"It's me!"
A voice rang out as a person appeared in front of Count Zhong Qin. Seeing who it was, Count Zhong Qin was shocked as he broke out in cold sweat. He then regained his composure and spoke coldly, "So it's a True Sovereign. Are you here to laugh at me?"
Under the candlelight, Pei Zi Yun looked like a youth of sixteen or seventeen years of age. Between his thick black eyebrows, there was a faint mark of a plum blossom. His entire body was shrouded in spiritual light. Although Count Zhong Qin wasn't a cultivator and didn't recognize spiritual light, he frowned, "Pei Zi Yun really has the aura of a True Sovereign."
Pei Zi Yun laughed, "No, that's not it."
"To tell you the truth, I've completed my task and killed Xie Cheng Dong. I'm going back to hand in the Emperor's Edict. I'm here to see you."
"Killed Xie Cheng Dong?" Count Zhong Qin was shocked as he sighed, "This thief was King Lu's mastermind. Since True Sovereign killed him so quickly, when the Emperor finds out, he will definitely reward you."
"Reward?" Pei Zi Yun laughed and retrieved a packet of beef and peanuts from his robes. He even brought a flask of wine and placed them on the table. The aroma of the wine wafted through the air, "Come, I'm the fastest at night. I only have these.
Count Zhong Qin was shocked, but he wasn't afraid as he sat down.
Pei Zi Yun picked up the flask of wine and poured it into his cup, which was filled to the brim. The wine was amber in color and carried the fragrance of osmanthus flowers.
Count Zhong Qin didn't reject him as he picked up his cup and drank, "You're a True Sovereign who has been conferred the title of True Sovereign by the Imperial Court. You're equivalent to a third rank official, and an important official of the country. You have to maintain your dignity. Entering the palace at night is not suitable for a True Sovereign."
Pei Zi Yun gulped down his cup as well and exhaled, "Actually, what you've said is reasonable. However, I'm a Daoist after all. I've always been a Daoist. I've always walked the right path. This lesson of yours should be taught to officials."
Count Zhong Qin fell silent, and Pei Zi Yun didn't speak as well. The two of them continued eating and drinking. Pei Zi Yun then spoke, "Count Zhong Qin, I've studied history and have a question. Why do all Daoists and Ministers have such difficult deaths?"
Count Zhongqin's heart skipped a beat, but he maintained his composure and said, "Why do you say that?"
"In the previous dynasty, his name was Fu Zi Xi. At the age of twenty-three, he became a Grand Scholar, and was awarded the title of Imperial Scholar. At the age of thirty-two, he alerted the Emperor, and caught his eye. At the age of thirty-four, he rose through the ranks. At the age of forty, he became an official. Five years later, he was dismissed from his post due to a minor crime.
"I've read it before. Fu Zixi made a mistake." Count Zhong Qin thought for some time before replying, "At that time, the Emperor was wise and virtuous. Fu Zixi was a famous Prime Minister, he was talented and honest. However, he had some selfish motives. He wrote the wrong report, and not only did he not apologize for his mistake, he even tried to cover it up. This was against the Emperor's morals."
"Although it's a pity to be dismissed because of a mistake, won't His Majesty reappoint him twelve years later? The Emperor's grace will never be treated unfairly. "
When Pei Zi Yun heard this, he smiled and nodded his head. He then laughed and said, "Ye Na was young and proud. At the age of twenty-nine, he became an official of the third rank. At the age of thirty-nine, he was overthrown by the Emperor. Not long after, he fell ill and died. What do you think of this?"
When Count Zhong Qin heard this, he paused. What was Pei Zi Yun trying to say? Why did he mention all these things? He then composed himself and poured himself a cup of wine before taking a sip.
"According to the historical records, the Imperial Censor had accused him of forming a faction for personal gain. After an investigation by the Imperial Court, it was proven that this was the case. This crime was not unjust." Count Zhong Qin then spoke out plainly.
"Whew!" The wind blew, and the rain hit the window, making a loud pitter patter.
Pei Zi Yun laughed and didn't comment further. He picked up his chopsticks and picked up a piece of beef before saying, "Come, let's drink up. Let's not waste our time working together."
