Chapter 869: The Altar (Happy June 1st!)

Jinshi.

Imperial Palace.

The gardens of the Great Liang were inherited from the Song Dynasty; every step revealed a new scene, capturing the heavens and earth within the garden. Yet, they discarded the delicate and gentle nature of Song Dynasty gardens, appearing grand and imposing, a magnificent spectacle.

Zhang Jushi, appearing middle-aged and dressed in purple official robes, walked through the gardens, feeling as if he had forgotten both the world and himself; for a moment, his expression could not help but become dazed.

He thought of the instructions his late Master had given him back then—serve the sovereign with loyalty!

He also thought of how he had started as a minor official and climbed up step by step with great difficulty, eventually gaining a chance to meet the Emperor.

At that time, the young Emperor asked a question: "The King of Chu was silent for three years; once he spoke, he died. How is this to be interpreted?"

The King of Chu was an Ancient monarch; at the time, powerful ministers held sway in the country, and after ascending the throne, he silently observed the government for three years before launching a coup in one stroke.

Taihe said, bowing.

From a passage revealed beneath a floorboard, one could go all the way down to a vast space.

Although that person had retired to the side of Xuanwu Lake, even Xiao Liang dared not draw a conclusion about how many hidden forces he possessed.

Xiao Liang fell silent for a moment.

In truth, there are very few opportunists in the officialdom; there are far more people who have merit but cannot get promoted!

Zhang Jushi had not received special treatment, but to be promoted after making contributions and achieving results was already a treatment many dreamed of.

"As you command!"

"Your subject is willing to lay down his life for Your Majesty."

"The old Daoist already fully understands Your Majesty's intent. Please return and report to Your Majesty: Dulongzi is already old and unfit for heavy tasks; he only asks to bury his bones among the mountain forests..."

Xiao Liang paced twice and suddenly sneered: "The three Grand Academicians in the military... Tang Xun is still respectful and knows the rules, but Si Yunming and Zheng Fang have repeatedly planted their own people, and have even found their own successors... Where does this put Me? But at this moment, I still need to use them... There is no doubt that the person from back then planted deep roots in the military. Although there have been several purges, the army cannot be trusted; the only ones who can be used are the navy!"

Zhang Jushi kowtowed once more.

Xiao Liang gave a bitter laugh, and thinking of his father, he could not help but think of the Daoist Dulongzi.

'So it is not just that Dragon Caves create kings; a true king can form a Dragon Cave himself! This Wind and Water Geomancy is fundamentally of no great use! Ridiculous, ridiculous!'

"Indeed, I will issue an imperial decree to commend the Taishang Dao Academy!"

Under this level of protection, apart from the State Preceptor Xulingzi in his prime, I fear no Daoist or monk could approach or eavesdrop...

"They cannot be mentioned in the same breath; that is well said."

This was also the reason he was unwilling to fully cooperate with these ghosts and gods.

If it were discovered by others that the Human Emperor was also secretly performing sacrifices to Heaven, it would inevitably cause a huge uproar.

"What's more... once you perform the sacrifice to Heaven and restore the title of Son of Heaven, Xulingzi will surely die! He is merely lingering on his last breath by borrowing your original imperial mandate! Hehe... every moment he lives, he is eroding your fate!"

Although both had entered the Cabinet, Si Yunming had taken advantage of the Chancellor's retirement to expand his influence extensively, with students and old acquaintances filling the navy; even the Emperor could not easily move him—this was his source of confidence!

The young eunuch received the order, exited the Imperial Palace, mounted a swift horse, and galloped away with his guards.

Zhang Jushi immediately stepped aside: "Grand Academician Ming!"

He had known about this kind of thing for a long time.

Xiao Liang muttered a complaint in his heart.

He knew there must be imperial experts on guard and in ambush on all sides...

"Base slave, how dare you spy on My itinerary?"

At the same time, a purple-robed eunuch came over: "His Majesty summons Grand Academician Zhang for an audience!"

