Chapter 66 Concubine Cui's Secret

Zheng Yuantao proclaimed himself the King of Yan. This matter was not only hotly debated in the court, but also among countless people in the society.

Some cursed loudly, some were filled with righteous indignation, some were full of admiration, and there was a very small number of people who, for some unknown reason, actually went to join the army just to fight for a future!
Pubs, teahouses, brothels and other places were all filled with people discussing the matter.

"The King of Yan declared himself emperor. This is the first time this has happened in the more than 300 years since the founding of Dayu!"

"What will those masters in the court do?"

"What else can it be? It's just an imperial decree of reprimand. Does the imperial court really dare to go to war with the Pseudo-Yan?"

"Tsk... Just relying on those masters of the Imperial Guard?"

"The Imperial Guards are almost useless! Two years ago, Yang Ni was plotting a rebellion and clashed with the Imperial Guards. Those who died were all elite Imperial Guards."

"Tsk tsk tsk, nowadays, if the imperial guards can have two or three thousand capable warriors, they'd be very lucky~"

"Hush... the masters have left the court!"

"There's new news! The imperial court is in favor of war and is actually gathering soldiers from the four states surrounding the capital to form an imperial army!"

"Rectifying a royal guard? I wonder if I can do it?"

"I heard that Tian Yiguang, the fourth place winner of the martial arts exam, is now a captain of the imperial guards and is recruiting soldiers!"

"Captain of the Imperial Guards? What a quick rise to fame!"

"The top scorer in the military exam is now a guerrilla fighter in the Binzhou border army, with several thousand men under his command!"

"I heard that the runner-up and third place winners of the martial arts exam are now the leaders of the Shenji Camp and are also recruiting soldiers! I heard that the requirements are very harsh, and only those with great strength and archery skills are needed."

"Shenjiying? What is that for?"

"I don't know. I heard that they are directly under His Majesty's personal army!"

"Recruiting soldiers, why are you still recruiting soldiers? Does the court have so much money?"

"Hush... Have you forgotten? His Majesty confiscated Yang Ni's property. I heard that he took away hundreds of millions of taels of silver!"

"How come I heard that more than 1 billion was copied?"

"That's too small. My neighbor's aunt's brother's concubine's second uncle's son is a eunuch in the palace. I heard he embezzled 10 billion!"

"Wow~!"

All kinds of news and rumors are flying around among the people, and the stories change almost every day.

Among these, some are real information, while others are just pretexts released by people with ulterior motives.

There were Emperor Zhengyong, spies from the Pseudo-Yan Dynasty, and people from other forces; almost all of them gathered in the capital, making it extremely lively.

"The fake Yan is plotting rebellion. We, Dayu, should mobilize a large force and wipe them out with the force of thunder!"

Inside the Hanlin Academy, the newly appointed Hanlin editor Wang Anshi stood up and spoke excitedly, shaking his hands as if to vent his anger.

Next to him were the newly appointed Hanlin Academy editors, the top scorer in the imperial examination, Cui Xiawu, and the second place, Li Ziyang.

The three of them scored the first place in the same imperial examination and were admitted to the Hanlin Academy as officials at the same time. They had a schoolmate friendship and often got together to discuss national affairs.

Today, the news of the Pseudo-Yan's independence has already aroused heated discussions among countless colleagues, including the three of them.

A large number of Hanlin Academy officials and doctors gathered together to discuss the matter, and after the meeting the three of them gathered together again.

Among the three, although Wang Anshi came from a poor family, he was aware of the sufferings of the people. Therefore, he hated the establishment of the false Yan and advocated its suppression.

The other two people, however, have different opinions.

"What can we use to suppress it?"

Cui Xiazhao shook his head and said, "There are civil unrests in the six northern states now. The imperial court has been suppressing them for two years but has not been able to completely put them down. Now there is the false Yan who has declared independence, causing even more chaos in the north. What can the imperial court do to suppress them?"

"The Imperial Army has not recovered yet because of Yang Ni's rebellion. Are they relying on the soldiers from Yunzhou County? Or soldiers from other counties?"

"In my opinion, it would be better for the imperial court to recognize the throne of King Yan, use King Yan's hand to suppress the rioters, and then go to Canglong River to resist Wu State together with General Xu. This is the best strategy!"

"Acknowledge the fake Yan as king?"

Wang Anshi frowned and said, "In this case, where is the legal basis of the court?"

"If you acknowledge the Prince of Yan, then what about the other princes?"

"Prince Ning and Prince Qing have both reached adulthood. In addition, your Majesty's uncles Prince Jin, Prince Chen, Prince Shu, Prince Jiang, etc. If they all want to establish themselves, what will the court do?"

