Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 16 Entering the Officialdom

"Disciple:
I believe that the prosperity of a nation depends on talented people; and the achievements of the descendants of hereditary ministers are crucial. Today, there is Duke Lü Yongji of Qi, who has long been loyal and diligent in the king's affairs, with outstanding achievements and numerous benevolent favors.

Lu Shang, the prince of the Duke of Qi, whose courtesy name was Feixiong, was a native of Jinan, Qi. He was of a prudent and upright character, with great talent and intelligence. As a descendant of a famous family, he deserved special favors.

I have been specially appointed to the position of Secretary, in charge of the affairs of the state's classics and books. You must be diligent and frugal, abide by the law, be honest and upright, fulfill your duties conscientiously, and strive to serve the public without betraying my grace. All salaries, rewards, and other benefits will be paid according to the regulations.

Oh, go and admire it!

I grant you this decree to show my grace and favor. I hope you will carry on the family legacy, serve the country loyally, and share my worries. I beseech you!

In the front hall of the Duke of Qi's mansion, before the incense table, the eunuch supervisor held the imperial edict in his hands. Lü Yongji and his son, Lü Shang, dressed in formal attire, knelt and listened. After the eunuch supervisor finished reading the edict, Lü Yongji and his son, Lü Shang, performed the ritual of kneeling three times and kowtowed nine times, expressing their gratitude.

"Hey, Supervisor, take care."

After thanking him, Lü Yongji smiled and quietly slipped an agate bead into the cuff of the eunuch's sleeve, then gently pinched his wrist. The eunuch, a seasoned official, naturally understood Lü Yongji's intentions and gave him a knowing smile.

The Nei Yezhe Jian was an eunuch whose status in the inner court was only below that of the Zhong Changshi. Although he was only an eighth-rank official, he was responsible for supervising the emperor's orders and conveying the imperial edicts to the ministers. He was a low-ranking official with great power, and officials of the fifth rank and above did not dare to disrespect him.

Even though Lü Yongji was the Duke of Qi, a relative of Emperor Yang Jian's maternal clan, he still dared not show any disrespect when facing the Eunuch Supervisor. After all, Lü Yongji had only achieved his current wealth and status by clinging to Yang Jian's thighs, so how could he disrespect the eunuchs around Emperor Yang Jian?

After the Inner Court Supervisor and the accompanying Inner Temple Master left, Lu Yongji finally breathed a sigh of relief. He hurried forward, picked up the imperial edict on the incense table, read its contents again, and finally nodded with satisfaction, saying, "Secretary of the Ministry of Secretaries, a seventh-rank official."

"Although the Secretariat isn't a lucrative position, it handles matters concerning the nation's classics and books. All books in the world must be proofread and corrected for errors, and their chapters must be rectified. It's a truly prestigious position. If Shang'er can make a difference, he might be among the highest officials in the future."

The so-called "Zhu Zi" is another name for officials of the fifth rank and above. The Northern Sui Dynasty had a regulation that officials of the fifth rank and above wore purple robes, and those below the fifth rank wore green robes. Although Lü Yongji held the title of Duke of Qi, his hopes for Lü Shang's future only stopped at an official position of the fifth rank and above.

Lü Shang took the imperial edict from Lü Yongji's hand and read its contents word by word. He froze at the last line, "Fei Xiong," and stared at the three characters, which seemed both familiar and unfamiliar. He murmured, "Father, when did you choose this courtesy name for me?"

Lu Shang, whose courtesy name is Feixiong!

These words were too eye-catching, and made Lu Shang feel a little confused. Lu Yongji actually gave Lu Shang such a courtesy name, and coupled with Lu Yongji's title of Duke of Qi, it was really hard for Lu Shang not to think too much.

After Lu Yongji waved his hand to signal the servants to put away the incense table, he said nonchalantly, "This courtesy name, when I was submitting my business card to the Ministry of Personnel, the official said that you would need a courtesy name after you enter the officialdom. I thought about it and thought about it, and I came up with Feixiong as your courtesy name."

