Starting with a blind date with a female constable, you acquire the Nine Swords of Dugu.

Chapter 182 Corpse Dissolution, Military Dissolution

The carriage slowly drove out of the imperial city.

Gu Guanqi and Zhao Qingci sat together in the carriage.

After a long silence, Zhao Qingci said apologetically, "Alliance Leader Gu, I'm truly sorry. Zhao Mingrui has some mental issues. Please don't take his words to heart. I absolutely had no intention of plotting against your foundation!"

Gu Guanqi said, "Your Highness, rest assured, you are you, and Prince Duan is Prince Duan. I will not confuse the two."

Zhao Qingci breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Gu Guanqi then asked, "Judging from what Prince Duan said just now, does he have designs on the throne? Does the Empress Dowager support him? Isn't the one on the dragon throne now the Empress Dowager's son?"

Zhao Qingci sighed softly and said, "Alliance Leader Gu, you may not know this, but His Majesty's birth mother is not my mother. When His Majesty was only three years old, his birth mother passed away, and the late Emperor adopted him under my mother's name. So—alas!"

Zhao Qingci sighed again and said, "To be honest, I don't actually support Mother. Zhao Mingrui and I grew up together, and I know his character very well. He's really not cut out to be an emperor!"

Gu Guanqi suddenly realized that he had always suspected that, theoretically, all the power of the Eastern Depot came from the imperial power, making it the most suitable tool to check and balance the powerful minister Zhang Jiexi.

However, the emperor chose to join forces with Zhang Jiexi to deal with the Eastern Depot, which was tantamount to cutting off his own arm and increasing Zhang Jiexi's power. This was a very unwise move.

Now, Gu Guanqi understands.

From the emperor's perspective, this is truly a cataclysmic situation.

In the imperial court, Zhang Jiexi held immense power, while the Empress Dowager ruled from behind the curtain, controlling the Eastern Depot to counterbalance him, but she was in a weaker position.

In theory, the emperor should help the empress dowager restrain Zhang Jiexi to achieve a balance, so that he can gradually gain power and get rid of his puppet status. He must not allow either side to become too powerful.

The reality was that the emperor was truly helpless. The empress dowager was single-mindedly focused on supporting her own son's ascension to the throne, leaving him no way out. By helping Zhang Jiexi and allowing Zhang's family to become dominant, although the situation would certainly be very difficult later, at least he could continue to live and remain emperor for the time being.

If he didn't help Zhang Jiexi, Prince Duan's intentions would be obvious, and he wouldn't be given the chance to watch the two fight from the sidelines.

After all, the capital was controlled by the Empress Dowager. Who knew when the Empress Dowager and Prince Duan might just kill him without hesitation?

Gu Guanqi said, "I don't quite understand. Zhang Jiexi now controls the court and wields immense power. With Yan Kunlun joining forces with him in the military, his wolfish ambitions are blatantly obvious. Under these circumstances, why doesn't the Empress Dowager think about consolidating the royal family's power to suppress Zhang Jiexi, but instead focuses on internal strife?"

Zhao Qingci pondered for a moment and said, "My mother was able to rise step by step to the position of Empress in the ruthless harem, and later become Empress Dowager. She must have been a very intelligent person."

However, spending too much time in the harem inevitably limits one's thinking and perception, preventing one from seeing the bigger picture. Furthermore, she is the Empress Dowager, a wise woman, but also a mother. Leader Gu, a person controlled by maternal instincts cannot maintain rationality.

The Empress Dowager dotes on Zhao Mingrui too much, which leads her to be blinded by her own limited perspective. In her eyes, Zhao Mingrui is the most outstanding, even though she knows that the Qian Kingdom is already riddled with problems. She still believes that as long as Zhao Mingrui ascends the throne, he will surely be able to revive the Qian Kingdom!

Gu Guanqi: "————"

The "parent-child filter" is indeed unsolvable.