Seeing Zhang Jushi arrive at this moment, he smiled slightly: "My Grand Academician has arrived..."

"Master, then what about this brocade pouch?"

Xiao Liang waved his hand dismissively.

It was precisely because of this that he was able to enter the Cabinet at such a young age, while simultaneously defeating his greatest rival—Lu Xiaoyi!

At the time, the Emperor did not have much of a reaction, simply letting Zhang Jushi withdraw, and he had not summoned him much since.

Zhang Jushi knew the gap between himself and such a big shot, and his face was full of smiles: "Indeed..."

'Master, your disciple has finally avenged you!'

This person was plump and round, with honest features; he was not Taichong, nor was he Taiyin, but Taihe!

This palace maid was born with the beauty of Tianxiang and seemed to have encountered him by chance; she hurriedly knelt by the roadside, and a fragrance like orchids and musk wafted over.

Only then did Xiao Liang say: "Why is it that even though our Great Liang has stabilized the world for over a decade, there are still flood dragons emerging?"

The person who arrived was none other than Si Yunming; seeing Zhang Jushi, he only said politely: "Young Master Zhang has also come..."

"Blessing? My father was told by the Daoist Dulongzi that he had the mandate of a king, yet in the end..."

Dulongzi muttered to himself, rolling his eyes: 'I went to the imperial mausoleum to practice Qi Gazing a few days ago, but the feeling was not as good as the original Dragon Cave... And although the State Preceptor's ancestral grave is untended, it faintly shows signs of greatness...'

After all, the King of Liang had proclaimed himself Emperor, and he had achieved Great Success in supporting the dragon; both sides had settled their accounts.

"Xulingzi, kill, kill, kill, kill..."

Although the Great Liang no longer selected officials based on the Four Books and Five Classics, the officials who could rise through the ranks had not yet shed the Confucian teachings in their hearts.

"Your Majesty!"

Waiting until the young eunuch had left, he looked toward Jinshi City and sighed: "The Dragon Qi is fluctuating quite violently... I hope Your Majesty does not do anything one cannot bear to speak of!"

"Hehe... are you afraid?"

That voice kept overlapping and began to change.

"Let Me think, let Me think..."

Ever since the Jin King died, the Daoist Dulongzi had also been cultivating in the Dulong Temple and did not often associate with him.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, kings have always had the Heavenly Mandate, but only Your Majesty does not... This is truly because someone has forcibly seized Your Majesty's blessing, which is why even after stabilizing the world for over a decade, there are still seeds of flood dragons and snakes appearing in the world!"

Within the surrounding darkness, human shadows faintly emerged.

However, having already achieved the status of a Perfected Person, he had long since successfully extricated himself from this quagmire and was not prepared to sink into it again.

It did not take long to arrive at Dulong Temple.

Zhang Jushi immediately straightened his attire and entered the small pavilion, only to discover that besides the Human Emperor of Great Liang, there was actually a third person in the pavilion!

This Dulong Temple and Yangxin Temple could be called equals, both being places of pure cultivation with little incense, appearing desolate.

But it failed... the little Emperor was directly murdered!

The Altar was divided into three levels, carved with scenes of wind, rain, thunder, and Electric, the four seasons and the state, and the landscape like a painting... it was clearly an Altar for sacrificing to Heaven!

Plus the fact that his aunt sacrificed herself to enter Taoism, this Emperor had no one by his side to confide in.

Ever since the State Preceptor ordered the human race to strive for self-improvement, abolished the title of Son of Heaven, and the Emperor only called himself the Human Emperor, the ceremonies for the people to sacrifice to Heaven and Earth had been gradually decreasing.

On the memorial, it was clearly recorded that some of the research at the Taishang Dao Academy no longer involved only the supernatural powers of Taoism and Buddhism, but was even researching Dragon Qi and even the Heavenly Mandate!

There were even rumors that some flood dragon seeds had been captured in the north and were being held in a secret base for research and experimentation!

"This..."

