Governing the country, enriching the people, an unparalleled imperial tutor

"Your Majesty has been living in the deep palace for too long, harboring strange people, causing disturbances within the palace and unrest throughout the court and the country!"

"Strange celestial phenomena must be the work of a demon. Your Majesty, please immediately hand over the bizarre demon to set things right and appease the wrath of Heaven!"

"This year, grain prices have soared, and refugees are everywhere. This is all due to Your Majesty's favoritism towards sycophants and alienation from virtuous officials, and your failure to cultivate benevolent governance! We beseech Your Majesty to issue an edict of self-reproach, delegate power to the cabinet, and appoint the Grand Tutor to manage state affairs and pacify the realm!"

A series of loud and sharp petitions burst through the door, layer upon layer, carrying the imposing authority of the court officials, pressing down relentlessly on the Tranquil Side Hall.

The attack began before the door was even opened.

Grand Tutor Zhang Lin was straightforward and ruthless.

Today, strange phenomena appeared in the side hall, and news spread in the palace that the young emperor was secretly harboring strange people dressed in unusual clothes. He immediately seized the opportunity and gathered most of the court officials in just half a quarter of an hour. With one hand, he accused the emperor of "monsters causing chaos in the palace," and with the other hand, he took advantage of the "soaring grain prices and social unrest" to force the emperor to abdicate on two fronts.

Either the young emperor hands over Lin Yanzhou, thus confirming the emperor's guilt of being easily swayed by evil spirits and lacking in virtue; or the young emperor refuses to hand him over, and the officials, citing divine wrath, popular resentment, and the peril of the state, force the young emperor to relinquish power, allowing the cabinet to completely take over imperial authority.

No matter what choice is made, Emperor Jinghe is a loser.

Emperor Jinghe, sitting on the dragon throne inside the hall, was slightly pale and subconsciously gripped the hem of his robe.

This is Zhang Lin's method; he never gives anyone a chance to breathe, and every move he makes is a dead end.

In contrast, Lin Yanzhou stood calmly beside the young emperor, his expression serene, showing no sign of panic at the prospect of a formidable enemy at his doorstep. Having witnessed countless instances of powerful clients turning against him in modern times, he was intimately familiar with the intrigues and machinations of this ancient court. Furthermore, no one knew that he, seemingly the chosen minister in the late emperor's will, was in reality a transcendent immortal, a being who had descended to the mortal realm.

Having seen through the underlying logic of capital games throughout his life, Xuan Shuo's schemes and calculations were nothing more than child's play, a matter of dimensional reduction.

"Your Majesty, please be careful."

Lin Yanzhou offered a soft reassurance, his tone nonchalant, yet a hint of detached indifference, like an immortal looking down upon the mortal world, flashed in his eyes: "Just a bunch of politicians and businessmen who leech off people by hoarding grain and using their livelihoods as bargaining chips. The louder they shout, the weaker their conviction."

"First, you need to resolve my identity issue. The late emperor left a will, appeared in my dream yesterday, and emphasized that I am a deity."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a guard pushed open the palace door.

The heavy palace doors slowly opened, and blinding sunlight poured into the hall, illuminating the large group of civil and military officials outside.

The elderly man at the head of the group wore a purple robe and a jade belt. His hair and beard were all white, and his eyebrows and eyes were gentle and unsharp, but his eyes concealed a ruthless intent to overturn the court. He was none other than the current Grand Secretary: Grand Tutor Zhang Lin.

As soon as the gates opened, the clamor of the officials instantly ceased, and countless gazes fixed on Lin Yanzhou, who stood beside the emperor. A mixture of surprise, disdain, and apprehension lingered on their expressions.

Dressed in a strange and simple short shirt, he stood incongruous with the solemn and dignified court, a veritable oddity.

"You audacious fiend! You refuse to kneel before His Majesty, showing utter disregard for the laws and regulations of the Imperial Court!" A censor immediately stepped forward, shouting angrily and taking the lead in the attack.

This is a classic, deadly move.

First, accuse Lin Yanzhou of violating etiquette. As long as Lin Yanzhou behaves improperly, it will confirm that he is morally corrupt, and all subsequent suppression will be justified.

A chorus of officials echoed, and the chants rose again: "Kneel!"

The deafening roar and overwhelming pressure would have shattered the spirit of an ordinary person in such an environment, causing them to kneel and beg for mercy.

Lin Yanzhou stood ramrod straight, his expression relaxed, his eyes calmly sweeping across the room, neither humble nor arrogant, without the slightest hint of panic.

He spent half his life playing the game, never believing that whoever shouts the loudest is right.

Before Emperor Jinghe could speak, Lin Yanzhou spoke first. His voice was not loud, but it clearly overwhelmed the noise of the entire room, and every word was resounding.

"I will not kneel, not out of rudeness, but because even the emperor cannot accept a kneel from this immortal."

One sentence, and the entire room fell silent.

The officials were dumbfounded; no one had expected this strange man of unknown origin to be so arrogant in front of the entire court.

A cold glint flashed in Zhang Lin's eyes as he slowly spoke, his tone gentle yet every word carrying a hidden dagger: "You are nameless, without official rank or status, standing in the forbidden depths of the palace, disrupting the court and disturbing the Emperor's presence. I ask you, by what right do you refuse to kneel?"

He didn't want to get bogged down in the details with the weirdo; he just wanted a quick conviction and to seize the initiative.

