Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 97 The Two Faces of the Ministers
In fact, everyone in the hall had heard the entire conversation between the two, so there was no need for Mu Feng to report it!
Some lower-ranking officials who were near the gate saw it clearly and knew that the "immortal" who spoke was from heaven. They were all so frightened that their legs trembled and they could not speak. However, the important officials who were close to the emperor did not know the situation. They thought that some martial arts practitioners had disrespected the imperial authority and trespassed into the imperial city. So when Mu Feng hurriedly returned to the palace, one after another they opened their mouths to scold and curse him.

The saying goes, "When in doubt, one should swear by a favored minister." Several elderly officials from two dynasties were spouting nonsense, first saying things like, "Ministers are greedy for their salaries and love to flatter, while lower-ranking officials are afraid of punishment and remain silent. They revere martial arts practitioners and despise the court and the state. Their hearts are deserving of punishment." Then they cursed, "You are not spineless, but your very bones are filled with flattery." One after another, they spoke as if the Xiao Kingdom was already on the verge of collapse and about to be destroyed because of Mu Feng!

"His Majesty!"

Mu Feng remained expressionless, offering no response to these attacks that he had long been accustomed to. Instead, he respectfully addressed Murong Zhen, saying, "The person who came from outside the hall is Ye Shuyun, the seventh young master of the Ye family in Jiangnan and a disciple of Bai Shigong of the Bai Shi Immortal Sect. He should have been practicing martial arts a month or so ago, but he has now abandoned martial arts and turned to the path of immortality."

"The man rode a flying fox on the clouds, claiming that he was sent by the White Stone Immortal to present His Majesty with the fruit used by immortals—the Immortal Peach."

Upon hearing this, Murong Zhen took a deep breath and fell silent.

He's not deaf, how could he not have heard the conversation outside the hall?

What do you mean by "gift"? It's clearly a "bestowal"!
A difference of just one word can mean the difference between superior and inferior, and between the honorable and the humble!

However, thinking of the strength of that "White Stone Immortal" that Mu Feng had mentioned in their private conversation not long ago, he had to suppress his displeasure for the time being.

After a long while, Murong Zhen finally spoke up: "Let's go out and see... the demeanor of this 'little immortal'!"

The emperor's words, once spoken, almost immediately set the course of the matter.

So, the court officials surrounded Murong Zhen and rushed out of the main hall.

Although the little fox had a lightness talisman on it, Ye Shuyun, whom it was carrying, still felt very uncomfortable because it had never carried anything before. So it jumped around in the clouds to loosen up its muscles.

As everyone looked up, they saw a beautiful red fox leap out from the clouds on the horizon and land back in the clouds, its fluffy tail swishing back and forth, its posture so beautiful that it seemed like a celestial beast...

Do not--

"Is this not a celestial fox?"

Among the court officials, it was unclear who was the first to speak up.

Then, all sorts of voices followed.

"This is an auspicious omen! This is truly an auspicious omen!"

"Your Majesty, this auspicious omen must be a blessing from our ancestors, a sign of Your Majesty's righteous and virtuous rule! It is a blessing for all the people and the nation!"

Auspicious words poured out of the ministers' mouths as if they weren't the ones who had just felt incredibly humiliated. Mu Feng, who remained expressionless, felt a little amused.

On the other side, when Ye Shuyun saw the bright yellow figure emerge from the hall, she patted Xiao Li's head. Xiao Li moved its four paws in perfect unison, while Zhang Chengdao, who was meditating in the courtyard of the thatched hut on White Stone Mountain, controlled Xiao Li to slowly descend in front of Murong Zhen. He even managed to conjure a large cloud around it, which then dissipated with a puff the moment it landed.

The emperor and his ministers of the Great Xiao Kingdom, who had never seen such "special effects" before, were dumbfounded. It was only after Ye Shuyun turned away from the little fox and placed the two baskets of peaches at his feet that he bowed deeply and said politely, "Ye Shuyun of the White Stone Immortal Sect greets the Emperor of the Great Xiao Kingdom, and also greets..."

He raised his head, looking at Murong Zhen with neither arrogance nor servility, and added, "I have also met Senior Sister's elder brother."

Murong Zhen was taken aback, only then remembering that his sister, the Sixth Princess, whom he had never been very close to, had also joined the White Stone Immortal Sect!
Thinking of this, he quickly stepped forward, helped Ye Shuyun up, laughed heartily, and said, "That's right, that's right, I almost forgot, my sixth sister is also a disciple of your sect!"

After helping Ye Shuyun up, Murong Zhen took two steps back and continued, "I never imagined that someone who is merely a disciple of the old immortal Baishi could walk in the air. I can hardly imagine what kind of demeanor this old immortal Baishi must possess!"

"Since you are Sixth Sister's junior brother, it is not inappropriate for you to call me 'Brother King'! There is no need to be so formal!"
"It's almost noon now, so why don't you have lunch with me and tell me about the Dao of Immortality? What do you say?"

Murong Zhen's words immediately eased the tense atmosphere. The ministers who had previously criticized Mu Feng for being obsequious and "bone-deeply sycophantic" were now speechless, like gourds with their mouths sawed off.

"I should not refuse His Majesty's order, but my master is waiting for me to return and report, so I have no choice but to take my leave of His Majesty."

As he spoke, Ye Shuyun picked up the two baskets of Immortal Peaches and presented them, saying, "These two baskets of Immortal Peaches are from an Immortal Tree, and are incomparable to those of ordinary people. My master specially instructed me to present them to Your Majesty as a token of my gratitude. I hope Your Majesty will not refuse them."

Mu Feng, with a keen eye, stepped forward, took the basket, knelt on one knee, and held the entire basket of peaches high above his head, presenting it to Murong Zhen.

A young courtier on the side followed suit, taking another basket and presenting it to the emperor.

Murong Zhen picked up a peach from the basket. The peach's fragrance was so enticing that she couldn't help but take a bite.

An elderly minister, seeing this, was greatly alarmed and cried out, "Your Majesty!"

How can you eat something that goes into your mouth so carelessly?

Murong Zhen remained unmoved, casually waving his hand to indicate that the court officials did not need to make a fuss. At the same time, he put a piece of peach into his mouth, and the juice splashed everywhere. Without the barrier of the outer skin, the exotic fragrance of the peach spread almost instantly in front of the palace gate. Even the guards standing at the door could not help but swallow a few mouthfuls of saliva.

Soon after, Murong Zhen ate a whole peach, and a strange "qi" immediately condensed in his stomach. This "qi" gently and slowly traveled through Murong Zhen's true qi meridians, clearing away some hidden ailments he had developed from his arduous cultivation when he was still the crown prince, as well as the blockages in his true qi meridians. His whole body became warm and comfortable, as if he were soaking in a hot spring.

Even the headache I had been suffering from these past few days due to the arguments in the court that I hadn’t slept well for several days was gone!
It really is a fairy peach!
"Here comes someone!"

Murong Zhen immediately waved his hand, pointed to the basket of [Immortal Peach] that he had taken one from, and instructed Mu Feng: "Send this basket to the inner palace, give half to the Empress Dowager, and give the rest to the Empress to distribute... Make sure that all the concubines in the inner palace, even the Dowager Consorts, as well as the princes' and princesses' residences, all receive some. Go immediately, and there must be no delay!"

Mu Feng hurriedly shouted, "Your subject obeys!"

(End of this chapter)