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

Chapter 205 Changes in Fate

Beijing.

The afternoon sunlight slanted across the bluestone path, casting long and short shadows of pedestrians. The sounds of carriages and horses filled the air.

The sounds of vendors hawking their wares and children chasing each other mingled together, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere in the streets and alleys.

Gu Guanqi and his group entered the city through the East Gate and walked along the main street for a while.

When they reached a fork in the road, Gu Guanqi stopped.

He flipped the chess piece over and landed, then turned and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Wen Shuyi, saying, "Shuyi, I shall take my leave here."

Wen Shuyi sat in the carriage, the curtain half-lifted, sunlight streaming in from her shoulder, casting a warm glow on her clothes.

She immediately alighted from the carriage, walked up to Gu Guanqi, looked at him, pondered for a moment, and asked:

Where are you going?

Gu Guanqi said, "I need to accompany my friend to take care of some things, and we should be leaving the capital soon."

Wen Shuyi was silent for a moment before nodding, her voice softening slightly: "Then be careful."

"I will." Gu Guanqi smiled slightly.

Looking at Gu Guanqi's handsome face illuminated by the sunlight, Wen Shuyi had many thoughts welling up in her heart, but she couldn't utter a single word.

At this moment, the Wen family members disembarked from the carriage one after another, and Su Shan Liu Zi and others also dismounted.

Everyone came to say goodbye to Gu Guanqi.

Gu Guanqi responded to each of them.

After a while, once everyone had said their goodbyes, Wen Shuyi asked again, "Guanqi, what's next? Will you return to the capital?"

Gu Guanqi thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "After I finish dealing with my friend's matter, I should go to Chuzhou to ask the Shenji Sect to help me forge weapons. So, I probably won't be coming to the capital for a while."

Wen Shuyi felt a slight pang in her heart, but she still managed a faint smile and said in a gentle tone, "I'm always at the Imperial Academy. If you have time, you can come and find me there. I'm always available."

Gu Guanqi looked at her and nodded: "Okay."

After saying this, he cupped his hands in greeting to Su Shan Liu Zi and the Wen family members, then turned and walked along the long street without lingering any longer.

The white-clad figure gradually walked away in the afternoon sunlight, passing through the crowds and turning the street corner, soon being mostly obscured by the shadows of passersby.

Wen Shuyi's gaze followed Gu Guanqi's retreating figure until he completely disappeared into the crowd before she slowly withdrew her gaze.

Wen's mother came up from behind, gently patted Wen Shuyi's hand, and sighed, "Why didn't you say it?"

Wen Shuyi lowered her eyes, remained silent for a while, and then said in a low voice, "Originally, I just wanted to help him cultivate, but I never expected that after spending so little time together, I would fall in love with him myself."

Looking at her, Wen's mother sighed and shook her head: "It's hard to find another person with such charisma as Alliance Leader Gu. It's normal to be attracted to him, especially since he appeared at such a good time in the Qizhou affair."

"Yes," Wen Shuyi sighed softly, looking up at the street scene flickering in the light and shadow. "It's normal to like him. But he doesn't seem to feel the same way about me. On the way back, I've been thinking about this relationship. If he were to say he likes me, I would confess my feelings to him without hesitation. But he—"

She paused, her voice lowering even further, as if speaking to herself: "Sigh, it all depends on fate, Mother. I—I feel so inferior when I'm with him!"

Wen's mother looked at her, hesitated, and finally said in a low voice, "You're not young anymore."

Wen Shuyi remained silent for a long time before softly saying, "But he's too stunning!"

Mrs. Wen sighed, gently squeezed Wen Shuyi's hand, and said, "Meeting someone so amazing, I really don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing!"

Gu Guanqi walked along the long street all the way to the east of the city, heading towards Shen Qingqiu's house.

Along the way, he felt that the atmosphere in the capital had changed a lot.

As the political center of the Qian Kingdom, he used to see many people discussing the current situation everywhere he went in the capital. Some were students, some were ordinary vendors, and some were even people from the martial arts world.

You could clearly feel that political atmosphere.

But now, as he traveled along, he hadn't heard anyone discussing matters of the court or the current state of affairs. It seemed that everyone was deliberately avoiding the topic of the court, creating a sense of unease and fear.

"Has the turmoil surrounding Zhang Jiexi and Yan Kunlun's alleged rebellion still not subsided after all this time?"

Just as Gu Guanqi was wondering, he looked up and saw a familiar figure walking out of the alley diagonally opposite at the street corner. The figure was walking with hurried steps. It was Shen Qingqiu.

