My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

This supreme emperor, who had just broken through to the late Nascent Soul stage and swept through the Blood Fiend Sect with overwhelming power, was now acting like a wronged wife, tearfully complaining.

"This morning at court, I couldn't help but sneeze while on the dragon throne."

Li Shimin's eyes were bloodshot as he recalled those unbearable scenes, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"And then what happened?"

"That old scoundrel Wei Zheng jumped straight out of the ranks of civil officials!"

He pointed his finger at me and shouted, "How dare you behave so disrespectfully before the emperor!"

Li Shimin held his head in his hands, his expression one of extreme pain.

"And then...and then the accident happened!"

"His shout even had special effects! A golden, glittering phantom of the word 'wrong,' as big as a millstone, flew directly from his mouth and slammed into my forehead with a 'bang!'"

Hearing this, Li Chen finally couldn't hold back anymore.

"Pfft—Hahahaha!"

Li Chen clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he was doubled over, tears streaming down his face.

He could perfectly imagine that scene.

Wei Zheng, the greatest critic of the Tang Dynasty, combined with the Confucian and Taoist concept of "words becoming law" from online novels of my previous life—this is simply an epic upgrade!

"You're still laughing!"

Li Shimin was furious and made a move to strike the Seven Wolves sword at his waist again.

"I haven't finished speaking yet!"

Li Shimin roared in grief and indignation.

"Just spewing words is one thing! But that old bastard can even summon phantoms to insult people now!"

He recited something like, "The teachings of the sages are like thunder in my ears."

"The next second, four semi-transparent old men dressed in ancient Confucian robes suddenly appeared out of thin air around my dragon throne!"

Li Shimin extended four fingers, his knuckles turning white.

"Four old men! They've surrounded me!"

"One held a ruler, one held a bamboo slip, one shook his head in anguish, and one pointed at my nose and stomped his foot."

"They were right next to my ear, cursing me from every angle, in a surround sound!"

"Disregarding my advice will surely lead to great trouble!"

"Playing with toys leads to the loss of ambition and clouded judgment!"

"My head is about to explode! I can't sit on this throne for another day! Take back this damned Confucianism and Taoism right now!"

Seeing Li Shimin's almost collapsed appearance, Li Chen laughed until his stomach cramped.

He had to admit it.

The civil service of the Tang Dynasty, especially upright and unyielding figures like Wei Zheng, seemed born for Confucianism and Taoism.

Ning Xiu, that bookworm, grasped the essence of righteousness through a few lines of doggerel.

Wei Zheng, with his obsession with criticizing everything and everyone, including the emperor, took the destructive power of Confucianism and Taoism to an unbelievable level.

The current imperial court.

It's no longer up to Li Shimin to decide. Instead, whoever has the strongest "righteous spirit" and the most impressive special effects holds the power of discourse.

"Father, once water is spilled, there's no way to take it back."

Li Chen wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes, patted Li Shimin on the shoulder, and comforted him earnestly.

"Furthermore, if civil officials have the ability to protect themselves, they won't be afraid of being bullied by those ignorant rogue cultivators when they go out. This is the foundation of a strong country."

"Screw you! I don't care!"

Li Shimin acted like a rogue, plopping down on a stone bench in the courtyard.

"Every time I close my eyes, all I see in my mind is the image of those four old men pointing at me and cursing. I'm so agitated and my resolve is crumbling!"

"You've caused this mess, and you must find a way to resolve it for me!"

"Otherwise, I'll stay here in your Qin Prince's residence and not leave today!"

Seeing the dignified ruler of a country acting like a rogue, Li Chen was also at a loss.

He touched his chin, his eyes darting around.

"Got it!"

Li Chen snapped his fingers.

The best way to distract someone is to find them something new that they can become completely engrossed in and unable to tear themselves away from.

"Father, you are restless and agitated because you lack a supreme method for cultivating your mind and character."

Li Chen leaned closer mysteriously.

"Your subject happens to possess a supreme treasure that can calm the mind and make one forget all troubles."

"I originally intended to keep it for myself to study, but since Father has spoken, I will reluctantly offer it to you."

"Oh? A supreme magic weapon?"

Li Shimin glanced at him with a mixture of disbelief and skepticism.

"What kind of magic weapon is it? Take it out and let me see."

Li Chen remained silent.

With a thought, he took out a pile of small, square, and crystal-clear blocks carved from top-grade spirit jade from his soul space.

With a "whoosh".

Li Chen dumped 144 spirit jade tokens onto the stone table in the courtyard.

It exudes a warm luster and a faint spiritual aura.

"What is this?"

Li Shimin picked up a piece of jade with the number "ten thousand" engraved on it, his face full of doubt.

"This item is called 'Mahjong'."

A sly smile crept onto Li Chen's lips.

"It is an unparalleled treasure used by powerful cultivators in ancient times to deduce the formations of heaven and earth and to calculate the secrets of creation. It contains the supreme Dao of Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, and the changing of the four seasons."

"Mahjong?"

Li Shimin frowned. "How can this thing predict the secrets of heaven?"

"Come, come, let me teach you."

Li Chen immediately opened his mouth and shouted towards the backyard.

"Wife! Sister Qingxue! Come out and lend a hand, demonstrate the wonders of this mind-cultivation artifact to Father!"

A moment later.

Jiang Liyue and Jiang Qingxue walked out with curious expressions.

Four people sat around a stone table.

Li Chen began to explain the rules of mahjong in a serious manner.

"This is called a strip, this is called a tube, this is called a ten-thousand, which subtly corresponds to the three elements of heaven, earth, and man."

"These four directions—east, west, south, and north—represent the four constellations."

"Eating, bumping, and leveraging are techniques for plundering the creation of heaven and earth. As for 'Hu,' it means achieving perfect merit and instantly becoming a Buddha!"

Li Chen's rambling left Li Shimin completely bewildered.

But soon.

As a Nascent Soul cultivator, Li Shimin's comprehension was naturally extraordinary. In less than half an incense stick's time, he had a thorough understanding of the rules.

"Splash, splash."

The sound of shuffling the cards rang out crisply in the courtyard of the Prince of Qin's mansion.

Half an hour later.

"bump!"

Li Shimin slammed two "get rich" cards on the table, his eyes shining, and his face was no longer gloomy after Wei Zheng's outburst.

"Haha! I'm ready to win!"

Li Shimin looked at the other three with a smug expression.

"I refuse to believe that with my immense fortune as the ruler of this nation, I can't defeat a few of you!"

however.

Reality is often harsh.

Especially at the mahjong table.

"Two of a kind." Li Shimin played a card with great pride.

"I won."

Jiang Liyue smiled slightly and gently pushed over the jade tablet in front of her.

"A pure suit, a pair of all three. Father, you're too kind."

The smile on Li Shimin's face froze instantly.

"This...this is a coincidence! Let's try again!"

Another half hour passed.

"Thirty thousand!" Li Shimin gritted his teeth and played a card.

"Hu."

Jiang Qingxue, sitting to the left of the player, pushed over the cards with a blank expression.

"Thirteen Orphans, Your Majesty, thank you."

Li Shimin's breathing began to become heavy.