Journey to the West: Please Call Me the White Bone Demon

The moment the king uttered the word "kill," the temperature in the hall seemed to drop several degrees.

He turned around, stood with his hands behind his back, and swept his gaze over the assembled officials. His voice was cold and unyielding: "Send someone to the Wave Moon Cave on Wanzishan Mountain to bring back that princess from the previous dynasty. If she obediently returns, place her under house arrest for now, and we'll discuss it later. If she refuses..."

He paused, a cold glint in his eyes, "Then there's no need to bring her back."

The military officer clasped his hands in acceptance of the order and strode out of the palace gate.

The officials in the hall lowered their heads, and no one dared to speak.

The king was silent for a moment, then spoke again: "Alright, let's discuss what to do with those monks."

These words immediately caused an uproar in the hall.

While they were relatively restrained when discussing Baihuaxiu earlier, now that Yun Zhao and his disciples are mentioned, almost everyone has to chime in. There's no way around it; Baihuaxiu's existence is perhaps only related to whether the king can sit securely on the dragon throne.

However, if the monks of Chu are not handled properly, they too will perish.

A civil official stepped forward first, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, the Xuanzang master and his disciples have the backing of the Chu Kingdom; their background is too powerful."

"In my opinion, it would be better to treat them well and send them out of the country as soon as possible, as if nothing had happened. Since the letter has already been sent, and they are monks, the princess's affairs are none of their concern. Why create unnecessary trouble?"

He had barely finished speaking when someone sneered, saying, "Treat them well and send them off the country? Easier said than done!"

"Since they know the princess is still alive, and even sent a letter home at her request, what if we harm her? If those monks return to Chu and report this, and Chu uses it as a pretext to send troops, what will we do then?"

The civil official was speechless.

Someone else said, "Since we're afraid they'll tell others, then let them not tell."

He spoke subtly, but his meaning was crystal clear.

Kill them to silence them, leave no survivors.

These words caused another stir in the hall.

Some people applauded, saying that this method was clean and efficient, solving the problem once and for all.

Some people shook their heads, saying it was too risky.

An old minister stepped forward, his voice hoarse but agitated: "Your Majesty, you mustn't! Xuanzang and his disciples are from the State of Chu. Chu is powerful. If we kill them, Chu will have a pretext to send troops, and we will be unable to defend ourselves and will die without a burial place!"

"Kill them, and the State of Chu will have an excuse."

Someone chimed in, "But if we don't kill them, Chu will have another excuse if they go back and complain. We're going to die anyway, so it's better to strike first and suffer the consequences. We might as well get rid of these monks as well, at least that will buy us some time to prepare for war."

"Prepare for war? With what can we prepare for war?"

The old minister stamped his foot in frustration, "Our tiny Baoxiang Kingdom, even with the full strength of the nation, has only 80,000 soldiers. A single flying boat from Chu can be worth 100,000 of our troops! What do you have to fight with?"

Then someone else stepped forward and said, "The old Grand Commandant is right!"

"If we can't win, we shouldn't fight. We can sue for peace, become vassals, and pay tribute. As long as Chu accepts us, we'll have a way to survive. I've heard that the king of Tibet surrendered and is still able to enjoy his old age in peace. But if we kill their monks, it will be a slap in the face to Chu. At that point, we won't even be able to get peace!"

Arguments rose and fell in the hall, with both sides arguing about whether to kill or not, whether to release or not, their faces red and spittle flying.

The king sat on his dragon throne, his face grim, listening in silence.

His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, once, twice, three times...

The argument inside the hall grew louder and more chaotic, almost lifting the roof off.

The king suddenly raised his hand.

The hall fell silent instantly.

He gazed at the courtiers below, each with their own thoughts, his eyes filled with lingering weariness. After a long while, he spoke in a hoarse voice: "This monk from Chu is different from that princess. I must kill Princess Baihuaxiu."

Why?

"Because my throne was not bestowed by the late king's will, but I took it for myself!"

The king ignored the astonished looks of the crowd.

This topic has been taboo since he came to power, and no one dared to mention it. Yet today, he spoke about it without any restraint in front of so many people, and no one understood what the king was trying to do.

For a moment, the hall was deathly silent.

No one dared to speak, no one dared to move, and even their breathing became shallow.

The king slowly descended the steps, his gaze sweeping over the assembled ministers, a self-deprecating sneer playing on his lips: "When the late king was gravely ill, the court was leaderless. It was I who led the troops to defend the palace, it was I who quelled the rebellion, and it was I who stabilized the court."

"Some people say I am a usurper, and I do not deny it."

"But if I were not in this position, Baoxiang Kingdom would have long been torn apart and annexed by neighboring countries. If the country were without me, I wonder how many people would claim to be kings and how many would claim to be emperors."

"Do you all think I sit in this position because I crave power? You are wrong. I love this country. The late king was tyrannical, showing no compassion for his subjects, squandering the nation's resources, treating the people like dirt, and regarding the country as his private property. Do you think our country could prosper with such a ruler in power?!"

His voice wasn't loud, but to the assembled officials it was like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

Honestly, there wasn't a single lie in those words, but the more this was the case, the less anyone dared to make a sound.

"Since I came to power, I have emphasized good governance, equalized land distribution, and focused on education... In recent years, the strength of Baoxiang Kingdom has been growing steadily, and everything is developing in a positive direction."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "Therefore, I cannot spare anyone who might shake this country."

"That princess is the old king's legitimate daughter, her bloodline is purer than mine. If she lives, she will be a source of trouble. Those former officials, those common people, those with ulterior motives will all use her as a banner to stir up trouble. I cannot take that risk. As for those monks..."

He was silent for a moment, then said, "I am keeping them alive not only because Chu is a great power, a thousand times stronger than our Baoxiang Kingdom, but also because I still have a sliver of clarity left."

"If we kill them, the State of Chu will surely send troops, and then the State of Baoxiang will become the second State of Hami."

"If I don't kill them, I can't control what they say when they go back, nor can I stop them. But at least I won't give Chu a pretext to send troops."

"The eyes of the world are discerning. If the State of Chu were to destroy the State of Baoxiang simply because of a letter from home, it would be bullying the weak and would be tyrannical. Even though the State of Chu is strong, it still has its pride."

Silence fell over the hall once again.

The king returned to his throne, waved his hand, and said in a weary but resolute voice, "Issue my decree. First, send elite cavalry to the Wave Moon Cave on Wanzi Mountain to secretly capture Princess Baihuaxiu of the previous dynasty. This must not be leaked. Second, treat those Chu monks well. After the banquet tomorrow, escort them out of the country with courtesy. Do not neglect them."

The ministers responded in unison and filed out.

The palace gradually emptied out, leaving only the king.

"Baihua Xiu... Chu Kingdom... why now of all times..."