Reincarnation Girl Becomes Immortal

"Your humble servant, Wang Xiangfu," the purple-robed civil official bowed respectfully.

"That makes things easier." The girl clapped her hands with a light laugh.

After two short, sharp snaps, the old eunuch beside him took out a golden imperial edict from behind his back, unrolled it, and loudly proclaimed:

"I, by the mandate of Heaven, rule the world, yet the people are impoverished and suffering unspeakably, while my court officials, driven by selfish desires, vie for power and engage in factionalism and suppression of dissent. I have no choice but to execute these treacherous ministers—"

"Wang Xiangfu, as the Censor-in-Chief and Vice Minister of the Chancellery, is in charge of the nation's laws, regulations, and decrees, and performs judicial duties. However, he has neglected his duties, failed in his duties, and misled the country, leaving the people with grievances but no recourse. Instead, he has seized power, accepted bribes, abused his authority, extorted money from the people, and formed cliques to suppress dissent and frame loyal officials! He has disgraced the foundation of the Great Zhao State. He is hereby removed from his positions as Censor-in-Chief and Vice Minister of the Chancellery, and shall be executed immediately. This is the imperial decree!"

"..."

Before the words were even finished, the assembled officials, who had been standing there dumbfounded, were already feeling a chill run down their spines.

Since the founding of the Great Zhao Dynasty, the worst crimes committed by civil officials have been exile to the border, the destruction of their official records, and a permanent ban from returning to the Central Plains—at least on the surface.

Not to mention that at this very moment, the imperial edict is being publicly announced in the court, and the person to be killed is a former prime minister and vice minister of the Chancellery.

Today, the rules were suddenly changed, and the target was their court officials, so much so that most of the officials were caught off guard.

"You, you!" Wang Xiangfu, his hand trembling, pointed at Xi Heng after hearing this: "How dare you do this? Aren't you afraid of what will happen in the future..."

Before he could finish speaking his anxious words, another person stepped forward and loudly interrupted him: "Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable!"

Among the terrified officials, a scholar dressed in a purple-gold official robe hurriedly stepped forward, raised his jade tablet, bowed, and called out:

"Since the founding of the dynasty by Emperor Taizu, there has been an instruction in the palace: 'Punishment does not extend to high-ranking officials!' Your Majesty must not set such a precedent—for this is the foundation of the nation! And since Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, you should respect the virtuous and learned and honor the ancestral teachings in order to secure the throne of the Great Zhao!"

This person seemed to have a hidden meaning in his words; although his tone was respectful on the surface, there was a subtle sense of threat in his speech.

Xi Heng stared intently into the other person's eyes and saw a hint of malice flash across them.

So she looked up and asked:

"and who are you?"

She felt that this person was somewhat familiar, as if she had seen him once before, but she couldn't remember his name.

The other person seemed somewhat incredulous that Xi Heng didn't recognize him, and after a few seconds of stunned silence, said:

"Your humble servant, Li Shimei, is the Prime Minister of the Great Zhao."

"So you're the one who came to Flower Pavilion yesterday. No wonder you seem familiar." Xi Heng hadn't noticed this person before, but now he recognized him.

She waved her hand again, signaling the eunuch beside her to continue reading.

The old eunuch then produced another imperial edict, unfolded it, and loudly proclaimed:

"I, having received the mandate of Heaven and the will of Heaven to protect the nation, in the eleventh year of the Qianzhi reign, the Southern Tianliang rebelled and defied the Emperor. Yet, the current Chancellor, Li Shimei, glossed over the truth and concealed the matter, allowing the rebel army to grow stronger and stronger, capturing seven cities in succession, and now even taking Jinshi! Li Shimei disregards the affairs of the state, is jealous of the capable and virtuous, and is personally undisciplined and dissolute. He has accomplished nothing in his position as Chancellor for many years, merely flattering and fawning to fill his post. He does not fulfill his duties, turning a blind eye to the suffering of the people, and using the power of Chancellor only for his own pleasure. He is truly a traitor to the Great Zhao! He shall be executed immediately! This is my decree!"

