The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 910 Return to Ancestors
"Kinsning's crimes must be made public, so that all citizens know about them and bring him to Tianxin City for trial! This shouldn't be done behind closed doors! Secret politics isn't a hallmark of Da Qi. This case must stand the test of history. Do you understand?"

Huangji Palace in Tianxin City.

The king and his subjects confront each other.

The imperial desk was shaken.

Wu Zhongguo looked nervous and silently accepted the emperor's stormy roar.

The palace maids didn't dare to come forward and stood far away watching.

Liu Fan tore the telegram sent from Beihai into pieces and threw it at Wu Zhongguo.

"This is the result for me, and for hundreds of millions of citizens! Does he understand that Shao Wei treats me as a fool?"

Wu Zhongguo didn't dare to answer, but just kept shaking his head, indicating that this matter had nothing to do with him.

Emperor Jing Yan angrily said, "You're blaming a dead man, a so-called evil god, for this. If that's the case, what's the point of having you, the Suoyi Guards?"

Wu Zhongguo didn't dare to dodge and let the shredded paper hit his face.

He faced the emperor, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead, and said hurriedly, "Your Majesty, please understand that the investigation team encountered a supernatural event in the North Sea that is beyond human control. General Dong closed the case as soon as possible to prevent the situation from spreading..."

"supernatural event?"

Liu Fan picked up the ink bottle on the imperial desk and smashed it to the ground.

With a snap, ink splashed, forming an indescribable black mass on the floor.

"Don't try to fool me. What on earth happened in the North Sea?"

"Your Majesty, these are all unspeakable horrors. We have already lost several of the Raincoat Guards..."

"indescribable?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, that land seems to be cursed." Wu Zhongguo hesitated to speak.

Liu Fan was furious: "What curse? I just want the result, where is Kingsning!"

Wu Zhongguo gave a wink, and the emperor signaled the surrounding palace maids to withdraw, leaving only the emperor and his ministers in the hall.

The emperor's eyes were as sharp as a torch, as if he could smell the scent of lies from Wu Zhongguo.

Wu Zhongguo didn't dare to look Liu Fan in the eye. He stared at the floor beneath his feet, as if the huge evil god covered with sticky tentacles would break out from the ground and devour the entire world in the next second.

"Say it!"

Wu Zhongguo shuddered and said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, Kingsning has disappeared. According to local legend, the North Sea is cursed because of Kingsning's willful behavior. So he was punished and taken away by the evil spirit..."

Liu Fan said impatiently: "Is that really the case?!"

Wu Zhongguo lifted his sleeve to wipe the beads of sweat that threatened to drip down his face, nodding repeatedly. "Your Majesty, Kingsning talks about establishing a so-called universal world, where everyone is equal, where everything is equal, and where everyone is warm. But in reality, he's trying to exploit the world's resources for his own benefit. He wants to create a sea of blood."

"Blood Sea?" The emperor hesitated for a moment, then blurted out, "Like the Blood Sea built by Emperor Taizu?"

Wu Zhongguo was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "The Sea of Blood is a sea watered with the blood of believers. Kingsning is still using the same old tricks, deceiving people and promising a so-called world of great harmony, asking his followers to cross this sea of blood."

Liu Fan frowned, and said thoughtfully, "Isn't this the old way of Emperor Taizu? Using the blood and flesh of the world to support himself? He is also a fool!"

Wu Zhongguo never expected that Liu Fan would comment on his ancestors in this way, and was speechless for a moment.

"Your Majesty," Wu Zhongguo's mood calmed down slightly, and he continued, "From the very beginning of the Blood Sea Project, it was opposed by the indigenous people. They wanted to kill Kingsning because he forced them to build the God's Residence—a grand project comparable to the Imperial Palace, for Kingsning and his lovers to live in."

Liu Fan said coldly: "He also wants to be immortal? What a waste."

This Kingsning talks about equality for all and wanting everyone to have enough food and clothing, but deep down what he wants is luxury and immortality.

"So that's why he summoned the evil god?"

Wu Zhongguo nodded, glanced at the emperor's expression, and said nervously:

"Your Majesty is wise. Jin Sining has reached a deal with the evil god... just like Emperor Taizu did back then."

Liu Fan did not seem angry when he compared Qi Taizu Liu Zhaosun to the rebel leader. He just said calmly, "I understand."

Liu Fan recalled events from the distant past.

The emperor had heard people say that when Taizu Liu Zhaosun started his army, he established some kind of connection with the evil god Zeng, and the two sides signed a contract. From then on, Taizu was invincible until he conquered the Zhu Ming world.

