Chapter 24: The Emperor’s Decision
Duke Li charged at Fang Chen furiously. He was swinging his fists at Fang Chen’s temples whilst shouting, “Pay with your life! You damn dog!”
Bang.
Duke Li suddenly paused, then his face stiffened. He reached out to touch his forehead. Warm blood was gushing out. He looked at Fang Chen in disbelief, his mother’s half broken cane in Fang Chen’s hand.
Hiss. The onlooker drew a sharp breath.
Ye Qinghe was stunned in place. He was unable to recover for a while.
Despite finally snapping out of their initial shock, the crowd saw Divine General Fang strike the duke with the broken cane once more.
Bang.
The eyes of Duke Li turned white, and he tottered in place, ready to fall.
Fang Chen thought for a moment before raising the cane and hitting Duke Li one last time, and the man finally slumped to the ground.
Seeing that, Fang Chen tossed the cane casually to the side, then turned to Eunuch You and said, “It's because of such pests that the court is the mess it is today. Eunuch You, stop standing there like an idiot and come with me to the palace.”
"Ah, yes...” Eunuch You hastily lowered his head and followed Fang Chen into the Imperial Palace, his steps hurried and hectic.
On the sidelines, Duke Li’s relatives dared not utter a word of defiance. They stood there in a daze, at a loss for what to do.
*
Inside the Imperial Study.
Unlike the calm and collected Fang Chen, You Longchang was tense and his whole body was stiff. He was clearly nervous.
"You’ve really gone and done it this time," the emperor said sarcastically. "Who told you to take action against the Qingsong Superior Academy? Do you realize the consequences of your actions?”
Seeing the emperor chastise Fang Chen, You Longchang immediately knelt. He didn’t dare make a peep.
In contrast, Fang Chen smiled faintly and said, "Your Majesty, the Qingsong Superior Academy is like a malignant tumor in the capital. It has harmed countless innocent people over the years.”
"You think I'm unaware of this?" the emperor shot back coldly. "The situation in our Grand Xia is precarious. Even if you've recovered your cultivation and have once again become a martial arts expert, so what? Do you think you’re as strong as an entire army? Can you deal with the hundred thousand man Wolf Army alone?
“Our Grand Xia has already lost a considerable amount of military strength. If the Qingsong Empire decides to attack us because of this, how do you plan on dealing with them?" The emperor fixed his gaze at Fang Chen.
You Longchang pricked up his ears; he really wanted to know if Fang Chen was actually prepared to deal with the aftermath.
"Your Majesty, you might not be familiar with Marshall Xiao Lang's temperament. He wouldn’t act unless he was a hundred percent sure of the outcome. As long as he doesn’t fully understand my current situation, he would never launch an attack on Grand Xia," Fang Chen said with a faint smile.
The emperor growled, "That’s what you think! If something goes wrong, are you willing to shoulder the responsibility?"
"I’m willing to bear all the responsibility." Fang Chen nodded.
"Very well.” The emperor nodded. "However, your recent actions were indeed reckless. Those people from the Guhe, Longdu, and Yizhou Kingdoms are watching my every move. If I fail to give them a proper explanation, they won't back down. Our Grand Xia is already sworn enemies with the Qingsong Empire, we can't afford to offend them as well.”
"Your Majesty, please give the order. I will definitely follow it to a tee," Fang Chen said.
"From today onwards, your father, Fang Canghai, is demoted by three ranks. He’s to surrender the Tiger Token of the East Tiger Battalion. As for you, you are forbidden from setting foot in the court and mustering troops for the rest of your life. This is the promise I made in exchange for their forgiveness,” the emperor dictated calmly. “Do you have any objections?”
You Longchang revealed an expression full of disbelief. He felt his heart skip a beat. If Fang Chen received such harsh punishment, what would happen to him?! He was no Divine General! Would he retain his position as the deputy commander of the West Tiger Battalion?
Seemingly recalling something, Fang Chen abruptly added, "Oh, one more thing. I had a little conflict with Duke Li and his family at the entrance of the Imperial Palace.”
The emperor waved his hand impatiently. "Don't mention such trivial matters. I'll ask you one more time: do you have any objections to what I just said?”