When he finished speaking, the both of them raised their cups and drank. Pei Zi Yun then continued, "Wu Biaozhong, became an assistant minister at the age of thirty-one. He saved the Emperor's life, and quelled the rebellion. After that, he slowly rose to become an official. When he was fifty-four, the Emperor stripped him of all his authority. Then, he was imprisoned and starved to death."
These words seemed to be out of the blue, and made no sense.
Count Zhong Qin let out a long sigh, as if he was trying to release the pressure he was feeling. He then stared at Pei Zi Yun and said, "True Sovereign, what are you trying to say?"
Count Zhong Qin didn't reply this time, and his expression turned cold.
"Haha!" Pei Zi Yun laughed out loud as he picked up his chopsticks, "Don't think I'm spouting nonsense. I'm just feeling a little emotional."
"Since ancient times, those who rose to the top were either banished or imprisoned. Half of them became ghosts under the blade of the Emperor, and some of them suffered many setbacks before they were able to attain glory after death."
"Fu Zi Xi was the Prime Minister for thirteen years. Ye Na was the Prime Minister for twelve years. Wu Biaozhong was the Prime Minister for eleven years. Take a look at the previous generations of officials. All of them were favored by the Emperor for less than ten years."
"Reading this, it's shocking!"
"Hm, this is the result of having a bad character. When they were young, they could still hide their arrogance. But when they're old, they're disobedient. When they're young, they lack virtue, and refuse to be virtuous, which infuriates the Emperor. In fact, they're asking for it."
Count Zhong Qin spoke up to this point, as he chewed on his piece of beef. He then continued, "Humans are like jade. If you don't think about it, you'll turn bad. It's hard to be virtuous, but it doesn't mean that you can't change. Hence, you have to be careful. You've written a unique essay, and I think it's pretty good.
Not only do you have to understand it in your heart, you have to act accordingly. "Pei Zi Yun laughed," You're trying to persuade me. Actually, I feel that this has nothing to do with one's character and virtue. "
"Oh, I'd love to hear master Top Scorer's wisdom."
"For such a prestigious Prime Minister, which one of them isn't talented? In fact, many of them are extremely cautious. Why is it that every single one of them is punished, removed from office, and even sentenced to death?"
"If you want to talk about reasons, of course there are many. But it's actually very simple."
"The Advisor of the Imperial Secretariat is an extremely high ranking official. There's no way for him to be promoted, and no way for him to be rewarded. That's all. Once he's been in office for more than ten years, no matter how cautious he is, he'll eventually form his own political power. Even if he didn't want to, he's already formed his own faction. The Emperor will wipe him out."
Hearing the word wipe, Count Zhong Qin's eyebrows twitched.
Pei Zi Yun had a look of bewilderment on his face as he spoke plainly, "Wiping him out is to find a reason to demote him. As the saying goes, when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Once he's removed from office, his henchmen will scatter."
When such words were spoken, Count Zhong Qin's heart turned cold. He then laughed coldly, "This is also the way to protect the officials."
"I didn't say it wasn't." Pei Zi Yun still had a mysterious smile on his face, "The Emperor doesn't want to kill many people at the start. After ten years, there's bound to be some form of friendship and leeway."
"If he's demoted, he's just observing. If he has a bad heart, he'll be sentenced to death. Not to mention the previous dynasty, even the few people who were sentenced to death in this dynasty were all because of this."
"If he's demoted, he'll still be loyal to the Emperor. At least on the surface, there won't be any resentment. After ten years, when all the negative influences are removed, he can be promoted again."
"Of course, if he's demoted, he'll only be promoted in name. It's not easy to be promoted to the position of Prime Minister. If he's demoted for ten years, he'll still be able to be promoted again."
"It's been like this for generations."
These words weren't meant to be insulting, but rather historical. Count Zhong Qin thought about it carefully and realized that it was indeed the case. It's just that Pei Zi Yun came here and said such words.
He then felt uneasy as he shifted his body and stared at Pei Zi Yun, "True Sovereign Pei, what are you trying to say?"
