The Emperor Alarmed, Nine Rhymes' Feedback

"What? Qiu Yan defeated Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio?"

Upon hearing the news, Li Kun stood up abruptly, causing the cup on the table to tip over again, spilling tea onto several more memorials. Wang Fu, who was standing next to him, noticed this and his eyes twitched slightly.

The clatter of the overturned cup brought Li Kun to his senses. He righted the cup, looked at the soaked memorial, and felt a headache coming on. He subconsciously said, "If there's any more news about Qiu Yan in the future, remind me to remove the cup first."

After saying this, he realized his mistake and skipped over the question, asking, "What exactly happened? Wasn't Qiu Yan cleaning the house these past few days? How did he get involved with Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio?"

The more Li Kun talked, the more headache he felt. He knew the reputation of the Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio. To defeat the Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio was not something that could be compared to a debate between juniors or younger generations. The impact of such a debate was hard to estimate.

The problem is, he had just been planning to send Qiu Yan to the countryside for training when this news came, which really put him in a difficult position.

It should be understood that the reason he dared to let Qiu Yan, the newly appointed top scholar, leave the capital was because although Qiu Yan's reputation was growing, he did not yet have authority. Therefore, he needed to keep him in check and leave an impression of the emperor's power in his mind so that he could be controlled in the future. This is a kind of imperial Mind Arts.

However, once Qiu Yan's reputation is established, such a simple and crude approach is no longer appropriate.

The reputation here does not refer to fame in the general sense, but rather includes factors such as People's Prestige and authority, representing a transcendent status.

Li Kun knew very well that Qiu Yan, having achieved the Dao, would inevitably become Grand Confucian, on par with Ma Yang and others.

When Ma Yang left the court and went south, it was not solely due to the emperor's ability, but rather the combined efforts of various factions and forces, taking advantage of the late emperor's death.

Even so, later on, Li Kun, considering the discordant opinions and the need to check the New Party and maintain imperial power, decided to reinstate Ma Yang and humble himself to appease him.

This shows how difficult it is to command a highly respected Grand Confucian.

"This old servant only received a message, the details..." the white-faced old man said, but Li Kun couldn't wait any longer and said, "Let the messenger in."

The order was passed on, and not long after, a burly man entered. He appeared slightly nervous but remained composed. Upon seeing Li Kun, he immediately knelt and bowed, saying, "Zhao Mou, Inner Courtyard Officer of the Imperial City Bureau, greets Your Majesty." He then shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

Zhao Mou had no official rank or title, nor was he an official or gentry, so he could not be considered a scholar-official. Therefore, he had to kneel down to pay his respects.

"Tell me what happened," the pale-faced old man instructed. Zhao Mou nodded and recounted the events that had occurred at Great Brahma Temple from beginning to end. Many details were accurate, as if he had witnessed it himself.

"Great Brahma Temple? Is it a branch of the Buddhist Sect that came from the west?" Li Kun clearly knew something about Great Brahma Temple. "By the way, have we reached a conclusion on whether those monks were spies for the Barbarians?"

The pale-faced old man replied in a low voice, "If Your Majesty does not inquire, this old servant is prepared to report. It has been ascertained that the three of them are not Barbarians spies, and at least they have not committed any acts of treason. Moreover, the three of them had a dispute with that barbarian monk. In fact, these three monks, along with the guide who accompanied them westward, are originally from the Central Plains."

The old man's expression remained unchanged as he spoke, but his heart grew increasingly worried. In fact, he had reported this news to the emperor more than a month ago, but Li Kun had completely forgotten about it.

Forgetfulness is something that happens to everyone, but it has become increasingly frequent for Li Kun in the past two years, and even taking supplements has not helped. When such things happen, unless it is something too important, the old man with the white face usually does not say anything to prevent Li Kun from becoming depressed.

Having received the answer, Li Kun asked a few more questions, then frowned. "Why would you provoke Qiu Yan for no reason? Qiu Yan's talent has been proven in many ways. I saw his extraordinary abilities during the Provincial Examination, so why couldn't others see it?"

From this tone, Wang Fu could tell that Li Kun still thought highly of Qiu Yan, but had reservations about Nine Rhymes.

The pale-faced old man said, "How could they possibly have the ability to judge people like the officials?" Seeing Li Kun's delighted expression, he was also happy.

As they talked, Li Kun asked Zhang Mou, "How is Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio now? You said he lost the debate and had to be carried away. What's his condition now?"

Zhang Mou replied, "After Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio fainted, his students took him back to his study. They consulted several famous doctors in the city, but to no avail. They are currently contacting the Imperial Medical Academy to arrange for a physician to come over, but it will take about an hour or two."

As Zhao Mou finished speaking, he noticed the pale-faced old man giving him a meaningful look. He was taken aback, then realized it was because Wang Fu was present.

The Imperial City Bureau's undercover agents were virtually everywhere. They could even find out exactly who a minister invited to a banquet in his courtyard at night, what dishes were served, and when it started and ended. Many officials feared them and they were frequently impeached. However, as the emperor's eyes and ears, they would certainly not be abolished, otherwise the emperor would truly be deaf and blind, relying solely on the words of court officials to understand the world and make judgments.

From this perspective, officials and the Imperial City Bureau were enemies. As the prime minister and the head of all officials, Wang Fu could not stand idly by when he heard that scholars and officials were being monitored in this way.

Sure enough, the man's eyes widened, his face filled with anger, and he turned to Li Kun, saying, "I will certainly impeach him in a memorial of impeachment regarding this matter."

Li Kun gave a wry smile, feeling utterly overwhelmed. Zhao Mou was also startled, wanting to beg for mercy but afraid of saying the wrong thing and ending up in a predicament.

