Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

A quarter of an hour later, a young eunuch pulled an elderly imperial physician along, rushing towards the main hall. The physician complained, "Oh dear! Slow down, my old bones can't take this kind of commotion."

When he realized he had entered the main hall, he immediately bowed down, knelt on the ground, and shouted, "Long live the Emperor!" Before he could finish, he heard the emperor on the throne say sternly, "Alright, rise! Wake that person up for me as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, the imperial physician immediately turned around and saw a person lying on the ground, dressed in armor and covered in dirt. He hurriedly went over to take the person's pulse, and after a short while, he said to the emperor, "He has simply fainted from overwork and is not seriously injured. I will administer acupuncture to wake him up."

As he spoke, the imperial physician took out his acupuncture kit and pricked the person's body a few times. The person then slowly opened his eyes.

When the soldier realized where he was, he immediately propped himself up despite his extreme exhaustion. Before he could even react, he heard a rather urgent voice ask, "Forget the formalities, tell me quickly what happened at the border?"

Upon hearing this voice, the soldier immediately replied, "Gan Yue has dispatched 50,000 elite troops to launch a night attack on our camp. Moreover, it seems someone has leaked our defense plans, and two cities have already fallen. Please, Your Majesty, send reinforcements immediately..."

After the soldier finished speaking, his breathing weakened considerably. "Someone, take him away to rest," the emperor ordered.

After the man was taken away, the emperor, with a grim face, asked his ministers, "My esteemed ministers, do you have any ideas on how to deal with this?"

The ministers below erupted into a cacophony of discussion, and for a long time no one answered the emperor's question. Seeing this, the emperor grew increasingly uncomfortable, his face darkening. Suddenly, he slammed his hand forcefully on the dragon throne beneath him.

The discussion below immediately ceased. "Have you all come up with any effective solutions? Can you give me a response?" The emperor's voice was full of displeasure, like the calm before a storm.

The silence lasted for a while, then the Prime Minister stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that General Chen Sheng should be sent to lead the troops. General Chen has experience in fighting on the battlefield and is a suitable candidate." General Chen Sheng had family matters to attend to today and had not come to court.

The emperor remained silent. He knew that most of the people standing below were disobedient to his orders, but he was powerless to do anything about it.

"Prime Minister, you may step down!" After pondering for a long time, the Emperor spoke. The Prime Minister then slowly returned to his seat.

After the prime minister withdrew, the emperor sat on his throne and pondered for a while longer. He then asked, "What do you, my esteemed ministers, think?"

The others immediately echoed, "The Prime Minister is right, we have no objection!"

The emperor was also annoyed. These ministers had long been disloyal to him. "Someone, draft an edict!" the emperor said irritably.

"Now that the country is in trouble, General Chen Sheng is hereby appointed as the General Who Pacifies the North, leading 50,000 elite troops to the northwest frontier in three days to fight against Gan Yue. The General Who Pacifies the North is also ordered to find the traitors as quickly as possible and punish them severely."

After issuing the decree, the emperor flicked his sleeves, snorted coldly, and left. The eunuch behind him immediately shouted "The court session is over!" and hurriedly chased after the emperor, leaving only the ministers kneeling on the ground shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

Meanwhile, the emperor, furious, returned to his study and ordered those around him, "Summon the astrologer to see me immediately." The astrologer, having displeased the emperor a few days prior, had taken leave to stay home and play with his grandson. Upon learning that the emperor wanted to see him immediately, he quickly tidied himself up and followed the eunuchs from the palace into the carriage to the palace.

On the way, the astrologer inquired about the events that had occurred in court that day. After a moment's thought, he understood why the Emperor was so eager to summon him to the palace. He then considered how to respond to the Emperor, and just as he finished thinking, he realized he had already arrived at the palace gates. He hurriedly got out of the carriage and quickly walked towards his study.

After he entered the study, he didn't notice that a man in black had quietly climbed onto the roof after he entered. The man in black left the palace after the astronomer departed. Unbeknownst to the astronomer, his conversation with the emperor had been overheard.

After the man in black left, he returned to report to the middle-aged man and also told his superior about the conversation between the emperor and the astrologer.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man simply said, "Proceed according to the original plan," and waved for the man in black to leave.

