The Trajectories of the Fortune Technique

"Being an official is difficult, but resigning is even more difficult!"

Zhang Xuezhou felt as if the turmoil in the imperial court was about to hit him head-on.

He hadn't been working with Divine Lord Zhenyuan and the Empress Dowager for long, but the new emperor's perception was incredibly sharp. During this time, he had already noticed some clues and made a fairly complete judgment about the Empress Dowager's condition in Anle Palace.

The new emperor, brimming with confidence, was preparing to once again take control of the government and thus consolidate his rule over the Great Han Dynasty.

This takeover did not only involve the rotation of Xu Chang and Zhuang Qingdi's positions, but the new emperor only asked Zhang Xuezhou about this matter.

Compared to these major events, Zhang Xuezhou's resignation from his official post seemed like a trivial matter.

At such a moment, it's not just the new emperor who might make moves; Xu Chang and Zhuang Qingdi, once they realize the situation, will inevitably be cautious and careful to avoid being caught red-handed. It will be difficult for them to target Zhang Xuezhou when they are walking on thin ice.

Zhang Xuezhou felt that resigning from his official post would be very difficult, and he would likely need to find a new way to cause trouble.

He came to the palace full of hope, but returned home with little enthusiasm, feeling that things were not going well.

"Sir, we've arrived at Old Tree Alley!"

When the coachman's calls came from outside, Zhang Xuezhou lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the darkness outside, feeling even more overwhelmed.

His day passed simply like that.

In the morning, I saw Li Shaojun off, and then took a carriage to the palace. I spent two or three hours there, and by the time I returned by carriage, it was already dark.

I didn't get much done; most of the time was spent traveling by carriage.

Unfortunately, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't demonstrate his sorcery-like "Technique Within the Clouds" in Chang'an City, nor could he go to the palace late at night, and he didn't live near the palace.

"Alas, what bad luck!"

Zhang Xuezhou muttered something under his breath, then readily paid the fare.

He jumped off the carriage and heard familiar voices coming from inside the house.

"Your career is so promising, how come you're experiencing bad luck?"

Zhang Xuezhou walked quickly for a few steps, then pushed open the gate of the house, and saw a person step out of the main hall.

"Master Dong!"

Zhang Xuezhou rubbed his eyes and saw Dong Zhongshu, with a refined and scholarly air, walking out while fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan with gold trim.

Compared to the Law Treasure fan that Dong Zhongshu used to carry, the palm-leaf fan that Dong Zhongshu was holding now looked like a completely different story, exuding a sense of wealth and power.

Zhang Xuezhou shouted enthusiastically.

"What brings you to Chang'an City?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.

"Shen Peigong has passed away, so I came to Chang'an City for a stroll," Dong Zhongshu said.

Has Shen Peigong passed away?

Zhang Xuezhou let out a slight gasp of surprise.

Shen Peigong was the leader of the Lu School of Confucian School, yet the death of such a powerful and influential Confucian scholar did not cause a ripple.

Just as grass and trees wither in autumn, a person's life ends like a lamp going out after death. Only Dong Zhongshu, bound by Shen Peigong's oath, paid any attention to this matter.

As long as Shen Peigong was in Chang'an City, Dong Zhongshu would never set foot in Chang'an City.

Even after Shen Peigong was eliminated in Chang'an City, Dong Zhongshu did not return. Instead, he waited until Shen Peigong passed away and confirmed that there were no unforeseen circumstances before returning to Chang'an City.

Dong Zhongshu's mindset was undoubtedly extremely subtle, demonstrating extreme caution.

"After his death, a foul stench emanated from him, forcing his coffin to be buried nine feet deep, likely due to some uncleanliness," Dong Zhongshu said. "Do you know the details?"

"It's quite a coincidence, really. I happened to run into Shen Peigong. He seemed to have performed a ritual at an altar near Yangling, which may have gotten him into some trouble!"

"He shouldn't have interfered in royal affairs!"

Zhang Xuezhou's account was not detailed, but Dong Zhongshu only needed to make a few guesses to roughly understand some of the events and why Shen Peigong had ended up in such a state.

"Hu Wusheng and others died young, Shen Peigong passed away, Yuan Gu retired and disappeared, and Mei Cheng died on the way to Chang'an City. All these old friends are gone!"

Dong Zhongshu sighed softly.

As the Great Han Dynasty came to an end, the various schools of Confucian School were also subject to change.

