I am a fairy in Journey to the West

Chapter 507 Meeting of the Court
Time flew by, and three days later, a grand court assembly was held in the Lingxiao Palace.

As the three jade chimes resounded throughout the heavens, Zhuang Yan, dressed in the robes of a fourth-rank celestial official, entered the Lingxiao Palace in a procession of civil and military celestial beings amidst golden light and rosy clouds.

Unlike in the past, his rank in the celestial hierarchy this time is very high, alongside deities such as Tianpeng Zhenjun, Tianyou Zhenjun, and Yisheng Zhenjun.

After paying homage to the Jade Emperor, Zhuang Yan, holding a jade tablet, descended to the ranks of immortals along with the civil and military gods. As far as the eye could see, there were only the celestial deities of the Zhou Dynasty and the high immortals of the Three Realms.

The court meeting then officially began. Since the separation of heaven and earth, the grand court assembly in the Lingxiao Palace had been rarely held.

Apart from some matters concerning human affairs, most other matters can be decided in the Tongming Hall.

Only when the stars shine, the affairs of the various departments such as wind, rain, thunder, and lightning must be uniformly decided in the Lingxiao Palace on the first day of each era.

The main purpose of this grand court assembly is to discuss the communication and interaction between the celestial realm and the human world after the separation of heaven and earth.

The Jade Emperor ordered Venus to first inform all the gods of the cause of the matter and Zhuang Yan's advice, and then said: "All gods and immortals are invited to offer their advice on this matter. Those who speak out will not be punished."

Upon hearing that the speaker was innocent, the Fire God immediately stepped forward, holding a jade tablet and bowing, saying, "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present."

The Jade Emperor nodded and said, "Please present your message."

The Fire God said, “Your Majesty, since ancient times, Heaven and Earth have been in harmony, and there has never been any reason for them to be separated. Although the divine paths of Heaven and Earth are now distinct, we should not sever the connection between them. I believe that it is the proper order for Heavenly Gods to govern Heaven and Earthly Gods to govern Earth. However, it is unreasonable to forbid Heavenly Gods from descending to the mortal realm. Heavenly Gods reside in the celestial realm, but there are always those in the human world who are connected to them, such as their descendants and disciples. If this connection is completely severed, it would not be in accordance with the principles of Heaven, Earth, and human nature.”

As soon as Huo De Xing Jun said this, almost all the main gods and immortals in the Lingxiao Palace agreed with him.

Seeing this, the Jade Emperor asked, "What do you all think of the advice of the True Lord of the Spirit Platform?"

The Earth Deity stepped forward, bowed with his tablet in hand, and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the advice of the Spirit Platform True Lord is unnecessary."

"Oh?" the Jade Emperor asked, "What do you mean by the words of the Earth Virtue Star Lord?"

The Earth Deity Star Lord laughed and said, "Your Majesty, when the gods descend to the mortal realm, it is usually for some business. They don't necessarily disturb the human world or interfere with the affairs of the earth gods. There is no need to set up a 'Heavenly God Division'."

The Jade Emperor asked, "What you say makes some sense, but without the establishment of the Capital Heavenly Gods Bureau, how will we supervise the gods in the lower realms?"

The Earth Deity reported, "Your Majesty, I believe that a system of local oversight should be implemented. After a celestial being descends to the mortal realm, wherever he goes, he should be overseen by the local deity."

The Jade Emperor said, "Tell me in detail."

Tu De Xingjun said, “Your Majesty, if I were to descend to the mortal realm and arrive at a place called ‘Mount Wuyou,’ then the mountain god, water god, and land god of this place would have the authority to supervise me. Further up, Mount Wuyou belongs to the ‘State Wuyou’ region, then the State Wuyou God would have the authority to supervise me at a mid-level. Above the State God’s Palace is the Continent God’s Palace. If this State Wuyou belongs to the Southern Continent, then the Southern Peak God’s Palace would have the highest authority to supervise me.”

At this point, the Earth Deity Star Lord paused slightly and said, "As for the Great Deity Palace of Mount Buzhou, which oversees all the gods in the mortal realm, it has the authority to supervise all the gods in the lower realm. If a god in the lower realm commits a crime or causes trouble in the mortal realm, then the Mount Buzhou Palace shall approve its arrest and transfer it to the Thunder Department for punishment according to the Heavenly Laws."

After speaking, the Earth Deity bowed and said, "Your Majesty, these are just some of my humble opinions. My thoughts and considerations are not comprehensive. Please forgive me if there is anything inappropriate."

After listening, the Jade Emperor's eyes lit up slightly, and he said, "Your advice is excellent."

At this point, the Jade Emperor asked Zhuang Yan, "True Lord Lingtai, what do you think of the advice of the Earth Virtue Star Lord?"

Zhuang Yan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I also think that the advice of the Earth Virtue Star Lord is very good, but I would like to hear the advice of other gods."

The Jade Emperor smiled upon hearing this and said, "Very well, then, esteemed celestial officials, does anyone have a better suggestion?"

As soon as the Jade Emperor finished speaking, Tianpeng Zhenjun stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."

The Jade Emperor nodded and said, "You may speak."

