Mang Shusheng's Ink Painting Practice

Chapter 149 The Rise of the Eunuch Party

Zhao Yifu had no psychological burden about the possible emergence of the eunuch party, and did not feel at all that he was causing trouble for his master.

There was no way. Since the emperor regarded him as a friend, he had to stand on the other party's side and consider the other party.

From the emperor's point of view, a handy eunuch party is absolutely necessary, because the eunuch party is an extension of imperial power, and the emperor is essentially the real leader of the eunuch party.

But Zhao Yifu obviously thought things were too simple.

When he was about to walk out of the prison cell mountain, he was visited by the leader Qiu Yuzi one night.

"Master, why are you here?"

He said hello.

Qiu Yuzi's Yang Shen stood there with his hands behind his back, looking at Zhao Yi Fu and rubbing his brows helplessly.

Even the Yang God had his brows tightly furrowed, appearing very troubled.

He looked at Zhao Yifu and said, "Did you say anything strange to His Majesty?"

Zhao Yifu was stunned for a moment, then he said: "No..."

He saw Qiu Yuzi's stern expression and immediately shrank his head and said, "Give me a hint. I've talked to him about a lot of things these days."

He had no doubt why Qiu Yuzi knew all this. After all, it was almost impossible to hide it from Yangshen Zhenren.

Qiu Yuzi said helplessly, "The emperor recently promoted several people related to eunuchs. Although they are not important positions, the signal they convey is very bad..."

After hearing this, Zhao Yifu touched his nose guiltily.

Qiu Yuzi said angrily, "You did this, didn't you? I helped you connect, not to let you lead the emperor astray, but to give you the confidence to support our reform!"

Zhao Yifu was slightly taken aback after hearing this, then said helplessly, "I knew it. How could Ying Cong obtain another scroll of 'A Thousand Miles of Smoke and Clouds' not long after I did? It turns out that the Sect Master deliberately arranged it."

Qiu Yuzi nodded and said, "You're right. Although Ying Cong has always firmly supported our reforms, he, like the Daojun Emperor a hundred years ago, never expected to become emperor. Without anyone he trusts, he feels very lonely."

"I see you're lively and active, and you've just got another copy of 'A Thousand Miles of Smoke and Clouds,' so I thought I'd take this opportunity to get you acquainted with him, and help him relieve some of the pressure he's feeling."

Zhao Yifu: ...

It turns out that he is just a tool for chatting.

He said with a hint of meaning, "Then you, Sect Leader, must hide well. Don't let the Emperor know that you arranged this on purpose, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous."

"Of course." Qiu Yuzi nodded in response, then said sternly, "Don't change the subject. You haven't explained why you're leading the emperor down a wrong path!"

Zhao Yifu asked curiously, "Why do you say supporting the eunuch party is a wrong path?"

Qiu Yuzi asked, "Since ancient times, how many eunuchs have been good? Which one hasn't brought disaster to the country and the people?"

Zhao Yifu said, "So they need to be watched by the headmaster and the elders. They need to be careful and behave themselves so that they don't dare to do anything excessive."

Qiu Yuzi shook her head helplessly and said, "I understand what you mean. You want the eunuch party to be the emperor's confidants, so that the emperor has the opportunity to implement his will..."

"But this will only make things worse!"

Zhao Yifu blinked and said, "Yes, the emperor might want to take power himself."

"But since we know everything, can't we guide these things in a positive direction?"

Qiu Yuzi thought about it for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Are you trying to divert the hostile gaze of the nobles away from us and towards the eunuchs?"

Zhao Yifu nodded and said, "There are no eunuchs around the emperor. People will only think that all the decisions of the court are made by the ministers."

"But if the eunuch party exists, it will be different. They will think that the emperor's decision was completely bewitched by the eunuch party."

"Besides, this is originally a conflict between the royal family and the literati. Why should we, the Danqing Sect, intervene and bear the pressure?"

When Qiu Yuzi heard the analysis from this perspective, she was quite surprised.

He said, "Fu Yinzi, your idea is quite good... but it's not enough. Cultivators like me seek clarity of mind and will not be shaken by even the slightest pressure."

Although his tone was still stern, it was obviously more relaxed.

Zhao Yifu rolled his eyes and thought, this is a good idea, so he quickly continued to write...

He now regretted giving Ying Cong such a bad idea. If he had known that asking Ying Cong to find some reliable people would cause him to be questioned by the big boss, he would rather not have done it.

But the incident has already happened, so he has to try his best to make it go away.

So he rolled his eyes, and then rolled them again...

Qiu Yuzi laughed dumbly at this and said, "Think carefully about your excuse. If it makes sense, I won't punish you."

This Yang God seemed to be able to see through Zhao Yifu's thoughts, and he felt a huge sense of oppression at this moment.

Zhao Yifu was a little nervous and immediately knew that he had to come up with some different reasons this time.

Under pressure, he thought of the time when the five of them discussed benevolence, and of Qiu Yuzi's view that 'benevolence is the way'...

He already has an idea.

Then he said: "I think the eunuch party can actually be used as a sharp knife to reform the court and even the local areas!"

