Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

The bloodstains in the great hall had just been wiped clean, yet the surviving people began a new round of power struggle and profit snatching, as if everything was a cycle that would not cease due to the fresh blood and death.

Standing by with a cold eye, Chen Xiang seemed to understand why her mentor said that the mortal world was a huge dye vat, utterly meaningless.

While they were conversing, suddenly a eunuch rushed in frantically, seemingly in such a hurry that he tripped on the steps. However, it appeared he had no time to attend to his injured face, continuing to run madly.

With a thud, the eunuch, his face a mess, knelt before Zhao Pu and cried out in panic, "Your Majesty, it's not good! There's a group of rebels outside that seem to be charging into the Capital City!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Pu furrowed his brows and asked, "Where did these refugees come from? Did you take a good look?"

"Your Majesty, it's those heretics from the Cult of the Undying. They have surrounded the Capital City," the eunuch's voice was filled with fear, the sight of the seemingly endless and dense crowd had him trembling in fear to this very moment.

Zhao Pu pondered the information on the Cult of the Undying, then remembered this was a new cult that had risen in Great Qin. It had grown rapidly in a short period, but due to the previous Imperial Court's turbulence, it had been neglected. Unexpectedly, they had now reached the outskirts of the Capital City, and with their formidable strength, they seemed poised to turn the world upside down.

"Are all the ministers aware of this?" Zhao Pu asked solemnly, seemingly unruffled by the news.

"To report to Your Majesty, all the ministers have been notified. If everything is as expected, they should be arriving at the great hall about now," the eunuch replied respectfully, secretly admiring Zhao Pu's composure in the face of change.

"There's truly not a moment's peace," Zhao Pu said with a sigh and then bade farewell to Chen Xiang as he rushed off to the great hall. If he arrived too late, he would inevitably be subject to the petty critiques of the exacting ministers.

Watching the hurried departure of Zhao Pu, Chen Xiang revealed an understanding smile. Despite the awkward situation, Zhao Pu's arrival had indeed brought new vitality to an empire already trending towards decay.

At that moment, the atmosphere in the great hall was profoundly somber. The civil and military officials of Great Qin all wore grave expressions, as if a dark cloud loomed over the hall.

"Minister Xiao, are the troops in the city still sufficient?" the Grand Secretary's voice echoed in the hall. The old man with white hair, now displaying a formidable presence, fully asserted the authority of a nation's Senior Minister.

A man with a full beard stepped forward, hesitant as he said, "Prime Minister, the army has just gone through turmoil. Although I have done my utmost to maintain order, I fear that..."

"I don't want to hear this nonsense. I'm asking you one thing, can the Capital City be held?" At that moment, the old Prime Minister was like an enraged lion, his gaze fixed on the bearded man, causing the renowned general to sweat profusely.

"Holding the fort is certainly not a problem, but repelling them might be difficult."

The general made a pained expression. It was not his fault, after all. Since the struggle for succession, the most notable change had been within the army. Because of the younger colonels, many of the mid-level officers had been implicated and now languished in prison, disrupting the entire command structure of the army. These men had all worked their way up from the bottom, commanding high prestige among the troops.

Now, with each one sent to the dungeons, the entire military was in disarray, and those who remained were mostly incompetent. In times of peace, there would have been opportunity for gradual replacement, but in this moment of crisis, these men were truly inadequate for significant responsibilities.

"I need you to get the troops in order within three days, so they're at least fit for a battle. Can you do that?"

"This subordinate will do his utmost."

"I don't need your utmost. I need it done for certain. Do you understand? Otherwise, we will be sinners through the ages." The old Prime Minister stared intently at the man and said sternly.

The man, however, was full of disdain. The army was a mess, if it were easy to organize he would have done it already. These officials knew only to bark orders without considering the real situation, leaving the general in a state of frustration.

Just then, there came the loud shout of a eunuch, signaling to all that the Emperor had arrived. The arguing ceased, and everyone respectfully knelt down to welcome Zhao Pu's entrance.

In fact, Zhao Pu had been there all along, just hiding and not coming out. He wanted to hear everyone's opinions so he could be psychologically prepared—a little trick he'd learned recently. It was only by keenly grasping everyone's attitude that he could find an opening and gradually realize his political aspirations.

"Your Majesty, welcome!"

"Dispense with formalities and rise."

After the routine greeting, Zhao Pu settled himself firmly on the Dragon Throne and, looking down at the civil and military officials kneeling below, he softly said, "Everyone is aware of the rebels surrounding the city, right? What are your thoughts?"

All were silent, speaking with their eyes and hearts rather than their mouths—no one dared to speak out at such a time, for fear of becoming sinners for all of history.

Observing these normally loud-mouthed but now unusually quiet ministers, Zhao Pu's mouth twisted into a mocking smile. These were his arms of the state, adept at fighting for power, but at the first sign of crisis they were all indecisive, clearly taking advantage of his youth.

However, Zhao Pu already possessed the composure of an Emperor, so he quickly suppressed such thoughts and said indifferently, "Since no one has anything to say, let the Prime Minister speak first!"

The old man stood up and said in a loud voice, "Your Majesty, the best course of action now is to promptly reorganize the troops and secure the city gates. The Capital City's walls are strong. Even though the enemy has traveled far and will struggle with supplies, as long as we hold out for some time, we'll get through this predicament."

Zhao Pu nodded with a smile, recognizing the wisdom of the old official who had managed state affairs for many years—he clearly understood how to resolve the current situation.

"However, the army has major problems after the last great turmoil. On a regular day, it would be of less concern, but in this moment of crisis, I fear that the soldiers may mutiny, and the consequences of that are unthinkable."

The old man's concerns were actually shared by many in the Imperial Court. Due to the Colonel's rebellion, these civil officials no longer trusted the military; the middle-ranking officers had been almost completely purged, and the low-ranking soldiers were already full of grievances. The fear of mutiny was not baseless scaremongering, but a very real possibility.

"General Xu, what do you think?"

The previously silent figure stiffly stepped forward and said, "The troops are restless, and although I have tried to suppress it, it's still somewhat beyond my control. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!"