The Empress's First Running Dog

Chapter 643 The Last Emperor's "Edict of Self-Reproach," the High Priestess Appears! (5k)

"Giggle..."

In the silent square, Pei Niannu's unrestrained laughter successfully broke the awkward atmosphere between the three.

Zhao Du'an instinctively stepped back, gritting his teeth:
It was intentional! This old feudalist definitely did it on purpose!
Most likely, Pei Niannu was deliberately trying to smear him... Just like back at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the old feudal lord spoke righteously and sternly, criticizing the Empress for not knowing etiquette, seemingly annoyed and disappointed in Zhao Du'an for his lack of husbandly authority.

Unfortunately, he couldn't explain it, since he was the one who actually did it.

"Humph!"

Yu Xiu's eyes were deep and unfathomable. In the end, she didn't lose her temper. She just walked a few steps away, pretending that nothing had happened.

The female Taoist priest had a personality that loved to "gossip," but she absolutely did not want to become the gossip herself.

As for Jin Jian, the young girl was still quite naive and was somewhat bewildered by the fact that Zhao Du'an had hugged her.

But seeing her second senior sister's "calm" demeanor, the girl silently sighed, thinking to herself that she was still not mature enough and needed to learn from her senior sister...

"Ahem, it seems my plan was a success. This must be the core of the Wax Garden, right?"

Zhao Du'an looked around seriously.

As far as the eye could see, there was a large open space, devoid of weeds.

Under the cover of night, a towering temple stands in the distance, leading down a long flight of steps.

In the middle of the steps, there is a gentle platform with a huge circular stone pedestal on it, and huge bronze tripods placed on both sides!
At this moment, flames were burning inside the bronze cauldron, and lights were also shining in the temple.

“Yes,” Yu Xiu said, clearing her mind of distractions and looking up at the stone platform guarded by the bronze cauldron.
"That is the location of the altar, also called the shrine."

During the sacrifice, the offerings were placed on the altar. As for the higher temple buildings, I never set foot inside. Even the Liao people's grand ceremony, held once every ten years, ended at the altar.

Zhao Du'an said solemnly:

“There must be people looking after the garden in La Garden, these flames are not something a servant of the gods could light. And these steps are very clean, there are signs that someone has swept them.”

Yu Xiu thought for a moment, then suddenly said:
“I’ve heard that there are priests in the La Garden, but I don’t know any more details.”

Priest… Zhao Du'an silently gripped the hilt of his sword and stepped onto the first step:
"In short, caution is the best policy."

The three people and one soul climbed the steps, but to their surprise, they did not encounter any danger along the way.

Passing the altar, further up you arrive at the rugged "temple," with an open stone gate leading to a massive palace.

Dozens of braziers burned inside the palace, their dim light illuminating the entire building.

Zhao Du'an cautiously stepped inside with his knife, and was surprised to find that the furnishings were simple and the hall was empty. The most eye-catching thing was a stone pillar about half a person's height in the very center.

The stone pillar has grooves, and next to the grooves are two strange "spheres" that appear to be made of jade.

"nobody?"

Zhao Du'an was filled with doubt and surprise. He spread his divine sense and checked repeatedly, only to find that there was no one there.

"Perhaps he has only left temporarily," Yu Xiu calmly analyzed.

"Our intrusion must have attracted the attention of the people inside the compound, but they didn't expect us to sneak in so quietly."

In short, we don't have much time. Where exactly is what you're looking for? Is this it?

She pointed expectantly to the jade ball on the stone pillar, which was the most eye-catching thing.

Jin Jian, being slightly shorter, stood beside the stone pillar, craning his neck to reach out, but was stopped by Yu Xiu's hand, who glared at him fiercely.

"Don't move! This is the resting place of the Great Laba, it's very dangerous!"

“…Oh.” Jin Jian withdrew her hand, but still stared at him expectantly, and said softly, “Second Senior Sister.”

"kindness?"

"It looks like it's very valuable."

"??" Yu Xiu held her forehead, feeling powerless.

"This is a photo-recording stone; it's harmless."

Pei Niannu floated over, the female sorcerer walking gracefully and leisurely, showing no sense of urgency as if she had sneaked in.

Beneath her dark gold mask, a hint of curiosity lingered in her eyes, and beneath her wedding dress, her pale, translucent fingers pointed towards the jade ball.

"It's a magical artifact used to record images in my time. By placing it in this groove and infusing it with magical power, it can be projected."

