I am a fairy in Journey to the West

The Jade Palace of the Mortal Realm, the Spirit Platform Palace, the Hall of the Mortal Realm.

Empress Jingming sat on the sandalwood chair, neither drinking the tea nor eating the fairy fruit on the table, and just kept crying.

Zhuang Yan looked at Empress Jingming, who was crying with tears streaming down her face, with a hint of helplessness on his face, "This is your family matter, and I'm afraid I can't interfere."

Empress Jingming wiped away her tears and looked up at Zhuang Yan, saying, "The Emperor and Empress of Nanyue are at odds. Does His Majesty Shenxiao not care?"

Zhuang Yan said, "If the Emperor and Empress are at odds, the Jade Palace of the Mortal Realm will naturally intervene. However, regarding the matter of the Southern Mountain Emperor taking a concubine, as long as he does not forcibly marry or seize her, it does not violate the Heavenly Law."

"But it was precisely because of his taking a concubine that the emperor and empress fell out," Empress Jingming said.

Zhuang Yan said, "I have already made it very clear that as long as the Great Emperor of Nanyue does not forcibly marry or seize a concubine, then his taking a concubine does not violate the laws of heaven, and I have no right to interfere in your family affairs."

Empress Jingming said, "But just now Your Majesty Shenxiao said that you can manage the discord between the Emperor and Empress."

"The discord between the Emperor and Empress is one thing, and the taking of a concubine is another; they cannot be confused." Zhuang Yan looked at Empress Jingming and said, "Don't throw a tantrum here, or I won't let you off the hook."

Empress Jingming burst into tears, crying as she said, "Then tell me, how are you going to manage this?"

Seeing her pitiful state, Zhuang Yan asked, "Did the Great Emperor of Nanyue hit you?"

Empress Jingming shook her head. "He only scolded me, he didn't hit me, but his taking a concubine was clearly to anger me and to give me a hard time."

Just as Zhuang Yan was about to speak, a servant boy suddenly came in and reported, "Your Majesty, the Southern Heavenly Lord is outside the palace requesting an audience."

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Yan immediately said, "Summon them."

"Yes." The boy turned and walked out of the main hall. Not long after, Guan Yu, the Southern Heavenly Lord, walked in carrying a memorial.

"Your subject, Guan Yu, the Heavenly Lord of the Southern Pole, pays his respects to Your Majesty," Guan Yu said, bowing deeply.

Zhuang Yan smiled and said, "Rise, please take a seat."

Guan Yu bowed in thanks, rose, and sat down. He then raised the memorial in his hand and said, "Your Majesty, this is a memorial from Ye Meicang, the Minister of the Imperial Palace of the Southern Mountain."

A young boy descended from the throne, took the memorial from Guan Yu's hands, and then walked up to the steps of the palace to present it to Zhuang Yan.

Zhuang Yan took the memorial, opened it and read it carefully. He then said to Empress Jingming, "Your husband not only scolded you, but he also scolded me."

Empress Jingming raised her head, her face covered in tears, making it difficult to discern her expression for a moment.

“However, I won’t hold it against him,” Zhuang Yan said with a smile. “Everyone talks about others behind their backs, and everyone talks about others behind their backs. I will not punish people for their words.”

Zhuang Yan put down the memorial and looked at Empress Jingming, saying, "Tell me, what do you want Chenhuan Jade Palace to do?"

Empress Jingming said, "Issue an edict forbidding the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain from taking concubines."

“That won’t do.” Zhuang Yan shook his head and said, “It is permitted by the Heavenly Court for the Emperor to take concubines, and it is also the Emperor’s personal family matter. I cannot interfere.”

Empress Jingming said, "Then I request Your Majesty to issue a decree."

Zhuang Yan asked, "What is the imperial decree?"

Empress Jingming said, "The decree of pardon."

Zhuang Yan asked, "What do you need the decree of pardon for?"

Empress Jingming said, "Since the Great Emperor of Nanyue wants to take concubines, then I will kill one for each one he takes! So please grant me a decree of pardon, Your Majesty."

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu, who was sitting next to her and about to drink tea, was stunned and stared at Empress Jingming with a look of astonishment.

Zhuang Yan retorted, "Nonsense! Do you think this is slaughtering a pig for the New Year? That's a human being!"