Gu Guanqi quickly walked over and called out from a distance, "Qingqiu."

Shen Qingqiu stopped in his tracks upon hearing the sound and turned his head.

She was still wearing her official robes, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and sweat was beading on her forehead, clearly indicating that she had rushed over in a hurry.

Upon seeing Gu Guanqi, a flicker of joy crossed her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it, replacing it with a feigned expression of surprise: "Oh? What a coincidence!"

Gu Guanqi stopped in front of her, his gaze falling on the thin layer of sweat on her forehead. He couldn't help but smile, directly seeing through Shen Qingqiu's thoughts, and said, "Didn't you receive the news and come specifically to pick me up?"

Shen Qingqiu looked away and said arrogantly, "I didn't come to pick you up, I just happened to be passing by."

Gu Guanqi looked at Shen Qingqiu with a smile and said, "Yes, yes, yes, the dignified Governor of the Six Doors, instead of handling official business at midday, you're out taking a stroll, and you're all sweating profusely. You're really not busy at all!"

Shen Qingqiu glared at Gu Guanqi, but showed no annoyance. He simply put his hands behind his back, slightly raised his chin, and said, "Of course, I can't compare to someone as busy as Alliance Leader Gu. He's always busy risking his life for a woman, single-handedly slaying through the temple with his sword—how impressive! Hmm—where's that number one talented woman of the Qian Kingdom?"

Gu Guanqi knew that Shen Qingqiu was jealous, so he said in a serious tone, "The temple is a malignant tumor, using faith to enslave the people of Qizhou. I saw it and couldn't stand it anymore, so I took action."

"Hmph, who cares what your reasons are!" Shen Qingqiu curled his lip, but didn't pursue the topic any further, instead asking, "However, in Qizhou, with the temple's collapse, there must be a huge mess left. Have you finished dealing with everything? You're back already?"

Gu Guanqi said, "There are indeed some troubles in Qizhou. Although the temple has collapsed, a centipede is not dead but still has many problems. Whether it is the government or the martial arts world, there are still many things to do."

"Then why did you come back?" Shen Qingqiu asked.

Gu Guanqi said, "I'm worried about you going back to the Tie family. I'm afraid you'll be bullied there. As for what happened in Qizhou, nothing is as important as your situation."

Shen Qingqiu felt a taut string in her heart being gently plucked, and her heart involuntarily quickened. She slightly turned her face away, not letting Gu Guanqi see the barely concealed glint in her eyes, but said aloud, "You certainly know how to sweet-talk people, no wonder you're so charming—"

"Cough cough————"

At this moment, Gu Guanqi suddenly staggered slightly and coughed twice.

Shen Qingqiu turned around almost instinctively, his arrogant expression vanishing instantly. He quickly walked to Gu Guanqi, grabbed Gu Guanqi's wrist to take his pulse, and asked anxiously, "Are you injured? How are you? Are you alright? —"

Before she could finish speaking, Gu Guanqi had already reached out and taken her hand.

Shen Qingqiu's words came to an abrupt halt. She glanced down at their clasped hands, then looked up to meet Gu Guanqi's smiling eyes. A slight blush rose to her cheeks, but she did not pull away.

Sunlight slanted down from above the street, falling on the two people's shoulders and casting long, overlapping shadows.

Shen Qingqiu pursed her lips slightly, looked away, and muttered under her breath, "How come I never realized you were so good at cheating before!"

Even so, she did not pull her hand away, letting Gu Guanqi lead her forward.

"Are you going to work at the Six Doors again today?" Gu Guanqi asked.

"No," Shen Qingqiu said, "I handed everything over to Elder Yan when I first came out."

"Old Yan? Yan Wangchuan?" Gu Guanqi asked in confusion.

"Yes, it's him," Shen Qingqiu said. "I transferred him from Qingzhou to the capital a few days ago and promoted him by half a rank. Now he serves as an advisor under me."

Gu Guanqi chuckled and said, "How does it feel to have your former boss as your subordinate?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "Old Yan is both a teacher and a friend to me. He has been in officialdom for decades and has a wealth of experience."

"During this period, I took over the Six Doors, and I relied heavily on his guidance in many matters."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "Although Old Yan is cunning and shrewd, his abilities are undeniable, especially his survival skills, which are worth learning from."

Shen Qingqiu nodded slightly and said, "After he arrived in the capital, he quickly became familiar with the various factions and provided me with many ideas. Moreover, he is incredibly capable; he accurately guessed His Majesty's plan after only attending court once."

