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Chapter 162 General
Chen Guangrui's stern question still echoed in the prison, and the atmosphere in the Imperial Horse Administration was extremely oppressive. The servant accused of keeping the Heavenly Horse dead and being expelled was deathly pale.

Ding Chou and Ji Yong's eyes darted around, while most of the constables shrank back, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.

Just then, a steady, powerful footstep and the faint rustling of golden armor came from outside the prison. Everyone involuntarily turned to look at the doorway.

A tall figure appeared there. He was clad in golden armor, holding an exquisite pagoda in his hand. His official aura was imposing, and the invisible pressure instantly overshadowed Chen Guangrui's previous presence.

This person is none other than Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King!

"What's going on?" Li Jing's voice was deep, carrying an inherent sense of oppressive power from someone accustomed to a high position.
"I could hear a commotion from afar. And there... a dead celestial horse on the ground?"

His gaze finally settled on the lifeless Pegasus on the ground, his brow furrowed, revealing obvious dissatisfaction.

Ding Chou immediately felt as if he had found his pillar of support. He quickly stepped forward, bowed, and reported, his tone carrying just the right amount of worry and helplessness.

"Your Majesty, that is indeed the case. This celestial horse died suddenly today. We... alas, it is truly our incompetence. Recently, the celestial horses in the prison have all been losing weight and becoming weak. Today, such a serious incident has occurred, disturbing Your Majesty's inspection of the warhorses. We, your humble servants, deserve to die a thousand deaths."

He emphasized "weight loss and weakness" and "sudden death" heavily, making his target obvious.

Li Jing's face darkened as expected, and his sharp gaze turned to Chen Guangrui, his scrutiny carrying a hint of reproach, "Chen Bi Ma Wen?"

Before Chen Guangrui could speak, Ji Yong, standing behind Ding Chou, seemed to have mustered his courage and stepped in to explain.

"Your Majesty may not know this, but Lord Chen has only recently taken office, and the administration of horses... the administration of horses is a complex and multifaceted matter, and perhaps it is not yet fully resolved..."

He left his words unsaid, seemingly explaining on behalf of his superior, but the implication was that Chen Guangrui was a poor leader.

A few suppressed whispers of agreement rang out from the crowd, and the constables looked at Chen Guangrui with even more complicated expressions, as if confirming Ji Yong's words.

Faced with the Heavenly King's questioning and his subordinates' evasive answers, Chen Guangrui showed no panic, but rather remained even calmer. He first bowed to Li Jing, neither servile nor arrogant, and said, "Greetings, Heavenly King."

Then he spoke, his voice clear and loud enough to drown out the background noise.
"Your Majesty, the loss of weight and even death of the heavenly horses is indeed my duty as the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses. I have already taken steps to deal with any dereliction of duty."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Ding Chou and Ji Yong before finally settling on Li Jing's face, a hint of confidence in his demeanor befitting someone from the Tushita Palace. "Those who should bear responsibility have already been dealt with according to the new regulations. As for the warhorses' lack of strength..."

Li Jing's hawk-like gaze was fixed on him, waiting for his explanation or excuse.

Chen Guangrui changed the subject, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness and self-deprecation, "Your Majesty is in charge of the Heavenly Court's military affairs and is familiar with military matters. If I may be so bold as to ask, I have only been in office as the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses for a few days. What does Your Majesty think I can rely on to truly manage the Imperial Horse Administration and lead everyone to raise the warhorses well?"

Li Jing snorted coldly, clearly not expecting him to ask a question in return.
"What do you rely on? It's diligence and hard work, and the skill of horsemanship. Do you really think you can rely on someone else?"

Chen Guangrui was waiting for these words. He raised his eyes and met Li Jing's gaze frankly, "I will do my best to be diligent and attentive. I am also studying the art of horse riding. However, Your Majesty, do you know that when I took office as the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses, I only had a seal representing my identity?"

