fifth form

Chapter 2307 Hidden and Open (Happy New Year)
Zhang Xuezhou and King Huainan met several times.

The King of Huainan at that time did not realize that Zhang Xuezhou had practiced the art of fortune-telling, and only thought that Zhang Xuezhou was pursuing the goal of changing his fortune and fate.

As Zhang Xuezhou had not met anyone from the Huainan Palace in these years, the only reason he was invited by the Huainan Palace was because of the "connection".

In the judgment of King Huainan, he was like a colander, which could capture certain opportunities but would also leak them out.

The "Hand-Sword Technique", "Beast Taming Sect's Beast Taming Manual" and Huaihe Water Palace that he presented were all top opportunities, but none of these opportunities were suitable for Zhang Xuezhou.

Whenever something good happens to Zhang Xuezhou, it wouldn't be a bad idea to meet him.

"I am Liu Ling, the eldest daughter of the Huainan royal family!"

The luxurious carriage drove to Zhang Xuezhou and stopped steadily. The woman who lifted the curtain jumped lightly to the ground and took the initiative to introduce herself.

"It's the princess!"

In the Han Dynasty, male royals were called princes, while those who were designated as heirs were called crown princes, and female royals were called princesses.

There was no difference in the titles for men in the vassal states, but women were called "女主".

Zhang Xuezhou returned the greeting politely.

"I received the princess' invitation ten days ago. Unfortunately, I have been busy with court affairs and serving the king, so I have not been able to visit the Huainan Palace. I hope the princess will not blame me," Zhang Xuezhou said with a bow.

“It’s a good thing to be busy!”

Liu Ling did not take off her veil. She nodded and agreed with Zhang Xuezhou, then looked at Zhang Xuezhou with surprise in her eyes.

According to Liu Ling's intelligence, Taizhong Daifu Dongfang Shuo was not a diligent person in government affairs.

If these few days are not counted, this Taizhong doctor only spent one day in attending court meetings during his half-year term.

This kind of behavior is not only not allowed in the imperial court, it is also rare even in Huainan State. Only guest officials with loose constraints can be so casual.

But the other party's position is very stable, and no one has been impeached in the past six months.

Liu Ling looked back and felt that Zhang Xuezhou's luck was too strong, and there was a high probability that he was making things easier for someone.

This was the fate that the King of Huainan had given to Zhang Xuezhou. Liu Ling believed it without a doubt and placed his hopes on Zhang Xuezhou, so that he could also take advantage of the other party's good luck.

"Forgive me for being so presumptuous, but I wonder if Lord Dongfang has been changing the ancestral system these days and has involved new etiquette regulations," Liu Ling said with a smile.

"How can this ancestral system be changed so easily?" Zhang Xuezhou waved his hands repeatedly and said, "We, the Taizhong doctors, just keep up with the times and improve the etiquette and rules of the ancestral system according to the current situation. We never make changes without authorization!"

"The collapse of rituals and music has been going on for a long time," Liu Ling said with a smile, "If Lord Dongfang makes any rules, please give us advance notice so that we can be mentally prepared!"

"No matter how I formulate it, it still needs your Majesty's approval!"

Zhang Xuezhou chuckled and gestured with his hand, wanting to get rid of Liu Ling. After all, he didn't have much time left, and there was no point in wasting it on a woman like this.

Especially after Zhang Xuezhou learned relevant information from Zhang Cigong, he knew that Liu Ling was a high-end woman and if he was not careful he might be implicated by the other party, so it would be very difficult for him to gain any advantage.

"It's not too late to get dark now, Lord Dongfang shouldn't be busy with government affairs at night, why don't you go to the palace and have a chat?" Liu Ling said with a smile, "You have to eat at night, and there are many ingredients in the palace for you to choose from. If Lord Dongfang is tired, you can choose a room in the palace to rest, which won't delay Lord Dongfang's busy schedule tomorrow!"

"I'm really ashamed to say this," Zhang Xuezhou said with a folded hand, "I'm not feeling well and I get sick from time to time. It's almost the onset period now. If I disturb the princess when she gets sick, I'm afraid it will be inappropriate!" "What a coincidence," Liu Ling said, "I just happened to have a guest official who is good at making elixirs and medicines. This person's ability is not unparalleled in the world, but he is also a rare talent!"

"Oh?"

"This man's name is Li Shang. He is not well-known in Chang'an City, but he was once the leader of the Xuanxuan Creation Sect and has some mysterious skills." Liu Ling smiled and said, "Oranges grown in the south of the Huai River are oranges, while those grown in the north of the Huai River are bitter oranges. Your disease cannot be cured in Chang'an City, but there may be some hope in the south of the Huai River. Why don't you follow me to the palace to take a look?"

"Brother Li Shang?"

Zhang Xuezhou pondered for a few seconds and remembered the monk with whom he had debated about the art of alchemy in Wuzhu Mountain.

Even though Zhang Xuezhou used the Yin-Yang School's alchemy theory to debate with him, the other party did not lose the upper hand. He was indeed a capable man.

The time he spent discussing Taoism at Wuzhu Mountain was both urgent and short, and the content of his discussion was limited.

Zhang Xuezhou was not interested in what to eat at the Huainan Palace, but he was very interested in meeting Li Shang.

"I wonder if the King of Huainan has placed the people who practiced the art of movement in Chang'an? What should I do if he finds out about me?"

Dong Zhongshu was in Jiangxia, so as long as he did not come to Chang'an City to serve as an official, there was no risk of him being discovered. However, Zhang Xuezhou's situation in Chang'an City was completely different.

He felt that no matter how he tried to hide, it would be difficult to avoid this kind of identification.

As long as he pesters the new emperor in Chang'an City to push his magic, he will definitely be found out; it is only a matter of time.

If the investigation is carried out too early, the King of Huainan will inevitably be noticed and followed. If the identity is hidden too late and it is discovered, there may be a direct conflict of life and death, or the officials of the King of Huainan's faction may target him repeatedly.

"Should I take the opportunity to show my identity and let him know that I have practiced the art of movement before I target King Huainan?"

There are two ways to hide your identity. One is to hide completely behind the scenes without being seen by anyone, and the other is to show up in front of the crowd, even openly under the other party's nose.

The former hidden method is used by many people, who act as various behind-the-scenes persons. This method of hiding one's identity is simple and easy to use, while the latter hiding method is extremely advanced. There are countless failures, but only a few successes.

Zhang Xuezhou thought about it and felt that he had been taking the forward path and hiding in various ways, but as he continued to dig deeper into the details of King Huainan, it seemed that he could only take the backward path.

The former way is naturally to hide as long as possible, while the latter way is to show up as early as possible.

It would be best if nothing happened when attending the banquet at the Huainan Palace. If he was recognized, Zhang Xuezhou would have to guard against the corresponding consequences and make advance responses.

"By the way, my good friend Lei Bei has been working in the Huainan Palace. I wonder if Lei Bei has come to Chang'an City," Zhang Xuezhou finally said with a smile.

"Lei Keqing is an extraordinary swordsman. He is currently in Shouchun City teaching my brother swordsmanship!"

Liu Ling responded with a smile.

Zhang Xuezhou gave in at this time, obviously agreeing to go to the palace for the banquet, which made her gesture with her hand to signal Zhang Xuezhou to ride in the carriage with her.

The closer they were, the more she could feel Zhang Xuezhou's extraordinary aura.

It was obvious that Zhang Xuezhou either had extraordinary abilities or possessed a higher level of cultivation than her.

This situation is rare among young talents, and it made her eyes look even more fiery.