Emperor Jinghe waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "My beloved ministers, the late emperor left a decree that a person dressed in unusual attire would ascend the throne to assist Xuan Shuo in securing the country and stabilizing the world. The specific time was given to me in a dream last night by the late emperor, who instructed me to go to the side hall to welcome this immortal. What the late emperor said has indeed come true."

"There is no need for you all to make the gentleman kneel down. He is an immortal from the celestial realm, and even I, the supreme ruler, cannot bear such a burden."

The officials whispered amongst themselves, daring not to speak recklessly any further.

"You all keep calling me a monster. Are you perhaps questioning the late emperor's dream and slandering his prediction?" Lin Yanzhou timely threw out this accusation.

A huge label has been firmly placed on my head, and there's no way to undo it.

Emperor Jinghe declared: "Sir, you are the Imperial Advisor who appeared to me in a dream by the late Emperor, assisting our dynasty in unifying the world. My beloved ministers, seeing you is like seeing the late Emperor!"

The two worked together seamlessly, leaving all the officials speechless and their faces stiff.

The name of the late emperor is the greatest legitimacy of Xuan Shuo. Anyone who dares to question it is disobeying the late emperor and is disloyal and unjust, a crime a hundred times worse than "a demon causing chaos in the court".

A dark cloud rolled across Zhang Lin's eyes. He never expected that this strange man, who had appeared out of nowhere, would possess the late emperor's edict and the dream he had received. After a brief moment of astonishment, he quickly regained his composure, abandoning his pursuit of Lin Yanzhou's identity, and pressed on relentlessly, focusing on the grain price situation: "Leaving this man aside for now, the price of grain in the capital has skyrocketed from the usual 30 wen per shi to 110 wen per shi, more than tripling! Public resentment is boiling over in the capital, while grain production in other prefectures remains stable and prices are still 30 wen. Only in the capital have prices been artificially inflated to exorbitant levels. If Your Majesty had the abilities of the late emperor, such chaos would not have occurred!"

These words struck at the heart of the matter, instantly igniting the emotions of the officials. The stark contrast between stable grain supplies outside the capital and a collapsing grain supply within the capital was too glaring, and everyone instinctively blamed the young emperor for neglecting state affairs.

Zhang Lin's henchmen immediately echoed in unison, their voices booming: "Your Majesty, we beg you to purge the treacherous officials and quell the grain rebellion! Otherwise, the nation will surely perish!"

After a brief period of commotion, Zhang Lin stepped forward, his purple robes billowing on the ground, his aura fully unleashed. He stared directly into the hall and unleashed his long-planned killing move, intending to seize imperial power and ascend to the top of the court in one fell swoop.

Lin Yanzhou laughed heartily, slowly walking to Emperor Jinghe's side. He surveyed all the officials present, and apart from two marginalized figures, the rest wore expressions of disdain and mockery—clearly part of the treacherous faction. Having finished his scan, he spoke softly: "Gentlemen, loud voices don't necessarily carry weight. How about I propose a solution? I'll make a bet with you. The price will be restored to normal within ten days. If I fail to do so, Your Majesty will abdicate. Is that acceptable?"

These words caused an uproar and sparked heated discussions throughout the court. The two peripheral officials cried out, "Your Majesty, you cannot gamble with abdication! You absolutely cannot!"

Zhang Lin was confident of victory. The four major families monopolized all grain routes in the capital and blocked the city gates, preventing grain from entering the capital. This artificially locked down the grain supply meant there was no possibility of price reductions within ten days. He was certain that Lin Yanzhou was merely a smooth-talking charlatan with no ability to break the deadlock. Victory would rightfully grant him the right to seize imperial power and rule the world. He loudly proclaimed: "It's a deal!"

The officials' breaths stopped, their expressions grave; no one doubted that Lin Yanzhou was doomed. The artificially locked grain supply and the monopoly formed by the four powerful families created an insurmountable situation.

Emperor Jinghe's face turned deathly pale, and he was extremely anxious. Just as he was about to ask a question, Lin Yanzhou raised his hand to stop him, indicating that he only needed to listen to him.

Lin Yanzhou slowly stepped into the Confucian Hall, standing before the assembled officials. His posture was relaxed yet exuded an aura of celestial authority. His indifferent gaze swept over the assembled mortal ministers, and his clear, cold voice resonated throughout the hall: "So, since this is a wager, my stake is His Majesty's throne. If I succeed, what will you do?"

"Ten days are the limit, and grain prices will return to normal. If I lose, my life is yours to do with as you please," Zhang Lin laughed heartily.

"If you lose, I won't take your life, just hand over your military command in the Ministry of War. Do you dare to make a bet with this national advisor?"

Every word he uttered was spoken without the slightest hint of timidity.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Lin's eyes flashed with wild joy, and he immediately replied, "Excellent! A gentleman's word is as good as his bond! All officials are witnesses, and Heaven and Earth are our witnesses! Ten days later, the price of grain will determine the fate of the nation!"

In his view, this was imperial power delivered to his doorstep. This person was arrogant and ignorant of his own limitations, which saved him the trouble of having an illegitimate title.

Zhang Lin ceased his relentless pressure, instead observing coldly with his officials, waiting to reap the benefits of imperial power ten days later. All control over grain prices and grain transport from the capital was now in Zhang Lin's hands; all of Lin Yanzhou and the young emperor's struggles were futile.