A Pawn's Passage

Though she already knew the answer, Unulatu feigned ignorance. “Sage Qi, the person you’re referring to can’t possibly be me, right?”

Qi Xuansu was always straight to the point, so he did not evade the issue now. “When Hun Chowen was arrested, he explained his motive. He said that the two greatest hatreds in life are the murder of one’s father and the theft of one’s wife. Because of that, he swore to destroy the Tawantin Empire.”

Manu Tancha slammed his wine cup onto the table. “Such a traitor deserves death and nothing less.”

Qi Xuansu continued, “Of course, such outrageous remarks could damage the Empress’ reputation, so I ordered that they not be spread. Only Sage Huangfu, General Hun, and I are aware of them.”

“Which General Hun?” Manu Tancha asked.

Qi Xuansu replied, “I mean General Hun Ahau, who oversees military affairs in New Xijing. He is a prudent and steady man and would never spread such matters carelessly.”

Unulatu raised her wine cup and said, “Then I must thank you, Sage Qi. Allow me to offer you a toast.”

Qi Xuansu raised a hand. “There’s no need to thank me just yet, Your Highness. I have another matter on which I would like to seek your guidance.”

Unulatu said, “I wouldn’t dare claim to be able to guide you, Sage Qi. Please ask whatever you wish.”

Qi Xuansu said, “It is often said that one-sided testimony is insufficient grounds for belief. May I ask how much credibility should be given to Hun Chowen’s words?”

Before Unulatu could respond, Manu Tancha’s expression darkened dramatically. “What exactly do you mean by that, Sage Qi?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “I mean that we should seek the truth from facts. Hun Chowen’s case was publicly described as a rebellion, but in reality, it was treason involving the betrayal of internal secrets. It could even be called the largest case of its kind in recent decades. Given the gravity and consequences involved, it must be investigated thoroughly without the slightest ambiguity.”

Aside from the three of them, there were many attendants and servants present in this vast banquet hall. The Chief Chamberlain had already begun showing signs of displeasure. After all, he had never before encountered someone so arrogant and rude. Even the Western Daoists did not carry themselves with such impudence.

However, he had heard that even members of the Western Daoist Order had to yield before this envoy of the Daoist Order. Someone as proud as Huangfu Ji treated him like a brother, and this envoy wielded tremendous influence within the Daoist Order. Even the Western Daoist Order dared not offend him lightly, so the Chief Chamberlain could only endure it.

Manu Tancha said, “Sage Qi, you just said that this concerns the Empress’s reputation...”

Qi Xuansu interrupted him. “Your Majesty, even a Great Sage must answer questions before the Golden Tower Council if accused of wrongdoing. If this matter truly has nothing to do with the Empress, then she should be all the more willing to explain it clearly. That is how her innocence would be established. If everything is concealed, people will naturally begin to suspect that there is something shameful hidden beneath the surface.”

Manu Tancha was now filled with anger, all traces of his earlier elegance gone. He glared at Qi Xuansu, meeting his gaze directly. Qi Xuansu was humiliating both him and his wife. As a devoted husband, it was only natural that he shield his wife from harm and criticism. To Manu Tancha, this was what it meant to be a responsible man.

Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh inwardly. He did not deny that his conduct was rather impolite. He had expected Manu Tancha to be displeased, but he had not expected him to lose his temper on the spot.

In truth, Qi Xuansu had no intention of putting Manu Tancha in a difficult position. His real target was Unulatu. Once he gradually revealed some evidence, Manu Tancha’s attention should have shifted toward his wife, making their earlier unpleasantness irrelevant. He might even end up thanking Qi Xuansu.

Instead, Qi Xuansu had miscalculated. Manu Tancha refused to listen and became infuriated.

Unulatu did not even need to respond before Manu Tancha leaped forward to shield her from Qi Xuansu’s accusations.

Such a reaction would have been perfectly understandable from an ordinary man. An emperor wielding supreme authority could likewise refuse to tolerate even the slightest disrespect from his subjects.

But Qi Xuansu was not one of Manu Tancha’s subjects. He was an envoy from the Daoist Order. Nor did Manu Tancha possess absolute authority. Even if he was more powerful than a puppet monarch, he was hardly in a position to indulge his temper whenever he pleased.

No matter what, Manu Tancha stood at the center of power. Did he truly lack even this much self-restraint and political sophistication?

Qi Xuansu had never encountered such an unreliable emperor. How did a person like this ever become emperor? Even Chen Shuzhen was dozens of times more capable than Manu Tancha.

No wonder Huangfu Xi had sought out Qi Xuansu. She clearly knew that her own father could not be relied on.

The Western Daoist Order had also described Manu Tancha’s ruling method as noninterference. For them, a man like this truly was the ideal emperor.

No wonder Unulatu had begun entertaining ambitions of becoming emperor herself. If someone like this could sit on the throne, then why couldn’t she?

Everything had its reasons.

At this point, Qi Xuansu had no choice but to change his approach. “Your Highness, what is your view on this matter?”

Unulatu first calmed her husband, gently stroking the back of his hand to signal that he should remain composed. Only then did she speak. “Can victims also be guilty? Chowen may believe that my husband and I wronged him, but that is merely his own one-sided interpretation. In this matter, we are victims as well.”

Qi Xuansu replied, “I am not seeking to assign guilt to anyone, nor have I said anything like it takes two hands to clap. Even if you have made mistakes, that would not justify Chowen’s crimes. I have no intention of excusing his actions. I am merely asking for your perspective on the matter.”

Unulatu replied, “My view is that it is complete nonsense.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Your Highness, did you make any promises to Chowen?”

