fifth form

Chapter 3462 Death of Society
Ordinary people can't even control their own genitals; talking about spiritual cultivation is just a joke.
Zhang Xuezhou did not show his emotions openly, and he rarely indulged in sensual pleasures.

People who can rise from humble beginnings to great heights, or who overcome numerous hardships to achieve success, are usually quite resolute in character.

If any female cultivator tries this trick on Zhang Xuezhou, he will make her draw her sword and commit suicide without any regrets. As for the new emperor's temperament, not finishing her off would be considered merciful.

However, some cultivators are in different circumstances, living a life of luxury and do not possess such temperaments; Princess Dou is one of them.

Dong Yan's speed in drawing his sword and bringing it to his neck wasn't fast, but Dou Taizhu's speed in rushing out of the side hall was quite fast; he even used his leaping ability.

When he grabbed Dong Yan's sword, blood was already flowing from Dong Yan's neck.

"Your Majesty, kill me if you must. It was I who arranged for Dong Yan to control the Demon-Revealing Mirror. This is all my fault; Dong Yan is not to blame..."

Dou Taizhu's eyes shone brightly, and even as she shouted, her gaze remained fixed on Dong Yan's face.

Looking into Dong Yan's deeply affectionate eyes, she was almost lost in her own world.

This situation caught Zhang Xuezhou off guard, and even the new emperor was embarrassed.

There was no trace of Dong Yan using magic, but it was clear that Princess Dou had fallen into a trap, a trap that even nine oxen could not pull her back from.

"absurd!"

The new emperor cursed under his breath, poking Zhang Xuezhou's waist with his right hand, clearly wanting to know how this matter should be resolved.

Using Zhang Xuezhou's injury to execute Dong Yan was a minor matter; he would never execute Dou Taizhu, and he never intended to be so rebellious. After all, he only wanted control over Huang Laodao, to seize all controllable power, and then have these institutions cooperate with the court's development needs.

The current Empress Dowager Dou showed no regard for her reputation in front of her children and began to make a scene, threatening to kill herself. The new emperor felt that the situation was a complete mess and he was unable to sort it out.

"Dong Yan, as the emperor's subject, has overstepped the bounds of propriety by secretly admiring the princess!"

Zhang Xuezhou spoke up to remind him.

Without sufficient social status, even those from lower classes who wear clothing that does not meet the required standards may be punished.

For example, Li Guang could only wear coarse cloth at the time, and could not wear brocade clothes and armor, otherwise it would be a violation of etiquette.

The same applies to love and marriage within different social classes. People from lower classes cannot cross class boundaries to admire those from higher classes, let alone engage in improper behavior. Instead, they need to be well-matched in terms of social standing. For example, Zhang Xuezhou had a circle of potential marriage partners. If he wanted to move up in that circle, his official position and status would need to continue to rise.

"This situation corrupts the morals between men and women, disrupts the grand ceremony of marriage, and in the case of Princess Dou, it can be said to have undermined the imperial system!"

In real society, Zhang Xuezhou would certainly say that marriage is a matter of freedom, but this is the Han Dynasty, where the rules of marriage must follow the social system.

Although he had not served as Grand Master of the Palace for many years, Zhang Xuezhou was still very adept at using the system of rites to label people.

"Dong Yan did not follow the teachings of the classics and was encouraged to study. Instead, he indulged in the pleasures of dogs, horses, sensual pleasures, and licentious behavior, and walked the path of evil and depravity. He even tried to win the favor of Princess Dou. All of his actions were contrary to the rules of propriety!"

Zhang Xuezhou spoke out repeatedly, seemingly criticizing Dong Yan, but in reality, every point he made could be applied to Princess Dou.

Such criticism is not fatal, but it can create a situation where one's virtue is not commensurate with one's position, making it difficult for Emperor Dou to have the face to control Huang-Lao Daoism, thus forcing him to step down and give way.

"Aunt will probably correct her ways in the future!"

The new emperor frowned.

In his plan, Princess Dou should voluntarily relinquish power. He and Zhu Fuyan worked together to subtly probe her several times, but Princess Dou remained indifferent and showed no reaction whatsoever.

