The citizens in the city had just lent their strength to Imperial Emperor Xi Yu and were now sitting weakly on the ground. They looked at Imperial Emperor Xi Yu at the Great Sigh Palace Hall’s plaza, waiting for him to speak.
After all, the citizens had just lent out all their energy, and the Mister Gu that they could not bring themselves to hate stood before them.
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu was immediately pushed into a corner.
However, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu refused to believe Gu Hai.
What if I clash with the Heaven Splitting Ax, and you attack with your full power?
If it were before, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu might feel hopeful. Now, there was no hope at all. The strongest of the top sixteen ancient treasures was indeed powerful. He should not clash head-on with it.
While he could dodge with Gu Hai controlling the Heaven Splitting Ax, it would be foolish of him to take the initiative to clash with it.
“Humph! Hahaha! Gu Hai, do you think that I will listen to you?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu said coldly.
Outside the city, Long Shenwu and Sima Changkong inwardly let out bated breaths on Imperial Emperor Xi Yu’s refusal. Fortunately, you refused. Otherwise, we would be exposed.
However, many people in the city sighed as they showed bitter smiles.
Perhaps some people could tell that Gu Hai forced this difficult choice on Imperial Emperor Xi Yu. However, this matter involved their life and death. Naturally, they were more willing to believe that Gu Hai was benevolent. They were even more inclined to believe that Gu Hai would only restrain Imperial Emperor Xi Yu and not use that as a trick to kill Imperial Emperor Xi Yu.
I risked my life to lend my energy to His Reverence, but His Reverence does not even have the courage to protect us?
The citizens’ glorious image of their emperor instantly crumbled. Now, their faces were cold and distant as they looked at Imperial Emperor Xi Yu.
“You don’t dare to? Hah! That’s right. You don’t. That is because you were not the one who fought for this Yuan Imperial Dynasty. The best thing you did in your life was to swear brotherhood with Mo En, Chang Sheng, and Qin Yun. Without them, there would not be the Yuan Nation of today. Without them, you are nothing. Hahaha! Yet, you sent all of them to their deaths!” Gu Hai sneered.
“What did you say?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu glared at Gu Hai.
“Isn’t that so? Am I wrong? I’m saying that you are not worthy of being an emperor. An emperor bravely charges forward, never retreating. What about you? After suffering defeat by the Heaven Splitting Ax once, you felt utter fear for the Qian Heavenly Emperor. When our army marched into the Yuan Nation, you did not even dare to counterattack or defend, waiting for us to reach Major Metropolitan City where only the power of your citizens gives you any confidence. You are not worthy of being an emperor!” Gu Hai said.
“Hahahaha! What a joke!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu coldly eyed Gu Hai.
“That’s right. Your Yuan Nation still has a sky full of blessings. However, was it you who earned these blessings? Was it you who fought for this Yuan Imperial Dynasty? No, it was not! It was Mo En, Chang Sheng, and the others!” Gu Hai said coldly.
“Gu Hai, do you think that I would feel ashamed with just a few words from you?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu countered in disdain.
“I just stating the facts. Think about it for yourself. Back then, didn’t you just do whatever Mo En wanted for the Yuan Imperial Dynasty? In nicer words, you trusted Mo En. However, in harsher terms, you had no opinions at all,” Gu Hai said coldly.
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu narrowed his eyes at Gu Hai.
“I am reminding you. It is time to wake up. Do you think that the Yuan Nation officials are loyal to you? The one they are loyal to is Mo En. They are loyal to you only because of Mo En. Unfortunately, Mo En did not have the ambition of an emperor like you. He respected you as his first elder brother and could not bear to usurp you. He was the true emperor of the Yuan Nation. He should have been the Yuan Imperial Emperor. You are just a puppet!” Gu Hai said coldly.
Nearby, Sima Changkong and Long Shenwu gave Gu Hai confused looks. What is Gu Hai talking about? How is that relevant? Mo En has already been dead for so many years. Is there a point in mentioning him?
The Major Metropolitan City citizens frowned at Imperial Emperor Xi Yu.
“A puppet? We are a puppet? Gu Hai, you have gone mad, right? This Yuan Nation is our Yuan Nation. Our officials are loyal to us alone. Mo En was our good official. Are you trying to spoil my relationship with Mo En at this point? Hahahaha!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu looked at Gu Hai in disdain.
“Are your officials truly loyal to you alone? They just cannot bear to wreck the foundations that Mo En laid. Now that the Yuan Nation’s destruction is imminent, do you believe that they will abandon you with just a word from me?” Gu Hai sneered.
“Humph! Gu Hai, you are too arrogant!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu said coldly.
“Who do you think is loyal to you among the civil and military officials in your imperial court?” Gu Hai questioned coldly.
“These officials are all loyal to us,” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu replied coldly.
“Are you too cowardly to single one person out?” Gu Hai said coldly.
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu looked at Gu Hai with some doubt, feeling somewhat frustrated. These are my officials. How can they not be loyal to me?
“Him! Deputy Minister of War!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu pointed to an official.
That official bowed slightly.
“Deputy Minister of War? Imperial Emperor Xi Yu refuses to give up. I will kill him for sure. I might end up waiting for a few days, but perhaps you might all die by then, including you. Right now, there is no need to worry about anything anymore. Are you truly loyal to Imperial Emperor Xi Yu?” Gu Hai asked.
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu smiled coldly at Gu Hai.
However, that deputy minister of war was silent.
“Huh?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu frowned as he looked at that deputy minister of war.
“There’s is no need to hold on to hope. Did you not see it? Imperial Emperor Xi Yu does not dare to clash with the Heaven Splitting Ax. If he keeps using you all as hostages and shields, I will have no choice but to launch the attack. So, there is nothing for you to worry about. Speak!” Gu Hai shouted.
