Near-Term Gain and the Long Term

The trade between the Xiong State and the Han Kingdom over elixirs may be driven by genuine need, or it may be a trap.

It wasn't until Hongku inadvertently mentioned it when discussing himself that Zhang Xuezhou realized Daojun's body had been injured and that he had a high need for elixirs.

"We truly lacked the ability to reach the Sacred Land!"

Zhang Xuezhou thought for a few seconds and finally realized that he was not capable of killing his way to the Sacred Land. He then forced Daojun to go into seclusion and not concern himself with the outside world.

Even if you add the new emperor to the list, let alone Zhang Xuezhou, it won't work.

Only if hundreds of powerful cultivators rushed to the Yedie River Holy Land in a short period of time could a check and balance be established.

On the other hand, if someone possesses such abilities, the significance of checks and balances becomes minimal.

There are very few cultivators in the world who can travel as fast as Zhang Xuezhou, and flying Law Treasure that can carry many people are rare. The only one that Zhang Xuezhou has seen so far that can carry the most people is the Eight Scenery Carriage.

There seems to be an opportunity to stop the fighting, but no one has been able to seize it.

"It's a pity the teacher can't switch sides!"

Even without the suppression of overwhelming power, internal strife stemming from within the family could lead to disastrous consequences.

Zhang Xuezhou tried to provoke Hongku several times, while Hongku tried to persuade Zhang Xuezhou in return, and the two tacitly stopped talking about this topic.

"Dongfang Shuo, is this sorcerer your teacher?"

Gongsun Hong did not interrupt during the conversation, but only became interested in asking questions after Hongku's avatar disappeared and completely left the mansion.

He began to understand why Zhang Xuezhou could build a bridge with Hongku to do business, but Gongsun Hong was more interested in some of the inside stories.

An official's overall perspective is extremely important; he must never be confused about the general direction.

Sufficient information is needed to determine the direction of thinking, and Gongsun Hong clearly hoped to obtain more additional information.

"He used to teach me to read and write, and he got me to speak Xiong State in three months," Zhang Xuezhou said, shaking his head. "He almost killed me several times; some of those memories are too painful to recall!"

"Is this considered a master and disciple relationship?"

Gongsun Hong exclaimed in surprise.

Learning a language in three months is difficult, let alone for Zhang Xuezhou; even Gongsun Hong would find it challenging.

Without extreme conditions, it would be difficult for a normal person to learn it in a short period of time.

There was no need to ask Zhang Xuezhou about his painful past; Gongsun Hong knew perfectly well that these were not pleasant memories.

He wisely refrained from pressing the issue with further questions, and instead simply discussed matters of foreign wars and domestic affairs with Zhang Xuezhou.

"I'm not clear about His Majesty's attitude towards Han Anguo, Tian Fen, Wang Hui, and others, nor am I sure if he will appoint Dou Ying, Zhuang Qingdi, and others. Not to mention the military region, I don't know many people there!"

Zhang Xuezhou knew nothing about Gongsun Hong's questions and politely declined to answer them.

When Anle Palace was in charge, a large number of people were replaced; when Changxin Palace was in charge, a large number of people were replaced again; it was inevitable that personnel would be replaced when Weiyang Palace was in charge.

However, the new emperor did not seem to be so keen on replacing people, but rather focused on whether the person was capable and competent for the position.

It must be said that when the new emperor lacked power, he needed people who were absolutely loyal, but when he had power, he did not care whether the other party was loyal or not, as long as the other party was capable of doing things.

This is a choice that those in positions of power will inevitably make.

Unlike previous court rotations, the close advisors who followed the new emperor did not become high-ranking officials, but as long as they met the requirements, Zhang Xuezhou had no doubt that the new emperor would arrange for them to take up positions.

Many of the arrangements were based on individual abilities, rather than being forced into positions of power.

The new emperor has been holding back his abilities for nearly ten years, and even now he is walking on thin ice. His opponents are well aware of the difficulties of this situation.

This may be why Gongsun Hong and others are likely to be given important positions in the future.

In terms of closeness, Gongsun Hong and others were not as close as Zhang Xuezhou and others, and it would be difficult for them to come into contact with a new emperor who required their loyalty.

"If you have any news, be sure to let me know," Gongsun Hong said.

"Aren't you going to study the Realm Technique anymore?" Zhang Xuezhou asked with a smile.

