Marquis and His Wife

So Li Fan agreed to visit the Zhang residence that evening. After exchanging pleasantries, he saw off the steward of the Grand Tutor Manor's residence at the detached house. But as soon as he returned to the envoy's courtyard, another eunuch, who had sneaked in under the guise of serving tea and water, knelt down in front of him with a thud.

"This servant pays respects to the Guan Nei Hou."

Li Fan glanced at the back of his head. "Oh, isn't this Zhang Rang? What, Brother Wuji, are you inviting me to Five Saints Tea again?"

The eunuch Zhang Rang looked up, tears streaming down his face, "I never imagined that the Guan Nei Hou would still remember me! My death is worthwhile, sob sob sob!"

Li Fan broke out in a cold sweat. "I have a photographic memory. This isn't directed at you. Don't get so agitated."

Zhang Rang bowed deeply, "In that case, I beg the Guan Nei Hou to intervene and save my young master!"

Li Fan had anticipated this turn of events when he came to Sanyuan to wade into this mess. He knew that when both sides reached the point of revealing their true intentions, conflict was inevitable. Wasn't this just a race to win him over as the "knife handle"? So, without waiting for the other party to speak or follow the script, he immediately nodded.

"Of course, of course. We're brothers. If anything were to happen to Brother Wuji, I would guide him to reincarnation and let him cultivate at my Ink Bamboo Mountain. I'm sure the Grand Tutor would grant me that favor."

This left Zhang Rang speechless.

What more do you want? You only had two cups of wine. Isn't that enough to help you reincarnate? Do you want him to turn on you and kill the Grand Tutor? Besides, with the protection of the Divine Lord, being reincarnated and rebuilding Ink Bamboo Mountain is quite a good treatment.

After all, Bei Gong Wuji was a prince of the imperial family. If he lost, he would probably be imprisoned or exiled. If he could be reincarnated, the Grand Tutor would probably breathe a sigh of relief. Such a hot potato would probably not be something anyone else would dare to take on.

However, Zhang Rang, the eunuch, was also a remarkable man. Seeing Li Fan so decisively cut off the conversation, he knew that Li Fan would not easily get involved in the Grand Tutor's tribulation or the conflict between the Ziwei Yuan and the Grand Tutor Manor. So he simply stopped mentioning other things and changed the subject.

"Thank you for your kindness, Marquis of Guan Nei Hou, but you have your own plans. If it really comes to that, you won't want to trouble your friend. I only ask that you, out of friendship, give me a ride when you go to the palace to meet the Emperor. Just let me pass through the palace gates."

Li Fan was taken aback. "What 'meet the Emperor'? What kind of Emperor?"

Zhang Rang's expression changed, and he congratulated him obsequiously, "Naturally, I'm here to meet His Majesty the Emperor of Ziwei Yuan. You've come to the capital to pay homage to the Emperor, haven't you? Although we wouldn't have been able to meet you before, both the young master and the Grand Tutor have submitted memorials requesting that you be granted the title of Marquis Che."

Originally, Marquis Che also intended to establish a fiefdom and wanted the Emperor to make the decision personally. The Emperor, having heard that you are of royal lineage, also intends to summon you for an audience. An imperial decree will be issued from the palace soon."

After a brief moment of shock, Li Fan calmed down and regained his composure. So what if he was a nobody? He was just a Celestial Emperor; who hadn't seen one before? Actually, the name "Guan Nei Hou" sounded better...

However, Zhang Rang not only had prior information about the Ziwei Yuan, but also actually went so far as to use his "friendship" to risk sneaking into the palace by joining his group. This must have a significant cause and effect. Li Fan rubbed his fingers and found that he couldn't calculate it. He knew that Bei Gong Wuji for advice.

No wonder the Grand Tutor has been hiding in his mansion in seclusion these days. It seems there are forces within the Xuanmen who want to suppress the Duke of Shouyang and remind him who the true master of this world is.

Seeing that Li Fan hesitated for a moment and did not agree, Zhang Rang began to raise the stakes.

"By the way, since you couldn't get the silk last time, my lord, I've been keeping a close eye on things these past few years and have prepared five hundred catties of immortal silk to give to you."

It seems Zhang Rang's mission to contact Ziwei Yuan this time is quite important; he's already sent 500 catties of immortal silk right off the bat—quite a generous gesture.

