Ancestors, please don't crawl out again.

Chapter 112 Cultivating Immortality, Dear?
The Liang emperor's plan to mobilize troops from various regions to quell the demons in Guanzhong ended as soon as it began.

Nobody's paying any attention to them!
Those warlords who carved out their own territories weren't stupid.

Li Keyong, Liu Rengong, Wang Rong, and Wang Chuzhi—each a powerful figure in their own right—all fell before the Grand Preceptor, utterly powerless to retaliate. The Grand Preceptor's terror was unparalleled. He did indeed vow to annihilate all the regional warlords, but the problem was that those in the south didn't currently need to confront him; with Zhu Wen blocking their path, everyone else could simply watch from behind.

If Zhu Wen cannot stop him...

We'll talk about it later!

Ultimately, there is no possibility that they could unite.

Moreover, Zhu Wen harbored treacherous intentions. Once these regional warlords launched their attacks, they would undoubtedly become cannon fodder. Zhu Wen had already suffered heavy losses in Hedong and didn't want his own forces to continue losing, or at least not just his side. Therefore, based on the principle of sharing both good and bad fortune, he used the pretext of the Grand Tutor's plan to eliminate the regional warlords—a reason that all the warlords feared—to coax them into taking the brunt of the damage for him. This way, if they failed, the losses would fall on the other side; if they won, it would weaken these warlords, and then they could learn from the Jin dynasty's strategy of replenishing the south after losing the north.

I understand!

We're all ancient foxes, what kind of ghost story are you trying to tell us?

Now that you're facing the Imperial Advisor, you'll have to bear the damage yourself.

As for us, we'll just cheer you on from behind.

There were even those who weren't willing to cheer or wave flags...

He was the Grand Minister of Works, Chancellor, and concurrently the Chancellor of the Imperial Secretariat. He was also the Military Governor of Jiannan Xichuan and the Prefect of Chengdu. The Prince of Shu sent his heir to the capital.

Wang Jian ultimately chose to kneel.

The Imperial Preceptor's Palace.

It is actually Zongsheng Palace.

Yang Feng did not reside in Chang'an. Although Chang'an had recovered somewhat during this period—for example, the ruins and overgrown weeds of the imperial palace had finally been cleared—the palace itself had not yet been rebuilt. The regent court, led by Li Daoxuan, had no immediate interest in repairing the palace, given the large influx of people into the city. The construction of housing for the Tang soldiers and their families brought by Yang Feng alone would be a considerable undertaking.

There was also the clearing of the ruins within the city and the restoration of the surrounding barren farmland and irrigation facilities.

All of these are more important than building the palace.

Besides, open-air morning assemblies are quite nice.

It can also serve as a constant reminder to them, letting them know that the Tang Dynasty is still in peril.

Qin Qiong and others led the Tang army to continuously suppress bandits in various parts of Guanzhong, then restored order and rebuilt the local militia. Faced with squads of heavily armored, elite Tang soldiers wielding long-handled swords, the bandits and thieves in Guanzhong quickly disappeared, and people no longer locked their doors at night or picked up lost items on the road.

After all, those who dare not disappear without a trace have essentially disappeared physically.

Currently, the Tang Dynasty's control over the Guanzhong Plain roughly extends from the Jing River in the east to Xiaoguan Pass in the west, encompassing most of the Guanzhong Plain. However, Li Jihui still occupies Binzhou, Hu Jingzhang still occupies Fuzhou, and Liu Zhijun still occupies Tongzhou and Huazhou. It's not that they don't want to surrender; they do. These past few days, they have been constantly testing the waters through Li Maozhen to see if they can abandon their allegiance to the Tang.

But their surrender was contingent on their death.

The court's demands were quite clear: these military governors must commit suicide, and their subordinates, military commanders, and prefectural governors must all commit suicide as well.

But they don't want to die yet.

The imperial court didn't have time to deal with them for the time being, so they just stayed in this stalemate.

However, they dared not come out to harass them.