"So what do you think of the current emperor?" Gu Guanqi asked.

"I don't know," Zhao Qingci said. "Although he lived with the Empress Dowager when he was young, I had very little contact with him. And after he ascended the throne, he never really did anything. He was only responsible for eating, drinking and having fun. The Empress Dowager and the Left Prime Minister made all the decisions."

Therefore, I don't know his actual abilities; I also can't be sure what kind of achievements he would make if he were to take power. But one thing is certain: he should be a benevolent ruler.

From childhood, he was gentle and kind, never beating or scolding palace servants. Even when servants made mistakes, he would try his best to cover them up, even those eunuchs and maids who had bullied him when he was a child. He also liked to keep cats and dogs in the palace. Even when he was angry, he would hide in a corner and mutter to himself.

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "Then his personality is really quite good."

"yes!"

Zhao Qingci sighed and said, "But now—the time has come when a winner must be decided!"

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly but did not speak.

Zhao Qingci also fell silent. After a while, she asked, "Alliance Leader Gu, shall we go for a stroll around the Nine Wild Goose Pagoda?"

"No," Gu Guanqi shook his head and said, "Take me back instead!"

Zhao Qingci opened her mouth, but swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

Silence fell over the carriage.

The afternoon sun shone on the long street, gradually warming up Tai'an City and dispelling much of the chill of early spring.

The carriage slowly moved forward along the long street, and after a long time, it arrived at the manor where Gu Guanqi lived.

The carriage slowly came to a stop, and Gu Guanqi cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for escorting me on this journey."

After saying that, Gu Guanqi got off the carriage.

"Alliance Leader Gu," Zhao Qingci called out to Gu Guanqi, "I'm sorry, I didn't expect Zhao Mingrui to have such thoughts. If I had known what he was thinking, I would never have agreed to the Empress Dowager inviting you to Changchun Palace today."

Gu Guanqi nodded and said, "I know, this matter has nothing to do with Your Highness." After saying that, Gu Guanqi pondered for a moment and then said, "However, I would like to trouble Your Highness to tell the Empress Dowager and Prince Duan after you return that I have no intention of interfering in the royal family's disputes."

"Yes, I will tell them," Zhao Qingci replied.

"Furthermore," Gu Guanqi added, "Your Highness, I have two main purposes for coming to the capital this time. One is to obtain the appointment documents for the officials in Hongzhou. However, I can handle this matter myself. Please convey this message to the Empress Dowager for me, so I won't trouble her with her help."

Zhao Qingci's pupils contracted slightly. She understood what Gu Guanqi meant: he didn't want to have any personal relationships with the Empress Dowager and was drawing a clear line between them.

"Alliance Leader Gu, it doesn't have to come to this—"

Gu Guanqi waved his hand to interrupt Zhao Qingci and said, "My second purpose in coming to Kyoto is to resolve my grudge with Zhang Jiexi. Between him and me, only one of us can live."

"If he survives, the appointment document from Hongzhou will be useless to me; but if I survive, the matter will naturally be resolved, and there will be no need to trouble the Empress Dowager."

Zhao Qingci's heart tightened, and she said, "Alliance Leader Gu—"

"Your Highness, please hear me out," Gu Guanqi continued, "I've always felt that many relationships between people deepen gradually through mutual trouble and help."

However, some relationships are not worth establishing if they are flawed from the start, lest they end up embarrassing for everyone. Therefore, I don't think it's necessary to trouble the Empress Dowager with this matter.

I have no interest in understanding what kind of person Prince Duan is or what his mentality is. I have no intention of serving anyone. Wealth, honor, and a successful official career are things that are readily available to me, and I don't need anyone's favor.

Zhao Qingci looked at Gu Guanqi, sighed softly, and said, "I understand."

Gu Guanqi bowed slightly and turned to enter the manor.

Just then, Zhao Qingci called out again, "Alliance Leader Gu, shall we go for a stroll together tomorrow?"