After the men in black left, the middle-aged man stood alone by the window, looking at the moon. Suddenly, a woman in red came out from behind the screen, placed her slender hand on his shoulder, and said softly, "My lord, what a fine mood you are in, admiring the moon here."

The middle-aged man turned around, a dangerous smile on his face, and said, "Aren't you afraid that the emperor will find out you've betrayed him and kill you? That way, all the wealth and honor you've worked so hard for will be gone."

The woman in red smiled, climbed onto the middle-aged man's neck, and said in an extremely seductive voice, "Isn't the Emperor's glory in your hands, sir? With you by my side, what do I have to fear?"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man turned around and hugged the woman in red. "Mei Ji, don't test my patience." Mei Ji sensed a hint of danger in his voice and immediately regained her composure. "Yes, sir, Mei Ji understands. Mei Ji takes her leave." After seeing the middle-aged man wave his hand, Mei Ji turned around, a resentful expression appearing on her face, but she still immediately left the room.

Three days later, Chen Sheng led his army to the northwest battlefield, and the emperor saw them off outside the city. Watching the army depart, the emperor turned and went back into the city.

Back in the palace, the emperor felt a sense of unease, a feeling that something terrible was about to happen. But he couldn't pinpoint the source of his anxiety. Looking around at those around him, he realized that he could trust no one. A wave of sadness washed over him; how pathetic it was for an emperor to have fallen to such a state!

So he dismissed everyone around him and wandered aimlessly through the vast palace until he reached a secluded and abandoned courtyard. He pushed open the door and went inside. This had once been the warmest place, where his mother was still alive, and where he was happiest.

The emperor waited alone in the courtyard until dawn. He composed himself and went to court as usual. He had wanted to be a beloved emperor, but alas, he was born at the wrong time; perhaps it was a cruel twist of fate.

For the next few days, Chen Sheng's army continued its march, and no other news came from the border. Therefore, everything in the capital remained the same as before.

Seven days later, news came from the border that General Chen Sheng had arrived and ordered his army to rest for a day in preparation for recapturing the city.

Although Chen Sheng had accumulated experience in military campaigns, the presence of spies caused him to be locked in a stalemate with the Gan Yue people for half a month, and he was beginning to show signs of defeat.

News of the situation on the frontier reached the capital, causing widespread panic among the people and disrupting the peace within the city. This situation, in its current state, was undoubtedly compounded by further unrest. Internal and external troubles plunged the entire country into turmoil.

The emperor roughly understood the reason for his earlier panic. He looked up at the sky and said softly, "Perhaps the heavens are about to change."

After dismissing his servants, he went alone to the ancestral hall, knelt on the ground, and said, "Ancestors above, since I ascended the throne as a child, imperial power has been usurped by traitors. It is my incompetence that has prevented me from protecting my imperial empire. I am ashamed before my ancestors." The emperor stayed alone in the ancestral hall for two hours. Afterwards, he returned to his usual self.

On the other side, after hearing the report from the man in black, the middle-aged man ordered his men, "Proceed according to the original plan. Make your move in five days."

"Yes," everyone acknowledged and withdrew, leaving only the middle-aged man in the room. After pondering for a while, he spoke, "Someone, go and send a message to Patriarch Wen, saying: The great undertaking is about to succeed. Has he fulfilled his promise to me?"

After the man in black left to carry out his orders, the middle-aged man revealed an extremely excited expression. "Haha, this world is finally going to belong to me."

Before they knew it, four days had passed. Meanwhile, Wen Mou, the head of the Wen family, who had received the news, secretly prepared some things and prepared to go to the palace to meet the emperor on this day.

Led by a middle-aged man dressed as a chief eunuch serving the emperor, Wenmou entered the palace. Upon reaching the study, the man told Wenmou to wait outside while he went in to announce their arrival. The two exchanged a glance, understanding each other perfectly.

After the middle-aged man went inside, Wenmou took the opportunity to hang a small, hollowed-out copper ball on his waist. There seemed to be something burning inside, which smelled somewhat pleasant but was repulsive.

A moment later, the middle-aged man came out and said to Wenmou, "Master Wen, His Majesty invites you in." He then led Wenmou into the room.

After entering, Wen Mou first bowed to the emperor, who was seated in the main seat. Before the emperor could speak, he stood up abruptly. The emperor's expression was somewhat gloomy, but he could not say anything, so he could only say, "Master Wen, there is no need for such formalities. Please sit down."

