I play the role of Jiajing in Zongwu: What crime have I committed?

"Last night I dreamt of a celestial destiny, and only then did I realize that I am the reincarnation of the Supreme Great Luo Heavenly Immortal, the Purple Extreme Holy Wisdom Illuminating Spiritual Commander, the Jade Void Supreme Master of the Five Thunders, the Mysterious Capital Realm Longevity Emperor."

This series of celestial hymns came like a barrage of bullets, making Gao Zhan's old eyes widen in disbelief.

What the hell?

What is this all about?

He secretly pinched his thigh, wondering if his hearing was failing him due to old age.

Zhu Houcong, however, became even more excited and continued to speak in a mystical manner: "My ascension to the throne is indeed by the decree of the Three Pure Ones."

"Therefore, from this day forward, I shall begin my cultivation of the Tao!"

Cultivation...the Way?

Gao Zhan almost bit his tongue, his old face scrunched up like a dried-up orange.

Did Your Majesty perhaps damage your brain by spending all day plowing the fields at Zhaoren Palace yesterday?

A glint of light flashed in Zhu Houcong's eyes as he said to Gao Zhan, "Go to the Taoist Tianzong sect for me and find the newly appointed sect leader, Master Xiaomeng."

"Tell her that I intend to make Taoism the state religion and invite her to Daliang to serve as the national preceptor, to impart to me the supreme Taoist teachings of the Heavenly Sect."

"Hiss~"

Even with Gao Zhan's composure, he couldn't help but gasp.

Is Taoism to be adopted as the state religion?

This is a matter of utmost importance concerning the very foundation of the nation!

"I will only feel at ease if I entrust this matter to you personally."

Zhu Houcong spoke calmly.

"Before Master Xiaomeng arrives in the capital, no third party must know about this."

"This old servant understands!" Gao Zhan hurriedly kowtowed, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

But then he hesitated and said, "This old servant has heard that the Heavenly Sect emphasizes transcending worldly affairs and not getting involved in karma. I'm afraid it will be difficult to persuade Master Xiaomeng to come out of seclusion."

"If I say you can invite them, then you certainly can."

Zhu Houcong waved his dragon sleeve, "Pack your things and set off immediately. The sooner you go, the sooner you'll return."

"This old servant obeys the decree."

Zhu Houcong stared at Gao Zhan's hunched back as he walked further and further away, a cold smile curving his lips.

Gao Zhan, that old eunuch, has been in charge of the inner court for decades, and his disciples and followers are all over the palace.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was the head of 100,000 eunuchs.

If we don't take this opportunity to transfer him away from the capital, how will those ambitious eunuchs dare to show their faces!

Zhu Houcong was already planning to use eunuchs to counter Mei Changsu.

There was no way around it, he was in a hurry!

Emperor Liang may seem to be the ruler of the Liang Dynasty, but what is he really like behind the scenes?

That sickly Mei Changsu actually wielded more power behind the scenes than he did.

The Jiangzuo Alliance controls fourteen prefectures in Jiangzuo, and no other Jianghu force dares to disobey them.

Lin Chen, the master of Langya Pavilion, possesses intelligence on the entire world and is his good brother.

Meng Zhi, the top expert of the Great Liang Dynasty, commander of the Imperial Guards, and a Grandmaster, is also his good brother.

Consort Jing treated her like her own son, and Prince Jing, Xiao Jingyan, treated her like his own brother.

He also knew the people from Medicine King Valley, each of whom was highly skilled in martial arts and unparalleled in medical expertise.

And what kind of people surround me?

None of his four sons were easy to deal with.

Crown Prince Xiao Jingxuan, that idiot, besides relying on his mother's favor to act arrogantly, his brain is full of mush.

Prince Yu, Xiao Jinghuan, was a traitor who eventually raised an army in an attempt to kill his father.

Prince Jing, Xiao Jingyan, was also an ungrateful wretch who only cared about Prince Qi and didn't respect his father at all.

Lastly, the Third Prince Xiao Jingting, contracted the plague when he was young. Although he survived, he was left with a limp.

With such a group of people around, how could I not be anxious!

From Chapter 5 onwards, your name will be Yan Song.

Zhu Houcong returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to review memorials, surrounded by a group of eunuchs.

Inside the hall, the air was filled with the fragrance of ambergris, and more than ten eunuchs in blue robes stood on either side like clay sculptures.

They even deliberately kept their breathing soft, for fear of disturbing the imperial procession.

Zhu Houcong had been sketching on the memorial for a long time when he suddenly put down his pen and rubbed his sore wrist.

"What time is it now?"

