Worldwide Awakening: My Soul Kinds Are Lost-Chapter 527: How did the Heng Emperor secure his throne? He relied on his not so brilliant mind! _1
"Damn fool, can’t even handle such a small matter!" Heng Emperor, nearing fifty, wore a savage expression. Three days ago, 50,000 human sacrifices had outrageously dared to revolt. They first killed the Temple Master and the imperial soldiers, then immediately assembled an army of 20,000 rebels, seizing a city in the heartland of the Central Plains. As for how 50,000 people were reduced to 20,000, it was certain that not all were willing to join the rebellion; moreover, among them were many elders, children, and women unsuitable to be soldiers.
This, however, was not the most important issue. The most pressing was the rebels’ outrageous, treasonous cry: "Kings, nobles, generals, and ministers—are such people born to their station?"
A bunch of bumpkins, daring to covet the supreme position?
Fortunately, the loss of 50,000 people did not significantly impact the grand sacrifice. One million people were needed as offerings to the Demon Gods, but he had not conscripted just one million; he had conscripted 1,500,000. So, there was no concern about a shortage. What angered him was that people dared to rebel even in the Central Plains region, which he supposedly controlled. Where was his imperial dignity?
"Issue the decree! Quell these traitors within three days and execute their Nine Clans—no, make it ten!" Heng Emperor roared.
However, the assembled ministers merely feigned meditative calm, showing no fear or urgency. They were all representatives serving various Demon Gods and paid no heed to the Heng Emperor. Unless it was to secure benefits for their own Demon God, they remained as motionless as clay Buddhas most of the time. Consequently, the Heng Emperor possessed no actual authority; he could not even mobilize the army, nor could he manage the promotion or demotion of his officials.
Despite this, he maintained a high opinion of himself, naturally because he had been thoroughly hoodwinked over the years. He even emphasized noble lineage, yet his own ancestor, the Founding Emperor, had been merely an ordinary man from the Northern Prairie, possessing no noble bloodline whatsoever.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. While this matter is indeed urgent, we must not act with excessive haste," the Grand Secretary stepped forward. This Grand Secretary was not the same one who, years ago, had urged Emperor Heng to sever ties with the Demon Gods. That former Grand Secretary was long dead, the cause of death being that he had become too much of an eyesore. Back then, Emperor Heng had wanted to submit (figuratively, to the Demon Gods), while that Grand Secretary had wanted him to stand firm. A conflict naturally arose, and the victor was predictably Emperor Heng; after all, he had the support of the Demon Gods, whereas the Grand Secretary was not only his subject but also represented the weaker side. Who else but he would lose?
The current Grand Secretary was implying, I know you’re anxious, but please, don’t rush.
Emperor Heng, accustomed to being swayed, indeed calmed down. He placed great trust in this Grand Secretary. The plan for the grand sacrifice of 1,000,000 human sacrifices was this minister’s idea, and its successful execution would surely allow him to advance further.
"Does my trusted minister have a sound plan?" Emperor Heng presumed the Grand Secretary must have a solution.
However, the Grand Secretary felt helpless. What could he possibly do? In this situation, apart from fighting, there were no other viable solutions.
The real problem was that the Court currently had very few available troops. Over the years, rebellions had erupted sporadically in various regions. Those that could be suppressed were dealt with, but those that could not simply grew stronger. Waging aggressive wars to suppress these rebellions, while simultaneously needing vast numbers of human sacrifices for the Demon Gods, meant the entire Great Heng Empire was no longer merely riddled with holes; it was visibly on the verge of sinking. This meant a very serious problem: they currently lacked available generals and soldiers. To suppress a rebel army, they would have to mobilize forces from distant regions. As for deploying troops from the Capital to quell the rebellion, that was simply out of the question. The high officials of the Court were no fools. Why would they remove their own protective Amulets? If their own strongholds were attacked while their defenses were away, they would all perish.
"Yes, Your Majesty. You could issue an edict, demanding those villains hand over their leader in exchange for an amnesty, allowing them to survive. This way, their merits could offset their crimes," he said, steeling himself as he offered this lousy idea.
Amnesty, indeed. Nominally, they would become our people. Though they might be unruly, once their leader is dead, the rest will be like scattered sand, easily molded to our will. The idea sounds good, but why would they listen? They’ve already rebelled; will they simply accept amnesty because we offer it?
Emperor Heng, however, did not see it that way. His eyes lit up; he thought the idea was indeed feasible. "Merely killing the rebel leader won’t fully appease my anger. But if the amnesty succeeds, that’s acceptable. Then, let these traitors enter the Capital and continue to serve as human sacrifices. They should consider it their honor!" he declared.
Amnesty naturally meant overlooking their act of rebellion, but their due responsibilities—becoming human sacrifices—still had to be fulfilled.
