772 Ants. Conferring. (1/2)
Still, no one spoke.
”Why aren't you all speaking? I've already said my piece. I should be the one who feels the most mortified now, should I not?”
”I thought that I had the world. I rule Yutang – I may even dominate the whole of Tianxuan. The world's lands belong to the emperor, the world's people are the emperor's people. My words are law, my commands are rules. No one dares to disobey me. However, after having all these, I still have to accept such humiliation despite my court of civil and martial ministers being present!”
”Aren't you all usually conspiring and ganging up, alienating the nonconformists, deceiving the superior and cheating the inferior, accepting bribes and bartering ranks, trampling lives and abusing your powers? Aren't you all pretty good at brewing issues? What happened to all of that now? Keeping mum when someone is shaming the whole empire?”
The emperor's choice of words was incredibly sharp and direct. Like a red-hot needle, it stabbed right into the deepest part of the officials.
”Your high rank and handsome stipends, your honorable statuses and powerful authority, your wealth and fame, your lands, your supposed capabilities… what are they before such ravaging martial power? What can they do?”
”The shameless quest for personal gains, your exclusive parties, and sects, that all of you participate so actively in… what are they before such tyrannical martial power? Can your so-called eloquence kill their presence?”
”The longevity that you pursue, the continuation of your lineage, the heritage of your name and reputation – what are they in front of this martial force? Can they prevent you from perishing? Stop the extinction of your heir?”
His Majesty's tone grew icier.
”I have an incredibly uncomfortable feeling, but it is truly in existence. It is now, it is this very instant!”
The emperor stood up to pace back and forth in front of his throne, speaking faintly, ”I feel that this so-called world hegemony, this uniting of continent – this absolutely majestic goal to us – to some people, it's like a tiger watching a colony of ants fighting, battling to call themselves king. It is akin to watching the colony of ants kill each other, piling up corpses like mountains!”
”This tiger only watches from the side, in satire, like it's looking at a joke. When a thought strikes the tiger, it'll descend the mountain and dash right into the colony of ants! Among the ants, it only needs to say 'Hail to me – for if you don't, I shall destroy all of you!'.”
”As such, the celebrating ants were dumbfounded. They realized that besides submitting to the tiger, there's no second option in this situation!”
”So, these ants that had gone through so many baths of blood and mountains of corpses gave up… They surrendered…”
His Majesty's cold voice sounded like it came from the very depths of hell, bringing with it a piercing cold.
”This is what I feel now. I am but a stronger ant, the leader of the colony,” said the emperor depreciatingly, ”Now, you and I, the ants – just as we're about to celebrate our victory after going through so much, just as we're about to reach for glory, we meet the tiger.”
”The tiger has come!”
”So, all the ants were silenced.”
With a finger, the emperor pointed to each and everyone present, speaking resentfully, ”A bunch of ants! I, too, am one!”
His finger then went to where his heart thumped in his chest. Pointing to it with a thud, he cried, ”All ants!”
Everyone lowered their heads, many ministers were already starting to sob.
Ants!