Obstruction

Many people will benefit from the changes of the times.

Most people attribute their success to their own hard work, and only a few know the reasons behind their upward social mobility.

When certain people and events collide at the right time, they can produce unexpected benefits.

To use a more recent term, it would be like "when the wind blows, even pigs can fly."

The trajectory described by Dong Zhongshu is precisely the phenomenon of opportunities brought about by such era-wide changes.

Few people can foresee the trends of the times, and even fewer can be so certain as to make such pronouncements.

Dong Zhongshu undoubtedly perceived this situation based on the Fortune Technique.

"When I was performing a divination in Jiangdu, I looked northwest and saw layers of floating clouds rising in the sky, then being blown away by a strong wind, thus revealing the appearance of the rising sun..."

In his low-key explanation, Dong Zhongshu also tried his best to describe the changes in the Qi (vital energy) he observed, and further corroborated the results of his observations.

"Master Dong possesses the art of observing qi (vital energy) in the realm of divination!"

Zhang Xuezhou's gaze turned serious.

Knowing something is one thing; learning it is another.

Techniques like observing qi and examining qi may sound commonplace, but they are not particularly useful.

For example, Zou Bugui's ability to observe auras allows him to identify the person he comes into contact with without them having to reveal their identity.

This ability to observe qi helped Zou Bugui avoid many risks, but it also Zou Bugui to some misunderstandings, so it wasn't exactly good or bad.

Some people possess the ability to observe Yin Qi, distinguishing where Yin Qi is abundant and thus determining where yin objects, ghosts, and zombies might gather. This is not considered a particularly impressive skill, and can even be replaced more effectively by Yin Entity Tracking Technique.

These abilities are not very useful, but people who possess the ability to observe and interpret qi are extremely rare.

Just like having heterochromia, you either have it or you don't.

Dong Zhongshu could observe changes in the flow of Qi, while Zhang Xuezhou could only sense the luster of Qi and could not discern the changes within it. This was an ability that Zhang Xuezhou found difficult to learn even if he wanted to.

"You must believe me, I, Dong, would never harm anyone," Dong Zhongshu said earnestly.

Dong Zhongshu felt that his explanation was not very persuasive, and that it was no different from an ordinary person encountering a charlatan on the street.

If a charlatan claimed that one could obtain the secrets of Confucian School cultivation simply by offering a string of cash, Dong Zhongshu would find it hard to believe such a thing.

But what he's doing now is not much different.

Whether Zhang Xuezhou believed Dong Zhongshu's words or not was another matter, even though Zhang Xuezhou had been exposed to the art of manipulation.

This is something that Dong Zhongshu could verify, but Zhang Xuezhou could not.

Even if Dong Zhongshu observed again, Zhang Xuezhou would not see anything relevant and would only think it was a normal change in the weather.

"Trajectory!"

Zhang Xuezhou murmured something.

Dong Zhongshu's arrival in Chang'an City was indeed very opportune. Putting aside other factors, Dong Zhongshu only had to wait at Zhang's residence for three hours before meeting him.

Prior to this, the person who happened to bump into Zhang Xuezhou was Jin Chang.

If Jin Chang deliberately timed his visit, then Dong Zhongshu's trip to Chang'an to see Zhang Xuezhou was a natural progression, not a special trip for him.

It was a minor incident that Zhang Xuezhou happened to be at home, but Dong Zhongshu stumbled upon the death of the Empress Dowager and the new emperor's ambitious preparation to take over power, which was truly a stroke of bad luck.

A trend isn't something that everyone knows about; it's about betting heavily before the trend even forms—that's how you truly ride the wave.

Dong Zhongshu had previously been in Jiangdu, then traveled to Shu Commandery, and finally came to Chang'an City. This journey took a very long time.

At least a year ago, Dong Zhongshu had already foreseen the corresponding trajectory, and then slowly waited for the opportunity to insert himself into that trajectory.

