365: Chapter 23 Donghua Pavilion_1 365: Chapter 23 Donghua Pavilion_1 Zhongxuan Sheng said he would enter the palace after waking up, but of course, he couldn’t possibly sleep until the sun was high in the sky.
Still in the hour of Yin, when it was still dark outside, he hurried Jiang Wang into the palace.
The ruler of Qi Country was advanced in age, but still diligent in governance.
Before Yuan Feng, the rulers of Qi would hold court once every ten days, or even once every twenty.
However, since the current ruler ascended the throne, he has held court nearly every day, resting only one day in ten.
This practice had continued for fifty-four years!
Looking around the world, he was a diligent ruler.
The Purple Extre Hall was the hall for court deliberations.
In front of the Purple Extre Hall, there was a pavilion called Donghua.
The ruler of Qi would normally rest a while here in his dragon carriage before entering the hall to hold court.
Of course, the ruler of Qi did not necessarily need rest, but this had beco a custom, a ritual that was not easily changed.
Moreover, in over fifty years of court life, the ruler of Qi had gotten used to receiving so information on court deliberations at this ti.
Zhongxuan Sheng and Jiang Wang were waiting in Donghua Pavilion.
Although Zhongxuan Sheng was the son of an aristocratic family, he was also a commoner.
Jiang Wang was just a man from Green Sheep Town.
Just the privilege of waiting here had cost Zhongxuan Sheng a great deal of resources.
The cost he had invested was enough to terrify a whole bunch of people.
Whether the request for an audience could reach the ruler of Qi was another matter.
Whether the ruler of Qi was willing to see him was yet another issue,
and Jiang Wang only learned of these matters once he arrived here.
The person in charge of Donghua Pavilion today was a renowned scholar from Qingya Academy, Li Zhengshu!
Speaking of another identity, it was clearer; he was Li Longchuan’s paternal uncle.
The biological father of Li Longchuan, Li Zhengyan, was the legitimate son of the elderly Lady Li, the present Marquis of Bowang, while Li Zhengshu was the eldest son of a concubine, who did not inherit the marquisate.
However, he devoted himself to studying and was now a famous scholar in his own right.
Of course, in the inheritance of titles in Qi Country, primogeniture was an important criterion, but not the only one.
For instance, in the Bowang Marquis House, the old marquis did not even consider his sons; he directly chose a successor among his grandchildren, and no one could question it.
…
As the ruler of Qi was accustod to sitting briefly in Donghua Pavilion, Li Zhengshu, who was on duty today, after exchanging a few words with him, presented a booklet.
It contained ssages that he had screened and deed necessary for the ruler of Qi to see, a privilege granted to him while he was in charge of Donghua Pavilion.
This power was great and very useful when wielded properly.
Therefore, being on duty in Donghua Pavilion was a significant honor.
An unofficial but widely acknowledged honorary title for this position was “Scholar of Donghua.”
The minor officials of Donghua Pavilion had already reported to him that Zhongxuan Sheng and others were waiting outside requesting an audience.
The price that the young man must have paid to have these minor officials take the risk of bringing this information to him was imaginable.
Li Zhengshu had heard of the disputes among the Zhong Xuan Family juniors but never comnted on them.
The younger generation had their own world, and soone of his level had their own circles.
For this young man waiting outside the Donghua Pavilion, whether to ntion his presence or not, it all lay within a single thought of Li Zhengshu.
No one could bla him for whatever decision he made.
Even the ruler of Qi himself would not have anything to say about it.
Li Zhengshu thought for a mont, then spoke softly, “The young man from the Zhong Xuan Family, Zhongxuan Sheng, is requesting an audience outside the pavilion.”
Zhongxuan Sheng had gifted Li Longchuan the famous Qiu Shan bow as a favor for this very mont!
The priceless Qiu Shan bow was exchanged for just this one sentence.
This was Zhongxuan Sheng’s grand gamble!
“Zhongxuan Sheng?” The ruler of Qi stopped flipping through the booklet, thought for a mont, “Oh, the son of Fu Tu.”
The topic was already sowhat dangerous, but in regards to the bow that his nephew Li Longchuan treasured, he had no way to pretend ignorance.
Li Zhengshu held his breath for two monts before saying, “During the previous Battle of Extinguished Sun, it was Zhongxuan Sheng who led the troops to behead Ji Cheng, and this ti the Jiang Wang who accompanies him has seized the war banner of the Tianxiong Ji Clan.”
“Hmm, not bad,” Qi Country’s ruler nodded slightly, “What is the purpose of his audience?”
