The Emperor's Days Were Numbered...

A Comprehensive Mirror, a masterpiece by Ma Yang.

This senior minister began writing after the late emperor's death and when he was exiled to the Southern Border. Several years have passed, but the book is still unfinished. However, several volumes have been published and circulated among Scholar Forest, and many have been printed.

The book is titled "Mirror," and it is intended to teach people to learn from history and understand gains and losses. However, in reality, the book is very targeted, using the deeds of emperors and military officials from various dynasties as examples to illustrate their successes and failures.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this Comprehensive Mirror was actually written by Ma Yang for the emperor, containing admonitions and expectations; his intentions were quite profound.

The sentence Li Kun is now uttering is the exact quote from a campaign between the Eastern Wei Southern Liang. By saying this, he is subtly drawing Ma Yang onto his side, making it difficult for the Old Party to launch an attack.

On the other hand, the example Li Kun cited later also demonstrated his attitude. He mentioned that the Great Gaozu of Han was generous with the throne and rewards, and enfeoffed his ministers, which made the generals and commanders serve him, thus enabling him to establish the foundation of the Ancestral Dragon's dynasty.

Used here, it serves as a warning to all the civil and military officials in the hall: do not say that he has bestowed too much upon Qiu Yan. He is not stingy with official titles and ranks; as long as the officials have the ability to contribute to his "great cause," they can all obtain them.

However, whether the censor failed to understand or simply refused to listen, he stubbornly insisted, "Your Majesty's granting of this order too early may confuse the people!"

Upon hearing this, Li Kun's displeasure lessened considerably, though his face paled briefly before returning to normal. He then shook his head and said, "I am somewhat weary. Let's end the court session here today. We are still in the midst of a national war, and the entire court should be of one mind. If you have any thoughts, you may report them after news arrives from the front lines."

Upon hearing this, the censor was about to speak again, but exchanged a glance with Tian Youqing. The latter shook his head slightly and reluctantly withdrew.

Then, Qiu Yan bowed to express his gratitude, and a eunuch shouted in a high-pitched voice, "Court adjourned!" The emperor rose from his seat and went inside, and all the civil and military officials dispersed.

Qiu Yan remained standing in the hall, several thoughts flashing through his mind. Although Li Kun's pale face only lasted for a brief moment, it did not escape his perception. At the same time, he also noticed a slight, almost imperceptible fluctuation in the surrounding Dragon Qi, indicating some kind of omen.

"Has something happened in the Imperial City after I left?"

Qiu Yan's return this time involved a detour through Hebei. After setting off from Dai Prefecture, it took several days to reach the Imperial City. During this time, his Divine Spirit Body dealt with matters in Jiannan and followed his Fleshly Body to the capital. They didn't even have much time to stop; after a short rest, they changed into their court robes and waited outside the Golden Hall.

What followed was a sudden promotion; although there was no noble title, the power and influence it brought were enough to make anyone's heart tremble.

"Shen Zhi, when you have time, you might as well tell me about your experiences on the Grasslands." At this moment, Ma Yang's voice came. This leader of the Old Party had turned his gaze over after the emperor left. Noticing his action, the officials who were about to come over to congratulate Qiu Yan all stopped.

Qiu Yan bowed and said, "Of course. I have gained some insights from this trip beyond the Great Wall, and I naturally wish to ask my teacher for guidance."

"Don't bother asking for advice," Ma Yang waved his hand. "My Zizhi Tongjian is not Comprehensive Mirror half finished yet, while your classics already have two Original Edition. In terms of achievement, you have already surpassed me. I may not have anything more to teach you. Besides, what I have learned is not the same as yours, but we can Jadebreaker from each other's work and verify each other's knowledge."

"How dare I be called on the same level as my teacher?" Qiu Yan shook his head.

"What's the big deal..." Ma Yang said briefly, then turned and left. His main purpose in coming here was to invite Qiu Yan to his residence.

After Ma Yang left, Qiu Yan did not move, and Wang Fu's dark, serious face appeared before them.

Wang Fu forced a smile, "Shen Zhi, I've read both Original Edition the * Essentials of the Military Classics). They were very insightful. Many of its views on military systems are quite similar to the New Laws. Perhaps we could find a day to discuss them."

Qiu Yan then said, "This junior will choose a day to visit Prime Minister Wang and seek his guidance."

"That's good. While academic knowledge and theories are important, they must ultimately be applied in practice. I also understand your Way of Knowledge and Action, and there are many aspects that I can study diligently. I will also seek your guidance when the time comes." After saying this, Wang Fu smiled and left.

"After completing the classics, I indeed secured my position as Grandmaster, and people's attitudes towards me changed significantly." Watching Wang Fu's departing figure, Qiu Yan pondered, reflecting on the principles of Human Path amidst the vicissitudes of life.

Although he created classic texts and attained the status of Grandmaster, Qiu Yan's Way of Knowledge and Action has not yet been fully revealed to the world. He is mainly known as Grandmaster of Military School strategy. However, as he establishes his school in Dai Prefecture, his doctrines must develop and be disseminated, otherwise it will affect the establishment of the Humanistic Divine Path.

"By the way, before entering the palace, I felt a surge of Karma Fortune, which suggests that the Hua She book has been completed, and Movable-Type Printing Technique has officially been born in this world. Afterwards, it was further blessed by the energy of the officials and the Dragon Qi, which must have caused a considerable impact in the Donghua Void. However, the Imperial Palace is suppressed by the Dragon Qi, and I am the focus of this award ceremony, so it is difficult to sense it immediately. I must investigate carefully after leaving the palace..."

