The Requirements for Attendant at the Palace Gates

"Going with the wind and flowing smoothly, but going against the current and getting obstructed will only result in a bloody mess!"

Laymen often say that fortune tellers defy fate and change destiny, but little do they know that fortune tellers are the cultivators who are most willing to play the game when things are going their way. Only someone with a screw loose would think of going against the grain if they absolutely had to.

Yao Yuanguang couldn't stop Zhang Xuezhou from winning, and he wasn't willing to go against the tide and fight him to the death.

As for the remaining plans he didn't complete, Yao Yuanguang left them to fate.

He muttered a couple of things, then leisurely left Yangxin City without even a hint of lingering.

"This isn't like my martial uncle!"

Watching Yao Yuanguang walk away after leaving the city gate, Zhang Xuezhou felt that Yao Yuanguang left too easily, without the slightest thought of pestering him.

"Either my martial uncle has just arrived, or... or he has already completed his plan!"

Zhang Xuezhou turned his gaze to the central area of Xiangyang Xincheng.

That was the residence of the Marquis of Pingyang, the place where the new emperor was currently staying, and a place they found difficult to enter.

If Zhang Xuezhou had known about Yao Yuanguang's scheme, he could have gone to see him through various means, such as requesting an audience.

But based solely on speculation about Yao Yuanguang, no one could possibly believe him at the moment.

Even if Zhang Xuezhou had let Yao Yuanguang go, it would have been troublesome if the matter were to be investigated.

He eventually gave up on the idea.

Unless it's a deadly trap, the power of the trap cannot be demonstrated in a short period of time.

As long as the new emperor isn't captured by the Immortal Court and causes a major disaster, Zhang Xuezhou felt that future matters could be dealt with later, since he didn't have the ability to worry about such things.

"Brother Dongfang, it seems you're quite worried about this martial uncle, even after following him for so long to ensure his departure from Yangxin City!"

As Sang Hongyang watched Zhang Xuezhou stare at Yao Yuanguang as he departed, he felt that Zhang Xuezhou's rules for his sect were extremely strict. It meant that if you couldn't get along in one place, you weren't allowed to get along in another. He was quite curious about which school of thought Zhang Xuezhou belonged to.

Sang Hongyang came from a merchant Lineage in Luoyang. If you say he was knowledgeable, Sang Hongyang was extremely proficient in all kinds of buying and selling. If you say he was ignorant, he really had no knowledge of the various major schools of thought. In fact, his cultivation level was only barely at the Realm Entry, making him a complete novice in the cultivation world.

At this stage, Sang Hongyang was completely ignorant about matters such as spiritual practice.

"My senior uncle is the cheap kind; there's no real affection between us," Zhang Xuezhou said. "He tricked me and my cousin; we're terrified of him now!"

"That's right, we don't want to see him at all!"

Rong Tianding nodded.

Whenever Rong Tianding recalls his experiences at Dongtianmen, he feels that it was the most desperate period of his life.

While he was being hung up to have his blood drawn, Rong Tianding often thought of the pigs on the chopping board that his family had slaughtered. Whenever a sharp knife was stabbed into a pig's neck, the blood would gush into the bucket.

During that time, he made a firm decision to make something of himself, not to become a superior person, but he didn't want to end up in a situation where he was just waiting to be slaughtered.

"Your sect is really in a sorry state," Sang Hongyang said. "Our Luoyang Merchant Alliance is much more united and cooperative!"

"I didn't expect you to have an alliance," Zhang Xuezhou said with interest. "Does your Luoyang Merchant Alliance recruit people?"

"The Luoyang Merchant Alliance only accepts top merchants from Luoyang," Sang Hongyang said, spreading his hands. "Only the most outstanding Lineage in a certain industry in the local area can join this alliance!"

"That threshold is too high," Zhang Xuezhou sighed. "Your family must be really rich to be able to get in."

"Even wealth won't help," Sang Hongyang shook his head. "Money is nothing but a fleeting cloud in the face of power. Otherwise, I wouldn't have needed to come all the way to Chang'an City to seek an official position!"

"Brother Hongyang will definitely become a high-ranking official in the future!"