"Master, you know that I have always followed your advice in the court and never formed factions. Now you are asking me to revise the Mingtang system. If this leads to a clear bias, then I will inevitably be labeled as Confucian School," Zhang Xuezhou said slowly and deliberately.

"This..."

"I have health issues and have always sought stability; I'm afraid I can't withstand the storms and challenges of this kind of path!"

Zhang Xuezhou's previous statements were attempts to shirk responsibility, while his current statements lean towards self-preservation.

In other words, he was willing to do it, but didn't want to be involved in it, nor was he overly concerned about the benefits of this high-profile event.

If the "windfall trajectory" mentioned by Dong Zhongshu holds true, Zhang Xuezhou is already close to the new emperor and has gained his favor, so his future shouldn't be too bad.

While adding to someone's success is certainly desirable, Zhang Xuezhou also had to guard against potential backlash.

"You should know that my current official rank is only below the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, and even the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers would not have a patient like me," Zhang Xuezhou said sincerely. "I have reached the limit of my official position in the court, and I am doing my best to resign from this unworthy position. Even if I am involved in the trajectory of fate, what I gain will be limited."

"That's absolutely right!"

Dong Zhongshu frowned slightly.

Even though he was familiar with Zhang Xuezhou, he couldn't get Zhang Xuezhou to do something that would harm himself for the benefit of others.

In this incident, Zhang Xuezhou Zhang Xuezhou wasn't seeking personal gain, but at the very least, he couldn't be taken advantage of.

Zhang Xuezhou's ascension to the position of Grand Master of the Palace was an extremely absurd event, as sudden as a prince who had received little attention suddenly becoming a king.

The other party holds extremely crucial power. Etiquette may seem like an unimportant matter, but the rules that etiquette establishes are the prerequisites for many things.

However, Zhang Xuezhou is not a physically normal person. It would be fine if he were without desires, wants, or ambitions, but once he gets involved in disputes, he will inevitably be targeted, thus suffering more losses than gains.

Dong Zhongshu originally wanted Zhang Xuezhou to promote Confucian School rites and create a situation where Confucianism swept across the Great Han, but after exchanging words with Zhang Xuezhou, he also had to abandon this idea.

"Although I am a Grand Master of the Palace, even if I promote the rites, it ultimately requires His Majesty's approval, not just my word and His Majesty's compliance," Zhang Xuezhou reminded him again.

"That's right!"

Dong Zhongshu nodded.

He frowned, momentarily puzzled as to why he was stuck here.

Given his fortunate turn of events and smooth sailing in everything he does, he shouldn't have failed at the very first hurdle.

Zhang Xuezhou gasped slightly, feeling a new sensation of the clash between the techniques.

Dong Zhongshu may have been extremely astute in strategy and even possessed foresight, but Dong Zhongshu clashed with Zhang Xuezhou.

Unlike Zhang Xuezhou, the other party hadn't experienced many setbacks in using magic. Zhang Xuezhou knew how to get along with those skilled in magic, and he also knew that things would only go smoothly when their interests aligned. Otherwise, they would fall into a conflict of interest, no matter how good their past relationship was. In the end, not only would it be difficult to achieve their goals, but it would also leave them in a dilemma.

By clashing with Zhang Xuezhou, who is skilled in martial arts, things will eventually lead to Zhang Xuezhou's downfall, making it difficult for Dong Zhongshu to achieve his goals and inevitably hindering his progress.

This led Zhang Xuezhou to conclude that Dong Zhongshu's skill level was likely inferior to his at this point; otherwise, he wouldn't have come on his own initiative and so quickly found himself in a passive position.

During Dong Zhongshu's journey, the other party not only needed to satisfy their own interests, but also those of Zhang Xuezhou, and also the interests of the new emperor who had also practiced the art of fortune-telling. Only in this way could the interests of the three be unified and the matter be pushed forward normally.

"It's already so troublesome to coordinate with each other; imagine what it would be like if thousands of people were practicing magic together!"

Just by considering Dong Zhongshu's awkward situation, Zhang Xuezhou understood the limited advantages of those who practiced cultivation techniques.