Loyal Subject

"Really for me?"

"Really!"

Zhang Xuezhou took out a transport weapon, but the new emperor was still somewhat incredulous.

These days, people tend to keep their treasures to themselves; very few people willingly give them away. Even emperors rarely receive things that truly suit their needs.

Zhang Xuezhou was a treasure perfectly suited for the new emperor.

Chang'an City is not as prestigious as Sacred Land or secret sites, but the location of Chang'an City was extremely selective, and the area where the imperial palace was built was of paramount importance.

These areas belong to the land of Spirit Vein of mountains and rivers, and will also release earth energy that is beneficial to cultivation.

However, the large population density in these areas dilutes everything to an almost imperceptible level, and how to make effective use of the limited resources has always been a challenge.

The royal family's current method is to construct Spirit Gathering Formation.

As the name suggests, the Spirit Gathering Formation is a formation that gathers Spiritual Qi. It slowly collects the earth's energy until it becomes dense enough, and then allows cultivators to enter the array to advance their cultivation.

This kind of cultivation is not sustainable. Although the cultivation conditions for emperors are already excellent, they still cannot compare to those of the lords of the major Sacred Land.

The new emperor was surprised that Zhang Xuezhou could produce a magical artifact that gathered Spiritual Qi.

If the treasure is truly as Zhang Xuezhou said, whenever he wears it, the Spiritual Qi within a certain range around him will continuously gather around him, thus creating excellent conditions for cultivation.

If one were to attempt to reach the Divine Ability Realm under such conditions, the new emperor believed the probability would increase significantly.

"Let me take a look at this treasure!"

Zhang Xuezhou's appearance was genuine; the other party had truly come to his door to deliver a treasure.

For someone who doesn't cultivate the Fortune Technique, this kind of artifact is useless, but for the new emperor, it's a precious treasure suitable for his cultivation.

Since Zhang Xuezhou recognizes the value of a treasure but cannot use it himself, it is only natural that he would present it as a valuable item.

The new emperor rose and leaped into the air, landing lightly on the sheep-drawn cart where Zhang Xuezhou was.

He reached out and took the Tai-level Six Talisman, then did a somersault and flipped back over.

His martial arts skills require extremely high physical qualities, and even Zhang Xuezhou had to admit that the new emperor's training was indeed top-notch.

It's hard to say who the strongest person in a dynasty is, but the emperor is undoubtedly one of the dynasty's top military forces.

Emperors are highly likely to become powerful figures, and for these people, the pursuit of anything of great importance in cultivation will inevitably generate a strong desire.

After listening to Zhang Xuezhou's introduction, the new emperor was clearly somewhat impatient.

"I've read ancient books that mention that as long as one cultivates the Fortune Technique manipulating Fortune Body and activates it, this energy-manipulating artifact can come into play," Zhang Xuezhou called out from the sheep-drawn cart at the very back.

"Is it the psychic episode of ' Letting Be '?"

"So you've seen it too!"

The new emperor asked a question, and Zhang Xuezhou nodded in response.

He stared intently at the new emperor, also wanting to see how many of the six Tai-level talismans the emperor could activate, which would allow Zhang Xuezhou to accurately assess the new emperor's cultivation level in Fortune Technique.

Besides eliminating the entanglements with the Immortal Court, presenting the treasure to the new emperor also allowed him to clearly observe the new emperor's Fortune Technique level and thus gain a better understanding of the situation.

Zhang Xuezhou didn't feel he had lost out.

If he has a need for it, he knows who owns it and has a chance of getting it back.

Whether Jin Chang dares to take it back is another matter; in any case, Zhang Xuezhou has dealt with the hot potato in his hands.

"This treasure is amazing!"

Zhang Xuezhou pondered for a few seconds, then saw the new emperor's face light up with joy.

The first rune of the Tai-rank six-character talisman in his hand emitted a faint light, giving the new emperor a feeling of cultivation filled with Spiritual Qi.

As long as he Fortune Body to support it, and there is Spiritual Qi energy in the surrounding environment, this energy device can operate continuously, thus allowing him to receive the benefits of cultivation.

This is essentially a transfer device for exchanging Fortune Technique for power.

This kind of device is of little use to ordinary people, but it is a top-tier treasure when used by emperors.

And among all the rulers under heaven, emperors undoubtedly cultivated their Fortune Technique the fastest.

If used properly, this treasure will undoubtedly bring great benefits to the new emperor.

"Not only did Dongfang Shuo not complain that I hadn't kept my promise, but he also helped me find a useful treasure, and even came to me to offer it up!"

Emperors are knowledgeable and worldly-wise. For example, if an emperor has seen all the wealth in the world, he will not be obsessed with money; if he has been intimate with all the beautiful women in the world, he will not be infatuated with beauty; and if he has enjoyed the flattery of all kinds of people, he will not be led astray by simple flattery.

