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墨書 Inktalez
Xu Zhen listened to the summons and cautiously stepped into the Hall of Wind, her mind involuntarily wandering.
The Sovereign once established his rule through divine military strategies, reigning over the world with great power, punishing those who dared to invade, defeating the Turkic, subduing the Yutuhun, pacifying Gaochang, and annihilating Yanqi, capturing their kings and personally leading campaigns to devastate their lands. All these actions were not merely for the sake of warfare but were meant to establish authority and solidify his dominance over the realm.
The Sovereign has always valued capable individuals, with ministers and generals being no exception. He practiced frugality and restraint, leading to a near absence of punishment in the realm. However, could the current Sovereign still heed counsel close to the sacred?
Xu Zhenxin was also worried; if Li Shimin became infatuated with Naluoni Suo Po, would he still be able to accept his advice?
Fortunately, he had prepared his strategy and words early on. Steadying his mind, he slightly raised his head and entered the Imperial Study.
Li Shimin placed great importance on etiquette; it was impossible for him to have Naluoni Suo Po by his side when meeting with ministers. At this moment, he sat alone behind the Table, quietly writing. The paper bore the words, "One morning spring turns to summer, overnight birds and flowers shift."
This seemingly simple phrase reflecting time and scenery also revealed Li Shimin's current feelings of nostalgia.
"Your servant Xu Zhen pays respects to Your Majesty."
Xu Zhen did not dare to interrupt. She waited until Li Shimin completed his final stroke, leaving an unfinished flourish before she performed her greeting.
Li Shimin looked up with a smile, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening, accentuated by his graying hair, making him appear older than one might expect.
" Mr. Xu, come here and take a look at this piece of writing!" Li Shimin set down his brush and waved at Xu Zhen. She quickly stepped forward and approached the side of the Table.
" Xu Zhen is lacking in talent and learning; while I may have some courage in horseback riding and combat, I know nothing about calligraphy..." A flush appeared on Xu Zhen's face, but Li Shimin seemed quite pleased, smiling slightly as if in good spirits.
Observing his expression, Xu Zhen continued, "Though I do not understand calligraphy, this phrase contains profound meaning, subtly resonating with Zhuangzi's philosophy of 'doing nothing by doing nothing,' which can only be understood intuitively and cannot be expressed in words..."
He originally just wanted to flatter, fearing that Li Shimin would delve into deeper meanings, so he concluded with a phrase that could only be understood implicitly. Little did he know that upon hearing the words "wu wei er wei," Li Shimin was already moved, feeling that the Xu Zhen truly understood him.
"It is said that one knows their fate at fifty. I am getting old; I can no longer go to battle and kill enemies. All I can do now is dabble in some unorthodox methods, hoping to live another year or two to see Zhi Nuer secure the territory..."
Li Shimin was proud and had never spoken a soft word in his life, let alone show weakness in front of his ministers. Now, admitting his old age in front of the Xu Zhen made her extremely anxious. However, this also indicated his stance; Li Shimin was speaking sincerely to her, and she could not continue to use flattery to deceive the emperor.
Yet, the Xu Zhen still looked fearful and quickly interjected, "Your Majesty, may the Dragon Body remain healthy! Do not speak such ominous words. The Crown Prince is benevolent and filial; Your Majesty will surely live a long life!"
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin felt bored. He did not expect the Xu Zhen to be like other ministers, unable to speak candidly with him, which inevitably displeased him. Thus, he decided to be straightforward.
" Mr. Xu, yesterday Wei Chi Jing De presented an immortal wine elixir. I heard it came from your hand?"
The Xu Zhen feigned shock and hurriedly bowed, saying in panic, "I... I do not possess such skills... I merely found a master during my visit to Gao Guoli. Currently, he is a guest at a certain residence, and that is how I obtained this rare drink, not an immortal wine elixir..."