"How about it? This courtesy name is pretty good, isn't it?" Lu Yongji said with a somewhat complacent smile, "Fei Xiong means soaring to fame and fortune. After my son enters the officialdom, he will surely have a prosperous career, a smooth career, and be respected in public and proud behind the scenes. So I named him Fei Xiong."

After a moment of silence, Lu Shang sighed, "It's really good."

------

Zhangtai Courtyard,

Inside the study, Lu Shang stood in front of the window in a daze, looking at the ancient bamboos and pines in the courtyard, the new pavilion on the willow creek, and the lotus pond on the moon platform. After a long time, he sighed deeply.

He still remembers that when he faced the test from the Taoist priest in Zhongnan Mountain, he vowed that he had no ambition for a career in politics. However, he never expected that in the end, he would not be able to escape from the world of fame and fortune.

It's not that Lu Shang doesn't want to hide, but he really can't hide. The cause and effect between Lu Shang and the Duke of Qi's Mansion is too heavy. Unless Lu Shang is filial to his parents and finally repays the grace of giving birth to him, otherwise, under the pressure of this cause and effect, Lu Shang's lifelong practice is destined to be ruined by these three disasters.

To cultivate the path to immortality in the world of Jambu, one must overcome the three calamities, and after being tempered by thunderstorms, fire, and windstorms, attain the true state of immortality. Without experiencing the three calamities, even the most powerful and capable of magic are still merely unorthodox practices, not the true path of the Great Yi Sect, and will ultimately be reduced to ashes.

Therefore, the great way of longevity is also called the extraordinary way. After practicing for 500 years, there will be a thunderstorm from the sky. You must see your true nature and enlighten your mind, and avoid it in advance. If you can avoid it, you will live as long as the sky. If you can't avoid it, you will die.

Five hundred years later, a fire descended from the sky. This fire was neither heavenly fire nor ordinary fire. It was called Yin Fire. It started from the Yongquan acupoint of the body and went straight through the Niyuan Palace. The five internal organs were reduced to ash and the limbs were rotten. All the thousand years of hard work were in vain.
Another five hundred years passed, and a sudden wind blew from heaven. This wind was not the east, south, west, or north wind, nor the gentle, fragrant, golden, or bamboo wind. It was called the "Bifeng" (Bifeng), which blew from the fontanelle into the six internal organs, passed through the dantian, penetrated the nine orifices, and dissolved the bones and flesh, causing the body to disintegrate.

After 1,500 years of hard practice and countless hardships, he escaped the three disasters and achieved immortality.

After the three disasters are over, one ascends to heaven in broad daylight, becoming a pure yang immortal, ascending to the Jade Emperor in heaven and descending to the Earth to meet Hou Tu, experiencing great freedom and ease. Unless one endures the 129,600-year catastrophe of the closure of heaven and earth and the reopening of chaos, one attains immortality, a body as long-lived as the heavens. Lü Shang turned and slowly stroked the green official uniform on the table. This uniform had been hastily produced and issued by the Secretariat after the Emperor issued an edict, along with a document directing Lü Shang to report to the Secretariat within three days to officially join the position.

"But, to be honest, this position is very suitable for me."

Although the Secretariat was a prestigious government office, Lü Shang became quite interested in it after truly understanding it. The Secretariat's duties did not involve military control or the administration of the people, but it was responsible for the compilation of texts, the proofreading of classics, and the collection of astronomical and calendar books.

It can be said that the Secretariat has the largest collection of books in the world. It is collecting books from all over the world every moment. Even the aristocratic families with a long history cannot say that they can compare with the Secretariat in terms of the number of books they have. This is the result of the efforts of several dynasties.

From the classics of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism to the theories of various schools of thought, all can be found in the Secretariat. This is the most precious heritage of the Secretariat.

Compared with the precious classics collected by the Secretariat, the Taoist manuscripts that Lu Shang had spent a huge amount of money to obtain over the years were simply not worth mentioning.