Tianpeng Zhenjun said, "Your Majesty, the advice of Tu De Xingjun seems reasonable, but in reality it is extremely cumbersome and mostly ineffective."

The Jade Emperor asked, "Please explain in detail."

Tianpeng Zhenjun said, “Your Majesty, which of the gods in heaven isn’t a powerful and renowned deity or immortal? When these people descend to the mortal realm, even the mountain gods, water gods, local deities, and regional lords have no choice but to fawn over them. Even if they don’t fawn over them, they will treat them with utmost care and respect. How could they possibly monitor these gods? Even if they did monitor them, most of them would probably turn a blind eye. We are all officials; I believe you all know the intricacies of this situation without me having to explain them, right?”

Tu De Xingjun retorted, "According to Tianpeng Zhenjun, there are no righteous and upright deities in the human world?"

“Of course there are, but isn’t it just wishful thinking to place all our hopes on so-called ‘righteous and upright’ gods?” Tianpeng Zhenjun said. “Besides, isn’t it putting those minor gods in danger by having them monitor the major gods? It also seems like we’re pushing responsibility down the line.”

Upon hearing this, the Earth Deity Star Lord quickly replied, "Your Majesty, I had no such intention."

The Jade Emperor waved his hand and laughed, "Earth Deity Star Lord, you don't need to be like this. I said that today, those who speak out will not be punished. Even if the advice is inappropriate, there will be no punishment."

Upon hearing this, the Earth Deity Star Lord immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise."

Then the Jade Emperor said to Tianpeng Zhenjun, "Tianpeng Zhenjun, please continue."

"Yes." Tianpeng Zhenjun acknowledged the order and then said, "Your Majesty, the step-by-step supervision mentioned by Tu De Xingjun is extremely cumbersome and mostly ineffective. If the gods want to cause trouble in the mortal realm, those lesser gods cannot supervise them and simply cannot control them. Therefore, Tu De Xingjun's advice, apart from increasing the cumbersome affairs of the various divine palaces in the mortal realm, can only play a negligible role."

At this moment, the Wood Star Lord asked, "True Lord Tianpeng, what about the Five Sacred Mountains Divine Palace? Can't the Five Sacred Mountains Divine Palace be managed either?"

Tianpeng Zhenjun said, "The Five Sacred Mountains Emperors can naturally manage this, but I would like to ask all the immortals present: please tell the truth, which of you immortals has no personal dealings with the Five Sacred Mountains Divine Palace?"

At this point, True Lord Tianpeng said directly, "When I was cultivating in the lower realm, I also received much favor from the Five Sacred Mountains Divine Palace. Can any of you say that you did not receive such favor?"

After Tianpeng Zhenjun uttered these words, no one actually stepped forward to say that they had no personal relationships with the Five Sacred Mountains Divine Palace.

Let alone these immortals, even Zhuang Yan regularly maintains relationships with the Five Sacred Mountains Divine Palace. After all, the Five Sacred Mountains Emperors hold high positions and are all celestial beings of the Heavenly Court; it's impossible for them to have no dealings at all. Seeing that True Lord Tianpeng had refuted his advice point by point, Earth Virtue Star Lord said somewhat unconvinced, "Then True Lord Tianpeng, what good suggestions do you have?"

Tianpeng Zhenjun said, "I have no good advice to offer, I am just repeating what others have said."

At this point, Tianpeng Zhenjun reported to the Jade Emperor: "Your Majesty, I believe that Lingtai Zhenjun's advice is very good, it just needs to be simplified a bit more."

"How can it be simplified?" the Jade Emperor asked.

Tianpeng Zhenjun said, "Actually, there is no need to establish the Capital God Bureau. The Grand Master of Destiny of the Human World already holds power in the human world. One of the suggestions from the Earth Virtue Star Lord was very good, which is to supervise the local area. As long as the gods descend to the human world, they will all be under the jurisdiction of the Grand Master of Destiny of the Human World. This one point is enough."

"As for registration and reporting, there's absolutely no need. The descent of the gods to the mortal realm is always traceable," said Tianpeng Zhenjun.

Water Deity said, "Does True Lord Tianpeng mean that gods can descend to the mortal realm at any time without needing to register or report anywhere? If something happens to them in the mortal realm, it will fall under the jurisdiction of the Great Master of Fate in charge of the mortal realm?"

“Yes,” said Tianpeng Zhenjun. “When a celestial being descends to the mortal realm, if he or she violates the laws of heaven or commits a crime in the human world, the Grand Master of Destiny in the human realm has the authority to impose any punishment other than life and death.”

Finally, Tianpeng Zhenjun bowed to the Jade Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I have finished speaking."

The Jade Emperor nodded slightly, then looked at Zhuang Yan, "True Lord Lingtai, what do you think of True Lord Tianpeng's words?"

Zhuang Yan replied, "Your Majesty, the matter of establishing the Capital Celestial God Bureau that I previously suggested is indeed somewhat complicated. I believe that the words of True Lord Tianpeng are feasible."

The Jade Emperor nodded and said, "Since the True Lord of the Spirit Platform has no objection, do any of you celestial officials have any further suggestions?"

