The Long Journey to Immortality

Obtaining information from intelligence brokers can largely eliminate the drawbacks of clandestine intelligence.

The thousand taels of gold that were thrown out did indeed have an effect.

There were a total of twenty candidates, and the information of each candidate was at least twenty pages long. They were compiled together and bound into a book, which was delivered to Han Lu in just fifteen minutes.

These messages were complete and reliable, and many royal scandals that the court had concealed were clearly written down on paper.

In particular, some rumors that may not be true were also noted.

If Han Lu were willing, she could even spend some time seeking out those involved in these "good things" and "bad things" concerning the princes and princesses to verify the truth.

This matter was not difficult for Han Lu, a Golden Core cultivator who was proficient in illusion techniques. A simple hypnotic spell could make a mortal who had received hush money or had almost forgotten his past talk.

After leaving the shop where the intelligence merchant was disguised as a clothing store, Han Lu also narrowed down the shortlist.

Only six suitable candidates remain on the list.

We haven't reached the point of comparing who is more virtuous yet.

Only by avoiding major mistakes can one ensure their name remains on the list.

However, it is foreseeable that after Han Lu has thoroughly investigated the information about these seven individuals suspected of having negative backgrounds, the list will be narrowed down and further evaluated and screened in various ways to arrive at the final selection.

[Author's Note] I had a sore throat and gingivitis, which caused toothache. I didn't fall asleep until 5:30 this morning yesterday.

Chapter 773 Double Push

The two, one in the light and one in the dark, are busy with their own things during the day, and only come together at night.

That evening, besides Han Lu, there was another guest at Wen Erya's residence.

Wen Erya's mother.

Knowing that her daughter had returned from Zhengyi Gate and had taken on such a heavy responsibility, the mother, though not concerned about who would continue the Wen family dynasty's rule or what changes would occur in the Southern Dynasty's politics, still couldn't help but come to visit her daughter's residence, hoping to do her part.

She helped Wen Erya share her burdens and, incidentally, helped herself to alleviate the grief of her husband's death by spending time with her daughter.

When Han Lu returned to Wen Erya's residence, Wen Erya was talking with her mother.

Listen to your mother reminisce about her past with your father, listen to your mother's vision for the future, and listen to your mother's advice on which prince or princess should inherit the throne.

Han Lu's arrival did not interrupt Wen Erya's mother, Wu Yueyi's, rambling reminiscence.

Thanks to her close relationship with Wen Erya, Han Lu had met Wen Erya's mother, Wu Yueyi, at least five times, and they were fairly familiar with each other.

However, despite their familiarity, after sitting and listening for a while, when Wu Yueyi was reminiscing about private matters with Wen Erya, Han Lu left the table without waiting for Wen Erya to say hello.

Before leaving, he transmitted a message, leaving behind a single sentence, and then departed.

"Senior sister, I've gathered a lot of useful information. When we discuss choosing a successor, remember to call me telepathically."

Wen Erya did not answer, but nodded slightly, her hand still stroking her mother's back, hoping to bring some comfort to her mother who was immersed in grief.

Back in her temporary room, Han Lu took out the intelligence book she had obtained from the intelligence merchant, and began to read and organize it, hoping that her communication with Wen Erya would be smoother later.

About 15 minutes later, Han Lu, who was still busy and preoccupied with Wen Erya's affairs, received a message from Wen Erya.

After hurriedly drying the ink and tidying up the spread-out table, Han Lu quickly went to her appointment.

When Han Lu saw Wen Erya and her daughter again, she could no longer see the sadness on Wu Yueyi's face.

Clearly, after venting her frustrations in front of her daughter, Wu Yueyi, who already knew of her husband's death, had completed her final journey as a wife.

Her mood naturally improved considerably as she continued the rest of her life as a cultivator or Wen Erya's mother.

After all, cultivators value the future more than reminiscing about the past, and cherish the people around them.

After Han Lu sat down, Wu Yueyi naturally chatted with Han Lu for a few minutes to warm up their relationship.

On behalf of her daughter, Wu Yueyi apologized for dragging Han Lu into this trouble. She then made a few token inquiries about Han Lu's recent situation and spiritual practice before getting down to business.

As a cultivator, Wu Yueyi had long kept herself isolated from the politics of the Southern Dynasty. Even now, when she expressed her opinions in front of her daughter, she was still very cautious, for fear of making the same mistake that she had not made in nearly eighty years.

After repeatedly emphasizing and clearly dispelling any suspicion that she wanted to use her blood ties to influence Wen Erya, Wu Yueyi began to do the recommendation work.

Wu Yueyi mentioned only two names, both of whom were the most outstanding princes and princesses she knew and was familiar with during her time in the palace.

She felt it was suitable and hoped that the Wen family of the Southern Dynasty would have a successor, which is why she took the initiative to recommend it to her daughter.

One of them is the second son of the sixth prince, who is forty years old this year. He is a cultivator and has just entered his prime. His name is Wen Xing'an.

Upon hearing this opening sentence, Han Lu and Wen Erya exchanged a glance.

Both of them understood the meaning in each other's eyes.

This basically means that the candidate, Wen Erya's nephew, is still on the list after a day of screening by the two people.

Since he has caught the eye of both of them and received Wu Yueyi's recommendation, it means that this grandson of the emperor is indeed quite capable.

Han Lu and Wen Erya listened attentively, hoping to glean some information from Wu Yueyi that neither of them knew.

