Chapter 162: There Is a Golden House in Books (Major Chapter)

The purple-robed senior eunuch pondered briefly, then said:

"Based on my observations during this period, Scholar Zhang probably isn't like that; he's simply acting on his natural disposition!"

As the top scholar, he is also a talent the Emperor Jingwu intends to employ; the Ministry of Personnel has long begun closely observing Zhang Jian.

After a slight pause, Chaomu added:

"If it were merely for show before the Emperor, there would inevitably be omissions; but in my view, Scholar Zhang merely enjoys reading and writing!"

"With Scholar Zhang's assistance, the progress of the Great Qian Compendium has also accelerated considerably!"

"Oh, that is indeed quite good!"

Emperor Jingwu's expression softened slightly, no longer so stern and cold.

He is also very concerned about the compilation progress of the Great Qian Compendium.

Since ancient times, rulers of all dynasties have paid considerable attention to civil governance and military prowess.

Emperor Jingwu commissioned Huang Liangzhong and others to compile the Great Qian Compendium, also for the sake of civil governance in the court, so that its benefits may extend to future generations—this too is a merit of the court's civil education.

Chaomu seemed to recall something at this moment, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, and he added:

"For this, Scholar Zhang has even offended quite a few colleagues!"

He recounted in detail what had happened that morning at the Zhuangyuan Residence.

"It seems those officials in the Literary Affairs Bureau are still too idle, with time to nitpick at pragmatic colleagues!"

On the dragon throne, Emperor Jingwu let out a soft hum, a hint of displeasure flickering in his eyes.

He himself is a diligent person, and he deeply detests such behavior that drags others down.

A dangerous light flashed in the depths of his eyes.

After a moment's thought, Emperor Jingwu spoke again:

"I have heard that this top scholar I personally appointed is also a cultivator; have you noticed anything about him?"

Chaomu, upon hearing this, was not surprised.

The Black-Clothed Guards had long received news from the Dongshen Observatory that Zhang Jian's cultivation level is not lacking; even the matter of him gaining favor from the Whitewater Dragon Palace and becoming a son-in-law there is crystal clear.

Emperor Jingwu is merely curious about this, with no other thoughts.

It is not uncommon for cultivators to enter the court as officials.

Moreover, quite a few of them have also passed the military examinations and become military generals of the court.

However, most cultivators harbor no particular fondness for the court, nor do they wish to involve themselves with it, fearing it might delay their own cultivation.

Unless some special cultivators who can withstand the suppression of the court's dragon and tiger aura.

For example, Daoists like those from the Dongshen Observatory.

"I once exchanged words with the Jingming Dharma Master of the Dongshen Observatory, hearing that Scholar Zhang's sect is a hidden Daoist lineage, very powerful; but observing his conduct, it should not endanger Your Majesty!"

"Moreover, Scholar Zhang bears the righteous aura of heaven and earth; he certainly would not be one who harbors treachery in his heart!"

Chaomu's eyes flickered with a faint smile.

Since ancient times, scholars bearing the righteous aura of heaven and earth have been pillars of the court, posing no threat to it.

Emperor Jingwu nodded upon hearing this; during this period he has not yet summoned Zhang Jian, and this too has been a consideration of his.

Afterwards, Emperor Jingwu inquired about the information of the several new military commanders promoted this time, for this is his focus of attention.

Building the new army is a shared wish of two generations of emperors.

The purpose is to rely on this great army to suppress the current decaying situation, using the sharpness of military might to sweep away those demons and monsters, thereby restoring the nation's fortune.

To this end, Emperor Jingwu also had the Daoists of the Dongshen Observatory excavate a batch of individuals bearing special military commander destinies, hoping to train a force capable of galloping across boundless lands.

……

Literary Affairs Bureau, Southern Wing, Jiazi Numbered Building—this place is antique and fragrant.

The chill of early spring seems to be shrouded by the scholarly aura here.

Although the home leave vacation is approximately two months long, Zhang Jian does not plan to return to Fengyang Commandery; instead, he first purchased a small courtyard in Haojing and prepared to marry Qi Yuhua here in the capital.

It is not that he is unwilling to return in glory to his hometown, but rather Zhang Jian feels that marrying in the capital would be better.

As a capital official, his foundation for the coming years lies in the capital; the wedding is also an opportunity to broaden his connections.

Naturally, the Qi family members have already been preparing to come to the capital during this period.

He heard some gossip that the Long Princess had persuaded the Empress Dowager to ask Emperor Jingwu to bestow a marriage upon her and Qi Yuanwu.

At that time, the old lady of the Qi family and the Qi clan relatives will certainly enter the capital.

Still, he feels somewhat indebted to Bai Liying for this, so he sent his personal attendant Zhang Lu back to bring Bai Liying some small gifts.

……

After settling some miscellaneous affairs, Zhang Jian then focused all his energy on the work before him.

The imperial palace contains many large libraries.

