fifth form

Chapter 3091 The Curse in the Imperial Palace
Zhang Xuezhou had very low physiological needs.

He doesn't feel hungry or need to urinate unless he uses a lot of his body energy.

Zhang Xuezhou opened the door to the side room and saw the little princess who lacked playmates of the same age.

Behind the little princess were Wei Zifu, and Chen Zhang and others, showing that the guards were extremely responsible.

This may be due to the rules of the palace, or perhaps some unpleasant things have happened in the past, which makes everyone afraid to relax even for a moment.

"Lord Dongfang is truly diligent in his cultivation; he hasn't left his house for seven days now," Wei Zifu said with a smile.

"Those who cultivate themselves are oblivious to the fleeting passage of time!"

Zhang Xuezhou glanced at the sky.

Without a calendar to refer to, Zhang Xuezhou could only determine how much time had passed by asking others or waiting until the day of the time travel.

The cultivation method has advanced to the seventh level, and seven days have passed. In terms of timing, this is just right.

It is extremely difficult to build up from scratch, but as long as the foundation is strong enough, learning in reverse will be very easy.

It may seem like a long time, but the distance Zhang Xuezhou has traveled in these few days may have taken Montesbaden decades.

He smiled and nodded to Wei Zifu, then teased the little princess a couple more times to lighten the mood and prevent their conversation from becoming dry and unproductive.

"Does Master Dong know where Father Emperor went? He hasn't come to visit us these past few days!"

Zhang Xuezhou had only stayed indoors for seven days, while Wei Zifu had been confined to a small area since entering the palace, a period that had lasted for several years, even until now, when the child had grown up.

The little princess's babbling voice was extremely childish, and she spoke without any guile. However, Zhang Xuezhou suspected that these words were what Wei Zifu wanted to ask, but was just using the little princess to express them.

“His Majesty is busy with countless affairs and has many important matters to attend to,” Zhang Xuezhou said. “Or perhaps His Majesty is also taking a period of quiet recuperation and spiritual practice!”

“Lord Dongfang, His Majesty cultivates the art of killing, which rarely requires quiet recuperation and seclusion for cultivation,” Wei Zifu said.

“That is because I’m too busy to get away,” Zhang Xuezhou said.

“Your Majesty rarely has such moments,” said Wei Zifu.

"His Majesty is not the same His Majesty he used to be!"

Zhang Xuezhou offered a brief reminder.

In the past, new emperors often found it difficult to control their power. Their ministers would outwardly comply but inwardly defy the emperor, watching the moods of the Anle Palace and Changxin Palace. He felt frustrated and found it difficult to communicate with the empress without any misunderstandings. The Shufang Palace became the best place for the new emperor to release his emotions.

The new emperor is no longer bored and is even constantly restraining the power of his ministers, so he has no time to come to the boudoir to relieve his boredom.

The theft of the Crimson Cloud Sword will not be the only incident. Even without the Crimson Cloud Sword, the sword of imperial power, Zhang Xuezhou believes that the new emperor will have other ways to achieve his goals.

The opponent's reactions are too sharp; they will launch a fierce attack as soon as they seize an opportunity.

Court officials exhibit both herd mentality and a silent effect. Whoever holds sway at the top will be followed by the court officials. When a particular court official is targeted, most people will either seize the opportunity to deliver a fatal blow or, more importantly, plead for the emperor on behalf of others.

To be honest, Zhang Xuezhou didn't like the current court.

This is like the second and third generations of Xijing City, who seem to be extremely capable, but in reality, they all rely on the strong promotion of their ancestors and the resources behind them. There are definitely outstanding talents among them, but too many talents are rejected.

If this continued generation after generation, each generation would be worse than the last, and the Han Dynasty would inevitably come to an end.

Zhang Xuezhou was unaware of court politics, but he was clear about the promotion of talented individuals.

Without an exit mechanism, the ultimate outcome would likely be like the Jade Emperor, who absconded with resources and waited for a chance to start over, or being replaced by another dynasty.

This kind of change is very difficult, and it even involves itself.