Empress Jingming said aggrievedly, "This won't do, that won't do, is Your Majesty just going to stand by and watch me be humiliated by the Emperor of Nanyue? I am the Empress of Nanyue, appointed by the Jade Emperor!"

Zhuang Yan said, "How about this? I'll call the Great Emperor of Nanyue over and have a talk with him. I guarantee that no matter how many concubines he takes in the future, he won't dare to bully you again. What do you say?"

Empress Jingming asked, "Really?"

"It's true," Zhuang Yan said. "As the Grand Emperor who assists the Heavenly Court, my word is my bond."

"Very well," said Empress Jingming. "I trust Your Majesty."

Zhuang Yan nodded and said, "Then please go and rest first, fellow Daoist. We will see the outcome in half an hour."

Empress Jingming wiped away her tears, immediately stood up and bowed, saying, "Then this subject will take his leave."

After Empress Jingming left, Zhuang Yan turned his gaze to Guan Yu, "The Empress and Emperor of Nanyue made such a scene, the Emperor of Nanyue must be very resentful."

Guan Yu asked, "How will Your Majesty handle this?"

Zhuang Yan said, "I have my own way." After saying that, Zhuang Yan issued another edict and sent it to Guan Yu: "Take this edict and go to the Nanyue Emperor's Palace."

Guan Yu asked with a look of surprise, "Your Majesty, are you going to the Southern Mountain Imperial Palace?"

“Yes,” Zhuang Yan said. “Go to the Southern Peak Emperor’s Palace to oversee the Southern Peak Emperor’s selection of concubines. This Southern Peak Emperor actually wants to complete the selection in just one day. It’s ridiculous. Once you get there, immediately send the selected concubines back, and then personally preside over all the ceremonies. Don’t lose the dignity of the Heavenly Court.”

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu immediately rose to accept the imperial edict, then bowed and said, "Your subject accepts the decree."

After Guan Yu left, Zhuang Yan sent all the servants out of the hall and then closed the hall doors.

Then Zhuang Yan raised his right hand and reached out to grab in the void before him. A ripple appeared in that space, and the next moment, a tall and majestic emperor, radiating divine light, was directly brought into the Dust World Palace by Zhuang Yan.

This person was none other than the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain. He was dressed in an extremely magnificent seven-colored fairy robe, which was clearly for the purpose of taking a concubine.

The Great Emperor of Mount Heng was suddenly detained here, his face showing a hint of surprise and doubt. But when he saw the familiar hall in front of him, the painful memories from not long ago instantly flooded his mind.

The Great Emperor of Nanyue turned around abruptly and was immediately startled. "Ah!" The Great Emperor of Nanyue saw Zhuang Yan standing right behind him, looking at him with an extremely cold expression.

The Great Emperor of the Southern Peak took two steps back, then stood still, cupped his hands, and said, "Your subject, the Great Emperor of the Southern Peak, pays respects to Your Majesty the Divine Firmament."

Zhuang Yan stared at the Great Emperor of Nanyue and asked, "Do you want to die?"

The Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain was astonished and looked up at Zhuang Yan, saying, "Your Majesty, what makes you say such a thing? Where is there anything against the laws and regulations of Heaven that I have done by taking a concubine?"

Zhuang Yan said, "I don't care whether you're in accordance with the laws of Heaven or not. Do I need to consider the Heavenly Laws to kill you? Even if I kill you now, what can I do? Will the Great Heavenly Venerable blame me for it?"

The Great Emperor of Nanyue was terrified and subconsciously swallowed, asking, "Your Majesty Shenxiao, what exactly do you want to say?" Zhuang Yan said, "What I want to say is that I can kill you in the blink of an eye. As the Great Emperor of Nanyue, you should behave yourself and be the Great Emperor of Nanyue. What are you trying to do by causing trouble all day long?"

The Great Emperor of Mount Heng said, "Your Majesty, to be fair, how much real power do I, the Great Emperor of Mount Heng, still have?"

"Stop giving me that nonsense," Zhuang Yan said. "The Heavenly Court doesn't need another Emperor of the Southern Mountain. Even without you, the creatures of the Southern Continent can live well."