"Your Majesty, it is already noon," a eunuch in blue robes hurriedly replied, kneeling.

"Yes, serve the meal."

"This servant will take care of it immediately."

Zhu Houcong stretched his stiff neck and sighed casually, "I'm getting old and useless. I've only been reviewing memorials for an hour, and my eyes are already blurry."

Before she could finish speaking, she casually flipped to the next memorial, where the two characters "Nihuang" were prominently displayed!

He slowly raised his eyes, glanced around, and said calmly, "Among you, who can read?"

Immediately afterwards, with a few thuds, the six eunuchs knelt down on the ground in unison.

"This servant can read."

Zhu Houcong nodded, squinted at the six people, and rhythmically tapped the dragon table with his knuckles.

"Where are you all from? And why have you come to the palace?"

The eldest eunuch's forehead touched the ground.

"This servant is from Lanling. Due to poverty, I castrated myself to enter the palace."

"This servant's ancestral home is Langya, because..."

"This servant's ancestral home is Langzhou, because..."

The answers echoed throughout the hall.

Zhu Houcong's gaze remained fixed on the blue-robed eunuch who claimed to be from Langzhou.

Langzhou!

Isn't this the stronghold of the Jiangzuo Alliance?

He wouldn't dare keep someone like that around.

After the six men finished speaking, Zhu Houcong waved his sleeve and said, "The five of you stay here; the rest of you, leave the Hall of Mental Cultivation."

The eunuch from Langzhou was secretly delighted, thinking he was about to be given an important position.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Houcong excluded him directly, and he froze on the spot upon hearing this.

The next second, he couldn't help but look up, only to meet the emperor's cold gaze.

Only then did he realize what had happened and stagger back down.

After the palace doors closed heavily, Zhu Houcong gestured for the remaining eunuchs to come forward.

He handed Nihuang's memorial to the elderly eunuch on the far left, who was about fifty years old.

"read."

"His Majesty!"

The old eunuch knelt down with a thud, his forehead pressed tightly against the gold brick.

"Memorials to the throne are matters of vital importance to the military and the state; this servant would never dare to overstep my bounds!"

The others were the same, each cowering like a quail, afraid that Zhu Houcong would call on them.

"I tell you to read, so read."

Zhu Houcong narrowed his eyes, his voice suddenly turning cold.

"Or... are you going to defy the imperial decree?"

Upon hearing this, the old eunuch trembled all over and could only shakily unfold the memorial.

He swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly.

"Princess Nihuang requests..."

Zhu Houcong leaned back on the dragon throne, feigning sleep, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest.

The old eunuch's trembling voice echoed in the hall until the last word was uttered, at which point Zhu Houcong slowly opened his eyes.

"Did you all hear that clearly?"

The five eunuchs immediately kowtowed.

"Your Majesty, I heard you clearly."

"Yes, Nihuang has many admirers, even the prince of Northern Yan is still thinking about her."

"Tell me, who would be the most suitable person for her to marry?"

Upon hearing this, the Hall of Mental Cultivation fell into a deathly silence.

The five eunuchs seemed to be frozen in place, their breathing stopped, and large beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads.

None of them dared to speak first.

"Don't be shy, just say what you want."

Zhu Houcong laughed and said, "Well said, I will reward you handsomely. If you say something inappropriate, I will not blame you at all."

At this moment, the eunuch on the far right suddenly prostrated himself and shouted.

"His Majesty's decision is absolute; how dare we, your humble servants, speak such words!"

Snapped!

Zhu Houcong slammed his hand on the dragon table, looking coldly at the self-important little eunuch.

"You answer my questions verbally; I don't want to hear such flattery a second time!"

The air inside the hall froze instantly.

"This servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die!"

The young eunuch was so frightened that his face turned ashen, and he kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead hitting the gold bricks with a loud thud.

He hastily changed his tune: "This servant believes that Princess Nihuang must not marry the prince of Northern Yan. The princess is brave and skilled in battle; if she were to marry into a foreign land, it would be a great loss to our Great Liang!"

Zhu Houcong's expression softened somewhat.

"May I have your name?"

"Your Majesty, my humble name is Chen Chun."

"Okay, get up."

Chen Chun felt as if he had been granted a pardon.

At this moment, the thin eunuch in the middle rolled his eyes and made up his mind.

"Your Majesty, this servant believes that the Princess should only marry a prince. The 100,000 iron cavalry of Yunnan, if they do not join the royal family, will ultimately be a scourge!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he immediately threw out a deadly question.

"Oh? Which prince do you think would be suitable for her to marry?"

The lean eunuch hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, this servant has not yet thought of that."