Unfortunately, Wu Yueyi was quite independent within the royal family due to her status as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, so the reasons for recommending her were commonplace. They were simply because she liked her and had heard some good things about her in daily interactions.

For example, being knowledgeable and reasonable.

For example, being charitable and generous.

For example, observing etiquette and knowing proper conduct.

For example, what great deeds he did while serving as an official in other places that would have reached the ears of Wu Yueyi, a free spirit.

Han Lu and Wen Erya, who had spent a lot of effort gathering information, knew about these things.

Although it's a cliché, it carries weight when spoken by Ng Yuet-yee.

There's no way around it; even if you try your best to distance yourself from any suspicion of interference, there's still a blood connection.

Her mother simply repeated a few sentences that Wen Erya clearly understood, and Wen Erya felt a little more favorably toward Wen Xing'an, whom she had not yet met.

This slight goodwill may very well help Wen Xing'an ultimately ascend to the throne and become the most powerful man in the upcoming tests and interviews.

The second and last person recommended by Wu Yueyi was the old emperor's youngest daughter.

She was the twenty-third child in the family, but because she had no younger siblings, everyone in the royal family called the girl, who was born when the old emperor was eighty-five, the little princess.

The little princess's name is Wenqing.

Having a child late in life, Wenqing, who is almost twenty years younger than her older brothers and sisters, is naturally the most favored child in the family.

However, she was not spoiled by her family's pampering.

The following testimonials are rather ordinary, consisting of common words of praise.

But then, a secret matter was mentioned that made Han Lu and Wen Erya's eyes light up at the young princess Wen Qing, who was only twenty-five years old.

"Warmth possesses a maturity that transcends age."

"The year she turned sixteen, during the New Year, your father jokingly said that he wanted her to be the abbot of the sacrificial rites..." Wu Yueyi looked at Wen Erya and asked, "You should remember this, right?"

Upon hearing Wu Yueyi's words, Wen Erya's eyes lit up. Before Wu Yueyi could continue her description, she recalled that scene from back then.

"It was just a joke, and my father didn't think much of it. But Wenqing took on this troublesome task with a smile."

"Including my father, the empress, princes and princesses, and several other concubines, there were a total of thirty-two people. Wen Qing, who had just advanced to the first level of Qi Refining, took a half-meter-long butcher knife and properly distributed a cow and a sheep according to their status."

"Not only that, she also tried her best to be fair and impartial, without adding any personal emotions."

"The older brothers and sisters did not receive any extra points from their close relationship with Wenqing."

"I didn't receive any special treatment from Wen Qing because of my late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation."

Wu Yueyi nodded repeatedly, and only after Wen Erya finished recalling this short story did she give her final summary.

"Although it's just a small matter, I think it's a quality that a monarch must possess."

“Warmth should have the potential to sit in that position and manage the country.”

Wu Yueyi's words were a bit harsh, but there is indeed some truth to them.

Chapter 774 Job Interview, Emperor

Wu Yueyi stayed at Wen Erya's place for about an hour before leaving.

In her words, it was a final farewell to her daughter.

This monk, who had fallen in love with a prince who was not yet king, had already decided on his future path.

Once her daughter has chosen the next emperor, she will leave the palace and begin traveling the continent, enjoying herself while concealing her whereabouts so that her promising daughter cannot find her, lest her existence affect Wen Er Ya's future cultivation.

As a cultivator, Wu Yueyi was well aware of the enormous impact that worldly ties could have on a cultivator's practice.

Wen Erya was unwilling, but there wasn't much she could do about it.

Like Wu Yueyi, she could only spend more time with her mother and remember her face clearly.

This was the first time Han Lu, who had been all alone for so long, had ever seen such a scene.

She couldn't help but think of her parents, who lived far away in the wilderness and whom she hadn't seen for almost twenty years.

After Wu Yueyi left, Wen Erya lingered for a moment, still immersed in the warmth she had just felt, before finally departing.

After tidying her hair, Wen Erya brought up the serious matter, "Junior Sister, how did today's investigation go? What did you find?"

One was in the open, the other in the shadows. Han Lu knew exactly what Wen Er Ya had done just from hearsay, but Wen Er Ya could only find out what Han Lu had done by asking her face to face.

Feeling that she had done a good job, Han Lu recounted all the results she had obtained from her investigations among the people, and handed over the intelligence she had purchased from the intelligence merchant to Wen Erya for review.

As Wen Erya looked at the candidate, Han Lu pointed out the key points and added her own analysis and summary, giving what she considered to be the correct conclusion.

In this way, Wen Erya would occasionally ask a few questions, and Han Lu would answer them continuously. In less than half an hour, the two of them had gone through all twenty candidates in the intelligence booklet.

With this intelligence in hand, Wen Erya naturally made some simple revisions to her list.

"Senior sister, what about you? What important intelligence did you get from those old civil officials?" Han Lu took a sip of tea and asked in the same way.

Han Lu's intelligence notebook was detailed and incredibly objective, so naturally, Wen Erya couldn't answer many of the questions at this point.

He said a dozen or so things in a scattered manner, and the conversation ended in less than fifteen minutes.

Upon hearing this, Han Lu, like Wen Erya, sketched out a name on her mental list for a moment, adding one name while removing one.

After completing this final revision, the two wrote down their shortlists of candidates on paper and then compared them.

Han Lu's list only has five people.