Chapter 2180: Life and Death Decision

It turned out that the man in white was none other than the Jing River Dragon King in human form.

Suppressing his thoughts, and feigning ignorance, he asked, "Who are you? And why do you ask for my help?"

The Jing River Dragon King hastily replied, "Your Majesty is a true dragon; I am merely a karmic dragon. I have violated the laws of Heaven and am destined to be executed by your wise minister, the Human Official Wei Zheng. Therefore, I implore you, Your Majesty, to save me!"

Zu An's face remained expressionless, his instinct was to refuse, not wanting to get entangled in this karma.

Truth be told, this matter had nothing to do with him from start to finish. The Jing River Dragon King insisted on betting with Yuan Shouchang, and it was Wei Zheng who was to execute him. The Tang Emperor, in his good intentions, tried to save him, but simply because the rescue failed, the Dragon King didn't seek revenge from Yuan Shouchang or Wei Zheng; instead, he relentlessly clung to the Tang Emperor. Was it truly the fate of good people to be bullied?

The refusal was on the tip of Zu An's tongue when he suddenly noticed the fierce glint in the Jing River Dragon King's eyes. He then glanced around; they were outside the palace, and he had no guards with him, making him as vulnerable as any mortal. If he angered the Dragon King, who might become desperate and resort to a suicidal attack, there would truly be nowhere to cry.

So he immediately offered a faint smile. "Since Wei Zheng is to execute you, I can save you. Go with a calm mind."

The Jing River Dragon King, who had been at his wits' end and was considering dragging the Emperor down with him if his request was denied, was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of relief when the Emperor agreed. He hastily kowtowed in gratitude. "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Watching the Dragon King depart joyfully, Zu An dared not linger outside the palace. Without the protection of the imperial qi, encountering any evil spirits could prove troublesome.

Not long after returning and waking up, it was almost time for the morning court. Attended by Princess Yuanji, Zu An quickly dressed and arrived at the Golden Luan Hall.

In recent years, he had been in a high position and was already accustomed to imperial court procedures, so there were no breaches of etiquette during the assembly.

However, he remained meticulous from beginning to end, ensuring every detail was flawless.

In such a space-time slice trial, no one knew what was being tested, so he could only strive for perfection in everything.

He even suspected there might be extraordinary individuals within the palace. If he showed any abnormality, they might discover an evil spirit possessing the Emperor and strike it down.

After all, this world seemed like a mortal dynasty, yet some ministers could execute dragons, and there were individuals in the common folk who could discern heavenly secrets. Heaven knew what powerful figures were hidden within the court.

Soon, after the officials had completed their greetings and taken their respective places, Zu An focused his gaze. Memories in his mind allowed him to identify the ministers: among the civil officials were Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Xu Shiji, Xu Jingzong, Wang Gui, and others.

Among the military officials were Ma Sanbao, Duan Zhixian, Yin Kaishan, Cheng Yaojin, Liu Hongji, Hu Jingde, Qin Shubao, and others, each exuding dignity and solemnity.

However, Prime Minister Wei Zheng was nowhere to be seen.

Zu An pondered for a moment, then spoke in a deep voice, "Last night, I had a strange dream. I dreamt of a person who came to me, claiming to be the Jing River Dragon King. He said he had violated the laws of Heaven and was destined to be executed by the Human Official Wei Zheng. He implored me to save him, and I have given my promise. Today, before the court assembly, only Wei Zheng is absent. Why is this?"

Since he was the Emperor, he naturally had to leverage the advantages of this identity.

With so many talented and extraordinary individuals in the court, perhaps someone knew a way to resolve this predicament.

At this moment, Xu Shiji stepped forward and replied, "This dream is accurate. Wei Zheng will soon arrive at court. Your Majesty, do not allow him to leave. If he remains here for the entire day, the dragon from your dream can be saved."

The other ministers all voiced their approval. Zu An frowned slightly; he knew well that this would not save the Dragon King, but since there was no better solution at hand, he decided to summon Wei Zheng first for questioning.