"What plan?" Gu Guanqi asked.

Shen Qingqiu said, "His Majesty still relies heavily on the Eastern Depot, and has appointed Wei Tanjin as the new head. However, he has restored the Western Depot, which was in place during the late Emperor's reign, to strengthen the defense of the inner palace and intelligence gathering."

Many people had guessed this move, after all, Wei Tanjin was previously a confidant of the Empress Dowager, and although he had now surrendered, His Majesty would definitely cultivate a new institution to check and balance him. However, Elder Yan deduced from this that His Majesty was restarting the Imperial Observatory.

Later, His Majesty actually reinstated the Imperial Observatory, granting it the authority to inspect the entire country, monitor local officials, and even execute first and report later.

Gu Guanqi asked in confusion, "How did Elder Yan deduce that?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "Old Yan felt that the checks and balances between the Eastern Depot and the Western Depot were not enough, and that a third-party force needed to be introduced to put pressure on the Six Ministries and also to check and balance the Eastern and Western Depots."

As it turned out, Elder Yan was right. With the power of the Imperial Observatory, once it was put into use, it could easily cut off the hands of the Eastern Depot and the Western Depot. In the capital, if the Eastern Depot and the Western Depot were to clash in full force, they could also cause the Imperial Observatory to collapse. Therefore, this arrangement allowed the three parties to check and balance each other.

At the same time, the Imperial Observatory and the Eastern and Western Depots could exert great pressure on civil and military officials and the Six Ministries. It was precisely because of the checks and balances among the three parties that His Majesty was not deceived.

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "I'm not too clear about the affairs of the court. However, when I returned today, I felt that the atmosphere in the capital was somewhat oppressive."

Shen Qingqiu said, "His Majesty has been purging Zhang Jiexi and Yan Kunlun's old subordinates during this period. At the same time, the Western Depot has just been established and needs to make an example of them. Therefore, the capital has been in turmoil one after another during this period."

Gu Guanqi asked, "Did it affect you?"

Shen Qingqiu shook his head slightly and said, "Everyone in the court knows about our relationship. Unless someone wants to deal with you, it's impossible for anyone to make a move against me."

Furthermore, the Six Doors now wields very little power. Locally, it only has the authority to maintain order within the martial arts world. Previously, it could also allocate trade routes, but this power now belongs to the Martial Arts Alliance and local government offices. As for the capital, the Six Doors only has the power to arrest and investigate cases, and it cannot participate in court intrigues.

Gu Guanqi nodded, then asked, "When do you plan to go back to the Tie family?"

"In a few days," Shen Qingqiu said, "I'll go after I've handed over all my work."

"Is the Tie family in Tianzhou?" Gu Guanqi asked.

Shen Qingqiu shook his head slightly and said, "The Tie family's main power is in Tianzhou, but I'm going to the Tie family's ancestral homeland, which is in Yanzhou."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "Okay, I'll go with you no matter where you are."

"Um."

Shen Qingqiu nodded.

The two walked hand in hand for a while longer, then Shen Qingqiu asked, "By the way, now that you're back in the capital, are you going to see His Majesty?"

"Forget it," Gu Guanqi said, "there's nothing to see." Then, Gu Guanqi asked, "What did His Majesty do about the Empress? After all, she's Zhang Jiexi's daughter, and Zhang Jiexi is now being branded a traitor."

Shen Qingqiu was silent for a while before saying, "Actually, when you left the capital, the Empress was already seriously ill. The palace told the outside world that Zhang Jiexi was plotting a rebellion, which caused the Empress great distress. She passed away a few days later."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "Everyone said before that His Majesty's personality was too gentle and that he might be bullied by the court officials after he came to power. Now it seems that everyone was wrong."

"Yes," Shen Qingqiu said, "His Majesty's methods during his time in power have been anything but indecisive; on the contrary, they have been very decisive and ruthless, and his methods have been quite sophisticated."

The only problem is that His Majesty has taken in several concubines, one of whom is Consort Rong, who is deeply favored by His Majesty and is said to be someone His Majesty admired in his early years.

However, because of consideration for the Empress and Zhang Jiexi, this had not been revealed before. Now that she has been brought into the harem, she enjoys immense favor. Everyone is now somewhat worried that His Majesty's excessive favor towards Consort Rong might lead to interference in politics within the harem.

Gu Guanqi asked, "What is the background of that Consort Rong?"

