Prefect of the Central Secretariat, Chu Lin, was the eldest son of Chu Xiuyuan and thus Chu Yu’s elder brother.
It was after Chu Xiuyuan retired that Chu Lin assud the position of Prefect of the Central Secretariat.
The Imperial Secretary of the Right of the Ministerial Council was surnad Guo, his given na Guo Yuan.
However, he was the son-in-law of the Xiao Clan from Longwai of forr years.
After the Xiao Clan from Longwai suffered a great catastrophe, Guo Yuan did not lose his foundation.
He and his wife were connected to the Youzhou Lin Clan through the marriage of their children.
Previously in the Imperial Court, he had been rather at ease, finding favor with both sides like a fish in water.
Only recently, with the Youzhou Lin Clan being implicated by the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, did the situation Guo Yuan faced beco sowhat more delicate.
As for the Deputy Minister, Shangguan Qing by na, he was one of the few from the Shangguan Clan who had cultivated the Confucian Sect to achieve the status of a Great Scholar in the Upper Three Heavens.
As for the East and West Liang Ye of Qingzhou and Jinzhou, both had masters of the Upper Three Heavens from the Divine Archer Lineage holding important positions in the Divine Strategy Army.
Overall, the Five Clans and Seven Families wielded enormous influence, both locally and in the Imperial Court.
It was only because the Jiangzhou Lin Clan had been suppressed by the Youzhou Lin Clan, the Jingxiang Fang Clan, and the Suzhou Chu Clan in recent years that they had lost so of their prominence.
But throughout history, such rises and falls were not uncommon.
However, in recent years, great upheavals had consecutively befallen the Xiao Clan from Longwai, the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, and the Youzhou Lin Clan. With the Empress’s ascension to the throne, the situation in the Imperial Court also began to destabilize. The Scholarly Mansion was established but had not yet been significantly integrated into the official selection process. However, as the Empress temporarily established the East and West Cabinets before her own hall to assist in governance, certain developnts were already becoming apparent.
After the drastic changes in the North and South Lin Clans, rumors began to spread in the capital’s Imperial Court that the current Empress would establish a new Council Hall within the Ministry beneath the Door, allowing other officials to participate in discussions of state affairs.
Once this precedent was set, the Imperial Court was bound to undergo further changes.
"Her Majesty may be applying pressure step by step, but she too can only take one step at a ti. Since it is done step by step, where there is progress, there will also be retreats; she won’t always have the wind at her back," Ye Zhenxing said calmly. "But no matter how things change, so things will never change. Otherwise, if the situation is shaken, it will be the misfortune of the common people, and nobody wants to see that."
Gao Xian nodded lightly in agreent.
At that mont, Monk Jingxiang approached them from behind. "Shiqi, Uncle."
The middle-aged man nodded. "Is it resolved?"
Monk Jingxiang replied, "It was my mistake. I exposed my whereabouts to him. Fortunately, it has been resolved. I don’t think there are more people involved, but I’m worried that a lot can happen over a long night."
"As long as we ensure peace during this short ti, that will be enough," Ye Zhenxing said. "Regarding my uncle, I believe he will make his move soon."
Gao Xian let out a long breath. "We’ll make sure that Daoist nun from the Celestial Master Mansion cos but cannot leave!"
Monk Jingxiang was about to say sothing, but then he saw the faces of Ye Zhenxing and Gao Xian change dramatically before him.
"Who’s there?!"
At first, Monk Jingxiang was surprised and confused, but he quickly sensed that the accumulated atmosphere of ritualistic military might at the Gao Family ancestral ho had dissipated!
Gao Xian was filled with utter dread.
This pagoda had three floors. The three of them were on the top floor. Many capable mbers of their clan guarded the first floor. The most important Sacrificial Instrunts were on the second floor, which should have been inaccessible to anyone. But now, problems with the ritual?
Ye Zhenxing and Gao Xian rushed down the stairs together, only to see a tall young Taoist dressed in a purple robe standing conspicuously in the center of the second floor.
Around the second floor of the pagoda were various Sacrificial Instrunts, which together ford a complete ritual, becoming one segnt of the seasonal military rites.
The most core among these instrunts was an ancient sword.
The ancient sword’s surface was inscribed with profound runes, emitting a mysterious principle that, while different from Daoist Talismans, also connected to the natural laws of heaven and earth.
Now, however, this ancient sword was startlingly broken in two!
Lei Jun stood calmly on the second level of the pagoda. Using the power of the Dark Side of the Celestial Book combined with his own Mana, he slapped the ancient sword in half. He also ensured that Ye Moquan, far away in Jinzhou, wouldn’t know until the very end who had done it.
Having broken the ancient sword and seeing the ritualistic military might dissipate, he nodded in satisfaction.
Then a pair of Dual Polarity Heavenly Primordial Talismans appeared, floating in mid-air.
A trendous Primordial Magnet Force then unfolded, enveloping the entire Gao Family ancestral ho, thereby isolating it from the outside world.
The Primordial Magnet Force was intangible and formless, so Gao Xian and Ye Zhenxing did not detect it at first. They were more surprised at how the tall young Taoist could sneak up right under their noses and sabotage their plan.
The ancient sword was broken into two pieces; it was uncertain whether it could still be repaired.
But at this mont, Gao Xian had no choice but to unsheathe his sword and rush forward with an attack, intending to force Lei Jun back and recover the ritualistic ancient sword.
Lei Jun stood motionless, nurous Starlight Talismans swirling around him.
Empowered by the talismans, like a Star River, his stature suddenly surged, as if he had transford into a towering deity, standing between heaven and earth.
Man follows Earth; Earth follows Heaven. His head touched the heavens, his feet stood on the earth, with Man at the center. His form emulated Heaven, his being, Earth. This was known as the Life Skill Human Script Talismans.
The imposing Doumu Star God Dharma appeared, directly blasting apart the three-story building from within.
Seeing this, Gao Xian wasted no more words. Billowing Vast Integrity Sword Qi surged and rushed skyward.
The overwhelming Sword Qi, like the relentless flow of the Grand River, crashed towards Lei Jun.
Lei Jun’s Destiny Star God raised its hand and, with a single punch, shattered the long river of Sword Qi.
However, Gao Xian was not discouraged. As his Sword Qi circulated, the entire Gao Family ancestral ground began to tremble in response. Within the ancestral hall of the Gao Family, streams of Wenhua Qi soared into the sky, then poured back into Gao Xian, causing his Sword Qi to surge dramatically.
"...Lei Jun!" Ye Zhenxing recognized him and, taking a deep breath, imdiately retreated!
This elder of the Ye Clan was not fleeing, however.
As he retreated, a Giant Bow suddenly appeared in his hands. His fingers touched the bowstring, and instantly, light converged to form an arrow, its sharp point aid directly at Lei Jun.
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