in2ebook Chapter 416 Khitan Emperor
Chapter 416 Khitan Emperor
Everyone stopped, and the situation was in a stalemate. The Khitan royal family slowly approached, and the Khitan noble who led them had a stern look on his face. He swept his eyes over everyone, and finally landed on Yelu Majiu, who was lying on the ground with a dagger stuck in his chest. His face suddenly became gloomy.
"What is going on? Who can give me an explanation?" the Khitan noble shouted sternly, his voice revealing unquestionable majesty.
Although Qiluo was being held tightly by several guards, she showed no fear. She raised her head, looked directly at the Khitan noble, and said loudly: "Yelü Majiu killed my father. I am here today to avenge my father! He has committed many evil deeds and deserves to die!"
The Khitan noble frowned, and looked at Qi Luo with a more scrutinizing look. He turned to look at Bai Zixuan and the others, and asked, "Who are you? Why are you involved in this?"
Bai Zixuan stepped forward, clasped his fists and saluted, and said calmly: "I am Bai Zixuan, these are all martial artists from the Central Plains. We have nothing to do with Yelu Majiu's grudge, but this girl has a grudge against him for killing her father, and we really can't bear to see her risking her life alone, so we are helping her in secret. I hope Your Majesty will understand."
After hearing what Bai Zixuan said, the Khitan noble narrowed his eyes slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he said: "Humph, even if she has a personal grudge against Yelu Majiu, she shouldn't do it here and now. Now Yelu Majiu is a member of the Khitan royal family and is returning to the capital for investigation under the order of the royal family. How can his life or death be decided by you at will? This matter concerns the reputation of our Khitan royal family. Do you know the seriousness of the consequences?"
Su Yiyun couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, Yelu Majiu forced a Central Plains woman to marry him for his own selfish desires, and also clashed with the Central Plains martial arts community, causing many innocent people to die and get injured. Shouldn't he be punished for such evil deeds?"
The Khitan nobles' faces darkened and they shouted, "Shut up! What Yelu Majiu did is for the Khitan royal family to judge and deal with. It is not your turn to make comments here!"
Li Qingqing also said angrily: "Your Majesty, you are so partial to Yelu Majiu, aren't you afraid of chilling the hearts of the people? Justice is in the hearts of the people, and the sins he committed must be paid for in the end!"
The Khitan nobleman was furious when he heard what Li Qingqing said. He waved his whip and shouted, "How dare you, people from the Central Plains, be so arrogant in front of me. Do you really think that I, the Khitan, have no one? Come on, capture them all and bring them back to the capital to await your punishment!"
Following the order from the Khitan noble, the Khitan soldiers behind him raised their weapons and surrounded Bai Zixuan and others.
Bai Zixuan and the others looked solemn. They knew that the situation was critical, but they would never surrender. Bai Zixuan whispered to the people around him, "Everyone be careful. Try to break out first, and then make plans."
Everyone nodded, grasped their weapons tightly, and prepared for the upcoming battle.
Just as the two sides were about to start fighting again, suddenly, a calm voice came from the crowd: "Wait a minute!"
Everyone was shocked and turned to look, only to see an old man in a gray robe slowly walking out. The old man had a kind face, but deep eyes, and a mysterious aura. He was the old man in a gray robe who had appeared in the Black Wind Valley before.
When the Khitan noble saw the gray-robed old man, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. He quickly dismounted and saluted respectfully, saying, "Grandmaster, why are you here?"
It turned out that this old man in gray robe was the imperial teacher of the Khitan royal family. He had a highly respected status in Khitan and was deeply trusted by the royal family. He was also elusive and his actions were mysterious.
The grey-robed old man waved his hand slightly, signaling the Khitan nobles to stand up, and then slowly said: "Your Highness, please listen to me on this matter. I have also heard about what Yelu Majiu did before. He did have many inappropriate things, which led to the current situation."
After hearing this, the Khitan nobleman showed hesitation and said, "National Master, even so, he is a member of the Khitan royal family after all, and now he is on his way back to the capital. If he dies at the hands of these Central Plains people, how can the face of the Khitan royal family be preserved?"
The grey-robed old man sighed softly and said, "Your Highness, face is important, but if you blindly protect the person who made the mistake, it will only make the world criticize you, and it will not benefit the reputation of our Khitan royal family. Moreover, this Central Plains woman and Yelu Majiu had a grudge against each other for killing her father. It is only natural for her to avenge her father. Although her behavior is a bit impulsive, it is also understandable."
After hearing what the gray-robed old man said, the Khitan noble lowered his head and pondered. He knew that what the national teacher said made sense, but he found it hard to accept that he would just let Bai Zixuan and the others go.
Seeing that the Khitan nobles were wavering, the grey-robed old man continued, "Your Highness, I have a suggestion. Is it possible? We can let these Central Plains people return to the capital with Yelu Majiu, and let the royal family publicly try the matter in the court. First, we can give justice to this Central Plains woman. If Yelu Majiu is really guilty, she should be punished accordingly. Second, we can show the world that our Khitan royal family is fair and selfless and is not afraid to face any trouble. In this way, we can save the face of our Khitan royal family and calm this dispute. What do you think, Your Highness?"
The Khitan noble listened to the gray-robed old man's advice and thought to himself that this method was a good way to have the best of both worlds, which could not only deal with Yelu Majiu's affairs, but also maintain the image of the Khitan royal family to a certain extent.
So, the Khitan nobles raised their heads, looked at Bai Zixuan and the others, and said, "Since the national master said so, I will do as the national master said. You people from the Central Plains, follow me back to the capital. After the court hearing is over, if you are right, I will let you go; if you are unreasonable, humph, then don't blame me for being rude!"