"Although we are not afraid of offending anyone, our identities ultimately represent the interests of the aristocratic class, and there are many things we cannot truly do."

"But the eunuch party is different. We can use the eunuch party to carry out a major reshuffle of the scholar-official class."

"Originally, this would inevitably lead to political unrest and even national instability, but aren't there our predecessors holding us back?"

"When all the corruption among the literati is eliminated..."

Qiu Yuzi seemed to have realized something and said, "That makes sense. Next, we should clean up the mess and then wipe out the eunuch party?"

"But by then the eunuch party must have become very powerful, so it wouldn't be that easy to accomplish."

Seeing his rhetoric working, Zhao Yifu offered another perspective: "Master, our Danqing Sect is now deeply involved in the politics of the Great Xu Dynasty. However, we are ultimately a sect of cultivators. We can cultivate in the world, but we must eventually leave it. How will we end up then?"

"The affairs of the mortal world must be returned to the mortals themselves."

Qiu Yuzi understood something instantly after hearing this.

He said, "Good boy, you want us to be liquidated by the eunuch party as well!"

Zhao Yifu chuckled and said, "This is what I think. If we really wait until that time, the eunuch party will definitely be too powerful to be eliminated, and the successors trained by the predecessors should have risen to prominence by then."

"So we simply eliminated the eunuch faction in a 'lose-lose' way."

As the prime minister, Qiu Yuzi didn't need him to continue. He pointed at Zhao Yifu and said, "You've thought carefully about your friend the emperor."

"We, the prime ministers and ministers, are trying to gain the support of the eunuch party. We will let the eunuch party fight us and think they have won. Then the emperor will intervene and destroy the eunuch party when they are too proud of themselves."

"This way, the emperor will be known for clearing out the eunuch party and restoring political order. He can also promote our successor and fully control the government..."

Qiu Yuzi shook her head and said this, then sighed, "Your plan is quite sound, but if you really want to do that, you have to return to your homeland first."

"Otherwise I won't give up easily."

Zhao Yifu immediately said with a playful smile, "That's right, and I was just saying it casually. How can you fight for the world while engaging in factional disputes?"

"Master, just treat this as your disciple's nonsense..."

Qiu Yuzi raised her hand to stop Zhao Yifu from speaking any further.

He said, "No, your idea is very good. It takes many aspects into consideration."

"If this can truly be fully realized, not only will our ideals be realized, but we can also leave with a good reputation, and help Your Majesty control the government and reform the scholar-official group...it's truly killing four birds with one stone."

Zhao Yifu felt a little embarrassed. He didn't expect that his well-thought-out excuse would be praised.

Qiu Yuzi pondered for a moment and said, "Okay, there's a lot of room for maneuver in this matter, but the specifics of how to do it require careful consideration. After all, if the eunuch party gets out of control..."

"Okay, I'll think about it and won't bother you anymore."

Having said that, Qiu Yuzi disappeared.

Zhao Yi Fu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and at the same time did not take Qiu Yuzi's worries seriously.

out of control?

How could it possibly get out of control? If it did, he would just destroy it. Perhaps because of his background, he always favored simple and direct solutions to problems.

At this moment, his 'Thousand Mile Painting' moved again.

Then he saw the text displayed on it: [I have asked Lao Hong to go to Songkeju in the capital to wait. When will your people arrive?]

Zhao Yifu said: [It should be soon.]

He stamped his feet and called Lao Huang over...

……

Hong Zhongnu felt a little dazed. He didn't expect that the emperor would suddenly ask him to do a secret contact.

This surprised and excited him.

He was surprised because he didn't expect that the emperor seemed to have a secret force that he didn't know about?

The excitement came from the fact that he felt he was finally beginning to gain the emperor's trust.

'Songkeju' is actually Hong Zhongnu's own property. When the emperor asked him if there were any elegant, quiet and secluded restaurants or hotels in the city, he recommended this place.

But I didn't expect that the emperor would use this place as a secret meeting place.

The old eunuch sat in the most exquisite private room in the entire "Songkeju" and asked his men to watch out for any suspicious people approaching. At the same time, he secretly wondered about the identity of the person who was in contact with the emperor and what he was doing.

However, before he could figure out what was going on, someone suddenly pushed the door open and asked him, "Is this Eunuch Hong?"

Hong Zhongnu was stunned for a moment, thinking that this person was too rude.
Seeing him dazed, the man said, "He doesn't look very smart, but his face matches, so he is indeed a eunuch."

"I've given you something, don't lose it."

As he said this, he placed a long box containing paintings on the table, then turned and left.

Hong Zhongnu and others only reacted after they walked out of the private room, and hurriedly chased after them and pushed the door open.

But when he went out, he saw two of his men guarding the door. When they saw him come out, they bowed and greeted him.

"Where was that person just now?"

he asked sharply.

The two men looked at each other blankly and said, "Sir, there's no one here."

Hong Zhongnu looked around again and found that his men had a sentry every three steps and a guard every five steps. If someone really approached, how could they not be alarmed?
"Sigh~"

The old eunuch's scalp felt numb, his bladder twitched, and he couldn't help but clamp his legs together.

