Great Zhou Martial Immortal

Chapter 98 The farce ends, the reckoning begins (5.6k)

The capital city.

Zhenguan Hall.

The golden beast in the palace exhaled fragrance, and Wu Zetian sat high on the dragon throne, her twelve-tasseled crown sweeping over the two kneeling figures before her like a frost blade.

Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi had their foreheads pressed against the jade bricks, and the backs of their python robes were soaked with cold sweat.

Wang Xiaojie, his armor clanking, stepped forward, clasped his hands in salute, and said, "Your Majesty, I have returned from suppressing the rebellion as ordered, and I am here to report back to Your Majesty!"

His voice was booming as he recounted the events of Mount Song in detail.

From the Empress's escape with the Yin-Yang Jade and the pursuit of the traitors, to the encirclement and stalemate, to Lu Chenyuan's willingness to enter the formation in exchange for the traitors' leader releasing Yuan Qingshuang and other subordinates of the Princess's residence and curing their poison, to Lu Chenyuan's cleverness in breaking the formation and using the scroll to launch a counterattack, ultimately successfully killing the traitors.

"This fiend possesses the Hidden Immortal's Great Teleportation Talisman. If it weren't for Her Highness the Princess's strategic planning and Lord Lu's selfless intervention, he would have almost escaped."

Wang Xiaojie knelt on one knee, ordered someone to bring over the furnace used to inscribe the "Dan Ding Scroll", four gourds, several talismans, and the remains of the mechanical puppet. He kowtowed and said, "Your subject dares to request a reward on behalf of the two meritorious officials!"

Wu Zetian paused briefly on the "Dan Ding Scroll" and the gourds, then turned to Li Lingyue: "Taiping, you speak."

Li Lingyue took half a step forward, knelt down and bowed: "Your subject dares not take credit. This time, it was all thanks to Lu Chenyuan who risked his life to enter the battle. If it weren't for that, Xiao Ji Yuanchen, who possesses a body full of poison skills and has the help of the Dan Ding Scroll, would surely become a great scourge in the future! Although Yuan Qingshuang and the Twenty-Fourth Division were defeated and fell into enemy hands, they risked their lives to deliver intelligence, and they should also be richly rewarded."

Wu Zetian nodded and immediately slammed her hand on the table: "Granted!"

The sound was like a thunderclap.

Wu Sansi broke out in a cold sweat and trembled all over. Wu Chengsi's expression also changed.

Wu Zetian rose from her seat, her twelve gold-embroidered skirts sweeping across the steps: "Princess Taiping is granted an additional 800 households of fiefdom, 20 hectares of Tongyuan Ward in the capital, Lu Chenyuan... She is awarded two ranks of Imperial Guard, and is bestowed with 300 catties of Xuanming Cold Iron, three boxes of Kunlun Snow Toad Ointment, and one bottle of Xuanyang Anti-Poison Pill."

Xuanming Cold Iron is an excellent material for forging divine weapons and mechanical puppets.

【Kunlun Snow Toad Ointment】 and 【Xuanyang Detoxifying Pill】 are high-grade fourth-rank healing and detoxifying elixirs.

Li Lingyue immediately said, "Your Majesty, I thank you on behalf of Lu Chenyuan. He is injured and unable to see you this time, so I hope Your Majesty will not take offense." After a pause, she added, "Furthermore, the 'Azure Netherworld Hundred Ghosts Painting' is, after all, an item used by the Hidden Immortal to test his successor. It is imbued with evil spirits. I wonder what Your Majesty intends to do with it? If it is left among the common people, it may cause further trouble..."

If you can't stay among the common people, you'll naturally have to be sent to the palace. Do you want that?

This is proactively offering a way out.

But the timing was wrong; the meritorious officials had just been rewarded, so who would have the nerve to accept it?

If you really want to offer something, you should take the initiative.

"..."

Upon hearing this, a strange look flashed across Wu Zetian's tired face. This girl was really afraid that she would steal Lu Chenyuan's spoils.

"What use would I have for such an evil thing?"

She said in a calm tone, "Since Lu Qing has already seized it, it should be left to his disposal. I also want to reward him for presenting the 'Dan Ding Scroll'... How about this, taking the presentation of the 'Tian Gong Scroll' as an example, I will reward him with a third-grade divine weapon from the Xuanji Pavilion! I will also grant him a travel token, which allows him to access the secret library of the Yingxian Palace at any time!"

This reward is generous enough.

Li Lingyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him again.

Wu Zetian's gaze swept over her, then her tone abruptly changed: "The rewards are over, it's time for punishment..."

Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi trembled, their foreheads slamming heavily against the jade bricks with a dull thud.

