Chapter 2163: The Signal Sent by the Nine Nether Emperor

He was very polite to Wang Xingyi. While the Grand Tutor changed every few years, the National Preceptor held a long-term tenure.

Wang Xingyi nodded, aware that he was the most suitable candidate.

The court session ended, and the officials left the palace.

Guo Shaoping happened to be walking alongside You Huan. As they stepped into the outer corridor, he whispered, "Your proposal today was excellent. The Emperor's wrath did not erupt."

You Huan shook his head. "What I said simply aligned with the Emperor's thoughts, which is why it was adopted."

"Aligned?" Guo Shaoping chuckled. "That's quite remarkable."

He glanced at You Huan again, remembering certain rumors circulating outside.

After those two brief exchanges, they fell silent. At the end of the long corridor, the two parted ways.

You Huan had not walked a hundred zhang when a palace servant hurried over, calling out, "Lord You, please stop! The Emperor summons you."

In the Imperial Study, Emperor Mou summoned You Huan privately and showed him Emperor Jiuyou's personal letter.

The letter offered no explanation for Cang Yan's acquisition of Bailie. From nation to nation, emperor to emperor, Emperor Jiuyou felt no need to explain himself to Emperor Mou. However, Jiuyou did reiterate that the two nations shared a neighborly relationship, expressing a desire for friendly mutual assistance and shared benefits.

Given that Jiuyou had just seized Bailie and now targeted Blade's Edge Port, his words inevitably provoked a cynical sneer from the Mou people. Yet, Emperor Mou remained expressionless. "You just spent a long time examining those eleven testimonies, longer than anyone else. What did you glean from them? There are no outsiders here; you may speak freely."

Emperor Mou had noticed You Huan examining the testimonies with exceptional care, holding two or three at once to compare them. He surmised that You Huan must have a plan in mind, given such meticulous scrutiny.

"Your Majesty's insight is truly profound," You Huan replied. He knew that despite Emperor Mou's silence during court, he observed everything, and none of You Huan's actions escaped his notice.

Emperor Mou had summoned him for a private meeting, not for flattery, so You Huan immediately continued, "By comparing Marshal Huang's testimony with those of the others, we can largely confirm the sequence of events that day. Emperor Jiuyou first presented an ancestral jade pendant, revealing his identity as Lu Xiaoyun's son from the main Lu clan. He then subjected himself to the test of the Lu clan's ancestral relic. During this process, Lu Zhensheng attempted to use the relic to ambush him, but failed. Emperor Jiuyou successfully passed the test on his own, completed the relic, then secured the approval of the Lu clan elders and members, and apprehended Lu Zhensheng. Marshal Wu and his subordinates intervened to intercept, and were killed. Finally, Jiuyou used the immortal ancestral relic to kill Lu Zhensheng in front of the ancestral shrine."

Emperor Mou nodded. "That is indeed the sequence."

"From the descriptions in these testimonies, it appears Emperor Jiuyou accepted the Lu clan relic's test to prove his identity as a 'son of destiny.' He clearly knew Lu Zhensheng intended to conspire against him, yet he still put himself at risk."

Emperor Mou glanced at him and said deliberately, "That is simply his nature. He similarly risked his life when he caused an uproar in Beijia previously."

You Huan found it difficult to directly refute, so he chose a more tactful approach. "Given Jiuyou's current status and power, he had no need to take such risks. Upon arriving in Bailie, he could have simply presented his ancestral jade pendant and overwhelmed them with his authority. He brought a hundred thousand Black Armored Soldiers, after all! Any other crude, foolish, or mediocre person would likely have just waved a hand, instantly killing Marshal Wu and apprehending Lu Zhensheng on the spot. Why would they bother with a test? Why would they need to put themselves at risk? Yet, Emperor Jiuyou still completed the entire authentication process, meticulously."

Emperor Mou remained silent.

"Regarding Marshal Wu," You Huan continued, choosing his words with even greater care, "Our Great Mou soldiers truly displayed immense bravery, fighting to the last man in the line of duty."

"But what?"

"I repeatedly cross-referenced seven or eight testimonies, and they all mentioned a specific detail: the two sides did not engage immediately upon meeting. The Black Armored Army confronted Marshal Wu three times. Their actual fighting began when..." You Huan paused, and seeing no change in Emperor Mou's expression, he continued, "...Marshal Wu's subordinates fired the first arrow at Emperor Jiuyou. Jiuyou's guards instantly shouted, 'Fine, you dare to attack the Emperor!' It was then that the bloody battle began."

"That loud shout was intended to inform everyone present, including the eleven surviving witnesses, that our Mou army initiated the attack, and the Black Armored Army merely responded in self-defense, out of... sheer necessity."

"In my opinion, Emperor Jiuyou's actions that day were meticulously orchestrated. Bailie is a mere speck of land, and Lu Zhensheng a contemptible individual, neither warranting such serious attention from him. Therefore, his conduct was not intended for the people of Bailie or the Lu family. Rather, it was meant to imply to Great Mou that every step he took in acquiring Bailie and reclaiming Blade's Edge Port was firmly grounded in law, reason, and righteousness, leaving no room for others to find fault!"

To put it plainly, Emperor Jiuyou was sending a clear signal to Mou.

"Indeed." Emperor Mou picked up his tea, took a sip, and chuckled softly. Jiuyou was a master strategist; ordinary people couldn't discern his true intentions until he had completed his moves. "So, what is your conclusion?"

"Emperor Jiuyou aims to cultivate an image of upholding reason, honoring promises, and prioritizing trustworthiness. Even his previous invasion of Yah was undertaken with a legitimate pretext." You Huan finally presented his conclusion. "He expended such great effort to stage these events; doesn't that suggest he does not wish for a complete rupture with Great Mou, nor to truly become our adversary? Such posturing only occurs when there are reservations."

"If Cang Yan truly cared nothing for Great Mou and genuinely desired war, he could have simply led his army to flatten the Lu residence in Bailie, first killing Lu Zhensheng and Marshal Wu, and only then producing the jade pendant, daring anyone to defy him."

"That would be true arrogance, a genuinely provocative stance. That would signify a refusal to seek a peaceful resolution, an intention to escalate the situation."

"Instead of how Jiuyou acts now, with reason preceding might, and every action measured and justified."

At this point, You Huan harbored a slight sense of reflection.

He Xiao had always possessed evidence of being a descendant of the main Lu clan. Why did he not present it earlier? Why did he endure for so many years, waiting until he became "Emperor Jiuyou," and his territory expanded from the Yangshan Archipelago to the Blazing Gold Plains, before he began acting "reasonably and with justification"?

Alas, was it not simply because behind reason lay the might of a fist?

Conversely, as one grows increasingly powerful, "reason" and "order" themselves become the sharpest weapons at one's disposal.

Reason can render others speechless and helpless;

Order serves as the strongest shackles and tethers to bind others.

Emperor Mou smiled faintly. "Then what do you believe he still desires? The State of Qing?"

"Jiuyou wishes to act under the guise of 'divine right and natural justice.' Reclaiming Blade's Edge Port according to the agreement is perfectly reasonable, but taking the entire State of Qing would be baseless. Unless Qing chooses to fight to the death over Blade's Edge Port." You Huan's insight was clear. "As long as our nation does not send troops, Qing will not maintain such a defiant stance."

He knew Emperor Mou had no desire to deploy troops for the sake of Qing.