Chapter 1568: What Should We Do?

However, doing so was akin to beating the bush loudly, and Emperor Jing Run would definitely figure out that his conspiracy was discovered.

Of course, they would rather alert Emperor Jing Run than allow this conspiracy to succeed. However, Emperor Jing Run was “fearless” to put it nicely, or “unscrupulous” to put it bluntly. He would never give up or grow afraid just because he failed one time. On the contrary, he would only become crazier and more ruthless. He would come up with an even more evil, inhuman, and terrible plan.

Ye Qing did not doubt this in the slightest because there was a precedent already.

They got lucky this time and accidentally found out about his conspiracy. However, they might not be this lucky the third time or even the next time.

Therefore, they needed a solution that would stop Emperor Jing Run’s madness permanently.

Feng Qingyou immediately guessed his thoughts. “You wish to kill Emperor Jing Run!”

“That would be ideal, but if it isn’t possible, then we at least need to neutralize him in a permanent fashion.”

Killing Emperor Jing Run was of course the best plan. The truly dead could not commit evil after all. But of course, this was also the hardest plan. The tiger might be old, but it was still deadly. Chu might be tethering on the brink of collapse and facing threats both inside and outside their realm, but Emperor Jing Run had not yet reached the end of the line. Therefore, it would not be easy to kill him.

At the very least, they could not do it alone.

If killing Emperor Jing Run was impossible, then they would have to compromise. Permanently cowing him or crippling his ability to commit such atrocities was also an option.

“It will be very difficult to kill Emperor Jing Run.” Feng Qingyou was pondering about the feasibility of the idea as well. “Emperor Jing Run is a Sage to begin with, but he is also the ruler of Chu. In the imperial capital, he would be protected by the Will of the Empire and various powerful restrictions. To kill him, one must possess ultimate treasures of the Human Way such as Hao Tianhong and Xuanyuan Wang, and they must not hold back at all. Otherwise, they must completely surpass Emperor Jing Run in terms of cultivation level and strength. They must be so strong that they could ignore the power of an empire and the will of countless people outright and crush him easily.”

“These are the only two ways to kill Emperor Jing Run for sure. Otherwise, no amount of ordinary Sages could kill Emperor Jing Run in the imperial capital.”

Ye Qing let out a bitter chuckle. Hao Tianhong and Xuanyuan Wang would not interfere with the matters of humanity unless they had very good reason to. Even if Emperor Jing Run was planning to sacrifice a hundred thousand Nanjiang lives to summon an evil god like the Impending Disaster, they probably still wouldn’t interfere unless absolutely necessary. And even if they did, they would never resort to killing Emperor Jing Run and catching that level of karmic hindrance as a result.

As if that wasn’t enough, the duo had a grudge against him right now. To ask them for help would be akin to committing suicide.

Logically speaking, the Heavenly Martial Emperor of Yan, Emperor Qian Yuan of Wei, and Emperor Ming Jun of Qi could kill Emperor Jing Run as well. They were emperors of a nation and enjoyed the same advantages as Emperor Jing run. If they worked together, they could definitely slay the emperor where he stood.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

However, there was no way the three emperors would work together wholeheartedly. They had their own plots and schemes as well. Besides, what kind of emperor would willingly subject themselves to danger? They might not be willing to risk their life to save a bunch of people who had nothing to do with them.

Take Emperor Jing Run for example. He thought he was so smart when he invaded Nanjiang, and now his empire was at the brink of collapse, and he was close to losing his own position.

In short, the three emperors might dare to ruin Emperor Jing Run’s plans and conspiracies, but it was unrealistic to expect them to kill the emperor.

As for warriors so powerful that they could outright ignore the power and people of an entire empire and crush Emperor Jing Run like an ant... people like that could exist, but they also tended to view themselves very highly. So high, in fact, that they could not be bothered to deal with the “squabbles” on the ground at all.

“Is it possible to lure Emperor Jing Run out of Chu?” Ye Qing suggested.

“It would be very difficult.” Feng Qingyou shook his head. “Emperor Jing Run is a startled bird who thinks that every twang is the release of a bowstring a long time ago. He is well aware that a lot of people want him dead. He would never leave the imperial capital unless absolutely necessary, and it would not be easy to come up with such a justification.”

Ye Qing wasn’t surprised to hear this. “Okay then. If killing him is out of the question, then we should find a way to permanently neutralize his ability to cause havoc.”

“This shouldn’t be too difficult,” Feng Qingyou said thoughtfully.

Emperor Jing Run would never willingly cease his struggles, so they needed to cow him into submission and cripple his ability to struggle.

Ye Qing asked, “Do you have an idea?” Feng Qingyou replied after a moment of thinking, “We can remove him from the throne.”

Ye Qing raised his eyebrows. “And how can we do that, exactly?”

“Emperor Jing Run is the reason Chu is in its current predicament. It is his lack of virtue that cost his empire its will, and his incompetence that resulted in the suffering of its people. I’m sure that countless people are resentful or dissatisfied with him. They just didn’t dare to act recklessly because they are intimidated by his methods and power.”

Feng Qingyou said slowly, “But if even one person can take the lead and cry for Emperor Jing Run’s dethronement, then it is possible that everyone will work together to drag him off his throne.”

“It’s not easy to find such a person though!”

Ye Qing rubbed his nose with a bitter smile on his face. “They must be highly respected by every official and unafraid of Emperor Jing Run’s power. They must possess the courage to take the lead and bear all the consequences that may come with it as well. I don’t think there’s a single person in the entire Chu that—”

“No, wait. There is one person.”

Suddenly, Ye Qing recalled someone. He was exceedingly strong and respected by officials and people alike. If he was willing to step in, then he could easily remove Emperor Jing Run from his throne. The emperor would not be able to put up any resistance, and not a single person in the court would dare to object to it.

Most importantly, this man was a benevolent, virtuous soul who truly cared about the lives of all people. If he knew what Emperor Jing Run was doing, he would never stand by and do nothing. He would definitely be willing to make the call to dethrone Emperor Jing Run.

“Indeed, there is one.” Feng Qingyou nodded knowingly.

“I guess we should pay the Jixia Academy a visit.”

The duo exchanged smiles with each other just as the morning sun rose and cast down countless rays of light.

......

The Jixia Academy was not located in the imperial capital. It was located on a mountain outside the imperial capital.

The mountain was named, “Meet Worthy”. Meet Worthy Mountain boasted a straight road that stretched from the ground all the way to the mountaintop. It was named “Emulate Virtue”.

Climb a mountain to meet a worthy person and seek to emulate their virtue. Such was the way of a gentleman.

The Jixia Academy was located at the peak of the Meet Worthy Mountain. It was a continuous cluster of traditional buildings. They were elegant-looking but not extravagant. They were beautiful and poetic. They looked like an ink-wash painting existing in green mountains, blue waters, white clouds, and clear wind.

The Jixia Academy was the sanctuary of all scholars and the center of literature for countless people. Usually, the Jixia Academy was extremely lively. Great scholars could be seen chatting and laughing with one another like commonfolk, and not a single soul in this place was uneducated. The sounds of reading could be heard all over the place, and the atmosphere was free and refreshing.

Today though, the Jixia Academy was quiet and almost deserted. It was a sharp contrast compared to the usual hustle and bustle.

"Is it not delightful to learn and constantly review what has been learned?"

"Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar?"

"Is it not the mark of a gentleman to not be resentful when others do not understand you?"

......

There was one study hall and only one study hall where the childish sounds of reading could be heard.