His Majesty is plotting a rebellion? Quickly, summon the Imperial Advisor!

Just now, Ji Yuan went through an extremely intense internal struggle.

She wavered between upholding imperial dignity and simply standing there in that irritating posture all night.

As the empress above all others, she was truly unwilling to compromise with Xu Bing in any way.

But she also knew that this guy meant what he said.

If you say you'll abandon yourself, then you really will. You might feel good in the heat of the moment, but you'll have to endure the cold and frustration of the night alone.

She thought about it for a long time.

When the surroundings fell silent, the scales in her heart began to tip.

Once again, he chose to compromise with Xu Bing and admit his mistake.

Every word was humiliating to her, as if she were making a declaration of defeat in front of the whole world.

But she had no choice.

She was both an emperor and a mortal.

Moreover.

Standing there all night, with the inner courtyard bathed in the radiant spring light, would be far less dignified than to yield.

"Twenty times." Xu Bing's voice drifted from afar. "You just keep saying, 'The Grand Preceptor Xu is handsome and dashing, with an imposing presence, a pillar of the Great Xi Dynasty. I know I was wrong.'"

Ji Yuan immediately retorted angrily, "Xu Bing, don't push your luck! I would rather die than say such a thing!"

"Fine, don't tell me then," Xu Bing replied indifferently.

"you!"

Ji Yuan's chest heaved with anger.

The urge to kill this guy had reached its peak.

Xu Bing withdrew his gaze, let out a cold laugh, and realized that even the proud Empress couldn't bring herself to say such things.

Fine, I'll brew her a night.

He closed his eyes, preparing to cultivate.

However, at this moment...

"Xu... Grand Preceptor Xu... handsome and dashing... imposing and dignified..."

A broken voice, strained to suppress shame and resentment, drifted into his ears from the inner courtyard.

He slowly opened his eyes, almost thinking he had misheard, until he looked at the backyard and confirmed that the voice did indeed come from Ji Yuan.

Even Xu Bing was taken aback, because he really hadn't expected it.

“This woman…” Xu Bing frowned again and again, “She is quite flexible and adaptable.”

The twentieth repetition of the call has ended.

Xu Bing also kept his promise and put Ji Yuan down. She sat on the ground, closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and looked like she was enduring humiliation.

Xu Bing felt that he was already considered one of the more friendly ones among the treacherous officials.

It's just a hassle.

If it were someone else... tsk tsk.

Little did people know that this kind of torment was more deadly to Ji Yuan than torture.

If subjected to torture and relentless torment, Ji Yuan would simply have to endure it, and might even develop the thought that death would be the worst outcome.

Xu Bing's attitude was quite peculiar. He didn't use torture or torment, allowing her to constantly remember that she was still an emperor. Yet, he subtly challenged her imperial dignity, forcing her to compromise time and again.

……

【Ding! 】

[Check-in successful. Check-in location: Imperial Preceptor's Residence. Reward: Purifying Water Talisman!]

……

The next day.

Xu Bing went to the palace to attend the morning court session. He made a big show of it, and his purpose for attending the morning court session was clear.

Firstly, he wanted to establish the Imperial State Temple.

This temple is responsible only to His Majesty, and its personnel are selected by the Imperial Preceptor. It has the authority to oversee the operations of various departments.

Secondly, he appointed Zhonghou, the Right Wing Guard of the Imperial Guard, as the commander of the Fire-Cooking Army.

An army independent of the Ministry of War, subordinate solely to the Imperial Preceptor and His Majesty, requiring no funding from the court and subject to no interference from others, yet legally legitimate.

Naturally, many people expressed their opposition, mostly against the establishment of the Jian Guo Temple. The Huo Chui Army was completely ignored by the officials. It did not need funding from the court and could be done however it pleased, but it was destined to never amount to anything.

Because the financial resources required to build a combat-ready army are simply too great.

However, his objections were ineffective, and Xu Bing rejected them all. In a fit of anger, he displayed the authority of an imperial tutor.

A fierce wind was blowing.

The scenes from the military exercises are still vivid in my mind.

None of the ministers dared to speak.

To Xu Bing's surprise,

At the court meeting, the three dukes who had previously opposed Xu Bing the most—Duke Zhou, Duke Wang, and Duke Li—surprisingly did not express any explicit opposition.

Xu Bing didn't care whether they had something to hide or not, nor did he care about their opinions; he had his own ideas.

After leaving the palace.

Xu Bing met up with Gong Zhonghou, who was waiting in the shadows, and they secretly went to the fields outside Daxi City.

……

Cui Chen, the commander of the Xuanjia Army, is unknown to anyone.

At this moment, Ji Yuan's two most trusted men, Song Si and Cui Chen, met at the Star Gazing Tower after the morning court session.

Cui Chen was wearing a black armor mask.

Because of the different nature of the Xuanjia Army, the ranks of the Xuanjia Army members are not clearly defined.

They are the real "ghost army".

"Are you sure His Majesty is at the Imperial Preceptor's residence?"

"If that's the case, why not keep it simple? I'll just call upon the Xuanjia Army to search the Imperial Preceptor's residence."

