[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling":3,"chapter-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-35":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Top Scholar of Da Ling",{"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},2288870,4475,"Chapter 35: Dismissal of the Chancellor","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-35",35,"\u003Cp>That night, Tukeslu lay on the bed in the guest room, his heart tangled with complex emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with Hai Lizi’s high spirits, he felt exhausted and helpless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tukeslu felt like a sesame seed trapped in a pot, crushed by heat and pressure until oil and juice were squeezed out—never stopping until nothing remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tukeslu was a martial practitioner; though his physical condition was strong and he had consumed Hai Lizi’s special medicinal cuisine, after several rounds of exertion, he inevitably grew physically drained and mentally worn—but even so, as the medicine’s effects had not yet faded, he could only keep avoiding and confronting again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Helpless, Tukeslu could only gaze with tear-filled eyes as Hai Lizi playfully rode back and forth, whipping the horse in endless cycles. He longed to break free, but could summon no strength; as time passed, his body grew weaker, drunk with exhaustion, limbs limp, until his mind went blank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heavy, endless night finally passed. Hai Lizi changed her clothes, satisfied, and swept away with a flick of her sleeve—leaving Tukeslu alone in the room to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tukeslu lay on the bed, utterly spent, yet his mind was in chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The events of the night quickly blurred into a dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strange, half-real, half-illusory sensations lingered in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew only that he needed long, deep sleep to shake off this storm of emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hai Lizi’s pure image drifted like a dream—elusive, yet entangled in his soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tukeslu sank into confusion...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, Li Xuanren brought Jiang Mingyu to the guest house at the back of the mountain to check on Tukeslu, who had been “siphoned for yang to replenish yin.” When the two entered the room and approached the bed, they were stunned by the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tukeslu, still in his prime, had woken with hair once black and glossy now entirely silver-white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyebrows and beard were equally streaked with white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In addition,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>his eyes were bloodshot, unable to blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whites of his eyes had turned pale; his entire demeanor was listless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His once robust frame was now skin stretched over bone, fingers too weak to grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even his once well-developed pectoral and abdominal muscles had grown slack, rising and falling weakly with each breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His former confident expression had vanished, replaced by vacant confusion—he didn’t know where he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Jiang Mingyu arrive, Tukeslu tried to rise and greet him, but his spine stabbed with sharp pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried to speak, but his throat was dry as dust, producing no sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His limbs had no strength at all, as if filled with water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lay on the bed like a rag doll, unable to move freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could not even lift his neck, so he twisted his head slightly, using his eyes to signal Jiang Mingyu and Li Xuanren.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lips twitched involuntarily—was he trying to laugh or cry?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tukeslu now had no strength left, not even enough to force a simple smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His appearance was pitiful—he looked like a puppet drained of all vitality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Tukeslu so weak, Li Xuanren immediately seized his wrist and began carefully examining his pulse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, Li Xuanren slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed: “Weak qi, deficient kidneys, excessive liver fire!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing the pulse diagnosis, Li Xuanren added: “I’ll go find Qi Wu and get medicine to help Grandmaster Tuk restore his body.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had he spoken than Hai Lizi entered with Qi Wu, who carried a bowl of freshly brewed black herbal decoction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wisps of steam rose from the bowl’s rim, releasing the fresh, herbal scent of medicinal plants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry—you’ll be fine…” Li Zhenren sat beside the bed and ordered Qi Wu to help Tukeslu sit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhenren lifted the decoction, blew on it twice, then said: “Rest well for a few days, and you’ll recover—strong as ever, reborn!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Reborn?” Tukeslu asked, voice faint with suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The method of siphoning yang to replenish yin is a technique of yin-yang harmony…” Li Zhenren explained. “Grandmaster Tuk has now absorbed three-tenths of my internal power. Once your strength returns, you will be reborn—like a new man!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, she slowly poured the decoction into Tukeslu’s mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the medicine circulated within him, Tukeslu’s spirit gradually improved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hai Lizi comforted him: “You’re like a newborn chick—take it slow. Everything will come in time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Wu sat quietly beside him, watching Tukeslu in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her gaze, Tukeslu felt a glimmer of renewed hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Learning Tukeslu’s health had stabilized, Jiang Mingyu turned to inquire about the pills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Li Zhenren’s estimate, analyzing the “One Night Seven Times Pill” would take forty-nine days; to recreate it would require another forty-nine days—altogether, at least ninety-eight days!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Jiang Mingyu, a ninety-eight-day research timeline was no short wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Tukeslu fully regained his strength, Jiang Mingyu temporarily lodged at the Daoist monastery; eager to learn, he also sought guidance from Li Zhenren and Qi Wu on pharmacology and Daoist principles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhenren took him to the alchemy chamber and explained the functions of various natural herbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She also taught him the foundational theories of Daoism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She even taught Jiang Mingyu several basic cultivation postures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Jiang Mingyu was a man long immersed in worldly affairs, he held deep interest and sincerity toward the mysteries of cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He followed Li Zhenren everywhere, walking and asking questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when she had walked far ahead, he would remain where he stood, lost in silent thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifteen days later, Tukeslu’s strength had fully returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With three-tenths of Li Zhenren’s internal power now his, he was brimming with energy, walking with swift, light steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mere exertion allowed him to lift objects previously beyond his strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even movements once arduous now felt effortless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the monastery, he displayed his prowess—his punches and palms now tenfold stronger, even Qi Wu could not match him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tukeslu performed several of the most difficult martial forms, calm and flawless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly laughed: “I feel ten years younger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhenren walked over and smiled gently: “Isn’t this precisely what ‘rebirth’ means?