fifth form

Chapter 3037 Sword Mastery
"Leaving aside other dynasties, Empress Gao, the principal wife of Emperor Gaozu of our Great Han Dynasty..."

The evidence brought back by Han Yan was conclusive; the Empress Dowager's identity was indeed tainted, something that successive dynasties had always been extremely wary of.

If one's identity is unclear or if other forces are involved, it is not appropriate for them to hold a high position.

The Empress Dowager wielded too much power; even though she was the new emperor's mother, she still needed to be controlled.

Leaving aside other dynasties, the Han Dynasty, in its short century, had six emperors, and the new emperor was already the seventh.

The reason why so many people succeeded to the throne is quite simple: many emperors of the Han Dynasty died, and the most important factor involved was Empress Lü, the wife of Emperor Gaozu.

Zhang Xuezhou's merits were rewarded, and the new emperor also invited Zhang Xuezhou to join the Tianlu Qilin Pavilion.

The numerous documents piled up in the outer cabinet were open to ministers, but the real core involved the secret cabinet.

Here you'll find the royal family's secret cultivation techniques and their hidden history.

Zhang Xuezhou initially declined, but when the new emperor mentioned that the relevant content was merely a secret palace record kept by the Grand Historian, and was kept secret only because it was too bloody, rather than being something that could not be told to others, Zhang Xuezhou then began to look through these dusty archives.

"She manipulated the court and called herself 'I,' controlling the ascension and life and death of three emperors in succession. She also killed other princes with the right to inherit the throne, with only the princes from remote and harsh regions escaping!"

Turning the dusty scrolls of history, one after another, brutal and life-and-death events emerge.

In just over a decade, the emperors, either still immature or not yet grown up, were forced into manipulation, becoming like puppets, deprived of freedom and the threat of death.

These were all painful lessons for emperors, and many emperors did everything they could to avoid disaster.

"If she hadn't been bitten by the divine dog, she probably would have continued to plague the Han Dynasty for another ten years, and the world would probably have been ruled by the Lü family by now!"

"The Empress Dowager has always been learning from Empress Gao, but because of the precedent of Empress Gao's clan being exterminated after her death, her actions were not so obvious!"

Do you know why the Empress cannot have children?

"The Empress Dowager was involved in this!"

"If the Empress gives birth to a son, the Empress Dowager can live for another twenty years, or Princess Dou can inherit the power of Anle Palace, then the world will belong to the Dou family!"

"My mother was constantly fighting with the Empress Dowager, and she gave me a lot of help!"

"pity……"

History always repeats itself. Relying on factors such as filial piety, being the empress of the previous emperor, and being the mother of the emperor and son, the empress dowager held a high position and gradually followed in his footsteps.

Changxin Palace was also wielding power and repeating the same things. The ministers in the court were clearly following the herd mentality, and even if they were unwilling, they could only remain silent and agree with Changxin Palace.

"I don't object to the Empress Dowager holding some power, but I don't know where she intends to lead the Han Dynasty?" the new emperor said in a deep voice.

“Instead of speculating here, why doesn’t Your Majesty just ask the Empress Dowager directly?” Zhang Xuezhou suggested.

"Can you just ask and get a straight answer?" the new emperor asked, bewildered.

“How do you know the Empress Dowager didn’t tell you if you didn’t ask?” Zhang Xuezhou said.

The new emperor repeatedly tried to refute Zhang Xuezhou, but the art of emperorship and politics has never been about getting straight to the point; it all involves manipulating people's hearts and minds.

But he has to admit one thing: he never actually asked.

Not only him, but even Emperor Jing never asked the Empress Dowager about such matters. Instead, they speculated and pondered with each other, and their actions were always subtle and clashed repeatedly.

"Then I'll go ask?"

The new emperor hesitated somewhat.

The Empress Dowager's attitude shifted considerably throughout the entire process: she entered the hall to explain, then suppressed him after he refused to leave, leading to a formal confrontation, and finally, after understanding his cultivation level, she offered him guidance. If one doesn't want to engage with the Empress Dowager in a cryptic manner, getting a direct answer would be better.

