Li Shaojun Enters the Palace of Peace and Happiness
Li Shaojun prided himself on his extensive knowledge, but this was his first time entering the important imperial palace.
The carriage in Palace of Peace and Happiness moved slowly and steadily, and lying on the furs that made up the carriage, Li Shaojun could hardly feel any vibration.
But the imperial guards patrolling the palace made Li Shaojun extremely disheartened. This place was heavily guarded; let alone running out, even flying would result in being shot down.
This requires Li Shaojun to act cautiously.
Just thinking about the Empress Dowager, the head of the Huang-Lao Daoist School of Daoism, and his own title as a self-proclaimed inheritor of Daoist School, made Li Shaojun feel inexplicably uneasy.
Just as the famous Gongsun Gui imitated the Yin-Yang School's Zhou Xun, this rogue and unorthodox figure also wanted to meet the inheritor and leader of the orthodox Daoist School school.
Li Shaojun was alone at the moment. He looked around nervously, afraid that someone might see through his secret.
Possessing the Aging Technique, Li Shaojun and his family have relied on this method to swindle and deceive, and have continuously developed and expanded upon it.
The three generations of them did not look exactly alike when they were young, but they looked very similar when they were old. When they were given the name Li Shaojun, it led to rumors that Li Shaojun was old, long-lived, and elusive.
But he knows his own situation best. Li Shaojun can fool many people, but there are some he can't fool.
Going to Palace of Peace and Happiness was a major test in his life. Once he passed this test, his identity within the Great Han Dynasty would be established, and he would be able to move freely throughout Chang'an City.
If he can't get past this hurdle and messes things up, Li Shaojun will have no choice but to beg these people to give him a complete corpse, so that it won't be inconvenient when he is resurrected.
"Master Li, we've arrived at Palace of Peace and Happiness!"
Only after Cui Yan let out a sigh of relief did Li Shaojun respond with a soft "hmm".
Li Shaojun's low voice wasn't a deliberate affectation; rather, it was because he had been severely beaten and injured by Zhang Xuezhou and Rong Tianding, and then forcibly healed by the Supreme Purity True Technique, so his health was indeed not very good.
As fate would have it, Zhang Xuezhou and his companions encountered Yi Shuo, a physician from the imperial court.
Even if Li Shaojun had known beforehand that the first doctor to examine him was Yi Shuo, he might have avoided being beaten at the time, but he would have suffered a severe beating afterward.
The Empress Dowager was not a fool, and the many physicians in the Imperial Medical Hall were not incompetent. It would be too difficult to get Li Shaojun to feign illness while he was perfectly healthy; only a genuine illness could demonstrate the effectiveness of the treatment.
Normal people can't play like Zhang Xuezhou and his ilk, but Li Shaojun is precisely not a normal person.
If he can fix his body, he will; if he can't, he'll commit suicide to recover.
For various reasons, Li Shaojun came to Palace of Peace and Happiness because he was genuinely ill.
After a brief announcement, the gates of Palace of Peace and Happiness were opened, and a strong, chilly scent of ambergris wafted out.
Li Shaojun sniffed the air and immediately knew that this was the Yin Sha Qi that Zhang Xuezhou had mentioned.
"Fellow Daoist Dou, it's been a long time!"
Standing at the entrance of the main hall of Palace of Peace and Happiness, Li Shaojun did not step directly into the hall, but instead bowed respectfully with clasped hands outside.
"I have long admired Fellow Daoist Li's name, but it is a pity that I have never been able to meet him. I am physically unable to rise to greet you, so I hope Fellow Daoist Li will not take offense and will come in quickly!"
The Empress Dowager at Palace of Peace and Happiness unusually uttered several more words of welcoming remarks.
As if speaking was too strenuous, the Empress Dowager even gasped for breath a few times.
Li Shaojun glanced at the several pale-faced old eunuchs and palace maids in the main hall, and then at Cui Yan, who was extremely polite and gestured for him to enter.
"Fellow Daoist Dou needs to bask in the sun more often. The sun is the nemesis of all gloom and can also keep us old people healthy and prolong our lives," Li Shaojun as he slowly stepped into Palace of Peace and Happiness.
"Fellow Daoist Li is right. It's a pity that I'm not feeling well and need to be exposed to incense for a long time, so it's difficult to place this incense burner in an open space for a medicinal bath!"
Behind the screen, the Empress Dowager sighed heavily.
Incense should be burned in a closed room; even with the door open, it's not suitable, let alone in an open area.
