I am a fairy in Journey to the West

After Zhuang Yan stood still, the Jade Emperor asked the Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun of the Divine Firmament Jade Palace, "Great Emperor of the Eastern Azure Flower, what are the charges against you, the Divine Firmament Jade Palace, for?"

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Venerable Taiyi Jiuku immediately stood on the throne, holding his jade tablet, and bowed, saying, "Reporting to the Great Heavenly Venerable, my Divine Firmament Jade Palace has impeached the Great Emperor of the Western Peak for three crimes."

Then Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun directly said: "The first sin is mismanagement. Since the division of the Five Emperors and the beginning of Xiniu Hezhou, the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain has not effectively governed Xiniu Hezhou, resulting in chaotic human relationships, rampant demons, the generation of calamities, and the suffering of all living beings."

"The second crime is that he failed to manage his household properly and did not discipline his daughter properly, which led to his daughter, the Third Holy Mother, becoming arrogant and domineering, and descending to the mortal world to marry a mortal without permission, thus violating the heavenly rules."

"The third crime is that her grandson Liu Chenxiang, as the son of the Third Holy Mother, was not accepted and educated by the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain, which allowed him to become arrogant and domineering. He even raised the banner of rebellion against Heaven, gathering a group of demons with the intention of defying Heaven and the Dao, causing thousands of gods in Xiniu Hezhou to lose their homes and temples, their lives, and their homes. His various crimes are too numerous to describe. Therefore, this petition is submitted to the Great Heavenly Venerable for judgment."

After speaking, Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun took out a memorial of impeachment from his sleeve and handed it over.

Master Xu stepped forward, took the memorial from the hands of the Great Savior of Suffering, and turned to hand it to the Jade Emperor.

The Jade Emperor took the memorial and read it carefully. Then he asked the Great Emperor of the Western Peak below, "Great Emperor of the Western Peak, what do you have to say about the three major crimes impeached by the Divine Firmament Jade Palace?"

Upon hearing the Jade Emperor's question, the Great Emperor of the Western Peak immediately knelt down and bowed his head, saying, "Your Majesty, the three major charges brought against me by the Divine Firmament Jade Palace are all true. This sinful subject has nothing to say and confesses my guilt."

Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother of the West looked somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected that the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain would not defend himself and would directly confess his guilt.

Upon hearing this, Dongwanggong, Wenchang Dijun, and others all showed expressions of surprise.

You should know that if these three major sins are confirmed, the worst outcome will be the stripping of one's imperial throne and divine office, and being reincarnated to start over.

No matter what the case is, once it reaches the Jade Emperor, it will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law, without exception.

When the Jade Emperor saw that the Great Emperor of the Western Peak had confessed his guilt, he merely nodded slightly, and then asked Zhuang Yan, "Divine Emperor of Shenxiao, what is your opinion on the charges brought against the Great Emperor of the Western Peak by the Divine Jade Palace?"

Zhuang Yan turned around, pondered for a moment, and then said to the Jade Emperor, "Reporting to the Great Heavenly Venerable, of these three charges, only the second one is true, the first one is only half true, and the third one has nothing to do with the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain."

"Oh?" The Jade Emperor raised his eyelids and asked, "Tell me in detail."

Zhuang Yan said, "The first charge is that the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain did indeed govern poorly after the division of the Five Emperors, which led to the accumulation of calamity in Xiniu Hezhou. However, this cannot be entirely blamed on the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain. The struggle between the three factions, namely the Buddha-demon Mara, the emergence of the Brahma sect and the struggle between the Buddhist sect and the Buddhist sect for Xiniu Hezhou, was the key to the generation of calamity in Xiniu Hezhou. If we are to talk about the blame, the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain is only responsible for 30% of the blame."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Wenchang immediately retorted, "Emperor Shenxiao, you are mistaken. Back then, the Five Great Emperors made a solemn and ambitious vow to divide the land among the Five Emperors and unify each of the continents. At that time, there was discussion in the Heavenly Court, and many gods felt it was inappropriate. It was the Five Great Emperors themselves who, in order to seize this power, made this promise while asking the Heavenly Court for power. Now, decades have passed, and putting aside the other four continents, what is the current situation in Xiniu Hezhou?"

Zhuang Yan said, "The situation in Xiniu Hezhou is very good now. Liu Chenxiang gathered a crowd to rebel against Heaven. In the battle of Yunlan Mountain, I have eliminated most of the troublemakers in Xiniu Hezhou in one fell swoop. Isn't that a fact?"