One part of them existed since the previous dynasty; after the founding emperor of Great Qian established the state, he had these libraries completely preserved.

The southern study before us is one of them; the Southern Study has six large libraries in total, containing a vast collection of classics.

I have heard it also includes some so-called internal cultivation secret manuscripts.

Of course, such classics are extremely rare.

The court indeed has a storage area for internal cultivation secret manuscripts, but it is not in the Southern Study; rather, it is inside the Northern Study.

In the following days, Zhang Jian remained here, taking advantage of the rare rest period to peruse the classics, occasionally also going to the Literary Affairs Bureau to assist Huang Liangzhong in perfecting the Great Qian Compendium.

His days were very fulfilling.

As he browsed through more classics, he also found some truly valuable rare editions.

"Stellar Astronomy Theory?"

Before a tall bookshelf, this time Zhang Jian found a volume of great value.

This is an ancient text on stellar astronomy research written by a person named Floating Child.

Zhang Jian's expression was solemn; after a brief flip through, he realized the author of this book must be someone deeply knowledgeable about astronomical and stellar changes.

Many of these intricate passages might be beyond ordinary people's comprehension, but he felt as if he had encountered sweet dew.

It contains the weight of stars, gravity, gravitational force, and methods for calculating stellar motion—appearing highly meaningful.

This partially verifies the profound mysteries within the Chaotic Star Decree he obtained, causing many of Zhang Jian's doubts to suddenly dissolve.

As he delved deeper, he grasped part of the heavenly and earthly mysteries concerning starlight; his gaze deep within now seemed to shimmer with starlight, his entire being immersed, unaware that threads of starlight had begun to appear behind him, and as his insight grew, mysterious starlight continuously flowed around him.

This starlight leapt, carrying a chilling, forest-like coldness.

It resonated with heaven and earth!

Threads of fine starlight descended as if from the heavens, seemingly passing through the glass skylight of the southern study, falling upon his body and transforming into threads of electric light that entered his physique; countless starlights intertwined behind him, forming strange star trajectory diagrams, each containing a phantom of a star, as if appearing upon the earth, beneath the water, and in the high skies among flying birds and beasts.

The Dragon Chant Sword beside him rang without wind, flying out naturally, like a thread of starlight continuously passing through it, merging with the starlight threads, at times evolving into scenes of a hundred birds soaring, frolicking, and hunting.

At times like fish swimming in water, striking against the current.

At times like the myriad beasts of the earth, fiercely battling.

After playing for a while, Zhang Jian slowly opened his eyes; the starlight above his head gradually faded, and the long sword returned to its sheath.

Faint stardust drifted around his body, his form slightly trembling, suddenly sounding like crackling firecrackers, with threads of starlight overflowing from his hundreds of apertures, carrying some dark impurities.

"Reading good books is like tasting jade nectar and ambrosia, leaving one with endless aftertaste!"

Zhang Jian at this moment felt a sense of emotion welling up.

He also noticed that during this process, his internal energy had become unusually round and full, like golden liquid and jade springs repeatedly refined, with no trace of emptiness remaining.

Zhang Jian was still somewhat familiar with this, and did not pay much attention to it.

If it were said that due to immersion in the profound mysteries of the book sea, he naturally formed a golden core the next moment, he would not be surprised at all.

His state of mind also seemed to change completely as he contemplated the ultimate principles of heaven and earth.

The light revealed in his eyes was as vast and profound as heaven and earth.

Having gained insight, his enthusiasm grew higher; after repeatedly studying this Stellar Astronomy Treatise, he slowly set it down.

Not long after, he found another book titled *The Supreme Inquiry into the Dao*, a Daoist classic, which he read with great relish.

Although this *Supreme Inquiry into the Dao* gave him the impression of lacking substantial content compared to the *Stellar Astronomy Treatise*, it contained passages for nourishing the soul and calming the spirit; after reciting them, he vaguely felt he had gained deeper insight into the soul and divine thought.

Divine thought became more acute!

He was full of enthusiasm.

"Zhang the Compiler, I've brought you your meal!"

At this moment, a soft voice came from beside his ear, pulling Zhang Jian out of his immersion.

At this time he wore a blue official robe, with an inexplicable radiance surrounding him, standing in the sunlight, faintly carrying an air of transcendence.

This caused the minor official in front of him, dressed in blue-black official attire, to be utterly astonished, as if seeing a celestial being.

Zhang Jian had long noticed the arrival of this minor official, and smiled.

"Oh, it's Xiao Lin—just put it down!"

He casually placed the book in his hands onto the nanmu table before him, his eyes gazing at the minor official ahead.

The minor official before him was named Lin Dong, one of the two errand runners in the government office, also holding the title of a cultivated talent.

During this period, running about, Zhang Jian was actually quite satisfied.

"What a warm gaze—this Compiler Zhang's eyes seem like those of a sage in a temple..."

The minor official lifted his eyes, his pupils showing some surprise; within that gaze, he felt as if all his inner anxieties and pressures had vanished, replaced by sunlight.