Pei Zi Yun didn't reply as he muttered to himself, "I'm only twenty years old now and I'm already a True Sovereign. I'm in charge of the army to quell the rebellion. Forget about being a Daoist, there's no way for me to be promoted or rewarded. Even if I'm an official, I'll still be a high ranking official at such a young age. How long would that be?"
"That's why although you've committed a huge crime, you won't die!"
Count Zhong Qin paused as he raised his head and looked at Pei Zi Yun, "What has this got to do with me?"
"Of course it has something to do with you!"
Pei Zi Yun laughed, "I'm so young and talented. I'm also a Daoist. How can the Imperial Court not be suspicious of me? You're the one who jumped out to challenge me. Even if the Imperial Court wanted to keep me in check, they wouldn't kill you. Instead, they'll keep you alive to keep an eye on me and cause me trouble. This is the position the Imperial Court has assigned to you."
"Furthermore, as I rise, you'll be reinstated. If not, you wouldn't have the right to cause me trouble." Pei Zi Yun laughed as he finished speaking.
"I'm a Daoist, and I'm too young. There's no way for me to be promoted. The result is very simple. This time, I was appointed as the Grand Marshal to quell King Lu, and succeeded. In fact, I was close to succeeding. The best outcome was that I was demoted. Speaking of which, it's the work of a benevolent Emperor. The memorials weren't written clearly, and there were some typos and typos.
"If I'm resentful, I'll be executed."
"If I'm loyal and devoted, I'll be spared the death penalty. After a decade or so, they'll use me again. Once I'm done, I'll be demoted."
"If I were a mortal, I wouldn't be able to refuse to play this game. However, I'm a Daoist, and have great power. I have no desire for riches or riches from the Imperial Court. Tell me, why would I want to be a chamber pot?"
When Count Zhong Qin heard this, his face turned red as he shouted out, "Pei Zi Yun, you've guessed the Emperor's intentions. You've used the heart of a ghost to frame the Imperial Court. You've committed a crime."
"Haha, you've committed a crime." Pei Zi Yun didn't stand up. He waved his hand, and the booklet flew over to him, "Let me see what you've written!"
Pei Zi Yun spoke as he scanned through the booklet. His face turned cold as he threw it onto the table and laughed, "I thought I'd seen through You Wei. Seems like I've underestimated you."
"You're not targeting me alone, but the entire Daoist community. You want to kill me, but you're doing it for the sake of the Emperor. You're even doing it for the sake of the Imperial Court."
"Pei Zi Yun may have done you a good deed, but killing Pei Zi Yun would be a good deed for a thousand years. You've said it with a clear conscience. To kill someone who has done so much for the Imperial Court, I'm impressed."
"Pei Zi Yun, I'm an important official of the Imperial Court. Even if I'm against you, what can you do about it?" Count Zhong Qin's face turned red as he shouted, "Men, men!"
Pei Zi Yun laughed coldly, "Stop shouting. I've already cast a spell. Nobody will hear you."
"Actually, you're thinking that I'm a Daoist, and only care about deceiving others. That's because the millions of scholars and officials won't speak up for me. How would you know that I'll kill without hesitation?"
"Today, I'll send you on your way."
"You dare?" Count Zhong Qin shouted, "Although I've been locked up in the capital, I'm still an official. How dare you be so cruel?"
"Why wouldn't I dare? Count Zhong Qin, you've written to me several times. Even if you're loyal to the Imperial Court, you're still trying to kill me. I was hesitant at first, but now that I'm an Earth Immortal, why can't I kill you?"
"On your way to the Yellow Springs, greet the Emperor."
When Count Zhong Qin heard this, his face fell as he rushed towards the door, wanting to shout. However, the moment his voice left his lips, he realized that he couldn't speak. He knew that things were going to be bad. He shouted out in anger, "Demon, you're going to die …"
Pei Zi Yun didn't hesitate any longer as his palm landed on Count Zhong Qin's head. A dull thud could be heard as Count Zhong Qin's head caved in.
Count Zhong Qin let out a groan as he stood rooted to the ground. Blood flowed out from his orifices, and he was no longer breathing. His eyes were wide open, as though he had died with a grievance.
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