National Division

Chapter 87 Xue Zhihua: You were right!
palace garden
Shen Xian and Xue Zhi drew a picture of the palace. The two walked on the eaves of the palace corridor. The octagonal palace lanterns swayed in the wind, casting circles of light and shadow of different sizes.

A cool breeze, carrying a light drizzle, pattered on Shen Xian's face, instantly clearing his weary mind.

This day was truly full of ups and downs, and it took a lot of my energy. I could say that I had rehearsed every expression, tone of voice, and word I spoke with the diva in my mind.

"You're such a worry, the moment I'm not by your side you get into trouble." Xue Zhihua's clear eyes sparkled, her tone tinged with a hint of teasing.

"Yes, I really can't be without you for a moment," Shen Xian said.

Xue Zhihua was momentarily speechless at these words, so she turned her face away, pretending to be nonchalant, a faint blush rising on her fair and delicate face.

Shen Xian caught a glimpse of the fleeting shyness on the beautiful woman's face and thought to himself, "She's so easily teased, yet she still tries to seduce me? The less skilled she is, the more she loves to play around."

"I didn't expect the people from the Court of Judicial Review to act so quickly." Shen Xian changed the subject and asked, "Why would a Minister of the Court of Judicial Review keep an eye on the Yu family?"

Xue Zhihua glanced into the distance seemingly unintentionally, pursed her pink lips, and said, "Don't underestimate Zhou Liang. He is known as the eagle and vulture in the court and among the people. His sense of smell is extremely keen. However, the reason why he hates the Yu family is related to Yu Xiang, the head of the Yu family back then."

Shen Xian stopped and asked, "Is there a long-standing grudge?"

"Others think Zhou Liang is after the Yu family's wealth, but that's not the case." Xue Zhihua sighed and said quietly, "Yu Xiang was once the Vice Minister of Rites. He was upright and inflexible. Back then, when Zhou Liang was the magistrate of Heyang, he was well-versed in the law and had a good reputation. The late emperor wanted to promote him, but Yu Xiang wrote a memorial saying that he had not passed the imperial examination. Zhou Liang knew this and deeply resented it."

Shen Xian fell silent for a moment, then said, "Blocking someone's career path is like killing their parents. However, it seems that Minister Yu has not done anything wrong."

A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years; a petty person takes revenge from morning till night.

Zhou Liang was undoubtedly a villain, but Yu Xiang was too upright and inflexible back then.

Xue Zhihua suddenly used a secret telepathic technique, her tone tinged with amusement: "And another thing, back then, when the late emperor wanted to confer the title of king upon the father of the Empress Dowager, Duke Lü, Yu Xiang also submitted a memorial opposing it, saying it was against the rules of etiquette."

Shen Xian: "..."

Good heavens! How dare he do that?

Xue Zhihua chuckled and said, "However, Yu Xiang has already passed away, and the two members of the Yu family are also imprisoned. Whether it is Zhou Liang taking the opportunity to retaliate or not, I tend to think so."

Shen Xian fell silent for a moment.

Xue Zhihua asked, "Do you want to save the Yu family?"

Shen Xian thought for a moment but did not answer. He said, "We do not know the true situation of the two people. If they have indeed violated the law, even high-ranking officials are subject to the same punishment as commoners."

His taking in Yu Qingchan was a matter of keeping his promise, not an intention to help the Yu family. Would that make him like Voldemort, a blood bag?

However, it also depends on how deeply the Yu family is involved. If the Yu family is willing to pledge allegiance to the Empress, the Empress should not reject them, and he can also join forces to help them implement national policies.

He stood on the side of the Empress, hoping that she would become a holy empress, and therefore he would refrain from being hasty and exercise patience so as not to damage her holy virtue.

But this matter needs to be handled indirectly and tactfully.

“I don’t think it was collusion with Prince Qing. After all, these are only Zhou Liang’s side of the story. Lai Jing is greedy and avaricious, and Zhou Liang is narrow-minded and vindictive. It’s possible that the two hit it off immediately.” Seeing Shen Xian’s confusion, Xue Zhihua continued, “It is said that Lai Jing is a womanizer. In the Wang family of Taiyuan, he forced Wang Qingxian’s daughter to marry him. During the case of Prince Langya’s rebellion, he took a fancy to the wife of Ji Zhaode, the secretary of the Imperial Secretariat, and Ji Zhaode was also implicated in the rebellion.”

After the case of Prince Qing's rebellion broke out, Zhou and Lai became increasingly arrogant, especially Lai Jing.

Shen Xian asked, "How did you learn these details?"

"The Princess told me that this person, Lai Jing, also falsely accused the Princess." Xue Zhihua's face was as cold as frost, and her voice was sharp and stern.

Upon hearing this, Shen Xian thought to himself, "Lai Jing is truly a mad dog; he bites anyone he can get his hands on."

Shen Xian remained silent for a moment, then said, "Unfortunately, the Empress Dowager will surely regard him as an upright and loyal minister."

Through his interactions with the Empress, he had discerned her character. Although she was knowledgeable in politics, she was essentially a woman ruling the court and lacked a sense of security. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so adept at informing on others, allowing a petty person like Lai Jing to rise to power through informing.

There are always treacherous subjects who want to harm me.

Therefore, the Empress was overjoyed that such an upright person like him was truly devoted to her.

A strange light flashed in Xue Zhihua's clear eyes: "You're absolutely right. From then on, the Empress Dowager considered him a loyal and upright minister who did not flatter the powerful, and she trusted him even more."

