NOVEL NEXT Chapter 623: Why Did Your Majesty Rebel?
As soon as Yan Xuankong spoke, Han Zheng's mind was shaken immensely.
Previously, when the incidents in Huainan Road and Qingzhou Dao occurred, everyone believed that it was Ji Yuanfang's scheme.
But now that Ji Yuanfang is dead, what about the matters of Yan Mountain Dao?
Han Zheng hurriedly followed Yan Xuankong to the top of the Observatory.
Qi Zhangwu had not returned to the Resonating Demon Department; he had been staying at the Observatory, being nurtured by the Supervisor for his Yang God.
As they arrived at the entrance of the Observatory, Chen Baxian was already waiting for Han Zheng.
Chen Baxian's aura was also unfathomable at this moment, vaguely suffused with a power of Dao Essence.
The Supervisor's estimate was not wrong; Chen Baxian had also stepped into the Heavenly Position.
But at this moment, neither of them had the heart to congratulate each other's breakthrough; their expressions were extremely grave.
Pushing open the door, the Supervisor, with his empty eyesockets, gazed at the two, as Qi Zhangwu's Yang God Body appeared much more solid than before, and his condition improved significantly.
"You should be aware of the matters concerning Yan Mountain Dao by now, right? What do you think about this affair?"
Qi Zhangwu's expression was somber, his brows furrowed tightly.
Han Zheng remained silent for a moment, carefully recalling every detail of his confrontation with Ji Yuanfang, and said in a deep voice, "I believe we seem to have always misunderstood one thing.
The incidents in Qingzhou Dao and Huainan Road, we always believed it was Ji Yuanfang's doing.
His Secret Technique for controlling the Dragon Vein was a kind of Evil Technique, requiring a large number of civilians for blood sacrifices, which was possible."
Chen Baxian, on the side, spoke in a deep voice, "I also thought so before. Ji Yuanfang was a man blinded by greed, capable of massacring civilians for the Imperial Throne, as seen from how he sheltered so many demonic and heretical forces."
Han Zheng rubbed his head and said, "When the Grand Commander faced Ji Yuanfang, Ji Yuanfang wanted to recruit you. You said Ji Yuanfang massacred civilians and wasn't qualified to be the Emperor of the Great Zhou.
At that time, Ji Yuanfang seemed very surprised, saying he hadn't massacred civilians, that they weren't civilians.
Thinking back now, we may have misunderstood each other's meanings.
We referred to the civilians massacred in Huainan Road and Qingzhou Dao.
And Ji Yuanfang might have been referring to some Martial World people who died after he sheltered those demonic outsiders, whom he didn't consider civilians.
So, the chaos in Qingzhou Dao and Huainan Road doesn't seem to be Ji Yuanfang's doing."
Qi Zhangwu spoke with a chilling tone, "I remember this scene as well; thinking about it now, we were too eager to kill Ji Yuanfang, so we didn't bother arguing with him. Now, it seems there are indeed some problems.
But that involved three entire roads, millions of civilians, and thousands of my Demon Cleansing Bureau's elite; besides Ji Yuanfang, who else in the whole Great Zhou has the power to accomplish all this?
Even if Xuankong Temple and the Seven Killings Demon Palace came, they couldn't achieve this!"
Suddenly, Han Zheng raised his head and said, "Besides Ji Yuanfang, actually, there's someone who can accomplish it."
"Who?"
"Ji Taichang!"
As soon as these three words were uttered, disbelief filled the faces of Chen Baxian and Qi Zhangwu, and even the Supervisor gazed through his hollow eyes at Han Zheng.
"Are you serious?" Qi Zhangwu asked in a deep voice.
Han Zheng exhaled a long breath and said, "All this time, we have focused on Ji Yuanfang, yet we've always overlooked this Emperor.
Ji Taichang has controlled the Great Zhou for so many years; although he hasn't achieved much, he is shrewd enough to notice Ji Yuanfang's ambitions and has even reprimanded him in the past.
Yet, faced with Ji Yuanfang's ambitions, he has taken no precautions or countermeasures, which is far too strange.
Over the years, just you, the Grand Commander, have reported so many of Ji Yuanfang's secret maneuvers to Ji Taichang, yet he turned a blind eye.
This gives me a feeling that Ji Taichang is deliberately indulging Ji Yuanfang, even purposely provoking Ji Yuanfang's anger with occasional reprimands."
"But why would he do this?"
Han Zheng said quietly, "For whatever Ji Yuanfang was after, Ji Taichang might be as well.
Some people become more afraid of death as they live longer. Having been an Emperor for decades, he might want to be an Emperor for hundreds of years, maybe even an eternal, undying Emperor, all of which is possible."