In fact, Liu Zhijun did not dare to obstruct the flow of people and goods between Hezhong and Chang'an.

The salt in Chang'an has been restored to the salt lake.

After the Imperial Preceptor's northern tour resolved the issues of the four towns in Hebei, these four towns can now be connected to the imperial court via Hedong. Only Tonghua and two other prefectures remain in between. Liu Zhijun, of course, knows that if he doesn't act properly, then the Tang Dynasty should help him to act properly.

As for the area west of Xiaoguan, it was Qinzhou Jiedushi Li Jichong, Li Maozhen's nephew. He had actually surrendered to the court, but the court hadn't sent anyone to take over, so he still held the title of Jiedushi. Although the court had abolished the Jiedushi system, the Jiedushi titles still existed until a new official took over, and that was the situation in his area. Further west were Han Xun, the Shuofang Jiedushi of Zhu Wen's system, and Li Sijian, the Dingnan Jun Jiedushi. In reality, they divided Ningxia between them, but Li Sijian also controlled northern Shaanxi, while Li Jihui and Hu Jingzhang controlled the south, and Han Xun also controlled Yanzhou.

That is, salt ponds.

Han Xun didn't have any grand ambitions. His main concern was dealing with the Tibetan Empire. He only controlled the Ling and Yan prefectures. He didn't want to surrender to the court for the time being, since the court was still far away from him.

Further west were the Tibetan and Ganzhou Uyghur territories.

The Guiyi Army was blocked to the west by the Ganzhou Uyghurs.

Historically, the Ganzhou Uyghurs would have quickly submitted to Zhu Wen and paid tribute, while the Guiyi Army would have established itself as a separate state and fought against the Ganzhou Uyghurs. However, the Guiyi Army was defeated, and the Hexi Corridor was completely controlled by the Ganzhou Uyghurs. The Guiyi Army was left with only the two prefectures of Guazhou and Shazhou, and even submitted to the Ganzhou Uyghurs.

Then came the rise of the Western Xia.

Everyone's doomed.

However, this situation was about to end, as Li Siye, the military commander of the Longyou Road, was already assembling his western expeditionary force. He would then lead the Tang army back to the Western Regions. At the very least, the first step was to open up the Hexi Corridor and establish contact with the Guiyi Army. Li Siye was now focused entirely on preparing for his western expedition, disregarding everything else.

On Louguantai, the Imperial Preceptor stood with his hands behind his back, facing the Guanzhong Plain, exuding an air of otherworldly arrogance amidst the turbid world.

Is Wang Jian truly ill or faking it?

He said.

Wang Jian didn't actually kneel completely.

Because the imperial edict required him to come to court, but he said he was ill and therefore could not come to court for the time being. He then sent his son, Wang Zongyi, to come to court in his place to explain to the regent. Of course, he also knew that the regent was not the one who had the final say, so he also sent his confidant, Du Guangting, who was also Wang Zongyi's teacher, to pay homage to the regent and explain to him.

Du Guangting was a Taoist practitioner.

He not only practices Taoism, but is also currently the most famous person in the Tang Dynasty.

He was practically a Taoist leader at the end of the Tang Dynasty, and he had been famous for a long time; he was already wearing purple robes during the reign of Emperor Xi of Tang.

"This disciple dares not deceive the Imperial Preceptor; the King of Shu is indeed ill."

The King of Shu was initially hesitant, but one day after drinking, he suddenly suffered a stroke and became bedridden, though his life was not in danger.

Du Guangting said cautiously.

"understood!"

Yang Feng said.

That wasn't a sudden stroke; it was a stroke caused by something else.

Wang Jian clearly still couldn't let go of his imperial ambitions, but if he acted recklessly, his subordinates couldn't follow suit. Once he declared himself emperor, his subordinates would all be traitors. If he didn't declare himself emperor, even if he refused to go to court, it would at most be considered disobeying an imperial edict.

We'll see how things go then. If the court really launches a campaign, we'll welcome the imperial army; if not, we'll just continue living our lives as usual.