"I'm going to study the Southern Brightness Fire Technique recently," Gongsun Hong said, shaking his head repeatedly. "The only hope for the Realm Technique is for Zhongshu to guide us!"

The imperial court does not lack a True Self Realm cultivator, but it lacks a cultivator with profound Southern Brightness Fire Technique.

From initiating and researching the Southern Fire project to selecting talent and promoting its cultivation, the imperial court's series of combined measures will take at least one or two years to be fully effective.

If he couldn't stand out from the crowd even after leading them for several years, Gongsun Hong felt that it was his fate.

For Gongsun Hong, who is nearly seventy years old, every choice he makes cannot afford to be wrong. He can no longer afford to waste time. From the Fusion Realm Technique to the Southern Bright Flame, his choices have changed, but they are also more suitable for him.

"It's such a pity. I was really looking forward to Mr. Gongsun contributing his time and effort in this area," Zhang Xuezhou lamented.

"If I were ten or twenty years younger, I would definitely choose a longer-term development path, but I'm older now, and I have no other way out but to seek quick success and instant benefits!"

Gongsun Hong pointed to his worn-out, patched clothes.

A set of clothes can reflect whether someone is rich or poor, and it can also reflect a person's lifestyle.

Gongsun Hong wasn't born with a love for frugality; rather, he had been poor for many years.

Without the platform of the Great Han Dynasty, he would have lived a life of poverty.

Zhang Xuezhou and others are already discussing refining top-grade pills, while Gongsun Hong has never even seen a high-grade pill.

Seeing Zhang Xuezhou and others rise from being behind to being on par with him, the difference in cultivation resources became very obvious, making Gongsun Hong increasingly envious and reluctant to seek distant opportunities instead of pursuing those nearby.

He frankly admitted his feelings, leaving Zhang Xuezhou with no choice but to offer his congratulations.

"Zhongshu has already grasped the method of Xiao Huo's cultivation," Gongsun Hong reminded him. "However, Zhongshu said that his comprehension is limited and he cannot directly reach his True Self through Xiao Huo's method. If he wants to follow Xiao Huo's path, Xiao Huo needs to reach our level in the future, or even higher, before he can complete the reform of the Confucian School Qi cultivation method according to Xiao Huo's cultivation, and then correct the Yin-Yang School Qi cultivation method for you!"

"It's a bit troublesome for Xiao Huo to improve his cultivation level!"

Gongsun Hong withdrew from the research on the Fusion Nascent Soul Realm Technique, entrusting with all his knowledge.

Thinking about how Huo Qubing's cultivation propelled him to higher realms, Zhang Xuezhou felt a headache coming on.

This is not only because Huo Qubing's body had not yet fully developed; in cultivation, no one can guarantee that they will necessarily reach a high level.

"Should we go find the Empress Dowager?"

Zhang Xuezhou cannot guarantee that his spiritual practice will inevitably lead him to greater heights.

Rong Tianding was closely related to him, had been struggling in the Divine Ability Realm for several years, and it was only with the help of Yangling Sha Qi and Suihou Pearl that he was able to advance.

If Zhang Xuezhou could have helped Rong Tianding break through his cultivation realm earlier, he would have done so long ago.

In the real world, there are many other people who also have to endure hardship, and Zhang Xuezhou doesn't have many solutions.

If anyone has an advantage in guiding this area, Zhang Xuezhou believes that the Empress Dowager possesses a unique advantage.

Zhang Xuezhou still doesn't know how the Empress Dowager accomplished all this, but she guided Tian Fen to enter the True Self and also guided Yi Shuo to enter the Divine Ability Realm.

Tian Fen and Yi Shuo's strength at their respective levels was only average, but their cultivation levels had genuinely improved.

Zhang Xuezhou didn't care about Huo Qubing's strength at his current cultivation level; he only thought about whether Huo Qubing could reach a higher realm in the future, and then to find a smooth path for his cultivation, which he could then understand and integrate with Dong Zhongshu, thereby assisting Huo Qubing in his cultivation of the Yin-Yang School Realm Technique.

These events were interconnected, forcing Zhang Xuezhou to become involved.

He always avoided meeting the Empress Dowager, lest they clash and become enemies.

Considering the Empress Dowager's poor health, Zhang Xuezhou felt that given the current state of her condition, appropriate contact shouldn't pose a significant problem.