Achieving the Dao from the Hundred Schools of Thought

"Zheng'er, be respectful when you see Empress Dowager Huayang, and remember to perform the Qin etiquette when you bow."

Ying Zheng's mother, Zhao Ji, looked worried. She felt uneasy about meeting Empress Dowager Huayang soon and could only repeatedly give Ying Zheng instructions.

Ying Zheng remained calm and nodded slightly, his composed aura gradually soothing Zhao Ji.

The mother and son walked through the palace, but the Xianyang Palace still felt unfamiliar to them.

Two months after returning to China, Lü Buwei had already passed the test.

This shrewd businessman has decided to place his bets on Ying Zheng.

All that's needed is for the Empress Dowager Huayang, the most powerful woman in the harem, to agree, so that Ying Zheng can secure his position as crown prince.

Become their puppet.

Ying Zheng felt the royal aura emanating from his body and tried his best to bind it within him, making himself appear more harmless.

The crown prince of a country can share some of the king's fortune. Since Ying Zheng became the crown prince, he has had this power.

But if you want this power to grow stronger, you have to ascend to that position!

"Squeak—!"

The palace servants opened the door and led Ying Zheng and his mother inside. Ying Zheng lowered his head and walked with steady steps.

He is humble yet never lets others look down on him.

Zhao Ji, on the other hand, was anxious and couldn't help but look around, sometimes checking if Ying Zheng's clothes were straight, and sometimes looking at the noble woman's figure behind the curtain.

"Here it comes—".

Empress Dowager Huayang's languid voice reached Zhao Ji's ears through the curtain, causing Zhao Ji's legs to feel weak.

"Your humble servant, Zhao, accompanied by your son Ying Zheng, pays homage to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless happiness."

"Hmph! You're just a singer after all! When Yiren ascends the throne, you will be the Queen of Qin! How dare you refer to yourself as a concubine?!"

Empress Dowager Huayang was born in the State of Chu, and her words and actions were sharp and assertive.

Seeing Zhao Ji so disrespectable, Empress Dowager Huayang felt a surge of anger.

Does such a person deserve to be the Queen of Qin?!

Zhao Ji was originally a singer and was extremely good at understanding people's hearts.

She didn't know what she had done wrong, but she keenly sensed that the person behind the curtain was angry.

"The Zhao family has been rude; please, Your Majesty..."

"Greetings to Empress Dowager Huayang!"

Ying Zheng bowed respectfully, performing a Qin state ceremony.

"Your grandson Ying Zheng pays respects to Empress Dowager Huayang!"

When Mother first arrived in Xianyang, she was still unfamiliar with the court etiquette and her words were inappropriate. This was all due to the fact that the government failed to remind her in time!

Now that the government has returned to the Qin state, as the crown prince, he should naturally abide by the Qin etiquette and carefully follow the teachings of the Empress Dowager and his father.

"From now on, I will regularly pay my respects to the Empress Dowager, to fulfill my filial duty and uphold the dignity of the state."

Empress Dowager Huayang nodded almost imperceptibly, her dissatisfaction with Zhao Ji dispelled by Ying Zheng's perfect answer.

Well, being of humble origin, it's inevitable that there will be oversights in my actions.

Fortunately, the baby turned out well.

Let's observe for now.

Empress Dowager Huayang made her decision, and then inquired whether Ying Zheng and his mother were getting used to living in Xianyang.

Ying Zheng resolved all the problems one by one.

Zhao Ji also came to her senses and silently looked at her son.

"Hmph! It was definitely the right thing to let Zheng'er learn more manners! I'm such a smart mother!"

……

Ying Zheng and Zhao Ji left Empress Dowager Huayang's palace. On their way back, Zhao Ji kept boasting.

"Zheng'er, you must listen to your mother in everything! You see, your mother had already guessed that Empress Dowager Huayang would test you on etiquette!"

See, Mother guessed right!

Ying Zheng sighed inwardly, unsure of what to do with his naive mother.

After exchanging a few perfunctory words, he returned to his own bedchamber and entered a dream.

"Brother Qin, what's wrong? You look even more worried than I am. What happened this time?"

Zhuang Weiyang looked at Ying Zheng, who had a worried expression, and asked him a question with a smile, tossing him a piece of candy.