Emperor Wenchang laughed and said, "That is naturally due to the strategic planning of Emperor Shenxiao, but where did Liu Chenxiang come from? And why did he rebel? Isn't this the fault of Emperor Xiyue?"

Zhuang Yan said, "That's why I said that the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain does have the faults of being bad at managing his family, failing to properly educate his daughter, and being a bad ruler, but it would be unfair to put all the blame on him."

"Unfair?" Emperor Wenchang asked, "Then who should be held responsible?"

Zhuang Yan said, "The third crime should be attributed to me."

Upon hearing this, the entire Tongming Hall immediately became noisy, and everyone's eyes turned to Zhuang Yan. Even the emperors of the Divine Thunder Jade Palace looked over in astonishment.

The Great Emperor of the Western Mountain, who was kneeling on the ground below, couldn't help but raise his head and look at Zhuang Yan in shock, not understanding why Zhuang Yan would suddenly take the blame upon himself.

At this moment, Wang Lingguan, who was standing on the steps of the palace, shouted, "The palace is solemn, no noise is allowed." The noise gradually subsided.

The Jade Emperor remained calm and looked at Zhuang Yan, asking, "Go on, Divine Emperor Shenxiao."

Zhuang Yan bowed and then said, "I would like to ask all the emperors and deities present a question: With my great power, wouldn't it be an easy matter to capture or kill Liu Chenxiang?"

Everyone in the hall nodded in agreement. No one had any objections to this. Zhuang Yan's strength was indeed formidable. You don't even need to look at his past; just look at the battle at Yunlan Mountain to know that.

"Since everyone has no objection to this, then I can continue. Since killing Liu Chenxiang is so easy, why did I let him live and allow him to successfully gather a crowd to rebel against Heaven and create such a huge uproar?" Zhuang Yan asked rhetorically.

Zhongtian Fanqi Doumu Yuanjun said, "Could it be that you, Divine Firmament Emperor, did this on purpose? Did you deliberately indulge Liu Chenxiang first, then let him gather his strength to start a rebellion, and then wipe him out in one fell swoop?"

Zhuang Yan said, "That's right, that's exactly the point. I want to use Liu Chenxiang to wipe out all the sources of trouble in Xiniu Hezhou in one fell swoop. That's why Liu Chenxiang hasn't been captured yet."

Upon hearing Zhuang Yan's words, Doumu Yuanjun nodded without surprise, but the people from the Divine Thunder Jade Palace had objections.

The main objection came from the Supreme Emperor of the Divine Thunder Jade Palace, 'Nine Heavens Responding to the Origin of Thunder and Universal Transformation Heavenly Venerable'. He said, "Great Emperor of the Divine Firmament, our Heavenly Court should act with integrity and uprightness. Whoever is guilty should be punished. How can we use evil to incite others to commit crimes?"

Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "Your Divine Thunder Jade Palace is naturally like this, but my Mortal Realm Jade Palace is different."

The Heavenly Venerable of Universal Transformation and Responding to the Origin of Thunder asked, "What's different?"

Zhuang Yan said, “Your Divine Thunder Jade Palace ‘relieves the heavenly net above and the earthly calamity below, wields thunder, enforces heavenly laws, and administers punishments.’ Relieving calamities and punishing crimes, administering death sentences and administering punishments, naturally must be done in a dignified and upright manner.”

"But my Chenhuan Jade Palace is different. My Chenhuan Jade Palace holds power in the mortal realm, and its purpose is to educate and guide all living beings and maintain peace for all. It is not about punishing whoever is guilty or whoever has made a mistake. We must plan ahead and eliminate all factors that may cause chaos in the mortal realm in the future as early as possible." Zhuang Yan said, "This is what my Chenhuan Jade Palace is supposed to do. We are dealing with all living beings in the Three Realms and the mortal realm, not just some criminal who has clearly violated the Heavenly Laws."

Zhuang Yan paused for a moment, then continued, "So sometimes, making some calculations is a necessary means. Facts have proved that there are indeed many unstable factors in Xiniu Hezhou. Liu Chenxiang gathered six great demon saints and 100,000 demon soldiers to rebel against Heaven in less than a year. Demons from all over the world also responded to Liu Chenxiang and attacked local gods and deities. This is enough to prove that my calculations were correct. For the long-term peace of the people of Xiniu Hezhou, this short-term chaos is also necessary."

