The Backlash from Invoking the Red Empyrean Sword

The politics of the Weiyang Palace were not closely related to the new emperor.

Even now, when he sits on the throne in the Weiyang Palace, he only listens to the affairs of state and does not interfere as he used to.

This allowed the new emperor to listen to court affairs when he wanted to, and simply ignore them when he didn't, since the Empress Dowager's team was perfectly capable of running the Great Han Dynasty smoothly.

As he passed by the Weiyang Palace in his carriage, he glanced inside the main hall and saw many officials lined up in four rows, looking at the unoccupied imperial throne, and loudly discussing and deciding on many trivial matters with Xu Chang, Zhuang Qingdi and others.

These minor matters are nothing more than where there are remnants of schools of thought, bandits, and wandering groups from Xiong State that need to be eradicated, and also involve local finances, taxes, food, and the training of mounts.

During Emperor Jing's reign, many things were set in motion, and all that was needed was to follow the framework to achieve success without making mistakes.

Unless there are major changes within or outside the dynasty, this kind of governance can continue indefinitely.

The new emperor was too lazy to deal with these minor changes. Even when he was in power, he would delegate many tasks to officials instead of handling all the big and small matters himself.

At this time, the Empress Dowager acted as a stabilizing force, with Xu Chang and Zhuang Qingdi at the forefront, and officials at all levels cooperating.

This kind of team can't create a prosperous era, but maintaining stability isn't a problem.

Your son pays his respects to the Empress Dowager!

The new emperor's carriage did not stop, but sped all the way to Palace of Peace and Happiness before coming to a halt.

After stepping out of the carriage, he walked more than ten steps before bowing and asking for instructions outside the Palace of Peace and Happiness.

Several old eunuchs rushed into the main hall.

In just a short moment, the doors of the main hall were opened, and a strong, almost pungent, fragrance wafted out.

The new emperor sniffed slightly, noticing a hint of chill in the fragrance.

He held his breath slightly before stepping into the main hall of Palace of Peace and Happiness.

"Che'er is here!"

A low, labored breathing sound came from above. The new emperor showed no sign of surprise, but instead bowed respectfully once more.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, I pay my respects!"

Before he obtained the fake Red Empyrean Sword, he tried every means to escape Palace of Peace and Happiness, and his thoughts were extremely complicated.

But now he no longer has those thoughts.

As long as he can ensure that the throne still belongs to him, the new emperor will treat everyone with courtesy.

No matter what the Empress Dowager does, it will only benefit him and save the new emperor from worrying and working hard.

What brings Your Majesty here today?

The Empress Dowager was behind a huge screen. The air behind the screen was dry and stuffy, with a mist that helped to cool things down, making it feel like a steam room.

The Empress Dowager did not appear, but her voice came from behind the screen.

"The Empress said you study and practice diligently every day, never ceasing your cultivation," the Empress Dowager murmured softly. "You probably don't have time to come to Palace of Peace and Happiness, and you probably don't want to see me either!"

"Your Majesty's words have terrified me," the new emperor said, forcing a smile. "I know my abilities are limited, and I only wish to learn more. I did not intentionally avoid coming to Palace of Peace and Happiness to pay my respects!"

"You wouldn't come to Palace of Peace and Happiness without a reason. Tell me, what happened?"

Time changed, and the Empress Dowager's health deteriorated, but when the new emperor faced her, he felt that nothing had changed.

If it weren't for the Red Empyrean Sword, he would probably still be suppressed by the Empress Dowager to the point of being unable to breathe, and would be repeatedly scolded and criticized for even the smallest faults.

Although the Empress Dowager was physically ill, she was insightful and could not be deceived by his few words.

"You have a sweaty smell, and even changing your clothes can't hide it. If you haven't been practicing martial arts all night in the palace, then you must have been out playing all night," the Empress Dowager said. "Since Your Majesty has had an affair, surely you need something from me?"

The new emperor was pondering how to bring up the matter of demanding the great medicine, and was just thinking about how to deliver the message when he heard the Empress Dowager whisper, which directly guessed seven or eight parts of his intentions.

This made the new emperor's expression solemn.

"Although this matter shouldn't be mentioned, I still need to say a word about King of Liang!"

Since the Empress Dowager spoke up, the new emperor had no choice but to tell the whole story.

As for whether the Empress Dowager will provide the medicine, that's not something the new emperor can ask for. If she's willing to give it, he can take it; if she's not, he can only wait.

He naturally hoped that the Empress Dowager would give him face, not to mention providing everything Li Shaojun needed, but at least a little bit of everything, so that he would feel more at ease when they met in the future.

"Gongsun Gui?"

When facing the Empress Dowager, the new emperor dared not harbor any ulterior motives, and simply relayed the facts as he knew them.

This prompted the Empress Dowager to murmur softly.

"So it was him who carried out the assassination!"

If a child kills his teacher to quell a conflict, such a child's temperament is unlikely to be pleasing, even for an emperor.

The Empress Dowager has always favored her youngest son, King of Liang, and still harbors some resentment over King of Liang passing.

But as things began to come to light, she couldn't help but realize that half of her previous dislike for Emperor Jing was a setup.

Her eldest son was indeed not likable, but not so much that she disliked him.

Everything was orchestrated by others, which caused her impression of Emperor Jing to deteriorate further.

In reality, both King of Liang and Emperor Jing were equally incompetent; neither was better than the other, nor was either of superior character.

Their back-and-forth cooperation was accompanied by their back-and-forth scheming against each other, an entanglement that persisted until their deaths.

In the King of King of Liang's scheme, Gongsun Gui was undoubtedly an extremely important figure under the King of Liang's command.

"To be able to assassinate Chao Cuo, who was at the True Self Realm, despite his cultivation level being higher, Gongsun Gui's strength is unpredictable and mysterious. I never imagined that he would one day lose his life while trying to assassinate His Majesty," the Empress Dowager said with slight excitement. "The Crimson Firmament Sword truly helps His Majesty turn misfortune into good fortune. This sword has the effect of turning defeat into victory and can make one stronger in battle. His Majesty's entry into the Divine Ability Realm is just around the corner!"

"The Empress Dowager..."

The new emperor felt a chill in his heart.

If the Empress Dowager attributes his escape from Gongsun Gui's pursuit and subsequent counterattack to the Red Empyrean Sword, then she is not acknowledging that Li Shaojun and others played a significant role.

There can be no substantial reward without recognition.

While seemingly praising the Red Empyrean Sword, the Empress Dowager was actually politely declining his request for the great medicine.

The new emperor was caught in a dilemma. He knew his own situation; he had no way to turn the tide with the Red Empyrean Sword. Everything was thanks to the support of Zhang Xuezhou, Li Shaojun, and others, as well as the ruthless actions of Chen Zhang and Wei Shao'er, which ultimately led to Gongsun Gui's demise.

At this point, attributing the matter to Li Shaojun and others would be tantamount to denying the Red Empyrean Sword; if he didn't attribute the matter to Li Shaojun, he wouldn't have been able to obtain so many powerful medicines.

This is a difficult choice.

However, any choice requires compromise when it comes to upholding imperial legitimacy.

The new emperor forced a smile in response, but ultimately had to acknowledge that the Red Empyrean Sword left behind by the Emperor Gaozu was the real reason he killed Gongsun Gui.