Trouble Brews

Some are happy, some are sad.

In the main hall of the Weiyang Palace, some people were promoted while others were demoted.

People were summoned to the main hall from time to time, and occasionally those with pale faces who lacked the qualifications to attend court had to leave.

Some people were unable to enter the main hall due to being outside the gate.

Dou Ying stood outside the main hall and waited for a long time.

As the prime minister appointed by the new emperor upon his arrival at court, Dou Ying possessed profound cultivation, reaching the Sole Self Realm. He had led troops into battle and served as a commander in the rear, and was also well-suited for civil service positions.

In the Great Han Dynasty, Dou Ying was undoubtedly a top talent.

His conflict with the Empress Dowager led to his removal from the position of Chancellor.

After waiting for a long time outside the main hall without being summoned, Dou Ying's expression changed repeatedly, and all sorts of unpleasant feelings kept welling up in his heart.

He certainly knew why.

The Dou family only needs one true leader in the imperial court to safeguard the interests of the entire Lineage.

Whether it was the Empress Dowager, Princess Dou, or Dou Ying, any one of them holding a high position could maintain the Dou family's status.

The conflict between Dou Ying and the Empress Dowager was not a big deal and had little impact on the Dou family. Even removing him from his position as prime minister would not have been a problem. All these conflicts could pave the way for choosing sides in the future.

But Dou Ying didn't expect that after the road was paved and his team had finished their shifts, the expected replacement, Rong Sheng, did not arrive.

Princess Dou of Anle Palace did not have a stable position, while Empress Dowager of Changxin Palace rose unexpectedly and entered the True Self Realm, and began to take over the power of the court.

How could she possibly have entered the True Self Realm?

"For many years, the late emperor was just one step away from the True Self Realm. Wang Zhi is a step behind him; reaching the Sole Self Realm should be her limit!"

"Could she have some kind of background?"

"Or perhaps she has some special cultivation method?"

Dou Ying's expression shifted between light and dark.

Knowing his chances were over, he didn't stay there any longer.

"Lord Marquis?"

Guan Fu, who was also waiting outside the hall, glanced around before quickly following after them.

"My lord, why don't you wait a little longer? You might be summoned to the palace. The position of Grand Commandant hasn't been decided yet," Guan Fu said.

"That position wasn't reserved for me," Dou Ying said, shaking her head.

"Even without the Grand Commandant, there are still the positions of the Nine Ministers—the Palace Attendant, the Grand Master of the Palace, and the Minister of the Imperial Clan—that haven't been decided yet," Guan Fu said urgently.

"That wasn't meant for me!"

Dou Ying shook her head, indicating that she had been abandoned.

His only hope at the moment was the Empress. As the daughter of Princess Dou, as long as the Empress could remain stable, the Dou family would still have a chance to rise to power in the future.

"I'll head back to the manor first!"

Dou Ying waved to Guan Fu and strode away, each step covering a distance of ten feet. He unusually used his Movement Method to travel quickly, appearing somewhat hurried.

"If even Marquis of Weiqi cannot be given an important position, this court is probably doomed!"

Guan Fu turned his head and glanced at the main hall of the Weiyang Palace, spat again, and left the palace without waiting.

"The Empress Dowager definitely has a problem, she absolutely has a problem..."

Dou Ying returned to his residence very quickly.

He returned to his study in the Marquis's mansion and carefully retrieved a roll of gold-threaded cloth bearing the mark of a fire from a hidden compartment in the study.

This roll of cloth was sealed with a fire seal; once opened, it could not be restored, and Dou Ying never opened it to look at it.

He stroked the fire mark on the gold-threaded cloth, then looked at the fire mark and the inscription personally written by Emperor Jing.

After much deliberation, Dou Ying carefully pulled it apart.

"Wang Zhi... she's here!"

The gold-threaded cloth did not contain any extraordinary cultivation techniques, but rather a secret edict left by Emperor Jing.

The secret edict listed various names, including those who could be trusted, those who needed to be wary of, and those who needed to be observed.