Shen Qingqiu shook her head and said, "She has no special background. She's just an ordinary peasant girl. She only met His Majesty once. It was a few years ago when His Majesty and the Empress went out of the palace for a social event and they met by chance. After that, Consort Rong has remained unmarried and waited for His Majesty."

Gu Guanqi raised an eyebrow and said, "It's normal for someone who falls in love at first sight and waits for years with no results to show for it to receive favor. But judging from the methods His Majesty has shown so far, he's not an irrational person and should know his limits."

Shen Qingqiu nodded slightly, looked up at Gu Guanqi, smiled slightly, and said, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's go back first. After I change my clothes, I'll take you to Juyunxuan for dinner. We haven't had a chance to go before. I heard they've launched a new dish there, and it's delicious!"

"it is good."

Inside the Imperial Study in the Imperial Palace.

The sandalwood incense rose gently from the Boshan incense burner, condensing into a thin wisp of blue smoke in the slanting sunlight, slowly swirling and dissipating.

On the desk were piles of memorials with vermilion annotations. Zhao Mingce sat upright behind the desk, his vermilion pen moving slowly across the paper as he reviewed them, his expression focused.

Standing beside him was a middle-aged eunuch, none other than Ma Yushan, the supervisor of the Western Depot. He stood respectfully to the side with his hands at his sides, his posture extremely humble, even his breathing was very soft, for fear of disturbing the emperor's will.

After a long while, Zhao Mingce suddenly put down his vermilion brush, raised his eyes, and asked, "Master Ma, has Alliance Leader Gu returned to the capital?"

Ma Yushan quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, Alliance Leader Gu arrived in the capital just half an hour ago and is currently with Lord Shen Qingqiu."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Mingce smiled slightly and said, "This Alliance Leader Gu is indeed as romantic as the rumors say. Wherever he goes, he is always with his female companions. He is truly carefree."

Ma Yushan raised his eyes slightly, somewhat unable to fathom Zhao Mingce's intentions, and casually replied, "Alliance Leader Gu is indeed a celestial being."

Zhao Mingce nodded slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on the clear sky outside the window. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Master Ma, tell me, why does Heaven favor one person so much? It's one thing to be exceptionally talented and skilled in martial arts, but to be so young and handsome is another. Just one glance is enough to make even a man like me fall for his charm!"

'

Upon hearing this, Ma Yushan immediately bowed and tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, would you like to summon Alliance Leader Gu?"

'

Zhao Mingce shook his head slightly and said in a gentle tone, "There's no need for an audience. Just find a suitable time, and I'll go out of the palace to see him."

I've really missed him since I last saw him. However, don't disturb him. When he's free, he doesn't need to worry about me. Even if he's in court, he can stop for a moment.

Ma Yushan was startled and quickly bowed, saying, "Your subject understands and will certainly not disturb Alliance Leader Gu."

Zhao Mingce nodded slightly and said, "By the way, a few days ago, Alliance Leader Gu sent a memorial from Qizhou. Go and urge the Ministry of Personnel to do something about it. Don't delay. Alliance Leader Gu should arrange for those officials to take office as soon as possible."

Ma Yushan's eyes showed some surprise, astonished by Zhao Mingce's indulgence of Gu Guanqi, but he naturally didn't say much, only replying, "I will go to the Ministry of Personnel later to urge them."

Just then, a series of light footsteps came from outside the door. A eunuch stopped at the threshold, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, Consort Rong requests an audience, saying she wants to prepare a cooling soup for you."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Mingce put down his vermilion pen and softened his tone: "Let her in." Then, he gently waved to Ma Yushan.

Ma Yushan understood immediately, bowed, took two steps back, and left the imperial study.

Before long, a slender figure gracefully walked to the door of the Imperial Study.

That is none other than Consort Rong, who is currently enjoying the utmost favor in the imperial harem.

She wore a light pink palace dress, the gold thread embroidery on the hem shimmering like waves in the afternoon sunlight. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, her eyes slightly upturned, her gaze carrying a natural allure, yet it was suppressed by her gentle and dignified demeanor, making it all the more captivating.

She carried a jade food box in her hand, her steps light and silent. The moment she stepped into the hall, even the afternoon light seemed to be tinged with a warm, ambiguous feeling by her figure.

She slightly raised her eyes to look at Zhao Mingce behind the desk, a faint smile on her lips, a smile that was neither strong nor weak, yet contained a thousand kinds of tenderness.

"Your Majesty, I was worried that you were overworked in the summer heat, so I specially brewed a bowl of soup to relieve the heat." Consort Rong's voice was soft and gentle.