Qi Zhangwu's brows were tightly furrowed.
These thoughts Han Zheng expressed were ones Qi Zhangwu had never considered before.
It wasn't that Qi Zhangwu was careless, but he, after all, was from the Demon Cleansing Bureau. Even as the Grand Commander, he was still a minister of Great Zhou.
He might be dissatisfied with some of Ji Taichang's policies and attitudes, but he would never suspect that the Emperor of the Great Zhou would do something to harm the nation.
But Han Zheng was different; being a transmigrator, he had no reverence for imperial power, instead maintaining a sense of skepticism towards it.
The Supervisor suddenly spoke at this moment, "Driving the tiger to swallow the wolf, Ji Yuanfang is dead, along with his confidants, even the Dragon Martial Bureau is completely abolished.
It's known that the Dragon Martial Bureau's duty is to protect imperial power, but some of the Imperial Family elders within it could also restrain imperial power.
After this battle, the Demon Cleansing Bureau suffered heavy losses. You, as the Grand Commander, lost your physical body. If Han Zheng and Chen Baxian hadn't stepped into the Heavenly Position, the Demon Cleansing Bureau would be considered half-crippled.
At such a time, the entire Great Zhou has only one Heavenly Position peerless expert remaining, the one who has always guarded the Imperial City.
But we've been in the Capital City for so many years, and have never seen this expert, only knowing that he takes action solely in times of life and death crises for the Great Zhou, so who could know his stance?
These past few days, I've observed the celestial phenomena at night, discovering the Dragon Vein quakes, even to the point of affecting the skies around the Capital City.
I originally thought it was Ji Yuanfang who damaged the root of the Dragon Vein, but now it seems the Dragon Vein remains in an unstable state."
After the Supervisor finished speaking, Qi Zhangwu decisively said, "Han Zheng, Chen Baxian, immediately gather everyone from the Demon Cleansing Bureau, and take me to the Imperial Palace; this matter must be clarified!"
The Supervisor also took out an official seal and handed it to Han Zheng at this moment, "Take it, the Observatory will also obey your orders, and at critical moments, I can assist you by activating the Array."
Han Zheng's expression was solemn; he nodded and immediately began assembling forces with Chen Baxian.
This time was different from the confrontation with Ji Yuanfang.
Ji Yuanfang was openly conspiring to usurp the throne, but this time, they seemed more like the conspirators.
And if they made a mistake, they would truly become rebels.
However, at this moment, Qi Zhangwu would rather Han Zheng had thought and guessed incorrectly.
If the one plotting everything behind the scenes indeed was Ji Taichang, then what he schemes for might be even greater than Ji Yuanfang's!
In less than a quarter of an hour, the remaining personnel of the Demon Cleansing Bureau and Observatory were already gathered, heading straight for the Imperial Palace.
Most people didn't actually know why they were going to the Imperial Palace; they thought they were there to extinguish the remnants of Ji Yuanfang's party.
Because Ji Yuanfang had controlled the Imperial Palace for several days, Ji Taichang's loyal guards had been completely purged earlier, and now the palace guards were sparse, all temporarily assigned there.
Seeing Han Zheng and Chen Baxian leading the elite of the Demon Cleansing Bureau majestically into the Imperial Palace, they thought Ji Yuanfang had returned to kill again, causing some to flee immediately.
Upon reaching the main hall of the Imperial Palace, the originally tightly closed doors suddenly opened, and Ji Taichang strode out wearing the Dragon Robe, accompanied by not even a small eunuch.
"Grand Commander, Minister Han, and Minister Chen, why have you come? Are there still remnants of Ji Yuanfang's party causing trouble?"
Ji Taichang appeared completely puzzled.
Qi Zhangwu took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, the Dragon Vein is currently trembling, and we wish for Your Majesty to open the Dragon Vein Array to see if the Dragon Vein is safe."
Ji Taichang frowned, "Nonsense! The Dragon Vein, after being tormented by the treacherous Ji Yuanfang for so long, of course, has vibrations. Now, the Dragon Vein is being nurtured under the Array; it can't be carelessly viewed."
Qi Zhangwu took a deep breath, gazed at Ji Taichang, and said, "What if I insist on seeing it today?"
Ji Taichang glanced at Qi Zhangwu, then turned his gaze to Han Zheng and Chen Baxian, "Are you two also watching your Grand Commander making trouble here? Defying the imperial decree openly? It seems you've grown arrogant from your merits, relying on favor! Are you also trying to learn from Ji Yuanfang and rebel?"
Han Zheng squinted slightly, saying calmly, "Rebellion? I think the one intending to rebel is Your Majesty, isn't it?"