fifth form

Chapter 3232 Dou Ying vs. Dao Jun
Doing research is definitely a very boring thing.

The Empress Dowager shared her personal insights on the Yang Soul Incarnation Technique, which were somewhat helpful to Zhang Xuezhou, but not significantly.

No one can achieve the rapid mastery of Zhu Jiuyin in such a short time. Even if the Empress Dowager and others believed that accumulating a large number of Creation Pills to guide the Yang Soul Incarnation Technique to achieve rapid mastery was very different from Zhang Xuezhou's ideal of rapid mastery.

Zhu Jiuyin's Yang Soul incarnation can be used as his true form, allowing him to travel from the Xieluoschuan Holy Land to the vicinity of Chang'an City. Many people agree that the quickest way to achieve this is to condense the Yang Soul incarnation and allow it to escape from the body to take shape.

Among the many cultivators, only Daojun's Yang Soul Incarnation Technique showed signs of resembling a true body, while Ren Anran's technique was different after he transformed his supernatural powers into a magic method.

In reality, Zhang Xuezhou needs a quick way to learn, and he also longs to make some progress with the Yang Soul Incarnation Technique.

After some discussion, Zhang Xuezhou had no choice but to give up.

"You have no idea how pathetic Dou Ying was back then. He was completely terrified. None of the marquises who were with him dared to approach him, and Princess Dou even said that Dou Ying had established his own household and had nothing to do with women like them..."

When Zhang Xuezhou returned to the mansion, he heard Zhu Fuyan embellishing the story for quite some time.

It wasn't that Zhu Fuyan was idle enough to come to his residence to discuss these matters; rather, Gongsun Hong had pooled together a sum of money to buy Zhu Fuyan's knowledge of important court affairs.

Master Fu Yan was used to being poor, so he would take any job regardless of how much money was involved.

Moreover, important court affairs are bound to spread to the outside world. Even if he doesn't say it, others will. Zhu Fuyan is happy to earn this money.

Only after Zhang Xuezhou pushed open the gate of the mansion and entered did he stop talking, still wanting more.

"Dongfang Shuo, why didn't I see you at the Imperial Medical Academy?" Zhu Fuyan shouted.

“I was summoned by the Empress Dowager and cannot leave Changxin Palace for the time being,” Zhang Xuezhou said casually.

"That's such a pity. You didn't see Dou Ying's appearance. That guy always walks around with his nose in the air. This time he's probably going to be in big trouble," Master Yan said happily. "Let's continue..."

Knowing that Zhang Xuezhou knew less than he did, Zhu Fuyan felt he was irreplaceable and spoke of firsthand and complete information from the court.

"The Empress Dowager asked me to inform you that she is waiting for you at Changxin Palace!"

Only after Zhang Xuezhou relayed the relevant information did Zhu Fuyan jump up and down in anger.

"I have no relation to the Empress Dowager, why did she summon me?" Zhu Fuyan asked anxiously, "Did you gossip about me and get me into this mess?"

“What does this have to do with me?” Zhang Xuezhou said, “Among so many of us, you were the only one who arrived a little late and didn’t go to Changxin Palace. After I was questioned, it was your turn!”

"What does the Empress Dowager want to ask?" Zhu Fuyan asked anxiously.

"Anyway, I won't tell you," Zhang Xuezhou waved his hand and said, "If you go to Changxin Palace and come back to share what you asked me, then I'll exchange it with you!"

"cut!"

Master Yan chuckled.

Since everyone else has been there, he can also visit Changxin Palace.

Although Zhu Fuyan felt somewhat guilty for embezzling a few sums of money, Zhang Xuezhou was able to return safely, so there was no way he wouldn't be able to come back.

After some shouting and commotion, Master Yan slipped out through the main gate.

"This Master Fu Yan has some problems with his character," Gongsun Hong, who had been gathering information, whispered after Master Fu Yan left. "If he were just an ordinary person, that would be fine, but once he gains power, he might cause some harm!"

“I’m not competing with Master Fu Yan,” Zhang Xuezhou said with a smile. “I’m just a minor official in charge of building the mausoleum. Unless he wants to compete with me for the tomb, I’m not going to compete with him. To be honest, I’ve encountered some problems at Maoling. It would be even better if he could take over, so I don’t have to worry about it!”

"Oh, you!"

Gongsun Hong pointed at Zhang Xuezhou, and for a moment he felt that he had many things to say but no words.

Given Zhang Xuezhou's easygoing nature as an official, it would be difficult for anyone to regard him as a competitor.

Moreover, Zhang Xuezhou was in charge of the Chixiao Sword and was also responsible for building the new emperor's mausoleum.