While Qiu Yan was still pondering this, many court officials came to offer their congratulations.

Nowadays, the court is filled with daily disputes between the New and Old Parties, but not all officials belong to either party. Some officials simply have their own inclinations, but are still neutral in form.

Those who came to congratulate Qiu Yan were almost all from the neutral faction. The leaders were the same group of people who were on a mission to Three Rivers. Zhao Can, Zhong Yan, and others were among them, as were many officials who were on good terms with them. They gathered around and spoke to Qiu Yan, their words carrying a hint of flattery.

These officials all share a common characteristic: they are not very old, do not hold high official positions, but wield some real power.

"Shen Zhi, we've finally been waiting for you." Meng Qingbin, the chief envoy of the delegation and now the Ministry of Rites Vice Minister of Rites, also came over and chatted familiarly with Qiu Yan. When the emperor bestowed honors upon Qiu Yan earlier, he subtly designated Qiu Yan as the chief envoy, saying that he had overshadowed Meng Qingbin, the chief envoy, by acting with imperial authority. However, there was not a trace of displeasure on his face.

In fact, Meng Qingbin was well aware of who truly deserved the credit for the mission, and he also knew Qiu Yan's capabilities. Why would he bother vying for such empty titles?

After saying a few words, he suddenly lowered his voice and said, "I already know about Hua She's matter. You can rest assured. My brother may still have some concerns, but I have no objections. If you need anything, please just give the order. I will do my best to help." He had already addressed the scholar.

Qiu Yan cupped his hands in greeting and said, "If there's anything I can do for you, I certainly won't stand on ceremony."

As he was speaking, Qiu Yan suddenly felt a slight stinging pain in his neck, which vanished in an instant.

"Um?"

A thought struck him, and he turned to look, just in time to see Di Ai's eyes filled with jealousy.

Upon closer inspection, Qiu Yan discerned various clues from the other party. However, due to the dense Dragon Qi within the Golden Hall, distortions and suppression were inevitable, making it difficult to see clearly. Nevertheless, these clues were sufficient to reveal certain aspects of the situation.

"After the Divine Spirit Body has finished its rewards and punishments, the rear has been stabilized. Preparations have been made for the spread of the Humanistic Divine Path. Now that the Fleshly Body has been promoted, its power, prestige, and influence have greatly increased, which has led to Fortune in fortune. It is time to take action, but the first step is to eliminate all the variables. Now that things have come to this, there is nothing to worry about too much. Even if we retreat to writing books, we will not have to worry about our teachings not being spread."

As he spoke, Qiu Yan followed the assembled officials in the hall, stepping down the steps to leave the Imperial Palace.

Along the way, the officials inevitably discussed the matter, and their words naturally touched upon Qiu Yan, triggering various causes and Karma, which transformed into insights into Human Path, all of which Qiu Yan absorbed into his heart. However, among them, there were still a few who found it difficult to comprehend or grasp these insights.

Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes, flicked his finger, and a flash of cold light appeared, revealing a thin needle.

"Very well, it's a good time to cast a long line to catch a big fish. After we pull in the net, we can finally create some peace and quiet."

"What Yang Shijiang said has been done, but I don't know if the Invisible Needle really worked." On the other side, Di Ai withdrew his gaze and walked alone.

"Lord Di..."

At that moment, a voice sounded behind him. Di Ai recognized the voice and turned around, bowing and saying, "Lord Tian."

The person speaking behind him was Tian Youqing.

"Lord Di, things shouldn't be rushed. We should consider things carefully. Why don't you come to my residence sometime? We might get along very well." As he spoke, his gaze casually swept over Qiu Yan's direction, and then he was surprised to find that the other party was also looking at him!

This caused Tian Youqing, who had been appearing quite composed, to freeze in shock.

Seeing his appearance, Di Ai's eyes flashed with disdain, but she remained polite on the surface. After saying a few words, she took her leave and went ahead.

"Hmph! A mere child, unaware of the gravity of the situation." Tian Youqing narrowed his eyes, watching Di Ai's retreating figure, a cold glint in his eyes. "However, this person still has some use for us, so there's no rush to get rid of him." Thinking of this, he turned his gaze and found Qiu Yan's figure in the crowd. A young eunuch had appeared beside him at some point and was leading him towards the Imperial Study.

"Oh? His Majesty wants to see Qiu Yan already? That's very strange. Ever since the decision to launch the national war was made, His Majesty has acted somewhat abnormally, and today's events are even more so, giving the impression of urgency."

Watching Qiu Yan's departing figure, Tian Youqing couldn't help but try to figure out his superior's intentions.

On the other side, led by the young eunuch, Qiu Yan passed through a garden and arrived outside the Imperial Study. Before long, the white-faced old eunuch Wei came out and led Qiu Yan inside, where he saw the figure sitting behind the desk.

"Your subject Qiu Yan greets Your Majesty." Qiu Yan bowed in greeting.

Li Kun gestured for him to sit down, then sighed and said, "My dear minister, you've finally arrived. If you had delayed any longer, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to wait any longer."

"Why does Your Majesty say such a thing?" Qiu Yan frowned slightly.

"I... my days are numbered..."

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