fifth form

Chapter 3040: A fishy fish
The new emperor's decision to build a tomb was not just a casual remark, but a genuine expression of his stance.

Every emperor would build a mausoleum upon ascending the throne, and the construction would continue for as many years as he reigned.

The new emperor was very young. He had little interest in his burial place after his death. After designating a piece of land, he did not manage it much and never appointed a person in charge of it.

"You want me to be in charge of repairing your tomb?"

After leaving Changxin Palace, Zhang Xuezhou waited outside Fenghua Hall for an hour before seeing the new emperor emerge from the hall.

After the two returned to Weiyang Palace, the new emperor also entrusted Zhang Xuezhou with a task.

“You know the proper measure in this matter,” the new emperor said.

“But I don’t know anything about construction,” Zhang Xuezhou shook his head repeatedly. “I don’t know how to make those stone figures and horses, nor do I know how to set up a protective array for the tomb!”

"Don't rush to shirk your responsibility," the new emperor said with a headache. "Only you can do this to satisfy the Empress Dowager and prevent her from doubting my attitude. Besides, don't you think repairing the tomb is a cushy job?"

"I got injured at Sima Gate, and I get a headache whenever I see a tomb. I've never had a good job," Zhang Xuezhou complained.

"As long as you go to repair the tomb, it will be difficult for you to be forcibly conscripted in this lifetime, and you will not be involved in any military risks," the new emperor said. "An official who can escort the emperor to his funeral will never experience the risk of the court falling apart, will not be attacked by other officials, and the court will allocate funds for tomb repair every year. You can decide how much to repair each day. As long as I am not dead, you can decide how fast or slow to repair the tomb."

"This matter..."

"This is a job you can do for a lifetime, no matter how you do it. It's perfectly suited to your position in the court given your illness. Anyone who dares to attack you over matters of state is making sure I can't rest in peace after my death, and I will deal with them!"

The new emperor repeatedly tried to persuade Zhang Xuezhou.

Although Zhang Xuezhou is not good at repairing tombs, this is a job that he can do for a lifetime.

Moreover, there are very few officials who can protect their own.

As long as the new emperor and Zhang Xuezhou have a good relationship, officials who do such things have a shield.

Of course, this type of official position rarely clashed with other officials.

"You've assigned me this task because you want to take back the Crimson Sky Sword right now?" Zhang Xuezhou asked directly.

"how come!"

The new emperor's lips twitched.

Having accomplished his mission, he did have a few thoughts. After all, the Crimson Sky Sword was capable of injuring people, and wielding the true Crimson Sky Sword would be like adding wings to a tiger. He was confident that he could exchange blows with a Grandmaster of the True Self Realm.

But Zhang Xuezhou lacked the opportunistic shrewdness of a court official; instead, he went straight to the point and asked questions.

If the new emperor's words are not understood by his officials, he cannot simply change them.

After quickly dismissing his own thoughts, the new emperor couldn't help but touch the Crimson Sky Sword with a touch of reluctance.

"I used to seal the Crimson Sky Sword in the Secret Pavilion. The Secret Pavilion was patrolled almost around the clock by Sima Tan and others. The location of the Secret Pavilion was hidden, and a special key was needed to push open the stone door to enter. Even though many school leaders had repeatedly entered and exited the palace, they had never been able to find it," the new emperor said. "When you went to Changxin Palace, you even hung a banner, afraid that others would not know that you were carrying the Crimson Sky Sword. You have a physical ailment, and I am very worried that you might encounter danger while guarding the Crimson Sky Sword." The new emperor explained.

“I received a portrait of Confucius from the great Confucian scholar Yuan Gu,” Zhang Xuezhou said. “This portrait is quite magical, but it is not the only one. They used a method that mixes the real and the fake, and to this day, no outsider knows where the real portrait of Confucius is, nor does anyone covet it!”

"Ok?"

“You can’t guard against thieves for a thousand days if you’re a thief for a thousand days,” Zhang Xuezhou said. “I plan to have a batch of fake Crimson Sky Swords made. When the time comes, I’ll let them take the fake swords, which will also make it easier to investigate who is behind this!”

When ordinary people acquire a treasure, they will cherish it and keep it safe, even using all sorts of secretive means to protect it.

But Zhang Xuezhou didn't understand this concept after he got the Crimson Sky Sword. This guy wanted to use a deceptive method to send out a batch of fake Crimson Sky Swords in order to catch the mastermind behind it all.

"This method is truly a brilliant strategy!"

