Going Up the Mountain to Pray, Far from the Temple Court

[Early spring, the ninth day of the first lunar month.]

[The emperor arrived at Mount Zhongnan.]

[The current Son of Heaven brought the hundred officials as the first group to enter the mountain. In the latter half of the procession were North Wind's diplomatic mission, and the missions from Qianyuan, Han, and Chu.]

[The second group was made up of the imperial palace's consorts and the families of the civil and military officials, a vast and mighty throng.]

[You had cultivated for half a month and, rarely, had made progress. Joy filled your heart.]

[On this day, you washed your face, draped on a Daoist robe, and walked out of the Tomb of the Living Dead.]

[You saw the spring day warm and bright, another fine season of spring in the year.]

[You, Lu Yu, and Liu Jinchan stood on the stone steps of Mount Zhongnan to welcome this emperor of Great Qing. Behind you, several hundred disciples of the Three Truths Sect stood in two divided rows.]

[Mount Zhongnan had long since been covered in layer upon layer of guards. The Son of Heaven going on tour to pray for blessings was a matter of great importance.]

[You stood shoulder to shoulder with Lu Yu and Liu Jinchan atop the stone steps of Mount Zhongnan, respectfully awaiting the arrival of Great Qing's emperor.]

[Liu Jinchan was the principal figure and stood in the middle. You and Lu Yu accompanied your master, Liu Jinchan, on either side.]

[Master Liu Jinchan said somewhat unnaturally, "Shenzhou, as the Grand Marshal of the Northern Lands, your status is honored. By rights, you should stand in the middle."]

[You smiled and said, "Now, I am merely a disciple of the Three Truths Sect. Naturally, I should follow the sect rules and stand in attendance at my teacher's side."]

[The emperor had bathed and changed for three days, then brought his ministers up the mountain. The scene of pilgrimage was solemn and grave.]

[At last, you saw this emperor again.]

[Emperor Qing, Zhou Heng.]

[The emperor had grown old. His hair was silvered atop his head, and beneath the noble yellow robe was an old man of over sixty.]

[Thinking back, when he had ascended the throne, he had already been past thirty. In the first half of his life, he had lived carefree in his princely residence, yet overnight he had leapt onto the dragon chair and become the lord of ten thousand people.]

[In three years he had stabilized the situation and accumulated his own retinue. Within ten years, he had truly taken Great Qing into his grasp. He could not be called an incompetent ruler.]

[In his eyes, you saw the fear of death and the comfort of having walked through a lifetime.]

[The seal-holding eunuch, Ma Bao, followed behind respectfully.]

[Behind him were four princes: the Eighth Prince, whom you had met before, and the others were the Second Prince, the Sixth Prince, and the Fourth Prince.]

[These four princes were the four people in the world today closest to the divine vessel of rivers and mountains.]

[Farther back was the formation of civil officials: the Grand Preceptor, the Grand Tutor, the Grand Guardian, the ministers of the Six Ministries, vice ministers, Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, Grand Secretaries of the Secretariat, censors of the Court of Judicial Review, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, and others.]

[The military generals were on another side, the Jing and Wei rivers clearly divided. There were Inner Ministers of the Imperial Guards, generals of the four provinces, commanders-in-chief, regional commanders, and others.]

[Lu Chen's father had claimed illness and remained at home. His mother had stayed to care for him and had not come.]

[Yet you knew that this was to avoid suspicion.]

[Among them, you could not help glimpsing some familiar faces. They were all the most powerful people in the Great Qing realm today.]

[The three of you paid respects to the emperor, Zhou Heng.]

[Zhou Heng waved his hand and said, "Everyone, there is no need for such ceremony."]

[The old emperor said mildly, "Walk with Us."]

["There is still some time before the sacrifice to Heaven and the prayer for blessings."]

[Zhou Heng walked with unhurried steps, with the three of you, Lu Chen, accompanying him at either side. The civil and military officials filed along in order.]

[Zhou Heng and Liu Jinchan spoke of the ways of nourishing life. Every word was a pearl, every sentence entered the heart, making the old emperor's dragon countenance relax as his mood greatly improved.]

[Zhou Heng sighed with endless emotion. "The years hurry by, youth so easily fades. When a man reaches his later years, he feels all the more how precious life is, and fears he will no longer be able to see this flourishing mortal world."]

[The Second Prince behind him hurriedly said, "Imperial Father's longevity is without limit, and Heaven will naturally protect you. Is this not needless worry? You are naturally an old immortal among men."]

[Zhou Heng smiled. "Second, you are the best at talking."]

[The Second Prince said shamelessly, "This child takes after Imperial Father."]