Since falling seriously ill, the Empress Dowager has not sunbathed for a long time.
Furthermore, her body is affected by the corpse's Sha Qi, and she also dislikes sunlight, so she always chooses to go out at night rather than during the day.
The warmth of the sun, which is a luxury for the elderly, was a distant dream for the Empress Dowager.
"Fellow Daoist, who did you fight with that led to this predicament?" Li Shaojun inquired.
From the moment he entered Palace of Peace and Happiness, Li Shaojun maintained control to avoid being questioned by the Empress Dowager and revealing his true identity.
To Li Shaojun's surprise, the Empress Dowager was indeed very polite to him. She showed no impatience when he asked Li Shaojun questions and answered them very carefully, even when they involved confidential matters.
This differs somewhat from the impression Zhang Xuezhou had given him after warning him to be wary of the Empress Dowager, and also from Li Shaojun's imagination of the Empress Dowager's strong control over the Great Han Dynasty.
He found it hard to imagine how the Empress Dowager, whose body was so weak, could manage so many high-ranking officials, princes, and generals of the Great Han Dynasty.
"This demon Zhu Jiuyin is skilled in fire and intimidation, but he doesn't seem to have the ability to control the corpse's Sha Qi?"
"It was my carelessness, really. This was originally a gift left to Zhu Jiuyin by my good-for-nothing eldest son, but I never expected that retribution would fall on me!"
The Empress Dowager sighed softly, her voice indeed carrying a hint of resentment.
With experts like Zhi Buning stationed at Yang Mausoleum, they could almost drive away 99% of the cultivators.
To achieve this, one must defeat Zhi Buning and his allies, navigate the traps set at every turn in Yang Mausoleum, and even disrupt Emperor Jing's plans. Among the enemies of the Great Han Dynasty, only powerful demons like Zhu Jiuyin could accomplish this.
Emperor Jing made arrangements at Yang Mausoleum, either to transform into a yin entity to protect the new emperor, or to have countless Sha Qi destroy the enemy and kill Zhu Jiuyin, causing this Old Gao demon to be plagued by illness and perish.
Everything was part of Emperor Jing Jing's meticulous plan, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the Empress Dowager suffered a severe misfortune.
This situation left the Empress Dowager speechless.
She couldn't blame Emperor Jing, but only herself for underestimating Emperor Jing, adding her own schemes to Emperor Jing plan, and even trying to kill the intruders using her own methods, which led to her current predicament.
As the story unfolded, Li Shaojun couldn't help but gasp. He felt that those who escaped unscathed from the Yang Mausoleum incident must have either been incredibly lucky or possessed exceptionally high cultivation levels.
Remembering that Zhang Xuezhou had once served as the Imperial Carriage Attendant guarding the Sima Gate of Yang Mausoleum, Li Shaojun could only sigh that Zhang Xuezhou was lucky enough to escape being swayed and killed by the royal family's schemes.
"The corpse demon formed by the sacrifice of thousands of people is extremely dangerous. Fellow Daoist Dou has almost no way to suppress it," Li Shaojun said bluntly.
Li Shaojun's blunt words caused the old eunuchs, including Cui Yan, to change their expressions drastically, but the Empress Dowager behind the screen was delighted.
"This 'suppression is almost impossible' doesn't mean there's no way, but rather that there are ways but they're very difficult to implement. Is that what you mean, Fellow Daoist Li?" the Empress Dowager asked.
"Fellow Daoist Dou guessed correctly," Li Shaojun said solemnly.
"Fellow Daoist Li, your knowledge is vast; I hope you will not hesitate to offer your guidance!"
The Empress Dowager behind the screen pricked up her ears, wanting to hear the opinion of Li Shaojun, the inheritor of the Jianghu Daoist School.
After their conversation, the Empress Dowager did not personally examine Li Shaojun's physical condition, but was instead led by Li Shaojun to steer the conversation in the opposite direction.
"That Dongfang Shuo guy is really something. What he said about striking first makes a lot of sense. Compared to caring about my health, Old Madam Dou is indeed more concerned about her own health, and she will definitely be swayed by these words, thus making it highly likely that she will accept my identity!"
Zhang Xuezhou's guidance was very helpful, but Li Shaojun felt that he was also capable.
If he cannot come up with a reasonable plan for the Empress Dowager, Zhang Xuezhou's preemptive strike will be ineffective.
With Zhang Xuezhou's advice and Li Shaojun's insights, he was clearly only one step away from becoming a guest of honor at Palace of Peace and Happiness.