Chapter 298 The Struggle for Sovereignty (Part 5)
"Buddha, what did you say?"
The Jade Emperor was shocked, and everyone else present, even Nezha who was prepared, was in a daze.
Returning to the beginning, he pleaded with Buddha to subdue Nezha and Yang Jian, and said many kind words to Buddha in this regard.
Instead of replying to him, Tathagata looked at the Queen Mother.
"When the Heavenly Court was first established, the Heavenly Laws were decreed to maintain peace in the Three Realms." The Buddha's voice was deep and resonant, echoing like a great bell above the Jade Pool. "Queen Mother, you rule the Desire Realm; you should know the weight of the Heavenly Laws. Will you abide by them?"
The Queen Mother was already in a state of turmoil, and this sudden question startled her.
Unlike the enraged Jade Emperor, she had already vaguely sensed something amiss when all the immortals unanimously demanded that he retract his decree.
Facing the Buddha at this moment, how could he dare to conceal anything? Although he was uneasy, he still nodded truthfully, his voice trembling slightly: "Naturally, I follow the heavenly rules."
The Buddha's lips curled slightly upward, revealing a compassionate smile, yet this smile seemed to conceal a deeper meaning. "Since that's the case," he said unhurriedly, "the Jade Emperor's lust for power has now expanded, affecting the stability of the Three Realms. According to the Heavenly Laws, shouldn't he be punished?"
The Jade Emperor's eyes widened in disbelief; he had never expected that the Buddha would turn his attention to him.
The Queen Mother panicked even more, and stammered, "But His Majesty is the ruler of Heaven..."
The Buddha did not give her a chance to continue. With piercing eyes, he said, "I remember that back then, the Ancestor Hongjun appointed you to jointly rule the Heavenly Court with the Jade Emperor."
Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother's heart clenched, and an indescribable desire quietly grew within her. At that moment, her heart pounded rapidly, and she didn't know how to respond.
"According to the Heavenly Laws, is the Jade Emperor's action wrong?" Buddha asked again, his words carrying a unique allure to the Queen Mother.
Under the Jade Emperor's shocked and angry gaze, the Queen Mother hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded with difficulty, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "Yes...yes, I was wrong."
The Buddha smiled with satisfaction and slowly said, "Those who make mistakes should be punished. In order to maintain peace in the Three Realms and to uphold the fairness of the Heavenly Rules, even the Jade Emperor cannot be an exception."
"Buddha?"
The Jade Emperor didn't understand. He couldn't believe it. Didn't they cooperate well during the Investiture of the Gods? Buddhism even benefited quite a bit. Why did they suddenly betray him now?
"But His Majesty is, after all, the Lord of Heaven, so we shouldn't be too harsh on him..."
Just as the Jade Emperor was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the Buddha changed the subject, saying, "Considering the Heavenly Court's reputation in the Three Realms, in my opinion, it would be better to hand over all your power to the Queen Mother, so that she can take full control of the Heavenly Court. Without power, the desire for power will have no place to grow, and naturally, it will no longer harm the Three Realms."
Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor's face was filled with anger and resentment, and he immediately retorted loudly, "On what grounds? I am the ruler of the Three Realms!"
Seeing this, Yang Jian stepped forward, his expression cold and stern: "I once resented the Queen Mother because of my parents' affairs, but over the years, I have seen that she genuinely upholds the Heavenly Laws and has a compassionate heart in the face of matters of principle. On the other hand, what you uphold has never been the Heavenly Laws, but only your own status and face."
Nezha chimed in, his face full of disdain: "A guy who can say that heaven is more important than earth should stop shamelessly calling himself the ruler of the Three Realms. He should abdicate and give way to a worthy successor, so that the Three Realms can have peace again!"
Seeing that the Jade Emperor was so angry that he could hardly breathe, the Queen Mother instinctively reached out to comfort him, but the Jade Emperor slapped her hand away.
"His Majesty……"
The Jade Emperor was both angry and anxious, and his eyes were filled with hostility as he looked at the Queen Mother: "How can a goddess like her manage the Heavenly Court?"
The Buddha's smile vanished instantly, his eyes sharpened, and he stared directly at the Jade Emperor: "Haotian, you have been undergoing tribulations in the mortal realm for ten thousand years, but your character has not improved. Instead, you have brought the mortal concept of male superiority and female inferiority to the Heavenly Court."
The Jade Emperor's face was extremely unpleasant, and his silence expressed his dissatisfaction.