Xiao Liang sported a small mustache, appearing heroic and spirited, walking with the gait of a dragon and a tiger, making people feel overwhelmed with admiration at the sight of him.

Upon leaving, he was also deep in thought: 'His Majesty is still too deeply influenced by Xulingzi; this is not a blessing for the Confucian school... Xulingzi expelled the barbarians and has some meager merit... but for the sake of the world, he still must be killed...'

'Fortunately, His Majesty still has children; this position of Eastern Palace Lecturer is crucial, and we must have our people obtain it!'

"Your Majesty, please forgive your subject's death sentence first, and then I will dare to speak."

Zhang Jushi wanted to persuade him further, but seeing Xiao Liang wave his hand, he could only withdraw.

The little eunuch went up to knock on the door, saw a young Daoist open it, and handed over a Gold Medal.

Gusts of Yin wind blew directly from the ground, mixed with a voice that sounded like the voices of dozens of people overlapped into one: "Not enough... not enough... Human Emperor, you must publicly lead the hundred officials to sacrifice to Heaven so that the National Fortune can form a Heavenly Pillar, reconnect with Heaven, and obtain the communion between Heaven and man; only then will you have your Heavenly Mandate... Do you know why the world is settled, yet flood dragons are still rising everywhere? Because you have abandoned Heaven!!!"

Fortunately, in the end, he was the one who won.

The little eunuch stood to the side waiting for a long time until Dulongzi stood up, then he bowed and presented a brocade pouch: "His Majesty said he misses the Daoist very much!"

After venting, Xiao Liang handed another brocade pouch to a little eunuch beside him: "Go... deliver it to Dulong Temple and tell Daoist Dulongzi that I miss him."

"It's starting again... the state of these ghosts and gods is not quite right; why are they acting like they're crazy?"

Xiao Liang clapped his hands, and Zhang Jushi suddenly felt that the atmosphere all around had become much more murderous.

This was also a theory of Confucianism, which emphasizes that a gentleman needs to lie dormant, hide his Artifact within himself, wait for the right time to act, and silently wait for a good opportunity.

But he did not fall out with the then-Prime Minister; instead, he silently accepted the Prime Minister's request, ascended the throne as the Human Emperor, and abandoned the title of Son of Heaven!

But Zhang Jushi knew that he was already favored by the Emperor!

The clear proof of this was that he had been promoted several times without encountering any obstacles!

Zhang Jushi said firmly.

Unknowingly, it gathered toward Zhang Jushi, forming a huge potential force.

Seeing this, the young Daoist hurriedly opened the door to welcome the Angel.

Seeing this, Zhang Jushi knew the time was ripe and hurriedly said: "His Majesty's choice back then was very correct... If there had been no support from the Prime Minister back then, even if the Prime Minister had retired, there would still have been arrogant soldiers and fierce generals who would have been difficult to subdue, and there might have been a mutiny... Back then, not only did the Prime Minister need His Majesty, but His Majesty also needed the Prime Minister; but now, things have changed, and it cannot be spoken of in the same breath."

He was still secretly shaking his head in his heart: 'Being too smart leads to death... Is this secret of His Majesty's something you can probe? What a pity... regardless of whether you wanted to climb into the dragon bed or something else before, now you can only be beaten to death...'

'This old Daoist helped King Liang and his son achieve the status of True Dragon, which is already enough to repay this family; if I throw in this hard-earned status of a Perfected Person, am I a fool?'

Xiao Liang suddenly fell into a Wrath: "Drag him down for me and beat him to death with a staff... Also, investigate this matter to the end; arrest everyone involved and interrogate them with torture... I do not need such scheming people by my side!"

Doing so meant a public break with the State Preceptor.

This palace seemed to have been abandoned for a long time, the courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and it looked as if no one had lived there for a long time.

Even if the Liang Emperor were to pass away at this time, it would not cause a Backlash against him.

"Greetings to Perfected Person Dulong."

He waved his hand and let Daoist Taihe withdraw.

Xiao Liang watched Zhang Jushi leave, but he remained silent.