Gu Guanqi didn't turn his head and said, "No, I'm going to take a few days to rest."

"Then—" Zhao Qingci bit her lip and asked, "Then between us—"

"Leave it all to fate!" Gu Guanqi said.

"Okay, I understand." Zhao Qingci looked at Gu Guanqi's back and said, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help you, and instead I made you unhappy."

Just then, a system notification sounded in Gu Guanqi's mind—

[Blind date event concluded]

[Reward: Max level "Wind God Leg" skill, already issued]

Do you want to claim the reward?

Gu Guanqi silently recited "Receive".

In the next instant, endless martial arts mysteries, like a raging storm, crashed into his sea of ​​consciousness.

-

The essence of the Six Forms of Wind God Leg includes: Catching the Wind and Shadows, Strong Grass in the Wind, Torrential Rain and Gale, Swift and Decisive Action, Wind Sweeps Away Buildings, and Howling Divine Wind. All moves, energy paths, and methods of wind manipulation are instantly perfected, reaching the pinnacle and entering the realm of wind without form and man and wind as one.

At that moment, Gu Guanqi understood the meaning of wind having no fixed form and legs having no fixed posture.

He regained his composure and said, "No, Your Highness has already helped me a great deal. I have made some breakthroughs. I will always remember your kindness. If Your Highness needs anything in the future, you are welcome to come to me."

Zhao Qingci's eyes lit up, and she asked, "Then are we friends too?"

"Of course," Gu Guanqi said.

"Okay, it's good to be friends." Zhao Qingci smiled and said, "Then I'll head back now. Goodbye."

"goodbye."

Gu Guanqi waved with his back turned and walked straight into the manor.

Zhao Qingci sat in the carriage, watching Gu Guanqi enter the manor. Only after Gu Guanqi's figure disappeared from sight did she lower the curtain.

child.

The moment she lowered the curtain, the smile vanished from her face, a cold glint flashing in the depths of her eyes. She whispered, "My perfect marriage was ruined by that idiot Zhao Mingrui! My mother is getting old and starting to lose her mind, and Zhao Mingrui is utterly foolish and unreliable. I have to rely on myself!"

As soon as Gu Guanqi entered the manor, he instructed the butler to prepare a meal.

On this trip into the capital, I didn't even get a single bite of food.

However, it wasn't a wasted trip; at least I avoided a pitfall.

Originally, because of Zhang Jiexi, Gu Guanqi and the Yuwen Empress Dowager's faction were natural allies. He originally intended to strengthen his relationship with the Yuwen Empress Dowager. In addition, he met Zhao Qingci yesterday and had a good impression of her, so he was interested in getting to know her better.

However, after witnessing Zhao Mingrui's stupidity and lack of discernment during his trip to Changchun Palace, he immediately decided to sever ties with the Empress Dowager's faction.

Gu Guanqi didn't really care who Empress Dowager Yuwen would support as emperor, nor did he have any intention of interfering in the struggle for imperial power.

However, Zhao Mingrui's revealed intentions were not right. He had not yet had much connection with the Empress Dowager's faction, yet he had already tacitly agreed that Hongzhou belonged to him.

This idea is both foolish and ridiculous.

Even if he were to seek refuge with the Empress Dowager, there was no such thing as asking her to confiscate his belongings, especially since he had not sought refuge with the Empress Dowager's faction.

If things continue like this, they'll break up sooner or later.

Therefore, Gu Guanqi made a decisive move to draw a clear line, so as not to get too entangled in personal relationships and be hesitant to act when things turned sour.

Not long after entering the courtyard, the steward led several servants in carrying food.

Just as he was about to finish his meal, he suddenly felt a faint warmth emanating from the hidden weapon, Qilin Tear, in his arms. It was so subtle that an ordinary person might not even notice it.