"I have no objections. I will follow your orders.” Fang Chen bowed and saluted, his expression calm. Not a hint of emotions could be seen on his face.
Seeing this, nigh-imperceptible disgust flickered in the emperor's eyes. He waved his hand once more and said, "You may leave."
"Yes." Fang Chen excused himself and left.
You Longchang was slightly confused. Was it over? Was the emperor not going to punish him?
Seeing that the emperor had resumed reviewing memorials, he skulked out of the study after Fang Chen.
"Divine General Fang...” You Longchang muttered as he noticed how quiet Fang Chen was.
"Yes?" Fang Chen glanced at him, smiling.
How can you still smile?! Longchang thought to himself before he whispered, "Divine General Fang, the emperor has forbidden you from stepping foot into court for the rest of your life. Don’t you feel resentful?”
Fang Chen replied nonchalantly, "Why should I? It aligns perfectly with my intentions. It’s too draining to take part in matters of the court. It’s more enjoyable to live a carefree life at home as the young master of my manor.”
You Longchang could sense the sincerity in Fang Chen's words, causing him to be in a complete state of disbelief. The Fang Chen of the past was nothing like this at all! Back then, Fang Chen was ferocious and—though young—stood against Prime Minister Li, who was a very influential figure of the empire. At the time, countless officials owed their positions to Fang Chen, and he had a lot of subordinates. There were even some who banded together and called themselves the "Fang Faction" in private!
However, after Fang Chen's defeat at Three World Mountain, the Fang Faction collapsed almost overnight.
Countless people distanced themselves from Fang Chen and even wrote memorials to the emperor, listing down every offense they could come up with in order to condemn him.
Because of that, You Longchang believed that Fang Chen should fight to reclaim his former glory after he recovered his cultivation. If he were in Fang Chen’s shoes, he would certainly do so!
"Let's go." Fang Chen waved his hand, ushering You Longchang to follow him, and headed toward the Fang family manor.
He was well aware of You Longchang’s thoughts. But some things were better left unsaid. No matter how well he tried to tell You Longchang what his intentions were, the other party won’t understand a word.
In the past, he was indeed obsessed with authority. While he was mostly focused on protecting the citizens of the empire in the past, he never stopped striving to climb onto higher and higher positions.
It was true that his miserable defeat at Three World Mountain was because of the expert from the eighth-tier empire that the Qingsong Kingdom had hired. But he was also complacent. Due to his arrogance, he had gathered all of his forces in one location. All because he thought that he could crush the Qingsong Empire in one fell swoop, but in the end, hundreds of thousands of soldiers died.
Countless loyal souls lay buried under Three World Mountain. It was one of the many regrets and heavy burdens in Fang Chen’s heart, one that ate at him for five years.
He blamed himself many times, and couldn’t help but feel endless remorse over the lost lives of his comrades. Unfortunately, the past could never be undone.
"What I can do now is take care of the people around me, protect Grand Xia from invasion—and perhaps, take a shot at becoming an Immortal." Fang Chen smiled faintly.
Yun He could traverse thousands of miles at will. Once Fang Chen’s cultivation reached that level one day, he would do the same and live a carefree life.
Unknowingly, as Fang Chen was lost in his thoughts along the way, they reached the Grand Brilliance Bureau.
Li Huafeng was standing near the gates. When he saw Fang Chen, he asked, "What was the emperor’s decision?"
"He forbade me from setting foot into court and from leading troops for the rest of my life," Fang Chen replied casually.
Li Huafeng revealed a relieved smile, then he glanced at the prison warden and nodded slightly.
The next moment, he ordered someone to bring Huang Sihai over.
“The bureau head said that the Grand Brilliance Bureau can't afford to keep Huang Sihai here any longer. He devours ten pounds of beef and five pounds of rice every day. Take him back with you.” Li Huafeng snorted coldly and walked away.
"Greetings, my lord." Huang Sihai grinned at Fang Chen. “Hehehe...”
Fang Chen chuckled softly. "Let's go. Xu Ge, Tie Ma, and the others are awaiting your return."
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