novelkee Chapter 2264
Chapter 2264
Chapter 2264
Heimdall never imagined that one day he would be betrayed by his own sister!
Unfortunately, no matter how many doubts he had, it was useless now. Because he had been drugged!
Heimdall is indeed a god, but the problem is that gods aren't as mysterious as one might imagine in this universe. The gods of this universe are simply powerful beings, not omnipotent. At least Asgard possesses something capable of paralyzing gods.
After all, Asgard is not lacking in gods.
After Heimdall was paralyzed, Gol immediately used the symbiotic substance created by the Black Death Sword to envelop and seal him, so that even if he regained consciousness, he would not be able to break free.
In fact, Heimdall woke up very quickly.
Although gods are not omnipotent, their physical abilities are extraordinary; a mere anesthetic can be metabolized by them very quickly!
In fact, even for ordinary Asgardians, anesthetics are not very effective against them.
Was Mike Tyson, at his peak, incredibly strong in hand-to-hand combat? Yes, he was very strong, at least significantly stronger than most ordinary people. Some even believe Tyson could rival a silverback gorilla. However, if Tyson encountered a 7-ton Asian elephant, he would only be able to run. In Marvel's lore, Asgardians have a body density three times that of ordinary humans. This density gives Asgardian civilians far superior physical abilities, with strength and speed approximately 5 to 10 times that of ordinary humans. While elite human athletes and soldiers can achieve strength far exceeding that of ordinary humans through training, Asgardians can also become stronger through training. Therefore, the strength of an Asgardian soldier is likely 10 to 20 times that of an ordinary human.
This is about the same level as Captain America in his normal state!
Therefore, Asgard possesses countless soldiers as strong as Captain America. Such an army is clearly not weak; Earthlings would need weapons of mass destruction to eliminate them. After all, Asgardians possess extraordinary defensive capabilities. The image above, from the TV series *Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.*, shows Thor's friend Sif unharmed after being hit by a shotgun at close range. Of course, Sif is an elite Asgardian warrior, even known as the "Goddess of Harvest" in Norse mythology and one of the twelve Olympian gods, so her combat strength should be greater than that of ordinary Asgardian soldiers. But Asgard also has a Valkyrie army composed of elite warriors!
The Valkyrie army is Asgard's most elite force, with hundreds of members possessing strength comparable to the Valkyries in *Thor: Ragnarok*. Sif in the film isn't a primary god, so her strength is similar to the Valkyries. In *Thor: Ragnarok*, when Thor mentions the Valkyries, the Thing, Korn, warns Thor to be wary of the Asgardians because they are virtually indestructible. This indirectly proves that the Asgardians' physical strength surpasses that of most aliens! Otherwise, Korn wouldn't have said the Asgardians are indestructible. Therefore, Asgard, with its vast army, is definitely not weak.
The reason why most of the time, ordinary people in Asgard look no different from ordinary fodder is ultimately because the enemies they face are too strong!
For example, when Hela returned to Asgard, many Asgardian soldiers tried to stop her, but she slaughtered them like butter. They couldn't even put up a fight. Even if some lucky soldier managed to injure Hela, it was futile; within Asgardian territory, Hela was immortal!
Hela's strength surpasses even Thor's, easily overwhelming him. Being in Asgard, she is impervious to harm; even after being stabbed multiple times, she instantly recovers. Her healing factor completely overwhelms even renowned self-healing heroes like Wolverine and Deadpool in the Marvel universe. Hela can also throw an endless number of incredibly powerful swords. Even the physically strong Asgardians are completely unable to withstand the sword attacks, resulting in Hela's rampage. Asgardian soldiers and Valkyrie troops are utterly helpless against her! However, this only demonstrates Hela's overwhelming power. In Hela's eyes, Asgardians are no different from ordinary humans on Earth; a barrage of swords could instantly kill them.
In fact, even if Kai was there, he couldn't beat Hela. She was too overpowered. No matter what he did, she was impossible to kill. In the end, Surtur came to the rescue... Surtur has a special attack against Asgardians!
No matter how magical the Asgardian gods are, once they're killed by Surtur, they're truly dead.
The key issue is that Hela and Surtur cannot unite.
Surtur's destiny is to destroy Asgard, and Hela's power comes from Asgard. Without Asgard, she herself will perish!
But I digress. Let's get back to Heimdall. He is also a god, although not as extraordinary as Hela and Odin. It's impossible to put him into a coma simply by using drugs.