An ancient version of a "photographic scroll"?
Zhao Du'an was surprised.

Why would Da Laba keep this in his residence?
After a slight hesitation, he still boldly grabbed the first, larger, and better-looking "jade ball" and filled it into the groove.

Seeing this, Yu Xiu released strands of magical power from her palm into the stone pillar.

then.

In the dim firelight, first thin lines lit up on the jade, and then intricate patterns also lit up on the dark stone pillar.

Without a sound, the jade ball suddenly became translucent, and a pillar of light rose up and slowly unfolded in mid-air.

It became a phantom light curtain!

It really is video recording... So this technology existed 600 years ago?
Zhao Du'an was astonished and held his breath. Then, to his surprise, the light screen shook violently, and then a young emperor wearing a dragon robe and a crown appeared in the center of the screen!
He was handsome, but his exhaustion was undeniable, and his eyes were filled with solemnity and grief.

Behind him, a figure could be vaguely seen moving back and forth in the distance, seemingly busy with something.

"Who is this?"

As the group wondered what was going on, the "Emperor" on the light screen spoke:

"Today is the first year of Guangqi, and also the first day of the new emperor of Qi, namely, the day I was crowned and enthroned."

Opening critical hit!
Zhao Du'an was stunned for a moment, then realized, "This is the Crown Prince of Qi? Is this an image he left behind?!"

Without a doubt, considering the "diary" we just read, we can easily deduce:

In the final year of the Qi Kingdom's Heavenly Hunt, the emperor died in the capital under the siege of "rebel bandits," while the crown prince and his troops took refuge here.

The crown prince succeeded to the throne and hastily ascended the throne here, with the reign title "Guangqi".

However, this period is never recorded in historical books, which means that the current crown prince of Qi is the last emperor of the Great Qi Dynasty in the true sense.

On the screen, the last emperor, his eyes weary, continued:

"If anyone sees this image I left behind, it means that I am dead and the plan to restore the country has failed."

"And whoever you are, since Heaven intends to destroy Daqi, I do not wish to take everything to my grave, nor do I wish to bury this history. Therefore, I will now recount a secret known only to a very few."

There was a pause.

The last emperor seemed to smile, but there was no real joy in it:
"You may wonder why, when the country was destroyed, I led my last troops to the territory inhabited by the Liao people."

Not only you, but few of the accompanying court officials and generals know the truth either. This is not because I distrust you, but because this matter is of utmost importance and cannot be leaked.

"Because this place, the Liao people, is a group that my Great Qi royal family deliberately 'raised'. And the so-called 'Great Laba' god is an artificial god created by my Qi royal family."

……

A man-made god!?

Upon hearing this, all four were shocked.

Even Pei Niannu, who remained calm and maintained the demeanor of a senior, was taken aback.

Is the evil god Da Laba a man-made deity?

Are the Liao people actually being kept in captivity by the Qi Kingdom?

These words struck like a thunderbolt, almost knocking the group out of their ability to think.

"Senior, is this true?"

Zhao Du'an suddenly turned his head and stared intently at Pei Niannu, seeking an answer.

Pei Niannu paused for a moment, then said:

"Back then, I did hear of some mad sorcerers who proposed the idea of ​​creating gods, but I only regarded it as nonsense and never saw it."

"And I don't know... what use are you!" Zhao Du'an opened his mouth to ask, but then the "last emperor" spoke again.

"Ha, you must be quite surprised, right? Gods can be created artificially? Of course they can!"

In the light screen, pride shone in the eyes of the "Crown Prince":
Many years ago, when Maya the Traveler was traveling among humans, he came to the capital of the Kingdom of Qi. At that time, he discussed the mysteries of the world with the chief sorcerer of the court and raised a debate topic:
Since gods are born in response to the people's faith, if a large number of villagers in a secluded mountain village believe in the existence of a fictional god, could a corresponding god be born in time?
If the power of the gods originates from the imagination of the people, does that mean that the authority and abilities of these gods can also be artificially determined?

"The debate remained unresolved, as no one had ever attempted it before. However, the emperor of that era gleaned a glimmer of inspiration from it:"
If the royal family were to mobilize the entire nation's resources to accomplish this, could they truly 'create' a god that could be commanded by the emperor of my Qi Kingdom? Thus, a mad plan began.

The last emperor took a deep breath, as if even mentioning this insane plan was enough to shock him:
"The emperors of that generation chose the remote southwest frontier because the existing villages, no matter how isolated, had developed a faith in heaven and earth over a long period of time. It was not suitable for creating gods."

