[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten":3,"chapter-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-124":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Simulated to Reality: I Once Looked Down Upon Ten Thousand Ages?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2347139,4587,"Chapter 124: Civil Governance and Martial Might, Sword in Hand","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-124",124,"\u003Cp>The sky had not yet fully brightened in the morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen woke early, an hour earlier than usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because he had struggled to sleep all night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when light began to creep through the window of the Southern Study did he force himself to sleep a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, tomorrow’s affairs would be impossible to handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He barely managed to sleep for an hour, barely regaining some of his energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rubbed his bleary eyes, checked the memorials once more, then neatly stacked them to one side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen stretched, yawned, and stepped out of the Southern Study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pushed open the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attending eunuch on duty hurried to bow; several close attendants followed behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen waved his hand, signaling they need not be so formal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Court etiquette could not be ignored—over a dozen palace maids and eunuchs knelt scattered at his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The palace rules were hard to defy, and a dozen palace maids and eunuchs knelt sparsely at his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Zhou Zhen’s rising, the grand imperial palace began gradually to stir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Palace attendants moved swiftly through corridors, delivering messages and orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Zhou Zhen was the reigning Son of Heaven, whose reign title was Zhenghe, the former Second Prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen rubbed his face and sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Being emperor is less comfortable than being a wealthy merchant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet his steps did not pause!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond the Yangxin Palace lay the Fengxian Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen glanced at the Yangxin Palace—once the emperor’s place for reviewing memorials and meeting ministers, its western chamber reserved for handling memorials and consulting with the Grand Council.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen found it ridiculous that meeting ministers and reviewing memorials required two separate rooms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen felt that meeting ministers and reviewing memorials required two separate rooms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ordered all official documents moved to the Southern Study for his own convenience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Court ministers criticized the move as violating propriety, but Zhou Zhen merely smiled and replied:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve bowed to you all—now do me a favor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers dared not object—how could the Son of Heaven bow to his subjects?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one pressed further; they let the emperor have his way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was strange indeed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his youth, the Second Prince Zhou Zhen had been no stranger to petty theft and mischief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most famously, he once disguised himself as a commoner to abduct a bride, only to be chased by townsfolk, fleeing home bruised and swollen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress at the time was heartbroken and demanded harsh punishment for the crowd—but Zhou Zhen pleaded for mercy, and no one was punished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had expected that after ascending the throne, Zhou Zhen would need constant urging to be diligent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The former Empress was heartbroken and demanded severe punishment for these commoners, but Zhou Zhen pleaded for mercy, and no one was held accountable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen’s diligence far surpassed that of his predecessor—he often reviewed memorials in the Southern Study until dawn, forgetting meals and sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, the Yangxin Palace gradually fell into disuse, becoming a secret meeting place for young eunuchs and maids.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen found this intriguing, often bringing his close attendants to “investigate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more he saw, the more familiar he became with several of the young eunuchs and maids, as if he knew them by heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially one young eunuch, who held a post in the Eastern Depot and had affairs with several maids and eunuchs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen saw this and felt deeply disappointed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had once supported this eunuch and another maid as a pair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, what a waste!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Fengtian Palace—located on the eastern side of the inner palace, serving as the imperial ancestral temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fengxian Palace was first built in the early Yongxiang era, shortly after Emperor Hui was captured by the Northern Wind, when the south rapidly rebuilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It underwent multiple renovations afterward, becoming a vital site for imperial ancestral worship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet today was not a day of sacrifice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen, troubled and restless, decided to come to the Fengxian Palace seeking peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he reached the outer courtyard of the Fengxian Palace,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fengxian Hall was originally built in the early Yongxiang era, shortly after Emperor Huizong was captured by the Northern Wind, when the south swiftly undertook reconstruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone was waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A familiar face—Minister of Rites Xie Chunan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Head of one of the Six Ministries, a man of great stature, worthy of the title “Heavenly Official.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He appeared over fifty, with a light beard, little gray in his hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hair was meticulously groomed, his expression solemn, radiating vigor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen’s face brightened upon seeing Xie Chunan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was not the only one unable to sleep!