Leaving the palace

Zhang Xuezhou's mission was official business, and the first thing he should do upon returning to Chang'an City was to report back, not rush home.

If he reverses the order, no matter how arduous the process or how much merit or effort he has made, a single sentence from the remonstrating official, "disrespectful to His Majesty," can lead to a memorial that makes one question the meaning of life.

After reporting to the new emperor, Zhang Xuezhou left the palace with a happy expression.

"See you next time, Commander Li!"

See you next time, Brother Hongyang!

As he left, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but say goodbye.

"It seems things are going well for Brother Dongfang!"

After bidding farewell to Zhang Xuezhou, Sang Hongyang couldn't help but express his admiration. Only after the eunuch announced the order to enter the hall did he quickly tidy his clothes and slip inside.

"Something's not right. This kid went out on business for half a year, and then just ran off without any reward or punishment?"

Li Guang, on the other hand, habitually stroked his beard.

He felt that Zhang Xuezhou just wandered in like he was strolling through a park, glanced around, and then left.

This does not conform to the normal reporting procedure.

"So, what did he go off to do?"

Li Guang couldn't help but think about it some more, but his mind wasn't very sharp, and he experienced a lot every day, so how could he remember what decree the new emperor had issued more than half a year ago, or what he had asked Zhang Xuezhou to do?

"His Majesty is doing much more now than before, but he..."

Li Guang put down Zhang Xuezhou, who had run away, and when he looked at the Weiyang Palace, there was a strange change in his expression.

The new emperor is nothing like he was when he first ascended the throne. Instead, he plays around whenever he wants, runs away whenever he wants, and even practices Buddhism whenever he wants. He is also making money on his own, turning a blind eye to the affairs of the court. He basically lets the people arranged by the Empress Dowager govern the country, and there is no opposition.

The court in Chang'an was currently very harmonious, so harmonious that even Li Guang felt uncomfortable.

But Li Guang thought this was fine too. As long as the royal family in Chang'an City was safe and there were no conflicts, he and Cheng Bushi could relinquish their duties as commanders of the Imperial Guard and return to the frontier.

Li Guang's interests were never about enjoying leisure and luxury, nor was he about spending his days wandering around the palace.

He also wanted to be like Zhang Xuezhou, traveling around freely and doing whatever he wanted.

Thinking about this, he couldn't help but feel a little envious of free people like Zhang Xuezhou.

"His Majesty?"

As Li Guang looked towards the outside of the palace, he heard footsteps approaching, which made Li Guang quickly turn his head back.

"Now call me Marquis Pingyang!"

The new emperor emerged from the Weiyang Palace.

He changed his clothes, took the Crimson Sky Sword, and walked straight out, which gave Li Guang a headache.

The chaos in the palace disappeared, but the new emperor became obsessed with going out of the palace, running off as soon as he finished some official business.

The new emperor would make this kind of trip every three to five days, and each time he would be gone for several days. As the head of the Weiyang Palace guards, he had become the emperor's personal bodyguard.

"Is His Majesty going out again?" Li Guang asked.

"To stay informed about people's lives, you must go out frequently!"

The new emperor nodded, and Sang Hongyang followed behind.

Zhang Xuezhou entered Weiyang Palace to report back very quickly, and Sang Hongyang was also very fast.

Seemingly trusting Sang Hongyang completely, the new emperor merely glanced at the records without checking them, unlike usual when he would spend nearly half an hour checking them.

He replied to Li Guang, then urged Li Guang to change his clothes quickly and not to dress so conspicuously.

"Yes!"

Li Guang nodded obsequiously, but couldn't help glancing again at the Crimson Sky Sword at the new emperor's waist.

"What are you looking at? I'm not carrying this sword to kill anyone. If I run into someone who doesn't know what's good for them, you'll have to step in, lest you dirty my dragon-slaying and immortal-slaying sword!"

"Your Majesty, I'll be dressed right away!"

When the new emperor noticed him staring at him, Li Guang was immediately jolted awake. He quickly averted his gaze from the Crimson Sky Sword and ran back to the outer palace to change his clothes.

