build so many temples for me. Those golden statues, destroy them all. "
The Empress said helplessly, "You child … Of course, your father has his own selfish motives in building temples. He wants to give you good things and wants you to be glorious in the sky. But do you know how many of the 8,000 monasteries were truly built by your father? You don't know, right? "
Xie Lian really didn't know. He thought for a while and said, "… Half?"
The Empress said, "If your father really used the money in the national treasury to build over four thousand Crown Prince Palaces, before the people of Yong An could make a ruckus, the imperial city would first. Since the national treasury is empty, where did all the money come from? Your father only built around twenty temples. Others followed his wind and also built a nest of them. They wanted to curry favor with him, to curry favor with you. Do these things also count on him? "
Xie Lian said, "I …"
The Empress said in a low voice, "Your father didn't do well enough, but he … did his best. However, in this world, just doing one's best isn't enough. "
Pausing, she then said, "Right now, you feel pity for those people of Yong An, so you blame your father. But they are all his people. Don't tell me we are the ones bullying them? Actually … "
Halfway through, the king angrily shouted from inside the imperial study, "Why are you talking so much nonsense with him? Tell him to hurry up and scram back to the sky!"
The Empress turned her head and sighed, "My son, you … don't come down. You should go back. "
After leaving the imperial palace, Xie Lian walked along an alley on the side of Shen Wu Street. Coincidentally, Feng Xin and Mu Qing rushed over. When Mu Qing arrived, he said in disbelief, "Your Highness! You invited yourself to descend to the mortal world? You went to Shen Wu Palace Hall and told the emperor?? "
Xie Lian said, "Yes."
Mu Qing asked, "Why didn't you tell me first?"
Feng Xin felt strange. "What do you mean? Does Your Highness need to tell others what he wants to do? "
Mu Qing, on the other hand, somewhat forgot himself and said, "Why not? We are his people. Right now, we are bound together with him. His every move and action is closely related to our situation. What's wrong with me wanting to know what he plans to do? "
Feng Xin said, "Whatever His Highness does, don't we have to follow? Whatever he wants to do, whether it's up in the sky or down on the ground, he has his own ideas. What are you afraid of? "
"You!" Mu Qing said, "I'm not afraid! I'm just … "
Xie Lian waved his hand. "Enough. Don't quarrel! "
Feng Xin and Mu Qing immediately shut up. At this moment, a procession passed through the main street. Thousands of commoners loudly shouted, "If Yong An is not eliminated, there will be no peaceful days in the country!"
"Chaotic country's malignant tumor, bullying people intolerably!"
The people of Xian Le had never been so aggressive towards anything before. Furthermore, they were even carrying out such a grand and spectacular procession. Xie Lian couldn't help but feel strange. On the other hand, Feng Xin frowned and said, "Why is there a woman among them?"
Sure enough, within the procession, there was a young girl charging at the very front. That young girl's figure was slender and elegant. Her skin was snow white, and her eyes were bright black. Her cheeks were crimson red, but it wasn't from embarrassment. Rather, it was from anger. Mu Qing had already adjusted his mood and coldly said, "Does Your Highness not recognize her?"
Xie Lian replied, "I don't."
However, Feng Xin frowned and said, "She seems a bit familiar?"
Mu Qing replied, "That's one of the sources."
Xie Lian asked, "What source?"
Mu Qing replied, "The source of irreconcilable hostility. Previously, because there were more and more people from Yong An in the Imperial City, some of them didn't stay together and wandered around causing trouble. The Imperial Court was discussing the matter of banishment, and the news had long since spread out. There was a person from Yong An who wanted to stay. He didn't want to leave, so he took a risk out of desperation. One night, he snuck into a rich family and kidnapped their daughter. "
When he said this, Xie Lian still hadn't reacted yet. "If he didn't want to leave, why would he kidnap a rich family's daughter?"
Mu Qing glanced at him and said, "He wanted to marry her. However, if he didn't rely on kidnapping, there wouldn't be a daughter from a rich family in the Imperial City willing to marry a person from Yong An. "
He didn't say it clearly, but Xie Lian understood.
He had never thought that it could actually be like this, that there would actually be such a person in this world, that such a thing would actually happen. He suddenly felt an urge to vomit. Feng Xin cursed on the spot and said, "Disgusting!"