However, Curry still had over 90,000 pounds of meat on his hands. Li Fan glanced at his fingers indifferently and casually remarked...

"Wow, Wanyu Silk! It's so precious, so extravagant, I feel unworthy of it!"

"..." Zhang Rang was silent for a moment, gritted his teeth, and smiled, "This time, when you, Marquis of Guannei, came to pay tribute, you brought many rare and Heavenly Treasure. The Court of State Guan Nei Hou also needs to select some rare and precious treasures from the Immortal Emperor's Treasury to return. I wonder if you have any treasures in mind, or if there is anything rare in Ink Bamboo Mountain? This servant can ask my godfather to arrange for you to personally select them from the treasury, how about that?"

"Huh? Who's your godfather? He's so awesome?"

"The Duke of Yuyang is Dachangqiu of Ziwei Yuan."

"It's the Dachangqiu again?"

Li Fan scratched his head. This was the third Dachangqiu. The Dachangqiu of the Tiger Palace in Xun Kingdom and the Dachangqiu of the Liqiu Palace Li Country were both experts in the Divine Transformation Realm. Although they didn't have the same level of skill, they were still incredibly powerful combat experts.

"Little Zhang, I have a question for you. Are all the eunuchs, Dachangqiu, really that skilled in martial arts?"

Zhang Rang was taken aback. "Of course. The abilities of the Immortal Emperors throughout history varied, and it was inconvenient for the Guardian General and the Guardian General to enter and leave the Forbidden City. The Dachangqiu was the chief eunuch by the side of the Empress and the Queen Consort, in charge of the various eunuchs in the palace, protecting the safety of the Forbidden City, and preventing demons and evil spirits from invading the palace and rebelling against the emperor. Naturally, he had to have considerable abilities."

The number one expert in Ziwei Yuan right now is none other than the Duke of Yuyang. He has been the Dachangqiu of Ziwei Yuan since the time of the Great General. By the way, you are from Lizhou, do you know that the rebellious Prince Nangong Wubu was captured by him personally? That was also the last time he made a move, and now no one knows his cultivation level."

Li Fan swallowed.

Holy crap!! So there's this damned eunuch patriarch in the Ziwei Yuan! Even Nangong Wubu couldn't beat him! That's seriously awesome!

Seeing Zhang Rang bring out such a large vessel of the ancestral spirit, Li Fan hesitated. It seemed that the Grand Tutor's caution was not without reason. He had been involved in the downfall of Nangong Wubu, and must have witnessed the eunuch ancestor's actions. He couldn't afford to play dead for the sake of peace of mind.

Besides, Ziwei Yuan has always been the company's secret office. The woman in the company previously impersonated the Empress Dowager of the Immortal Palace, and isn't this Dachangqiu Ancestor her personal bodyguard? She might even have some kind of overpowered equipment like mechs or plasma cannons...

Li Fan thought about it and decided to play it safe rather than bet everything on the Grand Tutor, in case things went wrong and it would be difficult to recover.

So he patted Zhang Rang the shoulder and said with a kind smile, "Xinling Gong is too kind. We are all friends, and it is only right to help each other. It is only natural for Eunuch Zhang to miss his adoptive father. It would not be a problem for us to travel together then."

"Thank you for your help, Lord Marquis."

Zhang Rang kowtowed again, raised his head, used his disguise technique to change his face, and respectfully went out to blend in with the other servants and disappear.

Li Fan scanned the area with his Divine Sense. He couldn't tell if the seventeen or eighteen Nascent Soul Stage around the villa were guards or spies, but it seemed that no one had noticed that Eunuch Zhang had sneaked in.

On his very first day in the capital, this hermit from the mountains received envoys from both the Duke of Shouyang and the Xinling Gong. The people of the Three Enclosures were certainly quite busy.

At this moment, he took a moment to glance at Qin Jiu. The kid's cultivation had come to an end. After the first day of grueling training, he was beaten until his skin was torn and bleeding, exhausted and unconscious. Then, his clone 'Yuan Gong' found a Spiritual Spring, fed him Immortal Spirit Jade Marrow and Golden Core, and threw him in to soak in the medicinal soup, allowing the medicinal power to seep into his body through the wounds and marinate him, transforming him completely.

However, Li Fan's first day wasn't over yet; he was going to a private banquet hosted by the Zhang family that evening.

Ugh, I'm so busy eating all day I don't even have time to do my workbook. It's so annoying.

