A Charge

Zhang Xuezhou's access to court politics was indeed limited.

His limited energy meant his understanding would be very one-sided.

In fact, the matter of peace talks and war between the Han Kingdom and Xiong State was only one aspect; the more far-reaching issue in Chang'an City was that the recruitment order for talented individuals was nearing its end.

Those who were able to pass the county and prefecture review and recommendation process and enter Chang'an City were mostly renowned and highly capable individuals.

Before the rules of this dynasty are fully understood, only a few counties dare to manipulate things. This is also a nationwide evaluation, and the poor performance of the recommended candidates undoubtedly proves that the local talent quality is low.

It wasn't just Zhang Xuezhou who was put in the examination for his involvement in the affairs of the Han and Xiong states; Dong Zhongshu and others were treated the same way, and some of the examination questions were even more complex.

Congratulations on the early birth of your son and the safe delivery of both mother and child!

If we disregard the actual journey in the real world, Zhang Xuezhou felt that his separation from Dong Zhongshu was actually very short.

He could only be thankful that he hadn't actually fallen into a coma; otherwise, he would have been greeted with Dong Zhongshu's congratulations just two days after seeing Dong Zhongshu off.

It wasn't difficult for Dong Zhongshu to find Zhang Xuezhou, nor was it difficult for him to happen to be returning from the palace while scouting the area.

Upon meeting, Dong Zhongshu learned that a newborn had been prematurely born at Zhang Xuezhou's residence the previous day, which led to this congratulatory remark.

"I wonder if the Master is even human?"

"I already have eight sons and one daughter!"

"Eight sons and one daughter?"

Dong Zhongshu's visit to the residence was also to say goodbye.

Zhang Xuezhou was about to travel to the Western Kunlun, while Dong Zhongshu had thoroughly investigated the situation of the imperial court system and had also fulfilled his wish to become the prime minister of Jiangdu Kingdom. He had also made preliminary arrangements for Gongsun Hong's succession plan and was preparing to promote the cultivation of the Nascent Soul method. He would be leaving Chang'an City in the next two days to avoid suspicion.

After a brief business conversation, we moved on to casual, personal chatter.

In Zhang Xuezhou's eyes, Dong Zhongshu, though living alone, had a large and prosperous family, and did not neglect his family because of his pursuit of his own life.

Upon hearing that Dong Zhongshu had nine children, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but think back to Ao Li, whom he had previously considered a mere seed-laying machine.

Ao Li's dragon-making efforts, year after year, could only compare to the number of dragons Dong Zhongshu sowed when he occasionally had a spare moment.

Compared to Dong Zhongshu, Zhang Xuezhou having one child was indeed nothing special.

After comparing the two, and hearing about Dong Zhongshu's marriage and concubine practices, as well as Dong's views on family, marriage, and children, he ultimately felt that he was being bound by modern societal norms.

"If people like us who are rich and have many children don't want to have more, how can you expect those who don't even have enough to eat to have children on an equal footing? Isn't that making things difficult for them?" Dong Zhongshu laughed.

The "people" Dong Zhongshu referred to were wives and concubines he could marry, and the "money" was sufficient material resources.

In the social consciousness of the Great Han Dynasty, Zhang Xuezhou was undoubtedly somewhat out of touch, and his views on marriage and childbearing were incompatible with modern ideas.

"Since you've lived in Chang'an for a long time and have a wealthy family, you should have more children. A large and prosperous family will give you peace of mind!"

Dong Zhongshu even pointed in the direction of the palace, indicating that Zhang Xuezhou should never become a "naked official" in Chang'an City, lest the emperor become uneasy about it.

"That's true!"

After receiving guidance from the renowned contemporary scholar, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but nod in agreement.

He pondered the rewards bestowed upon the new emperor for becoming his study companion in the palace, and felt that there was indeed some intricacies involved.

If viewed positively, this is a top-tier educational resource bestowed by the royal family; but if viewed with a conspiratorial mindset, it is how emperors bind their subjects, and can even cultivate a son who is ideologically loyal to the royal family.

"Looks like I can find a bunch of wives and concubines for the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon!"

The older Zhang Xuezhou gets in his fight against the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, the more time he has to work, as he needs to be quick in his cultivation Technique Method.

He was not obsessed with physical pleasure, but the release of the yin-suppressing blockage was inseparable from sexual intercourse.

After some thought, he decided that his plan to find a group of wives and concubines and leave them to the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon was feasible. After all, it didn't matter whether he was involved in lifting the lock on the sun or not, thus avoiding conflicts and changes in their views. As for children, that was an accident; having more children wouldn't lead to financial difficulties for his family.