He regained consciousness after about three minutes.
There was no other way; given the limited resources, it was already quite an achievement that Sif could concoct a drug that could paralyze Heimdall for three minutes, especially since Sif didn't know magic... The Asgardians' exceptional physical condition meant that most technologically advanced potions were ineffective against them, but anesthesia was still a necessity for Asgards... After all, they also get sick and need surgery.
It would be impossible without anesthesia, after all, a fierce man like Guan Yu is extremely rare no matter where he is.
Therefore, magic potions are a good solution.
But Sif wouldn't... Frigga always regretted why Sif wasn't as smart as her.
Look at Thor's friends, they're all incredibly muscular, but not very bright. The only slightly smart one is logical... unfortunately, this kid's rebellious phase is a bit long, and he's getting more and more rebellious.
Sad people.
Heimdall opened his eyes to find Sif and Gel examining his Bult steel. They weren't muffled as they spoke, and their demeanor was perfectly normal; there wasn't a trace of the atmosphere one would expect between hostages and kidnappers… Don't ask what the atmosphere should be like between hostages and kidnappers, it certainly wasn't this one!
Gol was the first to notice Heimdall waking up. He patted Sif and made her look over.
"Why... Sif! Why did you betray Asgard?"
Heimdall's wisdom allowed him to quickly analyze the current situation and understand that Sif was not being coerced, but was actively helping Gor!
This is betrayal!!!
There is no doubt about that.
Asgard can tolerate Sif's rebellion, but it will never tolerate betrayal!
At least that's what Heimdall thought... but he didn't consider Loki's mess... damn it, Loki really did betray and usurp the throne, and what happened?
The harshest punishment he received was imprisonment, and in very good conditions. Even in the royal palace cell, Frigga visited him every day… After all, Asgard was a feudal state, and the king's authority was above the law!
The term "emperor," extremely familiar to Chinese people, is composed of the characters "皇" (huang, meaning emperor) and "帝" (di, meaning ruler). "皇" originally meant "great," while "帝" was the title of a king. Ancient my country had legends of the "Three Sovereigns" and "Five Emperors," rich in mythological elements, and their specific meanings varied greatly depending on their origins; in short, they cannot be equated with the later concept of "emperor." Qin Shi Huang, the "First Emperor of All Time," was the first emperor in Chinese history. After unifying China, Qin Shi Huang, brimming with ambition and arrogance, creatively adopted "emperor" as his title to emphasize his unassailable supreme status and authority, and to demonstrate his "virtue surpassing the Three Sovereigns and achievements encompassing the Five Emperors." From then on, "emperor" became the exclusive title for ancient Chinese emperors, and imperial power naturally became the center of power in the unified society and the symbol of traditional Chinese monarchical autocracy. Since the emergence of imperial power, rulers launched a protracted campaign to strengthen and deify it. They exploited people's bewilderment and worship of natural forces, fabricating a supreme deity who ruled over nature and human society—"Heaven" or "Heavenly Emperor"—and the emperor on earth was disguised as the son of the Heavenly Emperor, hence the emperor was also called "Son of Heaven." Imperial power originated from divine right, not from deliberate human arrangement. This theory of divine right elevated imperial power to a supreme position and shrouded it in mystery. Imperial power was strengthened through deification, and the fundamental method of strengthening it was through law, establishing its supremacy over the law. Traditional Chinese law, in essence, was merely a tool of imperial power; the ultimate goal of the law was to maintain the stability and dignity of imperial power, focusing on punishing any behavior that harmed or might harm imperial power.
At a deeper level, what reflects the essence of the relationship between imperial power and law lies in the emperor's personal control over legislative and judicial powers.
Because the state was considered the emperor's private property, the so-called national law was essentially family law, and the emperor, as the sovereign and father of the nation, naturally possessed supreme legislative power. On this issue, a consensus had already been reached ideologically before the formal emergence of the emperor. The *Shangshu* (Book of Documents) mentions "King Wen established punishments," while the *Guanzi* (Master Guan) states it more clearly: "There are laws that create laws, laws that abide by laws, and laws that govern laws. The one who creates laws is the ruler; the one who abides by laws is the minister; and the one who governs laws is the people." Confucius also declared that "rites, music, and military expeditions originate from the Son of Heaven." Other theories advocating monarchical autocracy, such as those of Shang Yang, Xunzi, and Han Fei, presupposed the monarch's monopoly on legislative power. It is evident that both Confucianism and Legalism held a remarkably consistent view on this matter. No wonder Qin Shi Huang dared to confidently declare in the "Mount Tai Inscription": "When the emperor ascends the throne, he establishes laws and regulations, and his subjects are ordered to uphold them." In a sense, imperial power was the symbol of law, and the emperor himself was the embodiment of the law. His words carried the weight of imperial authority, and he possessed legislative power unrestricted by time, place, or procedure. Furthermore, all legislation of the state was initiated by the emperor and ultimately required his approval to take effect.