Gu Guanqi immediately put down his chopsticks, took out the Qilin Tear, and gently examined it with his hand. It was the Qilin essence blood inside the Qilin Tear that was emanating from it.

Gu Guanqi could sense that something was resonating with the energy of that drop of Qilin blood essence.

He immediately stood up and flew away quickly, following that faint echo.

The feeling was very strange, like an extremely thin thread, one end connected to the Qilin Tear, and the other end tied to a distant place in front, pulsating slightly, opening and closing, like some living thing breathing.

As Gu Guanqi passed through two alleyways, the resonance became clearer.

Ahead was a large courtyard with blue bricks and gray tiles. The gate was open, and inside, people were bustling about, with a cacophony of exclamations and cries.

With a light touch of his toes on the horizontal branch of the old locust tree at the alley entrance, Gu Guanqi silently leaped onto the roof.

At this moment, the courtyard was in complete chaos, with seven or eight men and women in a panicked frenzy.

A small space was cleared in the center of the crowd.

A middle-aged man in an indigo robe was kneeling on the ground, his body hunched over, holding a short knife in both hands, the blade pressed against the left side of his neck, cutting into his flesh again and again.

Blood had soaked through his collar and half of his shoulder, gleaming a dark red in the sunlight.

His neck had been mostly cut open, the flesh torn open, revealing white tendons and the trachea. Yet the man's hand was still moving, continuing the cutting motion, slowly and mechanically, as if his body had long since lost its connection with him, with only some residual instinct driving his limbs.

Gu Guanqi's pupils contracted slightly.

He immediately remembered the corpse he had gone to see with Shen Qingqiu last night.

Immediately, he released a burst of spiritual energy that silently spread out like mercury, carefully scanning the man's body, the ground within a radius of about ten feet around him, and the aura of everyone present.

That middle-aged man is dead.

His pulse had long since stopped, his heartbeat was gone, and his blood and qi had completely solidified, but his fingertips were still exerting a slight force, and the blade was still slowly pulling back and forth between his flesh and blood, like a puppet that had not yet completely stopped turning, being dragged by some invisible residual force, mechanically completing the last half-inch of movement.

There were no traces of mental magic, Gu worms, or puppetry in the vicinity.

But a faint wisp of energy within the middle-aged man's body was rapidly dissipating.

It was that wisp of energy that resonated with the essence of the Qilin.

"The energy of the Qilin!"

Gu Guanqi was certain that the wisp of energy was related to the Qilin essence blood in the Qilin Tears.

However, that wisp of energy was very weak, far less than the essence blood of the Qilin in the Qilin Tears.

Soon, that wisp of Qilin energy dissipated.

The middle-aged man finally stopped wielding the dagger.

The head slid off the shoulder, rolled to the ground, bounced twice on the blue brick floor, and gushed out blood from the severed neck, spreading a large dark red in the sunlight.

Even more piercing cries erupted in the courtyard; some people collapsed to the ground, while others covered their eyes, unable to bear watching any longer.

Just then, an invisible, colorless, and intangible aura wafted out from the headless corpse.

The aura was extremely light and faint, and in an instant it drifted towards the sky.

Gu Guanqi subconsciously used his true energy to envelop it, but it was as if it were just a wisp of air, impossible to grasp or hold, and simply dissipated.

Gu Guanqi stood on the rooftop, looking up at the sky from the light.

He couldn't see that strange aura; he could only vaguely sense it.

At this moment, it is unclear whether the aura has dissolved into the air or drifted away and disappeared without a trace.

He stood on the rooftop, took one last look at the corpse in the courtyard, then with a flick of his toe, silently retreated from the roof ridge, landing in the shadows of the alley.

Meanwhile, on the shore of Huanyue Lake, east of the Imperial College.

The afternoon sunlight spread across the water, dappling it with golden light, and the willow branches drooped down, swaying gently in the breeze.

Wen Shuyi and Chu Yaoyin were walking slowly along the blue stone path by the lake.