The Queen Mother was also displeased. The Jade Emperor's words had angered her, and with the support of Buddha, she was full of confidence and retorted without showing any weakness: "Since Your Majesty looks down on me as a goddess, why do you always ask me for advice whenever you have something to say? If I were to take charge of the Heavenly Court now, it would only be less of a hassle for you to relay messages, and it would actually save more time and effort."
These words were like a sharp blade, piercing the Jade Emperor's face and making him so angry that his face turned ashen, his body swayed, and he almost fell backward to the ground.
Seeing this, Nezha couldn't help but admire the Queen Mother.
The Jade Emperor clutched his chest, looked at the crowd filling the Jade Pool, and said through gritted teeth, "Buddha! This is a matter for my Heavenly Court; you have no right to interfere!"
"The affairs of Heaven are naturally decided by the gods of Heaven. If you want me to abdicate, you all have to agree!"
The Jade Emperor cast an expectant glance at the crowd. They might not be able to defeat Yang Jian, but surely they could at least say something? Most of them were male immortals. Could they really accept a goddess dominating them?
"Great Golden Crow! Heavenly Canopy! Curtain Roller..."
The Jade Emperor looked at each of them with a mixture of affection and urgency.
The Great Golden Crow was the first to step forward, saying, "I should have stepped forward the moment you opened the gates of heaven."
"The Great Golden Crow!"
The Jade Emperor was shocked, not expecting that the Golden Crow would know this. Before he could think of a way to defend himself, the Golden Crow directly sided with the Queen Mother: "I support Your Majesty."
"you!"
Helpless, the Jade Emperor looked at Tianpeng again: "Tianpeng, the Queen Mother has been very harsh on you. You should think this through!"
Tianpeng touched his nose and smiled awkwardly: "Your Majesty, isn't it just that I often flirt with the Heavenly Laws? The Empress is a bit strict, but when Your Majesty gets angry, the Three Realms are in danger."
"Your Majesty, I am the Marshal. I am responsible for the Three Realms and for the heavenly soldiers and generals under my command. Therefore, I support Your Majesty."
After Tianpeng finished speaking, he nimbly stood behind the Great Golden Crow.
"Chang'e supports the Empress!"
"Weaver Girl supports Your Majesty!"
After Tianpeng, Chang'e and Zhinu, along with a group of female immortals, joined the Queen Mother's ranks without hesitation. Chang'e was already dissatisfied with the Jade Emperor, and Zhinu, after listening to the Jade Emperor's words, now looked at him no differently than she would look at an old ox or a cowherd—a group of people who abused their gender!
"You, you all!"
The Jade Emperor, enraged, turned to Curtain Roller: "Curtain Roller, the Queen Mother has forbidden you from speaking according to the Heavenly Laws!"
With a simple and honest smile, Juanlian said, "Your Majesty, I, Juanlian, am not stupid. I am not good at speaking. If it weren't for the Empress always silencing me in time, I would have been banished to the mortal realm by Your Majesty long ago."
Having said that, he also joined the Queen Mother's line.
At this moment, under the Jade Emperor's incredulous gaze, the remaining deities all stood in line with the Queen Mother. On the Jade Emperor's side, only Nezha, who was leaning on his spear and watching the show, and Yang Jian, who had a cold and stern expression, remained.
"Yang Jian, nephew," the Jade Emperor said in his desperation, "as long as you and Nezha support me, I will forgive and forget what happened."
Nezha kicked the gun over his shoulder, rolled his eyes, and said, "We're just too lazy to move. So many people support the Queen Mother, and the Heavenly Court has become her territory. What does it matter to you where we stand? What are you daydreaming about? Why would we support you?"
Yang Jian doesn't like to talk big, but he silently supported Nezha's words.
The Queen Mother slowly rose, walked to the Jade Emperor, and quietly looked at him: "Your Majesty."
"You're very proud of yourself, aren't you?"
Hearing the Jade Emperor's furious questioning, the Queen Mother slowly shook her head: "Your Majesty, no, Haotian, I am not pleased. On the contrary, I am very disappointed. I am disappointed that you, a good Jade Emperor, have come to this point, losing the hearts of the people."
"I used to assist you diligently, but now I regret it. Why should I assist someone like you?"
The Jade Emperor angrily rebuked: "You have the ambition of a wolf!"
"A wolf's ambition?" The Queen Mother laughed. "The Ancestor ordered the two of us to rebuild the Heavenly Court. Look at these gods, which one, which one wasn't recruited by my own means? Which disaster wasn't stirred up by you? Which conflict wasn't resolved by me?"
"If this is a wolf's ambition, then so be it. It makes no sense. You can be the Jade Emperor, but I, the Queen Mother of the West, cannot!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