Traditional political theory bestowed supreme judicial power upon the monarch without reservation. The *Guanzi* advocated "the monarch's sole decision," and the *Book of Lord Shang* also stated, "Power is something the monarch alone controls." Zhu Yuanzhang put it even more clearly: "The Son of Heaven occupies the supreme position, wielding absolute power; rewards and punishments, grants and decrees, are entirely at his discretion" (*Veritable Records of the Ming Taizu*). Such theories guaranteed the emperor's ultimate monopoly on the state's judicial power, ensuring that the judicial power exercised by both local officials and the central legal authorities essentially originated from the emperor's grant. From Qin Shi Huang's "judging cases by day and reviewing documents by night," to Tang Taizong's five-times-reviewed death sentences, to the autumn and court trials of the Ming and Qing dynasties, all reflect the emperor's arbitrary intervention and complete control over the judiciary. This practice not only went unchallenged but was also celebrated and praised by the ancients. Sometimes, even judicial actions taken by the emperor on a whim, severely trampling on judicial fairness and disrupting judicial order, were still celebrated as admirable tales.
When an emperor is angered, he can kill at any time without any legal process. This was commonplace in ancient times, and the Ming Dynasty's system of caning in court is a prime example. The emperor was also the highest judicial authority in the country; the final judgment of any major case had to be submitted to the emperor for approval. Even today, many scholars believe that the ancient system of reviewing death sentences reflected the emperor's caution regarding human life and considered it a benevolent policy. However, it can be understood as a fundamental means for the emperor to monopolize and manipulate the state's judicial power, a prominent manifestation of centralized autocracy in the judiciary. Compared to its drawbacks, its merits are negligible. If power is granted a position above the law and is unchecked, the law loses its original meaning and value, becoming a subservient tool at the feet of power. The relationship between imperial power and law in ancient China fully illustrates this eternal truth.
Asgard is the same.
They are a typical authoritarian regime!
The law has no jurisdiction over the king!
Loki's messes would have gotten him completely killed in any normal country!
He's plotting to usurp the throne!
But how did Odin do it?
They captured Loki, but had no intention of killing him!
They simply locked him up, much like how ancient emperors punished princes for rebellion—it all depended on their relationship with the prince.
Li Shimin's crown prince rebelled... a real rebellion. Li Chengqian planned to replicate the Xuanwu Gate Incident, but Li Shimin couldn't bring himself to kill him. Perhaps there were other considerations, but if Li Shimin really wanted to kill him, he certainly could. However, Li Shimin didn't kill him. Under Emperor Taizong's painstaking protection, he was demoted to commoner status and exiled to Qianzhou. After Li Chengqian's death, he was buried with the rites of a duke. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, his grandson Li Shizhi became prime minister, posthumously granting him the titles of Grand General of Jingzhou and Prince of Hengshan, with the posthumous name Min, and his remains were moved to Zhaoling.
However, Li You, also a son of Li Shimin, was the fifth son of Li Shimin, and his mother was Consort Yin. In the eighth year of the Wude era, he was enfeoffed as the Prince of Yiyang. After the Xuanwu Gate Incident, he was enfeoffed as the Prince of Chu. In the second year of the Zhenguan era, he was appointed Governor of Youzhou and Prince of Yan. In the tenth year of the Zhenguan era, he was enfeoffed as Governor of Qizhou and Prince of Qi. In the seventeenth year of the Zhenguan era (643), he raised an army in rebellion, but the rebellion failed, he was captured, deposed as a commoner, and forced to commit suicide in the Inner Palace. He was buried with the rites of a Duke.
This is the power of the emperor in feudal society!
Although Heimdall felt that Sif's actions were very serious, in reality, the punishment for Sif was just a matter of Thor's word!