He had also inquired about it. Grand Tutor Duke of Shouyang one wife and three concubines, seven brothers, ten sons, disciples and former officials, confidants and cronies, and relatives and in-laws all over the court and country. He was now the undisputed leader of the immortal clan and the master of the Three Palaces.

However, apart from Guardian General, the sons of the Grand Tutor have all taken the Divine Infant Pill and reached the Nascent Soul Realm. They have long since settled in their own residences, some commanding troops in the field, and others stationed in local areas.

Among them, the eldest son of the Grand Tutor Changping Xianghou of the Guardian General and Marquis of Yangxiang Marquis Township; the second son was the General of the General of Anxi and Marquis of Chongyang Township; and the fifth son was the General of the Army and Marquis of Anyang Ting Hou. These three were the legitimate sons of the wife of the Duke of Shouyang. Of course, the eldest and second sons were indeed quite capable, but the fifth son was not well-known, and the position of General of the Army was not a real post. If he were truly capable, he probably wouldn't have given such an honorary title to a legitimate son. He was probably only ennobled because he was the Grand Tutor's legitimate son.

Even among powerful families, the descendants of a man of exceptional talent like the Grand Tutor are not without their share of good and bad; those in the know understand.

Upon arriving at the Zhang residence, Li Fan discovered that it truly was a private banquet, with only direct descendants invited; the sons of concubines and members of the Outer Sect branches were not even qualified to attend.

At this time, Guardian General is currently on duty at the Ziwei Yuan and resides in the General of Anxi Guard. General Anxi is stationed in Kun. Although neither of them is present, and the Fifth Prince is also a hidden good-for-nothing, the banquet he was invited to included not only the Grand Tutor's wife but also the Grand Tutor's eldest daughter, Nanyang County Princess, and her husband.

The husband of Nanyang County Princess is the head of the Xun clan, one of the Three Immortal Clans, and the hereditary Marquis of Wansui Pavilion of the Xun Clan. He is also the newly appointed Central Guard, in charge of the inner and outer guards of Taiwei Yuan.

The Xun family is also an old and prestigious clan in the Three Realms. Back when the Grand General was in power, they were the leaders of the Immortal Clan for generations, managing the Imperial Secretariat and governing the country on behalf of the General. Now, with the change of generation and generation, they have formed a marriage alliance with the Sima Clan and have been entrusted with the important position of Central Guard. There is no doubt that the two families have long formed an unbreakable political alliance.

Well, looking at it this way, what's the point of you, Lord Xinling, playing around?

The Grand Tutor's son commands the Imperial Guards guarding the Ziwei Yuan, while his son-in-law commands the Forbidden Guards guarding the Taiwei Yuan. The Northern and Southern Armies of the Tianshi Yuan are deeply entrenched territories of powerful clans, and the guards outside the Three Palaces are completely subservient to the Grand Tutor. The vassal kings of the Twelve Countries dare not utter a sound, and every single celestial soldier and general in the Immortal Palace is under the Grand Tutor Manor's control. Even if you infiltrate the deep palace and unearth a powerful old eunuch, what then? Could he possibly cause any upheaval?

Even if you manage to help the Grand Tutor die, so what? You can kill Guardian General too! You can kill the General of Anxi of Anxi stationed outside! You can kill all the court officials!

Besides, the Grand Tutor is currently hiding in his residence and not coming out. The four core generals, the Guardian General, the General of Anxi, and the General of the Central Guard, are each in charge of the Fourth Department different areas. The court and the country are full of the Grand Tutor's henchmen, spies, and assassins. It is simply impossible to quietly eliminate everyone at the same time!

Ah, Grand Tutor, you are truly cunning and shrewd! No wonder Nangong Wubu completely outmaneuvered. This whole affair was meticulously planned; there was no way he could possibly win...

"The Guan Nei Hou is truly a man of exceptional talent and imposing presence. To be able to pay homage to such a divine ruler of unparalleled wisdom is a rare and precious opportunity for us mortals. Today, my wish has finally come true."

Although it was a private banquet, the other party still gave them a lot of face, with the Marquis of Wansui Pavilion, the Commander of the Central Guard, personally greeting them at the gate of the Zhang residence.

"Oh, Lord Xun, you flatter me. I have long heard of the eight dragons of the Xun Clan, all of whom are talents capable of assisting a king and serving as advisors. To have them is to bring peace to the world. Their illustrious names are renowned far and wide."