Li Shimin did not take the Xu Zhen's pretense seriously because those who practiced secret arts often met unfortunate ends; figures like Zhang Liang were perfect examples. The Xu Zhen's panic was exactly what Li Shimin had anticipated, so he regarded it as quite natural.
Hearing that the Xu Zhen was not the creator of the elixir piqued Li Shimin's interest. He then asked who this master from Goguryeo was. The Xu Zhen had already prepared her response and hesitated deliberately before answering, "It is Lao Fu Dao Ren Qingxiazi from the end of the Sui Dynasty..."
"Qingxiazi?" In recent years, Li Shimin had developed a belief in Taoist practitioners and had heard of many famous ones. He had also studied Taoist texts. After pondering for a moment, his eyes suddenly sparkled with brilliance as he trembled slightly in his voice and said, "Is it the Qingxiazi who authored 'Dragon-Tiger Golden Liquid Elixir and the Theory of Returning to the Origin'?"
The Xu Zhen was secretly astonished. She had planned to draw out Qingxiazi herself but did not expect Li Shimin to recognize him; this made things much easier.
"Your Majesty truly has extensive knowledge; it is indeed Qingxiazi."
Li Shimin immediately recognized the high status of this person and became more engaged. Although he knew that Xu Zhen was skilled in Illusion and had a divine reputation in the Western Regions and on the grasslands, he did not believe that she could produce such an effective elixir. Upon hearing that it was Qingxiazi, he also appeared enlightened.
Once he learned that it was Luo Fu's Qingxiazi, the Sovereign would not let the opportunity slip by. He immediately instructed Xu Zhen to bring Qingxiazi into the palace the next day so that he could seek advice on health preservation. Xu Zhen achieved her goal but pretended to be hesitant, taking a moment before agreeing, which delighted Li Shimin.
The next day, Xu Zhen indeed brought Qingxiazi into the Hall of Wind. Azure Mist Child Su Yuanlang was a true master of Daoism, far beyond what Xu Zhen could compare to. After just a few exchanges, Li Shimin was already captivated by Qingxiazi's profound knowledge.
Qingxiazi advocated for refining the elixir of immortality within one's heart, which was the essence of transforming external elixirs into internal ones, emphasizing the dual cultivation of life and spirit. Li Shimin wanted to follow this path of cultivation, so he ordered that Naroni Soppa be expelled from the palace. Naroni Soppa suddenly lost favor and was confused about the situation, leading her to seek help from the Eastern Palace.
Wang Xuance's status naturally prevented him from entering the core of the Eastern Palace. Li Zhi summoned Murong Hanzhu, who was also unclear about the situation but offered advice to Li Zhi.
Two days later, Crown Prince Li Zhi received a special guest. This person had once served as the Volcano Order during the Wude Era and was a remarkable figure in Daoism. Years ago, news of his passing had circulated, while others claimed he had gone into seclusion. If not for Li Zhi dispatching elite personnel, they would not have been able to locate him.
This person was none other than the legendary Daoist master, Yuan Tiangang!
Yuan Tiangang was an extraordinary figure from the Sui Dynasty and Early Tang Dynasty. His predictions were always accurate when reading people’s fortunes, quickly gaining fame and attracting many followers like Du Yan, Wang Gui, and Wei Ting, all of whom found their fortunes predicted accurately.
The current Sovereign held him in high esteem and asked, “In ancient times there was Jun Ping (the renowned master of divination from the Han Dynasty), now I have you; how do you compare?”
Yuan Tiangang cleverly responded that Jun Ping was born at an inopportune time while he himself was much stronger than Jun Ping. This subtle flattery immediately made Li Shimin regard him with newfound respect.
He then read fortunes for Zhang Xingcheng, Ma Zhou, and others with predictions that all came true, astonishing everyone.
The late Crown Prince's Grand Tutor Gao Shilian once asked Yuan Tiangang if he could predict his own fate since he could discern others' destinies. He wondered what kind of high official position Yuan Tiangang would eventually attain.
Yuan Tiangang simply smiled and replied, "My time has come to an end this summer in April."
