nashuaworldcup Chapter 354 The Army's Campaign Against the Moon Goddess Cult
Chapter 354 The Army's Campaign Against the Moon Goddess Cult
Zhao Qingxue's brows twitched slightly.
"The Moon God Cult?"
She repeated those three words, her brows slowly furrowing.
"I've only heard of the Taiyin Holy Sect. These two—could they be related?"
Qin Mu looked at her, and the smile on his lips deepened.
"That's right," he said, his voice soft but each word clear.
"I suspect that the predecessor of this Moon Goddess Cult was the Taiyin Holy Cult."
Zhao Qingxue's pupils contracted slightly.
Her mind flashed back to those yellowed, worn-out books she had once read, those records of the catastrophe that had occurred a hundred years ago in the Qin Dynasty, those stories sealed away in secret archives.
The Taiyin Holy Sect has four guardians, three of whom are at the Celestial Realm and one is a half-step Earth Immortal.
One hundred thousand believers, thirty-six altars.
Two years of encirclement and suppression, the lives of 30,000 soldiers, their bones exposed in the wilderness, a thousand miles without the sound of a rooster crowing.
She thought it was all over, that the sect had been completely eradicated, and that those deceptive and misleading things would never appear again.
But it came back.
It has a different name and a different appearance, but it is still the same.
The same moon worship, the same seduction of people's hearts, all happening in the southwestern border region.
"This sect has become active again recently."
Qin Mu's voice continued, "We can't let it grow any stronger; we must nip it in the bud."
Zhao Qingxue fell silent.
She suddenly understood why he went to the morning court, why he got up before dawn, and why he couldn't wait even a moment longer.
"Do you need any help?"
"I was very interested in this sect for a while and studied a lot of their materials."
Qin Mu's eyes lit up slightly, and he said with a smile.
"You'd be that kind?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Qingxue rolled her eyes.
"We've already reached this point in our relationship..."
She said, her voice tinged with a hint of coquettishness, "I'm already your empress, everyone in the world knows that. Do you think I would still harm you?"
As soon as she said it, she froze.
She stood there, her mouth slightly open, the blush on her face burning up again, even more intense and fiery than before, like a fire that burned from her chest all the way to her throat, making her forget to breathe.
What did she just say?
That tone, that coquettish, slightly flirtatious tone, like the tone a wife would use when speaking to her husband.
She actually said it?
She, Zhao Qingxue, the Empress of Liyang, a woman who fought her way out of the sword fight, actually spoke to a man in that tone?
Her face burned even more.
She quickly lowered her head, her long hair slipping down her shoulders and obscuring her face, which was so red it looked like it was about to bleed.
Zhao Qingxue had only one thought in her mind—she was finished.
She's completely finished.
Qin Mu looked at her and smiled.
He didn't speak, but simply reached out and gently brushed aside the long hair on her face, tucking the stray strand that covered half of her face behind her ear.
"Okay," he said softly, with a hint of a smile and gentleness in his voice.
"Then you shall accompany me to the morning court session."
Zhao Qingxue raised her head and looked at him.
She nodded, her smile deepening.
She started getting dressed.
She took out a moon-white casual dress from the wardrobe. It was her own dress, plain and without patterns, except for a small orchid embroidered in silver thread on the lapel.
She unfolded her clothes, draped them over her shoulders, tied her belt, and tied up her long hair, securing it with the white jade hairpin.
.......
The morning light poured in from outside the palace gates, illuminating the entire Tianqi Palace in a golden glow.
Twelve golden pillars with coiled dragons stand majestically, their five-clawed dragons appearing lifelike in the morning light, as if they were about to burst forth from the pillars at any moment.
The floor, paved with gold bricks, gleamed so brightly it reflected the thick red candles inside the hall, each as thick as a child's arm. The candlelight flickered gently in the morning breeze, illuminating the entire hall as bright as day.
The civil and military officials were already lined up on both sides according to their ranks.
Purple robes, scarlet robes, and blue robes—the colors were distinct, and the order was impeccable.
They had been standing there for quite some time, having entered the palace before dawn, changed into their court robes, lined up, and waited for the person they thought wouldn't come.
For three years, they waited countless times, until their legs went numb, until their backs ached, until the sun rose from the east to the zenith, until their stomachs growled with hunger, only to be met with the same words: "His Majesty is unwell today, court is adjourned."
They've gotten used to it, so used to it that they no longer expect anything, so used to it that they think it's the norm.
But today, someone came.
At the palace gate, a palace maid's voice rang out, eight octaves higher than usual, filled with barely suppressed, slightly trembling excitement: "His Majesty has arrived—Her Majesty the Empress has arrived—"
All the officials raised their heads and looked towards the palace gate.
The morning light streamed in from outside the door, making them squint slightly.
Two figures appeared side by side on the threshold.
Qin Mu walked on the right, his dark dragon robe gleaming with a dull golden luster in the morning light. The five-clawed golden dragon bared its fangs and raised its head, as if it were about to fly off the hem of his robe.
His pace was unhurried, as leisurely as if he were strolling in a garden, with that familiar, ambiguous smile playing on his lips.
Zhao Qingxue walked beside him, her moon-white casual clothes simple and elegant, her long hair tied up with a white jade hairpin, the rest of her hair cascading down to her waist like a waterfall, her face lightly made up, her eyes carrying a soft light.