The new emperor looked pleasantly surprised, realizing that Zhang Xuezhou's thinking was indeed unique.

The Marquis of Pingyang's mansion manufactured counterfeit Chixiao swords that were able to achieve a perfect match in appearance, even making the blade a dark red color.

Without sufficient knowledge of the Crimson Sky Sword, it's entirely possible for counterfeits to circumvent its authenticity. If there are enough fake Crimson Sky Swords, no one will know where the real one is.

The high-risk nature of stealing and retrieving swords is not worth the cost, and it will eventually deter people from coveting the Crimson Sky Sword.

"If everyone has a Crimson Sky Sword, wouldn't it be impossible to tell who has the real sword?" the new emperor said.

"How do you manage to give everyone one?" Zhang Xuezhou asked doubtfully.

"I think your method is very good," the new emperor said. "This makes me think of using the design of the Crimson Sky Sword to forge the imperial standard swords. At that time, I will have the commanders of the Imperial Guard and the Feathered Forest Guard replace a batch of swords first, and you can also take a fake sword to wear!"

"Your Majesty's method is even more ingenious!"

Zhang Xuezhou's method was to attract dissidents, then have someone take away the fake sword, thereby tricking some people or arresting a group of people.

The new emperor's plan was to spread out the Crimson Sky Sword over a large area, making its design ordinary and further confusing everyone, making it difficult for anyone to clearly understand the information even if they wanted to chase after it.

After the fake sword is passed off as genuine, it doesn't matter who keeps the real Crimson Sky Sword. Even if Zhang Xuezhou uses it as a shield, there's no risk of losing the sword.

Of course, although the Crimson Sky Sword was the sword of the High Ancestor and possessed unparalleled power, it was not a sword that anyone could use.

The new emperor gestured for Zhang Xuezhou to draw his sword, so that Zhang Xuezhou could see the real sword and avoid future confusion about whether it was genuine or fake.

"Your Majesty, please draw your sword!"

Upon hearing that he would have to draw his sword to verify its authenticity, Zhang Xuezhou involuntarily took several steps back after handing over his sword.

He still harbored some lingering fear of the Crimson Sky Sword. If it weren't for the fact that this sword could withstand the turmoil of the court's upheavals, Zhang Xuezhou would have thrown it away long ago.

"You don't need to be intimidated by the Crimson Sky Sword's reputation. In reality, once this sword is drawn by an ordinary person, it's practically useless!"

With a gentle pull, the new emperor removed the longsword, which had crumbled into a pile of soft mud, causing his expression to change drastically.

He had previously smeared Ao Li's essence blood on the sword, and saw it stand tall, radiating a dazzling light, as if a casual swing of the sword could unleash tremendous power. This was also regarded as the new emperor's trump card.

This kind of trump card is really too unreliable.

There was a reason why Emperor Gaozu often fled by carriage when he was conquering the world; if this sword were to go limp at a critical moment, it would indeed be fatal.

"Is this a whip sword?"

Watching the new emperor swing the sword hilt, the blade of the Crimson Sky Sword flickered back and forth, looking like a dead snake, even though Zhang Xuezhou had witnessed the Crimson Sky Sword's killing prowess before, he couldn't help but marvel. For a moment, he wondered what material the Crimson Sky Sword was made of, as the metal's flexibility was beyond reason.

“It’s not a whip sword; it just has a temper. When it gets angry, it doesn’t like to work,” the new emperor said.

"That's quite a character!"

Zhang Xuezhou gave a thumbs-up.

When the new emperor allowed him to get closer and observe the real sword, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but muster his courage.

He even touched the blade with his finger.

A sensation as if scraping against delicate scales welled up in Zhang Xuezhou's heart, and for a moment he felt as if he were facing a living creature.

This feeling is rare, but Zhang Xuezhou has experienced it before.

Treasures made of this material lay in his small Qiankun bag, as did the staff originating from Fangzhang Island.

The magical artifact's unpredictable nature meant that Zhang Xuezhou rarely used it in the past, and its power was only likely to be unleashed when Zhang Xuezhou was in a high-risk situation.

It wasn't until he begged the Master of the Zhunti Sect to refine it that the Innate Spirit Wood Staff was forcibly tamed, and the probability of it obeying Zhang Xuezhou and exerting its power increased significantly.

The Crimson Sky Sword may have been tamed by Emperor Gaozu, but as it was passed down through generations, none of the many emperors of the Han Dynasty truly controlled the sword.