Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 683 – Principle

Madam Xue was a wife who had had a very good upbringing and was very courteous. Even when her husband’s body had been thrown into the fields to the side of the official road and she was enduring endless suffering and humiliation, she still did not lose her manners. Seeing this youth that she did not recognize, she softly asked, “May I ask if you need something?”

Chen Changsheng had walked out of the crowd to her because he naturally needed something, but it was something that the Imperial Court currently would not allow anyone to do: bury Xue Xingchuan.

Madam Xue was somewhat shocked upon hearing his answer. She felt deeply moved, but she shook her head, a grief-stricken smile on her face.

In the past few days, the capital had seemed completely silent, but there had actually been a few cries of injustice. However, those people had suffered the same fate as the soldiers returning from Cong Province Army and had been cruelly repressed.

She did not want this youth to experience the same fate.

Before Chen Changsheng had a chance to say anything, he was interrupted by a cold and stern voice.

It was Tianhai Sheng, the supervisor from the Ministry of Justice.

When he saw that youth ignore the cold edges of those blades and swords and walk out from the crowd, then heard the ensuing conversation, he found the whole thing very laughable. Of course, he was also very angry.

He didn’t know who this youth was, but seeing the scholarly uniform the youth was wearing, he believed him to also be one of those students of the Six Ivies that had let their passionate blood get to their head.

“Your schoolmates have already been sent to Zhou Prison. Some were whipped a few dozen times, and now they’ve all been shut up in their respective academies.”

He sternly rebuked, “I didn’t expect that one of you still dared to make trouble. Are you blind?”

Right now, both sides of the official road were swarming with the soldiers of the City Gate Department and bailiffs of the Ministry of Justice. There were several hundred people forming a dense mass.

Those soldiers from the Cong Province Army had not been lacking in skill, but before such an array of forces, they had not been able to stir a single wave before being knocked to the ground, heavily injured.

If an average student of the Six Ivies were to see such a sight and still step forward, that was truly too hot-blooded, even reckless.

In the eyes of an official like Tianhai Sheng, this sort of student must be blind.

It had been a long time since Chen Changsheng had heard such words, since that spring day in which he entered the Orthodox Academy.

The Divine Empress, the Tianhai clan head, and even the Demon Lord he had encountered at Mount Han might treat him with disregard, but they would never look upon him with such disdain. After all, his status and identity were unique.

He did not react and thus seemed somewhat slow-witted. In Tianhai Sheng’s eyes, this was obstinacy.

Tianhai Sheng did not like obstinate people because he had never once been obstinate in his entire life. As a result, he grew angry and shook his wrist.

With a crack, the whip in his hand flicked through the autumn breeze towards Chen Changsheng’s face.

It flew with fury and no intention of sparing the lash. With this strength, if it truly landed on Chen Changsheng’s face, it would leave an extremely deep wound.

And Tianhai Sheng wasn’t prepared to whip him only once. He had already decided to whip this youth until he cried, until he was rolling around and begging for forgiveness.

At this scene, the crowd erupted in cries of shock. Madam Xue’s face paled and she wanted to pull Chen Changsheng, yet she didn’t have the strength.

In the eyes of the crowd, Chen Changsheng had been scared witless, only able to stare at this leather whip, but what use was there in that?

Suddenly, the clear crack of the whip vanished.

A crossbow bolt came from nowhere and severed the whip in Tianhai Sheng’s hand!

Tianhai Sheng stared at the remainder of the whip in his hand in shock, then stared into the distance.

It was at that exact moment that another crossbow bolt pierced into his left eye, causing blood to squirt out!

An anguished howl burst from his mouth.

The two sides of the official road beyond the city gate were filled with the crowd’s frightened cries and sounds of fleeing, the entire scene falling into complete disarray.

At the front of the crowd, Tianhai Sheng held his wounded eye, his face pale from pain, his entire body shuddering, and the remainder of the whip flailing in his hands as if he had gone insane.

Chen Changsheng took Madam Xue’s arm and took two steps back.

The disarray did not persist for too long.

The deputy general from the City Gate Department yelled a few stern commands to have the bailiffs of the Ministry of Justice step forward and take the whip from Tianhai Sheng’s hands. As preparations were made to treat him, the soldiers of the City Gate Department surrounded the site. Neither the spectating commoners nor the heavily injured soldiers of the Cong Province Army were able to leave.

The cavalry searched in all directions, attempting to quickly find the crossbowman.

Chen Changsheng and Madam Xue stood on the official road, their surroundings completely devoid of people.