Bai Zixuan and the others were a little worried after hearing what the Khitan nobles said, but they also knew that there was no other way. They looked at each other, and then Bai Zixuan clasped his fists and saluted, saying, "Since the prince is willing to give us a chance to reason, we will obey his orders and follow him to the capital."
In this way, Bai Zixuan, Su Yiyun, Li Qingqing, Qiluo and others, escorted by Khitan soldiers, set out on the journey to the capital along with the Khitan nobles.
Along the way, everyone had different moods. Qiluo was a little nervous, but also full of expectations. She was nervous about how the Khitan royal family would deal with the matter in the end, and she was looking forward to making Yelu Majiu's crimes known to the public in the court, so that her father's grievances could be truly redressed.
Bai Zixuan and others remained vigilant at all times. They didn't know what was waiting for them in the capital, so they could only pray secretly that everything could be resolved smoothly.
After several days of travel, they finally arrived at the Khitan capital, which had tall and thick walls, majestic gates, and unique architectural styles. It was prosperous and lively, fully demonstrating the strength and majesty of the Khitan.
After entering the capital, the Khitan nobles arranged Bai Zixuan and others in an inn and sent soldiers to guard them strictly, waiting for the day of the court trial.
There was also a heated discussion within the Khitan royal family on how to handle the case. Some members of the royal family believed that the Central Plains people should be severely punished to maintain the dignity of the Khitans, while others believed that the case should be handled fairly and the facts and laws should be used to determine right and wrong. After all, the case involved many evil deeds of Yelu Majiu, and if it was not handled properly, it might cause a bigger disturbance.
Finally, the day of the court trial arrived.
On this day, the atmosphere in the court of the Khitan Imperial Palace was solemn and dignified. The Khitan Emperor sat on the dragon throne, with civil and military officials standing on both sides, all with serious expressions, staring at Bai Zixuan and others in the center of the court.
Due to his serious injuries, Yelu Majiu was unable to attend the ceremony in person and could only lie on a stretcher nearby, dying.
Qiluo stood in the center of the court. Although she was in this strange and majestic environment, her heart was extremely firm. She raised her head, looked directly at the Khitan emperor, and told him in detail how Yelu Majiu killed her father. Her voice was clear and loud, echoing in the court.
Bai Zixuan and others also stood up to testify for Qiluo, telling about a series of evil deeds that Yelu Majiu had done before, including forcing Li Qingqing to get married and having conflicts with the Central Plains martial arts world.
The Khitan emperor listened to everyone's complaints with a gloomy face. He did not expect that Yelu Majiu would do so many absurd things behind the back of the royal family. He turned to look at the ministers beside him and asked, "My dear ministers, what do you think of this matter?"
A minister stepped forward, clasped his fists and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, Yelu Majiu's actions are indeed against our Khitan laws and the dignity of the royal family, and he should be punished. But this Central Plains woman stabbed herself without permission, which is also illegal and should be punished accordingly. As for these Central Plains people, although they came to help the woman, they should not arbitrarily interfere in our Khitan internal affairs. You can deal with them at your discretion."
Another minister also said: "Your Majesty, I think the most urgent thing is to find out the truth first. If Yelu Majiu's crime is true, then he must be severely punished; and for these Central Plains people, a fair judgment can be given based on their performance and attitude in this matter."
The Khitan Emperor listened to the ministers' suggestions, nodded slightly, and said, "Well, what you said makes sense. Call witnesses and investigate this matter thoroughly!"
Following the order of the Khitan Emperor, witnesses related to Yelu Majiu's evil deeds were summoned to the court one after another. Some of these witnesses were Khitan civilians who had been persecuted by Yelu Majiu, and some were Khitan soldiers who had participated in the conflict with the Central Plains martial arts world. They all spoke out about Yelu Majiu's various misdeeds.
Faced with numerous pieces of evidence, Yelu Majiu's crimes were clearly revealed.
The Khitan Emperor had a solemn expression. He looked at Yelu Majiu lying on the stretcher and shouted sternly, "Yelu Majiu, you have committed so many sins that you have really brought disgrace upon the reputation of our Khitan royal family! I thought of your contributions to our Khitan in the past and wanted to give you a lighter sentence, but now it seems that you are beyond redemption!"
Yelu Majiu was shocked when he heard this. He struggled to get up and beg for mercy, but his injuries were too severe. He could only collapse on the stretcher, mumbling: "Your Majesty, spare my life..."
The Khitan Emperor ignored him and turned to look at Qiluo, saying, "Although this Central Plains woman committed the crime of assassination without authorization, considering that she avenged her father, her filial piety is commendable, and Yelu Majiu is indeed guilty of the death penalty, I will exempt you from punishment. You can go back now, and don't take risks easily in the future."
Qi Luo was overjoyed when she heard the Khitan emperor's words. She immediately knelt down to express her gratitude: "Thank you very much, Your Majesty, for your grace and wisdom!"
The Khitan Emperor looked at Bai Zixuan and the others again and said, "Although you Central Plains people should not interfere in Khitan affairs, you are here for justice and have not done anything excessive during the whole process. I will not make things difficult for you and you can leave now."
Bai Zixuan and the others heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this. They all clasped their fists and saluted, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your magnanimity. Long live Your Majesty!"
Just like that, after some twists and turns, Qiluo finally avenged her father, and Bai Zixuan and others successfully got rid of the predicament and were able to return to the Central Plains safely.
However, after this incident, the relationship between the Central Plains and the Khitan became more delicate. Although the Khitan emperor behaved more fairly this time, after all, the two sides had many conflicts over this matter, and some potential contradictions were not really eliminated.
In the Central Plains martial arts world, this incident also caused quite a stir. Many martial artists praised the chivalrous actions of Bai Zixuan and others, and also paid more attention to the situation in Khitan.