She approached the table, gently placed the food box on the corner, and as she moved, her sleeve slipped down slightly, revealing a section of her fair wrist. She carefully opened the box and took out the soup bowl.

Sunlight streamed in through the high window, illuminating her slightly flushed cheeks and making her captivating eyes even more alluring.

"Thank you very much, Consort Rong!"

Zhao Mingce smiled and thanked him, then reached out to take the spoon.

Consort Rong went behind the table and said softly, "Your Majesty, let me feed you!"

Zhao Mingce smiled slightly and said, "Alright, then I'll have to trouble Consort Rong."

Consort Rong then sat down in Zhao Mingce's lap, and began to feed him with a bowl in her hand.

The two then exchanged some intimate words.

After a long while, Zhao Mingce finished his bowl of soup. Consort Rong put down her bowl and spoon, but did not get up. Instead, she continued to nestle in Zhao Mingce's arms and whispered, "Your Majesty, are you going to Xianfu Palace tonight?"

Zhao Mingce said, "I'm afraid it won't work tonight. I have to discuss matters with several ministers tonight, and by the time I finish dealing with things here, it will be very late."

Consort Rong pressed her cheek against Zhao Mingce's chest, gently poking his arm with a finger, and said, "No matter how late it is, I'll wait for Your Majesty. I can't sleep if I can't reach Your Majesty. Your Majesty knows I'm timid."

Zhao Mingce chuckled and said, "Alright, alright, I'll finish things as soon as possible and come find you as soon as possible."

"Your Majesty is so kind!"

Consort Rong reached out and hugged Zhao Mingce's neck, saying, "I really don't want to leave Your Majesty for even a moment longer."

Zhao Mingce extended a finger and affectionately tapped Consort Rong's forehead, saying, "Alright, you can go back now. I still have some memorials to review."

Consort Rong snuggled closer to Zhao Mingce and said, "Your Majesty, please hug me again, just for a little while, okay?"

Zhao Mingce smiled helplessly and said, "Alright, whatever you say!"

"whee!"

Consort Rong smiled, a sly glint in her eyes.

After a while, Consort Rong suddenly said, "Your Majesty, I heard that the Qizhou Temple was destroyed by Gu Guanqi?"

Zhao Mingce hummed in agreement and said, "That's true!"

Consort Rong then said, "I heard that he also killed a large number of officials in Qizhou, and then personally selected a group of them. Now he has submitted a memorial asking Your Majesty to appoint them to official positions."

Zhao Mingce frowned slightly and said, "This is none of your business, so don't ask."

Consort Rong pouted and said, "I'm just worried about Your Majesty. Gu Guanqi already has absolute power in Hongzhou, and now Qizhou is about to become his domain as well."

Although he was exonerated for his meritorious service, the emperor is the emperor, and the subject is the subject. He should have known his place and not act recklessly just because of the emperor's favor. Not only did he arbitrarily dismiss officials, but now he is even directly asking the emperor to appoint officials to those he has chosen. This is too presumptuous.

If he truly respected His Majesty, he should have reported it promptly, allowing His Majesty to decide who should be promoted and who should be demoted. How could he make decisions for His Majesty? This violates the duties of a subject!

Zhao Mingce's face turned ashen, and his eyes flashed with a cold light.

Consort Rong continued, "However, Your Majesty, it's probably just that Leader Gu has been in the martial world for too long, and his habits are just so unrestrained."

He must be loyal; otherwise, he wouldn't have rushed to the palace to save the emperor, and he wouldn't have accepted any reward afterwards.

He's just not very familiar with the rules of the court; Your Majesty can easily give him a gentle reminder!

Zhao Mingce said in a deep voice, "Then how do you think we should give them some pointers?"

Consort Rong said, "The memorials will be reviewed normally, but with a longer delay. Then, replace some of the candidates he recommended, but not all of them, otherwise he'll lose face. Just replace a portion; I think Alliance Leader Gu will understand His Majesty's meaning. After all, he governs the martial arts world of three states and is a superior; he'll definitely understand!"

Zhao Mingce looked down at Consort Rong and said, "Why not go all the way and accuse him of disrespecting the emperor and plotting rebellion? Then force him to storm the palace, and I'll lay a trap to eliminate him and prevent future troubles. What do you think?"