Thank you for your kind words!

Sang Hongyang's face was flushed, clearly enjoying Zhang Xuezhou's compliment.

Although he enjoyed the pleasures of wealth, he had been exposed to the many difficulties merchants faced from officials since childhood, and the idea of becoming a high-ranking official and being granted land and titles had always been extremely strong in his mind.

Zhang Xuezhou was simply stating what was on his mind.

Anyone who is touched will inevitably experience some emotional turmoil.

"His Majesty has always been concerned about us," Sang Hongyang said in a low voice. "His Majesty once said that as long as he has the ability, he will promote those of us who are close to His Majesty to the highest positions within his power."

"You believe this?" Zhang Xuezhou asked in surprise.

"That's what His Majesty said," Sang Hongyang said in a low voice. "Han Yan and I heard it with our own ears."

"Most officials who rise to high positions in the imperial court have reached the level they are capable of," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Unless they oppose His Majesty, they are unpopular and thus cannot become high-ranking officials."

The new emperor seemed to have bewitched Sang Hongyang and the others, making these newcomers follow him wholeheartedly.

However, the officials who rose to power in the imperial court were basically within their capabilities. When they reached the most extreme official positions, some people were not capable enough, or even had to take up the positions despite the lack of talent.

In other words, the new emperor's words were as good as nothing, completely fooling these young people. Sang Hongyang still hasn't realized what was going on.

"Cocoa..."

Sang Hongyang thought Zhang Xuezhou's words made sense, but he also considered the new emperor's sincere face and felt that the new emperor's guarantee was also very effective.

This made it difficult for him to make a clear judgment for the time being.

"Brother Hongyang, you've served His Majesty for so long, do you know how we can obtain the prestigious title of 'Supervisor'?"

"The position of Supervising Secretary is very difficult to obtain," Sang Hongyang said after regaining his composure. "This position allows free access to the palace, and the most important thing to obtain this honor is that His Majesty must completely trust you; only then does personal ability come into play."

"So that's how it is!"

Zhang Xuezhou initially thought he needed to do many important things to attract the new emperor's attention, but he didn't expect that the most important element was trust.

But when he came to his senses, he realized that such a request was only natural.

If someone can freely enter Zhang Xuezhou's residence, they must at least have gained Zhang Xuezhou's trust to be able to come and go freely.

Trust is a very simple word, but it is not a simple thing.

Zhang Xuezhou's mind was momentarily filled with quick solutions such as risking his life to save the other person or submitting himself to them, but he realized that he had no such conditions whatsoever.

He didn't have the ability to risk his life to save the new emperor, and the new emperor wasn't interested in men, so he certainly didn't want to sell his own manhood.

However, apart from these methods, it would be extremely difficult for outsiders to gain the emperor's trust.

The only advantage is that the new emperor currently has few people to rely on. As long as you perform well among the new emperor's confidants, you will most likely be able to gain his trust.

Zhang Xuezhou's gaze swept over the camp outside Yangxin City, and then over a group of young men, each with their own unique abilities.

He ultimately felt that he still had a significant advantage among the younger generation.

Apart from his talents in composing poems and playing the zither, which Zhang Xuezhou deeply despised, he was quite outstanding in other aspects.

"His Majesty enjoys playing archery to pass the time. If you want to get the promotion to Attendant Censor, you'd better play with His Majesty more often. If you have a good time, His Majesty might invite you to the palace more often, and it wouldn't be surprising if he gave you the promotion to Attendant Censor!"

When Zhang Xuezhou was contemplating how to outmaneuver the many youngsters, Sang Hongyang offered a suggestion.

This suggestion left Zhang Xuezhou speechless for a moment.

He also wanted to express his opinions on various important matters concerning the country and the people, and he used the advanced nature of the social hierarchy in reality to guide the new emperor and strive to give the new emperor a refreshing perspective.

But Zhang Xuezhou didn't expect that the simplest way would be to play shooting games.

This is a little game that will Lei Bei completely impoverished for life. Lei Bei deeply trapped in it and cannot extricate himself, and the new emperor is obviously also caught up in it.