[Back when Zhou Heng had been a prince, he had certainly done his share of so-called "stealing chickens and petting dogs" idle affairs. However, what the historians recorded was, "In youth, he possessed heroic spirit and befriended the talented elites of Wuling."]

[The Second Prince had married North Wind's Eldest Princess and received the full support of the southern aristocratic families. His power in court was like the sun at high noon.]

[The southern clans advocated peace.]

[Zhou Heng's gaze turned toward Lu Chen, a peculiar light in his eyes.]

[This old man who had already reached the age of sixty suddenly felt boundless emotion well up in his heart.]

["Shenzhou, back then, when I saw you father and sons, the three of you alone in the capital, riding fast into the city by night, the night curfew had already begun, yet it could not stop the people of the capital from coming to see you. In the middle of the night, the capital was packed to bursting. It was only that the law does not punish the masses, and the commotion was livelier than the Lantern Festival."]

["I instructed Ma Bao that as soon as you father and sons entered the city, he was to wake me. Perhaps this dog slave forgot, or perhaps We were old and slept until daybreak, making you father and sons wait in the imperial palace for an entire night."]

["Shenzhou, did you blame me?"]

[As soon as the words fell, the seal-holding eunuch Ma Bao at the side prostrated himself on the ground and said, "This slave deserves death ten thousand times. Please, Your Majesty, punish me."]

[Zhou Heng paid it no mind. He lightly kicked Ma Bao, but instead looked deeply at Lu Chen.]

[Once these words came out, even the hundred officials grew solemn.]

[The Second Prince curled the corner of his mouth into a smile.]

[Liu Jinchan's heart tightened.]

[How to answer this thorny question? No matter whether the answer chosen was "yes" or "no," it seemed difficult to avoid falling into a predicament.]

[If he answered "yes," it might be seen as disrespect toward the Son of Heaven. With the slightest carelessness, he would bear the suspicion of "looking down on others."]

[However, if he chose to answer "no," it would seem insufficiently sincere and hard to convince anyone. The upright officials of the pure stream were mostly blunt and outspoken.]

[Liu Jinchan fell into a dilemma, sighing inwardly: this answer did not quite work no matter what, as though every possible reply was wrong.]

[No matter how he chose, it seemed hard to avoid drawing criticism and accusation. In this court full of schemes and struggles, every word and every sentence had to be carefully weighed.]

[He had cultivated the Dao for many years and did not understand the deeper meaning within.]

[He truly could not think of a reply.]

[However, he was not exactly worried either.]

[This disciple of his was steady and measured, never missing anything in how he treated people and handled affairs.]

[Among the civil and military officials, the atmosphere was tense and subtle.]

[Among the court ministers, some who were familiar with Lu Chen worried for him, while others watched coldly from the side, secretly sneering.]

[As for those officials who were seeing the rumored Junior Guardian Lu for the first time, their eyes were filled with curiosity and probing.]

[Only a very few knew the deeper meaning, yet they said nothing.]

[The Eighth Prince, however, had eager warmth in his eyes.]

[Everyone waited for Lu Chen's answer.]

[You originally possessed Insight into People, and you had already read the meaning within.]

[And so you decided...]

1. Answer in the affirmative: you did indeed once resent him, and you may receive important use.

2. Answer in the negative: you hold no resentment whatsoever, and you may withdraw from the court.

3. If you remain silent and do not answer, Great Qing will no longer tolerate you, and disaster will reach your family.

4. Personally participate. (1/3)

Yu Ke looked at the several options.

Choose 3. If you remain silent and do not answer, Great Qing will no longer tolerate you, and disaster will reach your family.

Naturally, it was ruled out!

Yu Ke had long since made plans in his heart. For these ten years, you would only cultivate the Dao and did not want to participate in the temple court.

Yu Ke directly chose 2: answer in the negative, you hold no resentment whatsoever, and you may withdraw from the court!

Following your choice!

[You answered Zhou Heng's words, "None in my heart." Without embellishment, your answer was crisp.]

[Hearing your answer, Zhou Heng showed a thoughtful expression, then sighed softly.]

["A pity. We are old."]

["If We were thirty years younger, no... twenty years, even ten years."]

[Zhou Heng suddenly said again, "Enough, enough. Let us go up the mountain!"]

[This emperor spoke in a tone only he himself could hear:]

["That night, We did not sleep all night either."]

[The procession began ascending the mountain. Liu Jinchan led Zhou Heng into the sacrificial altar. The four princes and the civil and military officials followed closely behind.]

[Lu Chen and Lu Yu had no official posts, so instead they were outside the sacrificial altar.]

[Behind them, the second wave arrived: North Wind's diplomatic mission, and the missions from Qianyuan, Han, and Chu!]