I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 321 An Accidental Encounter with the Imperial Advisor
Tang Zhao jogged towards a secluded spot and eventually stopped to rest near a rockery.

"Amitabha!"

Tang Zhao was startled and quickly turned around, only to see a young monk dressed in white robes sitting on a rock in meditation.

"Excuse me, Master, I've disturbed you," Tang Zhao said, lifting the hem of her skirt. "I'll leave now, please continue."

"No need to disturb you," the monk said. "This humble monk is here specifically to wait for you, benefactor."

"Wait for me?" Tang Zhao asked in confusion. "I don't know the master!"

“You don’t know me, and this is the first time I’ve met you,” the monk said with a smile. “But our connection began back in the 39th year of the Kangzhi reign.”

The thirty-ninth year of the Kangzhi reign? Tang Zhao's eyes widened. "You're that despicable imperial advisor?"

"It is this poor monk."

Tang Zhao lowered his head, casually picked up a piece of rock from the artificial rockery, and stepped forward to seek revenge.

"Amitabha," the National Preceptor said, "Please do not kill any living beings, benefactor."

Tang Zhao gave a forced smile, "I won't kill you, but I'll beat you half to death."

"If this humble monk is injured, he will need to go into seclusion again, for as short as three months or as long as several years."

"That's good. Then I've done a good deed for the innocent unmarried men and women of Da Yu."

Tang Zhao raised the stone.

"But if you miss the alignment of the nine stars on the seventh day of the eighth lunar month, you will have to stay here forever."

The Imperial Advisor looked up, his eyes, clear as water, fixed on Tang Zhao. "Does the benefactor not wish to return to his homeland?"

Tang Zhao's hand trembled, and the stone fell to the ground, nearly hitting his own foot.

"What does the Imperial Advisor mean by that?"

“Since you are not a native of this place, you may choose to leave or not leave.”

Tang Zhao's heart pounded violently, and her hands clenched unconsciously.

"But I haven't regained my freedom yet," Tang Zhao said hoarsely, "Can I leave?"

She is still short 123 lives.

"If you wish to leave, you must complete the task before the seventh day of the eighth month to gain your freedom."

Tang Zhao lowered his eyes. He really was a charlatan, even knowing about the system's mission.

“You may take your time to think it over. If you decide to leave, please make sure to arrive at Huguo Temple before nightfall on the seventh day of the eighth lunar month.”

"What will happen to this body if I leave?"

The Imperial Preceptor chanted a Buddhist prayer, "The benefactor of Tang Zhao has passed away."

Tang Zhao nodded mechanically, "Huguo Temple is heavily guarded, how can I get in to find you?"

“The abbot of Qing’an Temple once gave the benefactor a string of Buddhist prayer beads. With these prayer beads, one can travel freely in Huguo Temple.”

"I understand, thank you, Master."

The Imperial Advisor smiled slightly and drifted away.

Tang Zhao sat on the artificial rock, his mind blank.

Gu Ci, who couldn't find Tang Zhao anywhere in the Imperial Garden, disregarded everything else and immediately reported to the Emperor and Empress.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor and Empress lost all interest in continuing the flower-viewing banquet and immediately ordered a search of the entire palace.

Qin Zhaoyi wished she could devour Tang Zhao alive, but Gu Fu was secretly overjoyed.

It wasn't until nightfall that Tang Zhao snapped out of his daze, grimaced, and stretched his numb legs before limping back.

Gu Ci held up the torch and stood motionless for a long time on the path where Tang Zhao had disappeared.

Suddenly, footsteps approached.

Gu Ci hurriedly looked up and saw Tang Zhao bending over, patting her back, and jumping out from behind the artificial rock. Gu Ci was overjoyed and rushed up to hug Tang Zhao tightly.

"Where did you go? Do you know I've been looking for you for three whole hours?" In just one sentence, there was seven parts worry, two parts fear, and one part joy at finding you again.

Tang Zhao, realizing she was in the wrong, reached out to hug her trembling body and weakly explained, "I... I was right behind the artificial hill."

