When Ling Xin returned to the capital, a month had passed. Upon hearing of the former Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial's impeachment of her, she merely smiled dismissively and ignored it.
At the small court assembly, Gao Ming was unusually reserved, as he was born into a prominent family in the Great Jin Dynasty.
Although he "betrayed" his noble family's status by taking the imperial examination and entering officialdom, and led the Gao family to actively curry favor with the emperor, this was his first time attending such a small court assembly that only the emperor's confidants could participate in.
When Gao Ming finally met the legendary Grand Master Yu Xiao, he was somewhat stunned.
She didn't look like someone famous and powerful. Her features were delicate and beautiful, and she wore a brocade shawl and a gorgeous long dress that gently showed off her advantages. She was like a beautiful flower that had emerged from wealth and luxury.
It's hard to imagine that such a horrifying and insane incident was committed by this woman.
It's all for the Goddess of Mount Tai...
The moment Ling Xin uttered her first words, the carefully crafted illusion was shattered.
"Does Your Majesty wish to visit Goryeo?"
This was a bombshell, leaving most of the officials present astonished.
Li Yue, however, remained unfazed and replied, "What? You conquered Goryeo in just one month? Of course I want this land that's been gained for free."
The implication was that I wanted the readily available benefits, but it was absolutely impossible for them to use my money and manpower to attack Goryeo.
Gao Ming listened, completely stunned.
Ling Xin retorted without any politeness, "This humble Taoist has no official position or rank, how could I possibly conquer cities and seize territories? Wouldn't that be stealing people's livelihood? Your Majesty is overthinking it."
"oh……"
Some ministers, disapproving of her arrogant and unruly remarks, reprimanded her:
"How dare you! His Majesty is showing you leniency out of respect for the Goddess of Mount Tai. Grand Master, do not be ungrateful. How can a mere monk like you decide matters of state?"
The emperor's heart skipped a beat.
As expected, Ling Xin's gaze was like a sharp sword as she turned to the speaker, and she said sharply:
"It's not like I haven't made decisions on important matters of the court before. What, you didn't say anything when there were benefits, but now you're whining and complaining? Get out of here!"
The ministers nodded in agreement. Although Grand Master Yu Xiao acted arrogantly and unconventionally, he always had a reason for his actions.
And afterwards, the imperial court would reap great benefits.
The minister who spoke up said righteously, "How can these be the same? His Majesty has already rewarded you for your merits, but to speak nonsense and force the monarch now is to be disrespectful to the emperor and father."
"Heh, I've never really taken my sovereign and father seriously."
The crowd erupted in uproar. The words insulted His Majesty. This was a real achievement! Everyone should hurry up and criticize him.
The next second, she said with unwavering determination, "I am a nun, not of this mortal realm. So what's wrong with only recognizing Her Highness the Goddess?"
When the Goddess of Mount Tai was mentioned, the room fell silent for a moment.
The deity was standing faintly behind her. Since everyone would be protected by the goddess after death, no one dared to speak again.
Otherwise, what if we make things difficult for one big madman and one little madman, both of whom are unruly and reckless?
At this moment, Li Yue spoke up, "It's wonderful that Aunt has such a follower as the Grand Master; I am also pleased."
The topic returned to normal.
The emperor granted her a seat, and Ling Xin gracefully took her place, her demeanor relaxed and poised. Her dress, which stood out from the other women present, shone brightly.
"The Goryeo Kingdom treated the Goddess so rudely that you personally went to deal with them."
Li Yue asked the pointed question.
Since the goddess left, Ling Xin has gradually gone mad over the past ten years. The only thing in the world that can move her is anything related to the goddess.
The only things that caught her eye were either the fact that Goryeo was actively worshipping the goddess, or that it had somehow greatly offended her.
Ling Xin lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes obscuring her expression. "Didn't the top scholar make it very clear? The upper echelons of Goryeo are arrogant, conceited, and utterly disgusting."
With a sneer, she said, "You lowly thing, daring to secretly claim that the goddess is a Buddhist celestial maiden, completely inferior to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas."
At that time, the people of Goryeo were devout Buddhists and considered the Buddha to be supreme.
As for the status of celestial maidens in Buddhism, simply put, they are the ones who sprinkle flower petals everywhere when the Buddha is preaching, or they are the ones who play music.
To draw a comparison, even someone like Yan Pei, who was by Li Yue's side, might not be as influential as him, since Yan Pei was considered a prominent figure in the palace.
There are tons of celestial maidens among any bodhisattva, such as the Celestial Maiden of Wonderful Dharma and the Celestial Maiden of Wonderful Sound, so they don't seem to fetch a high price.
The emperor was furious. Not to mention the goddess's noble status, she was still a princess of the Li family!
How dare they degrade the goddess to such a status?
"Extremely arrogant"
The other ministers naturally couldn't help but show their support. The goddess had done so much for the Great Jin Dynasty, practically laying the foundation for its eternal prosperity.
Wang Yi understands best that although no dynasty lasts for a thousand years, some things will remain unchanged after the dynasty falls.
The Han dynasty has long since ceased to exist, so why are the people of the Central Plains still Han? The Qin dynasty only lasted two generations, and which dynasty can boast that it has completely abandoned Qin laws?
This is the unchanging foundation of a dynasty that has lasted for thousands of years. With the help of the goddess, the Great Jin Dynasty is now showing signs of similar prosperity.
In the eyes of the people of Dajin, although the goddess's divine power was not high—after all, she had just become an immortal—she was a true one of their own, and they would not tolerate any outsiders insulting her!
The crowd was outraged, and one minister angrily denounced, "You are from a small, insignificant country, and your intentions are base."
The military commanders expressed their disdain for Goryeo in relatively direct language and requested the emperor to send troops south.
Gao Ming, by blending in, also expressed his own sentiments.
The Emperor, however, calmed down and asked Ling Xin in a deep voice, "You didn't fabricate anything."
"Absolutely true," Ling Xin said with a cold laugh.
"Goryeo was a small and weak country, so it had an extremely strong sense of self-esteem. Since the Great Jin had a goddess descending to earth to help them, they were already very resentful and their mentality became twisted. So they tried every means to belittle the goddess and elevate the Buddha and Bodhisattvas they worshipped."
"Very well, since that's the case, my military campaign this time is now justified."
The emperor's casual remark determined the fate of Goryeo.
After the small court assembly, Ling Xin was in a good mood. She had achieved her goal of coming to the capital. Although her actions had caused Goryeo a lot of suffering, she still felt unsatisfied.
Only when the Emperor of Jin intervened and killed Goryeo with a single blow was the shameless sin of the Goryeo Kingdom finally absolved.
A war cannot be started on a whim; logistics, supplies, weapons, troop recruitment, and cost calculation all require considerable effort.
The news of the attack on Goryeo spread like wildfire, and the people were filled with righteous indignation. They were the ones who had received the most blessings from the goddess.
Now that every family is planting the immortal seed, even if they don't become rich, they can at least make a living. The government has money to run the official schools, which are also cheap. Sending children to school to learn to read and write doesn't cost much. Who knows, a family's fortune might change.
Such a good life has never been experienced by anyone in the past three generations.
So, damn it, how dare they slander the goddess! The people spontaneously voted with their feet, donating money and supplies to support the military campaign, clamoring to drag that damned King Goryeo through the streets, with plenty of rotten eggs.
The Buddhist community suffered a major setback, incurring a huge wave of hatred for no reason, causing their incense offerings to plummet, which infuriated them.
Soon, a high-ranking Buddhist monk refuted the rumors, saying that Buddhism in Goryeo has nothing to do with us; it is a cult, and we do not recognize them.
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