"His Majesty has received the Three Strategies of Celestial Person that I presented to him. It will only take him a few short years to reach the Divine Ability Realm. He also possesses the Red Empyrean Sword. It is inevitable that he will completely control the court and emulate His Gaozu. When you choose sides in Chang'an City, do not waver. Judging from His Majesty's appearance this time, he has been holding back a lot of resentment all these years. In the future, he will be decisive and ruthless in his actions when he takes power!"

The erudite Confucian School school also had a discipline of physiognomy.

Dong Zhongshu's Physiognomy Technique are neither entirely accurate nor entirely useless, yet they still have some use.

Dong Zhongshu had clearly misjudged the new emperor's cultivation level, but his judgment wouldn't come out of thin air; the new emperor might indeed be very close to the next realm.

The new emperor, who forcibly stepped into the Divine Ability Realm, should not have entered the Sole Self Realm so quickly, but the Supreme Qi and Blood Fortune Pill and Dong Zhongshu's Three Strategies of Celestial Person added fuel to the fire.

This is the emperor hidden at the highest point of the Great Han Dynasty. When he draws his sword, he is ferocious and ruthless, and he will remove those old ministers who have been performing in the court for six or seven years one by one.

Dong Zhongshu made a wrong judgment on the matter, but the outcome turned out to be correct.

Zhang Xuezhou's conclusions, based on pseudo-psychology, were remarkably similar to those of Dong Zhongshu.

He not only provided convenience to the new emperor, but also did not seek personal gain or claim credit, and he did not take sides in the court. As long as no one replaced him, Zhang Xuezhou felt that he would not be targeted.

Dong Zhongshu's advice was well-intentioned, and he gladly accepted it.

But when Dong Zhongshu mentioned another matter, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but frown.

"Did the Immortal Court's spies successfully rise to power through these recent personnel reshuffles in the imperial court?"

"Be careful not to get caught. If you can, catch them and deal with them!"

Based on Dong Zhongshu's description, the source of Dong Zhongshu information is somewhat similar to the spiritual traces mentioned by Montes Arthur.

While Dong Zhongshu was practicing the Unity of Celestial Person and Heaven in the palace, he overheard some conversations from the past.

The source of this information was almost entirely illogical, but Dong Zhongshu was certain of it and hoped that Zhang Xuezhou would take it seriously.

"These people are named after the twelve earthly branches, involving Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai," Dong Zhongshu said. "They used code names when communicating, so I still don't know their real names, nor do I have any concrete evidence of their illicit dealings!"

"Then it will be very difficult for me to catch them!"

"The Immortal Court has always tried to turn the dynasty into a puppet state. They possess everything a puppet dynasty needs, including the struggle for the power of Fortune Technique. They will absolutely not allow the Great Han Dynasty's destiny to be stolen, so there will inevitably be talents in this field mixed in. You and I will become thorns in their side in the future!"

"The situation with the King of Huainan hasn't calmed down yet, and now the Immortal Court has arrived. What are we going to do?"

Zhang Xuezhou passed the test smoothly at the King of Huainan's Household, causing Su Fei, who was skilled at observing fortune, to make a misjudgment.

He hadn't anticipated the high risk of being caught.

Dong Zhongshu achieved his goal of taking control of Jiangdu, while Zhang Xuezhou in Chang'an City was likely to clash with him.

As Dong Zhongshu prepared to leave Chang'an City, he repeatedly gave Zhang Xuezhou instructions, telling him not to hold back if he discovered anything, lest the two of them be implicated and caught in the crossfire.

"The imperial palace and the court are difficult to investigate at present, and the entanglements involved are numerous. However, when I was demonstrating the Unity of Celestial Person and Heaven to His Majesty, I overheard them discussing the name of Princess Guantao. It seems that someone has approached Princess Guantao!"

"Grand Princess Dou?"

Zhang Xuezhou was startled.

Although the new emperor entrusted him with spying on Grand Princess Dou for several months, Zhang Xuezhou has done nothing so far, not even visiting Grand Princess Dou's residence.

The Huang-Lao school of Daoism, controlled by Grand Princess Dou, still holds considerable weight, and its practices related to talismans, health preservation techniques, and elixirs remain highly sought after.

After Grand Princess Dou left Palace of Peace and Happiness, her protective forces were greatly reduced, and many people wanted to take a piece of her flesh.

The Immortal Court's personnel acted with astonishing speed in this regard.

The fact that someone was lurking in the backyard of the mansion made Zhang Xuezhou extremely wary of this neighbor who might be able to see through his plans.

After finishing his busy trip to Western Kunlun, Zhang Xuezhou felt he had to pay a visit to the residence of Grand Princess Dou.