Li Mu naturally did not need Zhang Chun's medicinal wine.
Other unorthodox cultivators might need to use external items to nourish their bodies, but Buddhist and Daoist cultivators did not need to.
Daoist cultivators refined the seven spirits, especially the Sparrow Yin spirit. They had sufficient kidney energy and did not need nourishment.
Buddhist cultivators directly cultivated their bodies. Even if their bodies were as strong as an ox, there was no need for nourishment.
Of course, there was no difference in nourishment for Buddhist abstinence.
This medicinal wine might be the icing on the cake, but Li Mu did not need it at the moment. Drinking a mouthful would cause him to dream for an entire night. Li Mu did not want to experience that feeling again.
"Forget it." Zhang Chun shook his head and walked out of the office. He said, "I'm going to the Zongzheng Temple."
The Zongzheng Temple mainly dealt with the affairs of the royal family. Like the three provinces, the temple was located in the palace.
Zhang Chun entered the palace with the token of the Zongzheng Temple's deputy and came to the entrance of the temple.
The two guards at the entrance came up to him and asked, "Sir, what brings you to the Zongzheng Temple?"
Zhang Chun took out his token and said, "I'm the newly appointed deputy of the Zongzheng Temple."
The two guards had long heard that the Zongzheng Temple had expanded with an additional deputy and deputy. After seeing the token, they immediately said respectfully, "Greetings, deputy. Please come in."
One of them brought Zhang Chun to a remote office and said, "Sir, the deputy has already made arrangements. This will be your office in the future."
Zhang Chun asked, "Where are the deputy and deputy?"
The guard said, "When there is nothing important, the two of them will not come here. Deputy Liu just came and left. Deputy Feng is taking an afternoon nap. When he wakes up, I will report to him."
Zhang Chun moved a chair and sat down. He said, "This is my first time at the Zongzheng Temple. Tell me what I have to do on a daily basis."
The Zhanggu said, "The most important thing for the Zongzheng Temple is to manage the affairs of the royal family. If a member of the royal family gives birth to a child, it must be reported to the Zongzheng Temple in a timely manner so that the royal bloodline can be recorded in the pedigree. When a member of the royal family is conferred a title, it must also be recorded by the Zongzheng Temple. When a member of the royal family is to be conferred a title, it must also be recorded by the Zongzheng Temple.
Zhang Chun asked, "Do the Imperial Clan's relatives, relatives, and officials above the fourth rank also have to be tried by the Imperial Clan Temple?"
Zhang Gu stared blankly for a moment before nodding his head and saying, "According to the law, if a member of the imperial family or a high-ranking official violates the law, only the Imperial Clan Temple can judge him."
Although this was the law, if a member of the royal family or a high official of the country who needed to be judged by the Imperial Clan Temple committed a crime, they could settle it with their own power. How could they be judged by the Imperial Clan Temple, unless they committed a rebellion?
Zhang Chun continued to ask, "What's the process of the Imperial Clan Temple's trial?"
Zhang Gu said, "First, we have to summon the member of the imperial family or the official who violated the law."
Zhang Chun said indifferently, "Go to the Secretariat and summon the Left Assistant Minister of the Secretariat, Cui Ming."
Zhang Gu stared blankly for a moment, suspecting that he had heard wrongly.
Wasn't the Left Assistant Minister of the Secretariat the emperor's son-in-law? Did he eat a bear's heart and leopard's guts to summon the emperor's son-in-law?
"Didn't you hear?" Zhang Chun repeated, "Go to the Secretariat and summon the Left Assistant Minister of the Secretariat, Cui Ming. He is involved in a major case."
Zhang Gu stared blankly for a moment, then clutched his stomach and said, "Lord, this lowly official suddenly has an unbearable abdominal pain. I need to go to the toilet, please forgive me …"
After saying that, he ignored Zhang Chun and ran out like a wisp of smoke.
In another yamen, Zhang Gu hurriedly ran in and shook the person sleeping on the table awake. He hurriedly said, "Lord Feng, it's not good, it's not good!"
Deputy Minister Feng, who was disturbed from his good sleep, raised his head. A trace of anger appeared on his face as he asked, "What's the matter, why are you so flustered …"
The Zhanggu said, "The new Deputy Temple Head is here!"
Deputy Minister Feng frowned and said, "If he's here, so be it. Why? Do I have to personally welcome him?"
Zhang Gu said in a panic, "No, he just arrived at the Imperial Clan Temple and wants to summon Assistant Minister Cui for questioning. What should this lowly official do?"
Hearing the two words "Assistant Minister Cui", Deputy Minister Feng immediately sobered up and asked, "Assistant Minister Cui, which Assistant Minister Cui?"