“Zhengshu does not know.
However…” Li Zhengshu reported truthfully, “Recently, two juniors from the Zhong Xuan Family have been vying for the position of Family Head, causing quite a stir in Linzi.”
Qi Country’s ruler’s face betrayed no emotion, but he asked, “Is one of them that Zhongxuan Zun who ‘snatched all the glory of his peers’?”
“I did not expect that the words of the soothsayer have reached Your Majesty’s ears.”
Li Zhengshu’s words contained hidden advice.
But Qi Country’s ruler simply waved his hand, “My innocent child, did he not lose to the Military God’s Disciple Wang Yiwu?
Hasn’t that Wang Yiwu confessed himself to be inferior to Zhongxuan Zun?”
Li Zhengshu thought to himself, your unsuspecting child also lost to Jiang Wang.
Of course, he also knew that Jiang Wuyong was really not taken seriously, and Qi Country’s ruler probably couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to this fourteenth Prince.
He thought to himself privately, yet solemnly said on the surface, “That is rely Wang Yiwu’s modesty.
In terms of cultivation realms, Zhongxuan Zun is naturally ahead, but this closed-door disciple of the Military God has broken through the Heaven-reaching Realm Limit, inscribing his na on the Cultivation Milestone, which is a glory for our Daqi.”
“The path of cultivation changes with each day and month, what prevails today may not tomorrow.
Limits are ant to be broken, and sooner or later, they will be broken again,” the Qi Country ruler said lightly, yet with a boundless sense of superiority.
He slightly shifted the topic, “The child of Fu Tu, I did not wish to see him.
The old man is stubborn in his ways, but since that Zhongxuan Zun is so formidable, I also wish to see if the one who lost to him has co to cry about it.”
He glanced at Li Zhengshu, noting the slight frost at his temples, “Yulang Jun, do you think it is better to see him or not?”
Li Zhengshu was known for his elegance and was reputed as ‘Yulang Jun’ in his youth.
Qi Country’s ruler calling him such also implied closeness.
However, Li Zhengshu had no intention of becoming arrogant because of this favoritism, and simply said, “To et or not, solely depends on Your Majesty’s disposition.”
“You, you are always too constrained,” Qi Country’s ruler considered for a mont and then waved his hand, “Let him be received.”
…
After the eunuch recited the imperial edict, Zhongxuan Sheng said nothing more and ran off, with Jiang Wang following close behind.
They had to appear at court at the hour of Mao, and the ti they had to speak before the emperor was very pressing.
Divine Skills were forbidden within the palace, and for soone with Zhongxuan Sheng’s stature, running beca very challenging.
He didn’t care about appearing undignified in front of the palace and panted heavily as he ran into the pavilion.
Jiang Wang, on the other hand, was much more at ease but still followed closely with his head bowed in respect, not daring to make any excessive moves.
He couldn’t even get a clear look at the decorations inside Donghua Pavilion.
At tis not of important matter, kneeling was seldom required, even during a subject’s audience with the monarch.
At this mont, they were standing, but with their heads buried low, not daring to look directly at the ruler of Qi Country.
Only a glimpse of a purple dragon robe from the corner of their eyes could be seen.
Next to it hung a Confucian robe, which was likely Li Zhengshu, or possibly soone else.
Then they heard an old but imposing voice saying, “Why bother running so hard if it is so taxing?”
It was the voice of Qi Country’s ruler.
Jiang Wang’s heart tightened.
The implied criticism in these words suggested not only the hardship of running, but also of the difficult pursuit of Zhongxuan Zun, ultimately leading to a loss of decorum before the ruler.
Keeping company with the ruler was like staying alongside a tiger, and Jiang Wang was unsure how Zhongxuan Sheng would respond.
But he heard Zhongxuan Sheng take a deep breath, steadying his breathing before respectfully replying, “To endure hardship for Your Majesty feels like no hardship at all.”
Qi Country’s ruler chuckled lightly, apparently with a hint of amusent, but Jiang Wang, not being familiar with him, couldn’t grasp the subtlety of his mood.
“It is clearly hardship for your own sake, how can you say it is for ?”
Zhongxuan Sheng’s voice beca even more respectful, “Every affair under heaven is Your Majesty’s affair.
Though Zhongxuan Sheng is young and not yet of age, he also bears the affairs of the world in mind.
To worry about the whole world, how can it not be regarded as enduring hardship for Your Majesty!”
…
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PS: A new week has begun, let’s keep voting vigorously, your recomndation and monthly tickets are also a way of showing concern for the country’s affairs!
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