Some have said that emperors are all heartless people, but this heartlessness is simply because emperors have seen too much and their hearts are hard to be moved.

It must be said that the new emperor was indeed more emotional at this time.

He was only in his early twenties at the time, full of Qi and Blood, and not as shrewd as Emperor Jing. He was also easily moved by certain things.

He felt that Zhang Xuezhou was neither a great general capable of conquering foreign lands nor a good prime minister capable of governing the Great Han, but Zhang Xuezhou was undoubtedly very good to him.

The other party was a person who was so loyal that he would risk his life to save the emperor, and a person who always thought of the emperor. He felt that this must be the 'loyalty' that Emperor Jing spoke of, and he could no longer find fault with his character.

Even if Zhang Xuezhou has any illness or makes any minor mistakes, it cannot affect the evaluation of 'loyalty'.

The new emperor undoubtedly had some loyal ministers around him, but loyal ministers were also divided into first, second, and third classes, Zhang Xuezhou was undoubtedly placed at the forefront.

The new emperor will grow stronger and eventually take over all the power of the Great Han Dynasty. Ministers will flock to him to pledge their loyalty, but the conditions for him to be recognized as loyal will undoubtedly become increasingly higher and harder for newcomers, and it will be increasingly difficult for anyone to meet those conditions.

Time would not diminish his senses in the present moment. Just as many people form friendships in their youth and remain close even after years or decades, the new emperor felt the same way about himself.

"Is there anything you need right now?" the new emperor asked, then added, "If you need anything, anything I can provide is fine!"

"Could you grant me the honorary title of 'Regent Censor'?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.

Zhang Xuezhou, however, did not forget his most important purpose in getting close to the court. He had been scheming and plotting so much that he wanted to be promoted to the rank of "Gypsy Official" and thus get closer to the new emperor and benefit from the fortunes of the Great Han.

As for other things like powerful medicines, elixirs, money, and official positions, they are all illusory and not what Zhang Xuezhou really needs.

"The risk of you coming to find me is too high," Zhang Xuezhou said. "If you had simply sent someone to summon us, we could have entered the palace directly, thus reducing the risk to His Majesty!"

"It's not easy to bestow this title of 'Supervisor' right now. I'll go back and think of a way!"

The new emperor didn't lack the desire to appoint officials; rather, some positions involved the safety of the palace, making it extremely difficult to insert newcomers.

With the Empress Dowager in power, it would be difficult for him to rashly contradict her and cause a direct conflict; if Zhang Xuezhou offended Palace of Peace and Happiness, it would be even more difficult.

"Is it because Your Majesty's appointment of this official is related to the Palace of Peace and Happiness that it's difficult to bestow a title upon him?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.

Zhang Xuezhou was astute and insightful. He had also met with Sang Hongyang and others, and knew that the title of "Gymnast" might seem to involve little power, but it could easily bring hidden dangers to the palace. Only high-ranking officials whom the court trusted could hold this title.

This is why no young people were appointed as "Given a Title" in the years since the new emperor ascended the throne.

"Although the position of 'Governor-at-Law' does not receive a salary or wield any power, the Empress Dowager feels that this position could easily cause trouble within the palace." The new emperor nodded and said, "I cannot appoint officials to the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, nor can I arbitrarily appoint 'Governor-at-Law'!"

"I see!"

"But rest assured, I truly admire a loyal minister like you. I've guaranteed your position as a 'Regent Censor'; it's just a matter of time!"

The new emperor patted his chest and guaranteed it.

He had previously sworn an oath that he couldn't accomplish it, but this time he added more assurances to ensure he wouldn't forget he could achieve it.

"It wouldn't be too difficult for His Majesty to grant me this official position, nor would it anger the Empress Dowager," Zhang Xuezhou said with a smile.

"Not difficult?"

"You can try appointing me to two official positions: one a high-ranking official post in the imperial court, and the other an additional promotion!"

"Oh?"

The new emperor was already quite clear-headed, and when Zhang Xuezhou reminded him, he suddenly realized what was happening.

Zhang Xuezhou is trying to appoint someone to a false official position. If he were to give the person a high-ranking position in the imperial court, it would inevitably be opposed by many officials in the court, and there would be no shortage of people who would complain to Palace of Peace and Happiness.

With all this back and forth, the high-ranking official position bestowed upon Zhang Xuezhou by imperial decree disappeared. However, in order to compensate Zhang Xuezhou or to save face for the new emperor, the additional official positions that did not involve the power of the court were likely to be retained.

It would be difficult to directly appoint Zhang Xuezhou to the official position of "Governor-General," but with a little manipulation, this matter could be easily accomplished.