Passing Off Fish Eyes as Pearls

The new emperor's decision to build a tomb was not just empty talk; it was a genuine expression of his stance.

Every emperor would build a mausoleum upon ascending the throne, and the construction would continue for as many years as he reigned.

The new emperor was very young, and he had little interest in his burial place after his death. After designating a piece of land, he did not manage it much, nor did he appoint a specific person in charge of it.

You want me to be in charge of repairing your tomb?

After leaving Changxin Palace, Zhang Xuezhou waited outside Fenghua Hall for an hour before seeing the new emperor emerge from the hall.

After the two returned to the Weiyang Palace, the new emperor also entrusted Zhang Xuezhou with a task.

"You know the proper measure in this matter," the new emperor said.

"But I don't know anything about construction," Zhang Xuezhou shook his head repeatedly. "I don't know how to make those stone figures and horses, nor do I know how to set up a protective array for the tomb!"

"Don't be so quick to shirk your responsibility," the new emperor said with a headache. "Only you can handle this matter in a way that satisfies the Empress Dowager and prevents her from doubting my attitude. Besides, don't you think repairing the tomb is a cushy job?"

"I got injured at Sima Gate, and I get a headache whenever I see a tomb. I've never had a good job," Zhang Xuezhou complained.

"As long as you go to repair the tomb, it will be difficult for you to be forcibly conscripted in this lifetime, and you will not be involved in any military risks," the new emperor said. "An official who can escort the emperor's funeral will never experience the risk of the court's collapse, nor will he be attacked by other officials. Moreover, the court will allocate funds for tomb repair every year. How much you repair each day is up to you. As long as I am not dead, the speed of tomb repair is also up to you."

"This matter..."

"This is a job you can do for a lifetime, no matter how you do it. It's perfectly suited to your position in the court given your illness. Anyone who dares to attack you over political matters is making sure I can't rest in peace after my death, and I will deal with them!"

The new emperor repeatedly tried to persuade Zhang Xuezhou.

Although Zhang Xuezhou is not good at tomb repair, this is a job that suits Zhang Xuezhou to do for a lifetime.

Moreover, there are very few officials who can protect their own.

As long as the new emperor and Zhang Xuezhou have a good relationship, officials who do such things have a shield.

Of course, this type of official position rarely clashed with other officials.

"You've assigned me this task because you want to take back the Red Empyrean Sword right now?" Zhang Xuezhou asked directly.

"How could this be!"

The new emperor's lips twitched.

Having accomplished his mission, he did have a few thoughts. After all, the Red Empyrean Sword was capable of injuring people, and wielding the true Red Empyrean Sword would be like adding wings to a tiger. He was confident that he could exchange blows with a Grandmaster of the True Self Realm.

But Zhang Xuezhou lacked the opportunistic shrewdness of a court official; instead, he went straight to the point and asked questions.

If the new emperor's words are not understood by his officials, he cannot simply change them.

Having quickly dismissed his own thoughts, the new emperor couldn't help but reluctantly touch the Red Empyrean Sword.

"I used to seal the Red Empyrean Sword in the Secret Pavilion. The Secret Pavilion was not only patrolled almost around the clock by Sima Tan and others, but its location was also hidden, and a special key was needed to push open the stone door to enter. Even though many school leaders had repeatedly entered and exited the palace, they had never been able to find it," the new emperor said. "When you went to Changxin Palace, you even hung a banner, as if you were afraid that others would not know that you were carrying the Red Empyrean Sword. You have a physical ailment, and I am very worried that you might encounter danger while guarding the Red Empyrean Sword." The new emperor explained.

"I received a portrait of Sage Kong from the great Confucian scholar Yuan Gu," Zhang Xuezhou said. "This portrait is quite wondrous, but it's not the only one. They used a method that blends the real and the fake, and to this day, no outsider knows where the real portrait of Sage Kong is, nor does anyone covet Sage Kong!"

"Um?"

"You can't guard against thieves forever if you're a thief for a thousand days," Zhang Xuezhou said. "I plan to have a batch of fake Red Empyrean Sword made. When the time comes, they can take the fake swords, which will also make it easier to investigate who is behind this!"

When ordinary people acquire a treasure, they will cherish it dearly and collect it carefully, even resorting to all sorts of secretive means to protect it.

But Zhang Xuezhou didn't understand this concept after he got the Red Empyrean Sword. This guy wanted to use a deceptive method to send out a batch of fake Red Empyrean Sword in order to catch the mastermind behind it all.

"This method is truly a brilliant strategy!"