In reality, what his subordinates liked most was just loafing around.

But once he became emperor, he had no room to maneuver.

Either follow him and become a rebel.

Either break ties with him.

Those who are stationed in the countryside can break ties, but those in Chengdu, no matter how they break ties, will be torn apart by him.

Therefore, he couldn't be allowed to do anything foolish. This was easy to resolve; it was nothing more than a military coup. Such events were standard procedure during the Five Dynasties period. His trusted subordinates had already discussed it and, with soldiers, would choose a time to storm him. First, they would subdue him, then lock him up in his residence, claiming he had suffered a stroke and needed bed rest, but that his health wasn't seriously compromised, just that he needed rest. Then, they would send the crown prince to court to explain, and the rest would depend on the court. After all, Sichuan, or rather the Shu region, was originally the Tang Dynasty emperor's backyard. Twenty years ago, Emperor Xizong of Tang was hiding there. Wang Jian's core forces were originally the Imperial Guards; he was Tian Lingzi's adopted son and a general of the Shence Army. These people wouldn't follow him in his recklessness.

If the Tang Dynasty were gone, there would be nothing wrong with him becoming emperor, and everyone would enjoy wealth and honor with him. But now that the Tang Dynasty still exists and is so strong, it would be ridiculous for him to become emperor again.

The abolition of the military governorship is nothing.

Even if the military governorship of Jiannan Xichuan were abolished, those civil and military officials would still hold their positions. As long as they remained Tang subjects, the Tang court would not abandon them. Moreover, many of them were still loyal to the Li family. When Emperor Xizong fled to Chengdu, a large number of them followed him but never returned. Du Guangting was one of those who accompanied the emperor back then!

He lay prone on the ground, cautiously watching the Imperial Preceptor. He had already witnessed the Imperial Preceptor's miracles; in fact, the Imperial Preceptor had just cleaved open a spatial rift, allowing him to leap from Chang'an to here in a single step.

A true miracle.

He had cultivated Taoism for decades without ever seeing a deity, but today he finally met a true immortal.

"Since he is ill, let him recover first! The court will reappoint the Prefect of Chengdu and the Prefect of Xingyuan. Other civil and military officials will remain in their posts. The military governors of Jiannan, Xichuan, and Dongchuan should be dismissed. However, the court is currently busy, and there are no major enemies in Shu for the time being, so let's keep them for now and deal with Zhu Wen after some time has passed."

As for his son, he stayed in Chang'an to serve as an official.

If he feels better one day and can walk again, he should go to court himself, and the court will send someone to replace him.

Yang Feng said.

Sichuan doesn't need to be treated the same way it was with the three towns of Hebei.

After all, Sichuan hadn't been plagued by rebellions for over a hundred years, so there was no need for bloody suppression.

"The Imperial Advisor is wise."

Du Guangting said excitedly.

This is the best outcome they could have wanted!
"But you still have things to do."

Yang Feng said.

"Please give your orders, Imperial Advisor."

Du Guangting quickly said.

"Since you are a cultivator, what results have you achieved?"

Yang Feng said.

“This disciple is ashamed. I have cultivated the Dao all my life, yet I have never comprehended the Great Dao. As for what I have done in Shu, it is nothing but useless things. I used to be quite proud of it, but today, after seeing the National Preceptor’s immortal methods, I realize how laughable I was.”

Du Guangting said honestly.

"It's best if you understand this. In reality, with your current level of cultivation, it's impossible to become an immortal. You don't understand what true cultivation is at all. If drawing talismans and consuming elixirs could make you an immortal, then immortality would be worthless. Since ancient times, those who truly became immortals all achieved it through merit. When one's merit reaches a certain level, one naturally becomes an immortal. Saving the world and helping the people, upholding justice, and educating the people—that is true cultivation. What you cultivate is nothing more than mortals who don't understand the Way of Heaven, fantasizing about seeking luck, just like an old farmer fantasizing about an emperor carrying water with a golden carrying pole. Taking elixirs and thinking you can become an immortal is a joke. You'll actually be poisoned to death by those elixirs. On the other hand, if you can heal the sick in the world with medicine, that merit will be enough to ascend to the immortal realm."

