"Seize him! Arrest Jia Lang!"
Upon hearing Ding Ye's accusation, a trace of anger flickered across the Jade Emperor's face as he barked an order downward. Instantly, two armored divine generals stepped forward from the ranks, produced a gleaming golden rope, and bound Jia Lang tightly.
"When I first established the Ascension Platform, it was to facilitate the reception of scattered immortals from the mortal realm, for they are the future pillars of our celestial domain! And I recall stating clearly that any scattered immortal ascending to the celestial realm would not be charged a single fee! Yet it seems my words fell on deaf ears—how audacious and reckless!"
The Jade Emperor slammed his hand hard on the table before him, pointing at Jia Lang as he berated him.
"I admit my wrongdoing! I'm willing to return all the celestial crystals! I beg Your Majesty for mercy! Spare my life, Your Majesty!"
With his crimes exposed, Jia Lang had lost all the arrogance he'd shown before Jiang Yuan, now groveling like a beaten dog, whimpering for the Jade Emperor's clemency.
"Your Majesty, the Yellow Emperor once said: 'Laws and regulations are the pinnacle of justice. Those who govern by law must not act arbitrarily. Those who create laws must not act arbitrarily. Impartial and selfless, with clear rewards and punishments—this is the way of governance.'"
But at that moment, Jiang Yuan suddenly spoke up, quoting a line from *The Four Classics of the Yellow Emperor: The Canon of Law: The Righteous Ruler* that he'd learned in university, urging the Jade Emperor to be clear in rewards and punishments.
"Your Majesty, don't believe him! Back at the Ascension Platform, this guy was spouting nonsense, saying things like 'I am the law'! Everyone present heard it!"
Though Ding Ye couldn't grasp the classical Chinese Jiang Yuan was spouting, he was no slouch when it came to driving the point home, so he quickly added another jab.
"Yes, Your Majesty, we all heard it!"
After Ding Ye spoke, a chorus of scattered immortal players—Wen Ding Cang Sheng, Cang Shu Bu Ding, Chuang Shi Yong Ge, Zhang Er Gou, and Hua Qian Gu—unanimously confirmed hearing Jia Lang's arrogant words.
Hearing their testimony, Jia Lang's face drained of color, and he collapsed limply to the ground.
"Your Majesty, this man has an accomplice named Wang Miao, who is still guarding the Ascension Platform."
Jiang Yuan suddenly remembered there was another person at the Ascension Platform, colluding with Jia Lang to swindle his celestial crystals. Adhering to the principle of eradicating evil completely, he exposed him as well.
"Someone! Go at once and bring Wang Miao before me!"
Hearing Jiang Yuan's accusation, the Jade Emperor immediately dispatched men to the Ascension Platform to apprehend the unsuspecting minor official Wang Miao, clad in black robes.
Soon, Wang Miao was dragged by the scruff of his neck like a chicken by the armored divine generals and thrown into the Lingxiao Palace.
"Jia Lang and Wang Miao abused their authority, embezzled funds, and committed heinous crimes. They are to be immediately escorted to the Execution Platform and put to death!"
With a single imperial decree, the Jade Emperor sentenced Jia Lang and Wang Miao, the overseers of the Ascension Platform, to death!
"Your Majesty is wise! But I have a few more to report, to further illuminate Your Majesty's just governance!"
After Jia Lang and Wang Miao were dragged away, wailing and crying, to the Execution Platform, Jiang Yuan first praised the Jade Emperor, then continued his exposé.
"Speak freely!"
Having dealt with Jia Lang and Ding Ye, the Jade Emperor turned to Jiang Yuan, waving his hand to signal him to continue.
"I accuse the Jade Spirit Official of insubordination and abuse of power, beating me indiscriminately without cause! Additionally, I charge Nezha, the Third Prince of the Sea, with picking a fight and assembling a group to assault others! I request Your Majesty to handle this impartially!"
Good heavens, Jiang Yuan had directly slapped the Jade Spirit Official and Nezha with charges of abuse of power and instigating trouble, sending both into a panic as they knelt before the Jade Emperor.
