The Empress's First Running Dog

Chapter 678 The Story of Maya
Beijing.

A sudden downpour soaked the historic city. Because of a notice posted in advance by the Imperial Observatory, the people in the city went home early and closed their doors.

The torrential rain soaked the city streets and raised low plumes of mist.

Inside the Imperial Observatory, in a building almost as tall as the bell tower of the Celestial Master's Mansion, a group of star officials were busy at work.

On the star-gazing platform at the highest point of the building, the supervisor, a third-rank official, sat cross-legged under the arched eaves above, gazing absently at the dark green bamboo forest on the outskirts of the capital.

"Sir, your order has been delivered."

Behind him, a boy laboriously carried a wooden box up, slammed it down on the ground, and pretended to wipe his sweat, feigning exhaustion.
"It's summer now, and with this heavy rain, it wasn't easy to move it all the way from Dali Temple. Are you in such a hurry to see it?"

Almost two months have passed since Zhao Du'an left the capital.

Not long ago, the Dali Temple sent someone to the Imperial Observatory to invite a star official over, saying that while sorting through the confiscated materials in Shenlong Temple, they unexpectedly found a box of dusty scrolls.

I glanced at it and it seemed to be related to astrology, so I asked a professional to verify it.

Shenlong Temple has a vast business empire.

Initially, only a rough search was conducted, and the entire inventory work has not yet been completed.

After returning from the Dali Temple, the star official was excited and reported to the supervisor, which led to the matter of bringing this box over.

"A thirst for knowledge, coupled with the inconvenience of going out on rainy days, is precisely the time to study."

The elderly and frail supervisor turned around and said with a smile.

He stood up, walked to the box, and sat down again.

The seal on the box had been broken, and the contents of the box looked quite old. Inside, it was covered in dust, indicating that it had been sealed away for many years.

The old supervisor carefully took out a yellowed book, opened it, examined it closely, and revealed a look of surprise:

"It really is the Maya manuscript!"

The boy asked blankly, "What is that?"

The old supervisor stroked the book cover and said with a smile:
"Tell me, how old is the oldest surviving book on stargazing, the astrology book?"

The boy did not hesitate:
"Six hundred years ago, the Qi Kingdom was in dire straits and burned down its capital. All the important documents and books from that time were destroyed. Therefore, the earliest records that remain in the Imperial Observatory today only date back to six hundred years ago."

The old supervisor shook his head and said:

"That's not right. Back then, the Qi Kingdom burned books, but some valuable materials were still preserved among the people."

At that time, Shenlong Temple had not yet achieved its later success, but it had already taken shape. There was a small temple in the capital where the impoverished monks inherited some of the legacy left by Maya Xingzhe a thousand years ago, including some manuscripts.

In his later years, Maya the Pilgrim became engrossed in stargazing and astrology, leaving behind a considerable amount of writing. While most of the original manuscripts are lost, it is reasonable that a few handwritten copies remain in Shenlong Temple.

The boy was extremely surprised:

"Is this all? These are the records of the Maya Pilgrim from a thousand years ago?"

The old supervisor nodded, his eyes showing respect:
"Fortunately, we knew about it; otherwise, if those ignorant officials in the Dali Temple had carelessly discarded it, it would have been an immeasurable loss."

Rainwater fell from the eaves of the buildings like strings of pearls.

The old man's ears were filled with the sound of rain. He opened the ancient manuscript and read it carefully. On the very first page, he saw a sentence written:

"Where the calamity fell, at the very edge of the northernmost region."

……

……

Emperor Taizu of Yu!

In a small courtyard deep in the Mubei Forest, under a large, fiery red banyan tree, Xu Taizu uttered these words with a smile.

The people standing at the door all felt a sudden buzzing in their heads.

Even though I had already guessed along the way, seeing the legendary historical figure in person was still a huge shock to me, like a tsunami that was hard to calm down.

“Old Xu…” Zhao Du’an’s eyes widened as he compared the old boxer in front of him with the middle-aged Xu Manzi in the “Martial God Diagram”, and his emotions surged.

The empress beside him froze, staring blankly at her ancestor whom she had only seen in paintings, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Zhang Yanyi was also moved. This god-like figure rarely showed genuine respect, standing with his hands clasped, displaying the demeanor of a junior.

“Master…” Tuoba Weizhi was stunned for a moment. She was the quickest to accept it and took the initiative to step forward and bow.

Tuoba Weizhi fell asleep and awoke repeatedly in the La Garden. In her perception of time, these six hundred years were not a very long time...

Therefore, seeing Xu Taizu felt most natural, like a long-awaited reunion.

Emperor Taizu of Xu nodded slightly to her, then shook his head with a smile and said:
“Since our last parting, I have said that you are no longer my servant.”