A moment later, in the Lingxiao Palace, all the immortals and gods bowed and said, "True Lord Tianpeng's advice is very good, and we agree with it."

"Very well." The Jade Emperor nodded and said, "Since that's the case, then this matter is settled. Also, Lingtai Zhenjun."

Zhuang Yan quickly stepped forward and said, "Your subject is here."

The Jade Emperor said, "I hereby grant you the power of life and death. All celestial officials below the third rank who violate heavenly laws after descending to the mortal realm, and whose crimes have been verified and meet the criteria for death under heavenly law, need not be transferred to the Thunder Department or the Heavenly Court. As the Grand Master of Human Affairs, you have the power to directly order their execution without having to submit a memorial or request instructions."

This is the power of those below the third rank to execute first and report later. As soon as the Jade Emperor said this, all the gods in the hall turned their gazes to Zhuang Yan, the local tyrant of the mortal world.

Zhuang Yan quickly took the jade tablet, walked to the center of the hall, bowed and said, "Your subject Zhuang Yan thanks the Great Heavenly Venerable for his kindness. Your subject will certainly be loyal and diligent in his duties and will never fail the Great Heavenly Venerable's trust."

The Jade Emperor granted him permission to dispense with the formalities, and then said to Celestial Master Xu, "Celestial Master Xu, you are hereby ordered to draft an edict and issue it to the Three Realms immediately."

Master Xu bowed and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."

Afterwards, Zhuang Yan returned to the ranks of the immortals. The Jade Emperor's gaze swept over the Lingxiao Palace, and he asked, "The matter of communication between heaven and earth has come to an end. Do any of you ministers have anything else to report?"

The gods looked at each other, and finally replied, "Your Majesty, we have nothing to report."

"Very well." The Jade Emperor nodded and said, "Since there is nothing else to report, let the court adjourn. If you have any matters to attend to in the future, please come to the Tongming Hall for an audience."

All the gods bowed and said, "Your subjects obey the decree."

Then Venus sang "Resign from court!" and all the civil and military deities immediately bowed and respectfully saw off the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor rode on the Xuanxiao Auspicious Cloud and disappeared into the Lingxiao Palace.

After the Jade Emperor departed, the Four Emperors also departed one after another, followed by the various emperors and rulers.

Finally, the civil and military immortals and gods left the Lingxiao Palace in turn, and then bid each other farewell in twos and threes before departing.

If the Zhou Tian Xing Jun and the various gods knew each other, they would come over and chat with Zhuang Yan. Even gods who were not familiar with Zhuang Yan would greet each other with a bow or a nod when they passed by.

However, Zhuang Yan didn't really know many of the gods in heaven. He only had some connections with Laozi and Taiyin Xingjun.

Although they knew other deities, such as the generals of the Thunder Department, their relationship was limited to official duties and they did not have much personal connection.

The Supreme Lord Laozi did come to today's grand court assembly, but he did not speak at all. After the assembly, he rode on the back of the blue ox and said to Zhuang Yan, "I have opened a few more furnaces of pills in my Tushita Palace. I have to hurry back to check on them. Come and sit with me when you have time. If you don't have time, we can talk about it next time."

"Alright." Zhuang Yan said with a smile, "Take care, Lao Jun. I won't see you off any further."

Laozi raised his finger and smiled at Zhuang Yan, then gently patted the ox's back with his whisk. The green ox then slowly and leisurely set off from the vast Xuan Tian Dan Chi outside the Lingxiao Palace.

After Laozi left, Taiyin Xingjun stepped forward, bowed to Zhuang Yan, and said with a smile, "Lingtai Zhenjun, it's been many years. How have you been?"

Upon seeing the Moon Goddess, Zhuang Yan immediately returned the greeting, saying, "Thanks to the Goddess's blessing, everything has gone smoothly and auspiciously these past years."

The Moon Goddess laughed heartily, then said to Zhuang Yan, "If True Lord Lingtai has some free time, why not go to the Guanghan Palace for a cup of spiritual tea? The newly picked laurel tea this year is sweet and delicious, with an excellent flavor."

Zhuang Yan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Thank you for the invitation, Star Lord. However, the matters discussed at the court meeting today have just been announced, and I still need to return to Buzhou Mountain to make some arrangements. Therefore, I cannot stay in the heavens for long. Please forgive me, Star Lord."

The Moon Goddess nodded and said, "Very well then. In that case, I will have someone send some of the 'Guanghan Palace Osmanthus Tea' to Buzhou Mountain."

Zhuang Yan's expression turned solemn, and he immediately cupped his hands and said, "Then thank you very much, Star Lord."

"True Lord, there's no need for such formalities." After saying this, the Moon Goddess bid farewell to Zhuang Yan, turned around, boarded the Moonlit Golden Chariot, and drove out of the palace gate amidst a group of Moon Palace fairies.

Having been summoned to Heaven and having the matter settled, Zhuang Yan did not linger in the Heavenly Court. After leaving the Lingxiao Palace, he went straight down to the mortal realm and returned to the Buzhou Mountain God's Palace.

(End of this chapter)