But in the next instant, his body trembled slightly, he lowered his head and placed the tray on the nanmu table, bowed slightly, and slowly retreated.

Facing Zhang Jian's gaze, he felt a sense of shame and inadequacy!

"The food in the government office is still not bad!"

Zhang Jian looked at the few dishes on the tray, casually picked up the bamboo chopsticks beside him, and began to eat small bites, a smile appearing in his eyes.

After establishing his foundation through divination, he actually found that consuming spiritual energy was sufficient to replenish the loss of essence and spirit.

Eating meals was not a necessary act.

Yet he still retained this habit.

Recently, he also found several ancient texts on ingesting pills and absorbing qi within the study, and intended to study them further.

Being able to enjoy delicious food while also extracting cultivation aids from it—wasn't that a perfect blend?

Just then, Zhang Jian's hand paused mid-meal; he gazed toward the outside of the southern study, only to hear footsteps approaching.

Those footsteps were extremely heavy, accompanied by a shocking aura of killing intent and blood energy.

Shortly after, the sunlight at the entrance of the Jiazi Number Study seemed to be completely obscured by a hidden shadow, as a tall, imposing man with a stern face walked in.

He wore a dark mystic armor, with a white cold-resistant great cloak behind him, his eyes bright and piercing.

He first glanced at Zhang Jian, who was eating, then looked around, then strode to the bookshelf, directly flipping through the texts there; after only a few glances, he suddenly furrowed his brows tightly.

Seeing this, Zhang Jian secretly speculated in his mind, yet his hand did not slow, continuing to pick at the rice and vegetables.

"May I ask, sir, is this the Jiazi Number Study?"

At this moment, Zhang Jian heard a voice rich in masculine vigor and blood energy from beside his ear.

The young commander in armor, whose arrival time Zhang Jian did not know, had come before him, his steps soundless like a ghost.

Zhang Jian had long been aware of him; he did not put down his bowl and chopsticks, still had food in his mouth, merely puffing out his cheeks as he spoke.

"This is indeed the Jiazi Number Study!"

Upon hearing this, the young commander immediately frowned slightly, his expression puzzled, and he strangely glanced at the civil official before him.

This civil official actually did not fear him?

Under his gaze, he could still eat in peace!

"General An, please wait a moment, subordinate!"

At this moment, however, a figure hurried over from outside the South Study—it was an official in a green robe, his forehead faintly sweating, and upon seeing Zhang Jian, he first bowed.

"Zhang Xiuzhu!"

He then clasped his hands before the young commander, giving a wry smile as he spoke.

"General An, you're mistaken—you've taken the wrong direction. Room Jiazi of the North Study is not here; it's over there!"

Upon hearing this, the young commander nodded, turned, and departed, though he glanced sideways at Zhang Jian, still eating, with a faint oddity in his eyes before turning and leaving.

"The surnamed An general?"

Zhang Jian watched the young martial commander's retreating figure, a hint of astonishment in his eyes. Relying on his extraordinarily keen divine sense, he perceived that this young commander was a grandmaster of body refinement, his qi and blood like a blazing furnace, his vital energy akin to lead and mercury, profound and heavy.

Further still, he was equivalent to a cultivator who had forged magical power and completed the Foundation Establishment stage.

Such a young martial commander—Zhang Jian had never seen one like him before.

It appeared his status was far from ordinary; indeed, he could enter the South Study, a forbidden zone within the imperial palace.

A few names of court commanders flashed through Zhang Jian's mind. Generals surnamed An were not many, and only one matched this age and description: the border troops commander An Ruiming, recently transferred.

This was a rising young commander in the army, a leader among young officers, now recalled to Haojing, reportedly because Emperor Jingwu intended to place him in command of the newly formed Shenji Army.

Zhang Jian quickly set this matter aside in his mind, preparing to continue taking root in the South Study, toiling diligently.

He now had such time to spare.

Recently, his few "good colleagues" had not, for some reason, bothered him as per their original plan; instead, they were working intensely—not slacking off, but being proactive in everything, causing quite a stir.

This made Zhang Jian think he was the one being swept up, rather than the one sweeping others along?

Consequently, he could only exert a bit more effort; during his days off, he would pitch in and also reclaim part of the work on compiling the *Great Qian Compendium*.

Yet this very action of his caused Chen Xiuming and others to complain bitterly.

Their orders were precisely that they must not finish work earlier than Zhang Jian's shift ended.

Zhang Jian working so hard—wasn't that courting death!

But on this day, Zhang Jian's near-two-points-one-line routine of life came to a brief halt.

The entire Wen Ti Institute was given two days off.

The reason: the pacification army from the southern commanderies, after nearly a year of encirclement and suppression, had finally captured alive the rebel leader of Yangzhou Commandery, the Little Ming King Chang Li!

The rebel chief was now being escorted to the capital, awaiting imperial judgment.