"He is a risk-taker, morally corrupt, and a petty person. He is far inferior to Zhou Liang," Shen Xian sneered.

There are different kinds of petty people. For example, Zhou Liang is well-versed in the law and quite talented, but his talent exceeds his ability. He has long been oppressed by the powerful and craves respect from others. He is vengeful and will seek revenge for any malice shown to him by others.

Lai Jing, on the other hand, was greedy and lustful, and used despicable means to gain entry into the Censorate through informing on others.

“Yes, those city foxes and rats are swarming together in the court, deceiving the emperor, turning black into white, and treating human life like dirt in the capital, causing countless disasters.” Xue Zhihua sighed, her complicated gaze falling on Shen Xian’s face.

The appearance of the young man before her gave her hope for a clean and upright court, because Shen Xian was more favored by the Empress than those villains, yet he walked the righteous path.

In fact, this is about upholding the right path while adapting to changing circumstances... the righteous can turn evil into good.

Shen Xian thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow, you can help me investigate the deeds of Lai Jing and Zhou Liang, as well as that Jiang Rui from before."

Actually, because the Princess and others had come to the palace with him today, it was inconvenient for the Empress to inquire about the distinction between gentlemen and petty men in his "Discourse on Governing Officials." Otherwise, he could have taken the opportunity to speak up and release Jiang Rui. However, it's not too late. If he knew more details about the Dali Temple, his testimony to the Empress would be more convincing.

He fully supported the crackdown on Li Jingzong's clan, but using treacherous people, while bringing temporary satisfaction, would lead to endless troubles in the future.

"Scholar Shen, you're already ordering me around?" Beneath her sharply defined, heroic brows, Xue Zhihua looked at the young man before her with amusement in her clear eyes.

Shen Xian's calm expression vanished instantly, and he laughed, "Help, help."

Just now, in front of the emperor, one naturally had to maintain a solemn and serious demeanor, but in front of Xue Zhi, one was naturally lighthearted.

"Just now in front of Her Majesty, you were so cunning and calculating. Hmm, now you're acting like a young man." The floral decoration on Xue Zhi's forehead was bright and beautiful under the lamplight.

Shen Xian was momentarily stunned by his bright smile.

The dark path, with a touch of vermilion between her brows, made her cheeks appear snow-white and radiant, making one's heart flutter.

No wonder some people sing: "The vast land is not as beautiful as the cinnabar mark between your brows."

Shen Xian suppressed the turbulent thoughts in his heart and thought to himself, "This is what young men are like; their emotions are still somewhat influenced by their hormones."

Xue Zhihua felt a little uncomfortable under the boy's intense gaze. Her eyes darted away, and she casually asked, "Where did you put the Sumeru bag I gave you earlier?"

Shen Xian said, "It's hidden in my bosom."

As he spoke, he patted his chest.

Hmm, this move seems rather naive, somewhat like Zhu Chongba and Empress Ma.

Seeing that the young man was hiding close to his body, Xue Zhihua's clear eyes flickered slightly, and she felt a little shy for some reason, but she said in a cold voice, "Without divine sense, it is not easy to open."

Shen Xian said, "I haven't tried it. I thought it would be better to open it when you come back."

Upon hearing this, Xue Zhihua was at a loss for words.

“There are some pills inside. You can take them and cultivate later. I will protect you,” Xue Zhihua said. “You must not neglect your cultivation. Master said that he will introduce you to a senior brother in another lineage tomorrow.”

As Shen Xian listened to the beautiful woman's instructions in his ear, he was momentarily lost in thought.

As for official positions and power, they were nothing more than fleeting clouds to him, a man who had triumphed over his peers in his previous life. Only this trace of warmth, which arose from nothing and was not mixed with too much worldly calculation or weighing of pros and cons, made him slightly lose his composure.

I have no regrets even though my luggage is meager; it's rare to find a husband and wife who are still young at heart.

Of all the people he lost, he missed himself the most.

"We've arrived," Xue Zhihua said softly, looking at the pavilions with their upturned eaves in the distance.

Shen Xian smiled, suppressing a hint of melancholy in his heart: "I really don't know how to open this Sumeru bag."

The beautiful woman said softly, "I'll teach you later."

As they spoke, the two entered the hall one after the other. There were no candles to light the hall, but both Shen Xian and Xue Zhihua could see by the faint moonlight and the candlelight on the eaves.

A cluster of sparks suddenly appeared in Xue Zhihua's palm, splitting into several in mid-air. With a series of "poof" sounds, the crane-shaped bronze palace lanterns were lit one by one.

Shen Xian asked in surprise, "Is this a fire-based spell?"

The secret passage was truly a world of immortals where extraordinary beings roamed freely.

While it was certainly exhilarating to speak eloquently and discuss the world before the emperor, he also sought immortality, freedom, and the ability to move mountains and fill seas.

I need to improve my cultivation level as soon as possible!

Thinking this, he quickly checked his merit points.

But then the panel changed again.

Daoist principles: None.

Magical artifact: None.

Divine Weapon: Three-Star Divine Weapon Chengyi Sword.

Humanitarian merits: 123,800.

My merit increased by 20,000?

Shen Xian paused slightly, a guess forming in his mind.

Was it because of cruel officials like Suo Yuanli, or because of his essay "On the Administration of Officials"?
A short while later, the millstone brought the news. It was indeed about these two things: punishing corrupt officials like Suo Yuanli and indirectly influencing the Empress's personnel decisions. This resulted in fewer innocent souls dying under the cruel government, and the action was deemed to be in the best interests of humanity.

(End of this chapter)