The Confucian School Enters Chang'an

Zhang Xuezhou did indeed have the idea of moving to another place to live, and he was quite quick to act.

The laws of the Han Dynasty differed from those of reality. Normally, if you didn't cause trouble, you were fine, but if you did, you would be implicated and punished.

Regardless of his involvement in any matter or his integrity, if he is identified as an accomplice, the investigators would rather kill the innocent than let him go.

Some people are living perfectly fine, and then suddenly lose their heads for no apparent reason.

Zhang Xuezhou has been treating people's injuries these past few days, and he's heard quite a bit of gossip about Chang'an City.

The strict controls surrounding Emperor Jing's funeral procession led to much discussion among the common people about obeying the law, with numerous seemingly threatening statements being raised, making Zhang Xuezhou extremely cautious.

"It's better to avoid trouble!"

Having paid the bill at the inn in advance, Zhang Xuezhou led Rong Tianding into the crowd, moving along with the funeral procession on the street.

He would occasionally run into one or two junior officers who had been treated for their injuries. These officers would touch their colleagues' bodies to offer a hint, and their faces would inevitably show regret.

The Northern Army was not a place that just anyone could go, and Chang'an City was not a place that Northern Army soldiers could come and go as they pleased. It would obviously be a luxury to spend a little money to hire a military doctor with such profound cultivation to treat them.

But the matter concerning the Northern Army has indeed been resolved.

As the funeral procession continued forward, it was followed by rows of prison vans, carrying thousands of dejected faces, the long procession stretching for an extremely long distance.

These people were strapped to the prison van with shackles, their limbs appearing limp, clearly indicating they had undergone extremely brutal beatings.

During the parade, people threw stones and tiles at the prisoners, and some were killed on the prison cart.

"We've purged another batch of traitors against the imperial court in Chang'an City!"

"What do you think these people are thinking?"

"Our soldiers are fighting on the front lines, while they are causing chaos in the rear, even disrupting the late emperor's funeral. Their intentions are despicable!"

"I recognize that traitor. He talks about how great this country is and that country is all the time, but our Han Kingdom is no good!"

"That's the second young master of the Lü family. He studied at some school for a while, but he didn't learn any skills; he just got a new brain!"

"Kill him!"

"The burial of the late emperor will surely suppress the vengeful spirits of these madmen!"

"To be buried with him..."

Among the onlookers were quite a few insightful individuals, and Zhang Xuezhou overheard many things as he walked.

This clearly indicates that a large number of nails have been pulled out.

Regardless of whether their crimes were serious or minor, or even nonexistent, or whether they were merely eloquent but shallow, these people were all rounded up. After this public parade, they had virtually no chance of survival, and some might even be buried as sacrifices in Emperor Jing's tomb.

The court timed its punishment of these people perfectly, as the punishment was unlikely to provoke any controversy during Emperor Jing Jing's period of mourning.

This made Zhang Xuezhou gasp, feeling that he and Rong Tianding were lucky not to have been dragged into such a mess.

Who is that person?

As they continued to walk along the street, they drew ever closer to the high-ranking officials attending the imperial funeral.

Most officials in the imperial court were required to be seen off along the streets, while only a few had the privilege of having carriages and horses.

Zhang Xuezhou's gaze swept over the high-ranking officials wearing official hats on the carriage, and when he saw an old man with a gray hemp cloth wrapped around his head, he couldn't help but be surprised.

In the Han Kingdom, the rank of an official was determined solely by his hat; the more ornate the hat, the higher the corresponding official rank.

The fact that he tied his head with a piece of hemp cloth clearly indicated that he held no official position, but the fact that the old man was riding in a carriage among the funeral procession, with the carriage wheels even wrapped in cattail leaves, made him stand out.

Zhang Xuezhou was not questioning Rong Tianding, but rather the well-informed people of Chang'an on the streets.

However, this insight was clearly not something that ordinary people possessed, and it wasn't until Zhang Xuezhou asked more than ten people that anyone made a guess.

"That person seems to be Shen Gong, the founder of the Confucian School school!"

"It was him?"

Zhang Xuezhou had heard of Shen Pei, the founder of the Confucian School school, through Dong Zhongshu's introduction.

