I, who disguised myself as a woman, turned out to be a queen! ?

Chapter 1229 The Empress's Kindness is Terrifying
The tense atmosphere in the capital began when the Empress returned to the main hall after her rest and started the morning court session.

It was after this morning court session that a more relaxed atmosphere returned to the officialdom of the capital.

The main reason is that too many people have been arrested these days. Although it's not like before, where everyone arrested was at least a sixth-rank official, those arrests were all low-ranking officials in obscure government offices, but there are still a lot of people being arrested. In the complex world of officialdom, even if two people are far apart, they might have something on each other, and those who are guilty are naturally afraid.

To be fair, quite a few people were arrested, not just those few who confessed. Su Wenqing and the others were truly enraged this time. They secretly had the Shence Mansion investigate all those who had any dealings with Li Nishang and the others, and the severity of their arrests would depend on the circumstances.

Especially those who were caught red-handed and thus at the mercy of others, such as An Shanbo, were investigated one by one by Wei Xuancheng, with Su Ziyu assisting from the side.

Even some cases were discovered within the palace, though not many; only six people were sent out of the palace.

However, the fact that it was hidden so well angered Lady Sun, who, after obtaining an imperial decree from Su Chang'an, insisted on conducting another thorough investigation.

Aunt Sun's thinking was simple: His Majesty and the Empress were in the palace. If someone went astray in the palace, what would happen? Moreover, Su Chang'an had already handed over all the personnel in the palace to her. If something went wrong, how would she explain it?

Such is the way things are in officialdom; those in the underworld are mostly just watching the show.

But in reality, if you pay attention, you'll notice that there are more unfamiliar faces around you, and there are many more vendors walking around the streets every day. In particular, some of these vendors are even experts of the fifth or sixth rank!

The old celestial master didn't go out today to find someone to drink with or anything; it was mainly because this morning a flash of inspiration struck him, and he clapped his hands and remembered that he was a Taoist priest.

So he quickly packed up and went to Yuqing Temple outside the city.

He came to the Yuqing Temple and didn't go to pay his respects for so many days. No wonder he had such bad luck in the capital. The higher-ups were unhappy and could punish him.
The Yue King's Mansion is bustling with activity, housing many martial arts practitioners.

Xia Zhici didn't care much about this. Anyway, he hadn't stayed in this run-down place more than a few times, and it was such a big place with lots of people living there, so it had a lively atmosphere.

The old master didn't think much of it, and was even quite happy to see so many young people.

But if you go out and encounter a shameless person, they might easily send you two little lackeys.

Just like today, as I was about to go out, I ran into Lian Xinglan, who came from the Su residence. This dull-witted man wasn't as glib as Yu Taohua, but he was no less cunning.

Especially when he heard that the Celestial Master was going to Yuqing Temple alone, the Pavilion Master of Tianzhi Pavilion immediately told his two disciples, Yu Jin and Ke Xia, to follow him.

The old master smiled but did not refuse. To be honest, he was happy to have two kids with him.

The two young swordsmen, following the old master, did not show any fear or trepidation, after all, they were direct disciples of the Heavenly Pavilion, their eyes were filled with curiosity and awe.

In Ke Xia's words, this is the old master!

That's a deity!
Ke Xia followed behind the old master, constantly tugging at her senior brother Yu Jin's clothes.

Yu Jin turned around and saw his junior sister giving him a meaningful look.

Yu Jin tore off his clothes and ignored him.

Ke Xia stomped her foot, but as soon as she saw the old master turn around, she immediately showed a sweet smile.

When the old celestial master saw the little girl's appearance, he smiled and said, "Your master once went up to Longhu Mountain and asked me, 'What is an immortal, and what is a god?'"

Yu Jin immediately became extremely respectful, as if the old celestial master was about to instruct him.

Xia blinked, bit her lip, and waited patiently for the old master to finish his sentence.

The old master smiled and said, "I asked him in return, 'You're asking me, aren't you?'"

The two disciples were taken aback when they heard this.

The old master continued, "His expression was the same as yours at the time, and then I said, 'I've never been a deity, how would I know what a deity is? This is ridiculous.'"

The senior and junior disciples looked at the old Celestial Master, hesitant to speak.

How could the old Celestial Master be like this?

But
I don't know how to refute it, because it seems to make a lot of sense.

However, Kexia looked at the old celestial master and said, "Keke, you are the old immortal! There is still your ancestral hall in my hometown. My grandfather said that you passed through our area many years ago and saw that the bandits were oppressing our village, so you took action and killed those bandits. You also taught many people in the village to read and write. My grandfather was able to work as an accountant to support his whole family because you taught him to read and write. I often worship you."

