428 What is That? (1/2)
Someone seemed about to say something, but their hearts were full of shame now; how could he dare to speak?
”Does no one know anything? Do you all know why he's so confident that we'll be able to give him what he wants?” Emperor of Ziyou asked again.
Everyone remained silent.
”Forget it then. I don't need you all to solve this mystery. I know!” Emperor of Ziyou said in a tired voice. ”I know exactly what he wants!”
The officials were still, the hall filled with pin-drop silence.
”Supreme Cloud hopes to have someone he can speak to.”
The Emperor of Ziyou sighed in exhaustion and said with a deep gaze, ”I think, in this whole Empire of Ziyou, no one else is more qualified than I am to talk to Supreme Cloud. At least, I believe this is what he wishes.”
”I have decided that I shall go personally. I am dying to experience the extraordinary talent of Supreme Cloud!”
Emperor of Ziyou said indifferently, ”You all can come too – if you dare to.”
”Your Majesty, please do not! The saying goes that a gentleman does not stand under a crumbling wall!” An official jumped out to object to the emperor's proposed plan of action, ”Supreme Cloud is a sham, with dangerous ploys up his sleeves. How can Your Majesty's valued self come so close to danger? That would be regarding him too highly!”
The Emperor of Ziyou said unhurriedly, ”Regard him too highly? His battle alone today deserves my highest regard! Ask the entire Empire of Ziyou, who else would dare to disregard Supreme Cloud? Even the officials and people of Ziyou should revere this man!”
”As for valued selves and gentlemen not standing under a crumbling wall…”
A hint of mockery twisted His Majesty's mouth.
”There is no worry there. Even if I were to be killed by Supreme Cloud, I would have no regrets! You could just assume that the Empire of Ziyou has fallen today!”
The words were too severe, too grim to sit well with the assembled crowd.
”These officials have been in error!”
The officials fell down on their knees, trembling mightily at their emperor's words.
”Error?” His Majesty chuckled, wanting to say something but held himself back.
”It's decided then, everyone will go!” Emperor of Ziyou said cheerfully, ”Everyone here, especially the high officials of noble families, will all go! No one should be exempted. Gentlemen don't stand under a crumbling wall – you would all do well to avoid tainting the name of a gentleman!”
His gaze was icy with killing intent. ”If there is anyone who doesn't go today, I shall exterminate his nine familial generations! Do you dare take me up on that? Would you believe that I will do it?”
The officials wished to dissuade His Majesty, but they shuddered in unison instead when they heard him. Looking at the brimming murderous intent and openly malicious gaze, everyone knew that the emperor was not joking.
”Be it life or death, we shall go with Your Majesty!” The officials cried out.
The same hint of ridicule hung on the Emperor of Ziyou's lips as he said, ”As long as all of you go, I shall be safe! Who, in this world, can kill me when I have my officials with me?”
”I'm so very confident about this!”
The drawn-out chortle was filled with despair.
No one could understand the emotions that this ruler was experiencing! No one would know that there was no more hope in his heart; it was filled with hopelessness!
His heart was numbed to the core.
The usual sayings were about the unpredictability of an emperor or the danger of serving a king was like accompanying a tiger, that sovereignty was temperamental and a whole lot of other platitudes. They talked about the emperors being kinless, emperors being coldblooded; they were dictatorial, they were lonesome creatures…
There were also stories about them stowing their kind officials away after successful solutions, or killing meritorious officials after fruitful conquests…
Countless emperors had let down wholesome officials, countless emperors had disappointed loyal officials… countless emperors had also led their subordinates astray…
Still, the Emperor of Ziyou could guarantee right now that since the beginning of times, no emperor could be as hopeless as he was, as bitterly disappointed as he was.
Bitter disappointment!
What would an ordinary person do when he was bitterly disappointed?
What would a wealthy person do when he was bitterly disappointed?
What would a patriotic official do when he was bitterly disappointed?
All of these seemed to have an answer available because the history of human experience had encountered similar real-life examples – there was no end of cases to choose from.
However, what happened when an emperor was bitterly disappointed? What would he do?
No one seemed to have had a similar experience or studied it.
He laughed self-depreciatingly and walked out alone.
The officials followed without making a sound.
Everyone was thinking about how they could salvage the situation after today's incident and what should they do next.
No one could imagine what the current Emperor of Ziyou could or would do!
This emperor clearly had no qualms about he should or could do it... Regardless, he would end up doing it!