For example, Zhang Xuezhou is also a beneficiary of social class. He certainly wants his children to have a good life. If his children are incompetent and occupy resources, it is hard to say whether he can make his children withdraw.

Generally speaking, when power is insufficient to maintain order, only forceful reforms can drive order forward.

Even emperors are no exception in this respect; lack of ability not only means having power usurped, but can even lead to death.

Having endured nearly a decade of trials and tribulations, and having witnessed the true nature and fickleness of the court officials, the new emperor's heart was probably as cold as a butcher's knife. "We tread on thin ice in the inner palace, and we hope that Lord Dongfang will offer us some guidance," Wei Zifu said with a slight bow.

Everyone is walking on thin ice!

Zhang Xuezhou shook his head.

No one in this world can rest easy. There is Qin Shi Huang, who is not free; Gaozu, who guards Fengxi Marsh; the emperor who is bound by his oath; the Jade Emperor, who is rotten to the core and cannot be cured, so he has to retire; Yuanshi Tianzun, who can only run errands himself when there is trouble; and Zhujiuyin, who is bound by his lifespan.

Even the most powerful emperors and the most skilled cultivators have their troubles.

Without a deeper understanding, one might only perceive these people as aloof and carefree, but in reality, each of them has their own worries.

On the other hand, if someone is carefree and unrestrained, that kind of life, lacking desire and worries, will inevitably become empty and boring in the long run.

Even if Zhang Weimeng achieves fame and fortune by writing novels and retires from the literary world, his pen will remain unused.

For Zhang Weimeng, these fictional characters were essentially dead at that point, no longer capable of sparking any plot developments.

This applies to books, and it applies to people.

Zhang Xuezhou felt that everyone's cautious approach wasn't bad; people in this environment would keep moving forward until they broke through their limits and faced everything.

“If you can’t break through the precarious environment yourself, no one can help you,” Zhang Xuezhou warned.

"Am I all alone?" Wei Zifu asked.

"Only yourself," Zhang Xuezhou nodded and said, "You can ask others for help, but no one can truly walk your own life path for you!"

"I understand now!"

Wei Zifu nodded.

Zhang Xuezhou's words imply that one can only seek temporary gains, not lasting protection. Even if Zhang Xuezhou can protect her once, the risks she faces next time will be even greater, thus posing a greater risk.

Only by making steady progress and adapting step by step can we break through the predicament.

Wei Zifu saw very few people in her private quarters, limited to a very small group of a few dozen people, and very few of these people were talented.

She had very few people she could turn to for help. When she heard that Zhang Xuezhou was willing to help, but mentioned that he couldn't help all the time, she felt relieved and understood.

"Mother, what are you talking about!"

Perhaps growing impatient, the little princess looked up, pouted, and separated the two adults whose conversation sounded rather uninteresting.

Wei Zifu patted the little princess's head, her eyes glancing unintentionally several times in the direction of Jiaofang Palace.

She began to hum a lullaby to soothe the little princess.

In the dim light, Zhang Xuezhou could only see the silhouette of a black snake slithering in the grass. With a light sway, he had already swayed nearly ten feet away.

Reaching out and pointing at the black snake, Zhang Xuezhou saw the black snake shatter into smoke.

Before Zhang Xuezhou could determine the direction of the caster, the spell had already dissipated.

"The Snake Head Curse?"

After the smoke dissipated, a strand of black hair fell into the grass.

Zhang Xuezhou exclaimed in surprise.

Hongku and Wuchao were both cultivators who practiced snake-head incantations, and Zhang Xuezhou was very familiar with this technique.

This spell is not limited to the sacred land of Yexi River; even Hongku, who originated from the Xiangmen lineage, learned it from elsewhere.

Zhang Xuezhou simply hadn't expected that there would be such sorcerers in the imperial palace.

Being watched by a cursed snake, and with Chen Zhang and the others unable to detect it, it's no wonder that Wei Zifu felt like she was walking on thin ice.

He pulled up a strand of hair and felt that it was fine and soft, looking like a woman's hair.