Wang Anshi gritted his teeth and said, "Have you forgotten the rebellion of the kings in the early days of the founding of the Great Yu?"

More than three hundred years ago, when Dayu was first established, the founding emperor Zheng Mingsen divided the country into many kings to protect the capital.

Who would have thought that after his death, the kings would rebel and besiege the capital in order to fight for power.

Fortunately, King Wu was born at that time, destroyed all the kings, drove out foreign tribes, and stabilized the entire Dayu.

From then on, King Wu of Zheng issued a royal decree that no one except those with the surname Zheng could be king, and the kings were given no military or political power, only the right to be supported by the local fiefdoms.

And now, the fake king Zheng Yuantao actually wants to use this to threaten the court and make him a vassal king.

If this starts, the world will be in chaos!

“This is a stopgap measure.”

Cui Xiazhao sighed and said, "We can only rely on the King of Yan to quell the civil unrest and then revoke his title, and then we can..."

"The world will be in chaos!"

Wang Anshi sneered, "How can I take back the title that has been granted? Brother Cui, you are too naive!"

Cui Xiazhao gritted his teeth and said, "Brother Wang, the King of Yan must be your Majesty's brother now. All we need to do is..."

"Ah……"

Wang Anshi sneered and shook his head, saying, "How can you put the reputation of the Great Yu court in this way?"

"Today in the court, I heard that Brother Cui's grandfather also advocated peace. Doesn't he know that if this is implemented, it will be a disaster for our Great Yu country!"

"Dayu has reached such a difficult situation, and you are still thinking about factional struggles!"

"Brother Wang!"

Cui Xiazhao was angry, but was stopped by Li Ziyang who was standing beside him: "Don't be anxious, my two elder brothers. We are just discussing this matter. Why should we raise it to a party dispute?"

"The officials in the court are all the most important officials in the court. How can they not see what we can see?"

"We are only minor officials of the sixth or seventh rank now. If one day someone can become a senior official of the first or second rank, or even enter the cabinet to discuss matters, then won't you have the final say on this matter?"

Among the three, Li Ziyang is the youngest and has been known as a child prodigy since childhood.

He came from a Jiangnan clan, had a wealthy family, and had considerable influence in the court.

He chuckled and continued, "By the way, the court is planning to send three of us to Chang'an County to observe government affairs. Have you two brothers decided where to go?"

"Ugh……"

Cui Xiazhao shook his head and said, "Chang'an County has suffered from a severe drought for three years. I heard that the situation is very miserable. My father said that the three of us were sent to Chang'an County to observe the government because it was appointed by His Majesty, and we cannot refuse."

"If I go, I will definitely choose Chang'an County Government, and use what I have learned to help Chang'an County with disaster relief and save the people from the water and fire!"

"Chang'an County Government?"

Wang Anshi looked even more disdainful: "Brother Cui, are you going there to see that Chang'an County Office is the safest place?"

"you……!"

"Brother Wang!"

Li Ziyang quickly grabbed Wang Anshi and said, "I am going to Weinan County. I heard that there is a red dragon turning over and a demon appearing in this place, so I am going to check it out."

Wang Anshi thought for a moment and said, "I'll go to Yanchang County!"

"Yanchang County!"

The two were surprised and looked at Wang Anshi.

Yanchang County is the place where the drought situation in Yongzhou is the most serious!

It is said that there are millions of victims there, rivers have dried up, and people are eating their own children, it is extremely miserable.

There was already a hint of civil unrest.

Wang Anshi stood up, his eyes bright as he said, "This is my great wish, I will pursue it to the death!"

The two of them stood in awe and said, "Brother Wang, you are so righteous!"

Wang Anshi responded with a salute, "However, fortunately, Your Majesty is very righteous and has rejected the pseudo-Yan's proposal to establish itself. This is a blessing for our Great Yu."

"The revival of Dayu depends entirely on your Majesty!"

"If I have the chance, I will do my best to serve my emperor!"

The two of them stood up and said, "We are the same!"

……

Late at night, Cui Mansion.

Cui Jinghao called his trusted butler and said in a deep voice: "Return all the things sent from Yancheng. Remember, don't keep any of them!"

The butler immediately said: "Yes, sir. But those things..."

"Hmm? Didn't what I said work?"

"No, sir. Among those things there are ten thousand-year-old purple ginsengs, which are holy nourishing products. Your body..."

Cui Jinghao hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Thousand-year-old purple ginseng..."

"Forget it, leave the thousand-year-old purple ginseng here, and send away all the other things!"