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu frowned as he looked at his deputy minister of war, wondering why the deputy minister of war was silent.
After some silence, the deputy minister of war eventually sighed. “This official…this official was promoted by Grand Duke Mo En. This official is grateful to Grand Duke Mo En.”
“What did you say?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu glared.
The deputy minister of war said after some more silence, “Your Reverence, this official remained in the Yuan Nation just to repay my gratitude to Grand Duke Mo En. Sorry!”
The deputy minister of war’s words made Long Shenwu and Sima Changkong goggle.
This…how can this be possible? Even a deputy minister of war defected? What did Gu Hai do in the past half-month? To think that he managed to recruit a deputy minister of war?
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu stared at the deputy minister of war with eyes that seemed to spew fire.
“Do you think that Gu Hai will spare you? Hahahaha! There’s no need to wait for him to spare you; we can kill you right now!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu said coldly.
“This official knows that. However, this old official has been working hard for Your Reverence and has not done anything to let Your Reverence down. This old official is merely voicing my thoughts. I have not defected or betrayed the Yuan Nation. If Your Reverence wants to kill this official because of this, this official can do nothing about it,” the deputy minister of war said respectfully.
“You!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu glared.
“Xi Yu, you can continue asking. Even I do not know how many among your officials are truly loyal to you,” Gu Hai sneered.
“Deputy Minister of Rites!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu looked at another official.
“This official defended the Yuan Nation because of Grand Duke Mo En’s grace, Your Reverence,” the deputy minister of rites said.
Gasp! Imperial Emperor Xi Yu inhaled sharply.
Outside, Long Shenwu and Sima Changkong inhaled sharply as well. Now, all the citizens in the city looked at the scene in the Great Sigh Palace Hall in shock.
Since these officials know that they will die, they are speaking their minds? They are not loyal to His Reverence but someone else?
This? How can this be possible?
“Minister of Works!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu called out through clenched teeth.
“Your Reverence, generations of this official’s clan received Grand Duke Mo En’s grace. We had no other way to repay that grace but with loyalty to the Yuan Nation,” the minister of works said respectfully.
“Continue!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu said with a ferocious expression.
“Your Reverence, this official is loyal to the Yuan Nation because of Grand Duke Mo En!”
“Your Reverence, this official is loyal to the Yuan Nation because of Grand Duke Chang Sheng!”
“Your Reverence, this official is loyal to the Yuan Nation because of Grand Duke Mo En!”
The many officials said things that broke Imperial Emperor Xi Yu’s heart. All of them were loyal to the Yuan Nation because of Mo En, Chang Sheng, or Qin Yun. None were loyal because of him. Not a single official said that they were loyal to him.
This…this…this is impossible!
This strange scene startled nearly everyone.
Outside Major Metropolitan City, Long Shenwu and Sima Changkong appeared shocked as they gazed at Gu Hai. How did he do it? This is impossible!
Every nation had loyal officials and ferocious generals. Even the most rotten nation would have loyal officials who stood above the crowd and served their sovereign to the death. An imperial dynasty like the Yuan Nation should have countless loyal officials. How could they all suddenly betray Imperial Emperor Xi Yu?
How could they betray Imperial Emperor Xi Yu overnight?
How could this be possible?
How terrifying was this situation?
This spectacle caused a huge commotion among the citizens in Major Metropolitan City.
The ordinary citizens simply found the scene of all the officials betraying their emperor unbelievable.
So, it turned out that His Reverence is so worthless? It turned out that the three grand dukes were holding up my Yuan Nation?
At this moment, the expression of the imprisoned Mo Yike changed dramatically as well.
“That’s impossible! How did Gu Hai do it? What kind of godly maneuver is this? Why did they all betray His Reverence?” Mo Yike paced in his cell anxiously.
“Your Reverence, don’t ever believe him. This must be a trick of Gu Hai! Hah…” Mo Yike showed a bitter expression.
Unfortunately, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu could not hear Mo Yike’s words.
The strange scene at the Great Sigh Palace Hall’s plaza continued.
Faced with impending death, the various officials revealed their true thoughts. It turned out that the flourishing Yuan Nation was just an illusion. The Yuan Nation officials’ hearts had never been with Imperial Emperor Xi Yu.
These officials were loyal to the Yuan Nation only because of their gratitude to the three grand dukes.
How laughable was Imperial Emperor Xi Yu, thinking himself to be so awe-inspiring and prestigious. It turned out that they were not genuinely loyal to him.
Thud!
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu suddenly fell back onto his throne in disappointment. As he looked at all his officials, they suddenly seemed very distant and strange to him. He could no longer recognize them.
“You thought yourself aloof, not caring about the officials and only occasionally showing up at the imperial assembly. How loyal do you think the officials will be to you? Hahaha! Are you worthy of being an emperor? The citizens see you as an enemy, and the officials see you as a stranger. You have vast blessings? So what? They can scatter in just a moment, do you believe that? After you die, no one would cry or mourn for you. You are just a puppet, not worthy of being an emperor. The greatest fortune in your life was swearing brotherhood with your three younger brothers, yet you did not trust the three younger brothers who were willing to brave fires for you. You did not trust them and sent them to death? Hahahaha! Imperial Emperor Xi Yu, what an awe-inspiring emperor!” Gu Hai shouted coldly.
Right now, Major Metropolitan City was as Gu Hai said. The citizens looked at Imperial Emperor Xi Yu with resentment, and the officials saw Imperial Emperor Xi Yu as a stranger.
A bona fide imperial emperor, all alone, utterly isolated. How very miserable!