“Look at Mount Dongyue. The Great Emperor of Mount Dongyue has transformed Dongsheng Shenzhou into a paradise of immortals. Now look at Mount Beiyue. The Great Emperor of Mount Beiyue has turned Beiju Luzhou into a rich land where treasures abound and immortal workshops stand in abundance. Now look at Mount Xiyue. The Great Emperor of Mount Xiyue clears away demons day and night. In Xiniu Hezhou, no one picks up lost items on the road, and doors are left unlocked at night. All living beings enjoy peace and tranquility.”

"And what about you, Nanyue? You've started several major cases recently, haven't you? What has your Nanyue Imperial Palace accomplished in the Southern Continent? What benefits have you brought to the people?"

"The Five Great Emperors govern the Five Continents, but your Southern Mountain Imperial Palace has no achievements whatsoever. The reason I keep you here is because the Five Great Emperors cannot do without you. The reason I keep you here is because you were promoted by the Great Celestial Venerable."

"Look at what you've done. Do you deserve the Great Celestial Venerable's promotion and appreciation?"

The Great Emperor of the Southern Peak was deeply ashamed by Zhuang Yan's words, but he still tried to argue, "What about the Central Peak? Isn't the Central Peak just like my Southern Peak!"

“Then you’re mistaken,” Zhuang Yan said. “Zhongyue performed exceptionally well in the last case of ‘feeding demons with humans.’ There were only two or three such cases in the entire Zhongshan Haizhou, and they all involved powerful families in the mortal realm and demons. Not a single celestial official from the Heavenly Court was involved. This is enough to demonstrate the effectiveness of Zhongyue’s governance, isn’t it?”

The Great Emperor of Nanyue was finally speechless. "Then, Your Majesty, how do you intend to punish me for bringing me here?"

Zhuang Yan looked at the Great Emperor of the Southern Peak and said, "I'll give you one more chance to see if you can seize it. If you cause trouble again next time, you can forget about being the Great Emperor of the Southern Peak and go to Zhang Tian Camp to be a heavenly soldier."

"Then I'd rather die!" said the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain.

Zhuang Yan nodded and said, "That's good. Now that they're all dead, Empress Jingming can remarry."

"..." The Great Emperor of the Southern Peak stood there stunned for a moment before asking, "How can she, the Empress of the Southern Peak appointed by the Great Heavenly Venerable, remarry without permission?"

Zhuang Yan laughed and said, "That's easy. I'll just arrange the marriage. You'll be dead anyway, so you won't have to worry about these things."

At this point, Zhuang Yan looked at the Great Emperor of the Southern Peak and said, "If you don't want to come to this point, then you should behave well as the Great Emperor of the Southern Peak from now on. Although I have taken back some of the power of the Five Peaks, I have left some for you, right? The Jade Palace of the Mortal Realm doesn't usually interfere in the affairs of the Five Peaks, does it? You are dissatisfied with this and that. If you annoy me, I will have to replace you."

"Furthermore, do you know that Empress Jingming was appointed Empress of Nanyue by the Great Celestial Venerable? You and she are the Empress of Nanyue, and you should treat each other with respect. How could you humiliate her to such an extent? And you even came to me to cry and complain."

"What? She's come to the Jade Palace of the Mortal Realm?" Emperor Nanyue asked in astonishment.

Zhuang Yan said, "She was crying here just now. I made her leave before I summoned you. Remember, I won't hold this against you this time. Go ahead and take the concubine. I will send Nan Tianjun to preside over the ceremony. You are not allowed to bully Empress Jingming again, understand?"

The Great Emperor of Mount Heng, with his neck stiff, said, "This is my family matter."

Zhuang Yan was furious: "Add your mother! I've already said she's the Empress of Nanyue, appointed by the Great Heavenly Venerable, and you're still here talking about my family affairs."

Zhuang Yan stepped forward, kicked the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain to the ground, then reached out his left hand to press him down, and raised his right hand to strike.

The Great Emperor of Mount Heng quickly covered his head and cried out, "I still want to take concubines, don't hit me in the face!"

Zhuang Yan's fist landed, and once again, the Southern Mountain Emperor's shrill scream echoed within the Dust World Palace.

With his arms around two heavenly soldiers, the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain limped to the outside of the residence where Empress Jingming lived.

"Empress, I know I was wrong. Please come back to Mount Heng with me." The Emperor of Mount Heng called out to the hermitage.

