Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

Li Yuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he had made the right bet; although the emperor was young, he was not incompetent.

What he needed were not sycophants, but truly capable people. If Li Yuan had readily agreed, it would have aroused the emperor's suspicion.

"However," Li Yan changed the subject, his smile fading slightly, "since you've rejected my good intentions, you should at least offer me something else to compensate me, shouldn't you?"

Li Yuan felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that the real test had arrived. He quickly and respectfully replied, "What are your orders, Your Majesty? I will do my utmost."

Li Yan did not answer directly. He stood up, walked to the outside of the pavilion with his hands behind his back, looked up at the sky, and remained silent for a moment before asking, "Li Yuan, after your trip, what do you think of the current situation of the Tang Dynasty?"

After thinking for a moment, Li Yuan decided to tell the truth: "Your Majesty, on this trip, I passed through several provinces, and what I saw and heard was not optimistic."

Tell me about it.

"Demons roam freely in various places, and the people suffer greatly," Li Yuan said. "The battle at Xuefeng Mountain suppressed the Crowned Demon King, but new demon kings keep emerging in various places, and they even dare to openly attack government ships and plunder military supplies."

"The local demon-suppressing offices were established during times of peace and are no longer sufficient to deal with the endless demonic troubles."

He paused and looked at Li Yan's expression. The latter nodded slightly to him, signaling him to continue.

"The main reasons are that too many combat forces were drawn from the Northwest front, leaving the interior vulnerable. Another reason is the rigid structure of the Demon Suppression Bureau, with each department acting independently and lacking coordination and cooperation."

"Collaboration and coordination?"

Li Yuan accidentally uttered a term from his past life, and had to patiently explain: "It refers to the ability to cooperate in handling cases. If a monster scourge appears in a certain place that exceeds our ability to deal with, and we cannot help each other, we can only wait for the headquarters to send people to support us. This is especially in remote areas, which is very inconvenient and often causes irreparable damage."

"That makes sense." Li Yan wasn't angry at his implication of chaos; he turned to look at him, his expression inscrutable. "Then what do you think should be done?"

Li Yuan had actually thought about this situation before and had come up with a solution.

"I believe that the position of Inspector can be added to the Demon Suppression Division."

"Inspector?" Li Yan's brow twitched slightly. "Tell me more."

"The patrol officers are different from the captains of the Demon Suppression Division who are stationed in one place. They are a mobile force," Li Yuan said. "A group of highly skilled and experienced core members are selected from the Demon Suppression Division. Each person is responsible for one or more patrols. Their daily duties include patrolling various places and monitoring the demon situation."

"Once an emergency is discovered, we can take immediate action without waiting for orders from the commander-in-chief."

"In this way, we can both make up for the lack of combat power of the local demon-suppressing bureaus and improve our ability to deal with demon scourges, achieving the best of both worlds."

Li Yuan continued his analysis: "Moreover, the patrol officers are often away from home and are very familiar with the situation of demons in various places. If a powerful demon causes trouble in the future, they will be able to deal with it in time."

After he finished speaking, seeing that Li Yan remained silent, seemingly lost in thought, he dared not disturb him and quietly awaited his decision.

Li Yan stood with his hands behind his back under the tree, gazing at the sky in a daze. After a long while, Li Yan finally spoke: "I find your suggestion rather interesting."

Li Yuan was overjoyed, but before he could speak, Li Yan continued, "However, this matter concerns the reform of the Demon Suppression Division's system. It's a matter of great importance, and we cannot make a hasty decision."

"Here's what we'll do. After you go back, write down your thoughts in a memorial and submit it to me. I will have the cabinet discuss it."

Li Yuan was somewhat disappointed. The emperor neither agreed nor refused, leaving him completely uncertain.

"I obey your decree."

However, he still respectfully clasped his hands in greeting.

Li Yan turned around, looked at him, and said with a deep look in his eyes, "Li Yuan, I hope you will not disappoint me."

Li Yuan's heart tightened, and he solemnly replied, "Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail in your trust."

"Go, I await your memorial."

Li Yan nodded and waved.

Li Yuan bowed and took his leave, then followed Eunuch Wang out of the courtyard.

As he stepped out of the courtyard, the night breeze blew in his face, invigorating him. Only then did he realize that his back was soaked with cold sweat.

At the entrance of the alley, there was an inconspicuous carriage. The curtain was lifted slightly, revealing Ye Hongyu's strikingly handsome face.

"Get in the car, I'll take you home."

Li Yuan was flattered: "Thank you for your hard work, Lord Ye."

The carriage moved slowly. Ye Hongyu sat in the carriage, closing her eyes to rest. She didn't ask him what he had talked about with the emperor, and Li Yuan wouldn't take the initiative to say either. He just leaned against the carriage wall, gazing absently at the street scene passing by outside the window.

The carriage stopped in front of an ancient gatehouse. Li Yuan was taken aback and realized that this was actually the back gate of Shenwu Academy.

"Lord Ye, this is..."

"Stay at Shenwu Academy for now," Ye Hongyu's voice came from inside the carriage. "You can report to the Demon Suppression Division once the situation becomes clearer."

Li Yuan instantly understood Ye Hongyu's intention. With everyone watching, she was giving him a buffer period and allowing him to avoid being secretly monitored.

It seems the masked man wasn't lying about one thing: there really were people within the Demon Suppression Division who didn't want him to return.

"Thank you, Lord Ye." Li Yuan bowed to the carriage.

No more sounds came from the carriage as it slowly drove away and disappeared into the night.

Li Yuan turned and walked into the Divine Martial Academy. After several months, he really missed Mr. Mo.

The night at Shenwu Academy is peaceful and serene.

Li Yuan walked straight through the campus path to the back hill. The lights were still on in the courtyard. He walked into the courtyard and gently knocked on the door.

"Come in," a gentle voice came from inside.

Li Yuan pushed open the door and entered.

Inside the room, Mr. Mo was sitting at his desk, holding an ancient book in his hand. Liu Hongyan, dressed in red, was smiling and looking over from the chair next to him.

"Teacher, Mr. Mo."

Li Yuan bowed respectfully and asked with some surprise, "Why are you two gathered here today? Is there something important to discuss?"

"It's nothing, I was just waiting for you." Liu Hongyan laughed. "Hongyu sent someone over this afternoon to say that you're coming back to stay for a while."

"So that's how it is," Li Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, then felt a surge of emotion.

Liu Hongyan looked him up and down, a hint of heartache flashing in her eyes: "You've lost weight and gotten darker. We've heard about what happened on the road."

"You've suffered."

"The students are alright." Li Yuan felt a pang of sadness. "It's the teachers who were worried."

Mr. Mo put down the ancient book in his hand and pointed to the chair opposite him: "Sit down and let's talk."

Li Yuan sat down as instructed, and Liu Hongyan poured him a cup of hot tea. The fragrant tea dispelled the chill of the night, and the three of them sat around under the lamp, as if they had returned to the days when they were still studying.

He recounted his experiences over this period, from rescuing Leng Ningshuang at Taixu Academy to his secret meeting with the emperor today, recounting everything he could.

Mr. Mo and Liu Hongyan listened quietly, occasionally exchanging a glance, but without interrupting him.

I've been through a lot lately; it would take half an hour to explain it all.

"You did the right thing by refusing His Majesty's transfer." Although Mr. Mo was not in the court, he was well aware of the intricacies of the situation.

"Does the gentleman also think I should refuse?"

"Your current situation is like that of a newly grown sapling," Mr. Mo said, picking up his teacup and gently blowing on the steam. "Too tall and conspicuous, yet without enough roots to penetrate deep into the soil."