Soon, the palace attendant, having received the imperial decree, went to summon Wei Zheng to court.

Not long after, Wei Zheng rushed in. Upon meeting the Emperor, he immediately bowed and kowtowed, requesting punishment for his tardiness.

"You are pardoned!" Seeing Wei Zheng's fearful demeanor, Zu An felt a sense of unreality. It was surprising that Wei Zheng, a formidable figure capable of receiving heavenly decrees and astral projecting to execute the Jing River Dragon King, showed such reverence to a mere mortal emperor. Was this the prestige of a human emperor, protected by destiny?

The court was immediately dismissed, with only Wei Zheng remaining. He was summoned to the Golden Luan Hall and then into the private chambers. Zu An did not directly ask him about the Dragon King's execution, knowing that a direct confrontation might leave no room for maneuver.

Instead, he beat around the bush, trying to probe Wei Zheng's background.

After all, someone entrusted by the Celestial Court to oversee the execution of a Dragon King hardly seemed like an ordinary mortal.

Unfortunately, Zu An currently possessed no cultivation, and with his mortal eyes, he couldn't discern whether Wei Zheng had any.

When Zu An inquired about cultivation, Wei Zheng solemnly stated, "Your Majesty is the ruler of a nation. Your daily concerns should be about strategies for national stability and governance, not seeking immortality like hermits in the mountains. Historically, emperors who pursued such paths often turned out to be incompetent rulers."

As he spoke, there was a sense of gravitas, and Zu An could even feel this body's inherent fear.

Zu An found it somewhat amusing that Li Shimin, an emperor who had conquered the realm on horseback, would fear such a civil official. No wonder there were so many historical anecdotes about this wise ruler and his outspoken minister.

To avoid arousing suspicion, Zu An stopped his inquiries and instead discussed governance with him. As regent of both the human and demon races, he was already well-versed in such matters, so he revealed no weaknesses in this area.

Before he knew it, it was nearing the end of the *sì* hour and the beginning of the *wǔ* hour (around noon). Zu An ordered a palace attendant to bring the large chess set. "I shall play a game with you, my worthy minister."

Princess Yuanji fetched the chessboard and set it up on the imperial desk.

Wei Zheng expressed his gratitude and immediately began to play against Zu An. With each move, the strategic layout took shape.

Zu An, at least, had learned a few times from Hei Baizi at the Imperial Academy; how could the chess skills of a cultivator be compared to those of a mortal?

He and Wei Zheng went back and forth, evenly matched for a time.

As Zu An played, he pondered: according to the plot, Wei Zheng would soon fall asleep, his primordial spirit would leave his body in a dream, and he would go to the Dragon-Slaying Platform to execute the Jing River Dragon King.

If he simply prevented Wei Zheng from falling asleep, Wei Zheng couldn't possibly kill the Jing River Dragon King while awake, could he?

Everything was going so smoothly...

But it was *too* smooth!

For some reason, Zu An felt an inexplicable sense of crisis, as if he were on the precipice of a life-or-death decision.

Why did he feel this way?

Zu An couldn't understand it. He had shown no flaws whatsoever earlier in court, facing all the civil and military officials, which should have been the first test point.

Now, keeping Wei Zheng occupied to save the Jing River Dragon King should be the second test point.

So far, everything had been executed flawlessly. Soon, if he just kept Wei Zheng awake, prevented him from sleeping, and ensured he missed the appointed time, the promise to the Dragon King would be fulfilled, and the Dragon King's fate afterward would have nothing to do with him.

Yet, why did he still have this strong feeling that something was wrong, so much so that the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end?

Zu An knew this was the spiritual perception he had honed during his years of living on the edge of life and death. This world might temporarily seal his various abilities, but it could not strip away this intuition.

Just then, Wei Zheng yawned and naturally slumped onto the table, snoring thunderously.

Zu An was about to reach out to wake him, but his hand hovered in mid-air and ultimately did not descend.

He finally understood where the problem lay.

Because the previous trial involved the Jing River Dragon King, he had subconsciously adopted the Dragon King's perspective, thinking about how to help him safely pass this trial.