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Minister Xie, so early today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Chunan, a two-dynasty veteran with merit in the emperor’s ascension, now Crown Prince’s Tutor, moved freely within the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A close eunuch whispered softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, Minister Xie has been here for an hour.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After respectfully greeting Zhou Zhen,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Chunan glanced at Zhou Zhen’s tired face and smiled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, did you not sleep well last night?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen was greatly puzzled!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minister Xie rarely smiled—hardly a grin all year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Court colleagues even nicknamed him “Coffin Face,” joking that he belonged in the Ministry of Justice, not Rites.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen and Xie Chunan entered the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For years, incense had never ceased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sandalwood scent was heavy!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen took the lit incense from the eunuch and gently inserted it into the incense burner on the altar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His colleagues in court even nicknamed him “Coffin Face,” joking that the Ministry of Rites was unsuited for him—he should be in the Ministry of Justice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the incense smoke curled upward,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire hall was wrapped in solemn reverence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After completing this,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen said with quiet pride:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When the Shaobao family first came to the capital, my father stayed awake all night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today, Lu Shaobao has returned to the capital!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I, however, slept for an hour—do you think I slept well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Chunan replied calmly: “The older one grows, the less one sleeps. When you reach your late father’s age, you will not sleep either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen sighed with a wry smile: “Minister Xie, you’re undermining me again, aren’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Chunan said nothing beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen’s gaze wandered through the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at the portraits of past emperors of Daqing, including the captured Emperor Hui, though his portrait stood among the last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the center, the first portrait was:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The founding ancestor of Daqing—the legendary High Ancestor who “slayed the three-headed serpent to establish the realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daqing had ruled for over four hundred fifty years, through more than a dozen emperors, yet only two had earned portraits beside the founding ancestor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was Emperor Jing, known as the Restorer, who established the policy of scholar-official governance, promoted Confucianism, and brought cultural flourishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other was Emperor Taizong, who subdued the Rongqiang in the south and conquered Gao Li in the east, expanding the empire to its greatest extent through martial prowess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two emperors were father and son—one civil, one martial—jointly laying Daqing’s foundation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Subsequent emperors, though accomplished, ultimately failed to surpass the achievements of these two forebears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen turned his gaze back to Xie Chunan and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Minister Xie, how did you know I would come here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other was Emperor Taizong, who marched south to subdue Jimo Rongqiang and east to conquer Gao Li, expanding the empire’s borders through military might to its zenith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, whenever there is a great matter, you always come to the Fengxian Palace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the former emperors of Daqing, though accomplished in their own right, ultimately could not surpass the great achievements of these two predecessors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen withdrew his gaze and turned to Xie Chunan, asking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Xie, how did you know I would come here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Chunan answered calmly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, whenever there is a major matter, you always come to the Fengtian Hall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen nodded and smiled, “Master Xie, you have a keen eye for people…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Truly accurate!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Chunan quickly bowed and said, “Your servant dares not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen waved his hand, “You and I, Master Xie, are on the same boat—no need for such empty formalities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A eunuch entered the chamber and respectfully reported:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, Lord Lu has just gone to the Western Depot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen nodded and said, “Understood!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he fell into quiet thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Chunan stood silently to the side, saying nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only one eunuch remained, bowing low in service; the great hall sank once more into silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen’s expression turned serious:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think the Empress Dowager will do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Chunan replied, “Kill Lord Lu to pacify the realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen sneered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Her so-called pacification of the realm is merely using someone else’s blade—does she not realize she will shatter the sword in her own hand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Having no sword and having a sword but refusing to use it are not the same.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was no longer a term of respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Zhen continued, “What does North Wind report?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1511,"2026-06-21T01:32:57.622Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","92cefb58d97ae2af58765b39bc2c2caa98d20d9cc0777feac30211f82750899d","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-125","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-123",728,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsimulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-cover.jpg"]