"I remember..."

Wu Zetian's voice was calm and unhurried, yet it caused the temperature in the hall to drop sharply: "Three days ago, my two beloved ministers made a solemn vow that Wei Shifang was a virtuous immortal who had lived for over four hundred years?"

Wu Sansi's face turned ashen, and cold sweat poured down his forehead: "Your Majesty, I was momentarily unaware..."

"Your Majesty... witnessed it with your own eyes..." Wu Chengsi's voice was more composed than his cousin's, "The miraculous effects of that elixir were witnessed by all the officials in the Mingtang Hall..."

"Yes."

Wu Zetian suddenly sneered, "I witnessed the rejuvenation of youth at the grand banquet myself." She abruptly flicked her sleeve, shattering a teacup on the table. "And now?!"

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi pressed their foreheads tightly against the jade bricks, not daring to move an inch.

Wu Zetian stared coldly at the two men, making them break out in a cold sweat. After a long while, her voice suddenly turned calm: "At the grand banquet in the Mingtang that day, Wei Shi took an elixir that restored him to youth, and his hair and beard turned black. Even I believed it to some extent. Now that I think about it, this elixir..."

"Your Majesty clearly shows you!"

Wu Chengsi sensed a glimmer of hope and immediately kowtowed heavily, his voice choked with emotion, "Your Majesty, I deserve to die a thousand deaths! But I was indeed captivated by the miraculous effects of that elixir, thinking that if I could offer it to Your Majesty to prolong your life, it would be worth it even if I were to be shattered to pieces!"

When he raised his head, tears welled up in his eyes. "I have been hoping every day for Your Majesty's good health and the eternal stability of the Wu Zhou dynasty, but... but I have fallen into the trap of treacherous people!"

Li Lingyue's eye twitched: "..."

Wu Sansi immediately understood, crawled two steps on his knees, and cried out, "Your loyalty to my aunt is as clear as day and night! The day I saw Wei Shifang's miraculous elixir, my first thought was of my aunt's tireless work day and night. If only such a miraculous elixir existed..."

He actually managed to squeeze out a few tears, saying, "I would swear on my life that I have absolutely no selfish motives!"

Wu Zetian remained silent for a long time, the beads on her crown swaying slightly.

Li Lingyue sensed something was wrong; she feared that the matter would once again be downplayed and forgotten.

as predicted.

Wu Zetian sighed softly, "So be it."

These two words made Li Lingyue's heart tighten.

"Considering that you two are acting out of filial piety..."

Wu Zetian, considering the instability of the newly established dynasty and the need for the two men to subdue the Li Tang faction officials, softened her tone: "But inviting wolves into the house will ultimately lead to blame! Wu Chengsi will be fined one year's salary, and Wu Sansi will be fined two years' salary. From this day forward, they will be confined to their homes for one month to reflect on their mistakes! They will be required to copy the 'Chen Gui' and 'Xiao Jing' ten times each day. The special permission granted to the Prince of Wei's residence for the alchemy room will be revoked, and the power to select officials below the fourth rank in the two palaces will be suspended. On the first and fifteenth days of each month, they will kneel in the Imperial Ancestral Temple and recite the 'Wei Cheng Dian Xun'!"

With each word Wu Zetian spoke, the Wu brothers lowered their heads even further, but they also breathed a sigh of relief.

These punishments may seem severe, but in reality, they do not address the root cause of the problem.

Li Lingyue loosened her clenched fist, thinking to herself, no wonder Lu Chenyuan was unwilling to enter the palace.

These two scoundrels, who only know how to fight for power and profit, caused such a big mess. If it weren't for Lu Chenyuan's efforts to turn the tide, and if Wei Yang had escaped, who knows how much trouble he would have caused in the future? Yet the punishment was so lenient.

Indeed, you still have to take control of the boat yourself.

Relying on others is completely useless!
Li Lingyue remained calm, gradually getting used to it. Wang Xiaojie sighed inwardly.

After Wu Zetian finished speaking, she suddenly changed the subject: "However, in the court, merits and demerits must be offset against each other. Since you have committed serious mistakes, you should naturally show sincerity and make amends for your mistakes!"

Wu Chengsi immediately understood and kowtowed deeply: "Your subject is willing to offer three years' worth of taxes from his fiefdom to supply the northern frontier! The Turks have recently been invading the border repeatedly, and the soldiers are in dire need of provisions."

Wu Sansi quickly followed up: "Your Majesty, I am willing to offer twenty hectares of fertile land south of the capital city, and all the harvest will be used to replace the weapons of the Sixteen Guards of the capital! Recently, the Imperial Guard reported that many of the old bows and crossbows have been damaged."