Wenmou casually thanked the emperor for the gift and sat down on a chair. He then began chatting with the emperor about trivial matters.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the emperor finally lost his patience and asked, "Master Wen, what is it that you want to see me about?"

"Hehe, time's up." Wenmou didn't answer the emperor's question, but instead said something strange. At that moment, the emperor felt something was wrong, but he couldn't figure out what it was. The more he thought about it, the more his mind became a blur, as if he couldn't remember anything.

Suddenly, another strong fragrance wafted over, and the emperor realized that something was wrong with the air. By then, it was too late; Wenmou and the middle-aged man had already succeeded.

The emperor glared at the two men one last time, but before he could do anything, his consciousness went dark. Wenmou began his work. It turned out that the emperor had become increasingly difficult to control in the past two years, and the middle-aged man wanted to alter the emperor's memories and find a suitable opportunity to make the emperor rightfully hand over the throne to him.

After Wenmou finished his work, he handed several packages to the middle-aged man and respectfully said, "Sir, you need to find a reliable person to put these in the incense burner in the emperor's bedroom. After seven days, his memory will be completely altered and cannot be restored." The middle-aged man accepted the packages and indicated that he understood.

“My lord, you must use this with caution. This technology is not yet perfect, and everyone may experience some side effects. As for what those side effects are, I have no idea. Please keep a close eye on the Emperor’s every move.” Wenmou continued. “And…” Wenmou wanted to say something more, but was interrupted by the middle-aged man.

"Alright, I understand. You may leave now," the middle-aged man said impatiently, waving his hand.

Wenmou didn't finish his sentence, but seeing the middle-aged man's expression, he swallowed what he wanted to say, said "I'll take my leave" and left.

The middle-aged man remained engrossed in his grand ambitions, paying no heed to Wen Mou's words. In his view, he had already succeeded; the throne was his, and the court was under his control; all he lacked was a legitimate title and official recognition.

Chapter 1261 Academy Turmoil

As for Li Xiuchen, after refusing Weiwei's request to cooperate in staging a good show to deceive Wen Chong, he still felt a little guilty. However, he had to maintain his bottom line.

His relationship with Wen Chong was, after all, one of mutual exploitation. If Wen Chong found out that Weiwei was the granddaughter of his benefactor, he would indirectly have done Wen Chong a favor. If Wen Chong then used this to threaten him and make trouble for Weiwei, he would be in a difficult predicament.

To avoid future trouble, it's best to keep it a secret for now and not let him know. We can find an opportunity to tell him face-to-face and explain things clearly later.

As Li Xiuchen thought this, his doubts gradually dissipated. He followed Wen Chong with his usual playful grin, the two bickering and joking along the way, until they arrived at the gates of the Chumin Academy.

Chumin Academy, as its name suggests, is where newly admitted students of Tianwu Academy study. It is the lowest-level academy in Tianwu Academy, hence its remote location. Naturally, it is not as grand and magnificent as the academies for higher-level students; even its main gate is unremarkable.

Wen Chong, standing beside him, explained, "But that's precisely what makes Tianwu Academy so strict. It's divided into several levels of academies. If a disciple wants to live in a better place and learn more powerful techniques, they must study hard, improve their cultivation, stand out in the annual assessment, and continuously upgrade to a better academy. They can also be downgraded to a lower-level academy."

Li Xiuchen spoke before he could, saying, "So the highest-level academy is naturally located in the very center of the academy, with access to the other academies on all four sides. Higher-level students can freely enter and exit lower-level academies, but lower-level students cannot enter the gates of higher-level academies, otherwise they will be expelled if discovered, right?"

Wen Chong nodded, but then sighed, "You're right. It's precisely because of this kind of suppression of hierarchy that all the disciples in Tianwu Academy are motivated. If they're not careful or work hard, they'll become the weakest and be trampled underfoot, unable to lift their heads."

The person who came up with this system is incredibly cruel and inhumane! Li Xiuchen couldn't help but feel fortunate that he wasn't a disciple of this academy, otherwise he wouldn't know what kind of miserable life he would be living every day.

"Hey, Xiu Chen, where are we going next? Did Uncle Wenxiang tell you where that person is? This academy is so big, are we going to have to search for him ourselves?" Wen Chong said, frustrated.