Gu Ci didn't believe it. "I searched around the artificial hill seven or eight times, I almost tore it down, but I still couldn't find you."

"But I really am here. Okay, okay, it's my fault. I shouldn't have run away without telling you. Please don't cry."

Tang Zhao reached out to touch Gu Ci's face.

Gu Ci raised his hand and grabbed Tang Zhao's hand, their fingers intertwined. "I really wish I could sew our hands together with a needle and thread, so we would never be separated in this lifetime."

Tang Zhao:. . . . . .

Young man, your idea is dangerous.

After a full half-incense stick's time, Gu Ci finally calmed down and pulled Tang Zhao to Fengyi Palace.

What are you going to Fengyi Palace for?

Shouldn't you be home eating and sleeping at this hour?
Gu Ci said coolly, "Father and Mother were frantic when they heard you were missing. Now that you've been found, shouldn't you tell them?"

Tang Zhao was surprised, "What? I only walked away for a short while, how did it alert so many people?"

Gu Ci added insult to injury, "Father also sent the Northwest Army to search the entire city."

Tang Zhao sighed, realizing this had blown up.

Sure enough, when they arrived at Fengyi Palace, the Emperor and Empress were there. As soon as they saw Tang Zhao, they surrounded her. Seeing that Tang Zhao was unharmed, they were relieved after being on edge all afternoon. Tang Zhao, who had been nagging, wished she could bury her head in the ground.

Emperor Wu'an, however, was not easily fooled. "Where did you go? Who did you see?"

Tang Zhao secretly groaned, and said half-truthfully, "I happened to meet the Imperial Preceptor at the rockery not far from the Imperial Garden, and we chatted about Buddhism for a while."

"The Imperial Advisor has emerged from seclusion?"

When Emperor Wu'an asked this question, Tang Zhao was also unsure. "He said he was the Imperial Advisor."

Tang Zhao described the monk's face and clothing, and Emperor Wu'an nodded and said, "He is indeed the Imperial Preceptor. If that's the case, then it makes sense."

The Imperial Advisor possesses extraordinary abilities and is proficient in Qimen Dunjia (a form of divination and strategy). If he were to set up a formation like the Ghost Wall, it would be no wonder that they could not detect him even when he was right in front of them.

Emperor Wu'an warned, "Stay away from the Imperial Preceptor! He's superstitious; he might just trick you into becoming a nun!"

Tang Zhao replied obediently, "Zhao Zhao understands!"

"Also, if you don't want Yuanye to take concubines, just say so, and your father will take care of it for you," Emperor Wu'an admonished. "But if you dare to run around again and make your father worry, your father will bestow seventeen or eighteen concubines upon Yuanye!"

Tang Zhao's lips twitched.

"And you! Knowing full well that Zhaozhao dislikes those women, why did you go over there? What do you, a grown man, have to say to the women of the cabinet?"

Emperor Wu'an launched an indiscriminate attack: "If you dare to provoke women again, I will strip you of your title and official position, and issue an edict to divorce Zhaozhao. Your mother and I will then pretend that you are not our son!"

The Empress nodded in agreement.

Gu Ci solemnly agreed.

Seeing that Tang Zhao looked tired and Gu Ci was not in good spirits, Emperor Wu'an sent them back to their residence to rest.

"Hurry up and serve the meal, I'm starving!"

I was so worried about Zhaozhao that I didn't even have time to eat.

Upon hearing that the meal was to be served, the eunuch hurriedly brought up the food that had been kept warm in the small kitchen.

The Empress looked at the table full of food but had no appetite. "Your Majesty," she said, "when will these two children stop causing us so much worry?"

Emperor Wu'an thought for a moment and concluded that Zhaozhao was definitely not wrong, so the only one who was wrong was that brat Yuanye.

"I have already made up my mind. Tomorrow I will issue an edict to send Zhaozhao and Yuanye to the south of the Yangtze River to oversee the salt administration," Emperor Wu'an said. "The more these two have been together, the deeper their feelings will naturally become."

If Zhaozhao still doesn't fall in love with Yuanye after this experience, then he will give up completely.

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