Ying Zheng took it, put it in his mouth, and sat down next to Zhuang Weiyang.

"Brother Weiyang, Qin is just a little melancholy."

In recent days, Qin has been extremely cautious, fearing that he might make a mistake and lose his position as crown prince.

But now that the crown prince's position is secure, Qin seems to have become a pawn of various forces.

Qin grew up in an enemy state and never had the pleasure of being with his father. If Qin couldn't feel close to his father, he figured his father would feel the same way about him.

He received no help whatsoever from either the harem or the court… The position of Crown Prince was like a furnace, offering no respite for even a moment's rest; yet beneath that furnace lay the deepest hell, where one was certain to perish without a trace!

Ying Zheng's words were incoherent and unclear.

Zhuang Weiyang tried her best to understand Ying Zheng's words, reached out and patted the young man on the shoulder, feeling a sense of sympathy for him.

"Brother Qin, please be more careful in your actions."

All difficulties stem from a lack of strength! My brother is no different!

Zhuang Weiyang herself needs Zilu's protection because of the blood curse.

If I could break through sooner and gain more power, I might be able to travel the world, find "Zhao Qin," and help him.

Thinking of this, Zhuang Weiyang's obsession with breaking through became even stronger.

Ying Zheng came to the dream classroom and told Zhuang Weiyang these things, just wanting someone to talk to and relieve his past distress.

He had already decided on his path.

We will keep going no matter what.

"Brother, the road ahead is long but bright."

"Brother Qin, let's strive together!"

The following day, Zhuang Weiyang went out as usual.

Qing Jiu, looking flustered, ran towards Zhuang Weiyang's residence.

"Zhuang Weiyang, you've escaped like a dragon!"

"What?!"

Qing Jiu was so anxious that she couldn't even utter a complete sentence, and she kept jumping up and down, pointing in the direction of Taihu Lake.

"A dragon has emerged from Taihu Lake!"

Zhuang Weiyang's heart was ignited, and Zilu in the city immediately responded.

"Taihu Lake!"

After transmitting his thoughts through his inner fire, Zhuang Weiyang leaped into the air and headed straight for Taihu Lake.

Zhong Yue and Zi Lu, who were in the city, also transformed into streaks of light and followed.

"Why is the dragon's movement in the water happening ahead of schedule? Isn't it supposed to be ten years from now?!"

What on earth happened?!

……

At the mouth of the Minjiang River, Zhong Bai's inner fire emanated outwards, revealing his unmistakable cultivation level.

However, their strength was far from sufficient to face the dragon ahead.

Ahead, a blue dragon hung above the lake, with dark clouds gathering above it, and rain about to fall.

Its head resembles a camel's, its eyes a rabbit's, its ears a cow's, its neck a snake's, its belly a clam's, its scales a carp's, its claws an eagle's, and its paws a tiger's.

Having achieved eight of the nine similarities, if one then cultivates the dragon horns, the cultivation will be complete, and one will attain the body of a true dragon!

At that time, rain will fall from the dark clouds above it, helping it awaken the innate divine power of the dragon race.

Sending clouds and rain!

When a true dragon travels, thunder and rain follow!

It may alleviate the severe drought and benefit all living beings; or it may flood the land and inundate the cities.

His supernatural powers are far superior to Zhuang Weiyang's "water battle" techniques.

"Water warfare" can only be carried out in places with water, by manipulating water vapor.

To summon clouds and rain is to conjure clouds and rain out of thin air!

As the true dragon's strength increases, the power of the clouds and rain it summons also increases.

Strong winds blow away flesh and skin, while heavy water dissolves bones and muscles.

Therefore, true dragons are naturally terrifyingly strong, and only those with great supernatural powers can defeat them!

If no one stops it, this one will be finished in no time!

A moment later, the dark clouds churned and condensed into a black cloud several tens of feet wide, hanging above the dragon.

"A dragon emerges from the water, startling ghosts and gods; it rolls and surges, traveling ten thousand miles."

A deep, resonant female voice echoed through the void.

As soon as he finished speaking, the dragon that had been floating in mid-air gently landed on Taihu Lake.

The dragon opened its eyes and stared straight ahead at the Minjiang River.

"With a serpentine body and rugged bones, it leaps over the Dragon Gate, shaking heaven and earth!"