After Yang Chan's barbed words landed, Great Emperor Ziwei remained silent on his Star Throne.
As one of the exalted Six Imperial Sovereigns, being spoken to like that by a junior was ultimately a blow to his dignity.
But the Great Emperor was a mighty being who had lived for untold kalpas. Keeping his emotions off his face was a basic skill. He did not lose his temper, merely softened his tone and began expounding lofty principles.
"Third Holy Mother, your temper is just as it was when you were little. You cannot tolerate even a grain of sand in your eyes."
"But the workings of these Three Realms are vast and boundless. The Heavenly Dao demands harmony between yin and yang, with a measure to every surplus and deficit."
"When water is too clear, no fish can live in it."
"Even if the Immortal Officials below make a few minor errors or omissions concerning merit and incense offerings, so long as they maintain the balance between the various powers and continue working for the Heavenly Court, that is the ordained order. Must you shake the Heavenly Court from top to bottom and unsettle every immortal's heart? Do you not understand this principle?"
"Emperor, I cannot agree."
Yang Chan sighed softly, her voice still gentle. "The Emperor's benevolence and sympathy for the hardships of the Star Lords beneath you are known throughout the Three Realms. But when my maternal uncle established those strict Heavenly Laws, they were meant to protect all living beings in the Three Realms and preserve peace under heaven, not serve as an umbrella sheltering vermin from wind and rain."
"If we behave like this, how are we any different from the demons in the Mortal Realm who seize mountains as their kingdoms and plague the surrounding