Cui Chen asked.

Song Si sat cross-legged on the observatory, holding the small heater in her arms all year round.

She did not answer.

Cui Chen then asked, "Are you afraid of a direct confrontation with Xu Bingqi? Are you afraid of his magic?"

At this point, Cui Chen sneered, "It's not that I'm arrogant, but you Qi Refiners are indeed powerful. However, in front of the Xuanjia Army, you're nothing special."

"Once the military formation is complete and the morale is high, my 10,000 Xuanjia soldiers can kill not only Qi cultivators at the Lantern-Carrying Realm, but even those at the Bridge-Building Realm!"

Cui Chen's eyes radiated intense confidence.

Song Si slowly shook her head, "That was a last resort, and it shouldn't be used lightly unless it's the very last moment."

There is an openwork section on the roof of the observatory.

Sitting on the platform, one can directly observe the starry sky and calculate one's destiny and fortune.

“Look,” she said, pointing to a star.

Cui Chen frowned and looked around, but it was still daytime and he couldn't see anything. However, Song Si could see.

“That is the imperial star representing the Great Xi,” Song Si said.

She shifted her finger half an inch, "If the Imperial Preceptor brings disaster to the country and immortal magic disrupts the mortal realm, there should be some manifestation in the sky above Da Xi, either the imperial star dims or dark clouds press down on the sun."

“But… these past few days, I have been observing the stars day and night, and there is not the slightest unusual phenomenon. In fact… the Imperial Star is even brighter.”

Cui Chen hurriedly asked, "What is the reason behind this?" He had a deep understanding of Song Si's professionalism, so he dared not question it.

Song Si shook her head. She couldn't understand it. Her cultivation was only at the Lantern-Carrying Realm. She could do some calculations on the ministers of the mortal kingdom, but Ji Yuan's fate was special. His imperial star was brilliant. If she could easily make divinations, she would shorten her lifespan.

"In short... something fishy is going on here." Song Si said in a deep voice, "We must not act rashly. Moreover, if His Majesty is not at the Imperial Preceptor's residence and sends the Xuanjia Army into the residence, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"Moreover, the Xuanjia Army is too special and should never be used unless it is the last moment."

"Then shall we do nothing?" Cui Chen asked anxiously. He couldn't sleep or eat in peace as long as His Majesty didn't return to the throne.

Upon hearing this, Song Si unconsciously increased the pressure of rubbing the stove.

Mundane matters are the most difficult to handle, especially in Da Xi today, where the situation is complex.

The ruler and his ministers were not of one mind.

Ji Yuan took over the mess too early, and the late emperor's death was too sudden. There were almost no people like her in the court, coupled with rebellions and disasters in various places, and attacks from powerful enemies outside.

Various factors destined this undercurrent to remain hidden from public view.

The only people capable of achieving anything are Shang Shoucheng, Cui Chen, and themselves.

A headache!

Song Si rubbed her temples, unable to help but mutter to herself, "Your Majesty, how could you be so careless as to fall into the hands of thieves?"

at this time.

Footsteps sounded downstairs.

A man ran up, knelt on one knee, and said, "Commander Cui, there is news from the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion! The Imperial Preceptor's Mansion announced today that it is recruiting a total of fifteen maids and servants."

Hear the words.

Cui Chen and Song Si's eyes lit up!

The two exchanged a glance, and there it was—the flaw had been revealed.

Cui Chen had a sudden thought and decided to arrange for a few reliable people to infiltrate the Imperial Preceptor's residence.

"slow!"

Song Si spoke up to stop her.

She slowly stood up and said, "This matter involves a great deal of issues, and I don't trust anyone else."

"I used a method that could change the world to alter my appearance, and infiltrated the Imperial Preceptor's residence to investigate the details."

"A method to change the world?" Cui Chen looked over.

“It’s a spell that changes one’s appearance,” Song Si said in a deep voice. “Because it involves His Majesty, although I have His Majesty’s approval and can assist in government affairs as a Qi cultivator, there are still many restrictions.”

"The method of changing the world is a forbidden technique. It is not easy for a cultivator to change his appearance, and it may even affect the foundation of the Great Dao. This forbidden technique has the lowest cost, but it has a drawback: during the change of appearance, one cannot use any spells."

"No!" Cui Chen exclaimed, "The risk is too great! If we are discovered, then..."

Song Siyan said, "Although there are risks, they can be controlled. You ordinary people are not skilled in magic and cannot detect the tricks of Xu Bing. Only I can see through some of them."

You keep a close watch on the Imperial Preceptor's residence, while I infiltrate it. With coordinated efforts from both inside and outside, when the time is right, I will find a way to communicate with you and rescue His Majesty in one fell swoop!

Cui Chen hesitated, as if he wanted to say something, but then he saw the confidence in Song Si's eyes.

In the end, he nodded; that was the only way.

"I'm just worried that Xu Bing might do something to you and His Majesty..." Cui Chen said worriedly.

“There’s no need to worry about this,” Song Si analyzed. “I just need to be careful.”

"I'm sure of myself."