The inertia of his thinking made him instinctively want to prevent Wei Zheng from saving the Dragon King upon hearing his plea.

But in this trial, he *was* Emperor Taizong Li Shimin!

His interests and the Dragon King's interests were not aligned.

According to the original plot, Li Shimin failed to save the Dragon King. After his death, the Jing River Dragon King accused him before Yama, leading to Li Shimin's journey to the underworld.

There was a hidden detail: Li Shimin's lifespan was nearing its end at that time, but because the Judge of the Underworld had a prior acquaintance with both Li Shimin and Wei Zheng, he secretly added twenty years to Li Shimin's life in the Book of Life and Death!

Therefore, if he prevented Wei Zheng from executing the Dragon King, there would be no subsequent journey to the underworld, and naturally, no extension of his lifespan. In that scenario, the next few days would mark the end of his life, and he would truly die upon entering the underworld.

No wonder he had just felt an inexplicable sense of life-or-death crisis!

This trial was truly a trap. Empathizing with the Jing River Dragon King in the previous trial had completely misled his choices in this one. What seemed like a simple situation could easily lead to a dead end.

Thus, Zu An feigned ignorance, allowing Wei Zheng to sleep soundly and his primordial spirit to go and execute the Jing River Dragon King.

Not long after, Wei Zheng awoke, prostrated himself on the ground, and declared, "This humble subject deserves death ten thousand times! I was overcome with drowsiness and knew not what I did. I beg Your Majesty to pardon my offense of disrespect!"

Zu An smiled faintly. "What offense have you committed, my minister? Arise now, clear the remaining pieces, and we shall play another game."

Wei Zheng thanked him, but just as he took a piece in his hand, shouts and commotion erupted from outside the palace gates.

Shortly after, Qin Shubao and Xu Maogong entered, carrying a bloody dragon's head, marveling aloud. It turned out the object had suddenly fallen from the clouds, prompting them to come in and report.

Gazing at the Jing River Dragon King's fierce head staring at him, seemingly brimming with countless resentments, Zu An's body involuntarily began to race, filled with unease.

He couldn't help but frown. Although Li Shimin had conquered the empire through mountains of blades and seas of fire, the trials he faced were still minor compared to the tribulations experienced by cultivators. It was surprising that he would be startled by a mere dragon's head.

Zu An looked at Wei Zheng, who immediately bowed and apologized, stating directly that he had executed the Dragon King in his dream.

Taking this opportunity, Zu An asked Wei Zheng why he possessed such divine power.

Wei Zheng hesitated before explaining, "I dare not conceal anything from Your Majesty. Because of my upright and unyielding nature, I have been chosen by the Celestial Court to serve as an official in the Department of Rewarding Good Deeds within the Underworld's Bureau of Yin-Yang Affairs. My duty is to record all good deeds performed by deceased souls in the mortal realm, awaiting the day my mortal lifespan ends, when I shall go and assume my post."

"Such an extraordinary occurrence!" Zu An exclaimed, truly amazed. He had previously heard the Black and White Impermanence mention the two departments of Rewarding Good and Punishing Evil within the Bureau of Yin-Yang Affairs, but he had never imagined that Wei Zheng was the one serving in the Department of Rewarding Good.

Wei Zheng, perhaps concerned that the Emperor was becoming too interested in these matters, hastily added, "Your Majesty, as a true dragon and Son of Heaven, embodies the human emperor's destiny. As long as you diligently govern and care for your people, you need not overly concern yourself with ghosts and deities; Heaven and Earth will naturally protect you."

Zu An laughed heartily. "With a wise counselor and friend like you, my dear minister, why should I worry about the stability of the Great Tang empire?"

He could sense that while Wei Zheng's tone was strict, he held good intentions towards him. This influential figure was definitely someone to keep close.

During their conversation, he casually, as if by chance, asked, "My dear minister, have you ever heard of a fortune-teller named Yuan Shouchang on West Chang'an Street? They say he's incredibly astute, and every one of his divinations prove true."