"Therefore, the royal family secretly dispatched border troops to capture the then-nascent Liao tribes, ordered men and women to mate and give birth to newborns, and then took the newborns away to be raised by court sorcerers who were rooted deep in the frontier."

From a young age, these newborns were instilled with specific beliefs, making them deeply believe in a non-existent god fabricated by the royal family... and all rituals, including sacrificial ceremonies, were established.

"And to ensure that the created deity could be commanded, the chief sorcerer of the court inscribed a specific 'Tao' into the power rules of this deity..."

If this deity can truly be born, everything about Him will follow this primordial 'Tao,' which also means that it is possible for the Emperor of Qi to command a true deity, ensuring the eternal prosperity and eternal reign of Qi!

In the light curtain.

The last emperor seemed to be getting carried away with his speech, and he even opened his arms wide. But soon, his tone turned somber again:

"However, this grand plan will inevitably take a long time, requiring the elimination of any interference and the overcoming of countless difficulties..."

When the emperor who devised this plan died, the children of the Liao people were still young...

He left behind only one ironclad rule: future emperors must secretly carry out this plan; if one hundred years is not enough, then two hundred; if two hundred years is not enough, then three hundred…

"And so, the new Liao people gradually emerged."

The children grew up, reproduced, and nurtured the next generation, while the tribe was controlled by successive generations of court sorcerers.

"A hundred years later, signs of the existence of gods appeared in this tribe, and the 'Great Laba God' described by the royal family was born."

"But the newly born god is too weak, just like the countless 'wild gods' of all sizes in the world."

"In the second century, the Liao people expanded several dozen times, and the Laba God could truly 'manifest' himself, bestowing power upon them through sacrifices. At this time, the Qi Kingdom had three emperors, but the plan continued."

"In the third century, the Laba God has reached the realm of celestial beings, but is still far from being a true god."

By this time, very few people knew about the original plan. The royal family had long since ceased its interference with the Liao people, retaining only a few sorcerers who, as 'priests,' lived above the Liao people in the 'Wax Garden.'

"In the fourth century... Da Laba finally possessed god-level power, but because the world is too long and the god is still unknown, the plan has some shortcomings, and it is no longer easy to control Him."

If time allowed, perhaps decades or even centuries could have been spent perfecting Him, but... the fate of the Kingdom of Qi had come to an end!

……

Inside the temple.

On the screen, the narration of the last emperor came to its first long pause.

Zhao Du'an and the others also snapped out of their breathless state and looked at each other, all seeing shock in each other's eyes.

A plan spanning four hundred years...

A cult of personality that can only be described as insane...

“Qi Kingdom actually has such a secret… No wonder…” Pei Niannu was stunned, as if she was thinking of some long-forgotten past events.

Some long-standing doubts have been answered.

Zhao Du'an was shocked and felt a lingering fear:
"If Qi Kingdom had held out longer back then, and the royal family had truly gained complete control over a god, then..."

Perhaps, the State of Yu will never appear.

There is a slight possibility that this grand vision, which spans millennia, might actually come to fruition.

"I understand." Yu Xiu paused for a moment, then suddenly realized:
"So, on the surface, the Crown Prince was escorting the palace treasures and transferring the imperial palace's resources, but in reality, his true purpose was to hope to restore the country by activating the Great Laba Festival!"

Zhao Du'an took a deep breath, stared at the light screen, and said:

"But it seems he failed."

The answer is those servants of God outside.

……

On the light curtain.

The last emperor seemed to have calmed himself down, and spoke again with a sorrowful look in his eyes:
"The Great Qi collapsed too quickly, everything happened too fast. While the court officials were still speaking confidently and deceiving the emperor by saying that the various places were just minor disturbances that could be easily quelled, the places had already fallen, and the rebel army was already at the gates of the city."

"It was only at this time that Father Emperor told us brothers this great secret. It is obvious that the Great Laba God is now our last hope."

"Now, I have arrived at the Liao people's territory, but my other brothers are either late or have died on the way."

Even the secret of the Laba God may have been exposed, therefore, I cannot wait any longer.

Today, having hastily ascended the throne, I am determined to fight to the death. The chief sorcerer of the court says that forcibly controlling the Laba God carries a certain risk of failure. But things have come to this; the country is destroyed, and I have no way out!