"Perhaps, I can find the cultivation path for the Twelve Chapters of the Golden Flower Secret in the Secretariat's collection. If even the Secretariat's collection cannot help me understand the meaning of the scriptures, then I really can't think of anywhere else in this world that can answer my questions and resolve my doubts."

Thinking this, Lu Shang took off his casual clothes, changed into his green official uniform, and strode out of the study.

Thinking of the treasures from all over the world gathered in the Secretariat, Lu Shang's heart was burning with excitement. He couldn't wait to take up his post and see how rich the Secretariat's collection was.

Outside the courtyard, the household official Lü Quan had been waiting for Lü Shang for a long time. Upon seeing Lü Shang, he stepped forward and said, "Sir, the carriages and horses are ready outside the palace. You can enter the imperial city and take up your post at the Secretariat at any time."

Lu Shang responded directly: "Let's go now."

"Yes,"

Banzhengfang, where the Duke of Qi's residence was located, was very close to the Imperial City, where the Secretariat was located. Or rather, the Lifang (inner quarters) surrounding the Imperial City were primarily the residences of the royal family and high-ranking officials; ordinary people were simply not eligible to live in these Lifangs.

Lu Shang left the house and got on the carriage, which was driven by a driver. The driver's driving skills were relatively steady. Lu Shang sat in the carriage and basically didn't feel any unusual movements. He left the Banzheng Square and after another two or three quarters of an hour, he arrived at the Suzaku Gate of the imperial city.

There were many guards at the Suzaku Gate, and the gatekeepers were in charge of opening and closing it, and every time it was their turn, they were all on full alert.

There were also Imperial Guards, armored and armed, stationed at the gates to monitor people coming in and out, as well as their carriages and belongings. Above them was the Gate Supervisor, who supervised the guards and, if anything seemed unforeseen, would raise a warning. They patrolled the Imperial City tirelessly day and night.

"Suzaku Gate!"

After getting off the carriage, Lu Shang looked thoughtfully at the three large characters "Suzaku Gate" inlaid on the top of the city gate. This was not his first time entering the imperial city. In the past, the palace had held grand banquets to entertain royal relatives, and Lu Yongji and Lu Shang, who were relatives from Yang Jian's mother's family, had also been invited to the palace.

Therefore, Lü Shang was no stranger to the Imperial City, and even to the Daxing Palace at its core. However, this time, while entering the Imperial City, for some reason, Lü Shang felt a simmering fire, hovering above the Suzaku Gate, hidden and unspoken.

If Lu Shang did not have the Gonggong divine vein and the physical body of a real person with keen senses, ordinary practitioners would never be able to detect the abnormality of the Suzaku Sect.

"Is this the foundation of the Sui Dynasty?" Feeling the destructive aura hidden behind the fire, which was faintly similar to the Nanming Fire in the Great Wilderness of Mountains and Seas, Lu Shang nodded secretly.

As a descendant of Gonggong, Lu Shang has a natural sense of smell for various divine fires. The smell of this fire is indeed very similar to the Nanming Lihuo. If it really has the magic of the Nanming Lihuo, then the Suzaku Sect would be a bit scary.

And this is just one of the seven gates of the imperial city. If the other six gates are like the Vermillion Bird Gate, with other magical features, then the Sui Dynasty would be extremely powerful. If all seven gates are fully opened, it might be possible to kill the immortals.

Of course, this is just Lu Shang's conjecture. He has only achieved the true immortal way of the Great Wilderness, and is still far from the true top existence of the Great Wilderness of Mountains and Seas.

Our understanding of the immortal Pure Yang gods who survived the three disasters in the world of Jambudvīpa is limited to the fragments we have learned from Taoist scriptures.

It is difficult to guess what kind of magical powers the Pure Yang Immortal has. We can only guess that the fruit of the Pure Yang Immortal should be similar to that of the righteous gods in the mountains and seas. After all, both of them are the fruits of immortality.

The righteous gods of the mountains, seas and wilderness have the ability to control the laws of heaven and earth, and the power to burn mountains and boil seas. What kind of abilities can the pure yang immortals of the world of Yamafu do is beyond Lu Shang's imagination.

(End of this chapter)