In the novel "Joy of Life," the protagonist wakes up at Li Chengze's residence.

Emperor Qing glanced at Chen Pingping and saw that the latter kept his head down, behaving dutifully as a servant.

Emperor Qing was satisfied with his attitude and appreciated his loyalty even more.

Throughout Emperor Qing's childhood, Chen Pingping was his most loyal servant.

The most loyal, without exception.

During the Northern Expedition, Emperor Qing's inner energy malfunctioned.

In other words, it was almost a dead ball.

One foot is already in the grave.

The King of Hell is about to call roll.

Meng Po has already prepared a spoonful of soup.

The Black and White Impermanence seemed to be right in front of me.

Just when Emperor Qing thought he was about to be reincarnated as a pig, Chen Pingping sacrificed his legs to save him.

Li Yunqian will always remember those days: his meridians were completely torn, his fingers were unable to move, and he was blind, deaf, and lost his sense of smell.

If one seeks death through proper means, that is possible, but alas, the soul cannot control the body and can only endure the torment of darkness.

If he had heard a song, perhaps he would want to sing: "Did Heaven draw a curtain before my eyes, forgetting to lift it...?"

Then, the King of Hell disliked his singing and kicked him back.

Emperor Qing woke up, and the first thing he saw was Chen Pingping and Consort Ning.

Damn it, Xiao Ning and Xiao Chen were in a pure Platonic relationship back then, and Emperor Qing forcibly broke them up.

Later, Ning'er became a concubine and gave birth to his eldest son, while Chen Pingping rose from a servant to the position of Dean.

After finishing his work, Emperor Qing was still feeling quite pleased with himself, thinking that Chen Pingping was just a eunuch, and that making him the head of the Censorate was already a blessing he had accumulated over eight lifetimes.

...(Would you like this good fortune?)

Emperor Qing turned and left the secret passage, then said to Chen Pingping, who was still sitting at the entrance of the secret chamber, "If you are curious, I will allow you to go in and take a look. After you have finished looking, come to the palace to see me. I have something to ask you to do."

"You dog emperor," Chen Pingping cursed under his breath.

But he remained expressionless. "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty," Chen Pingping's voice echoed until Emperor Qing's figure disappeared around the corner.

These days, Emperor Qing has entrusted most of the affairs of the court to Li Chengze. Within a few days, a great upheaval has occurred, with many officials and their families being demoted and sent out of the capital, causing panic among the people in the court.

During the court session, a member of the Imperial Observatory stepped forward to report, stating frankly: "Your Majesty, I have recently observed the celestial phenomena and discovered that Mars is lingering near Antares, and its brightness seems to be increasing, which may be an ominous sign that could bring disaster to the imperial family."

This celestial phenomenon is unprecedented since the founding of the nation; Your Majesty must take it very seriously.

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau actually left out half a sentence: It's true that there haven't been any since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

However, the previous country had this celestial phenomenon before its demise.

But he dared not say it, because just as this celestial phenomenon appeared, Emperor Qing summoned their department.

They were told to say some alarmist things and then give an answer about going to the east to perform the sacrifice.

In fact, the person in charge of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau wanted to say at the time, "Your Majesty, the celestial phenomena are so bad that there is no need to falsify them."

The astrological alignment is bad enough, but the real auspicious star is clearly in the west!?

Your Majesty, what's the meaning of your trip to the East for sacrificial rites? Do you no longer want to be emperor? Are you planning to hand over the throne to someone else?

Unexpectedly, the head of the Imperial Observatory had just proposed that the sacrificial rites could be performed in the west when His Majesty rejected the idea...

Emperor Qing smiled slightly and said, "In that case, this sacrificial ceremony is of great importance, so let Prime Minister Lin lead the Ministry of Rites to prepare for the relevant matters."

Just as Lin Ruofu was about to stand up and say yes, the official spoke again.

"Your Majesty, Mars is west of Antares, but I have seen a lucky star twinkling east of Antares. I think the sacrificial ceremony should be held in the east of the capital."

“Eastward…” Emperor Qing pretended to ponder, “East of the capital are Cangzhou, Danzhou, and Muzhou, but none of these places have large-scale sacrificial sites, and even if they did, they wouldn’t be of the standard.”

Among the civil and military officials, the wise ones had already begun stroking their beards and gazing at the sky in deep thought.

As they pondered, they clicked their tongues and exclaimed, "Oh dear, what are we going to do?"

As the saying goes, three cobblers are equal to one Zhuge Liang; surely there's someone in this hall who can please Emperor Qing.