Of course, Taizu's contact with the evil spirit was all to save the people of the world, at least that's how it's described in the imperial historical archives. For a long time, Liu Fan was skeptical, believing it was a slander against Taizu by some hostile elements, but now it seems to be true.

"What kind of deal did this traitor and the evil god reach? What exactly is it?"

"Forgive me for not being able to say more."

Liu Fan asked in surprise: "Why?"

"Your Majesty, because there was such a curse in the area, the agreement between the ancient god and the summoner cannot be spoken out loud, let alone told to others. Otherwise, those who hear it will..."

Liu Fan sneered: "If that's the case, then how did you know?"

"Your Majesty, this was paid for with the lives of the Suoyi Guards."

Emperor Jingyan shook his head. "What do you mean by that? I am the great-great-grandson of Emperor Taizu. I have the will of heaven. I have the final say on who will kill and who will disobey. I have nothing to fear from a true god, let alone an evil one! Who dares to touch me?"

Wu Zhongguo knew there was no way to evade this, so he had to bite the bullet and say, "Anyone who hears this will bleed from all seven orifices and die a tragic death."

Liu Fan took a few steps forward and said with a smile, "Master Wu, aren't you alive and well now? If you're not afraid, why should I be afraid? Tell me now!"

~~~~~~~~~
Perhaps it was a phenomenon of atavism, or perhaps it was the suppression of imperial power, but in any case, Liu Fan finally made concessions on the matter of Kingsning's trial.

The arduous search operation was called off, and the plan to hunt for the ancient god was permanently shelved. Tianxin City tacitly accepted the reality that the criminal was missing.

Finally, the judge pronounced his verdict into the air.

The crimes charged by the judge to Kingsning included but were not limited to subverting the legitimate rule of the empire, inciting public opinion, possessing huge amounts of property of unknown origin, polygamy, and other 108 crimes.

All the crimes combined will result in a sentence of 531 years in prison and the loss of all personal property.

Considering that Kingsning may have obtained some mysterious power from the evil god, and his life span will be greatly extended (at least more than 531 years), the judge considerately extended the prisoner's imprisonment from years to years to ensure that the criminal must die in prison.

This demonstrates the seriousness of the laws of Da Qi.

Of course, whether the Da Qi regime will still exist a thousand years later is still a question.

But obviously this is not a problem that Dong Shaowei and others need to consider.

Following the judgment, all of Kingsning's North Sea properties were nationalized.

The vast fields, the endless forests, the newly discovered oil mines, all the wealth will be deposited into the national treasury.

These confiscations were just a drop in the bucket for the vast empire, but at least a mosquito leg was some meat.

The only pity is that Kingsning’s body has not been found yet.

Tianxin City gave up its efforts to find the traitor.

Dong Shaowei believed that Kingsning had gone to another dimension, continuing to preach his utopian ideals in the endless darkness filled with fear. The young general prayed silently in his heart:
"Kinsning, go away! Go to another world and wreak havoc on those monsters!"

If this thief could really reach another world, perhaps he could tell those terrible monsters about his ideal of universal peace, or perhaps he would die without a burial place before he even opened his mouth.

Shortly after the Beihai Trial ended, everything returned to normal. The nightmare that lingered in Dong Shaowei's dreams gradually dissipated, those indescribable tentacles moved away, and the call from deep underground disappeared.

In short, the general no longer suffered inhuman torture, his consciousness returned to normal, and he planned to be transferred back to Tianxin City to assist the emperor in dealing with a greater crisis.

~~~~~~~~~~
Two months later, Emperor Jingyan asked about the Beihai incident at a welcoming banquet for Dong Shaowei.

"I don't know much, really..."

Dong Shaowei hesitated to speak, obviously not wanting to talk about that horrific past again.

The emperor stroked his beard and smiled, "General Dong, this time you suppressed the Jin bandit rebellion and prevented a catastrophe in Tianxin City. I and the cabinet are ready to reward you handsomely."

A satisfied smile appeared on Dong Shaowei's lips. Yes, he had fought battles and taken care of state affairs in the past few years just to return to Tianxin City and return to the center of power.

However, the emperor continued, "However, the border is currently in turmoil. The North Sea is not at peace, and things are happening in Japan... Would you like to stay in the North Sea, or return to Nagasaki? By the way, Nagasaki cannot do without General Dong."

During the time when Dong Shaowei was away from Nagasaki, all construction projects almost came to a standstill. The reason was that after Dong Shaowei left, people kept attacking the construction site, and the construction of Nagasaki was once stagnant, which the empire could not tolerate.

Nagasaki needs Dong Shaowei just like the evil spirit needs Kingsning.

Dong Shaowei's bumpy career encountered another turmoil.

(End of this chapter)