As expected, by the end of April, Yuan Tiangang indeed resigned from his position as the Volcano Commander. It was said that he had ascended to immortality, and there were no further news of him in the mortal realm.
However, now this grandmaster of divination was sitting in the residence of Li Zhi.
People often regarded Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng as equals, frequently comparing them. Yet in Yuan Tiangang's heart, Li Chunfeng could never measure up to him.
Now that he heard that Li Chunfeng had become the Taichang Doctor and was highly valued by the Sovereign, with rumors circulating that the Sovereign sought advice on national affairs from Li Chunfeng, Yuan Tiangang felt quite unsettled.
Thus, when Crown Prince Li Zhi extended an invitation, he decisively came out of retirement. Murong Hanzhu even made a grand show of it, and within two days, all of Chang'an City knew that the Earth Immortal figure who could unravel the mysteries of heaven, Yuan Tiangang, had returned to the mortal world and was currently in the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace!
After receiving Qingxiazi, Li Shimin seemed to regain his vitality. Xu Zhen added herbal remedies like Dragon Brain to chilled soda water. After drinking it, the residual toxins from the elixirs within Li Shimin's body gradually expelled, revitalizing him and restoring some of his health.
The more this happened, the more obedient Li Shimin became towards Qingxiazi. Xu Zhen secretly instructed Qingxiazi to create a personalized Paradise for the Sovereign's cultivation.
The Sovereign was naturally delighted. Qingxiazi then invited Li Chunfeng to assist him. The two worked together in Jade Blossom Palace to construct a Paradise, which was completed in just a few days. Qingxiazi invited the Sovereign to experience it.
Upon entering this Paradise, Li Shimin felt a continuous surge of warmth. With many palace maids attending to him, he removed his clothing and sat cross-legged within the Paradise.
This Paradise was entirely designed by Xu Zhen; it was quite similar to a modern sauna, utilizing steam to eliminate the residual toxins from Li Shimin's body.
Qingxiazi and Li Chunfeng personally participated in its design and construction and were greatly impressed by Xu Zhen's creativity. Unaware of its true nature, after two or three sessions in the steam room, Li Shimin felt refreshed and held deep respect for Qingxiazi and Li Chunfeng, generously bestowing various rewards upon them.
For the Xu Zhen, who had the merit of recommendation, he did not express much, as for Xu Zhen at this moment, the trust of the Sovereign was already the greatest reward.
After losing favor, Naluo Yuesuo was gloomy all day and had to seek another way out. For her, Li Zhi was definitely the best choice, but Li Zhi seemed to already know her background and did not intend to summon this Heavenly Goddess into his inner circle.
In the end, it was still Murong Hanzhu who offered advice, allowing Li Zhi to bestow Naluo Yuesuo upon Changsun Wuji!
This move surprised Li Zhi secretly, because although he was timid by nature, it did not mean he was a fool. While Changsun Wuji appeared loyal on the surface, he was actually cunning; Li Zhi also had to guard against this old fox.
Now that Murong Hanzhu had proposed giving Naluo Yuesuo to Changsun Wuji, it indicated that Murong Hanzhu had seen through Li Zhi's thoughts and knew that Li Zhi would eventually take action against Changsun Wuji!
Li Zhi seemed a bit hesitant, but in the end, he decided to follow Murong Hanzhu's strategy and sent Naluo Yuesuo back to the residence of the Minister.
Murong Hanzhu smiled deeply; he had finally entered the core of the Eastern Palace, and now, Li Zhi regarded him as a trusted person, even relying on him more than on Changsun Wuji!
Because Li Zhi also needed his own trusted circle to prepare for dealing with Changsun Wuji in the future!
At the same time, Yuan Tiangang also heard about the news that Li Chunfeng and Qingxiazi were favored by the Sage. He sneered and decided to enter the palace to face the emperor and drive both Li Chunfeng and Qingxiazi out of the palace!
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