The old celestial master looked at Ke Xia and asked with a smile, "What did you put on your prayers when you worshipped me? Fruit or meat?"

Xia immediately replied, "We have steamed buns, rice, noodles, fruit, meat, and all sorts of things."

The old master asked, "Have you ever stolen any food?"

Xia blinked, unsure how to answer, because she had secretly eaten it before.

The old master laughed and reached out to pat Ke Xia's head: "Write a letter to your family later and tell them that if they really want to worship me, don't prepare cooked food or fruit. Just put a handful of grass on the table. My old ox loves to eat it. As for me, I'll find my own food when I'm hungry. Putting so much grass on the table when I'm not hungry is just an eyesore to me."

Xia nodded obediently, but something felt off, because it sounded like she was about to die.

The old master didn't say much.

Yu Jin, standing to the side, looked at the old master with even greater admiration.

My master once said, "Gods were originally mortals," and I also heard the monk Baoxian, who was called "Asura," say, "The Buddha is not contained in clay or golden statues."

Yu Jin was the most well-read among Lian Xinglan's disciples. The more he read, the more he pondered, because he thought about many things.

Looking at the old Celestial Master, he pondered deeply.

The old celestial master turned to look at Yu Jin: "Do you know why you can't break through to the eighth rank?"

Yu Jin's expression froze for a moment, then he immediately clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to the old master, saying, "Please enlighten me, old master."

The old master laughed and said, "Thinking so much, it's no wonder you can't break through."

Yu Jin paused for a moment, looking at the old master who had turned and strode forward.

Ke Xia looked at Yu Jin: "Exactly! I asked you to say something so I could get the Old Master's brush and ink, but you didn't say anything, just kept speculating! Only if you can break through..."

But when she got to this point, she saw her senior brother glaring at her, and she ran away in fright.

Senior Brother Yu Jin doesn't pamper me like Senior Brother Jian Yi does.

The three walked to Yuqing Temple.

After all, it wasn't far to begin with. Along the way, the old celestial master would occasionally glance at the passing vendors and then ask Yu Jin if he could see anything.
Yu Jin only said that they were martial artists, but shook his head to explain the specifics. He found it strange because there were indeed many martial artists among the servants and merchants. He even saw one of them, who was of similar strength and ranked seventh, selling stinky tofu at the west gate of the city.

Xia sighed helplessly and said, "They must be people hiding and watching those troublemakers in the martial arts world."

Yu Jin shook his head, feeling it wasn't that simple.

Then the old master smiled and said, "Those who think too much will have heavy hearts. Whether practicing martial arts or being a person, those with heavy hearts will be more tired than anyone else."

No wonder even Xie Jie sent this child to the capital instead of letting that scoundrel Tao Hua draw his sword in that no-man's-land.

Yuqing Temple is always bustling with worshippers, who come from all over the country, from the capital and the counties and towns under the jurisdiction of Jingzhao Prefecture, and even from other places.

It is perfectly normal for other fellow disciples to come.

Therefore, when the old Celestial Master entered the temple, the Taoist priests of Yuqing Temple saw him and simply bowed, without asking any further questions.

The main reason was that he had suffered a loss in the past. Once, a Taoist boy thought he was a Taoist from Yuqing Temple and was arrogant. He offended a Taoist who was dressed simply, but he did not expect that this Taoist had a very important background and was a guest of honor of a noble person in the capital.

The abbot of Yuqing Temple quickly apologized, and the young Taoist was then sent to another Taoist temple.

After that, he never acted arrogantly again.

Yuqing Temple has three courtyards and three main halls.

The front section is where ordinary worshippers pray and worship the gods; the second section is where fellow believers enter; and the third section is where deceased family members are placed.

Su Chang'an's family is here.

After handing the Taoist scroll to the Taoist priest of Yuqing Temple, the old Celestial Master took Yu Jin and Ke Xia with him to the main hall in the second courtyard.

The main hall is not as grand as the ones in front.

Whether it's the murals inside the hall, the golden statues of the Three Pure Ones, or other deities enshrined.

But without exception
The phrase "profound history" is omnipresent.

This is the real main hall of Yuqing Temple.

Moreover, there are very few windows inside the main hall. Once inside, only a few rays of sunlight can be seen through the windows. Several ever-burning lamps and incense burners are hung inside, but it is still dim.

Xia originally wanted to go in.

But they were stopped by the embers.