This was done for the officials to see.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Wu Zetian's eyes: "Since that's the case... Wan'er, draft an edict: The requests made by the Prince of Wei and the Prince of Liang are approved. After their confinement period expires, they shall resume their original positions to assist in government affairs."

Li Lingyue remained expressionless.

Shangguan Wan'er sighed inwardly, "As you command."

The group left the main hall.

Li Lingyue followed Shangguan Wan'er to the secret vault to retrieve the reward.

The two walked one after the other, their footsteps echoing in the deep corridor. The twilight cast long shadows through the carved window frames.

"By the way, Your Highness."

Shangguan Wan'er smiled faintly, her fingertips casually fiddling with the gold bracelet on her wrist. "Does Your Highness still need the information from the 'Dan Ding Scroll'? I needed it urgently at the time, so I copied down the gist, but there are still a few pages of details..."

"No need."

Li Lingyue smiled and said, "The Hidden Immortal is not the kind of person who reports every little thing to his great-aunt. Besides, the Pill Cauldron Scroll has already been presented, so there is no need to delve into the relevant information. This time, it is all thanks to your timely message."

Shangguan Wan'er smiled and shook her head: "It was just a small favor, I'm glad I could help Your Highness... I never expected something like this to happen. The Wei Yang Puppet Master actually broke free from the Hidden Immortal's control, and with that poisonous skill... Has Your Highness been injured?"

Li Lingyue said, "I'm fine. Qing Shuang and the Twenty-Fourth Division suffered quite a bit, but they're all out of danger now."

"That's good."

Shangguan Wan'er paused, then said casually, "Your Highness said that Lord Lu was injured? I wonder how badly he was injured?"

Li Lingyue casually said, "He's fine. As long as he can be recognized as the master of the 'Azure Ghost Painting,' he can freely manipulate the mechanisms in the formation. The danger only lies in the struggle for it. He reacted quickly, and although it was dangerous, he still succeeded in the end. However, there was some backlash caused by forcibly unleashing his true energy, but it's not a big problem."

"That's good……"

Shangguan Wan'er felt relieved, and this time, she spoke those same three words with an especially soft tone.

Li Lingyue didn't sense anything unusual, but Shangguan Wan'er quickened her pace and led Li Lingyue to the palace's secret vault, where they retrieved the [Mysterious Nether Cold Iron], [Kunlun Snow Toad Ointment], and [Mysterious Yang Poison-Repelling Pill].

Li Lingyue immediately left the palace and returned to her residence.

Shangguan Wan'er stood alone in front of the secret vault, watching Li Lingyue's departing figure. A complex expression flashed in her eyes. She looked down at the fine brush hidden in her sleeve, her fingertips trembling slightly.

"Really..."

She gently bit her lower lip, her voice so low it was almost inaudible, "You have no sense of propriety."

Princess House.

Lu Chenyuan, enjoying a rare moment of leisure, was already playing chess with Zen Master Yunhe in the Lingni Hall.

The goddess stayed by his side, even closer than before, holding his hand tightly. Lu Chenyuan reminded her several times, but she remained unmoved. He couldn't bear to scold her, so he could only complain that she had been corrupted by Wei Yang while letting her be.

Zen Master Yunhe found it amusing. Seeing him return safely, he breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at the scroll of "The Hundred Ghosts of the Azure Netherworld" and reminded him, "As the saying goes, 'If you don't force your strength, you won't toughen your will.' Don't take such risks next time. What are you doing getting involved in these important matters when you're only at the third realm? What if something goes wrong?" "Master is right."

Lu Chenyuan didn't deny it and smiled, "If it weren't for Ling Xi, I wouldn't have taken the risk. But I do need to raise my cultivation level first. The Martial Emperor should reward me this time. That's the good thing about the 'Gold-Swallowing Treasure Scroll'. As long as you have enough comprehension, you can break through by looking at the gold energy. If you get a fifth-grade reward, then I'll wait. If you get a fourth-grade reward, I should be able to break through to the third level of the 'Gold-Forging Chapter', 'Gold-Casting Armor'. Then I won't be far from the fourth realm."

Zen Master Yunhe nodded: "Don't be too eager for quick success. Only by laying a solid foundation can you go far in the future."

"Master, don't worry."

Lu Chenyuan placed a piece on the board: "I understand."

Zen Master Yunhe knew what kind of person he was, so he didn't say anything more. He picked up the grape syrup wine pot and took a sip: "It is a great merit to eliminate a scourge, but it's a pity that the clues have been cut off. According to what you said, Wei Yang went astray and has not left the Heart-Refining Array for decades. Logically speaking, the longer she is trapped, the deeper her resentment becomes and the heavier her inner demons become. She shouldn't be able to get out. How did she get out?"