This was also a rival of Dong Zhongshu.

"It seems Master Dong's days are numbered!"

Zhang Xuezhou's bad luck was swept away, but Dong Zhongshu's was clearly not.

Shen Pei is currently being treated with extremely high courtesy, which proves that the imperial court is prepared to give him an important position.

If Shen Pei is given a prominent position, it is impossible for Dong Zhongshu to be given a prominent position, and Dong Zhongshu may even face suppression from Shen Pei.

Following the funeral procession, Zhang Xuezhou found Dong Zhongshu was deathly pale.

"Erudite Dong looks so unwell. Did you cry too much at a funeral?"

Standing in the crowd, Zhang Xuezhou raised his hand and waved repeatedly to Dong Zhongshu.

Zhang Xuezhou disliked associating with unlucky people, but Dong Zhongshu was clearly an exception, especially since the other party had obtained the Huangsha Sect's secret scroll, the Huangsha Technique. Zhang Xuezhou had to learn from Dong Zhongshu.

In addition, he also had the Yang Soul Transformation Technique to share, and items such as the Black and White Twin Horses and the Heavenly Silkworm Cloth that needed to be examined by Dong Zhongshu.

This is the person Zhang Xuezhou currently knows who is the most trustworthy in terms of character and high moral character, and Zhang Xuezhou is happy to continue to befriend him.

If Dong Zhongshu could contact the Holy Mother of Wudang, she could go to the bottom of the cauldron to wash away her bad luck.

Zhang Xuezhou's forceful wave drew the attention of many officials, including Dong Zhongshu.

He opened his mouth, then gestured with his finger towards Zhang Xuezhou, before silently following the funeral procession.

Zhang Xuezhou was still alive and kicking, but Dong Zhongshu in the imperial court was walking on thin ice.

When Shen Peigong came to visit and challenge him to a duel, he almost suspected that the new emperor wanted to send him to be buried with Emperor Jing.

Cough cough cough!

The uncontrollable cough made Dong Zhongshu's face turn even paler. He took out a white cloth and wiped his face. Only after spitting out a mouthful of bloody phlegm did his discomfort subside a little.

"I need Dongfang Shuo to treat my internal injuries first, and then I must take the initiative to petition the court to recuperate for several years!"

As long as Dong Zhongshu thought of the magical jade held in Shen Peigong's hands, he had no intention of engaging in another magical duel.

In the debate among Confucian schools, he was clearly the loser.

The new emperor intended to give Shen Peigong an important position, and Shen Peigong suffered a complete defeat in court.

Despite having three thousand disciples, as long as Shen Peigong sits in his high hall, all his disciples will turn around and join his ranks without hesitation.

For many disciples, as long as they belonged to the Confucian school, their conversion was not considered a violation of the sect's principles. Furthermore, the Confucian School concept of "the accomplished man is the teacher" made it difficult for great Confucian scholars to exert strong constraints on their disciples.

The wounded who had been suppressed by Li Guang suffered a relapse due to the battle of magic, and his disciples switched sides. With his tree fallen and monkeys scattered, Dong Zhongshu was almost deserted by everyone.

Dong Zhongshu took a deep breath, feeling that he had reached the lowest point in his life, and that he couldn't possibly fall any lower than death.

He's a loser.

As Dong Zhongshu walked along the long street, his mind was in a daze, and for a moment he almost wanted to change his vow made in the "Grave Classic".

He murmured to himself.

As he chanted incantations, Dong Zhongshu felt the earth surging, and he seemed to be treading on the body of a golden dragon.

The swaying sensation of riding a dragon came over him, and Dong Zhongshu felt extremely uncomfortable as his body was shaken.

He tasted something sweet in his mouth, and then two streams of blood gushed from his nostrils.

Erudite Dong fainted from grief!

As gasps of surprise rang out around him, Dong Zhongshu remained in a daze, continuing to run on the golden dragon.

He felt something new inside his body.

His wish to recite the scriptures from the tomb seems to be finding signs of being fulfilled.

However, if asked where these signs were manifesting, Dong Zhongshu himself would find it difficult to discern them at the moment.