At this moment, a group of aunts and old women hurriedly rushed over. They bent their waists like monkeys, wanting to pull that young girl down. It seemed like she had taken advantage of the fact that her family wasn't paying attention to her and ran out on her own. That young girl didn't comply and said, "What are you afraid of! What do I have to be ashamed of? It's not like it's my fault! "
Feng Xin curiously said, "This girl's temper is actually quite fierce."
Mu Qing said, "Yes. Unfortunately, her family isn't just any ordinary family. Her father is an important official in the court and her mother's family is a wealthy merchant in the Imperial City. She wasn't willing to suffer such a loss, and it was even more impossible for her to marry someone just for the sake of face. She first killed that person from Yong An. Not long after, all the wealthy merchants and famous people in the city jointly submitted a petition, listing the crimes that the people from Yong An had committed since they entered the city. They earnestly requested His Majesty to imprison all of these people and punish them severely. Not to mention the stance of the officials. "
After a pause, he lightly said, "I heard that this girl's father had once wanted to send her into the palace to fight for the position of Crown Princess. Your Highness should have seen her a few times in the past, but you actually didn't recognize her."
Xie Lian finally discovered that everything was much more complicated than he had imagined.
The people outside and inside the city had long since become irreconcilable. The subjects and people were all enraged and hated that they couldn't wipe them all out in one fell swoop. If the King's decision was still biased towards the people from Yong An, wouldn't that be slapping his own people's faces? In the end, he decided to allocate a sum of money from the dried up national treasury to give them travel expenses. Although it looked quite shabby, it would probably still cause a large number of people to be dissatisfied.
What was more terrifying than the dissatisfaction of the enemy was the dissatisfaction of one's own subjects. Although they were originally all the subjects of Xian Le, now, there were probably not many people who thought so.
He was high and aloof and didn't know about the affairs of the human world for a long time, but his father was still in the human world. As the ruler of a country, he had to use money, he had to use people, his position, the pressure he had to endure, and the people and matters he had to balance. How could he be the same as him? Just like how the people from Yong An occupied land in the Imperial City, made noise, stole, and so on, to a Martial God who lived in a temple, these were probably all small matters. They weren't worth getting angry over, so he could endure it and it would pass. However, to the people of the Imperial City, it was a real, unforgettable, unbearable torture, and a crisis that could erupt at any time. Xie Lian couldn't help but think that the King's sideburns were even whiter than before.
Xie Lian couldn't help but think that the King's sideburns were even whiter than before. The last time he said he wanted to dye it, he probably didn't have the energy to do so anymore.
When he was young, he firmly believed that his father was the greatest ruler in the world. The older he grew, the more he realized that this wasn't the case. Although his father was the King, he couldn't be said to be incomparably wise. Sometimes, he was a little inflexible and often made mistakes. Taking away his incomparably noble identity, he was just a normal person.
The more he understood, the more disappointed he became. The King sensed his disappointment, so he couldn't tolerate every disapproving look from him, words that he didn't approve of. What he couldn't tolerate the most was being seen by him as a failure.
There wasn't a father in the world that would want his son to see his failure. Fathers all hoped that in front of their sons, they would always be tall and strong. Yet, he appeared at this time and reprimanded his father: You did so badly! So badly that I could only come down and help you save the situation — whether it was as the King or as a father, how could he feel good after hearing this?
In the end, that young girl was dragged back by her family's servants in a flurry. The rest of the people continued to march, waving flags and shouting war cries. There was only one thing they were shouting: Kill! Start the war! Let the people of Yong An outside the city get it!
After a long while, Mu Qing said: "Your Highness, you should apologize to the King and go back. Now that things have reached this stage, you have lost the right time, the right place, and the right people. "
Just like what Jun Wu said to Xie Lian in the Divine Martial Hall: Everything in the world has its own destiny. This sentence, wasn't it telling him: Your Xian Le Country's fate has come to an end, so let it be?
Even the Empress and his mother yearned day and night to see him. But when they really saw him, they tearfully told him to go back and not care about it anymore. How could Xie Lian not know that they didn't want him to face this crisis. They would rather him be a bystander and live his own life.
But, how could this be possible?
"… …"
Xie Lian said in a low voice: "It won't happen!"