"Who knows?"

Lu Chenyuan's expression remained unchanged: "We'll have to talk about it later."

"..."

Zen Master Yunhe looked at him suspiciously: "You rascal, are you hiding something from me?"

"Master, you must be serious when playing chess."

Lu Chenyuan placed a piece, and the white piece, like the finishing touch on a dragon, cut off the large black group in half. He laughed and said, "The ko threats are all gone. Master, this large group... I'm afraid it can't be saved."

"Ok?"

Zen Master Yunhe quickly looked down at the chessboard, stared at it for a long time, and sighed with a wry smile: "Good lad! So that's what you were waiting for!" He stroked his beard, but his eyes flashed with admiration, "That 'Dragon Severing Slash' move was brilliant."

Just then, Li Lingyue came over herself, carrying large and small bags.

The goddess noticed and quickly went over to help store it in the warehouse.

Li Lingyue smiled and handed the item to her. The Empress was merely Lu Chenyuan's puppet; no matter how beautiful she was, she wasn't human, so there was absolutely no need for her to compete with her for his affections.

She picked up another bundle and said to Lu Chenyuan, "Mother brought back the cold iron that was sent up, and gave it to you, since you don't have any use for it." She glanced at Shen Hou and quickly changed the word "remains" that she was about to say, "...and brought it back to you, since you don't have any use for it."

"Please thank His Majesty for me."

Lu Chenyuan thought to himself that, as expected, after Wu Zetian had made her judgment, the so-called "remains" that had been sent up would most likely be returned to win people's hearts. In the end, she would lose nothing and even cover up a lie...

"I've already said that."

Li Lingyue walked to his side, leaned down to his face, and instinctively wanted to kiss him, but considering the old Zen master's presence, she instead whispered in his ear, "Tonight at Hai hour... I have important matters to discuss, so don't be late~"

"..."

Zen Master Yunhe said he was used to it and didn't bother to avoid suspicion. He kept his eyes on the chessboard and silently deduced the moves.

Lu Chenyuan nodded and whispered two words in her ear.

Li Lingyue couldn't take it anymore. Her face flushed, she punched him lightly and fled in panic: "I'm going to reward Qing Shuang and Twenty-Four Fan first. There's Snow Toad Ointment in my bundle, remember to use it on time!" With that, she turned and left, her crimson gauze skirt almost tripping over the threshold.

As the graceful figure disappeared at the end of the corridor, Zen Master Yunhe coughed repeatedly, his prayer beads spinning rapidly in his hand: "Amitabha! Benefactor Lu, although this Lingni Hall is not the Mahavira Hall, it still enshrines Bodhisattvas!" The old monk's eyes twitched, and he pointed to the plaque on the wall that read "Dependent Origination and Emptiness": "If you two want to be lovey-dovey, at least wait until you leave this 'mountain gate'!"

Lu Chenyuan calmly straightened his clothes and picked up a white chess piece from the chess jar: "I've also read the story of Master's 'anger for a beauty' in Chang'an back then..."

"Shut up!"

Zen Master Yunhe snatched the chess piece away, his old face turning bright red. "How can that be the same! This old monk's is...that is..." He stammered for a long time, then suddenly grabbed a handful of grape juice and gulped it down. "One more game! Today I'll utterly crush you!"

Lu Chenyuan chuckled coldly.

If it weren't for my respect for my teacher, your great dragon would have been dead thirty moves ago!
"Let me check the wound medicine first. [Snow Toad Ointment] is..."

Lu Chenyuan's words came to an abrupt halt.

Zen Master Yunhe looked up in surprise and saw Lu Chenyuan lift the bottle cap and take out a swallow-shaped note from inside.

Zen Master Yunhe's eyes lit up: "Who wrote this? It wasn't the princess, was it...you rascal—"

"Shh..."

Lu Chenyuan suddenly raised a finger to his lips, a rare hint of unease flashing across his face.

He glanced back at the door to make sure Li Lingyue was far away before taking out the swallow-shaped note from his sleeve.

Zen Master Yunhe raised an eyebrow slightly: "Feeling guilty, it really wasn't written by the princess."

Lu Chenyuan coughed lightly: "Master, please be careful with your words. This letter... was written by Shangguan Daizhao."

"Shangguan Wan'er?"

The old Zen master raised an eyebrow. "What did she write to you?"