“Ancestor…I…”

At this moment, Xu Zhenguan's eyes reddened slightly, and he was about to step forward, almost losing his composure, when Zhao Du'an reached out and suddenly grabbed his hand:

"and many more."

Zhao Du'an remained highly vigilant: "His identity hasn't been confirmed yet!"

The Empress suddenly realized that the Mubei Forest was too mysterious; how could she believe someone just because she saw them?
Upon hearing this, Emperor Taizu of Xu was not angry. Instead, he smiled and said:
"They're certainly cautious. Hmm, let me think about how to prove my identity... Ah, that's it..."

As if he had thought of something, he suddenly raised his hand and made a gesture. The next moment, Zhao Du'an's dragon soul, which had been dormant in his sea of ​​qi like a dead snake, suddenly awoke. It struggled to break through the sea of ​​qi and happily coiled around the old boxer under the tree.

The usually dignified and aloof Long Po was now fawning over the old boxer like a puppy, leaving the others dumbfounded.

Emperor Taizu of Xu stroked the dragon-soul "dog's head" and looked at Zhao Du'an with a smile:

"Can this still prove anything?"

Zhao Du'an pondered for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Odd changes, even remains the same?"

Empress: ? ?

Xu Taizu fell silent for a moment, his gaze becoming somewhat strange, a peculiar look, as if he were reunited after a long separation…

He suddenly smiled, raised his hand and waved it, causing the dragon's soul to coil around the banyan tree above his head. Then he exhaled and said earnestly:

"Although I am not from that world, but... signs indicate quadrants."

Right!
Zhao Du'an's heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, suddenly relaxed, and at the same time, he keenly grasped a crucial piece of information:

Old Xu in front of him seemed to have guessed his biggest worry, so he went straight to the point and took the initiative to declare that he was not a time traveler.

"Ancestor!"

Beside him, after confirming the authenticity of the person before him, Xu Zhenguan finally stepped forward without hesitation and, with an excited expression, performed a deep bow:

"Xu Zhenguan, the unworthy descendant of the current emperor of Yu, pays respects to his ancestor!"

When Xu Zhenguan uttered these words, she was filled with trepidation. Although her ancestors seemed to have foreseen her existence in the mortal world, as a woman ascending the throne as empress, how her ancestors would view her was ultimately an unpredictable matter.

Emperor Taizu of Xu, however, seemed unsurprised by the Empress's presence. A hint of affection flickered in his eyes as he personally helped her up. After examining her closely for a moment, he suddenly smiled smugly:

"It seems that my descendants have done well, improving their genes generation after generation. My Xu family descendants are no longer as sloppy as I was."

Pfft... Zhao Du'an almost choked on his breath when he heard this, and the Empress's expression also froze for a moment, as if she hadn't expected that the old ancestor's personality was indeed as "approachable" as recorded in the palace history books.

Zhang Yan pretended not to hear clearly and bowed respectfully:

"Zhang Yanyi, the contemporary successor of the Celestial Master's Mansion, pays respects to the Xu family elder."

Xu Taizu turned to look at the old Celestial Master, his gaze lingering on the scroll of heavenly scripture at his waist. He nodded slightly, his eyes filled with emotion.

"Many years have passed in the blink of an eye. It seems that the Celestial Master's Mansion and the royal family are still on good terms."

Zhao Du'an was filled with doubts and couldn't help but ask:
"You really are the old...Emperor Taizu? Did you know we were coming? Do you know me? And how have you been able to exist for six hundred years? Why did you guide us here? What is the purpose of all this?"

Too many questions.

What he really wanted to ask was the mystery of his time travel, but with outsiders present, he ultimately remained silent.

Xu Zhenguan also realized what was happening and said somewhat excitedly:
"Ancestor, the outside world is not peaceful. Since you are still alive, why have you not shown yourself?"

A gentle breeze swept through the boxing gym, causing the leaves of the banyan tree to rustle and the setting sun to shine with exceptional tenderness.

Emperor Taizu met the gazes of the emperor and his minister, smiled, and said unhurriedly:

"Niannu, go to the house and fetch the tea I've brewed. Shall we sit down and talk slowly?"

Pei Niannu turned and went into the house without saying a word.

Before long, she came over with a tea tray and placed it on the stone table. Seeing this, the others had no choice but to patiently sit around the table.

Xu Taizu sat in the main seat, surveying the eager faces of the group. The seasoned boxing master, weathered by life's storms, smiled and said:
"I know why you've come. Rest assured, since I've brought you here, I will not hide anything from you, whether you want to ask or know the answer."

But before that, I'd like to know what the current situation is like in the outside world.

Since you've risked your lives to come here, the world must be in chaos, and you must be facing an invincible enemy, right?

Zhao Du'an's heart skipped a beat. It seemed that Old Xu, who lived here, was unaware of the changes in the outside world.