Just moments before, Li Shimei had been arrogant and full of pride, but now his face turned deathly pale. He raised his hand and pointed at the old eunuch surnamed Gao: "You, you eunuch, you're spouting nonsense! Slander! The imperial edict is not what it says!"

The officials behind him were dumbfounded and panicked, and they all subconsciously distanced themselves from the prime minister.

Li Shimei immediately knelt down, no longer pleading for Wang Xiangfu, the Vice Minister of the Chancellery, and directly kowtowed to Xi Heng, saying:

"Your Majesty, I am innocent! I was very close to the late Emperor. If I were a traitor, why would he have admired and loved me so much? Your Majesty, as the late Emperor's daughter, committing such a tyrannical act will chill the hearts of all scholars in the land. This is absolutely unacceptable!"

“These imperial edicts were indeed written by the late emperor, as you mentioned, but I am simply carrying them out,” Xi Heng said calmly.

"Impossible! There's no way this could happen!"

"If I want to kill you, I will. Why bother deceiving you again? Old eunuch, throw the imperial edict to him and let him identify it himself!"

“Hmm—”

Li Shimei hurriedly accepted the imperial edict, but the more he read it, the more ashen his face became. Finally, as if all his strength had been drained away, he collapsed to the ground.

Xi Heng had no time for idle chatter and ordered Ma Yi, the commander of the Imperial Guards, to "Make your move."

Ma Yi, carrying his official sword, walked forward toward the two treacherous officials who were kneeling on the ground.

Ma Yi, the leader of the Imperial Guards, was also a martial arts master who had mastered the internal strength. The scholars in the hall dared not and could not stop him. Only the first person ordered to be executed put up a desperate resistance, but he was still detained and forced to kneel.

With a gleaming, sharp blade, a round head wearing an official's hat rolled to the ground and spun around a few times.

The head blinked, then its pupils dimmed, and it died with its eyes wide open.

Fresh blood gushed from his neck, which was as big as a bowl, splattering five steps away and staining the red carpet on the ground even darker.

Before anyone could react, the commander of the Imperial Guards strode over to another man, raised his broadsword and brought it down, killing yet another man on the spot.

Xi Heng sat on the dragon throne, picked up a grape, put it in his mouth, and bit it open.

A sweet and sour taste filled my mouth, and silence enveloped the entire court.

A moment later, surprisingly, an elderly man in the court still had some courage, and pointed at Xi Heng in a trembling voice, calling out:

"Tyrant! Incompetent ruler! Ruler who brought about the downfall of his country!"

"and who are you?"

"A tyrannical ruler harms loyal officials; a tyrannical ruler ruins the country!" Clearly, the other party did not intend to answer.

"Never mind, it doesn't matter who it is." Xi Heng waved his hand and said casually, "This person dared to insult the Emperor, behead him immediately and display his head to the public!"

"Yes!" Ma Yi drew his sword and slashed.

Another head rolled down, spinning several times on the ground before finally coming to a stop, revealing a ferocious face.

The other officials seemed to have become numb and dared not utter a sound.

"Read it again." Xi Heng, having experienced the benefits of power, said to the eunuch.

"Yes." The old eunuch, feeling the emperor's imposing presence, instinctively obeyed the order, then produced another imperial edict, saying, "I have been granted this great mandate..."

A few minutes later, the various crimes committed by the official named Cai Yuan were read out, and Xi Heng found it too complicated towards the end.

All the words used to condemn treacherous officials were applied to this imperial edict; it was almost an endless list of their crimes.

Xi Heng pressed his temples, his gaze sweeping over the panicked, trembling officials and ministers below, and asked:

"Where is that treacherous official mentioned in the imperial edict?"

