A Diplomatic Mission

The arrival of Li Guang and Cheng Bushi did not lead to much of a pursuit.

Zhang Xuezhou cooperated dutifully, while Li Guang and Cheng Bushi, as generals guarding the frontier, were more interested in the affairs of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains and did not dwell too much on the pursuit.

When Li Guang jumped out of the window and left, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

As long as Li Guang didn't catch them in the act, things certainly wouldn't end up in such a tragic way.

But Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but grit his teeth in hatred.

His senior apprentice was clearly no pushover; he had almost figured out his mindset and deliberately misrepresented certain information to mix truth with falsehood.

This led Zhang Xuezhou to misjudge the situation, allowing him to heal the enemy's wounds just seconds before Li Guang and his men arrived.

Zhang Xuezhou was initially puzzled as to why the other party accepted a Supreme Purity True Technique and then left, but he realized what was going on when he heard the sound of horses' hooves.

I hate fortune tellers the most!

He silently recited a sentence in his mind, but remembering that he was also studying physiognomy, Zhang Xuezhou quickly suppressed the thought.

"Was what he said considered advice?"

Having inexplicably gained a senior martial uncle, Zhang Xuezhou also received some warnings.

For Zhang Xuezhou, who has always liked to leverage connections, this was undoubtedly a suggestion that was extremely difficult to follow.

But Zhang Xuezhou knew very well that Hongku wouldn't joke around on certain matters, and this suddenly appearing senior uncle was unlikely to tease him about anything unrelated to the future.

"Li Guang, Tian Fen, Dong Zhongshu?"

The other party mentioned three names, but this does not mean that these three people are problematic. Rather, associating with these people may lead to attacks or suppression from others.

For example, those who had close ties with Dong Zhongshu would inevitably face suppression from Shen Peigong.

Could something have happened to Gongsun Hong?

The verification results are not difficult. Leaving aside the outcome of allying with Li Guang Tian Fen, the outcome of allying with Dong Zhongshu is likely to be evident in the present day.

Zhang Xuezhou pondered that he might have to return to the real world today, and decided to make visiting Gongsun Hong his last task.

Gongsun Hong personally escorted Dong Zhongshu, thus openly supporting Dong Zhongshu as a Confucian School elder.

Zhang Xuezhou could also take this opportunity to observe the complex relationships within the Han Dynasty court, which might give him a preliminary understanding.

After chatting with Rong Tianding for a while, Zhang Xuezhou left the inn at dawn.

Gongsun Hong was not much different from Zhang Qian; both were among the first to be recommended. Zhang Qian's recommendation was due to internal connections, while Gongsun Hong was a virtuous and capable person recommended by the Zichuan region.

At this time, Gongsun Hong was in the waiting-for-appointment stage, and could take office directly as long as a suitable official position was available.

The officials awaiting imperial orders were no different from the retainers of prominent Aristocratic Clan; they all lived in the same talent quarters provided by the imperial court.

These guesthouses aren't as comfortable as the inns, but the key is that they're free, and meals are provided daily.

Zhang Xuezhou went around in circles until the sun was high in the sky before finally finding the place where Gongsun Hong had mentioned during their polite conversation.

This is a row of low-rise houses, very similar to the resettlement houses they lived in when they were hit by heavy rain.

"I have absolutely no relation to Dong Zhongshu. I only saw him off because I was leaving Chang'an City. What kind of skill is it for you to bully me!"

Upon arriving near the residence of Gongsun Hong, Zhang Xuezhou heard the sounds of arguing, which made him stop and pause, glancing at the luxurious carriage in the distance before listening intently from the alleyway.

"Shen Pei, you only entered the Confucian School hall because Chao Cuo is dead, but you should know that there are other highly respected figures in the Confucian school, such as Yuan Gu, who has also come to Chang'an City, as well as Grand Tutor Han, and scholars like Gao Tangsheng and Tian Sheng..."

"What kind of bewitching potion did you give His Majesty to send me to a place like the Xiong State to conduct reconnaissance and business operations?"

"At my age, you're still making me do this kind of thing? You're forcing me to die!"

Voices of explanation and compromise kept coming, along with resentful anger, and then, as before, people were dragged into the fray, with pressure being exerted by mentioning many top Confucian scholars who held sway in their respective regions.

Standing outside the talent room, Zhang Xuezhou listened to Gongsun Hong's voice and felt that the other party was almost a completely different person from when he saw Dong Zhongshu off.

While there may have been circumstances forcing them to act, or perhaps other factors at play, these are clearly not the words of a true confidant.

Thinking about what that suddenly appeared junior master had said, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but feel a bit more in agreement.

It may be the norm for some people in the court to say one thing to someone's face and another behind their back, and it may also be quite normal for an alliance built yesterday to be betrayed by an ally today.

If you want to avoid this kind of thing, maintaining independence is the best option.

But those who remain independent will inevitably find themselves isolated and unable to make a difference.

Zhang Xuezhou pondered to himself, realizing that currying favor with the imperial court was not as simple as he had imagined.

The Venerables and Dharma Masters of the Yedie River Holy Land are constantly fighting back and forth, with one event after another unfolding. The massive power struggle within the imperial court is clearly even greater, and it is extremely difficult to become a beneficiary of it all; simply obtaining a position does not guarantee any benefit.

"You need to practice your Person-Fixing Technique more. Once you improve that skill, you'll at least be able to tell if someone is good or bad, kind or evil!"

Zhang Xuezhou and Gongsun Hong only met once, and he felt neither ill will nor goodwill towards them. He felt the same way about Shen Peigong and others.

He only used the scenes of these people fighting and competing as a learning experience.

His timing was just right; a visit earlier would have drawn unnecessary attention from the Confucian School school, while a visit later would have meant missing out on what Gongsun Hong was saying about his other side of the story.

But Zhang Xuezhou is not afraid of anyone having two or even three faces.

Human nature is unpredictable, Person-Fixing Technique can reveal clues.

If his Person-Fixing Technique were high enough, Zhang Xuezhou could use his magic to know who was good and who was bad, and who was causing trouble behind the scenes.

"Cousin?"

"Alright, let's..."

Just as Zhang Xuezhou had finished thinking and was about to say he was going back, he heard Gongsun Hong screaming in the courtyard, demanding an audience with the emperor.

"You're not the only one being sent to this Xiong State. I've heard there are several other delegations preparing, including Zhang Qian, the colonel from Yanmen Pass, who will be leading a group. His residence is only sixteen zhang away from yours; you can go and verify it yourself. You are a highly respected member of the Confucian School school, so don't let the younger generation laugh at you!"

Shen Peigong's words completely extinguished Gongsun Hong's hopes.

Everything is subject to comparison. If someone leads a group to the Xiong State, it would be seen as malicious targeting. Gongsun Hong also has some ways to ruin the reputation of Shen Peigong and others.

But as more and more people began to do this, his mission to the Xiong State became a normal occurrence, and it became difficult to refuse.

If he were to stubbornly feign illness and refuse to go, ignoring the punishment, the Confucian scholars would surely make him infamous and despised by everyone, preventing him from even returning to his hometown.

This is an open conspiracy; he has no choice but to go, whether he wants to or not.

"Your manipulation of the court to eliminate dissidents will not end well!"

As Gongsun Hong angrily cursed, Shen Peigong had already led several people out of the courtyard and boarded the special carriage that represented his status.

As the wheels rolled on, Shen Peigong and his entourage drove away, leaving Gongsun Hong alone in the courtyard, gritting his teeth.