Lu Chenyuan unfolded the letter, and saw that the handwriting was elegant and graceful, yet the strokes concealed a sharp edge—

[Lord Lu's Reading:]

I am deeply concerned that you forcefully exerted your true energy to break the Fengdu Formation, causing your metal energy to surge in reverse. The *Huangting Jing* states, "When the Qi Sea is churning, it should be gently nourished." Enclosed is the formula for the *Ziyang Huiqi San*. This medicine must be taken with the clear dew at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM). Please remember this.

—Wan'er.

In the lower right corner of the stationery, there is a swallow with outstretched wings, its ink light yet lifelike.

After reading it, Zen Master Yunhe clicked his tongue and shook his head, saying, "This girl Shangguan is quite a remarkable person."

He glanced at Lu Chenyuan, "What if the princess knew that her friends sent you prescriptions and letters..."

Lu Chenyuan quickly put the swallow-shaped note back into his sleeve: "Master, be careful what you say."

The old Zen master stroked his beard and smiled: "What, afraid the princess will be jealous?"

Lu Chenyuan's expression remained unchanged, his face serious: "Shangguan Daizhao and Your Highness are like sisters, this letter is merely..."

"Is it just using official business as a pretext to smuggle in some personal motives?"

Zen Master Yunhe interrupted him, his smile meaningful. “Although I have been a monk for many years, the handwriting on this swallow-patterned letter…” he deliberately dragged out his words, “is clearly three times gentler than when I write imperial edicts.”

Bamboo shadows swayed outside the window. Lu Chenyuan remained silent for a moment, then suddenly stood up and said, "This disciple takes his leave."

"Leaving now?"

The old Zen master called out from behind him, "Don't forget, the princess has asked you to meet her at 9 PM!"

Tsk!
That stinky old man!
Lu Chenyuan paused, waved without turning his head, and quickly disappeared into the forest path.

Zen Master Yunhe shook his head and chuckled, pouring himself a cup of grape juice: "Young man..." He took a sip, his eyes crinkling with amusement, "Let's see what you're up to!"

……

Prince Wei's Mansion.

The flickering candlelight cast half of Wu Chengsi's face into shadow.

Wu Sansi paced back and forth in frustration, the golden tortoise pouch at his waist jingling with each movement: "What am I going to do! That useless piece of trash, Wei Shifang, clearly rejuvenated in public, all the officials saw it, yet he still felt guilty and gave himself away!"

He gritted his teeth, kicked over a low stool, and cursed, "Even if that Wei Yang caused trouble on Mount Song, what are you, a 'Celestial Master,' panicking about! You've made us..."

boom!
Wu Chengsi slammed his hand on the table: "What's the use of saying all this now?" His voice was as cold and hard as iron. "At the grand banquet in the Mingtang, the immortals and gods submitted to prove that 'the Wu family is in power and in accordance with Heaven and the people's will'... Now that the auspicious omens have turned out to be a complete fraud, what will happen in the court tomorrow? Do you think Cen Changqian and her gang will let this opportunity pass?"

Wu Sansi's expression changed drastically: "Then the position of Crown Prince..."

Let's put it on hold for now.

Wu Chengsi waved his hand impatiently and sneered, "However..."

"but?"

Wu Sansi looked up in surprise: "But what..."

Wu Chengsi lowered his voice, his eyes flashing with cold light: "The auspicious omens are fake, but those in the court who oppose us are real!"

Wu Sansi's pupils contracted slightly: "You mean..."

"Send them on their way first!"

Wu Chengsi casually took out a piece of paper, on which was a list of court officials who had spoken out against replacing Li with Wu: "Cen Changqian, Ge Fuyuan, Ouyang Tong, Di Renjie... These people will only bring trouble if left alive."

"But what about my aunt..."

Wu Sansi hesitated and said, "We were just punished, shouldn't we..."

"Don't worry."

Wu Chengsi sneered, "What about Hao Xiangxian, Feng Yuanchang, Wei Xuantong, Heichi Changzhi... She knows better than anyone whether they are guilty or not, yet she still treats them all as treason. As long as you hand her the knife, she will take the opportunity to clean up the court herself. If things get out of hand, it will be Zhou Xing and Lai Junchen who die. What does it have to do with us!"

Wu Sansi suddenly realized and nodded: "Okay! I'll send a message to Zhou Xing right away. He's just hoping for it."

"Wait a minute."

Wu Chengsi took a pen and circled a few names on the paper: "Especially these few, we must have complete witnesses and physical evidence. As long as there is no flaw, they will surely die! This time, don't make any more mistakes."

"clear."

Wu Sansi took the list and suddenly lowered his voice: "Should we include Taiping as well...?"

"not now."

Wu Chengsi said coldly, "No need to rush... Let's first pin this rebellion on them!"

(End of this chapter)