"Your Majesty..." The old eunuch spoke until his mouth was dry and his voice became even more hoarse: "That old traitor just now was Cai Yuan, and he has been killed by Your Majesty."

“…Then we didn’t kill the wrong person.” Xi Heng nodded after a few seconds.

That treacherous official probably already knew he was going to die today, so he just used his words to show off his power.

After a moment of contemplation, Xi Heng looked at the countless civil officials below, who were filled with trepidation, and asked, "Is there anything else you wish to report?"

No one dared to utter another sound.

If they export now, they might be the next ones killed.

"Regarding the matter of the Ever Victorious Army, I will not change my orders. Let them continue their southward march to seize Jinshi City," Xi Heng said.

Now, if the order is given again, no one in the palace will dare to disobey.

When Xi Heng went to question the nominees again, the officials who were called upon were all trembling and answered cautiously, being extremely careful with their words and actions.

After all, the three ministers' corpses were right in front of them, and they were still warm.

A moment later, Xi Heng had the old eunuch read another imperial edict, which frightened many of the officials below into taking a half step back.

But this imperial edict was different from the previous ones; it was an appointment letter. The three treacherous officials who occupied high positions were dead, so naturally someone needed to take their place.

After the old eunuch finished reading, the ministers who had been promoted received the imperial edict one by one. Xi Heng then ordered the palace guards to leave the palace and confiscate their property. Only after a while did he announce the adjournment of the court.

After all the court officials had left, Xi Heng slumped onto the dragon throne, exhaled, and slowly savored the fragrant pastries handed to him by a palace maid.

Seeing that the court was quiet, the old eunuch knelt down day and night and said:

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for ridding the people of Great Zhao of traitors. Your Majesty's efforts are truly commendable!"

"What meritorious service? I only feel that the imperial star is swaying and Mars is high..."

Xi Heng looked up at the ceiling, his gaze seemingly passing through the golden dragon-carved dome of the hall, and saw the Purple Star in the sky growing dimmer.

Although he had gained considerable power in the court with the support of the imperial guards and had killed three prime ministers, these three high-ranking officials must have had considerable influence behind them, either as powerful families in the capital or as a group of civil officials composed of their students and disciples...

These people will surely retaliate fiercely afterward, and as a new emperor with little support, she will find it difficult to resist.

"From today onwards, those officials in the court will definitely say one thing to your face and do another behind your back..." Xi Heng muttered to himself.

"They are obedient when the emperor is in front of them, but remain unchanged in places outside the court where the emperor cannot reach them."

"But it's alright."

Xi Heng always felt that he wouldn't live much longer, and that once he reloaded his save file, he wouldn't have to worry about such troublesome things anymore.

"Being an emperor is so hard..."

To check and balance official factions, one must not directly turn against civil servants as is the case today. One must also find support from various forces, ensure the well-being of the people, and most importantly... have sufficient power.

If you are a martial artist who has mastered the Transformation Realm, you don't need to worry about being assassinated by powerful officials. With the Transformation Realm, you can constantly circulate your Qi and blood and protect your body with your internal energy. Even if you are accidentally poisoned, you can immediately expel the poison.

If you command an army of hundreds of thousands, you can simply execute anyone in the court who disobeys you, and then replace them with other capable individuals.

Xi Heng can only command two or three thousand imperial guards in the palace now. If she really wants to be a tyrant and let the guards kill people at will, even if she is not assassinated later, it will not be long before several rebellions of the scale of the Tianliang Rebellion will break out in various places, and the Great Zhao will not be able to be protected.

"A monarch who lost his country...that's quite true," Xi Heng sighed softly.

He had lost the support of the court officials. If he continued to live as before in the palace, the Great Zhao would cease to exist in just a few years.

"If one wants to remain emperor and save the crumbling empire, one needs to possess sufficient power or have the support of a powerful force."

"Let this be it for this lifetime," Xi Heng mused, then turned to the old eunuch beside him and began to seek power as he had just planned.