"Little lamb, you say pottery is made by firing clay, but I've never made any beautiful pottery from clay!"

"My lord, the clay used for firing this pottery is very particular. We need to choose that sticky clay; regular clay tends to crack easily when fired!"

"Then I'll go out and look for some sticky clay this time!"

Sang Hongyang still had to go out to hand over the goods for sale, while the new emperor walked slowly, waiting for Li Guang.

He was about to signal to Sang Hongyang that there was no need for formalities and that he could leave as readily as Zhang Xuezhou did, when he suddenly remembered that Sang Hongyang and Zhang Xuezhou had traveled together all the way.

"Little Sheep, do you think this Dongfang Shuo has done anything for me?" The new emperor replied, "You traveled with him all the way, you should know something!"

"Your Majesty, Dongfang Shuo said he traveled halfway around our Great Han Kingdom and got things done. I think that means he got things done," Sang Hongyang replied dryly.

Sang Hongyang and Zhang Xuezhou barely discussed the matter. Asking about such things would be considered inquiring into court secrets, which would be a breach of protocol. However, if they didn't know anything when the new emperor asked, it would be seen as a lack of concern for state affairs.

Sang Hongyang found this kind of response too troublesome and preferred to do business directly.

He had no choice but to honestly recall what he had said, and then answered using Zhang Xuezhou's exact words.

"Since you also believe in him, then I will wait a little longer!"

The new emperor nodded.

He personally didn't quite believe in Zhang Xuezhou's competence, but Sang Hongyang's two words of agreement strengthened his inclination and made the new emperor willing to wait a little longer.

He waved his hand, indicating that Sang Hongyang could leave the palace first to deal with the merchant group's affairs.

Seeing that Sang Hongyang was still timid and dared not walk in front, the new emperor felt that honest people had their advantages, but also their disadvantages that gave him a headache.

"This world needs reliable people like Xiao Yang, and it also needs unreliable people like Dongfang Shuo. At least that guy isn't so polite; he does what he thinks, decisively and efficiently, saving me the trouble of constantly guessing his character, his hidden habits, and whether he's loyal to me. Two-faced people who are secretive and secretive are the most annoying..."

He pondered and compared different people, and felt that it was better for people to be more diverse.

He was reassured by Sang Hongyang's loyalty, but Zhang Xuezhou, being an upright person, wouldn't do anything truly evil.

For example, if the new emperor were asked to guess the identities of Li Guang, Cheng Bushi, Dou Ying, Tian Fen, Xu Chang, Zhuang Qingdi, and others, he would completely fail to understand them and would find it difficult to know whether they were two-faced.

Even though these people shouted "Long live the Emperor!" and some even knelt down in worship, how could he know what other side of them was hidden beneath their facades?

He had been on the throne for several years, but had not accomplished much in terms of official business. However, when it came to court disputes, the new emperor saw these people who claimed to be loyal to the Great Han Dynasty jumping around and constantly swaying between the Empress Dowager, the Empress, the Empress Dowager, and the new emperor.

This involves choices such as schools of thought and Immortal Court, making it extremely difficult for the new emperor to discern the right path.

He could only wait patiently; some people, whether old or dead, would eventually reveal their true nature.

"The best option is still to promote young people. They're reliable and there's not much trouble. As long as they're capable enough, they can rise to the top directly. Unfortunately, there's no one who can compete with the older generation these days!"

The new emperor kept thinking about it.

He clearly favors younger people when it comes to talent.

However, even the most skilled cook cannot cook without rice; even if the new emperor was willing, he lacked a suitable candidate.

Among his current holdings, the strongest person is Wei Qing, who has barely entered the Divine Ability Realm. He is the only trump card he has.

However, this high-ranking official is not yet qualified to be placed on the front lines of the imperial court.

Wei Qing had no military achievements, and his cultivation at the Divine Ability Realm was insufficient to suppress the many soldiers in the military.

Moreover, Wei Qing now has another child to take care of, which inevitably distracts him.

If Wei Qing is too busy and refuses the care of the palace maids he sends, the new emperor will have to go and help take care of the children.