"I have already spoken well of them in the court. These ten thousand-year-old purple ginsengs are their reward."

"Your Majesty has made up his mind to fight. As a minister in the cabinet, I should stand with Your Majesty."

"Yes, sir."

After the butler left, Cui Jinghao shook his head and returned to the hall.

Inside the hall, there were also seven or eight officials who had been waiting for a long time. They were all third-rank officials who followed the Cui family in the court.

Cui Jinghao waved his hand, signaling everyone to sit down.

As the maid brought tea, someone immediately asked impatiently, "Mr. Cui, His Majesty is now in favor of war, what should we do?" Cui Jinghao closed his eyes and thought, "His Majesty has already rejected the Pseudo-Yan, and now all you have to do is go back and prepare for the next war!"

"Oh, there's going to be another war."

"Zheng Yuantao, the third son of the King of Yan, what on earth was he thinking that he would declare himself the King of Yan?"

"I am now wondering whether the King of Yan was assassinated by him!"

"Shh...shut up, this matter cannot be discussed."

The people below were discussing, but Cui Jinghao said indifferently: "Everyone, I know that the Pseudo-Yan has already sent a large sum of money to your mansion. Listen to my advice and withdraw as soon as possible."

As soon as the voice fell, there was silence for several minutes, and finally someone spoke up: "Uncle, my Cui family's main family and large property are very close to Yandi, and many of our disciples have trade relations with Yandi."

"If we retreat rashly, the loss will be huge. How about..."

This man is from the Cui family, and holds the position of a third-rank official in the Salt Transport Bureau. Although his power is not great, it is a lucrative job!
"How about that?"

"The longer this war lasts, the better it will be for our business. Regardless of whether it's the Pseudo-Yan or the imperial court, as long as we can drag it out..."

Cui Jinghao closed his eyes and thought, and no one dared to disturb him. After a cup of tea, he finally opened his eyes and said, "Your Majesty is preparing for war, and the fake Yan is determined to capture it. There will be a war in the spring."

"Three months... I can only hold out for three months at most. Let my men finish the business quickly."

"Whether your majesty wins or the fake Yan establishes itself, my Cui family will gain something. Do you understand?"

"Yes! Uncle is really thoughtful!"

Cui Jinghao shook his head again and said, "Your Majesty is so aggressive and aggressive, the world will be in chaos."

"I don't know why Bing'er, even though she is a noble concubine, has no children in her belly."

"If Bing'er can give birth to a prince for Your Majesty..."

Everyone in the hall was talking, while outside the hall, in a dark corner, an ordinary young man dressed as a butler was leaning against the paper window and listening carefully.

After many officials left, he carefully memorized the appearance of several officials and then secretly returned to his residence.

Taking out special paper and ink from under the kang, the servant quickly wrote on it: "On February 6, the fifth year of Zhengyong, Cui Guangting, the director of the Salt Transport Bureau, and the Minister of the Ministry of Rites conspired in the home of Master Cui Jinghao..."

After writing, he hid it in his collar.

The next day, he asked for leave and went out, and placed the secret letter he had written on the back of the statue of the God of Land in the City God Temple.

Not long after, a beggar came here, took the secret letter when no one was paying attention, and sent it to a secret place.

This secret letter went around in circles and finally flowed into an institution in the south of the city, which was close to the imperial palace.

Jinyiwei!
The Jinyiwei had been established for two years and had already seen all the high-ranking officials above the sixth rank in the city.

Especially for officials of the second rank and above, there are at least three or four Jinyiwei spies in one mansion.

The Jinyiwei knew exactly which concubine's room these officials slept in at night, what they ate, and even what underwear they wore.

The reason why we haven't touched them yet is simply because the time has not come yet.

And tonight, in the Qiankun Hall, Zheng Yi was looking through the booklet in his hand.

This was the intelligence gathered by the two shadow guards who monitored Concubine Cui's every move after he left the capital and went to Golden Emperor Peak.

Zheng Yi flipped it over and looked at it. His eyes gradually changed from calm to strange, then from strange to speculation, and finally to confusion.

"The fourth year of Zhengyong, November 21. Concubine Cui washed up at yin hour, went to sit in meditation outside the Pepper Room, had lunch at noon, and went to bed at xu hour."

"On November 22, the fourth year of Zhengyong, Concubine Cui washed up at yin hour and went to sit in meditation outside the Pepper Room. At chen hour, she read books and practiced calligraphy. At xu hour, she went to bed."

"..."

"On November 28, the fourth year of Zhengyong, Concubine Cui washed up at yin hour, went to sit in meditation outside the Pepper Room, read books and practiced calligraphy at chen hour, had lunch at noon, and went to bed at xu hour."

