Chapter 238: Chapter 23: Self-Confession of Guilt

Profound Celestial Temple.

When Chen Tang ran outside the Profound Celestial Temple, the solar eclipse had already passed.

Everyone he saw along the way was kneeling on the ground, filled with fear and unease.

No one else dared to run through the Inner City as heedlessly as he did!

Chen Tang ignored the astonished and bewildered gazes of others, rushing into the Profound Celestial Temple, heading straight for the Sacrificial Altar.

“The ruler has lost virtue, and ministers usurp; hence the blame of the solar eclipse.”

The voice of the Profound Celestial Sect Leader echoed in every corner of the Profound Celestial Temple, deep and resonant, so clear that Chen Tang heard it before seeing the person.

Perhaps someone had asked why such a celestial phenomenon occurred, leading to this answer from the Profound Celestial Sect Leader that clearly pointed to Yuan Qingshan.

“Heaven conveys signs, revealing fortune and disaster; when the ruler errs, Heaven delivers misfortune. This is a great omen of disaster.”

The voice of the Profound Celestial Sect Leader continued to spread, echoing to the skies.

Chen Tang listened, furrowing his brows deeply.

“The sun symbolizes the essence of the heavens, and the ruler; if the ruler’s way is deficient, it incurs Heaven’s wrath, plunging the common people into dire straits.”

Once more, the Profound Celestial Sect Leader’s words targeted Yuan Qingshan!

At this moment, Chen Tang had already reached the outside of the Sacrificial Altar, seeing from afar the officials kneeling on the ground.

On the Sacrificial Altar, the Du Clan were on their knees.

Only Yuan Qingshan and the Profound Celestial Sect Leader stood facing each other, the atmosphere tense.

The Profound Celestial Sect Leader seemed like an imposing mountain, unwavering and firm.

Even with Yuan Qingshan holding his head high, his momentum was significantly weaker in the face of the Profound Celestial Sect Leader.

The sudden appearance of the solar eclipse had been a significant blow to him!

Yuan Qingshan could almost imagine that from now on, implementing new policies would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens!

The public reputation gained from the new policies would quickly collapse and disintegrate due to the appearance of the solar eclipse.

Yuan Qingshan anticipated that the new policies would infringe on the interests of the Profound Celestial Sect, and the other party would surely retaliate.

But he didn’t expect the Profound Celestial Sect’s counterstrike to be so fearsome.

This move was too ruthless!

Chen Tang looked at the somewhat helpless Yuan Qingshan on the Sacrificial Altar, sighing inwardly.

In this situation, he was also powerless.

Should he rely on eloquence to explain the cause of the solar eclipse to the officials?

Who would believe him?

Even if two or three people believed, who among the people in the counties of Qian Country would believe?

Even Grand Commandant Yuwen Mao and War God Murong Daoye were respectfully kneeling on the ground, without lifting their heads.

Yuan Qingshan persisted for a while, a deep sense of powerlessness rising in his heart, sighing quietly.

This feeling was akin to struggling and striving for so long, seeing some progress, and then being shattered into pieces by the opponent.

Everything he had done earlier was destined to end in failure.

The solar eclipse.

Could this truly be Heaven’s will?

Finally, Yuan Qingshan lowered his head.

He bowed and asked in a low voice, “Please advise, State Preceptor, how can we calm Heaven’s wrath and dispel misfortune?”

The Profound Celestial Sect Leader replied gravely, “According to ancient texts, there are two ways to appease Heaven’s wrath.”

“Please enlighten us, State Preceptor.”

Yuan Qingshan said.

The Profound Celestial Sect Leader said, “The first is to offer a sacrifice of a hundred thousand human lives!”

Chen Tang was shocked to the core.

Human lives do not refer merely to living people and livestock.

It means that in rituals, humans, like cattle and sheep, are offered to Heaven.

Human sacrificial offerings mean using live people as sacrificial victims!

Chen Tang wondered whether ancient texts contained similar records.

The key point is that the Profound Celestial Sect is adept at this, skilled in celestial phenomena; whatever they say, many will believe.

Yuan Qingshan said, “Please inform us of the second method, State Preceptor.”