Soon, Empress Jingming's voice came from the study: "I dare not, how could this lowly concubine dare to accept the invitation from His Majesty the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain?"

The Great Emperor of Nanyue sighed and said, "Empress, I truly know I was wrong. I will never repeat this mistake. I swear to Heaven."

Before the Great Emperor of Mount Heng could even begin his oath, Empress Jingming opened the door to her private chamber and came out.

When Empress Jingming saw the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain clinging to two heavenly soldiers, his face pale, she frowned slightly.

Upon seeing Empress Jingming emerge, the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain hurriedly pushed aside the heavenly soldiers, cupped his hands to Empress Jingming, and said, "Empress, I know I was wrong. I'm sorry. I drank too much that day and unknowingly lost my temper with you. I really shouldn't have done that."

Seeing her husband's sincerity and humility, Empress Jingming's heart softened, and she forgave him, saying, "Alright, alright, since you know you're wrong, I won't blame you."

Upon hearing this, the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed down. However, he was in too much pain and his muscles and bones were weak from Zhuang Yan's beating. He fell to the ground after bowing down.

Empress Jingming and two heavenly soldiers rushed forward to help the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain up. Seeing the Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain's extremely weak aura, Empress Jingming couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong with you?"

The Great Emperor of Nanyue laughed and said, "It's nothing, I just received a little punishment from His Majesty Shenxiao. Empress, I really know I was wrong."

"Alright, alright," Empress Jingming said, and took the initiative to help Emperor Nanyue. "Let's go back to Nanyue first. I also agree to your taking a concubine."

The Emperor of Mount Heng was deeply moved, saying, "Empress, I have failed you."

"Stop saying such things." Empress Jingming looked at Emperor Nanyue and said, "Your Majesty Shenxiao is really too ruthless."

The Great Emperor of Nanyue and Empress Jingming returned to Nanyue, but their words were carried back to Zhuang Yan by the heavenly soldiers.

After listening, Zhuang Yan looked helpless and said to the boy holding the staff beside him, "Remember, never meddle in other people's family affairs, otherwise you will be complained about whether you do or not."

Just as the Great Emperor of Mount Heng was taking a concubine, the True King of Pingshui and Huofusheng also arrived at the Wuliangbao Temple on Mount Sumeru.

Amitabha Buddha was in charge of welcoming the two. He invited them to his Great Amitabha Temple and then held a Dharma assembly with all the Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and Vajras.

At the Dharma assembly, there were a dazzling array of divine fruits, fragrant vegetarian wine, and auspicious gifts from immortals and gods, as well as music offered by celestial maidens.

Ping Shui Zhen Wang and Huo Fu Sheng had never seen a Buddhist ceremony before, and were immediately captivated by this novel event.

Then the bodhisattvas began to discuss Buddhist teachings and explore the Dharma, and from time to time they asked Amitabha Buddha for guidance.

Such Dharma assemblies are not easy to come by, so the Bodhisattvas and Arhats present took every opportunity to ask Amitabha Buddha for teachings on Buddhism.

Listening to the Bodhisattvas and Arhats asking about those profound and mysterious principles, Amitabha Buddha's explanations captivated Ping Shui Zhen Wang and Huo Fu Sheng, who at the same time had many questions in their hearts and wanted to ask Amitabha Buddha.

After listening for so long, both Ping Shui Zhen Wang and Huo Fu Sheng acknowledged a reality: the cultivation level of this Amitabha Buddha was far above theirs.

Therefore, the two were eager and anxious to ask Amitabha Buddha for guidance on their doubts.

After waiting for a long time, the two finally got a break, so Huo Fusheng quickly asked, "Buddha's cultivation is profound and his realm is deep, which makes us both sincerely admire him. However, there are many things in my mind that I do not understand. I wonder if Buddha could explain them to me?"

Upon hearing this, the entire temple fell silent instantly. All the Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and Vajras turned their gazes toward Huo Fusheng, the Great Enlightened Golden Immortal who had appeared in the world from another realm, asking Amitabha Buddha a question. This was the first time in the history of Pangu's appearance in the world.

If word gets out in the future, it will surely be a celebrated story, and it will further enhance the prestige of Buddhism. (End of Chapter)