"Jade Spirit Official, Nezha, are the scattered immortal Jiang Yuan's claims true?"
The Jade Emperor looked coldly at the two kneeling before him.
"Your Majesty, I was negligent and deserve death. Please punish me!"
The Jade Spirit Official was honest, directly admitting his fault, kneeling with his head to the ground, ready to accept any judgment.
Nezha, however, remained defiant, kneeling as he retorted to the Jade Emperor: "Your Majesty, it was clearly a mutual scuffle between us. How does it become me beating them in his telling?"
As Nezha finished, Jiang Yuan seemed prepared and spoke to the Jade Emperor: "Your Majesty, that was what we call legitimate self-defense."
"Legitimate self-defense? I've never heard of it! What's the reasoning? Tell me!"
Not just the Jade Emperor, but none of the assembled celestial beings had ever heard of this novel term "legitimate self-defense," and they all turned curious gazes toward Jiang Yuan.
"Ahem!"
Jiang Yuan cleared his throat, transforming into a celestial legal educator, explaining the legal concept of legitimate self-defense to the Jade Emperor and the gods in the Lingxiao Palace.
"Legitimate self-defense refers to defensive actions taken against ongoing violent crimes such as murder, robbery, rape, kidnapping, or other serious threats to personal safety. If such actions result in injury or death to the wrongdoer, it constitutes legitimate self-defense and carries no liability. The Third Prince Nezha attacked us first; to ensure our own safety, we had no choice but to resist and stop his violent behavior—thus, it falls under legitimate self-defense!"
Jiang Yuan spoke eloquently, explaining legal principles while substituting modern terms with ones fitting the context, leaving the Jade Emperor and the assembled gods utterly bewildered!
"Buzz!"
Just as Jiang Yuan finished his explanation of "legitimate self-defense," the heavens above once again resonated with the Dao's approval!
This meant that even the supreme "Dao" acknowledged the concept of "legitimate self-defense" that Jiang Yuan had proposed, producing a resonant sound!
"Quick! Quick! Where is the Law Officer? Immediately add this clause on legitimate self-defense to the celestial laws!"
Seeing that Jiang Yuan's concept of "legitimate self-defense" had once again triggered the Dao's resonance, the Jade Emperor was astonished and hurriedly summoned the Law Officer to add a new statute on legitimate self-defense to the celestial laws, which had been in place for tens of thousands of years.
"Clap! Clap! Clap! I never expected Minister Jiang to be so精通 legal principles—truly a talent unseen in a millennium!"
The Jade Emperor was overjoyed, applauding Jiang Yuan with a smile as he praised him.
"Minister Jiang, in your view, how should I deal with these two?"
The Jade Emperor then continued to question Jiang Yuan, his address shifting from "scattered immortal Jiang Yuan" to "Minister Jiang"!
"Your Majesty, the Jade Spirit Official abused his power, committing intentional harm, and should be sentenced to up to three years in prison. Nezha is guilty of instigating trouble and should be sentenced to up to five years in prison. However, considering they acted on false information unknowingly, they may be leniently dealt with. I suggest a punishment of no more than ten days of house arrest."
Jiang Yuan, referencing real-world law, issued a "verdict" for the Jade Spirit Official and Nezha.
"Minister Jiang, what is house arrest?"
The Jade Emperor, not fully understanding, asked.
"It means they are confined to their homes to reflect on their actions."
Thinking the celestial realm might lack a facility akin to a "detention center," Jiang Yuan rephrased it for the Jade Emperor.
"Excellent! The law is strict yet not devoid of compassion! Minister Jiang's judgment has truly opened my eyes! I will follow your suggestion: the Jade Spirit Official and Nezha shall be confined to their homes for ten days, not stepping a foot outside!"
Successfully educated by Jiang Yuan's legal lesson, the Jade Emperor was delighted and, with a golden decree, announced the punishment for the Jade Spirit Official and Nezha as Jiang Yuan had proposed!