Chu Yaoyin was speaking in a light and cheerful tone when she suddenly noticed that Wen Shuyi beside her had stopped in her tracks.

She tilted her head slightly and saw Wen Shuyi standing there with her head tilted back, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon. Her usually calm and serene eyes now held a rare look of concentration.

Chu Yaoyin also stopped and looked in the direction of her own light, but all she saw was the bright white sunlight of a spring afternoon and a few wisps of clouds.

-

"What are you looking at?" Chu Yaoyin asked.

Wen Shuyi gazed at it quietly for a moment before slowly lowering her eyes and saying in a calm tone, "Observe the aura."

Chu Yaoyin was taken aback: "Angry? What are you angry about?"

Wen Shuyi slowly said, "I just sensed a very strange energy. It's very similar to the life force produced by corpse dissolution, as recorded in ancient books."

Chu Yaoyin blinked, puzzled, and asked, "What is corpse dissection?"

Wen Shuyi explained: "We Taoists pursue ascension to immortality, but different schools and sects have different views on the so-called immortals."

One theory divides immortals into three categories: celestial immortals, earthly immortals, and immortals who have undergone corpse liberation. Corpse liberation refers to the transformation of form, the refinement and shedding of one's true nature, and the metamorphosis of the physical body.

Simply put, when a cultivator reaches a certain level of spiritual attainment, they voluntarily abandon their physical body, ascend to godhood, and become an immortal. During this process, a kind of energy is generated, called the transformative energy.

Chu Yaoyin's eyes widened, and she asked, "Really?"

"Of course it's fake," Wen Shuyi said. "According to my master's explanation, the so-called corpse liberation to become an immortal is actually the same as the demonic arts such as the Cicada Shedding Technique and the Heavenly Serpent Transformation. It is a special cultivation method. After cultivating to a certain level, the physical body will transform and enter the realm of extraordinary martial arts."

However, the path of corpse liberation to immortality differs from the martial arts' refinement of essence into true qi. It involves absorbing a specific type of qi from heaven and earth to form transformed qi. Nevertheless, among the three thousand great paths, all lead to the same destination; this path of corpse liberation to immortality is also a path that can directly lead to ascension.

Chu Yaoyin asked, "Is it also a kind of martial art?"

"Yes," Wen Shuyi nodded and said, "It is a cultivation method, and martial arts is also a cultivation method."

Chu Yaoyin asked, "Then where did that energy come from?"

"I don't know," Wen Shuyi replied, "but since the life force has appeared, it means the other party has succeeded."

Chu Yaoyin exclaimed in surprise, "You've really become an immortal?"

"No, that's not it," Wen Shuyi shook her head slightly and said, "If one reaches that level, what is produced will not be the life force of transformation, but the immortal energy of corpse liberation, which I cannot perceive."

Chu Yaoyin asked, "Then what realm is this 'Transformation into Life Force'?"

Wen Shuyi said, "In martial arts terms, that's the 'Entering the Dao Realm,' or to be more precise, it's the realm of your Eastern Depot's Chief Eunuch, Wei Tanjin!"

Chu Yaoyin exclaimed in shock, "So, another mysterious expert at the same level as the Grand Eunuch has appeared in the capital? Add to that the Left Prime Minister, the Grand General, and Alliance Leader Gu, and that makes five experts of this level!"

Wen Shuyi shook her head slightly and said, "Not only that, the capital is a place where dragons and tigers gather, and who knows what else is hidden in the shadows."

Chu Yaoyin took a deep breath and said, "How come I never realized the capital was this dangerous before?"

After a moment's hesitation, Wen Shuyi said, "I'll leave today, I won't wait until tomorrow!"

"Is it in such a hurry?"

"I'd better leave Beijing as soon as possible!"

Shortly after Gu Guanqi left the courtyard, a series of hurried footsteps broke the afternoon silence from the other side.

