Chapter 1575: Dismissing An Emperor

“Are you satisfied now, teacher?” Emperor Jing Run turned around to look at the Chief Libationist.

However, the Chief Libationist shook his head. “No!”

Emperor Jing Run frowned but did not explode in anger. “I am willing to promise you and all the ministers to be diligent in government affairs and keep my feet firmly on the ground. I won’t do such absurd things in the future anymore.”

The Chief Libationist shook his head again. “It is still not enough.”

“Still not enough?”

Emperor Jing Run chuckled. “What, do you want me to die for my crimes or something?”

“Now that’s a bit too much.” The Chief Libationist shook his head again. “However, I don’t think you’re suitable to be on the throne anywhere. I want you to step down of your own accord.”

Emperor Jing Run was completely caught off guard by this. “Excuse me? Can you repeat yourself?”

The ministers were all looking at the Chief Libationist in astonishment and disbelief as well.

The Chief Libationist was unmoved, however. He said seriously, “I want you to step down from the throne.”

“You want me... to step down from the throne?”

As if he just heard the most preposterous thing in the world, Emperor Jing Run looked at his ministers and asked, “Did you hear that? My teacher asked me to step down from the throne! Hahaha!”

The ministers exchanged glances with each other. Finally, someone spoke up, “Chief Libationist, His Holiness knows he is wrong. Don’t you think you’re overstepping your boundaries?”

“Yeah. A sage said that to err is human, to forgive divine; but to correct one's mistakes is the best of all.”

“That is correct. But do you think he will correct his mistakes?” The Chief Libationist asked them. “He has committed countless errors since Nanjiang. Has he changed his ways even once?”

“No, he did not. Not only that, he became worse, more out of the line, more absurd, and more ruthless each time. After all that you have seen, do you seriously think he will change?”

“He cannot!”

Some people opened their mouths, but they did not know what to say. It was because it was the plain and simple truth.

“It is exactly because he cannot change that he will continue to make mistakes regardless of his existing mistakes; scheme relentlessly and without any scruples to fulfill his own ambitions.”

The Chief Libationist asked them, “Today, he’s already planning to sacrifice millions of people to fulfill his ambitions. What about next time? What will he do next for his so-called swan’s ambition? Will he sacrifice the millions of people of Chu or your high officials? What if he goes above even that and scheme against the entire world?”

“Don’t you think you’re being an alarmist, mister?” Some of the ministers still loyal to Emperor Jing Run countered.

“I’m sure that you, people who accompany him everyday and spend most of your time trying to fathom his mind, would know better than I do if what I’m saying is alarmist talk.”

The Chief Libationist looked at Emperor Jing Run again and said, “Tell them. Tell your ministers if you will change.”

Emperor Jing Run did not look as panicked or angry as he thought he would be. On the contrary, his expression looked a bit scornful and disdainful. “So what if I change? So what if I don’t change?”

“Nothing.” The Chief Libationist declared without hesitation, “It does not matter if you change or not. After all, you won’t be sitting on this throne any longer.”

Emperor Jing Run said a bit ridiculingly, “So, you’re not here to negotiate my removal. You’re just here to notify me?”

The Chief Libationist admitted, “Yes.”

“Hahaha... how tyrannical you are, mister!” Emperor Jing Run began fanning the flames again, “You heard that, everyone? He’s not here to negotiate with me. He’s here to inform me, the emperor, that I am dismissed!”

“Chief Libationist! You may be a person of virtue and prestige, but you are not a member of the imperial court! This goes against conventional etiquette!”

“Indeed! Even if what you say is true, it should be up to us to negotiate an outcome, not you! You are overstepping your authority right now! This is not right, not right at all!”

“I think we should wait for Senior Grand Secretary Wan and General Li to return before we continue this discussion.”

“Attendant Gentleman Zhang is right. This is the emperor we’re talking about. How can one man’s words decide his fate? We would become a laughingstock if the world were to learn about this!”

“He’s not wrong, Chief Libationist. This requires a long and careful discussion. A decision must not be made so carelessly.”

......

For a time, everyone was speaking against the Chief Libationist. It wasn’t because they wanted to defend the emperor—on the contrary, only a small number of them remained loyal to Emperor Jing Run despite everything—but because the Chief Libationist’s actions today were just too tyrannical and absurd. If they compromised today, that meant that they were giving him the carte blanche to do whatever he wanted. Let’s say that Chief Libationist removed Emperor Jing Run today. What if a new emperor was chosen tomorrow, and he disliked him and wanted to remove him as well? What the hell was the point of the imperial court of Chu then? A market or a playhouse?

It was just absurd!

Emperor Jing Run looked at the Chief Libationist tauntingly. “It looks like they do not agree with your decision. What will you do now, mister?”

“It does not matter if they agree to it. It only matters if

I

agree.”

The Chief Libationist declared tyrannically, “You were right about one thing. This is a notice, not a negotiation.”

“You... you can’t do this!” Someone yelled indignantly, “This is against etiquette, against the law, against even the way of the sages!”

“You are the model of all scholars, mister! By doing this, you are disregarding all rules, etiquette, and laws! This is utterly disgraceful behavior!”

“Aren’t you afraid of losing your reputation and being lambasted for your actions, Chief Libationist?”

“Mister, please think thrice!”

“I will stop you from committing outrages even if it costs me my life, Chief Libationist!” For a time, the ministers were yelling, raging, worrying, persuading, or accusing the Chief Libationist.

“Enough!” The Chief Libationist waved his sleeve, and everyone abruptly fell silent like ducks who were seized by the neck. They could neither speak nor move a muscle. “You do not have the right to criticize me. All my life, I have never asked for fortune or misfortune, fame or glory. All I ever asked for is a clear conscience.”

For a time, every martial and civil official in the court was shocked and terrified.

They were high officials of Chu, meaning that they were empowered by the Will of the Dragon and protected by the Will of the Empire. Not only that, they were at the imperial capital, the heart of the empire. Every one of them was a powerful warrior in their own right, and some of them even stood on par with the Sages after being blessed by the Will of the Dragon and the Will of the Empire. And what were Sages? They were titanic beings who could change the weather, move the mountains, and flip the ocean should they so wished.

On the other hand, the Chief Libationist was a citizen of Chu, but he was not a minister of Chu. The title “Chief Libationist” was in fact an old title originating from the late You Dynasty. It was the time where the Jixia Academy was founded. The first ever headmaster of the Jixia Academy was conferred the Chief Libationist by the You Emperor as a show of respect, and every headmaster who came after were conferred the same title as well. Over time, the title became synonymous with a headmaster of the Jixia Academy.

After Chu was founded, they specifically avoided creating a position known as “Chief Libationist” as a show of respect to the Jixia Academy. Instead, they created the position called “Libationist” whose responsibilities included conducting the national ceremonies, ritual offerings, prayers and more. Therefore, the Chief Libationist was only an honorific title. It was not an official post of Chu.

Therefore, the Chief Libationist was the one person in this hall who did not receive any Will of the Dragon or Will of the Empire. On the contrary, he was weakened because not having those blessings meant that he was affected by the major restrictions set across the entire capital and especially the palace.

Despite this, the Chief Libationist had immobilized all of them in one motion. They were as helpless as lambs waiting to be slaughtered. Just how powerful was the Chief Libationist?