As long as Zhang Xuezhou's health doesn't improve and he doesn't change his official position, it's unlikely that any court official would make things difficult for him. Whether Zhu Fuyan's intentions are righteous or not really has little impact on Zhang Xuezhou.

“This is a great opportunity for Mr. Gongsun to realize his ambitions. When we meet again, he will be a pillar of the nation,” Zhang Xuezhou said, cupping his hands in greeting.

"This is true!"

Gongsun Hong's face lit up with joy.

Compared to Zhu Fuyan's embellished and exaggerated remarks, Zhang Xuezhou's words were concise and to the point, directly addressing Gongsun Hong's needs.

He was simply waiting for the right opportunity to seek information from the imperial court to make a judgment.

Gongsun Hong was surprised that Zhang Xuezhou had explained it so clearly before he could even make a judgment.

The impact of Dou Ying's forged imperial edict may be more serious than Gongsun Hong imagined, and the number of people affected could be quite wide.

Only when those at the top step down can those at the bottom rise up.

One person is needed for one position; if those at the top aren't removed, it will be difficult for those at the bottom to rise to key positions.

"I'll go get half a jin of liquor, let's drink and chat!"

After eating and drinking for free for several months, Gongsun Hong rarely spent money on food and drink.

Zhang Xuezhou didn't pay any attention. He agreed to Gongsun Hong's words and then checked the alchemy furnace that was being gently heated in the main hall.

They initially just wanted to find some coal, but little did they know that so many things would happen.

"His Majesty will surely take this opportunity to establish new rules. I'm afraid some people who can't adapt to the changes in the system will be in big trouble. Unfortunately, I don't aspire to high office, so these things are of little use to me!"

If we consider the Marquis's forces as the first generation of members of the Red Alliance, and the feudal lords as Pei Jing, Zhao Tianhua, and others, the gradual changes in the Han Dynasty can be clearly seen.

With the internal strife within the royal family resolved, the new emperor and his allies are now focusing their efforts on matters outside the court.

This rectification does not conflict with facing external pressure; in fact, it is like pulling out nails in a state of war to prevent them from causing serious trouble at a critical moment.

The talent system of the Han Dynasty remained a recommendation system, which differed from the Red Alliance's system of determining one's fate through a single examination and was more suitable for the current social structure of the Han Dynasty.

Zhang Xuezhou didn't dwell too much on the inevitable changes in the Han Dynasty. He touched the 'knot' he had secretly made the night before, then touched the elixir, and then looked at the ornamental trees in the courtyard.

Lacking a large quantity of medicinal herbs, Zhang Xuezhou was currently at a loss, like a skilled cook without rice.

Even if the imperial treasury's medicinal materials were requisitioned, these materials would still be unsatisfactory. Only by combining them on a large scale could the benefits of the elixirs be maximized.

He could only wait for Hongku to come to Chang'an. Given the discovery of the sorcerer at Tian Fen's residence, it was likely that Hongku had been investigated upon returning to the sacred land of Yexi River, and that other sorcerers were also conducting investigations, which led to the temporary suspension of trade between the two sides.

The events unfolded as Zhang Xuezhou and others had anticipated, as had Hong Ku.

Before the elixir was completed, Zhang Xuezhou did not believe that Daojun would come to Chang'an City to cause trouble for them.

"Speaking of which, Tian Fen defeated Dou Ying. Could it be that Dou Ying hasn't fully recovered from his injuries these past few days? Is this staff really that strange?"

The Spirit Wood Staff shattered several Yang Souls, including the Black Mountain Venerable, the White Bone Venerable, and the Weaving Emperor Venerable, as well as the injured Dao Lord. In Chang'an City, there was the case of Dou Ying.

Dou Ying has no shortage of cultivation resources and hasn't been fighting any major cultivators recently, so it's hard to believe that he ended up being beaten to the point of vomiting blood by Tian Fen.

Although Tian Fen appears to be at a higher level, Dou Ying would inevitably win in a fight between them. This is just as illogical as Zhang Xuezhou beating Tian Fen, and cannot be compared based on the difference in their cultivation levels.

If Dou Ying couldn't withstand Tian Fen's enraged attack, it meant that Dou Ying had a significant physical defect, perhaps one that Dou Ying himself was unaware of.

Perhaps Dou Ying's cultivation has gone wrong, or perhaps the spirit wood staff contains some effects that Zhang Xuezhou hasn't even figured out yet.

He belatedly realized some things and for a moment regretted not going to the Imperial Physician's Clinic to watch the play.

If he could assess Dou Ying's physical condition, he would have a clearer understanding of the injuries sustained by Dao Jun and the others.