Xu Zhenguan hesitated for a moment, exchanged a glance with him, and after receiving confirmation from Zhao Du'an, the Empress spoke:
"Reporting to our ancestors, more than six hundred years have passed since the founding of the Yu Kingdom..."

Unsure how much her ancestors knew, she simply recounted the major events of the past six hundred years in a timeline format.

Then, he recounted the details of the coup d'état in the Xuanmen sect three years ago, his ascension to the throne, the subsequent rebellion of the princes, and the trouble caused by the Buddhist sect.

Emperor Taizu listened quietly, while Pei Niannu, standing beside him, also pricked up her ears, seemingly very interested.

Finally, after the Empress finished speaking, a look of emotion appeared in Xu Taizu's eyes:
"The world has changed so much, yet we are unaware that six hundred years have passed in the human world."

Xu Zhenguan said somewhat anxiously:

“Ancestor, the Dharma King of Buddhism has launched a war and is fighting fiercely with our Yu Kingdom. Most of the banyan trees in the Celestial Master’s Mansion have withered and turned yellow. We suspect that a ‘human immortal’ may emerge from Buddhism, so we risked coming here to seek a solution.”

Emperor Taizu of Xu seemed to understand her meaning and shook his head, saying:
"I cannot leave here, nor can I help you quell the chaos. My era has long passed. This world now belongs to you. I can neither, nor do I wish to, get involved in the cause and effect."

Xu Zhenguan was taken aback.

Standing nearby, Zhao Du'an couldn't hold back any longer and simply laid his cards on the table:

"Old Xu, stop with the nonsense. We don't have much time, and we can't afford to waste it. Every day we waste, countless people die in the war outside."

You didn't arrange all this just to lure me here to ask what's going on outside, did you?

I don't care how you've managed to survive this long. Let's be frank. We've already answered your questions, so now it's your turn to answer.

Xu Zhenguan was startled and quickly kicked him lightly under the table, glaring at him intently.
How can you speak to our ancestors like that?
Zhao Du'an pretended not to see, only staring at Xu Taizu, giving the impression of a young punk barging into his home and threatening his father-in-law...

Unlike Xu Zhenguan, who was too young in seniority, Zhang Yanyi considered himself a junior. Zhao Du'an, as a time traveler, did not have much respect for the people of this world. He believed in the principle of "if someone respects me, I will respect them even more."

Old Xu seemed to have helped him a lot and could be considered his master on his path of cultivation, but Zhao Du'an didn't feel much gratitude.

Because he knew very well that all of this was arranged by the old boxer in front of him.

As the one who was arranged to do so, he certainly had reason to be angry.

“I know that the reason I embarked on the royal path of cultivation was likely due to your guidance, and the reason why the Dragon Soul came to me after six hundred years must also be at your behest.”

Pei Niannu has followed me all this way, and now that I think about it, she seems more like a pair of eyes you planted long ago to be by my side. Even Tuoba Weizhi was arranged by you six hundred years ago, a pawn waiting for my move.

Zhao Du'an leaned forward slightly, staring intently at Xu Taizu, and calmly said:

"Along my journey, I have encountered so many people who wanted to be chess players, and each of them wanted to use me as a chess piece."

Frankly, I don't like this feeling at all. You are the ancestor of the Zhenguan era, and I can let this go for her sake. But I'm here today to get an answer.

Quiet.

As the sun set, Xu Zhenguan looked at him in surprise by the stone table, seemingly not expecting Zhao Du'an to be so assertive at this moment.

At that moment, the Empress suddenly realized that everyone in her group had a purpose in coming here.

He sought to ascertain the fate of the founding emperor and to find a way to defeat Buddhism.

Zhang Yanyi sought a way to become a "human immortal".

Tuoba Weizhi and Pei Niannu were used as tools to carry out the tasks taught to them by their ancestors many years ago.

And Zhao Du'an...

What he wanted was an answer, an answer to unravel the mystery of his origins and to unravel the whole “arrangement.”

Thinking of this, Xu Zhenguan's gaze softened as she looked at him.

Then, after thinking about it seriously, she made an offensive move. She sat down next to Zhao Du'an, and generously extended her right hand to hold his left hand, looking calmly at her ancestor.

It's like a silent stance and declaration.

Emperor Taizu met the interrogating gazes of the emperor and his minister with a calm expression.

He slowly took a sip of tea, put down the teacup, sighed softly, and said:

"I have a story to tell, would you like to hear it?"

"What story?" Zhao Du'an's heart stirred, and he asked, "About you?"

Emperor Taizu shook his head, his gaze fixed on the fiery red sunset outside the courtyard, seemingly lost in memories:

"One, a story about Maya the Wanderer from a thousand years ago."

(End of this chapter)