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu gazed at Tukeslu with deep admiration—he now understood the mystery of “rebirth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the twentieth day after Jiang Mingyu arrived at the monastery, Cloud of the Murong came to visit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu: “Lord Murong, what brings you up the mountain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The magistrate of Shangmu County has left, and the new one hasn’t arrived…” Cloud of the Murong said solemnly. “For over twenty days, county affairs have gone unattended—I fear disaster if this continues.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you suggest, Lord Murong?” Jiang Mingyu asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cloud of the Murong: “I wish… to ask Lord Jiang to descend the mountain and temporarily assume the magistrate’s duties—just enough to stabilize the situation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu: “Lord Murong’s words are wise. Li Zhenren says analyzing and recreating the pill will take three months—I cannot return to the capital in the short term.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cloud of the Murong beamed: “If Lord Jiang agrees to temporarily serve as magistrate, I shall assist you wholeheartedly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu said to Cloud of the Murong: “Though our acquaintance is brief, you offer me your support. I admire your fairness and openness—I shall strive to prove worthy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cloud of the Murong smiled: “Lord Jiang overstates it. As long as the people live in peace and prosperity, every day counts—and the merit is undeniable!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu: “I act on goodwill and earnestness to govern the county. I hope not to disappoint you, Lord Murong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cloud of the Murong: “Lord Jiang is too modest. I only seek to hold things steady until a new magistrate arrives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, the two exchanged smiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That afternoon, after bidding farewell to Li Zhenren, Jiang Mingyu, accompanied by Tukeslu and Cloud of the Murong, descended the mountain and returned to Shangmu County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuanren remained on the mountain to assist his master in pill-making.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Jiang Mingyu left the capital, Zhang the Steward was far from idle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He summoned Iron Palm Ba and Lu Xiongying to activate the Drunken Eight Immortals’ intelligence network and the Lu Family Escort Agency’s escort team to search the entire city for the Invisible Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just five days, Lu Xiongying had found twenty-three men claiming to be the Invisible Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang the Steward entered the main hall of the Lu Family Escort Agency and was dumbfounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing twenty-three men—varying in age and skin tone—all claiming to be the Invisible Master, Zhang the Steward burst into laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he quickly sobered and began carefully interrogating each suspect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He questioned them on details: the layout of the Prime Minister’s mansion, movement patterns, routines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet every one answered accurately and in detail—and each produced a “One Night Seven Times Pill” without flaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mystery deepened; Zhang the Steward could only shake his head in bewilderment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ordered his men to investigate all twenty-three thoroughly, then returned to his room to ponder—the matter was far more complex than he’d imagined...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang the Steward left the hall and walked with Lu Xiongying to the front garden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How did you find these Invisible Masters?” Zhang the Steward asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s hard about it?” Lu Xiongying boasted. “Iron Palm Ba announced: ‘Lu Family Escort Agency offers a hefty reward for the return of the stolen One Night Seven Times Pill—and we’ll forgive past offenses!’ Within days, these men came forward one by one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang the Steward: “The Invisible Master is a thief few have seen face-to-face. Among these men… who’s the real one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have no idea who’s real or fake!” Lu Xiongying spread his hands. “You’ll have to figure out the truth yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stumped, Zhang the Steward spent the entire morning pondering in the Lu Family Escort Agency until he finally devised a plan—he used Jiang Mingyu’s title as private secretary to visit the imperial prison and request the release of Prime Minister Mei’s steward, “Ximen Jiajun,” under the pretense of aiding the investigation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, Zhang the Steward brought Ximen Jiajun back to the Lu Family Escort Agency and asked him to identify the real Invisible Master among the twenty-three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ximen Jiajun glanced at them once and said: “Don’t waste your time—none of them are him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“None of them?!” Zhang the Steward, puzzled, thought the candlelight was too dim. “Sir, you’ve been granted rare freedom—why not take this chance to look closely? It might help reduce your sentence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need,” Ximen Jiajun waved dismissively, sneering. “The Invisible Master is a woman! I don’t even know where you found this bunch of old men pretending to be her—and now you want me to pick one? I can’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this crucial revelation about the Invisible Master’s gender, Zhang the Steward immediately ordered Lu Xiongying and Iron Palm Ba to search again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before the second search could begin, Prime Minister Mei in the imperial prison, unable to endure the torture, began wildly accusing others!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All officials named by Mei were arrested and thrown into prison!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the very night Jiang Mingyu’s party was captured by General Xia Duo and brought to the Shangmu County yamen, Du Gu Qiu Bai led six hundred men of the Longlong Army to surround the Hermit Chancellor’s mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the protection of Du Gu Qiu Bai, Eunuch Feng approached the Crane Minister and read out the imperial edict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eunuch Feng unrolled the edict and read aloud: “By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: ‘It has come to light that Grand Secretary Weng has for many years presented the Emperor with the Seven Times in One Night Pill; this matter may be connected to the late Emperor’s death and requires further clarification. Therefore, until the facts are fully established, Grand Secretary Weng is hereby stripped of all official posts!’ This is the decree.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Crane Minister’s heart sank, yet his expression remained unchanged. He bitterly reflected that decades of achievement had collapsed in a single day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading the edict, Eunuch Feng immediately added the Emperor’s verbal order: “His Majesty, mindful of Grand Secretary Weng’s exalted position and great service, grants him the privilege of house arrest at home, forbidding him to leave the capital without permission!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant accepts the decree and thanks Your Majesty.” Kneeling to receive the edict, the Crane Minister bowed three times, raised both hands to receive the document, and cried out: “May Your Majesty live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years!”\u003C\u002Fp>",2058,"2026-06-20T03:28:17.113Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","835e57515dee3d7ce58756ee99da0bc92a7ef6751829cae1d3959199dc5a3f79","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-36","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-34",392,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-top-scholar-of-da-ling-cover.jpg"]