The last emperor's gaze suddenly hardened. He stared at the people in front of the light screen with a dignified and indifferent expression, as if he were speaking to them across six hundred years of time:
"Later, I will personally attempt to control the Great Laba. If successful, this footage will be destroyed, and the Qi Kingdom will still have hope."

"If we lose..."

The crown prince, who had just ascended the throne a day earlier, took a deep breath, seemingly somewhat dejected:

"At that time, the thousands of loyal guards in the La Garden will be free to leave and make a living on their own."

"The fall of the Great Qi Kingdom is the fault of the emperor."

"I am guilty, and I have no way to help the people."

"If all people are guilty, the guilt lies with me."

"This is my own fault!"

Snapped!
The light screen suddenly contracted into a thin line, and then returned to the jade sphere.

The video is over!
However, Zhao Du'an and his companions remained in a daze for a long time.

a long time.

"There's another photographic stone, which might have recorded what happened next!"

Yu Xiu took a deep breath and turned her gaze to the second, slightly smaller jade ball.

Without hesitation, Zhao Du'an picked it up and put it down, his heart inexplicably heavy.

Infuse magic power to open the screen.

This time, the image unfolding in the air was blurry, and the jade ball appeared to be held in someone's hand, with the whole scene swaying.

One by one, “court sorcerers” dressed in strange robes were shouting something in terror, but it was hard to hear clearly. Only words like “Your Majesty” and “out of control” could be vaguely heard.

The sorcerer holding the jade ball mingled among his colleagues, running out of the temple, and then the scene revealed the wax garden from six hundred years ago.

In the sky, there was a thick, bloody light, and crimson clouds covered the heavens. The clouds were churning and the outline of a pained human face was vaguely visible.

On the ground, thousands of armored guards gathered in the La Garden, looking up at the sky in terror, not understanding what was happening.

Then, suddenly, the giant face in the air disappeared, replaced by two huge voids.

Looking down indifferently.

Then, thousands of guards in the courtyard, regardless of their cultivation level, all died simultaneously, bleeding from all seven orifices, falling silently to the ground.

Then the civil officials standing near the altar also died screaming, their flesh and blood being absorbed by the altar.

Then, one by one, the sorcerers at the temple gate fell down.

The one holding the jade ball seemed to be far more powerful than the other sorcerers. All the other sorcerers had died, but he was still struggling to hold on.

Step by step, they walked further in, placing the jade ball in their hands in a certain spot.

Then he let go and walked out of the temple again. This time, the light screen recorded an old man with a full head of white hair and looking very old.

He was dressed in the most magnificent court sorcerer's robes, so his face was not visible; only his slender back could be seen gradually receding into the distance.

Finally, the moment the chief sorcerer of the court stepped out of the temple, his entire body suddenly burst into flames, transforming into a dazzling "sun" that rose from the ground and crashed headlong into the evil god in the sky.

Then, golden ripples appeared in circles across the scarlet sky.

A strong wind arose, and the light curtain was extinguished.

……

Inside the temple.

Zhao Du'an, Yu Xiu, Jin Jian, and Pei Niannu stood around the stone pillar, quietly gazing at the two jade spheres on it.

My heart felt heavy and oppressed.

The two short clips felt like watching a three-hour epic film.

Everyone was filled with unspeakable emotions.

"Hoo..." Zhao Du'an broke the silence first, exhaling forcefully and rubbing his temples.
"The fall of Qi Kingdom was not unjust. However, what I am more concerned about now is where the key is."

Yu Xiu and Jin Jian were also immediately enlightened.

Yes, they had wasted a lot of time. Although they had learned a big secret, they had not yet achieved their real purpose for infiltrating this place.

"Let's search it..."

Just as Yu Xiu suggested that they search the place carefully.

Suddenly, the group heard numerous strange noises coming from outside the temple.

The three of them were stunned. They rushed to the temple gate at the same time, looked outside, and their pupils dilated in shock!

Beneath the starry sky, on the open ground below the altar, countless divine servants emerged in formation like a torrent of steel, engulfing the entire open space. Their scarlet eyes converged, forming a sea of ​​light.

That was a terrifying number, enough to exhaust and engulf them all.

At the forefront of the altar, amidst countless divine servants, stood a mysterious "priestess" in a magnificent robe, with flowing black hair, dark skin, and an eerie white bone mask. She held a priest's scepter and silently stared at the group.

"Oops……"

Zhao Du'an's heart sank to the bottom in an instant.

(End of this chapter)