Consort Rong's face turned deathly pale instantly. She hurriedly got out of Zhao Mingce's arms, knelt on the ground, and said in a panic, "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I was too talkative. I shouldn't have interfered in court affairs. I—I was just a woman with narrow-minded views. I only thought of Your Majesty and didn't understand those things—"

"snort!"

Zhao Mingce snorted coldly, leaned down to look at Consort Rong, and said in an icy tone, "Hua Qianyue, I hope you'll be smart. I love you, that's beyond doubt, but you'd better not think of using my love for you to interfere in court affairs. Doing so will only diminish my love for you!"

Consort Rong trembled all over and stammered, "I—I know I was wrong—I was just blinded by greed."

Zhao Mingce said calmly, "I know you hate Gu Guanqi because of the destruction of the Hua family. But you need to understand one thing: even without Gu Guanqi, I would have destroyed your Hua family anyway for what you did."

"On the surface, you associate with the Empress Dowager, but secretly you're Zhang Jiexi's man. You should know what Zhang Jiexi has done. Don't even mention the annihilation of your Hua family; even the extermination of your entire clan wouldn't be an exaggeration."

Consort Rong hurriedly said, "I—I know—Your Majesty, it was my fault. I didn't intend to interfere in court affairs. It's just that I resented Gu Guanqi for causing the Hua family to be wiped out—so I dared to make things difficult for Gu Guanqi for a moment—"

"That would be for the best," Zhao Mingce said. "If you attempt to interfere in politics with the inner palace, I will not give you a second chance."

"I won't, absolutely not," Consort Rong said.

Zhao Mingce said slowly, "Get up!"

Consort Rong then stood up tremblingly, her eyes brimming with tears, and said, "Your Majesty, I truly know I was wrong."

Zhao Mingce sighed, reached out and gently wiped away the tears from Consort Rong's eyes, and said, "You should know that you are still a wanted criminal in name only. Although I asked the divine physician to make some changes to your appearance."

However, in the presence of a master, it's still possible to reveal your true appearance. You were once considered one of the two beauties of Tianzhou, alongside my imperial sister Zhao Qingci; many people know you, so the risk is immense. If word gets out that I've taken in a wanted criminal, and a woman from a rebel family at that, my reputation will be tarnished.”

Consort Rong choked back tears and said, "I understand His Majesty's deep affection!"

Zhao Mingce said, "So, you should keep a low profile from now on. Try not to come to places like my study anymore. Just stay quietly in the inner palace, understand?"

Consort Rong was slightly taken aback, realizing that she had truly angered Zhao Mingce, and this was a clear restriction on her freedom of movement. But she had no choice but to obediently reply, "I understand."

Immediately, Zhao Mingce waved his hand and said, "You go back first, I have to deal with government affairs."

"Yes."

Consort Rong put the soup bowl on the table into a food box, then carried it out the door. She stopped again at the door, hesitatingly asking, "Your Majesty, will you be coming to Xianfu Palace again tonight?"

"We'll see!"

Consort Rong's heart sank, and she slowly turned and left.

After Consort Rong left the imperial study, Zhao Mingce asked coldly, "Have you investigated the forces behind Consort Rong?"

At this moment, a eunuch walked out from behind the screen and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, it is not completely certain yet, but we have a general idea. It is one of the six sects of the demonic path, either the Heavenly Principle Sect or the Rebellious Path Sect."

Previously, when the Hua family was destroyed, both of these forces appeared in Tianhu County. Now, the head maid in Consort Rong's palace is Consort Rong's fellow disciple.

Zhao Mingce frowned and said, "These demonic methods can't be that low-level, can they? It's impossible that they think love is so great that it can make a person lose their mind and their most basic judgment."

"I've just taken power, and my long-lost beloved has conveniently reappeared? This is clearly suspicious. Logically, they shouldn't be resorting to such low-level tactics. Go and find out their true intentions; this is probably their way of trying to get me to cooperate."

The eunuch said, "Your Majesty, could it be that they know you are in love with Consort Rong, and therefore want to use her to control you?"

Zhao Mingce waved his hand and said, "This method is too low-level. It doesn't seem like something a large power with hundreds of years of history would do."

"I understand!"

Immediately, the eunuch quietly retreated and quickly disappeared.

At this time, Hua Qianyue returned to Xianfu Palace.

As soon as she entered the room, she said angrily, "Men are all unreliable! He kept saying how much he loved me, but after I only said a few words, he flew into a rage!"

At this moment, a woman dressed as a palace maid walked into the room and said softly, "Junior sister, you are too hasty. Zhao Mingce has only just taken power, and the court situation is not yet stable. Although he loves you, he dares not act recklessly in the current situation."

