When Hunjun begins to make elixirs

"Cousin, why are you distracted? Are you thinking about that young talent?"

Li Shun ate the grapes that a concubine brought to his mouth, glanced at Li Luoyi who was a little dazed, and spoke calmly.

Li Luoyi came back to his senses and showed a standard fake smile: "Your Majesty, please don't make fun of me. I was thinking about the auspicious sign that I selected those talents from the royal family to present to Your Majesty recently."

Li Shun said in an interested tone, "What kind of auspicious sign has come to the world?"

The word "again" is very subtle. The appearance of Li Luoyi seemed to have aroused Li Shun's love for the royal family. At her request, she recommended and appointed several royal family members, and then selected them several times in succession.

If there is one person who hates Li Shun the most, it is the royal family members who were deprived of their privileges by him. When Li Shun extended an olive branch again, many people resisted, believing that the emperor realized the importance of the royal family, so they had to raise their status to show the emperor that they were not people who could be summoned and dismissed at will.

Who gave them the courage? Of course, it was the appearance of Taizu.

They and Li Shun were all descendants of Taizu, and Dayin was founded by Taizu. If Taizu wanted to restore his throne, then Li Shun's legitimacy would inevitably be questioned. They believed that Li Shun's show of goodwill at this time was nothing more than an attempt to win them over and fight against Taizu.

They waited and waited, but there was no response from Li Shun, so some people began to test the waters through various channels.

At that time, Li Shun was also fishing for a chance to win. Did he give him a cold shoulder? Didn't he know that thunder and rain were grace from heaven? He looked at the memorials submitted by some officials under him, asked indirectly about the authenticity of the will, and silently put those officials on the blacklist.

If they can't even communicate with him, what qualifications do they have to be his subjects? They still want to curry favor with him and be a double-dealer! If the will to recruit the royal family is true, won't they collude with him and seek a future for themselves?

When Chief Minister Ding Ao learned about this, he could only sigh helplessly. Are these foolish people really unaware of the unpredictable nature of the emperor's heart? At such a sensitive moment, there was no time to hide from the royal family's affairs, but someone actually came forward!

The clan members did not get the answers they wanted, and the officials who helped them to make the memorial were demoted or dismissed for various reasons soon after. They panicked. The hearts that were originally restless because of the appearance of Taizu suddenly cooled to the bottom, and even questioned the authenticity of the news.
Taizu had never expected that he would offend the emperor again. How could he live like this in the future?

One month after Li Shun issued the decree to recruit the royal family, the royal family's hearts were like grilled meat sizzling on a hot iron plate, suffering. Then, Li Luoyi appeared, bringing Li Shun's kindness and sending warm spring to the royal family.

There were voices in the court and the public questioning Li Shun's frequent changes of orders, and some people even accused him of violating the ancestral rule that royal family members were not allowed to serve as officials in the court.

Li Shun just said half-statement, half-threat, "So, should I still support them? When I abolished the royal family's treatment, you said I violated the ancestral system. Now I am summoning the royal family to the court, and you still say I violated the ancestral system. If not, how about I restore the system of support?"

Once these words were spoken, all rumors were cleared up, because they had long discovered that not having to support the royal family was really good.

Li Luoyi's arrival also reassured the royal family. Like the royal family, she thought she had figured out Li Shun's psychology, so she began her own plan. The royal family entered the court, gradually rising from idle positions to important positions. At first, they were very dedicated and fulfilled Li Shun's orders 100%. However, they soon became selfish, deceiving their superiors, doing things perfunctorily, and repeatedly reporting auspicious signs to please the emperor. They oppressed the people, bullied the common people, and even threatened and blackmailed their colleagues, causing complaints from both the court and the public.

Li Shun turned a blind eye to all this, because this was the effect he wanted. Those clan members seemed to be trying to discredit him, but as long as they turned their guns, they could throw the dirty water on Taizu. He was waiting for Taizu to appear.

"Cousin, thanks to you for pacifying the royal family, I can rest easy. You have made great contributions, but you refuse to accept the reward. I feel uneasy."

"I am a subject waiting for punishment, so I dare not talk about my merits."

"Cousin, please stop saying such things. I feel deeply guilty. I did not think properly when I cancelled the royal family's treatment, and my subordinates acted too hastily. However, we cannot not make changes. If we do not make changes, the country will perish. Don't worry, when the country is on the right track, I will compensate the royal family."

Concubine Li listened to Li Shunyan's insincere words, with her mouth corners turned down, trying her best to hold back her laughter.

Li Luoyi actually believed his lies and took the opportunity to ask: "The widows and orphans of the emperor's brothers are still imprisoned in the clan residence. I wonder if they can be released to show the emperor's benevolence?"

Li Shun was slightly stunned: "It's still closed?"

He had indeed forgotten that after the death of his unfortunate brothers, their wives, concubines and children were all escorted to Beijing. The Imperial Clan Court and other government offices wrote to ask for instructions on how to deal with the situation. Li Shun wrote four words "apply according to the law" and left it alone. Later, when the Shenmu Rebellion broke out, military affairs were more important than anything else, so he stopped paying attention to these things. Unexpectedly, after so many years, they were still alive. No, they had not been released.

