Morning.
A luxurious carriage came down the main road and stopped in the plaza outside Heavenly Secrets Tower. The accompanying twelve riders reined in their horses one after another.
Zheng Wenhan, dressed in a crimson robe, stepped down from the carriage using a wooden stool and instructed those beside him, "You will wait here."
With that, he let his hands hang at his sides, his sleeves billowing as he strode toward Heavenly Secrets Tower.
Heavenly Secrets Tower was a pagoda with a pointed roof and eight stories, each floor featuring upturned eaves and an observation gallery. Back then, after the late emperor obtained an immortal pill, he had been overjoyed and spent a vast sum from the national treasury to recruit skilled craftsmen and build this tower for the Imperial Preceptor.
On the day it was completed, the late emperor had inscribed in his own hand: "Merits rival creation itself; all heavenly secrets laid bare."
Thus, it was named Heavenly Secrets Tower.
After ascending the white marble steps and entering the main tower, Zheng Wenhan saw a middle-aged man in a Taiji Daoist robe. Holding a fly whisk, he stood quietly there with a smile on his face.
"Prime Minister Zheng, the Imperial Preceptor has been awaiting you for quite some time."
Zheng Wenhan raised a brow. "The Imperial Preceptor knew I was coming?"
The middle-aged Daoist smiled. "All matters under heaven lie within the Imperial Preceptor's grasp."
Did the Imperial Preceptor know where Zhao Shun was hiding? Zheng Wenhan gave a slight nod and said, "Lead the way. I wish to see the Imperial Preceptor."
The middle-aged Daoist shook his head. "The Imperial Preceptor is in seclusion, cultivating at a critical juncture. Before the Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony begins, he will see no outsiders."
Zheng Wenhan frowned. "I have a