Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

The lanterns of the Orange Garden gave off a warmer light than the lanterns elsewhere in the capital. Perhaps it was because all the lanterns were covered in orange peels.

Xu Yourong stood in front of the window, her hands held behind her as she examined the orange lanterns in the garden. It was hard to tell what she was thinking.

Upon seeing her back, Mo Yu suddenly thought of the Divine Empress.

In those years, the Divine Empress loved to stand on the Dew Platform and look down upon the capital. Similarly, she also liked to hold her hands behind her back.

Mo Yu felt a deep unease in her heart.

Would another Divine Empress appear in the world?

She asked, "Why did you want to meet Prince Chen Liu? What were you planning?"

Xu Yourong did not turn around as she answered, "Just chatting about the old days."

In a chilly voice, Mo Yu asked, "You needed to go the Orthodox Academy just to chat about the old days? Then why did you kill Mei Chuan?"

"Given Tang Thirty-Six's way of doing things, do you think he would have let Mei Chuan live?"

Xu Yourong said, "I am not a person of the Orthodox Academy, nor of the Li Palace, so it's better for me to do the deed."

Mo Yu replied, "Your actions could be understood as you wanting to resolve some troubles for him for the sake of the deep affection you have for him, and it could also be understood as you wanting to agitate the conflict between the new and conservative factions of the Orthodoxy, leaving no space for him and the venerable Daoist to make peace. The problem is, just what are you thinking?"

Xu Yourong turned to her and calmly noted, "You said to Chen Changsheng that you were worried that I would take revenge for the Empress."

Mo Yu replied, "I don't believe that you would forget, even though you denied this to him."

Xu Yourong smiled. "This being the case, shouldn't I be doing things this way?"

Annoyed, Mo Yu replied, "But you should also understand that this way will give Chen Changsheng a lot of trouble. The Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education has no right to demand an explanation from you, but they can ask Chen Changsheng for an explanation."

Xu Yourong replied, "This is very easy to resolve."

"Yes, just the word 'disrespect' is enough, because the only people present were you and Prince Chen Liu."

Mo Yu sneered at her, "But you understand Chen Changsheng. You know that his personality won't let him do this, so what will happen? In the end, he will be forced to become that person that he doesn't want to become the most."

Xu Yourong replied, "He should learn how to do this, at least if he wants to become Pope."

Mo Yu asked, "And if he simply doesn't want to be Pope?"

Xu Yourong was quiet for a while, then replied, "Then I'll just be Holy Maiden."

The events in the Li Palace were quickly spread to every part of the capital.

The Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education had been purged. Many people had expected this, but they were still surprised that it had happened so quickly.

Even more surprising was what happened after that: Archbishop An Lin had fallen from grace.

The killing of Daoist Baishi in Wenshui City had shocked many people speechless, but both the Imperial Court and the Li Palace had remained silent on the matter at the time for their own particular reasons. But tonight's events had been personally witnessed by many people.

The first thunderclap that everyone believed Chen Changsheng would bring down over the capital upon his return had nonetheless not only shocked the people, but also made them rather emotional.

He had lived up to his name as the appointed successor of the previous Pope and lived up to his name as the venerable Daoist's student. In the face of Chen Changsheng's purge, neither the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education nor Archbishop An Lin had put up any resistance. No one knew how many unimaginable stratagems were hidden beneath the calm exterior of the situation.

Just when everyone felt like the curtain would fall on tonight's drama, another crack of thunder exploded over the capital.

It was Chen Changsheng's final words.

'Let it end here'? What did this mean?

Did it mean that the purge of the Orthodoxy's conservative faction would stop here?

Did it mean that Shang Xingzhou and the Imperial Court's probing of the Li Palace must end here?

Or was it referring to the position of Pope?

Rumors spread like the wind, and with the aid of several thunderclaps, the clouds over the capital were quickly scattered.

As the multitudes of stars calmly looked down on the world, a multitude of stars also appeared within the human world.

Several thousand of the Orthodoxy's most pious believers walked out of their homes and came to the front of the Li Palace, where they knelt on the icy ground.

The light of the candles in their hands seemed feeble, but when the thousands were gathered together, they became extremely bright.

An Hua kneeled at the very front, her face paler than her white robes and marked by faint tear stains.

As the believers increased, so did the light of the candles, until they finally manifested a sea of light.

There was no begging or pleas for mercy, but the atmosphere was so downcast that one could occasionally hear weeping.

.

.

After Bishop Mei Chuan died in the Orthodox Academy, the capital began to talk.

None of this talk spoke well of Chen Changsheng.

Tonight, as the thunderclaps and sea of light shook the entire capital, public opinion rapidly changed.

The common people had clean forgotten the dinnertime discussions. They angrily looked toward the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education and its screen of maple trees, the princely estates of the Road of Peace, and even the Imperial Palace.

These flames of rage that had still not broken out caused the important personages living in these places to feel extremely wary and furious.

They urgently needed to know just what had happened in the Li Palace, wanting to get ahold of every possible detail.

The informants in the Li Palace and the Star Condensation painters of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets, now working for the Imperial Court, played an extremely important role here.

In the great hall full of Sacred Light, Chen Changsheng stood at the highest point, speaking those words, the meaning crystal-clear.

"Flipping over the table and saying you're not going to do it anymore just who does that threaten?"

Scorn appeared on Tianhai Chenwu's face. "Do you think that the masses can make the venerable Daoist yield?"

"Quite the shrewd move, retreating in order to advance."

The Prince of Xiang rubbed the fat of his belly, his face stricken with worry. "It's not like the Imperial Court can just tear the entire thing down, right?"

Different people had different understandings of Chen Changsheng's words.

To the common people, the Saint had become dispirited by the dangerous situation.

To the important personages, this was nothing more than a means for him to resist the efforts of Shang Xingzhou and the conservative faction.

And whether they expressed derision or distress, these powerful figures truthfully felt this to be quite the formidable move.

Only Xu Yourong and Tang Thirty-Six knew that this was not some strategy.

Because when Chen Changsheng said those words, he had truly meant them.

Xu Yourong said, "These matters go against your heart and conflict with your Dao. It truly is rather difficult."

Chen Changsheng said, "I myself was not willing to do these things, so how could I stand and watch as the two of you did them for me?"

Xu Yourong calmly said, "Perhaps we're just people that like to do these things?"

Chen Changsheng replied, "No one is born with a love of killing people, or vying for power, or scheming and treachery."

Xu Yourong indifferently said, "When I was born, I didn't like playing mahjong, but that was because I didn't know how to."

There was silence between the two, then Chen Changsheng said, "Are you disappointed in me?"

"Of course not, because only someone who doesn't want to be Pope can be a good Pope."

Xu Yourong added, "Just like how your senior brother doesn't want to be Emperor, which is why he's a good Emperor."

Tang Thirty-Six's exasperated voice could be heard outside the hall.

"I'll go first," she said to Chen Changsheng.

Chen Changsheng said, "Senior is a person that's very easy to get close to."

Xu Yourong returned, "But I am not."

Chen Changsheng was at a loss.

Xu Yourong turned and left the Li Palace.

A few moments later, she was in front of the Imperial City.

She wanted to go and see the emperor.