met free Chapter 138 The Spirit of the Lion
Chapter 138 The Spirit of the Lion
Chapter 138 The Spirit of the Lion
Inside the Imperial Study, apart from Yuan Daotong, that hothead, who wasn't a high-ranking official with great power and influence?
But at this moment, everyone's face, including Emperor Li Yu of Tang, showed a look of shock.
The expressions on the faces of the people in the Imperial Study were varied, and their thoughts were all different.
"The old Marquis? He's here? That's wonderful! The old Marquis hasn't been involved in affairs for years, but now he's finally willing to come out of retirement!" A look of joy appeared on the faces of the meritorious officials, including Grand Marshal Lu Bing.
Marquis Shenwei was ennobled for his military achievements and was also the strongest person in the capital. Many people in the military had served under Marquis Shenwei, so Su Lie's prestige was self-evident.
The faces of the nobles and high-ranking officials, led by the prime minister, were not so pleasant. After Marquis Shenwei Su Lie fell from grace, they had done their utmost to undermine his power. Now, seeing Su Lie return, they were naturally filled with apprehension.
After all, Marquis Shenwei, Su Lie, was a man of great prestige. Although he had not been involved in affairs for the past two years, his old tiger-like might remained. However, the name of Marquis Shenwei was enough to intimidate many people.
"Damn it, why has that old geezer come out of seclusion?" Prime Minister Wang You thought to himself, "Ever since that old fellow lost both his children, hasn't he lost all his power and become a drunkard all day long?"
Whether the officials were pleased or displeased by Su Lie's appearance, this single man alone could unsettle the entire Southern Tang court. In the present world, only Marquis Shenwei, Su Lie, could do such a thing!
Emperor Li Yu of Tang wore a complex expression, seemingly a mixture of joy and apprehension. He cleared his throat and said loudly, "Please invite Lord Su, the old Marquis, in!"
……
"Your humble servant Su Lie pays his respects to Your Majesty!" Su Lie entered the hall, dressed in a yellow robe adorned with dragons, symbolizing his status second only to the Tang Emperor. Upon reaching the center of the hall, he bowed deeply.
Even the Tang Emperor dared not actually make Su Lie kneel before him. He hurriedly offered a helping hand and said repeatedly, "Old Marquis, there's no need for such formality. In public, you are a pillar of our Southern Tang, a veteran of two dynasties. In private, you are my father-in-law. There is absolutely no need for you to perform such a grand ceremony before me."
Regardless of what Emperor Li Yu might have thought in his heart before, upon seeing Su Lie, he at least outwardly appeared amicable.
However, it was clear that Su Lie had no intention of getting close to the Tang Emperor. He directly asked Grand Marshal Lu Bing beside him, "Grand Marshal, what important military matters are you discussing with all these high-ranking officials gathered here? Why didn't you inform me so I could join in the fun?"
Lu Bing appeared extremely apprehensive and quickly stood up straight, replying repeatedly, "Reporting to the old Marquis, the Yuan family's Celestial Master, Yuan Yuanshan, has passed away, and His Majesty is currently summoning his ministers to discuss the succession of the next Celestial Master of the Nation."
Su Lie frowned: "You are now the Grand Marshal of the Southern Tang army. You don't need to observe military etiquette in front of me."
"Yes, Lord Marquis!" Lu Bing said, but he still stood straight, not daring to sway in the slightest.
Su Lie ignored him and feigned doubt, saying, "Isn't the position of Protector of the Nation's Celestial Master traditionally inherited by the Yuan family? What's there to discuss? Since that brat Yuan Yuanshan is dead, just pass it on to his son!"
These military generals and meritorious officials simply did not want to get involved in the matter of the Celestial Master's position, because they had always looked down on those so-called charlatans. Having a high level of cultivation, yet not making a name for themselves through martial arts, but instead spending their days pretending to be gods and ghosts, was simply not to the liking of these military generals.
However, although they were martial artists, they were not stupid. Su Lie only said one sentence, and they already understood what Su Lie meant. They all said, "That's right, what Marquis Shenwei said is very true. Since Master Yuan has passed away, his position as Master of the Heavenly Master should be passed on to his descendants."
Even Grand Marshal Lu Bing, who seemed indifferent to everything just now, said in a serious tone: "What the old Marquis said is right. The position of Celestial Master of the Yuan family has been passed down from generation to generation. This is the established law of our ancestors. The Yuan family has not committed any wrongdoing, so it should not violate the law of our ancestors."
The civil officials and nobles were quite infuriated by these military men—why didn't they speak up earlier when they were so righteous and eloquent?
However, facing the renowned Marquis Shenwei, they dared not be presumptuous and could only look up at their leader, the Prime Minister Wang You.
Seeing that everyone's eyes were on him, Prime Minister Wang You had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Lord Su, this Yuan family..."
"Wang You, when did it become your place to speak here?" Before Wang You could finish speaking, Su Lie interrupted him sharply: "The position of the Celestial Master Protector of the Nation is no less than that of the Prime Minister, and it has always been appointed by His Majesty. When did it become your place to interrupt? Do you, Wang You, want to manipulate the court?"
As he spoke, Su Lie's aura surged forth. Although Wang You's cultivation was not low, how could he compare to Su Lie, the Divine Might Marquis, the number one expert in the capital?
Not only Prime Minister Wang You, but all the other civil officials and nobles were silenced by Su Lie's power, and dared not utter a single word.
Even though Marquis Su Lie of Divine Might has been inactive for several years, as long as he unleashes his power, no one in the entire capital dares to challenge him!
"The Angry Lion" Su Lie has been renowned for over a century, and his fame is well-deserved.
Meanwhile, Yuan Daotong, seeing that the situation had been reversed in an instant, was extremely excited: "Could it be that the benefactor you mentioned, Brother Dao, is actually Marquis Shenwei, Su Lie? I wonder what your relationship is with Marquis Shenwei, that you were able to persuade him to step forward and plead on my behalf?"
Although he didn't know exactly how Lin Fei had persuaded such a powerful figure as Marquis Shenwei, Yuan Daotong knew from Su Lie's demeanor that his position as Celestial Master was practically guaranteed.
None of the civil officials and nobles present dared to openly contradict Marquis Shenwei, while the military generals and meritorious officials clearly sided with Su Lie.
The Tang Emperor rubbed his forehead, looking quite troubled: "Then let's follow Marquis Shenwei's suggestion. The position of Celestial Master shall be inherited by a member of the Yuan family, according to the old rules!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Yuan Daotong was overjoyed.
"However, since you have not yet advanced to the Dharma Aspect, the position of Celestial Master will remain vacant for now. Once you have advanced to the Dharma Aspect, I will re-appoint you with the title!" Emperor Tang waved his hand and said.
For Yuan Daotong, this was the best possible outcome. He had never expected to inherit the position of Celestial Master immediately. His initial best plan was simply to leave the position vacant for the time being. And without the appearance of Divine Might Marquis Su Lie, the position of Celestial Master would likely have already belonged to someone else.
Although the Tang Emperor intended to bestow the title of Celestial Master upon the Abbot of Changqing Temple, it was merely a minor matter for him, a ruler of such stature. What concerned him more was the sudden appearance of Marquis Shenwei, who hadn't attended court for many years.