"..."

Looking at these records, Zheng Yi's brows were furrowed into the shape of the Chinese character "川".

These diary-like contents...are they just a day in the life of Concubine Cui?
It’s too regular!

He washed up at yin hour, then sat quietly outside the Pepper Room, and then read and practiced calligraphy at chen hour, worthy of being a family of scholars.

Ok?
wrong!

Zheng Yi's eyes suddenly moved and he checked the records carefully.

"I basically get up at 4 or 5 in the morning to meditate, but...what about eating?"

"She only eats one meal a day?"

"And we only eat once every four or five days? What's going on?"

According to these records, Concubine Cui spent most of her time meditating, reading, practicing calligraphy, and occasionally taking walks in the Imperial Garden and other places.

But the most important thing for people is eating, which happens very rarely.

I basically only eat once every four or five days, and the food is always very simple.

Zheng Yi knew that no matter whether they were low-level warriors or high-level warriors, they all had to eat to ensure that they were energetic and full of energy and blood.

Some warriors can even eat twenty kilograms of beef in one meal!

Only by eating well can you transform the essence of food into your own qi, blood and energy.

But Concubine Cui is not a warrior, so she really doesn't need to eat too much.

But you can’t eat so little!
With so few people...people would have starved to death long ago!
"unless……"

"Fasting!"

Zheng Yi remembered something. Only the legendary immortal cultivators did not need to eat mundane food frequently. They only needed to breathe in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Like the old Taoist priest Zhao Xizheng, he could seclude himself for several years and didn't even need a bite of food.

He broke through the barrier and ate food just to satisfy his appetite.

He also has fasting pills, and taking one of them will ensure that he will not feel hungry for seven days.

"Could it be that... Concubine Cui is also a cultivator, and she uses fasting pills or other methods to eat only one meal every four or five days?"

"And the fact that I fell asleep for no apparent reason that night was also her fault?"

"You used a cultivation item to make me fall asleep?"

Until now, Zheng Yi could only guess this.

"Fortunately, she had no ill will towards me, otherwise something would have happened to me that night."

Concubine Cui is a monk!

This was undoubtedly great news for Zheng Yi.

Whether it is good news or bad news depends on Concubine Cui's purpose.

But now it seems that it is not bad news.

"Concubine Cui... She is a monk, hiding in the palace. What secrets does she have?"

"A great hermit hiding in the city?"

"wrong!"

Zheng Yi frowned and said, "According to Mr. Zhao Xizheng, the harem is located in the secular world, the spiritual energy is thin, and it is simply not enough for cultivators to practice..."

"Huh? No!"

"My pure Yin energy!"

"Chen Liancang and Prince Xian were able to break through to the Xiantian realm by relying on pure Yin energy. As a cultivator, how could she not notice it?"

"unless……"

Zheng Yi murmured, "Is Concubine Cui a novice cultivator? In other words, a rookie?"

"She also accidentally obtained the inheritance of cultivation? And because of her status as a noble concubine, she had to stay in the harem?"

"Moreover, she has been in the palace for four years. She behaves very normally. She doesn't look like a monk at all. She lives in seclusion and rarely goes out..."

"If that's the case, then it all makes sense."

Zheng Yi breathed a sigh of relief. He had been searching for immortals for two years but found nothing.

I didn't expect that there was a cultivator hiding next to me!
Concubine Cui!
"First of all, let's make sure she won't murder me. Does she want to live in peace with me?"

"Or are you reluctant to give up the splendor and wealth in the mundane world?"

Zheng Yi had already slowly come up with a plan for how to deal with Concubine Cui.

He is just a rookie cultivator, and his strength is at most on par with Chen Liancang and others, and he has no ill will towards him.

You can gradually get in touch with this kind of people.

After all, her identity is a royal concubine!

The emperor's concubine!
"No, there's still a chance something could go wrong. I have to improve my strength first!"

Zheng Yi said immediately: "If I advance to the Xiantian realm, with Chen Liancang by my side and ten blood moon Gu, I won't have to fear Concubine Cui."

“A draft…!”

"Use the beauty queens from the talent show to improve your own strength!"

Zheng Yi's eyes were bright as he said, "It seems that we need to urge the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Why is it so slow to select a show?"

"After the New Year, I will confer honors on the harem and allow concubines to enter the palace!"

"I don't know if there is any woman among these beautiful ladies who satisfies me."

"Zhu Wanwan from Baihua Sect?"

"Qin Qingxuan from Cihang Temple?"

"Nanyue Yuechan?"

"And the female priest who came from Taiyi Sect?"

(End of this chapter)