Li Fan also readily offered a suggestion. "A sedan chair carrying a person."

The Marquis of Wansui Pavilion was somewhat pleasantly surprised, "I didn't expect that the Guan Nei Hou had heard of your grandfather's reputation?"

"Of course! My elders still often talk about how Xun Yu was a man of unparalleled talent and wisdom, truly admirable."

Li Fan had indeed heard of it. After all, it seemed that besides the foxes in the Ziwei Yuan causing trouble, the Xun Family patriarch, Ling Gong, was also hiding behind the scenes as the mastermind, planning various actions by the Immortal Clan to suppress the Immortal Army faction, using others to do his dirty work, and using the Grand General to destroy the Grand Commandant's faction. Therefore, Xuan Tian often talked about it behind his back, resenting these hypocritical, arrogant, despicable, and shameless pedantic scholars.

However, seeing this young master of the Xun Family, whose Nascent Soul Stage cultivation was also cultivated by himself, and who is a member of the orthodox Xuanmen sect and a secret disciple of Mount Song, he is definitely not just a pretty face. It can be seen that those who can hold the reins of power throughout history are indeed truly capable. Although powerful clans may practice nepotism, those pearls that survive the test of time should not be underestimated.

Marquis of Wansui Pavilion also laughed and said, "General of the South is too kind. Guan Nei Hou, please come in. The old lady has been saying she wants to see you."

"You're too kind. It's only proper to pay a visit to the Duchess of the County."

So Li Fan followed Xun Hou into the mansion to pay his respects. Of course, he was called the "old" matriarch, but in reality, there were very few "old" people among the powerful and influential families of the Taiji Realm. After all, those who didn't care much about their appearance, like Lou Guan, were a minority. The powerful and influential families of the Immortal Palace not only used Divine Infant Pill to prolong their lives from an early age, but also used various elixirs, medicines, pearl powder, and the like to nourish their skin and whiten their complexion.

This Lady Zhang, the wife of the Grand Tutor, must be Divine Transformation. She has also used some beauty pills and looks like she is only in her forties, but she is really not that pretty.

She's not particularly pretty; her features are just average. While beauty and ugliness are subjective, they can be objectively assessed through comparison. For example, now, standing with a group of celestial maidens and palace women, this Lady Zhang looks like an ordinary commoner. She's dressed rather elegantly, and sitting in the main seat, holding a nearly two-meter-long dragon-headed golden staff—it looks like a scaled-up version of those Golden hairpin. Her aesthetic sense is quite rustic... Hmm? Wait a minute, could it really be a scaled-up storage magic item?! Holy crap, how many gold coins are stored inside that dragon-headed staff?!

Well, if it weren't for the dazzling reflection of the gold, Li Fan would have almost mistaken Madam Zhang for a cleaning lady...

Well, I guess Madam Zhang is the type of woman who, although not particularly beautiful, is quick-witted, exceptionally intelligent, and also incredibly wealthy, which is why she caught the eye of the Grand Tutor, who only wants to relax and not work hard.

To his utter surprise, Li Fan had underestimated his opponent; the first thing the other person said was...

"I have long admired Lord Qingyue, a Daoist born of destiny, most skilled in vanquishing demons Beyond Heavens. I take this opportunity to seek your guidance on the cultivation methods of the Tai Su Dao."

Holy crap? Li Fan was genuinely shocked. The rise of the Tai Su Dao was still an "open secret." In fact, the more skilled fortune tellers knew that the Heavenly Dao had changed and they had to find another way out. The Nine Great Xuan Sects had long been secretly vying for the "Heavenly Book." The most typical example was Penglai, which, after obtaining the true teachings, immediately began its entire sect to study for the master, and didn't even bother to compete for the world.

However, such matters still cannot be discussed openly. After all, the destruction of the Luo Sect is not far off, and even reputable sects can only secretly study these 'heretical methods' behind closed doors. Moreover, it is often only the sect Sect Leader and the successor of the sect's head who have heard of the Heavenly Book. As for other ordinary disciples, to be honest, they can't even master the existing Tai Chi Dao Cultivation Method, so they shouldn't be too ambitious.

If it were some old man or woman from the Xuanmen sect asking Li Fan for guidance on the Tai Su Dao, he could understand. But he never expected that on his very first day at the Three Palaces, the first person to ask him a question would be the wealthy wife of the Grand Tutor! Can you believe it?