The officials in the Court exchanged dismayed glances. What kind of thinking is this? Those people rebelled precisely because they didn’t want to die. And now you expect them to surrender and become human sacrifices? How could such an amnesty possibly succeed? Won’t this just provoke further conflict?
"My trusted minister, what do you think of this method?" Emperor Heng asked, quite pleased with himself. I’m giving them a chance! To die for me is an absolute honor for these bumpkins.
The Grand Secretary forced a smile. "Your Majesty’s words are most wise. However, the number of human sacrifices is currently sufficient. This servant believes we can manage without these 50,000 people."
He still had to try to intervene, even if, given the Emperor’s mindset, it was likely futile.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Heng’s brow furrowed, as expected. "It matters little if the numbers are sufficient. It’s not out of the question to have them serve as sacrificial offerings first."
In other words, they would jump the queue.
Hearing this, the Grand Secretary felt an urge to strangle him. I say the numbers are sufficient, and you immediately suggest sending them to their deaths sooner? Are you afraid they might actually accept the amnesty?
"That would be improper, Your Majesty!" The Minister of Rites quickly interjected to smooth things over, using ritual propriety as a constraint. "The human sacrifices for the rituals are all set in number and cannot be altered haphazardly."
Emperor Heng showed no suspicion, merely nodding. "Since that is so, then..."
Everyone assumed the matter was settled, but then, to their astonishment, Emperor Heng uttered something even more preposterous: "Then send these human sacrifices to the various Demon God Temples across the land as offerings. That would also be a way to expend them."
The officials in the Court felt a sense of suffocation. It could only be said that their influence on Emperor Heng over the years had been remarkably successful; otherwise, he wouldn’t have turned into such an imbecile. But the current problem was very real: this imbecile seemed rather stubborn and was not responding to their control. Further adjustments were needed.
"Your Majesty, why trouble yourself with such trivialities?" the Minister of War chimed in. "Let the Grand Secretary handle it. You are of supreme status; you shouldn’t be bothered by such minor affairs."
If things really proceeded according to Emperor Heng’s ideas, fighting would become unavoidable, and his position as Minister of War would become very difficult. That was why he had jumped in immediately to prevent it. What else could he do?
Hearing this, Emperor Heng nodded. "Then I shall entrust this to you, my trusted minister. Ensure these human sacrifices fulfill their designated roles."
Fulfilling their designated roles meant dutifully becoming sacrificial offerings and dying, not being released.
A collective silence fell upon the officials. Is he afraid his empire is too stable? they all thought.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty," the Grand Secretary said. "Leave this matter to this servant. I will ensure Your Majesty is satisfied." He planned to use his old trick: simply ensure that no real news reached Emperor Heng, then let time blur the issue. After a while, the Emperor would forget. As for the actual outcome, wouldn’t it be whatever he claimed it to be? The real handling of the matter, as long as Emperor Heng remained ignorant, was entirely up to them. The entire Court, both inside and out, was controlled by the factions of the Demon Gods. Emperor Heng was merely a puppet, a fig leaf for their power, completely unaware of his own situation.
"Excellent! My trusted minister, you are truly a pillar of the state," Emperor Heng praised, then continued, "Do any of my other trusted ministers have further business?"
He was not actually asking if there were more reports to be made; he was indicating that he wished to conclude the morning session, and they could handle the rest themselves.
A nearby eunuch, quick-witted as ever, immediately announced, "If there are matters to report, present them now. If not, the Court is dismissed!"
The assembled ministers chorused in perfect unison, "We respectfully see Your Majesty off!"
With this tacit understanding, the assembly dispersed.
The Grand Secretary and the ministers from the Six Departments of Ministers strolled through the imperial palace, discussing how to resolve the situation.
"This amnesty," the Grand Secretary began, "is merely appeasement and concession to achieve temporary stability. It is by no means a long-term solution." His meaning was clear: first, placate these bumpkins, then recall troops from the frontiers to annihilate them. Otherwise, if they are truly placated and strengthened, they might become ungrateful wolves.
"We could mobilize soldiers from the south, but such a large movement would not go unnoticed and would inevitably impact the overall stability of the Great Heng Empire," the Minister of War stated. They say it’s a rebellion of 20,000, but once they’ve seized a territory, their numbers will surely swell. We won’t be facing just 20,000 then. Moreover, redeploying a Frontier Army will undoubtedly affect the region and the other rebel forces it currently suppresses. What if those other rebels seize the opportunity to make a move?
"This matter indeed requires further deliberation," the Grand Secretary said, stroking his beard. Perhaps I should ask the Demon Gods to intervene and resolve this, he mused.
Most capable individuals had long been ostracized from the Court; those who currently held power did so entirely through the support of the Demon Gods’ factions.