Hua Qianyue hesitated, "Senior sister, will this really work? Although Zhao Mingce has feelings for me, surely that love isn't enough to make him listen to everything I say?"

The woman in palace attire said, "Have you forgotten the Divine Skill of Separation from Death that your master taught you? This skill can amplify love. As long as the other person loves you, it can be amplified a thousandfold."

"You're still lacking in skill. Once you've mastered the 'Separation from Death' technique, Zhao Mingce will love you so much he'll be hopelessly devoted, even willing to give his life for you."

Hua Qianyue pondered for a moment and said, "I will be careful and won't be so impatient in the future."

The woman in palace attire said, "I know you hate Gu Guanqi, but Gu Guanqi is no ordinary person. If you are too hasty, you will only alert him and make things worse."

Hua Qianyue said, "I just wanted to slowly sow discord between Gu Guanqi and Zhao Mingce, but I didn't expect Zhao Mingce to be so sensitive. I only mentioned it a little, and he exploded."

"Just be more careful next time."

The capital city, the Imperial College.

After settling the Wen family in, Wen Shuyi rushed to the Imperial Academy. As a Doctor of the Imperial Academy, although she had taken sick leave, she should go to the Imperial Academy to explain the situation as soon as she returned to the capital.

As soon as she arrived at the Imperial Academy, a headmaster approached her and said, "Dr. Wen, the Chancellor has instructed that you should go directly to see him upon your arrival."

The Imperial Academy Chancellor is the head of the Imperial Academy.

However, Wen Shuyi was somewhat surprised, as her return from sick leave was not under the jurisdiction of the Chancellor. Furthermore, she was even more puzzled as to how the Chancellor knew she had returned.

-

The headmaster seemed to sense Wen Shuyi's doubts, smiled slightly, and said, "Dr. Wen, you may not know this yet, but the headmaster has been replaced."

Wen Shuyi inquired, "Who is the newly appointed chief priest?"

The headmaster said, "Your master is the Imperial Preceptor Pei Guanxuan."

Wen Shuyi was full of doubts.

The headmaster said, "Don't ask me for details, I don't know either. The Imperial Academy Chief is here right now, you should ask him yourself!"

Thank you.

Wen Shuyi thanked her and then left.

Soon, she arrived at a small courtyard.

As soon as I entered, I saw a very refined middle-aged man in a blue robe drinking tea in the pavilion. This man was none other than Pei Guanxuan, the current imperial advisor.

"Master."

Wen Shuyi entered the room and called out softly.

Pei Guanxuan lay back in a grand chair, beckoned, and said, "Shuyi is here, come in!"

Wen Shuyi walked over and sat down on the stone bench next to her.

"There's iced tea on the table, help yourself," Pei Guanxuan said.

Instead of pouring tea, Wen Shuyi went straight to the point and asked, "Master, what brings you to the Imperial Academy as its Chancellor?"

Pei Guanxuan dismissed it, saying, "Isn't it obvious? He's been demoted!"

"this----"

Pei Guanxuan chuckled and said, "Some time ago, a great upheaval occurred in the capital, and I ran away to hide. Now that His Majesty is in power, he is naturally resentful. The fact that he hasn't demoted me from the capital or revoked my title as the National Preceptor is already out of consideration for the late Emperor."

Furthermore, His Majesty has now re-established the Imperial Observatory, granting it the power to oversee the entire realm and to execute without prior approval. Naturally, he will employ people he trusts, making it even more impossible for me to continue serving as the Director of the Imperial Observatory.

Wen Shuyi nodded and said, "I understand." She then asked, "Then, Master, when did you return to the capital?"

Pei Guanxuan said, "I returned a few days after the incident in the capital. Some time ago, I heard that you had gotten into trouble in Qizhou, and I was originally planning to rush over to help you. However, before I even left Tianzhou, I received news that Gu Guanqi had already settled things for you. Don't blame your master; your master hasn't abandoned you, his little disciple!"

Wen Shuyi smiled slightly and said, "Of course I know Master wouldn't abandon me." She poured herself a cup of tea and asked, "Master, didn't you say before that the fate of the capital was changing and you were afraid of being caught up in the turmoil? Why did you return to the capital so early?"

Pei Guanxuan said, "Because I miscalculated, I had doubts in my heart and couldn't suppress my curiosity, so I came back early."

Wen Shuyi asked, "Where did you miscalculate?"