Suddenly, Li Shun's expression changed, his eyes narrowed, and he stared at Li Luoyi dangerously: "You want me to let them go, so that they can continue to rebel against me?"

Li Luo felt as if she had fallen into an icy cave. She didn't understand why Li Shun, who was so cheerful just now, suddenly changed his expression and spoke in a cold tone that made people tremble. Seeing her frightened and embarrassed, Li Shun put on a smile and said, "I was joking. My brothers were also bewitched by the traitors. Their orphans are also royal blood, and I will definitely treat them well. Let the clan office explain the specific situation, observe their words and deeds, and then make a decision."

Li Luoyi quickly said yes, praising the emperor for his wisdom, and then hurriedly took his leave.

After she left, Concubine Li joked, "Your Majesty just frightened her. My legs felt weak when I saw her getting up."

Li Shun sneered, "These evil people treat me like a fool. If I keep giving in, it will make them suspicious. If I refuse appropriately and then agree, they will believe that I am really confused."

Concubine Li also smiled: "I heard that the emperor and her had a very harmonious relationship in the past, and they had a deep friendship. How did it come to this point where they were scheming against each other?"

Li Shun said: "People will change."

During the Wanshou Festival, the people of Beijing held grand gatherings in the streets and alleys. A variety of delicacies and fine wines were brought in from the south by train. Opera, acrobatics, and magicians from all over the country set up their stages, each showing off their unique skills for the public to appreciate and comment on.

This is some compensation that Li Shun gave to the people. In his plan, after the recuperation period ends this year, the empire will gradually turn around, and the government and the people will implement strict control, and the whole country will work hard to develop military industry and consolidate national defense. At the same time, envoys will be sent to many tributary countries to investigate and supervise the government and civilian cultivation forces of each country, and then troops will be stationed there to make them the first line of defense against the Jiaya Immortal Kingdom.

According to the secret information sent back by the undercover agent of Jiaya Fairyland, they have turned their attention to the strait and started exploring inside.

The actual situation is developing faster than expected. If the vassal states do not obey the control, they will become the battlefield for testing the new weapons of the Great Yin Empire.

At night, Li Shun, Ding Ao, Zhang Tingnian and other ministers feasted until late at night, and the emperor and his ministers enjoyed themselves together.

"Your Majesty, I wish you a long life!"

Li Shun accepted it with relief and drank the contents of the cup in one gulp: "You ministers have assisted me in suppressing the rebellion and rebuilding Dayin. You have made great contributions. However, our real test is about to come."

Most of the information he knew had already been disclosed to Ding Ao and other trusted ministers, who had created secret files. They then selected the intelligence that could be used and carried out targeted propaganda to the public. When it came to manipulating public opinion and thoughts, no one was more suitable than this group of scholars.

Ding Ao and others said: "Your Majesty, rest assured that we will carry out your will and make the human race great again."

Zhang Tingnian lowered his head in deep thought, and suddenly said, "I have something to say, but I don't know whether I should say it or not."

Li Shun said: "You can say it anyway."

Zhang Tingnian lowered his eyebrows and said, "Seeing something once is worse than saying it a thousand times. No matter how much the ministers say to the people, they will only be skeptical. After a long time, some people will inevitably be unable to bear the control of the court. If instigated by someone with ulterior motives, it will hinder your majesty's great cause. It is still unknown when the Jiaya Immortal Kingdom will invade. We can wait for a year, we can also wait for ten years, but what about twenty or thirty years? The people will inevitably become lazy and even underestimate the enemy."

Li Shun thought, "Yes, this is what I am worried about. I keep saying there are enemies, but I don't see any. Not to mention the common people, even some officials in the court will question it. Does the Imperial Master want me to artificially create some enemies?"

Zhang Tingnian shook his head: "Lies will eventually be exposed. Once exposed, it will greatly reduce the prestige of the court. What I mean is that the previous alliance agreement between Your Majesty and the local cultivators of Dayin was too lenient, so that many cultivators are now just afraid of the court's military force. They obey on the surface, but are secretly ready to make moves. Because they will not give up their desire for immortality. If this contradiction cannot be resolved, they will always be a hidden danger."

Li Shun smiled evilly and said, "So I just need to ask them to further express their stance and say that they must stand completely on Dayin's side. Then they will be unable to bear it and will rebel, and naturally become our enemies. Tingnian, I didn't expect you to have such...interesting thoughts. I know that you sorcerers think that I am a little whimsical and want to unite the immortal cultivators. I also know that people with different philosophies cannot work together. However, how to do something is one thing, and the attitude expressed is another."

"I am the ruler of the world, not only the emperor of mortals, but also the emperor of sorcerers, and in the future I will be the emperor of immortals. I am always just. I will give them a chance. If they don't cherish it, they will know what despair is. This is feasible, but it cannot be done immediately. I am not stupid enough to believe that I can gain loyalty and peace by erecting a monument. Their every move is under my control. Let's prepare for it first and wait for the time when we need it. Dayin needs stable development."

Zhang Tingnian understood what Li Shun meant and stopped talking.

After the banquet, when Li Shun was on his way back to his bedroom, a loud bang echoed throughout the palace.

"What is this location?"

"Taimiao!" (End of this chapter)