“Of course not,” Unulatu replied without hesitation. “Hun Chowen was completely deranged. He deserved his death, and nothing he said can be believed.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “That’s for the best. There is one more matter I must inform you of, which concerns Chowen. According to information obtained by the Juesheng Hall, Hun Chowen was a member of the Heron Society, and he cooperated with the humanoid insects on behalf of the Heron Society for unlawful schemes. Hun Chowen was the greatest traitor to the nation. Therefore, we suspect that the Heron Society and the humanoid insects may also be involved in activities aimed at overthrowing the Tawantin Empire.”

Suppressing his anger, Manu Tancha asked, “What are these humanoid insects?”

Qi Xuansu briefly explained the origins of the humanoid insects.

After listening, Manu Tancha immediately stated, “If Hun Chowen and the humanoid insects are involved, then the Heron Society must be thoroughly investigated.”

Just as Unulatu could use the Emperor as a shield, Qi Xuansu could do the same.

Did the Emperor not despise Hun Chowen? By linking Chowen to the Heron Society and adding suspicions of treason, Qi Xuansu naturally led the Emperor to regard the society as a thorn in his side.

This left Unulatu with little room to object.

Nor did Qi Xuansu intend to give her any opportunity. He immediately turned to Unulatu and asked, “What do you think of this, Your Highness?”

Unulatu was silent for a moment before replying, “That would be appropriate.”

Qi Xuansu continued, “As far as I know, the Heron Society has been unusually active in New Paititi recently, and many members of the royal clan are involved.”

Unulatu countered, “How do you know this, Sage Qi? His Majesty and I have been staying in New Paititi all along, yet we have never heard of such a thing.”

Qi Xuansu replied, “I have my own channels. However, the matter concerns confidential information of the Western Daoist Order, which can’t be disclosed.”

Unulatu said, “Regardless, this involves members of the royal family. We should proceed cautiously.”

Qi Xuansu turned back to Manu Tancha. “Does Your Majesty share this view?”

Manu Tancha glanced at his wife. “That would be appropriate.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Of course, we must proceed cautiously. My proposal is to deploy a portion of the personnel from the Western Tiangang Hall into New Paititi to maintain stability and ensure the safety of the royal family. What is Your Majesty’s opinion?”

Before Manu Tancha could answer, Unulatu spoke up. “That would be inappropriate! The Southern Palace Guards and Northern Palace Guards are already sufficient. There is no need for the Western Daoist Order to become further involved, lest it create unnecessary confusion.”

Qi Xuansu said, “If the Northern Palace Guard and Southern Palace Guard can apprehend the Heron Society’s criminals within half a month and achieve significant progress in the investigation, then the Western Daoist Order need not intervene. However, if the Palace Guards fail to act, then for the sake of Tawantin’s security and stability, the Western Daoist Order must step in.”

Although Qi Xuansu’s Plan A had already failed because of Manu Tancha’s interference, he still had a temporary Plan B. First, he would use Hun Chowen to firmly establish the Heron Society’s guilt. Then he would make an issue of the Heron Society and force Unulatu to strike at her own side. If Unulatu refused to do so, she would hand him a perfect pretext, allowing Qi Xuansu to intervene forcefully. The plan was somewhat crude, but it was the best available option under the circumstances.

Unulatu was about to speak again when Qi Xuansu cut her off. “This is not merely my opinion. It is also the opinion of the Western Daoist Order. Your Highness, you may choose not to respect my personal views, but you must respect the collective position of the Western Daoist Order.”

This was a standard line of argument in the Daoist Order. One could disagree with an individual opinion, and differing views were permitted, but one would still be required to obey the decision of the majority and reserve one’s objections.

Naturally, this matter had never been formally discussed in the Gold Council. However, the Western Daoist Order would certainly support Qi Xuansu rather than undermine him. Therefore, calling it a decision of the Western Daoist Order was not much of a stretch.

Unulatu had no response.

The Chief Chamberlain at the emperor’s side was on the verge of losing his patience. How could this Daoist priest be so outrageously presumptuous?

Yet after seeing the attitudes of both the Emperor and the Empress, he could only continue to endure it.

When one was forced to live under another’s roof, one had no choice but to bow one’s head.

Both the Tawantin Court and the Western Daoist Order were living under the protection of the Daoist Order?

Qi Xuansu seemed to be the true master of the place, which was deeply irritating, yet there was nothing anyone could do about it. Such was the authority of a Daoist priest.

This was Qi Xuansu showing considerable restraint. Had this been one of the Nanyang kingdoms, he might already have begun considering the question of replacing the ruler.

When the banquet finally ended, Qi Xuansu rose to take his leave. “Your Majesty, Your Highness, thank you for your hospitality. I greatly enjoyed this welcoming banquet.”

The Emperor and Empress no longer had any desire to personally see Qi Xuansu off. Instead, they instructed the Chief Chamberlain to escort him out on their behalf, a clear expression of their displeasure.

Qi Xuansu paid little attention to such a minor slight. Nevertheless, he chose to make his own position clear. He simply walked past the Chief Chamberlain, who was leading the way, and headed straight for the exit, ignoring the court’s protocols.

The Chief Chamberlain froze for a moment, then his face turned crimson with anger, leaving him speechless. Yet what followed was an even deeper sense of helplessness and frustration.

If Qi Xuansu were merely a Heavenly Being, he would never have left this palace alive today. But Qi Xuansu was more than just a Heavenly Being. Behind him stood the mighty Daoist Order. Simply thinking of the vast Yinglong fleet was enough for Qi Xuansu to straighten his back with pride and confidence.