Moreover, the living cannot become immortals.

You must first understand what an immortal is; only those who shed their imperfections can be considered immortals.

Immortals are spirits!

Fantasizing about achieving immortality in the physical body is nothing but a mirage, forever unattainable.

As for my physical body, it's only temporary.

The mortal body is ultimately subject to birth, aging, sickness, and death. Without breaking free from these shackles, the path to immortality is unattainable. But the soul is immortal. Once one attains immortality, one can roam the heavens above and befriend all things below, living eternally and becoming immortal alongside heaven and earth.

Yang Feng adopted the demeanor of a sage master and began to lecture the old Taoist priest who looked to be over fifty years old.

However, he should not be considered a Taoist priest yet, but only a Taoist practitioner. It was not until more than ten years later that he went into seclusion in Qingcheng Mountain and truly became a Taoist priest.

"This disciple thanks the National Preceptor for his teachings, and wishes to continue to follow him and receive further instruction."

Du Guangting said excitedly.

Little did he know that the guy was just spouting nonsense.

"There's no need for that. You won't become an immortal even if you follow me. I've made it very clear: you'll naturally become an immortal when you accumulate enough merit. You have to earn your own merit. I happen to have something to entrust to you. If you do this well, you'll naturally accumulate great merit."

Yang Feng said.

Good deeds!
Killing enemies for one's country is also a meritorious act.

Benefiting the people is also a meritorious act.

If you want to become an immortal, you should work hard to accumulate merit. After all, living people cannot become immortals; only the dead can. But whether one becomes an immortal after death is something no one can prove or disprove.

The most important thing about this is that your theory cannot be falsified.

Therefore, masters are more popular.

After all, there have been numerous instances where Taoist priests' consumption of elixirs has been proven false, and emperors are not all fools. However, the theories of the masters cannot be disproven, as they can only be realized after their deaths.

"Please give your instructions, Imperial Preceptor."

Du Guangting quickly said.

Yang Feng took out a book whose cover prominently displayed the words "Imperial Edict".

And it's also quite thick.

This is the thing from the late Ming Dynasty. It was originally a complete system, from ideology and morality to industry and agriculture, and even the political system. It was created by that so-called god, including a complete mythological system. This guy must have created countless timelines, after all, he killed billions of people, and then summarized it into a very comprehensive system.

His ideas were actually a bit too extreme in the late Ming Dynasty.

But he said it was no problem.

But it was just right for the late Tang Dynasty.

"This is what I obtained from the Jade Emperor during my descent to the mortal realm, intending to use it to enlighten the people. However, I do not have time to do these things, so I entrust it to you. Take this imperial edict back to Sichuan first, and do as you please, whether you carve it into print or copy it. Then, use it to spread the message to various places along the river."

If you can use this to enlighten the world, then this merit will be enough to elevate you to the ranks of immortals.

Yang Feng said.

As he spoke, he handed the imperial edict to Du Guangting.

The latter knelt on the ground, raising his trembling hands to receive it.

"This disciple will dedicate his life to transmitting this great Dao to the National Preceptor."

He said.

"Go!"

Yang Feng said with satisfaction.

Then he directly cleaved open a spatial rift.

Across the street was a bustling street.

Chengdu.

Du Guangting took a deep breath while holding the imperial edict and said.

"You don't need to worry about the affairs of the court anymore. Just tell Wang Jian what I said. Tell him that I gave him a chance this time. I also gave Li Keyong a chance, but he didn't seize it. Now I'm giving him a chance again. Let's see if he can seize it."

Yang Feng said.

Du Guangting quickly bowed and took his leave, then carefully crossed the spatial rift and returned directly to the streets of Chengdu.

(End of this chapter)