"Your Majesty, the Heavenly Fleet's abuse of Plaguewater to harm the common people is now undeniable. We implore Your Majesty to issue an edict and apprehend Marshal Silver at once!"
"Your Majesty, Marshal Silver's disregard for law and order is now an indisputable fact. He must not be indulged any longer!"
"We humbly beg Your Majesty to act on behalf of all living beings!"
"The Heavenly Fleet has become a scourge upon the Three Realms. We urge Your Majesty to make a decisive judgment soon!"
"I am willing to lead troops to campaign against the Heavenly Fleet. I beg Your Majesty for your gracious approval!"
Within the High Sky Throne Hall, the assembled voices spoke in unison.
The evidence was overwhelming; no one spoke for Marshal Silver anymore, not even those immortals who had originally belonged to the Jade Emperor’s faction—they too turned against him.
In the face of such a grave issue, no one dared to stand with Marshal Silver.
Grandmaster White stood among the assembled immortals, his head held high and his face expressionless.
At this very moment, who could possibly turn the tide?
Seated upon the dragon throne, the Jade Emperor sat in silence, his face iron-dark.
He waved his hand lightly, and the attendant by his side announced the adjournment of court.
Entering the inner chamber, before General Curtain could close the door, the Jade Emperor suddenly swept the purple-gold incense burner off the table.
"Descend to the mortal realm at once and find out the truth in person! Did he not notice the river running past Frost-Rain Mountain before using Plaguewater?" The Jade Emperor pointed at General Curtain and rebuked him.
How many years had passed? Since presiding over the High Sky Throne Hall, never had he been so furious.
It felt as if he had been deceived—by Marshal Silver, the one he had trusted and valued most all these years.
"Please, Your Majesty, calm your anger," General Curtain quickly bowed. "There may be hidden circumstances behind this."
Leaning on the table, the Jade Emperor's rapid breathing gradually eased. After a long pause, he glanced coldly at General Curtain and asked, "What hidden circumstances?"
General Curtain replied, "The Marshal is not so reckless. Centuries ago, the Heavenly Fleet used Plaguewater by imperial decree, and he did not make such a mistake. Even though there was no prior notice this time, the Marshal repeatedly promised strict control... He shouldn’t have made such a childish error."
"Plague Toxin is inherently hard to control—there’s no guarantee he didn’t mishandle it." The Jade Emperor snorted coldly and looked out the window, hesitating slightly as if remembering something. Then he said, "Use a Jade Tablet to report the disaster to him and demand an explanation at once."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Just then, the attendant’s voice sounded from outside the door: "Your Majesty, it is getting late. The immortals request your return to the throne."
The Jade Emperor paused briefly, took a deep breath, and said, "Prepare the carriage."
......
Seated high upon the dragon throne, the Jade Emperor cleared his throat and spoke softly: "The sudden outbreak of Plague Toxin in the Southern Lands is unexpected. Although the Heavenly Fleet previously reported using a small amount of Plague Toxin in the Southern Lands, that was to target demons. Is there a connection between these events? If so, is the epidemic caused by the Heavenly Fleet? What is the underlying reason? All of this remains unknown. In my view, the situation is not yet clear, and to make a hasty judgment would be premature."
"In that case, I respectfully request Your Majesty to issue an immediate edict recalling Marshal Silver, and instruct all departments to gather evidence for a face-to-face confrontation!" Grandmaster White bowed and said.
"Yes, yes! Let Marshal Silver return to Heaven at once for questioning!" The immortals all echoed in agreement.
The Jade Emperor stroked his long beard and pondered for a moment before saying calmly, "Countless living beings in the mortal realm have suffered. As the ruler of the Three Realms, Heaven cannot simply stand by. However, in my opinion, the Heavenly Fleet is still acting under imperial decree to suppress demons, and it would be inappropriate to change commanders in the midst of battle. It would be better to deal with this after the war. What do you all think?"
With that, the Jade Emperor spread his hands and looked down at the immortals below.
"Your Majesty is right. The full story is still unclear, and the Heavenly Fleet is acting under imperial orders. A rash decision could harm Heaven’s prestige and embolden the demons in the mortal realm." A supporter of the Jade Emperor spoke up.