Long-term experience made him understand one thing: stand on the side of the winner!

No matter how flowery the words of these ghosts and gods were, they were all losers!

"Forget it, it seems I can only be clear-headed for this long today..."

Zhang Jushi's eyes were red, and he said in his heart: 'Master... do you see? This day has finally arrived.'

"..."

That voice sounded again, but this time a woman's voice took the lead: "What are you afraid of? Once you formally sacrifice to Heaven, you will be the Son of Heaven, and you will be followed by a hundred gods wherever you go... We will all help you."

Watching Si Yunming leave, he stood up straight, his eyes slightly deep.

At one moment he looked like a strong man, at another like an old man, and then he changed into a young child...

A purple-robed eunuch beside him roared to receive the order and ordered people to drag the palace maid away.

In reality, what he and Lu Xiaoyi were competing for this time was not just entering the cabinet, but also the status and right to speak as the successor of the Confucian school!

The blood and intrigue involved were truly not enough to be told to outsiders.

'The old Daoist's previous Master and senior brothers... they died truly unjustly!'

Xiao Liang took two steps back, appearing somewhat conflicted.

Xiao Liang walked back onto the palace, and as he left, he saw a palace maid in front who seemed to be passing by unintentionally.

Immediately, he strode away.

At that time, Zhang Lay Practitioner was overjoyed, because His Majesty was reading Confucian books, and this King Chulie was also a Confucian story!

Immediately, he replied sternly: "A scholar rebels, and it doesn't succeed in three years; can it succeed in thirty years?"

The little eunuch passed through without obstruction and came to the back of the Daoist temple, where he saw a waterfall like green jade falling vertically, and Dulongzi was lying on a blue stone, seemingly sleeping leisurely.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

But a public sacrifice to Heaven is truly something that cannot be done!

His hair and beard were already completely white, yet his face was glowing with health, and he was full of vigor.

Xiao Liang gazed at the Heavenly Altar but said little, merely ordering his trusted head eunuch to personally arrange the offerings, while he himself pinched three sticks of incense and inserted them into the incense burner.

What's more, this Taihe has a direct master-disciple relationship with that Xulingzi!

"No need to say more, the Taishang Dao Academy's research over these years into the Steam Engine, the Divine Fire Musket... and even Dao Power and Buddhist power... has all been meritorious!"

"I will spare your life, speak," Xiao Liang said, knitting his brows.

Xiao Liang reached out to take it and examined it carefully, his expression changing instantly.

After all, the Imperial Preceptor had truly bestowed great kindness upon his family, and furthermore, his aunt was still at Yangxin Temple.

"Xulingzi, how I hate you..."

After a long while, he left the Imperial Garden and arrived at a side hall.

"Your Majesty..."

But when Xiao Liang arrived at the main hall, he discovered that this place held a hidden world of its own.

Dulongzi took the brocade pouch but waved his hand.

With the support of those who favored the Confucian teachings, both he and the Emperor were gradually gaining strength, and they could begin to challenge that great mountain.

"I fear it is not just research into Daoism and Buddhist methods..." Zhang Jushi took a memorial from his sleeve and knelt on the ground to present it to Xiao Liang.

Inside the underground palace, there was an Altar.

The young Taoist acolyte nearby saw Dulongzi in a daze and couldn't help but ask a question.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the five thousand Divine Fire Army are already fully trained, and the Divine Fire Muskets and cannonballs are all complete..."

Zhang Jushi arrived in the Imperial Garden, outside a small pavilion, and saw a military officer stride out.

Holding the position of Grand Academician of the Hongwen Pavilion, Zhang Jushi stepped forward at this moment and whispered: "The likes of Taoists and monks are skilled at using Strange Art to play god and fool people; it is truly not advisable to get close to them..."

"Burn it."

Dulongzi sighed: "Additionally... this old Taoist is going deep into the mountains to gather herbs; you must keep the temple gates tightly shut, and remember, no matter what happens outside, it has absolutely nothing to do with us!"

(End of this chapter)