The new emperor's face lit up with surprise, realizing that Zhang Xuezhou's thinking was indeed unique.

The Marquis of Pingyang's mansion manufactured counterfeit Red Empyrean Sword, achieving a perfect replica in appearance, even down to the blade being made dark red.

If one doesn't have a sufficient understanding of the Red Empyrean Sword, it can indeed lead to situations where the genuine article is mistaken for the real thing.

If there are enough fake Red Empyrean Sword, then no one will know where the real Red Empyrean Sword is.

The high-risk nature of stealing the sword and other such actions, coupled with the unprofitable consequences, will ultimately deter people from coveting the Red Empyrean Sword.

"If everyone has a Red Empyrean Sword, wouldn't it be impossible to tell who has the real sword?" the new emperor said.

"How do you manage to give everyone one?" Zhang Xuezhou asked doubtfully.

"I think your method is excellent," the new emperor said. "It makes me think of using the design of the Red Empyrean Sword to forge the imperial standard swords. Then, I'll have the commanders of the Imperial Guards and Feathered Forest Guards be the first to replace their swords with these new ones. You can also wear a fake sword then!"

"Your Majesty's method is even more ingenious!"

Zhang Xuezhou's method was to attract dissidents, then have someone take away the fake sword, thereby fooling some people or arresting a group of people.

The new emperor's plan was to spread out the Red Empyrean Sword Red Empyrean Sword over a large area, making its design ordinary and further confusing everyone, making it difficult for anyone to accurately identify it.

After the fake is passed off as genuine, it doesn't matter who has the real Red Empyrean Sword. Even if Zhang Xuezhou uses it as a shield, there's no risk of losing the Red Empyrean Sword.

Of course, although the Red Empyrean Sword was the Emperor Gaozu's personal sword and possessed unparalleled power, it was not a sword that anyone could wield.

The new emperor gestured for Zhang Xuezhou to draw his sword, so that Zhang Xuezhou could see the real sword and avoid future confusion about whether it was genuine or fake.

"Your Majesty, please draw your sword!"

Upon hearing that he would have to draw his sword to verify its authenticity, Zhang Xuezhou involuntarily took several steps back after handing over his sword.

He still harbored some lingering fear of the Red Empyrean Sword. If it weren't for the fact that this sword could withstand the turmoil of the court's upheavals, Zhang Xuezhou would have thrown it away long ago.

"You don't need to be intimidated by the Red Empyrean Sword's reputation. In reality, once this sword is drawn by an ordinary person, it's practically useless!"

With a gentle pull, the new emperor removed the longsword, now a mushy mess, causing his expression to change drastically.

He had previously smeared Ao Li's essence Essence Blood on the sword, and seeing it stand straight and radiate a dazzling light, as if a casual swing of the sword could unleash tremendous power, this was also regarded as the new emperor's trump card.

This kind of trump card is really too unreliable.

There was a reason why Emperor Gaozu frequently fled by carriage when he was conquering the world; if this sword were to malfunction at a crucial moment, it would indeed be fatal.

Is this a whip sword?

Watching the new emperor swing the sword hilt, the blade of the Red Empyrean Sword flickered back and forth, looking like a dead snake, even though Zhang Xuezhou had witnessed the Red Empyrean Sword's killing prowess before, he couldn't help but marvel. For a moment, he wondered what material the Red Empyrean Sword was made of, as the metal's flexibility was beyond reason.

"It's not a whip sword; it just has a temper. When it gets angry, it doesn't like to work," the new emperor said.

"That's quite a character!"

Zhang Xuezhou gave a thumbs-up.

When the new emperor allowed him to get closer and observe the real sword, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but muster his courage.

He even touched the blade with his finger.

A sensation as if scraping against delicate scales washed over Zhang Xuezhou, and for a moment he felt as if he were facing a living creature.

This feeling is rare, but it's not unlike what Zhang Xuezhou has experienced before.

Treasures made of this material lay in his Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag, as did the staff originating from Fangzhang Island.

The Law Treasure's unpredictable nature meant Zhang Xuezhou rarely used it in the past; its power was only likely to be unleashed when Zhang Xuezhou was in a high-risk situation.

It wasn't until he begged the Master of the Zhunti Sect to refine it that the Innate Spirit Wood Staff was forcibly tamed, and the probability of it obeying Zhang Xuezhou and unleashing its power increased significantly.

The Red Empyrean Sword may have been tamed by Emperor Gaozu, but as it was passed down through generations, none of the many emperors of the Great Han Dynasty truly controlled it.