As one generation fades into the background, another takes its place. In the past, Dong Zhongshu was overshadowed by many senior Confucian scholars, but now, Dong Zhongshu has become the most prestigious Confucian School scholar, and he is equally capable.

If it had happened a few years earlier, Dong Zhongshu would certainly have continued the path taken in Chang'an.

However, he could not wait any longer and thus chose to develop in Jiangdu, while also vouching for Gongsun Hong to help him move to Chang'an.

At this time, Dong Zhongshu came to Chang'an City to take over the Confucian School school, thereby promoting closer relationships within the Confucian School school.

"I've heard that you've been appointed Grand Master of the Palace and are authorized to revise the Mingtang system?" Dong Zhongshu asked.

"I just met His Majesty today, and I feel that my position as Grand Master of the Palace is insecure; I fear I cannot hold this position for long!"

Zhang Xuezhou replied, and his heart stirred slightly.

Among those who came to Zhang's residence were those who used their power to intimidate others, and those who used their influence to persuade others. Now, it was Dong Zhongshu, with whom they had a close relationship.

Zhang Xuezhou had a close relationship with Dong Zhongshu, and he didn't mind doing things for Dong Zhongshu. However, as long as he did things according to the Confucian School approach, he would be categorized as a Confucian School.

In the past, while serving in the imperial court, he had always been determined not to get involved with any other forces, a suggestion that had been given to him by Dong Zhongshu and others.

"Once you're promoted to an official position in the imperial court, it's very difficult for you to fall from it. Your house is dilapidated, which clearly means you haven't been seeking personal gain. It's unlikely you'll make any mistakes in this position. Why are you losing your job?" Dong Zhongshu said in a deep voice.

"These past few days, many people have come to the residence, and I couldn't refuse everyone's requests, so I took the initiative to resign from my post with His Majesty," Zhang Xuezhou said, spreading his hands.

"No need to resign. You can rest assured. With me here, anyone who tries to harm you will have to think twice about the consequences!"

Dong Zhongshu frowned.

He vouched for Zhang Xuezhou, but couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy, realizing he had arrived in Chang'an City too late.

If one had supported Zhang Xuezhou from the very beginning of his rise to power, things would have been much easier to do at that time.

At present, Zhang Xuezhou has been caught in the vortex of officialdom in Chang'an City, and has chosen to resign to extricate himself.

Under these circumstances, it would undoubtedly be a difficult task for Zhang Xuezhou to improve and change the Mingtang system.

"I visited Wen Weng in Shu Commandery and heard that you are willing to promote the academy system," Dong Zhongshu asked.

"I haven't had a chance to bring this up yet," Zhang Xuezhou said, shaking his head.

"Should we speak up?" Dong Zhongshu said, "Now is definitely a very opportune time!"

"A very suitable time?" Zhang Xuezhou asked doubtfully.

"Perfect!"

Dong Zhongshu nodded, then pointed to himself.

Having practiced the art of manipulation, Dong Zhongshu vaguely perceived its mysteries, feeling that everything in the world had a traceable pattern, and that following these patterns would lead to smooth sailing in all endeavors.

He came to Chang'an City following a set path, and there was no way he would stop at Zhang Xuezhou.

At this time, some unexpected things happened, but Dong Zhongshu felt that the timing for the change of the Great Han Dynasty had not changed.

He offered advice to Zhang Xuezhou, while also validating his own judgment, and began to discuss his new discoveries in the art of movement.

"Trajectory?"

After their conversation, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

He had practiced the art of manipulation for many years, either using it to gain benefits or suffering misfortune due to its backlash. He had never discovered anything that followed the trajectory of the art of manipulation.

Clearly, this comparison ruthlessly exposes Zhang Xuezhou's true nature.

Compared to true geniuses, there is an invisible gap between him and others.

Both are forms of cultivation, and they are cultivating the same content. Zhang Xuezhou even has a greater advantage, but his understanding of techniques is not as good as Dong Zhongshu's.

"To put it simply, it might be a bit difficult to understand, but once you cultivate your spiritual techniques, you will sense the laws governing the workings of heaven and earth..."

The power of cultivation is not outwardly apparent; it is marked on my head as a sign that I have practiced it.

In Dong Zhongshu's eyes, Zhang Xuezhou was still a novice in the art of divination.

This gave him a huge headache as to how to explain the trajectory of the movement technique. In the end, he could only explain it theoretically bit by bit in an attempt to convince Zhang Xuezhou.