A team of constables from the Six Doors quickly arrived and surrounded the entire courtyard in no time.

The leader was none other than Shen Qingqiu, the commander of the Six Doors.

Shen Qingqiu held her twin swords at her waist, the tassels swaying slightly in the sunlight. She strode across the threshold, her gaze falling on the headless corpse in the courtyard, then glancing at the family members and servants who were still wailing and crying. Her brows furrowed for a moment.

Beside her was a middle-aged Taoist priest dressed in a green robe, about forty years old, with a thin face, three strands of black beard under his chin, and a compass in his hand.

-

The Taoist priest held a palm-sized ebony compass in his hand. The compass dial was inlaid with bronze and engraved with intricate star patterns. At this moment, the pointer in the Heavenly Pool was spinning rapidly and buzzing incessantly, as if its life force was being pulled by some invisible force.

"Commander Shen, there's a situation here!"

The Taoist priest spoke, then walked straight around the pool of blood on the ground and stood under an old locust tree in the courtyard. He lowered his eyes and stared at the compass, his expression gradually becoming solemn.

Shen Qingqiu stepped forward and lowered his voice: "Master Ling, what have you discovered?"

'

"There is actually a vein of earth energy passing through this courtyard."

As he spoke, Master Ling raised his sleeve and pointed to the ground, his fingertip hovering above the compass for a moment. The pointer deflected slightly, as if in response to something. "About three feet below our feet, a wisp of earth energy is rising, its momentum not strong, clearly it was only recently drawn in. If we waited another cup of tea, it would probably dissipate."

66

Shen Qingqiu's gaze sharpened: "What is this for?"

;

"It must be a sacrifice." Master Ling slowly put away the compass and squatted down beside the headless corpse. He did not touch the body, but examined it for a moment from a distance of about a hand's width. Then he looked at the head that had rolled to the base of the wall and his brows furrowed even more.

"At the first three locations, the traces of the earth veins had almost completely disappeared by the time I arrived, leaving only a vague sense, so I dared not draw any conclusions. But at this location, the traces are still fresh and clear, which matches my previous guess."

"What guess?"

Master Ling stood up, brushed his sleeves, and said, "There is an old method in Taoism called 'Soldier's Dissolution'." Generally speaking, "Soldier's Dissolution" is when a cultivator's cultivation has reached a certain level, but there is no hope of ascension. They will choose to dissolve their body, retaining a trace of clarity of mind and the great fortune they have accumulated in this life, and then reincarnate to cultivate in order to seek the opportunity to ascend to immortality.

However, this method requires an extremely high level of cultivation, making it unsuitable for ordinary people. Therefore, some cultivators developed a shortcut: piecing together a completely new destiny from the destinies of others, thus achieving spiritual liberation while still alive. This avoids the suffering of spiritual liberation and allows them to gain great fortune and cultivation.

Shen Qingqiu asked, "Then isn't this a method used by evil cultivators?"

Master Ling shook his head and said, "This is not a method of evil cultivation, because the people who make the sacrifice must all be willing from the bottom of their hearts in order to be able to communicate with each other and for the recipient to complete the fake self-destruction."

If even one sacrificer harbors resistance, the recipient will suffer a backlash. This is because this method uses a person's destiny as a catalyst, the earth's veins as a furnace, to refine a wisp of soul energy, allowing the souls to merge. If anyone disagrees, the soul will split.

As he spoke, Master Ling pointed to the corpse and said, "You see, the deceased appears to have committed suicide, but in reality, his soul had already been drawn away. The body was merely using the remaining force of instinct to complete the final step of disintegration."

Shen Qingqiu frowned and said, "So you're saying these four people did it voluntarily?"

'

"If it really is a fake death as I suspect, then it was indeed voluntary," Master Ling said.

Shen Qingqiu asked, "Are you sure?"

Master Ling took out a map, spread it out on the stone steps, and then pointed to several locations on the map in turn.

