There are no ancestors at all; I made them all up.

Chapter 13 Madman
Behind Princess Xiyao stood two maids, one holding a whisk and the other carrying a jade box, both with lowered eyes and restrained demeanor.

Withdrawing his gaze, Chen Qing stepped into the doorway, his steps faltering slightly as three pairs of eyes simultaneously pierced him—

The gray-robed old man standing directly beside the princess was originally drowsy, but he opened his eyes the moment Chen Qing stepped in, his gaze as sharp as a bone-scraping steel knife.

On the left were seven or eight monks in plain robes, both men and women. They were probably outstanding candidates who had been summoned like Chen Qing. When they saw Dingbo Jun personally leading him inside, their eyes were filled with surprise and doubt.

On the right, a young man in brocade robes leaned against a rosewood chair, playing with a jade folding fan. A red jade pendant at his waist shimmered with firelight. Behind him stood four attendants: three dressed in black close-fitting clothes, exuding a calm and collected aura, and one dressed in Confucian robes, with an elegant and refined demeanor.

The young man in brocade robes scrutinized Chen Qing as if he were examining merchandise, and finally let out a meaningful chuckle.

Dingbo stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Princess, Chen Xu has been brought here."

Princess Xi Yao nodded slightly, her voice clear and cold as a spring: "Chen Xu, I heard that you have completed the cultivation manual for the Yellow Court Realm?" She didn't beat around the bush at all.

The crowd on the left immediately erupted in commotion, their gazes towards Chen Qing now filled with awe.

Chen Qing bowed respectfully, remaining humble as ever: "Your Highness, I have gained some insights."

"Oh?" Before the princess could speak, the young man in brocade on the right snapped his folding fan shut. "I heard that this Fellow Daoist Chen had his spiritual bones destroyed and was imprisoned in the Xuanyu Prison for many years. He has only been out for a few years and he has already been able to comprehend the mysteries of the Yellow Court. It is truly..." He paused slightly and tapped his chin with the fan rib. "...It is quite unexpected."

His tone was gentle and his words were polite, but he pronounced the word "unexpected" very lightly, with a slight upward inflection at the end, carrying a somewhat intriguing meaning.

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze.

Dingbo Jun frowned. The old man in gray robes kept his eyes closed, but the two maids behind the princess suddenly flashed cold light in their eyes and stabbed at the young man in brocade.

Who are you?
Chen Qing frowned, displeased, and then guessed that this person was from another force that Xu Zhaoying had mentioned. But shouldn't the princess's summons be for a closed-door examination of her subordinate cultivators? Why would she allow an outsider to attend?
Because of a sudden assassination attempt?

But this person made provocative remarks upon meeting her, as if he was eager to be humiliated. How could he be a guest of honor for the princess?

Since Chen Qing was in a dream, he naturally wouldn't tolerate this person and was about to retaliate on the spot.

"Shh!"

Seeing that Chen Qing did not answer, the young man in brocade robes suddenly opened his folding fan, about to speak again.

"Young Master Lu."

The princess's cold voice was like a frost blade being drawn from its sheath: "Chen Xu is unaware of your identity and has been negligent in any way. I hope you will forgive him. He is truly talented and has a pure heart, focusing on the Great Dao. You should put away those rhetoric of yours."

Little Marquis?
Chen Qing instantly realized that this person must be a nobleman from the Immortal Dynasty, no wonder he was so arrogant! But to his surprise... the princess actually defended him in public!

"Very well." Young Master Lu closed his folding fan, his tone suddenly becoming intimate: "Sister Xiyao has only recently established her residence. She has to suppress the backlash of the immortal bloodline and mediate the conflicts between the blood essences of the hundred races. How can she have the spare energy to select talented individuals?"

He lightly waved his folding fan, his gaze sweeping over the crowd as he calmly commented, "While the cultivation of Seniors Dingbo and Zhengshuang is profound, they are not well-versed in political affairs. As for these..." The tip of his fan swept over the group of evaluating cultivators, finally stopping on Chen Qing, "So-called gifted individuals, if they truly had ability, would they have fallen to this state?"

Before he finished speaking, the air in the hall suddenly froze.

Chen Qing frowned more and more deeply. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dingbo Jun's five fingers forming a claw in his sleeve, Zheng Shuang Jun's white eyebrows trembling slightly, and the examiners were even more red-faced, but dared not speak out in anger.

Young Marquis Lu seemed oblivious, suddenly leaning forward closer to the princess, and said, "How can these useless people possibly pass the Holy Emperor's test?" His voice abruptly lowered, yet each word was clear: "My Lu family is full of talented people, ready to serve you at your beck and call..."

A burning glint flashed in his eyes.

"As long as you are willing to marry me, we can cultivate the Great Dao together!"

boom--

The entire hall trembled violently, and the princess unleashed an overwhelming aura, extinguishing all the candles and dimming the light of the crane lanterns and pearls.

Chen Qing felt as if he had been struck by a mountain, and a metallic taste rose in his throat.

As the veil fluttered, a glimpse of her icy, jade-like chin was revealed.

"Lu Qiyuan, you have overstepped your bounds." These seven words were like ice that had stood for millennia, instantly freezing the hall three feet deep!

Chen Qing noticed that the muscles of several of Lord Lu's attendants were tense, and one of them had already drawn his sword three inches from its sheath, but the man dressed as a scholar had a smile on his face.

Young Master Lu straightened up leisurely, lightly tapping his palm with his folding fan, still smiling: "Why is Sister Xiyao angry?" A sly glint flashed in his eyes, "You are now burdened with heavy responsibilities and eager to break through, which is why you were injured in the Heavenly Rose Ruins. Under the pressure and restlessness, the agitation of your Qingqiu bloodline must be getting stronger and stronger. If there is no suitable method of dual cultivation to harmonize it..."