On the contrary, the old man with the white face shook his head slightly, showing no sign of surprise. He knew in his heart that since the matter had happened before his eyes, even if Wang Fu had no intention of pursuing it, he still had to make this gesture and submit a memorial afterward, otherwise he would give others a reason to criticize him.

Similarly, the old man's wink was also rather cryptic; otherwise, the emperor might have harbored resentment once he realized what was happening.

"Very well, you may leave now." Li Kun waved his hand, dismissing Zhao Mou, and then comforted Wang Fu for a while before saying, "I was just hoping Qiu Yan wouldn't cause any more trouble, but look what's happened. Not only did he get involved in the debate between Confucianism and Buddhism, but he even managed to confuse Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio."

At this point, he Human Path, "This fainting during the debate might be a backlash against the established Order. I'll send the imperial physician over to examine him later, and then convey my imperial decree to offer my condolences."

Given the status and reputation of the Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio, and the fact that Li Kun holds Divine Rank position, he must make some kind of statement to set an example for the world and promote righteousness.

Upon hearing this, Wang Fu sighed inwardly, knowing that after this debate, the reputation that Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio had painstakingly cultivated would be ruined, and it was hard to say what would happen to Nine Rhyme Study as well.

"Qiu Yan, winning brings no benefit, but losing results in significant losses. Nine Rhymes is somewhat indiscriminate in her pursuits and has lost her composure. Even without the backlash of Order, the day when she regresses in her cultivation is not far off. Now, she has become the first whetstone on Qiu Yan's path to becoming Grand Confucian..."

As Wang Fu was thinking, Li Kun walked over.

"Minister Wang, such an incident is bound to cause an uproar among scholars. Sending Qiu Yan to a local post would inevitably invite criticism. In my opinion, we should keep him in the Hanlin Academy for now. If you have time, you might as well give him some pointers."

"Your Majesty, I understand." Wang Fu nodded, realizing that Li Kun was afraid of being labeled as jealous of talent and ability. This emperor still valued his reputation.

However, Li Kun's expression turned annoyed as he continued, "Although Qiu Yan is talented, he's too good at causing trouble. It's only been a short time since we've paid attention to him, and he's already stirred up this mess again. The Hanlin Academy is too leisurely; we need to find him something to do!"

As he spoke, he clapped his hands. "That's it! Qiu Yan has followed the Military School Order and submitted several military plans, showing that he is very familiar with Military School affairs. The Military Pavilion of the Hanlin Library hasn't been revised or organized for a long time, so it's a good opportunity to send him there. He can also learn something from it."

Wang Fu knew perfectly well that the emperor intended to cultivate Qiu Yan into a key figure in future military reforms, but he did not object and simply agreed.

This audience with the emperor has now concluded.

"Um?"

Upon returning home, Qiu Yan suddenly sensed a change in his Fortune and Official Qi. With a thought, the Li Trigram, and he realized that there was nothing seriously wrong. He stopped worrying about it and instead focused on understanding the People's Wishes that were gathering from all directions, as well as the insights he received from the Nine Rhymes.

These People's Wishes did not arise out of thin air. With a little reflection, one can discern a transcendent and ethereal quality within them, resembling the Order that the Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio embodies.

The debate ended, but the Order backfired, and Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio fell into a coma and has not yet woken up. Due to the entanglement of Karma and effect, this backlash of Order is now surrounding Qiu Yan, and the People's Wishes who admire Nine Rhymes in the world are also gathering around him.

"These People's Wishes are sincere, though somewhat impractical. The number isn't large, but it's enough to replenish the energy consumed by the Divine Spirit Body for now. Furthermore, the greatest gain is the power of these True Words. That Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio has probably come into contact with the Buddhist Sect and grasped a method to utilize the People's Wishes to simulate similar effects. However, this method requires the support of the Order and Karma connections of this Continent to be effective. It is something we can utilize..."

With this in mind, Qiu Yan's thoughts shifted, and the gathered People's Wishes surged into the Soul Aperture and were transmitted to the Divine Power Space.

In space, Divine Power Stars converged in the starry sky, but at the edge, stars were slowly extinguishing.

This means that believers are successively abandoning the worship of the Divine Spirit Body.

After the believers changed their minds and stopped offering sacrifices and worship, the sentiments they had placed in the faith would gradually dissipate. This was originally a long process, but somehow the Eye-Bearing Star Lord used some means to shorten this process considerably, causing Qiu Yan's divine power to rapidly dissipate!

Divine power is the Spirit Root. Its gradual dissipation is like having flesh torn away, an unbearable torment. One feels power constantly slipping away, yet is powerless to do anything about it. To make matters worse, one knows the origin of the troublemaker. Even a god would be enraged. If Qiu Yan hadn't been in charge of fire and absorbed a portion of the Fire Sovereign Lord's Divine Office, allowing him to control his anger and draw it away, the anger would have already permeated the Divine Power Space.

Even so, the anger that had been extracted had already coalesced into a large, volatile, and chaotic mass, seemingly ready to explode at any moment.

Suddenly, the Divine Pool churned, People's Wishes surged forth, merging with the Divine Power Stars, causing Qiu Yan's power to expand instantly. In that instant, he vaguely sensed that there was a pair of eyes observing him from above.

ps:

Thank you to "abhy", "shadow k", "halei001", "heal my dead man", "wiler", "mikazhao", "zza", "big idler little idiot", "showss", "reading wandering" and "0-4" for your monthly votes!

Third update!

The number of monthly passes and tips I've received these past few days is truly staggering! Thank you all for your support!

The Original Edition I prepared for the featured post have all been used up, but I will still try to update three times tomorrow as a way of thanking everyone for their support!