He paused briefly, his tone becoming serious and carrying a sharp, pointed edge.
"The Imperial Stables holds the authority over the Heavenly Steeds and Heavenly Horses of the Heavenly Court, especially crucial for supporting the Heavenly Army's conquests. Such vital authority cannot be exercised without a seal of authority that grants the power to command hundreds of beasts and thousands of cavalry. I have never seen such a seal." The stables fell silent instantly. Ding Chou and Ji Yong's eyes narrowed, their hearts skipping a beat.

Although the officers did not understand what was going on, they vaguely sensed that something crucial had been mentioned.

Chen Guangrui's voice echoed in the silence.

"I have heard that this seal has been kept by the Heavenly King for hundreds of years and remains so to this day. May I ask the Heavenly King, without this authority in hand, how can I, with all my diligence and effort, truly command and properly train these heavenly horses that are crucial to the Heavenly Court's fighting strength? Without the full authority to raise the horses, such a situation is hard to avoid."

He cleverly attributed all the problems—the loss of weight, the accidental death, and even the implicit incompetence in leadership—to a single core issue: incomplete authority.

Li Jing frowned even more, a hint of anger flashing across his face at being openly demanded, but he quickly suppressed it with his official authority.

His fingers holding the pagoda twitched slightly, clearly Chen Guangrui's attack had hit his weak spot, but he was not one to give in easily.
"Hmph!" Li Jing's voice was cold and disdainful.
"Chen Bi Ma Wen, you're good at finding excuses to shirk responsibility. The seal is important, but the fundamental issue is still the horses! You've even managed to make these warhorses weak and emaciated, and one of your dragon steeds even died on the spot. How can you prove that you can handle the seal? If we rashly hand it over to you and it delays the Heavenly Court's military operations, can you bear the enormous consequences?"

He stepped forward, his imposing manner overwhelming. "You can't even keep the horses right in front of you right now, yet you talk about power and authority? Isn't that putting the cart before the horse and making a fool of yourself? What do you have to offer to convince me?"

These words were spoken with righteous indignation and rigorous logic, directly pointing to Chen Guangrui's problems as evidence of his incompetence, and taking the opportunity to elevate the reason for not returning the seal.

Ding Chou and Ji Yong secretly breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a subtle glance, and inwardly praised the Heavenly King's wisdom. Most of the other constables also felt that the Heavenly King's words made sense.

Faced with Li Jing's relentless questioning and seemingly unsolvable doubts, Chen Guangrui showed no sign of defeat. Instead, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

Instead of backing down, he met Li Jing's gaze and asked a question with crystal clarity.
“Your Majesty is quite right. If what I have said is merely empty talk, then I am certainly in the wrong. So, I dare to ask Your Majesty a question: if I could manage and raise the warhorses in the Imperial Stables well, so that they could regain their strength and swiftness, what would you say?”

He paused slightly, then emphasized his words, each one like a drumbeat.
"If I, Chen Guangrui, accomplish this, it will be sufficient proof that I have the ability to manage the Imperial Stables and wield its authority. At that time, will the Heavenly King be willing to return the seal of authority that the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses should possess in full?"

Li Jing's eyes narrowed suddenly as he stared intently at Chen Guangrui.

The prison was deathly silent; everyone held their breath. They hadn't expected Chen Guangrui to dare make such a "bet" in front of the Heavenly King.

Li Jing looked at Chen Guangrui's calm yet sharp eyes and remained silent for a few breaths.

Chen Guangrui's move put him in a difficult position. If he didn't respond, it would make him appear unreasonable, clinging to the seal out of self-interest.

Should he agree? He wasn't truly confident that Chen Guangrui could turn the situation around quickly. But with the die already cast and everyone watching, he couldn't afford to lose face.

Finally, with a grim face, he forced out four words through gritted teeth, as if a stone had fallen to the ground.

"It's a word."

(End of this chapter)