An official who had come from Danzhou pondered for a long time, recalling that there was a Qing Temple built on the eastern mountain of his hometown.

All the elements are there: in the east, there is a large temple, which even has the word "large" in its name.

It is said that the Dongshan Qing Temple possesses miraculous powers, and many people who could not afford medical treatment have seen their conditions improve after worshipping the gods there.

Moreover, ascetics throughout the world regard it as a sacred place for cultivation, which is an incredibly auspicious omen!

The man pondered for a long time, thinking that he was usually not very noticeable. Could this be a chance for him to make a name for himself?

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that it was true. In a few moments, he even recalled an old story from his childhood, when he went with his parents to the Qing Temple to offer sacrifices.

He simply stood up dejectedly and told Emperor Qing his thoughts.

"Your Majesty, I come from Danzhou. I remember that the Guoqing Temple was built on Dadong Mountain in Danzhou. The people regard this place as a miracle, and there are often stories of gods appearing."

After the official spoke, no one in the hall spoke again.

Everyone in the hall was scheming their own agenda.

The Crown Prince was overjoyed and was plotting to launch a rebellion in the city while Emperor Qing was away at Da Dong Mountain.

Qin Ye, for example, had fought on the battlefield for many years, killing countless people, and had never believed in ghosts or gods. Upon hearing that Emperor Qing believed in this, he couldn't help but curse the emperor as an idiot in his heart.

Chen Pingping put on a forced smile, keeping his head down and showing no other emotion.

Li Chengze was the same; he watched everything that happened in the hall as if he were watching a play.

------

He already knew what was happening today; the celestial phenomena and the Great Eastern Mountain were all unfolding before his eyes.

At first, he was alarmed by Tao Jingyang's "precognitive" behavior, but as time went by, he gradually got used to it.

Besides feeling used to it, he also felt at ease.

These days, Li Chengze often collects biographies of immortals to read, trying to understand temples, gods, and messengers through the writings of ordinary people...

Even though he didn't initially believe in these supernatural beliefs, and even categorized them all as...

"The desperate plea for nothingness."

But after these events, even he, a pure materialist who had lived for twenty years and firmly believed in them for twenty years, had to admit defeat.

Who can possess a magical artifact that enhances true energy? Who can have the magic to bring the dead back to life? Who can have the ability to foresee the future?

Perhaps... there really are gods in this world, but few people have seen them.

In traditional storytelling, goddesses are often depicted saving people from disasters and calamities. Could Ah Yang be one of those legendary goddesses?

"How could a goddess love me?" Li Chengze always thought to himself.

When the night is deep and quiet, he would gaze at the bright moon alone, lost in thought.

Am I blaspheming to God by being around Ah Yang?

What about fairies who descend to earth and fall in love being punished by the heavens, or gods who fall in love having their immortal bones removed...?

Despite the familiar plot, Li Chengze felt a chill run down his spine.

"I'm just a mortal, I shouldn't... be a burden to her." Li Chengze has never been a confident person.

But Li Chengze thought again, it is said that goddesses love all people, so he is also one of them. In that case, it probably wouldn't be considered blasphemy.

However, the thought of Tao Jingyang loving so many people inevitably stirred up some jealousy in Li Chengze.

Even he himself found it inexplicable.

------

Li Chengze stood in the court, listening to the officials discussing the sacrificial rites in a lively and animated manner. He then stepped forward to speak.

"Your Majesty personally went to Mount Tai to offer sacrifices and pray for the country's well-being. Your subject is willing to stay in the capital and serve Your Majesty."

Not to be outdone, the Crown Prince feared that Emperor Qing would take him to the sacrificial ceremony and disrupt his rebellion plans. He quickly added, "Your subject is also willing to stay in the capital to guard Your Majesty's place."

Okay, everyone stay, staying is good...

Emperor Qing wore an enigmatic smile and chuckled softly; anyone who didn't know better would think His Majesty had gone mad.

"Good, my two good sons, they both know how to share my burdens." After saying that, he walked away on his own.

"I grant your permission. They may all remain in the capital." A room full of ministers looked at each other in bewilderment.

After Emperor Qing left, Li Chengze habitually glanced around.

Unexpectedly, he met Chen Pingping's gaze.

The two seemed to be casually glancing around, and when their eyes met, they casually crossed paths again.

No one noticed that their eyes met, but they both knew that something unusual was going on between them.

Forces that should never have cooperated are now about to cooperate;

Originally completely different governing philosophies will now converge.

This marked a new division of power within the imperial court, reflecting a new chapter in the sustainable development of the Qing Kingdom.