"presumptuous!"

Dingbo Jun let out a low shout, and pale blue ripples spread out, causing the ground to shake violently and several cultivators to stumble and fall.

Chen Qingqiang suppressed his churning blood and qi, and was astonished. Just who was this young marquis? This behavior could only be described as unbridled!
Dingbo Jun's face darkened, and he said in a cold voice, "If Young Marquis is truly willing to help, we will naturally be grateful. The princess summoned her talented subordinates today to showcase their cultivation skills, originally to reassure you, but if you harbor other intentions—" His sleeves fluttered without wind, "All previous agreements are hereby nullified!"

"Ha!" Young Marquis Lu unfurled his folding fan. "As far as I know, the First Prince, the Second Prince, and the Fifth Princess, these highly prestigious imperial sons, never allow their subordinates to interfere in matters of state and military affairs. How come when it comes to Sister Xi Yao..." He glanced sideways at Ding Bo Jun, "they've allowed their servants to make the decisions on her behalf?"

Dingbo Jun's hair and beard bristled, and his eyes burned with fury.

"Enough." Young Master Lu lightly waved his fan and sneered, "I didn't expect these test-takers to have any real insights, but since the princess has given you such high regard, I might as well let you know what kind of crisis your lord is facing!"

He stepped forward, his imposing aura instantly silencing the crowd: "Half a year ago, a rebellion broke out in the Northern Region, breaching ten cities and slaughtering fifty thousand people. Furthermore, the evil art of blood refining was also revealed. As a result, the Second Prince led his army north, decisively defeating the rebels and capturing one hundred thousand criminals! The Holy Emperor was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately issued an edict ordering people to devise a good plan to redeem the criminals. However, the Sixth Prince used a scheme in court to push the problem onto the Tenth Princess. The Holy Emperor then ordered the Princess to redeem one hundred thousand criminals within five years! Now, all factions in the court are waiting to see your lord make a fool of himself!"

After saying that, he looked around at the crowd who were frozen in fear.

"What? You're all usually so eloquent when discussing the Dao, aren't you? That's how you manage to deceive Sister Xiyao, making her believe that sweet words represent extraordinary talent. But now that you've encountered a problem, you've all become mute? Do you have any countermeasures?"

Someone couldn't help but suggest, "They could continue to be imprisoned, or be incorporated into the army to atone for their crimes, or be dispersed and resettled..."

"These 100,000 criminals are a diverse group, including prisoners of war, traitors, descendants of disgraced officials, and even members of the Northern Cold tribes!" Young Marquis Lu paced slowly, his voice low and deep. "Release them directly? That would be aiding the enemy! Keep them imprisoned? The daily cost would be enough to bankrupt a city! Incorporate them into the army? Can you guarantee they won't defect in battle? Disperse them? A slight misstep could lead to widespread chaos!"

With each word he spoke, the expressions on the faces of everyone in the hall grew more serious.

After a pause, Young Master Lu revealed a meaningful smile: "Sister Xiyao, although you dislike politics, this matter concerns the Holy Emperor's evaluation of you. If you can't come up with a decent plan, all your efforts to prove yourself will be in vain."

The hall was completely silent.

Among those who achieved excellent results, some had cold sweat beading on their foreheads, clearly overwhelmed by the complex situation. They usually devoted themselves to studying martial arts and cultivating their inner energy; they had never encountered such court intrigue before.
For a moment, no one dared to speak casually.

Chen Qing fell into deep thought, wondering if this was an excellent opportunity to glean insights into the Immortal Dynasty's power structure. After all, he knew little about this era and should gather as much information as possible.

Moreover, what Young Master Lu said reminded him of his days as a Paradox Interactive war criminal and online keyboard warriors in his previous life, so he could be considered experienced enough to answer the question.

"Is there really no one who dares to speak out?" Young Marquis Lu looked around and shook his head. "The Princess's residence is indeed full of mediocre people."

"I do have a plan."

Just then, a clear and melodious voice suddenly came from behind Young Master Lu.

Everyone looked on in surprise, only to see the man in Confucian robes slowly stepping forward behind Young Master Lu.

This person has a gentle face and a calm demeanor.

Lord Dingbo frowned, about to dismiss the man, but Young Marquis Lu raised his hand to stop him, and said with a smile, "This is my dear friend Zhou Renjing. When I was traveling around incognito, I met Brother Zhou by chance. I was deeply impressed by his profound insights and thus we became friends. This time, because he had met the princess once, I specially accompanied him. If we can get his advice, that would be a rare blessing. You should be secretly happy!"

After saying that, he changed the subject and looked at Zhou Renjing with a half-smile: "With Brother Zhou's abilities, once he speaks, it will surely be a brilliant plan. But if the princess gets the solution and then goes to carry it out herself, wouldn't that ruin my plans?"

“I never owe anyone a favor,” Princess Xiyao said, her eyes shifting slightly as she lightly tapped the armrest with her jade-like fingers. She looked past the young marquis and asked, “You say you have a past with me?”

Zhou Renjing bowed deeply to the ground: "The scholar whom the princess saved by slaying the demon in the battle of Danglong Mountain was none other than myself!" When he raised his head, his eyes sparkled with starlight. "The unarmed scholar of yesteryear... can now finally do my part."

Chen Qing immediately sensed the key factors, kept the strategy he had just organized in mind, and prepared to observe the situation.

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(End of this chapter)