Many people not only planned the classification, but also included the records written by Emperor Jing himself, and even the directions of Emperor Jing's investigation.

"Suspected to be the Empress's daughter!"

The Empress Dowager was among those who needed to be observed, and Emperor Jing's comment was only three words.

The emperor was not the emperor of the Great Han Dynasty, but someone from a large country or a powerful force that could be designated as an emperor by Emperor Jing.

The Empress Dowager's appearance had no exotic features, and the rest of her information is scarce.

"The Empress Dowager... Could she be from the Immortal Court? Why did the late Emperor marry her?"

If the prime minister's position is secure and he can withstand the pressure from the Anle Palace, Dou Ying can assist the emperor in governing the country according to the secret edict.

But everything fell short by a little. The young emperor also found it difficult to win over the people, and Dou Ying's position was overthrown before it could be consolidated.

What exactly does she possess that made the late emperor willing to take such a risk, even to the point of treating her as empress?

Dou Ying was unaware of the Empress Dowager's background, but Emperor Jing undoubtedly knew his bedmate best.

If he could, like Zhou Yafu, save the Great Han Dynasty in a time of crisis, this secret edict would be Dou Ying's asset, allowing him to keep many people in check.

Looking back belatedly, Dou Ying realized that he had lacked perseverance, failed to utilize Li Guang and others, failed to join forces with the Confucian School to restrain the Empress Dowager, and lacked the courage to burn his bridges.

As Emperor Jing had predicted, he ascended to the highest position of power in the court, but Dou Ying failed to seize the opportunity.

"She now controls the Great Han Dynasty; isn't the court now in her grasp? What does she want to do? What kind of abyss does she intend to drag the Great Han into? We, the Dou family, have been loyal to the emperor for generations; she probably sees us as a thorn in her side!"

Dou Ying held the secret edict, his face clouded with suspicion.

He felt that the Great Han Dynasty was now in a very dangerous moment.

The peaceful transition in the imperial court could not conceal the corruption hidden in the shadows. Unbeknownst to many, the Great Han Dynasty had already entered a new era.

If the Empress Dowager were to obey others, it would mean that the Great Han Dynasty would become a puppet of a certain power.

Feelings of regret and resentment lingered in Dou Ying's mind.

Countless people saw him as Grand Commandant Zhou's successor, but he missed his best opportunity.

His petty schemes and carelessness ruined the power he should have held, destroyed the close internal ties between the new emperor, empress, and the Dou family, and brought about risks that he would likely have to face.

"You have your plans, and I have mine. Luckily, I obtained the Yang Soul Incarnation Technique several years ago!"

Dou Ying's expression changed repeatedly, but he did not panic after reviewing the secret edict.

He sat on the ground, clasped his hands together, and murmured a prayer. A blurry, naked figure emerged from his body and gradually solidified.

Since it was difficult to reach the True Self Realm in cultivation, Dou Ying also sought alternative methods to enhance his abilities.

He acquired this Yang Soul Incarnation Technique during a certain social interaction.

This is a kind of ability similar to creating an avatar, Dou Ying once had high hopes for.

No matter how much he practiced or how much Law Power he gathered, the strength of this external avatar was far inferior to his main body, and it was difficult for it to penetrate the level he was fighting against.

Dou Ying had almost given up on this magic, but things couldn't stop someone from using the same magic to cause trouble during the Empress Dowager's mourning period.

It was during this turmoil that Dou Ying learned the true purpose of this technique.

It can fly, hide, and unleash a fraction of its Technique Method power. If not used to replace the user in combat, this technique is perfectly adequate for playing on the fringes of legality.

The Venerables of the Xiong State 'Yedie River Holy Land are not fools; they wouldn't be so stupid as to come to the Great Han to die. This means that even if the Yang Soul Incarnation is killed, it will most likely not affect the main body.

With this ability, Dou Ying felt confident that he could uncover the Empress Dowager's true colors and thus unravel all the connections.