"The first case is in Huai Liu Lane in the west of the city, which belongs to the west and is associated with the element of metal. The second case is in Qiu Shui Fang in the south of the city, which belongs to the south and is associated with the element of fire. The third case is in Wu Tong Li in the north of the city, which belongs to the north and is associated with the element of water. Today's case is in Qing Yu Lane in the east of the city, which belongs to the east and is associated with the element of wood."

His fingers paused briefly at each of the four points, his movements unhurried, as he said, "Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire—the four elements are complete. If I'm not mistaken, the next one is the central Earth element."

Shen Qingqiu asked, "Where is it?"

Master Ling slowly raised his head, looked at Shen Qingqiu, hesitated for a moment, and said, "According to the Four Symbols, the corresponding central Earth position is—the Imperial Palace!"

Shen Qingqiu's pupils contracted slightly. "Are you sure? This is no joke!" he said.

Master Ling said, "If it really is a fake death by military means, then I can be certain. But the problem is, I can't be sure if it's a fake death by military means!"

Shen Qingqiu took a deep breath and said, "This concerns the palace, we can't gamble. Even if we guess wrong, we still need to take precautions. Based on the fake suicide, could you narrow down the selection?"

"Yes," Master Ling said, "For a fake self-destruction, besides mutual understanding, the most important thing is also a connection of destinies. As long as I know the birth dates of these people, I can deduce the birth date of the fifth person to be sacrificed!"

Shen Qingqiu immediately looked at a scholar responsible for recording the case details and said, "Report the birth dates and times of the four deceased!"

The scholar immediately gave several birth dates and times.

After hearing this, Master Ling's face turned very pale, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Shen Qingqiu quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

Master Ling took a deep breath and said, "Commander Shen, come to the side with me for a moment."

Shen Qingqiu immediately followed Master Ling to a corner.

Master Ling said in a low voice, "False death is categorized into several levels based on one's destiny. The more noble the destiny, the higher the level. And the birth dates and times of these four people are incomparably noble!"

Shen Qingqiu asked, "How expensive?"

Master Ling took a deep breath and said, "These four people's birth dates and times indicate they belong to the White Emperor, Red Emperor, Black Emperor, and Green Emperor respectively—destinies marked by imperial stars. How precious do you think they are?"

Shen Qingqiu raised an eyebrow and said, "Then next—"

Master Ling said, "The destiny of the Yellow Emperor. Now that the Four Symbols have been determined, the next step is to gather the central earth position, which will inevitably belong to the person with the destiny of the Yellow Emperor."

There are quite a few people in the world with this kind of fate, but within the capital city, and specifically within the imperial palace, as far as I know, there is only one person with it.

"Who?"

Master Ling swallowed hard and said, "His Majesty!"

Shen Qingqiu was startled and said, "That's impossible! Could someone really make His Majesty willingly offer himself as a sacrifice?"

Master Ling said in a low voice, "What if His Majesty was deceived?"

Shen Qingqiu frowned deeply.

Master Ling said softly, "Commander Shen, why don't we just stay out of this mess? It concerns His Majesty the Emperor; whether we guess right or wrong, it will be a huge problem."

Shen Qingqiu shook his head slightly and said, "If we guessed wrong, that's fine; but if we guessed right, then we'll be in trouble."

What kind of person could a thief be to deceive His Majesty into offering sacrifices? If His Majesty were to suffer any mishap, the already turbulent situation would likely descend into even greater chaos. I must enter the palace to meet with His Majesty and ask him about this matter in person.”

Master Ling looked conflicted and said, "Should I not go?"

Shen Qingqiu nodded slightly and said, "I'll go. If anyone has to take responsibility, it's me."

Immediately, Shen Qingqiu quickly left the courtyard, mounted his horse, and headed towards the palace.