Although Xia was curious, she obediently nodded and stole a glance at the old Taoist priest who was cleaning the Yuqing Temple. She found that he was also standing outside the hall, and the group watched as the old Taoist priest went in alone.

The old Celestial Master glanced at the statue, smiled gently, and then turned to walk towards the miniature replica of the Chaoyuan Painting in the main hall. Although it was miniature, it still occupied an entire wall, and despite some peeling paint, the painting remained intact.

Every stroke was drawn with cinnabar, and each stroke was a prayer in the heart of the Taoist priest who drew it.

There was once a child
Standing before another painting depicting the God of Literature, looking at the figures of Wenchang Dijun, Zhenwu Dadi, and other earth deities and water gods, he asked, "What exactly are you all?"

Now, recalling the questions I asked as a child, the old Celestial Master looks at the Chaoyuan painting before him, though it is not as good as the one in the Celestial Master's Mansion.

but.
What's the difference?

The old celestial master lowered his sleeves and looked at the immortals in the painting.

The highest virtue is like water, which is what the old Celestial Master realized several years ago when he looked at the Celestial Master's Mansion's Chaoyuan Map.

The military formation resembles water; water tends to flow downwards rather than up high ground, just as a military formation avoids the strong and attacks the weak.

When one person can change the course of fate, it's hard to say what the world will look like afterward.

The fate of the Great Xia Dynasty was forcibly changed by one person. It seemed to be that one person, but it was also due to the combined efforts of those around him who were influenced by that one person.

Indispensable.

It truly shows that human determination can overcome nature.

If so
The old Celestial Master looked at the Chaoyuan Map and smiled gently. In his childhood, adolescence, middle age, and old age, he had different doubts when looking at this map.

Looking back now, the old Celestial Master inexplicably asked, "If man can conquer nature, then what's the difference between you and us?"

After a slight smile, the old celestial master looked at the Wenchang Emperor, who was wearing a crown with tassels and holding a jade tablet, and said, "In the end, you are just things we created."

The words had just finished
Inside the capital, Su Chang'an, the Great-Grandmother, Yan Yunxiao, and the Old Sword Saint all froze, their expressions all turning to the location of Yuqing Temple.

However, the old master gave a wry smile, raised his hand and pressed down with one hand, then smiled bitterly: "It came as soon as I said it. It was just a few complaints from an old man, and your third level of inner demon trap came. I'm not going to help you, so why did it come?"

Having said that, the old master went to look at other parts of the picture.

"Senior brother." Ke Xia looked at Yu Jin because of the old master's strange behavior just now.

Yu Jin nodded slightly, his eyes filled with even more longing as he looked at the old master.

"In my youth, I lit a torch to pay homage to the heavens, still gazing upwards. In my old age, my shadow is cast in profile, as if I were among the immortals." The simply dressed old Taoist sweeping the floor at the door murmured softly.

The Celestial Master did not go to pay respects to the Three Pure Ones, but after looking at the Chaoyuan Map, he turned around and was about to leave.

Upon reaching the temple gate, the old Taoist priest bowed to the Celestial Master once more, saying, "Fellow Daoist Tongtian, it has been many years since we last met."

After returning the greeting, the old Celestial Master looked at the old Taoist priest and said, "Not many people know my arrogant Taoist name. And you are?"

In his youthful arrogance, the old Celestial Master descended the mountain to travel, but finding the name "Xianyang" lacking in imposing power, he instead proclaimed himself simply, "This humble Taoist's name is Tongtian!"

The old Taoist priest looked at the old Celestial Master and said, "Years ago at this Yuqing Temple, a young Taoist priest offended you fellow Taoists because of his evil intentions."

After thinking for a moment, the old celestial master looked at the old Taoist priest and said, "It's you."

The old Taoist priest bowed, but said nothing more.

The old master smiled and said, "If there is no evil, where does good come from? Yin and Yang coexist. I'm glad that the evil back then came to me, otherwise you wouldn't be the good person you are today."

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest pondered the words carefully and immediately bowed deeply.

It wasn't that the old master was boasting, but he was genuinely telling the old Taoist about this matter, and also telling the old Taoist that there was no need to dwell on it, as he had already forgotten about it.

But if he had truly forgotten, how could he bring it up so easily? He was simply pleased to see the old Taoist's current level of attainment.

Without saying much, the old celestial master led Yu Jin and Ke Xia away from Yuqing Temple.

With the old celestial master, this is considered as having paid homage to the local tyrant, hoping that no more bad luck will befall them.