"Old eunuch, you said before that you were once a martial artist with the Transformation Realm. What martial arts techniques did you learn?"

"Your Majesty, the martial art I practice is called the Heavenly Gang Boy Skill." The other party did not hide anything.

"Virginity Kung Fu?" Upon hearing this name, Xi Heng felt that this technique would be of little use to her.

"The Heavenly Gang Boy Skill is a profound martial art that cultivates both internal and external strength. It cultivates pure Yang energy, protects and strengthens the body, and is effective in both offense and defense," the old eunuch said. "If Your Majesty needs it, this servant can bring the manual immediately, but..."

"explain."

“Cultivating this skill requires a yang body, and Your Majesty, being a woman, cannot cultivate it,” the other party said, shaking his head.

Xi Heng guessed it and asked, "Where in this palace can you find martial arts of the Transformation Realm? Or perhaps the legendary peerless skills of the martial arts world?"

"Peerless martial arts are like clouds in the sky, visible yet elusive. Even among a million people, not one can comprehend them. Your Majesty should abandon this idea." The eunuch shook his head: "As for the methods of reaching the ultimate level, Your Majesty has three in your study: the Six Harmonies Swimming Dragon Palm, the Geng Vajra Fiend Axe Method, and the River Luo Fish Dragon Sword Method."

Xi Heng nodded, but instead of listening to what the other party said, he said first, "So you mean there is an unparalleled divine skill, right? Take me to see it first."

The old eunuch said, "If Your Majesty insists on seeing this, then please come with me."

After saying that, he went directly to the back porch of the Taixiao Palace.

...Shouldn't we just leave through the main entrance to get to the Imperial Study?

Xi Heng pondered for a moment, then got up and followed.

Sure enough, the old eunuch did not take her to the imperial study, but instead led her to the office behind the Taixiao Palace.

Xi Heng walked past the large shelf behind the study door, which was filled with all sorts of precious treasures, and entered the office, which was filled with a dazzling array of items.

"Is this the ultimate martial art?" Xi Heng remembered that he had spent the entire afternoon working here yesterday.

“That’s right, Your Majesty.” The eunuch replied respectfully, and then took down a copy of “The Immortal Scripture” from the bookshelf next to the emperor’s long desk.

"This classic text is one of the so-called peerless martial arts techniques in the martial arts world, but for nearly a hundred years, no one has been able to glean any martial arts techniques from the words in this text. Even the late emperor, who was intelligent and had exceptional comprehension, did not succeed despite studying it carefully for a long time."

Xi Heng curiously took it, opened the revised cover and looked inside. The pages were dry and yellowed, and the handwriting was messy and difficult to read.

"It's impossible to see clearly."

"Your Majesty, please turn to the back. The late emperor revised this book and added annotations," the man beside him replied.

Xi Heng responded with an "oh".

After flipping through two-thirds of the page, I finally saw some neat and slender, beautiful handwriting, which read:

"When the blood sea and the gate of life are calmed, the essence is still without opening or closing the gate, and one does not think about external circumstances, the spirit is still, and the essence and blood are scattered; this is life..."

"Single-mindedness is truth; the mysterious gate closes the field (field) as the lower level; raising the gold to the upper mysterious level is gold; closing tightly and knocking the teeth is jade; locking the six senses (roots) and keeping them still..."

Xi Heng read the first few sentences slowly and deliberately, his expression gradually turning unpleasant.

She discovered that she recognized every single word in the book, but the sentences formed by putting them together were completely incomprehensible.

"Is this some kind of unparalleled divine skill? It truly possesses a beauty that should have been lost to the world long ago." She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Who can understand it..."

"Forgive my bluntness, but even if one understands this 'Immortal Scripture,' there are no martial arts techniques to cultivate within it. What one gains are only some seemingly real but actually useless methods of internal energy circulation," the old eunuch said.

"..." Xi Heng understood.