In the palace and the imperial garden, a gentle breeze blows, and carved railings and winding streams, precious wood corridors and lush grasses cover the ground.

A young man dressed in black brocade was walking slowly, his posture as upright as a pine tree, his features exceptionally handsome and refined, and his demeanor radiant. He was none other than Emperor Zhao Mingce of the current dynasty.

At this moment, Zhao Mingce was leading a woman by the hand.

The woman was dressed in an elegant palace gown, her hair styled in a high bun, adorned with pearls and jade, and she had a beautiful face. Although she was well-maintained, she still appeared to be about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, much older than Zhao Mingce.

This woman was none other than Empress Zhang Yan, and also the daughter of Zhang Jiexi, the Left Chancellor of the court.

Zhang Yan was more than ten years older than Zhao Mingce. When Zhang Yan entered the palace as empress in her twenties, Zhao Mingce was only ten years old. Everyone thought that this couple, who were more than ten years apart in age, would not be harmonious, and that Zhao Mingce would definitely dislike Zhang Yan when he grew up.

However, the two have remained deeply in love for over a decade.

Now, more than ten years into their marriage, Zhao Mingce has repeatedly refused to participate in the imperial concubine selection for Zhang Yan's sake. The only time he argued with the Left Chancellor Zhang Jiexi was because Zhang Jiexi proposed the selection of concubines.

To this day, Zhao Mingce's harem still consists of only Empress Zhang Yan.

A warm breeze carried flower petals to their shoulders, and a babbling stream flowed gently around the artificial hill.

Zhao Mingce held Zhang Yan's hand tightly, their fingers intertwined, as they strolled through the Imperial Garden.

Just then, a eunuch rushed over and said, "Your Majesty, Shen Qingqiu, the commander of the Six Doors' Wind Chaser Division, requests an audience."

Zhao Mingce was slightly taken aback and asked, "Did she say anything about it?"

The eunuch said, "There is a murder case that involves the palace, and we need to consult His Majesty."

Zhao Mingce nodded slightly and said, "Let her wait." After saying that, he looked at Zhang Yan and a gentle smile appeared on his face. He said, "Your Majesty, I will go and see Shen Qingqiu first."

Zhang Yan nodded slightly and said, "Your Majesty may go ahead. I'll just wander around here by myself."

Zhao Mingce said, "I've heard that Shen Qingqiu and Gu Guanqi are very close, and that Shen Qingqiu is possibly Gu Guanqi's confidante. I'll see if I can get a meeting with Gu Guanqi through her."

Zhang Yan asked疑惑地问道, "What is His Majesty doing seeing Gu Guanqi?"

Zhao Mingce said, "The Left Prime Minister told me before that he actually had no hatred for Gu Guanqi regarding Donglou's murder. Donglou did not listen to advice and violated the law, so he deserved what he got."

However, as a father, he couldn't take the initiative to reconcile with Gu Guanqi, which is why the misunderstanding between them grew bigger and bigger.

I heard that Gu Guanqi has now entered the capital, so I thought I'd like to meet with him and mediate the conflict between him and the Left Chancellor. These are turbulent times, the political situation is unstable, and the Empress Dowager and the Eastern Depot are eyeing us covetously. Therefore, resolving the conflict with Gu Guanqi would be the best course of action!

Zhang Yan smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty is very thoughtful. I have also heard my father mention this matter. Gu Guanqi has a reputation for chivalry, but due to a misunderstanding, he has become entangled with those treacherous officials of the Eastern Depot. This is really not good. If Your Majesty can mediate between them, that would be very good."

"Alright," Zhao Mingce said, "Then I'll go see Shen Qingqiu."

Zhang Yan nodded slightly.

Immediately, Zhao Mingce turned and left.

Watching Zhao Mingce depart, Zhang Yan sighed softly and said, "After all these years, His Majesty still has such a pure heart. Ah, that's good too, so that you and I can be like an ordinary couple and stay together for a long time!"

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