However, as soon as she left Yuqing Temple, Xia looked at the old Taoist priest who had escorted her all the way to the steps to pay his respects and remained standing for a long time. She then turned to look at the old Celestial Master, hesitant to speak.

The old master saw through her and said with a smile, "Girl, tell me, should we forgive people who do evil deeds?"

Upon hearing this, Xia immediately said, "It depends on what kind of evil he did, and also whether he has done any good deeds to make amends."

The old master countered, "Can evil deeds be made up for?"

Ke Xia nodded: "Do more good deeds."

The old master asked with a smile, "What about the evil that has already happened?"

But Xia was about to speak when she realized she didn't know how to answer.

The old Celestial Master said, “It depends on what evil is, that’s right. It also depends on who this evil is directed at. When that fellow Daoist was young, he saw me dressed simply in coarse linen clothes and came to Yuqing Temple. He probably thought I was here to freeload. He also saw that I was very impolite to look at the Chaoyuan Map. He considered himself a Daoist of Yuqing Temple and spoke ill of me. He even drove me away in public.”

Yu Jin and Ke Xia suddenly realized why the old Taoist priest had apologized.

The old master continued, "What do you think of his evil?"

After thinking for a moment, Xia said, "It's harmless to others, but it's not good for you."

The old master said, "That's why I said it's fortunate that his evil was directed at me. If it were any other martial artist, do you think they would have attacked him directly? Besides, back then in the Great Xia Dynasty, killing was more common than it is now."

Ke Xia nodded immediately and said, "But if he is punished for doing evil, even if he is killed, I think it is deserved, after all, he did evil. However, it is good that he has realized his mistakes and corrected them after being forgiven by you."

The old master said, "No, it's not good or bad. And let me tell you, after he looked down on me, I stopped wearing straw sandals. He hurt me deeply."

Ke Xia chuckled.

The old master said, "So, his evil words made me change my ways. That is evil, whether it is a small evil or a big evil. Once it is done, it is done. Even a single word is wrong. No matter how good you do, it cannot make up for it. On the other hand, no matter how good you do, if you suddenly do something evil, you still cannot forgive his evil, because good and evil are not the same thing and cannot be compared."

Ke Xia nodded seriously, but after thinking for a moment, she asked, "But how could a kind person do evil?"

The old master laughed and said, "When you travel the world and meet more people, you will understand. What I'm telling you now is just empty talk; it's better to see for yourself."

Ke Xia nodded.

But the old master said with a smile, "However, I know someone who shows his evil side to others, but even so, his evil is still likable."

But Xia and Yu Jin couldn't understand it at all.

Ke Xia said, "Showing your evil side, and you're still likable?"

The old master said, “Yes, if goodness degenerates into extreme evil, then one can’t just show ordinary evil to others, can one?”

Xia didn't understand what it meant at all. She just looked at the old master and said, "I don't understand, but... but if you show evil to others and are still good, suppressing the evil in your heart, then what you reveal is goodness?"

The old master shook his head: "His goodness has changed, and if that goodness comes out, it will cause a big problem. People will die. Many people, including me, an old man, were almost killed."

Ke Xia and Yu Jin looked surprised.

……

"Ah!"

Inside the Lingqi Pavilion, the Empress sneezed.

But as soon as he finished speaking, he saw Xia Fengxiang looking at him, so he immediately said, "Don't think about me secretly, okay? Look, I just sneezed."

Xia Fengxiang raised his eyebrows and ignored the lunatic.

He didn't say anything about what happened between him and Qi Pei, but he came over and kept talking.

bother!
Seeing that Xia Fengxiang didn't react, Su Chang'an thought to himself, "This method was indeed correct! I'll do it again next time! And it can be used in many other places!"
But just as I was thinking this, Wu Dameng arrived.

She jogged into the courtyard and bowed to Su Chang'an, Xia Fengxiang, and Yan Yunxiao, who was specially in Lingqi Pavilion today.

Xia Fengxiang noticed that Wu Dameng had dark circles under her eyes and couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you sleep well?"

As he spoke, he gestured for Wu Dameng to come over.

Wu Dameng nodded, looking dejected, and said, "Last night I dreamed that I passed the imperial examination with top honors, and I was so scared that I woke up. I didn't dare to go back to sleep, afraid that I would pass the exam again."

……

PS: I fell asleep last night, so I didn't update. I'll make up for it with a longer chapter, which is the second update from yesterday.

Also, those who have subscribed can click on my author name; there's a "Great God's Light" feature there, so feel free to claim it.

(End of this chapter)