“Holy Buddha, Holy Buddha, are you there… I have something important to ask you.” Li Xiuchen ignored Wen Chong.

"Oh dear, how many times a day do I get called 'Old Buddha'! If I weren't so good-natured, I would have already hit you on the head with my wooden fish. Tell me, what's the matter this time?" the Holy Buddha said impatiently.

"You're a magnanimous person, so please don't hold it against me. I want you to help me analyze what Wenxiang really intends to do. He asked me to find someone but didn't tell me where that person is, saying I'd find out when I got to the academy." Li Xiuchen scratched his head.

"So he must have his own plans, and you will definitely benefit from them. As for where he is, just follow your instincts. Everything will come to light. That's all I can tell you. The rest is up to you to figure out."

The profound meaning behind the Buddha's words was hidden, and Li Xiuchen did not understand it. Just as he was about to ask for clarification, the Buddha had already vanished in a flash.

“Xiu Chen, since you don’t know where to go either, why don’t we go to the highest-level academy of Tianwu Academy to broaden our horizons, and while we’re at it, see if that girl from earlier is still there.” Wen Chong raised an eyebrow at him with a lewd grin.

"Go find him yourself if you want, I'm not going." Li Xiuchen turned his head and glanced at him.

"I really don't know what a grown man like you is shy about. Alright, alright, then let's not look for him anymore. Now, would you please accompany me?" Wen Chong said with a helpless expression.

The two walked along winding paths and babbling brooks. You know what, Tianwu Academy truly lives up to its reputation as a school that so many young people dream of attending; the antique environment alone makes it a perfect place for cultivation.

After praising them all the way, we finally arrived at the Central Academy. Seeing that all the disciples inside were wearing the same gold-embroidered uniforms, we knew how much effort Tianwu Academy had put into these people.

A large crowd had gathered below a high platform, completely blocking the road.

The two of them also went over to see what had happened. "Hey, look, isn't that the girl who was looking for you earlier? I never expected that a woman would be at the highest level in this academy and even be able to speak as a disciple representative. I'm becoming more and more interested in her now." Wen Chong smiled and waved to Weiwei when he saw her looking over.

No! This smell! Impossible! Li Xiuchen suddenly realized something was wrong. He held his breath and calmed himself down to sense the smell in the air. Sure enough! It was gunpowder! There was only a trace of it, so faint that even so many experts from Tianwu Academy hadn't noticed it.

How could Tianwu Academy have gunpowder! And it's obvious that someone deliberately erased the smell! What is he trying to do! Could it be that he wants to blow up the academy while the disciples are gathered today?! Just as Li Xiuchen was deep in thought, he heard the conversation between the two disciples beside him.

"Hey, have you heard? Our academy's strongest alchemist is going to demonstrate his secret potion at the end of the gathering today."

"Are you serious?! A reclusive alchemist who has kept his skills hidden all these years? He hasn't shown his face since I was admitted to the hospital. Do you know what kind of medicine that master is concocting tonight?"

"I only found out it was a miraculous medicine that could make plants grow instantly by secretly seeing a lot of flower pots backstage. Those flower pots are now filled with seeds. I heard that as soon as the master pours in the medicine, they can bloom and bear fruit in an instant. It's truly amazing!"

"Now that you mention it, I can't help but want to see it myself. So, it seems everyone will be here tonight to witness the master's face. Nobody wants to miss such a rare opportunity. Let's grab a good spot now so we don't get squeezed out of sight tonight."

Flowerpot? Why would the alchemist, who has been out of the public eye for so long, suddenly choose to appear at today's gathering? Why use his reappearance to attract everyone's attention? Could this be related to gunpowder?! Li Xiuchen suddenly realized something.

"Excuse me, young man, how much time is left before the gathering ends?" Li Xiuchen hurriedly asked the two men.

"If I remember correctly, it should be one hour."

No! Time is running out, I have to act immediately!

Xiu Chen considered the consequences of this matter; perhaps this was Wen Xiang's purpose in sending him to Tianwu Academy. No matter what happened, the safety of these disciples must be protected first; his own affairs couldn't implicate so many people.

Thinking of this, Li Xiuchen hurriedly pushed through the crowd and ran quickly towards the backstage.