Fortunately, I didn’t pee.

He held the box tremblingly, and wanted to ask his men to hold it for him, but he didn't dare.

So he ran back to the palace with a somewhat crazy look on his face.

"Zhongnu, I asked you to get something, why are you like this?"

Ying Cong was reading when he saw Hong Zhongnu looking disheveled with messy hair. He felt very strange because in his impression, this old eunuch always took care of himself meticulously.

Hong Zhongnu held the painting box but did not hand it over. Instead, he said, "Sir, this thing is a bit weird. I think..."

Ying Cong stood up angrily and snatched the painting box from the old eunuch's hand, saying, "This is a gift from my friend. Do you want to keep it for yourself?"

Hong Zhongnu quickly knelt down and said, "I dare not, I dare not..."

"only……"

Ying Cong had already opened the painting box and took out a full-length scroll of painting.

He slowly unfolded the scroll...

He didn't shy away from the old eunuch, because he didn't expect the painting to be so magical...

When the scroll was unfolded, he saw billowing smoke in the painting, and it seemed as if his own imperial study was filled with smoke.

He was in a trance, as if he had walked into the world in the painting. Looking at the red sun appearing in the water in the mountains, he felt warm in his heart.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, where are you? I'm scared!"

Suddenly he heard the old eunuch's voice calling him, and was surprised to find the old eunuch's figure in this foggy forest?

He walked over and said unhappily, "What's so scary about it? It's just a painting."

Having said that, he himself was also very surprised.

Isn't it too exaggerated that a painting can make people feel so immersed in it?

However, perhaps because he had long known that Zhao Yifu was a Taoist practitioner, he was mentally prepared to see this kind of illusion scene.

After all, in terms of value, the "Thousand Mile Painting" that can transmit messages over a thousand miles is truly powerful.

Seeing Ying Cong, Hong Zhongnu knelt down again excitedly. He asked, "Sir, how do we get out of here?"

Ying Cong said, "Don't panic. You'll know what to do if you calm down."

But Hong Zhongnu still seemed at a loss.

Ying Cong had no choice but to calm down and silently say "wake up" in his heart. He woke up from the illusion first, and then kicked the old eunuch.

Hong Zhongnu fell down, but after regaining consciousness, he hugged Ying Cong's legs and said, "Your Majesty, this painting is too weird!"

Ying Cong said angrily, "What's so weird about it? This is clearly a 'fairy painting'!"

"I have grown up in the palace, but I have never seen such a magnificent scenery... It is truly wonderful."

Hong Zhongnu finally calmed down and said, "Perhaps it's because the emperor is the true dragon emperor, so he's not afraid..."

Ying Cong shook his head and said nothing more, feeling that he had a superior IQ.

At this moment, he also understood more deeply why Zhao Yifu suggested that he support the eunuch party.

This group of people really brings him emotional value!

……

Zhao Yifu felt an unprecedented surge of positive energy and spiritual energy being transmitted from afar to his letter seal.

That vast amount is probably as much as tens of thousands of people!
This is the yang and spiritual energy that the emperor can provide, because he does not just represent himself, but the vitality of billions of people in the world. This makes him different.

Such a large amount of Yang and spiritual energy made Zhao Yifu feel a little helpless. He didn't know where to invest it.

The ancestor's [Dao Chun] series of talents has already been invested in [Kendo] and [Pure Yang True Fire]. Among them, he feels that [Kendo] is really unnecessary. After all, he can also comprehend the sword intent such as 'Cangfeng Sword Intent'.

Although he could continue to invest in and strengthen the [Pure Yang True Fire], he had actually already comprehended the true meaning of this true fire, and he could also achieve success in his own practice.

As for the final [Alchemy] option, it was indeed profound and worth investing in. However, Zhao Yifu felt that what he had learned was already quite diverse, and he wasn't prepared to invest further until he had consolidated what he had learned and grasped it to a certain level.

Then we can only invest this part of Yang and spiritual energy into Emperor Wenheng's [Fate Gathering] series of talents?
However, that was not the case. Zhao Yifu felt that his talent in [Sword Dao] was the same as that in [Kendo], and he did not need any additional investment.

The [Martial Arts Holy Body] has reached the top, or the top of the mortal world, and the only option he can choose is the [Military Way].

This is also a broad and profound category, but it is similar to the situation of [Alchemy]. Zhao Yifu feels that he does not need to invest too much energy in this area now.

This creates a paradox. Is it true that Yang and spiritual energy are useless to him now?

Not really.

He thought of the square seal that he had worn out... It was obvious that after a certain stage, the destination of Yang and spiritual energy was to be collected and kept in the seal.

This can slowly accumulate into a powerful magical tool, and of course it can also be used to trade with the beings in the upper realm with whom one has a connection.

Now Zhao Yifu had everything he needed, so he collected everything.

If needed, you can always add some more in the future. After all, His Majesty the Emperor is a "super rich mine".

Fenglin County is very close, and it has been two or three months since they last met. I wonder how Li Liang handled the county's government affairs while he was away?

(End of this chapter)