The officials were stunned for a moment.
Then they all knelt down, their knees slamming onto the gold bricks with a rhythmic, dull thud.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress!"
Qin Mu walked up the steps and sat down on the throne.
Zhao Qingxue sat down on the phoenix chair beside him.
That was a position specially created for her, level with the throne, only half an inch lower.
The piece is carved from rosewood, surrounded by phoenix patterns, and covered with a bright red brocade cushion.
When she sat down, her back was straight, her hands were folded on her knees, and her eyes were looking straight ahead. Her stunning face was almost transparent in the morning light.
All the officials rose and stood with their hands at their sides.
No one spoke, no one whispered, and even their breathing was kept to a minimum.
But their gazes, without prior agreement, fell upon the moon-white figure on the phoenix chair.
Is the Empress here for the morning court session?
This is against the rules; since ancient times, the imperial harem has not been allowed to interfere in politics.
But she was no ordinary empress; she was the Empress of Liyang, the powerful Zhao Qingxue who dominated the Eastern Continent, and the overlord of the Eastern Continent whom the Great Qin conquered without firing a single shot.
Her identity was so special that no one dared to say "no".
Li Si stood at the head of the civil officials' line, glanced at Zhao Qingxue on the phoenix throne, then at Qin Mu on the imperial throne, lowered his eyes, and said nothing.
Wang Ben stood at the head of the military ranks, his hand on his sword hilt, his gaze fixed straight ahead, his face expressionless.
Zhou Bingwen stood in the line of censors, his lips moved slightly as if he wanted to say something, but then he closed them again.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, propped his chin on one hand, and glanced at the assembled officials.
"Regarding the Moon Goddess Cult," he began, his voice soft yet remarkably clear in the empty hall, "how's the investigation going?"
Chen Yanjing stepped out of the queue.
He walked to the center of the hall, stopped, and bowed deeply.
As he straightened up, he held a thick scroll of documents in his hand, bound with hemp rope, the edges worn and showing that it had been read many times.
"His Majesty,"
His voice was hoarse, with the roughness unique to those who have stayed up all night, yet it was exceptionally clear.
"I have reviewed all the secret files related to the Taiyin Holy Sect in the past few days, and sent people to the southwestern border for secret investigations. I have already made some progress."
Qin Mu nodded.
"speak."
Chen Yanjing unfolded the document and read aloud:
"The Moon Goddess Cult claims to have attained enlightenment through moon worship and ascended to immortality, just like the Taiyin Holy Cult of a hundred years ago. The cult has established thirty-six branch altars in sixteen counties across three prefectures in the southwest, with approximately thirty thousand followers. The cult leader claims to be the messenger of the Moon Goddess, and never shows his true face. Every time he appears, he wears a white jade mask and white clothes, arriving on the moon and departing on the moon."
His voice carried a hint of disdain, "The people are ignorant and think he is an immortal from the moon palace. They worship him and offer him countless sacrifices."
A subdued murmur arose within the hall.
Thirty thousand believers and thirty-six branch altars—this number is even higher than what Chen Yanjing mentioned in court a few days ago.
It is expanding, and expanding very quickly.
Chen Yanjing continued, "What's even more serious is that the Moon Goddess Cult has deep connections with local chieftains and officials. I sent people to investigate and learned that the prefects of two of the three southwestern prefectures and the magistrates of five counties have all accepted money from the Moon Goddess Cult. Some have even—" He paused, his voice growing deeper, "have already joined the cult."
The hall was silent for a moment, then a collective gasp filled the air.
Prefects and magistrates were officials appointed by the imperial court, representing the Qin Dynasty in its southwestern border regions.
They also converted to Christianity. Is that southwestern border still the southwestern border of the Great Qin?
Qin Mu tapped his fingers lightly twice on the armrest.
"Tap, tap," the sound was exceptionally clear in the deathly silent hall, like a needle falling onto a porcelain plate.
He didn't speak, he just looked at Chen Yanjing.
Chen Yanjing took a deep breath and continued:
"I have also discovered that the Moon Goddess Cult is secretly recruiting able-bodied men in the southwestern border region to manufacture weapons. Their altars are ostensibly temples, but in reality, they are military camps. The people I sent to investigate have reported that there is a branch altar where hundreds of young men are training day and night, fully equipped with swords and spears."
His voice trembled slightly with anger, "Your Majesty, this is not proselytizing, this is—treason."
The moment the words were spoken, the air in the hall seemed to freeze.
The word "treason" carries immense weight, like a mountain pressing down on everyone, making it hard to breathe.
Li Si's brows furrowed tightly, his eyebrows forming a deep "川" (river) shape.
Wang Ben's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his knuckles turning white.
Zhou Bingwen's face turned deathly pale, and his lips trembled slightly.
Murong Zhan's eyes narrowed, like a wolf that had smelled blood.
Qin Mu paused for a moment, then continued tapping.
He didn't speak, but leaned back in his chair, shifting his gaze from Chen Yanjing to the sky outside the hall, illuminated by the morning light, to that boundless, transparent blue sky.
He stared for a long time, so long that the breathing in the hall was reduced to a minimum, so long that some people began to sweat.
"Issue my decree."