Mounted on his horse, the deputy general looked at Chen Changsheng as if wanting to say something, but he ultimately chose to keep his silence.

Chen Changsheng glanced at him and knew that his identity had probably been recognized.

However, just a moment ago, he had only looked at Tianhai Sheng’s whip, and then the whip had been broken. Right after that, Tianhai Sheng’s eye was blinded by a crossbow bolt.

In the eyes of the crowd, he was either a devil or some divine immortal.

The soldiers of the City Gate Department naturally thought him a devil, and when they saw this devil look at their own commanding officer, they instantly became extremely nervous. In a few moments, blades and swords had been unsheathed, spears prepared to stab.

The deputy general, with an extremely ugly complexion, raised his hand to indicate that nobody should move.

Su Moyu finally squeezed out of the crowd. Seeing the scene before him, he slightly relaxed. “Fortunately, you didn’t act blindly without thinking.”

The deputy general replied, “He did not recognize Principal Chen and even said that Principal Chen was blind. So he was blinded, and it served him right.”

Chen Changsheng was naturally famous, but not many people had truly seen him from up close, even in the capital.

But this deputy general was Xu Shiji’s subordinate, so he had naturally paid close attention to Chen Changsheng and the Orthodox Academy. Thus, he had recognized Chen Changsheng.

He said to Chen Changsheng, “But I must warn Your Eminence, if Your Eminence insists on this, it really will…”

Chen Changsheng answered, “I will also be accused of plotting rebellion?”

The deputy general’s expression turned even nastier as he thought, not even the Prince of Xiang would dare to charge the future Pope with this sort of crime.

“This lowly subordinate cannot take charge of this situation.”

……

……

The City Gate Department was responsible for the peace and safety of the capital, a very important role. Only an important figure, highly qualified and deeply trusted by the Imperial Court, could take charge of it.

Like the Divine General of the East, Xu Shiji, once deeply trusted by the Divine Empress and now highly regarded by the Prince of Xiang.

The crowd had already been driven far away. Madam Xue, who had been in somewhat of a daze ever since she had learned of Chen Changsheng’s identity, had been brought by Su Moyu to the side to rest. There were very few people on the road.

This was because Xu Shiji did not want too many people to hear his conversation with Chen Changsheng.

With three years gone by, the relationship between him and Chen Changsheng had gone through many changes.

He could no longer use his capacity as father, nor could he suppress Chen Changsheng with the dignity of a Divine General. If Chen Changsheng persisted, he would even have to bow.

This was impossible for Xu Shiji to accept.

“This is a decree from the palace. Even you cannot defy it.”

He sternly warned Chen Changsheng, and then his expression became a little gentler. “In addition, were you very close with Xue Xingchuan?”

Today’s matter seemed to be rather trivial, but in reality, this was a grand undertaking so that the new government could establish its might.

Xu Shiji knew that he had encountered a complication, but he didn’t know why Chen Changsheng was always complicating things for him. Could he still hold a grudge over that matter and would not rest until Xu Shiji’s reputation was at its lowest?

He did not want to fall into such a situation, so he forcefully suppressed his anger, attempting to use mild words to persuade Chen Changsheng.

In the view of Xu Shiji and many other people, Chen Changsheng and Xue Xingchuan were not at all close. In the past, they were even in separate factions and enemies, so why was he doing all this?

“I was not close with Xue Xingchuan.” Chen Changsheng looked at him and asked, “But I hear that Sir was very close with him?”

Xu Shiji’s complexion was extremely ugly.

He and Xue Xingchuan had been the two generals the Tianhai Divine Empress trusted in the military. The latter had been in charge of the Imperial Guard while the former led the City Gate Department.

It was only right that he and Xue Xingchuan be close. They weren’t just colleagues, but fellow soldiers, comrades, friends.

If one said that Chen Changsheng was not close with Xue Xingchuan and so did not have the duty or responsibility of burying Xue Xingchuan’s body, what of Xu Shiji?

Chen Changsheng had not thought this far. He was just speaking according to what he thought in his heart, but he made Xu Shiji speechless.

After a very long time, Xu Shiji took in a deep breath and said, “This is a decree.”

Chen Changsheng replied, “But it is without principle.”

Xu Shiji coldly returned, “A decree is the greatest principle in the world!”

Chen Changsheng shook his head. “To eat when you are hungry, to sleep when you are drowsy, to take medicine when you are sick, and to bury someone’s body after they die, these are truly the greatest principles.”