Upon hearing this, the True Martial Emperor nodded and said to the Heavenly Venerable of Universal Transformation of Thunder and Lightning, “What the Divine Firmament Emperor said makes a lot of sense. When I swept away the demons in Beiju Luzhou, it was for the same purpose.”

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Venerable of Universal Transformation and Responding to the Origin of Thunder nodded and then said to Zhuang Yan, "The Great Emperor of the Divine Firmament has explained things clearly this time. In that case, I have no objections."

Zhuang Yan bowed respectfully to the Heavenly Venerable of Universal Transformation and Responding to the Origin of Thunder, then addressed the Jade Emperor, saying, "Great Heavenly Venerable, in summary, the Great Emperor of the Western Peak should bear the second charge: 'mismanagement of his household and failure to properly educate his daughter, leading to her arrogance and violation of the Heavenly Laws.' As for the first charge, it is not entirely accurate. Xiniu Hezhou is vast, and the conflict between the three religions has complicated the situation. The Great Emperor of the Western Peak has only ruled Xiniu Hezhou for a mere few decades." "As for the third charge, that is my responsibility. If the Great Heavenly Venerable believes that my calculations were inappropriate and violated the Heavenly Laws, I beg the Great Heavenly Venerable to punish me as well," Zhuang Yan said earnestly, bowing deeply.

The Jade Emperor laughed and said, "As the supreme ruler of the Jade Palace in the mortal realm, you have the right to make any decision. What's wrong with that? Besides, even from the perspective of the outcome, your decision was completely correct and did not violate any heavenly laws. Since I have entrusted the mortal realm to you, I will not interfere with or criticize any decisions or decrees you make."

After saying this, the Jade Emperor set the tone directly: "Since the Jade Palace of the Mortal Realm is involved in this, then the main crime of the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain is his failure to discipline his children properly, which led to the Third Holy Mother's unauthorized descent to the mortal realm and her marriage to a mortal, thus violating the Heavenly Laws."

After saying this, the Jade Emperor asked the Heavenly Venerable of Universal Transformation of Thunder in the Nine Heavens, "Thunder Ancestor, have your Thunder Department's Heavenly Law Deliberation Council discuss how to handle this according to the Heavenly Laws."

"As you command." The Heavenly Venerable of Universal Transformation of Thunder and Lightning of the Nine Heavens accepted the order and then instructed the Grand Envoy of the Heavenly Court, the True Lord Yisheng, to deliberate on the crime.

Yisheng Zhenjun immediately consulted with the gods of the Thunder Department who were in charge of the Heavenly Laws. After deliberation, he reported: "Reporting to the Great Heavenly Venerable, according to the Heavenly Laws, any blood relatives, relatives, or disciples of righteous immortals who violate the Heavenly Laws shall have their official rank and divine position reduced and be exiled to the mortal realm to serve. If the crime is serious, all official rank and divine position shall be stripped away, and they shall be demoted to commoners. The Third Holy Mother, daughter of the Great Emperor of the Western Peak, descended to the mortal realm because she longed to be with a mortal. This crime is of varying severity. According to the Heavenly Laws, she shall be stripped of her imperial position and demoted to a first-rank immortal official."

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor immediately nodded and said, "In that case, I will draft an edict to strip 'Huang Zhou Jun' of his imperial title as the Great Emperor of the Western Peak, demote him to a first-rank celestial official, and bestow upon him the title of 'Xiji Yuanshe Tianjun'. He will remain in the order of earth gods and be placed under the jurisdiction of the Jade Palace of the Mortal Realm."

Master Xu bowed and accepted the order. He then immediately drafted an edict, which was presented to the Jade Emperor for inspection before being stamped and promulgated.

The Great Emperor of the Western Peak, now known as Huang Zhou Jun, immediately kowtowed to receive the imperial decree and express his gratitude. Subsequently, his celestial official title changed from that of an emperor to that of a first-rank celestial official of the Upper Yuan Dynasty, and the power of the Great Emperor of the Western Peak vanished in an instant.

"Rise, Lord Huang Zhou," the Jade Emperor said, and then a spirit official untied him from his restraints.

Huang Zhoujun bowed again to express his gratitude, and then stepped to the side of the main hall and stood respectfully.

The Jade Emperor said, "In this way, the position of the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain will be vacant."