The Profound Celestial Sect Leader stared at Yuan Qingshan, speaking slowly, “The second method is for the ruler who has lost virtue to sacrifice himself to Heaven to quell its wrath!”

Yuan Qingshan frowned.

Chen Tang’s face darkened.

The Profound Celestial Sect Leader finally bared his sharp fangs!

He seemed to offer Yuan Qingshan two options.

But in reality, there was only one.

The Profound Celestial Sect Leader knew that with Yuan Qingshan’s benevolence, it was impossible to sacrifice a hundred thousand lives.

The prisoners on death row in Qian Country’s prisons weren’t even that many.

Therefore, Yuan Qingshan could only choose the second option.

Suicide.

“State Preceptor, mind your words!”

Yuan Qingmo could no longer bear listening, standing up, and said in a deep voice, “Since ascending the throne, my brother has practiced frugality and kindness, how could he have committed acts of lost virtue?”

The Profound Celestial Sect Leader snorted lightly, saying, “This is the celestial phenomenon, Heaven scrutinizes with clarity, a virtuous ruler has no blame and will not incur calamity, while a tyrant who acts with cruelty invites disaster, is that not so?”

“Utter nonsense!”

Yuan Qingmo sneered.

“How dare you!”

The Profound Celestial Sect Leader’s eyes sharpened, his voice booming like a bell, shaking the skies!

Even Chen Tang, standing far away, felt his heart skip a beat!

The Profound Celestial Sect Leader’s gaze was sharp, his voice contained boundless authority, and he said word by word, “Yuan Qingmo, as Prince Wei, to speak such reckless words with disrespect to Heaven, what is your crime?”

In ancient times, even an emperor dared not openly show disrespect to Heaven.

After all, the emperor was said to be the recipient of the Mandate of Heaven.

The Profound Celestial Sect Leader’s attempt to charge Yuan Qingmo with the serious crime of ’disrespecting Heaven’ clearly showed his intent to kill!

“State Preceptor, calm your anger, Qingmo was impulsive, and spoke in error, not meaning it.”

Yuan Qingshan took a deep breath and suddenly said, “I cannot accomplish the sacrifice of a hundred thousand lives.”

“I still have unfinished great undertakings. To sacrifice myself to Heaven today, my heart is unwilling. But I am willing to atone with blood, to pray to Heaven, and hope Heaven will quell its wrath.”

After speaking, Yuan Qingshan removed his Dragon Robe, bit his fingertip, and with his blood, wrote a self-abasing decree on the Dragon Robe.

Chen Tang secretly praised this in his heart.

Yuan Qingshan’s response was already commendable.

Forced by the current situation, he had to compromise.

But in compromising, he held the last line.

He neither chose to sacrifice a hundred thousand lives nor himself.

Yuan Qingshan chose to atone with blood, proclaiming this to the world, to quell Heaven’s wrath!

The Profound Celestial Sect Leader’s eyes flickered briefly.

Yuan Qingshan’s reaction even made him feel a bit of appreciation.

In such a situation, to remain calm in the face of danger, finding a way to survive amidst death, he devised this solution.

Alas, this person was not obedient enough.

The Profound Celestial Sect Leader dismissed the last trace of pity, speaking gravely, “Emperor, to try to deceive Heaven by atoning with blood will only invite greater catastrophe!”

“I can predict, within a month, there will surely be Heaven’s retribution upon Qian Country!”

Yuan Qingshan frowned and asked, “What retribution from Heaven?”

The Profound Celestial Sect Leader shook his head, coldly saying, “Since His Holiness cannot bear to sacrifice a hundred thousand lives, then in Heaven’s wrath, it’s not a hundred thousand who will die, but a million, ten million common people!”

“At that time, His Holiness must remember today’s choice!”

Yuwen Mao was shaken.

“The solar eclipse doesn’t solely mean a ruler’s loss of virtue; there are also ministers who are authoritarian, they are among them!”

The Profound Celestial Sect Leader’s gaze swept over Yuan Qingmo, Murong Daoye, and others and lastly looked at Chen Tang in the distance.

The officials recalled that during the new policies, the Qilin Bureau indeed arrested many influential figures, involving a vast range, truly considered authoritarian.

That Chen Tang, who abolished the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, and killed the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, indeed deserved the term domineering.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep