Successor

A deceased but powerful empress dowager is extremely important.

Although Xu Chang, Zhuang Qingdi, and others will still be the leaders in the court, this is an extremely important window of opportunity.

This gives the emperor enough time to develop everything.

The collapse of the Empress Dowager does not mean that the new emperor can now roam freely. The need to manage and take over both the internal and external affairs of the court is only part of the problem. The real trouble is how to get along with the various vassal states that were granted fiefdoms, and how to get along with the countries that border the Great Han Dynasty.

The princes, including the King of King of Huainan, adhered to proper etiquette in front of the Empress Dowager, but did not show the same respect to the new emperor.

The dynasties along the borders of the territory were composed of diverse elements, and there were bound to be many who were eager to make trouble.

Thinking back to the Empress Dowager's entrustment when she left Chang'an City, Zhang Xuezhou felt that a storm was brewing.

"We can only wait and see if His Majesty Emperor Jing left anything behind!"

How could a greenhorn possibly stand up to veteran officials? Many of these officials were the product of three or four generations of their families since the founding of the dynasty. It was impossible for them to produce equal rivals just because the new emperor worked hard for a few years.

Emperor Jing must have anticipated the risks of passing the throne down, whether it was to guard against the Empress Dowager or other risks. Zhang Xuezhou felt that the new emperor could not be so weak and powerless.

Everything related to the new emperor was cultivated through sheer force, but talent isn't like rice that's harvested every year; it can't be cultivated in a short period of time.

Zhang Xuezhou didn't forcefully promote him, and Wei Qing also faced the risk of almost losing his life.

Sitting in the carriage escorted by the messenger, Zhang Xuezhou's mind was filled with a multitude of thoughts.

If the new emperor were to expose this matter, he felt that Emperor Jing must have left something behind. If the matter involved the Empress Dowager, then it was beyond Zhang Xuezhou's control.

Zhang Xuezhou was not familiar with the Empress Dowager, only knowing that she was related to Yao Yuanguang and might also be involved with the Immortal Court.

He pondered the matter back and forth, feeling that he couldn't do anything in these matters, nor could he bring the Empress Dowager back to life. His heart finally settled down, and he could only silently wait for the carriage to arrive at the palace.

It takes an hour to get from the house to the palace. Zhang Xuezhou calmed down and was able to quietly perceive everything in his body.

The influence of the Xuanhuang Qi, which was extremely important to Li Shaojun, was not so great to Zhang Xuezhou. His body had extremely strong expansion capabilities, and even when passively expanding, he could expand to a body of three zhang without exploding. Combined with the Fatian Technique, he was able to transform into a giant body of six zhang.

Unless it is used to crush the weak, or there is a need in special circumstances, a huge body does not bring any special advantages.

The same applies to the ability of the body to shrink.

What Zhang Xuezhou truly perceived was the influence of Rong Tianding's insights; he felt that his Realm Technique seemed to have undergone a slight change.

It was as if the Realm Entry Seed of his entry into the Realm Entry had taken root within him, waiting only for a certain moment to sprout and grow.

Zhang Xuezhou wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

Most of his insights are quite profound, but his physical body already contains both Law Power power and Demon Power, and even the Qi and Blood power from cultivating physical techniques.

If another force were to be interspersed within this chaotic situation, Zhang Xuezhou felt that managing it would be very disorganized, and he also lacked a corresponding cultivation method for this new force.

"My cousin's understanding is about the life and death of Yin and Yang energies, while mine directly corresponds to the combination of Yin-Yang School's Realm Technique, which is why I was able to get some guidance. But Li Shaojun, because of our different cultivation methods, didn't react at all!"

Zhang Xuezhou pondered for a while, constantly referring to and checking the references.

He excels in complex memory techniques, which corresponds to Zhang Xuezhou's lack of personal insight.

This doesn't mean Zhang Xuezhou is useless; rather, it means he's been exposed to a level far beyond his normal capabilities.

The Law Treasure cloth is not some random thing; it belongs to Zhuang Sheng and is Law Treasure that Zhuang Qingdi and his descendants have studied for three generations without success.

To comprehend the profound mysteries possessed by Zhuang Sheng in a short period of time and transform them into one's own ability is almost impossible; even Divine Lord Zhenyuan would be no exception.

"I wonder what my cousin will gain from his period of seclusion?"

Zhang Xuezhou lacks self-comprehension skills, but he excels at copying homework and possesses strong comprehensive abilities.

After checking it over and over again, he finally gave up and decided to ask Rong Tianding directly when he got home to see if he could learn from it.

He pondered and verified the matter but failed to uncover the mystery; however, he did manage to pass the time.

"Lord Dongfang, we've arrived!"

The voice of the messenger came from outside the carriage. Zhang Xuezhou lifted the carriage curtain and saw that the city gate was brightly lit. Many carriages with black flags were parked in an orderly manner outside the city gate. Soldiers with swords and halberds patrolled back and forth solemnly, and archers with longbows on their backs moved back and forth on the Sima Gate.

Zhang Xuezhou was not the last official to arrive. Officials from places like the Jingzhao Yinfu were stationed much further away, and not everyone in the court was qualified to live in the Imperial City District.

When he arrived, there were still dozens of people changing clothes outside the palace. After being checked by the soldiers, they hurriedly ran towards Anle Palace.

"Lord Wei!"

Zhang Xuezhou was not different from others; he followed the officials, both high and low, in line to change into mourning clothes for the funeral.

However, Zhang Xuezhou unexpectedly bumped into Wei Qing was distributing the uniforms, while changing clothes.

He glanced at Wei Qing, whose face was solemn, which made Wei Qing's eyelids twitch.

"You've run away at the right time! I've just taken over from you and I already have to do the heavy work!"

Zhang Xuezhou took the mourning clothes, while Wei Qing let out a low sigh, clearly troubled.

Congratulations on your promotion!

Zhang Xuezhou glanced at Wei Qing's official robes and crown, realizing that Wei Qing had taken over his previous position as Grand Master of the Palace and was also responsible for some of the funeral rites.

Doing this kind of work well is expected, but doing it poorly will inevitably lead to punishment.

Wei Qing clearly understood the reasoning behind it, but he had no choice but to bite the bullet and do it anyway.

"His Majesty has no one else to spare, so he has to use me temporarily to fill the position, lest someone else take it," Wei Qing said in a low voice. "His Majesty has assigned me this post not to seek merit, but to avoid mistakes. He wants you to hold on for a few more years, until we have accumulated enough experience to make our move!"

"Then let's do as His Majesty requests!"

After exchanging a few words with Wei Qing, Zhang Xuezhou was now fully aware that the Empress Dowager's sudden death could not have been caused by the new emperor, but was inextricably linked to the Empress Dowager.

"I have absolutely no experience with rituals, so you'd better teach me how to do it!"

Seeing that Zhang Xuezhou was about to head towards the palace after a few casual words, Wei Qing couldn't help but tug at him.

Wei Qing was skilled in martial arts, and when the new emperor initially arranged for him to become a military commander, his studies did not involve etiquette at all.

He was quite troubled at this point, feeling that the new official had no adjustment period at all and was immediately faced with the most difficult task.

"The more you do, the more responsibility you bear!"

Zhang Xuezhou turned his head and waved his hand, indicating that he was not suitable to get involved and could only play a minor role in this funeral.

"You mean the less you do, the less responsibility you have?"

Zhang Xuezhou's response was easy to understand, but Wei Qing felt that it was easier said than done.

He always tries to do as much as possible; he's never done anything like this before.

Wei Qing glanced at himself, who was personally acting as a greeter, and then at Zhang Xuezhou, who was swaying unsteadily heading towards the palace. After thinking for a moment, he finally put down the mourning clothes in his hand, handed the matter over to the junior official distributing the mourning clothes, and then followed Zhang Xuezhou.

Wei Qing felt that Zhang Xuezhou's philosophy of life and work did not align with her own, but Wei Qing was very receptive to advice.

He felt that Zhang Xuezhou was mediocre in his official duties, having achieved little in his two years as Grand Master of the Palace, but his ability to protect himself was first-rate.

Wei Qing's promotion by the new emperor over the years was not without risks. Not to mention the difficulties he faced from officials such as the Jianzhang Supervisor in Jianzhang Palace, he was also almost arrested and killed by the Imperial Guards.

However, compared to Zhang Xuezhou's being bombarded by court officials and impeached by Prime Minister Xu Chang and others, Wei Qing felt that the risks he faced were nothing.

Having managed to do nothing while serving as Grand Master of the Palace and then safely escape from a situation where he was impeached, dismissed from office, and nearly killed, Wei Qing felt that he could run away with Zhang Xuezhou to see how the other man could do less and take less responsibility.