Pei Guanxuan said, "The man destined for heaven in the previous era was Zhang Jiexi, and in my deduction, the new man destined for heaven in his era should be General Yan Kunlun."

But, as you know, Yan Kunlun was actually killed by Gu Guanqi. This completely shattered my understanding; a person destined for greatness shouldn't die before their destiny is fulfilled!

Wen Shuyi said, "Could it be that Yan Kunlun isn't dead? Or did he fake his death?"

"No, he's really dead," Pei Guanxuan said. "That's what I can't understand, so I came back. Then, I found the heavens in complete chaos, and I can't see anything clearly now. In the end, I couldn't escape it; I was still dragged into it."

Wen Shuyi asked, "Master, tell me the truth, if the natural order of destiny had been followed, what would the outcome have been?"

Pei Guanxuan said, "The previous person chosen by Heaven was Zhang Jiexi. His destiny was to disrupt the court and cause turmoil in the times. At the last moment, he would bring in a new person chosen by Heaven, namely Yan Kunlun."

Yan Kunlun's destiny, however, is to hasten the demise of the Great Qian Dynasty. He will seize power, eliminate dissidents, and make Zhang Jiexi witness firsthand how easy it is to invite a god but difficult to send him away. Ultimately, this will trigger widespread chaos, with dragons and snakes rising from the land! As for what happens after that, that's beyond my ability to predict."

Wen Shuyi asked, "So, in your original deduction, Gu Guanqi wasn't included?"

"No," Pei Guanxuan said. "The strange thing is that, in a chaotic world, a person like Gu Guanqi should be an indispensable figure of great fortune, but I have never been able to find any trace of Gu Guanqi in my previous deductions."

I originally thought he would be a hermit, but I never expected that the chosen one of this new era would be killed by him, which means that the course of events has changed.

Wen Shuyi asked doubtfully, "The result remains the same?"

Pei Guanxuan said, "The decline of the Great Qian Dynasty is an inevitable trend, which cannot be changed by fate or a single restorer. This is because the rise and fall of dynasties follows a pattern; in their later years, they are generally plagued by severe land annexation..."

The people cannot survive.

The Great Qian Dynasty is in this state now. Unless His Majesty can confront all the nobles and upper classes, including his civil and military officials, and all the various sects and factions under heaven, the fundamental problem cannot be solved. Therefore, the demise of the Great Qian Dynasty is inevitable and will not change.

Originally, Zhang Jiexi and Yan Kunlun's destiny was to intensify conflict. Now that they are dead, the secrets of heaven are in chaos, and I can't see anything clearly. However, destiny doesn't disappear; it only shifts. I just don't know to whom it has shifted now.

Wen Shuyi asked, "Didn't you notice anything during your time in the capital?"

"Yes," Pei Guanxuan said, "but it's not clear. I have several guesses about the new chosen one. One is Gu Guanqi, after all, he killed Yan Kunlun, so it's reasonable for the destiny to be transferred to him."

Secondly, His Majesty's behavior has become increasingly domineering lately. I feel that if this continues, he will easily fall into a state of intellectual stagnation and gradually lose control. The Great Qian Dynasty needs a ruler who can restore the dynasty, but not a monarch who follows the path of tyranny.

Thirdly, there's the imperial harem. Throughout history, in the final years of dynasties, there have been numerous instances of scheming concubines bewitching the emperor, ultimately escalating conflicts and sparking rebellions. And now, Consort Rong perfectly fits this description.

Wen Shuyi said, "So, it was all just your speculation?"

Pei Guanxuan said, "As I said, the secrets of heaven are in chaos now, and I can't see anything clearly. So I can only analyze it based on my personal understanding of history."

However, this is not entirely without basis. Some time ago, when I went to the palace to meet the Emperor, I discovered that His Majesty may very well be practicing the Way of the King and the Hegemon, which also has another name: the Way of Heartlessness.

His only emotional support was Consort Rong. What if Consort Rong brought disaster to the country? If she didn't die, the people would suffer; if she did, His Majesty's ruthlessness would reach its peak. No one could predict what a heartless monarch might do.

Consort Wen nodded slightly and said, "Perhaps His Majesty's feelings for Consort Rong aren't that strong?"

Pei Guanxuan said, "The Path of Heartlessness, the Path of Ruthlessness, and even the Path of Passion created by Gu Guanqi all have one characteristic: they must have an extreme emotional attachment. Without it, they cannot achieve great success."

If His Majesty's feelings for Consort Rong weren't so strong, the problem might not be so serious. But who can predict feelings?

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