However, the new emperor never intended to kill Princess Dou, but when asked to find a better way, he found that he couldn't.

“Promiscuity will only gradually evolve into a calamity of usurpation; there is never a good end to promiscuity,” Zhang Xuezhou said, shaking his head.

"Alright then!" The new emperor sighed heavily.

He did not pronounce judgment on Princess Dou at this moment, nor did he demand further punishment for Dong Yan. Instead, he simply waved his hand, indicating that the banquet could be adjourned.

"Lord Dongfang, how is your kidney? I'll help you to the Imperial Physician's Clinic now!"

After the new emperor dismissed the banquet, Zhu Fuyan dared to leave and quickly ran to Zhang Xuezhou's side to help him up.

He touched the slurry-covered area where the new emperor had pressed down, and then touched several hard lumps that looked like stones. He was momentarily horrified.

Zhu Fuyan prided himself on his intelligence and shrewdness, believing that as long as he had status and power, he would be second to none. However, when faced with this particular matter, Zhu Fuyan realized that he could never do it, let alone have the courage to do such a thing.

While he was still pondering how to persuade Princess Dou of her gains and losses, Zhang Xuezhou used feigned injury to directly drag Princess Dou into the mess, making it difficult for her to ever hold her head high again.

Judging from Dou Taizhu's pitiful appearance, Zhu Fuyan felt that she seemed to have abandoned everything in a short moment in order to save Dong Yan's life.

Zhu Fuyan could not understand such romantic and sentimental thoughts, so he could not possibly have considered such a possibility.

"My wife works at the Imperial Medical Academy, so I can just go back to the mansion and wait for treatment!"

Zhang Xuezhou touched the four fragments of the Bashe Eye at his waist and shook his head.

Regardless of whether his injury was real or not, the matter of Lord Dou had already come to fruition and was completely under the control of the Celestial Court cultivators. Even if he regretted it after it was done, there would be no turning back.

Zhang Xuezhou previously only knew that the Immortal Court cultivators interfered in the imperial court, causing some high-ranking officials to become hopelessly entangled in it. He used to think that this kind of "hopelessness" was too blind, that people would die for a longevity pill that they could not obtain, which made him even doubt the intelligence of the high-ranking officials in the imperial court.

It wasn't until Dou Taizhu became deeply involved that Zhang Xuezhou realized this "uncontrollable" attraction wasn't just due to external temptations, but rather the near-blind trust these people placed in those who offered the temptation, completely ignoring the voices of others.

Like an old lady buying health supplements, when she gets really into it, there's no logic to it at all.

Having probably exceeded her own limits, and knowing that the new emperor would not execute Dong Yan, Princess Dou's face flushed red, and she leaned her whole body against Dong Yan, completely disregarding the gazes of others.

"Mother?"

The empress seemed somewhat at a loss.

Even if the Empress was slow to react, she knew she was in big trouble.

Love is a luxury for those in high positions; to have love, one needs power. Many couples are united purely for political gain. Now, Princess Dou has found love, but the Empress senses the inevitable loss of power.

This will not only affect Princess Dou, but also the entire Dou family, and even the Empress.

Without the support of the powerful Dou family, the Empress knew very well that her abilities were simply not up to the new Emperor's standards.

Princess Dou went off to pursue love, while the Empress felt that she had never had love and would never have it in the future; she was even unable to have children.

Her future is not hard to refer to. During the reign of Emperor Jing, there was also an empress who was unable to bear children, which led to her being replaced. It was the new emperor's mother who took the throne, and then the new emperor inherited the Han Dynasty.

"Why am I infertile like that Empress Bo? There must be something fishy about this... Could it be..."

When she realized that Princess Dou could no longer be relied upon, the Empress also showed a rare moment of clarity.

She realized for the first time that she was likely being targeted, which could be causing her infertility.

Whoever has benefited from this situation may be the mastermind behind it.

This forced the Empress to turn her attention to the Empress Dowager of Changxin Palace, the mother-in-law whom Dou Ying had accused of having connections to the Celestial Court.