The Queen Mother of the West immediately raised her tablet and said, "Your Majesty, I have a person here who is very suitable for the position of the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain."

"Wait a minute." Zhuang Yan interrupted Xi Wangmu, saying, "Xi Wangmu, the Great Emperor of the Western Peak is a deity of the mortal realm, under the jurisdiction of my Chenhuan Jade Palace. I haven't even spoken yet, how come you're already recommending candidates?"

The Queen Mother of the West laughed and said, "It is true that the Five Sacred Mountains Emperors are under the jurisdiction of your Jade Palace in the Mortal Realm, but the selection of officials in the Heavenly Court must be conferred by the Jade Emperor. They are all the same."

“It’s different,” Zhuang Yan said. “The Five Sacred Mountains Emperors are under the jurisdiction of the Jade Palace of the Mortal Realm. As the Grand Emperor of the Jade Palace of the Mortal Realm, it is only right that I recommend the candidates. I don’t understand why you are in such a hurry, Queen Mother of the West?”

The Queen Mother of the West smiled slightly and said, "Alright, then I'm not in a hurry. Please tell me, Great Emperor Shenxiao, who is your choice?"

Zhuang Yan said, "I haven't decided yet."

The Queen Mother of the West laughed heartily and said, "Since you haven't decided yet, why not listen to my choice?"

Zhuang Yan's gaze shifted, and he said, "Then please tell us, Queen Mother of the West, who is your choice?"

The Queen Mother of the West said, "Emperor Sui."

Zhuang Yan paused slightly upon hearing the name, then asked, "Which Emperor Sui?"

The Queen Mother of the West laughed and said, "It's normal that the Great Emperor Shenxiao doesn't know. Suihuang was an ancient human emperor who has been out of the world for many years." Then she explained, "Suihuang is Suirenshi."

"Oh," Zhuang Yan suddenly realized, "Suirenshi, then I understand."

The Queen Mother of the West asked, "What does the Great Emperor of Shenxiao think of the person I recommended?"

Zhuang Yan said, "Suirenshi was an ancient human emperor. With his merits and popularity, he would naturally have no problem becoming an emperor. However, I don't know if he is capable of serving as the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain."

The Queen Mother of the West laughed and said, "Since you can be the Emperor of Humanity, then you can be the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain."

At this moment, Dongwanggong also said, "Suirenshi's merits are great, and he is indeed a suitable candidate to serve as the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain."

Zhongtian Fanqi Doumu Yuanjun said, "Fuxi, Shennong, and Xuanyuan Huangdi also seem to fit the bill."

The Queen Mother of the West's expression changed, and she suddenly looked at Doumu Yuanjun, saying, "If we are talking about merits and seniority, then Suirenshi is naturally the most suitable."

Doumu Yuanjun opened her mouth as if to speak, but quickly swallowed her words, finally saying only, "In my opinion, the Yellow Emperor is actually the most suitable."

The Eastern King Duke and the Western Queen Mother are in the same camp, and once again it is stated that 'Suirenshi' is the most suitable.

This time, Wenchang Dijun was unusually silent, while Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun stroked his long beard and stood there seemingly resting with his eyes closed.

The Heavenly Venerable of Nine Heavens Responding to the Origin of Thunder and Universal Transformation from the Divine Thunder Jade Palace remained silent, and the others naturally did not express their opinions either. After all, this matter was none of their concern, and the Divine Thunder Jade Palace was not one to concern itself with such matters.

The gods below, witnessing this strange scene, all remained cautious and refrained from uttering a word.

Finally, the Jade Emperor asked Zhuang Yan, "Divine Firmament Emperor, you are the supreme ruler of the mortal realm, why don't you speak?"

Zhuang Yan pondered for a moment, then said to the Jade Emperor, "Great Heavenly Venerable, could you please give me some time? I do not yet have a suitable candidate. Please allow me to observe for a while and then report back."

The Jade Emperor said, "The Five Sacred Mountains Emperors are responsible for governing all things and affairs in the Three Realms. Their positions cannot remain vacant for long. I will give you three months to make a decision."

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Yan immediately bowed and said, "Thank you for your permission, Great Heavenly Venerable."

Subsequently, the Jade Emperor announced the adjournment of the court. All the emperors and deities stepped forward to pay their respects and take their leave, then exited the Tongming Hall in turn. Zhuang Yan, after bidding farewell to the Jade Emperor, also descended to the mortal realm with Huang Zhou Jun. (End of Chapter)