People tend to subconsciously deny the darker side of things. He had some doubts about whether he could get the truth out of him, but the moment after the intense confrontation was indeed the best time to ask.

If he misses this opportunity to demonstrate his strength through the "I Am the Only One" realm, the effects of his individual strength will weaken over time, and he may never have a better chance to handle relationships than he does now.

“Ask directly, ask boldly, and see what the Empress Dowager really wants, and whether it’s feasible,” Zhang Xuezhou nodded and said, “Otherwise, this infighting will never end!”

If it weren't for the Han Dynasty's massive population, the dynasty would have collapsed long ago due to such constant turmoil.

The Red Alliance only managed to calm things down by slamming on the brakes at the third committee meeting; otherwise, the Xijing City Committee would have disbanded long ago.

Zhang Xuezhou felt that it would be best for the new emperor and empress dowager to resolve their power issues peacefully.

"Then I'll go ask!"

The new emperor finally nodded, and then pointed at Zhang Xuezhou.

"Come with me," the new emperor said.

"I'm not going," Zhang Xuezhou said, waving his hands repeatedly.

"Your reply was quite direct," the new emperor said with a laugh, furious. "This is the time when I need your wisdom the most. You can't be afraid of getting involved at a time like this. Besides, you're already so ill, the Empress Dowager wouldn't want to make things worse for you. And I will always protect you!"

"This is Han Yan's business, why are you calling me over?" Zhang Xuezhou said with a headache.

"You're different from him!"

The new emperor took a deep breath.

If Han Yan were standing beside him at this moment, Han Yan would surely advise the new emperor to transfer the Imperial Guards from Shanglin Garden to Chang'an City, thereby completely defeating the Empress Dowager and leaving her to spend her days in melancholy in the deep palace.

This idea wasn't unique to Han Yan; others shared similar thoughts to varying degrees, and some even harbored crazy notions of creating accidents.

The new emperor didn't need to summon all his ministers to discuss the matter. He had been cultivating many people for nearly ten years, so how could he not understand their mentality of "a gentleman's revenge is never too late"?

But the new emperor was facing his own mother, and he could not bring himself to act as a heartless and cruel tyrant.

After eliminating this answer, Zhang Xuezhou's suggestion became the best choice.

The only requirement is that this plan must work, and while the mother-son relationship still exists, they need to be open about everything and resolve the issues.

"With this sword in your hand, as long as the sword is with you, no one will dare to touch you!"

Zhang Xuezhou's refusal to retire stemmed from a genuine fear of getting involved in the killing, and the new emperor could not force him to.

He looked around the secret chamber several times, then opened a brocade box, from which the new emperor took out a long sword with a crimson scabbard.

"The Crimson Sky Sword holds a position equivalent to that of His Majesty the High Ancestor," the new emperor said. "Whether you wield the sword to listen in or participate in the controversy, there will be no issue with your status. Anyone who dares to voice dissent in Changxin Palace can be beheaded with the sword!"

“If you didn’t dare kill me then, what would you do if you settled the score later?” Zhang Xuezhou said.

"Take the sword first, and exchange it back when Princess Dou returns the Demon-Revealing Mirror," the new emperor said with a long sigh. "No matter which one you control, the Empress Dowager won't target you easily. You've seen the Empress Dowager clash with Princess Dou, so you should know that Princess Dou was able to escape unscathed. You won't lose your life over something like this!"

"This sword..."

Zhang Xuezhou assisted Emperor Jing in harnessing the power of the Crimson Sky Sword, and was nearly struck in the body by it, but this was the first time he had ever seen the sword in its true form.

He not only didn't covet the Crimson Sky Sword, but was also somewhat afraid that the sword would cut him.

Thinking that the Gaozu Emperor could not control the Chixiao Sword no matter what he did, he carefully took the Chixiao Sword and began to use it to intimidate others, just like the new emperor.