Zhang Gu said, "Assistant Minister of the Secretariat, Cui Ming, Princess Yunyang's son-in-law."
Deputy Minister Feng stood up and said in shock, "Is he crazy? It's his first day at the Imperial Clan Temple. He hasn't even settled down in his position, yet he dares to find trouble with Prince Consort Cui?"
After Zhang Gu left, Zhang Chun waited in the yamen.
He didn't see Zhang Gu, but a man wearing the same official uniform as him came.
The man walked in and introduced himself, "I'm Feng Jie, Deputy Minister of the Imperial Clan Temple."
Zhang Chun cupped his hands and said, "So it's Lord Feng. Sorry for the disrespect …"
Deputy Minister Feng asked, "I heard that Lord Zhang wants to summon Assistant Minister Cui. May I know what crime Assistant Minister Cui has committed?"
Zhang Chun said, "The Imperial Clan Temple has summoned him. I'll confront him face to face and I'll know."
Deputy Minister Feng said, "Lord Cui is the Prince Consort of the current dynasty. His status is honorable, and he's also the Assistant Minister of the Secretariat. He has to deal with a myriad of state affairs every day. Who knows how many state affairs are waiting for him to deal with. How can we summon him just because we want to? If we delay the state's affairs, which one of us can bear the responsibility?"
Zhang Chun snorted and said, "So what if he's the Prince Consort of the current dynasty? So what if he's the Assistant Minister of the Secretariat? A life for a life, a debt must be paid. I don't care if he has to deal with a myriad of state affairs every day. If he violates the law, he should be judged!"
Deputy Minister Feng said, "Tell me first, what crime did Assistant Minister Cui commit?"
Zhang Chun said coldly, "He killed his fiancée and framed her entire family. Shouldn't I summon him?"
"A bunch of nonsense!" Deputy Minister Feng said, "Everyone knows that Lord Cui's wife is Princess Yunyang. How can you frame him here?"
Zhang Chun said indifferently, "Whether I'm framing him or not, you'll know when you summon Cui Ming."
Deputy Minister Feng's expression was uncertain. Zhang Chun seemed to be very certain about this matter. This made him, who originally didn't believe it, start to waver.
He also knew a little about Assistant Minister Cui's past.
He was originally the son-in-law of the Jiujiang Prefectural Governor. Later, the Jiujiang Prefectural Governor colluded with the Demon Sect and his entire family was massacred. Cui Ming made a meritorious report and was placed in an important position by the previous Emperor.
In more than ten years, he went from being a small official to marrying a princess and becoming an important official in the court. No one remembered his past.
Cui Ming was a pillar of the old party. Deputy Minister Feng didn't dare to slight him. He looked at Zhang Chun and said, "This case is of great importance. I'll first report it to the Deputy Minister and ask him to make a decision."
Finished speaking, he walked out of the Imperial Clan Temple. However, he didn't leave the palace. Instead, he went around to the back gate of the Hall of Secretaries.
He summoned the gatekeeper and said, "I'm the Deputy Minister of the Imperial Clan Temple, Feng Jie. Go and report to Assistant Minister Cui that I have an important matter to discuss with him."
The gatekeeper said, "Sir, please wait a moment. I'll go and report to Lord Cui."
Before long, Cui Ming walked out. Deputy Minister Feng hurriedly went up to him and said, "Greetings, Prince Consort."
Cui Ming glanced at him indifferently and asked, "What business do you have with me?"
Deputy Minister Feng asked, "Does Prince Consort know that a new Deputy Minister has come to the Imperial Clan Temple?"
Cui Ming glanced at him and asked, "Is this related to the important matter you're looking for me for?"
"It's related, it's greatly related!" Deputy Minister Feng said, "On the first day he came to the Imperial Clan Temple, he wanted to summon Prince Consort. He said that you're involved in a major case and summoned you to the Imperial Clan Temple. I've already temporarily put this matter on hold. I don't dare to make a decision on my own, so I immediately came to find Prince Consort …"
"I'm involved in a case?" Cui Ming frowned and asked, "What case?"
Deputy Minister Feng lowered his head and said, "I don't dare to say."
Cui Ming said coldly, "Speak!"
Deputy Minister Feng trembled and said, "He said that you killed your fiancée and even framed her entire clan, causing the deaths of dozens of people …"
"Ridiculous!" Cui Ming looked at him coldly and said, "What kind of status do you have? You believe such ridiculous words?"
Deputy Minister Feng heard this and finally relaxed. He hurriedly said, "Of course I don't believe it. Prince Consort is someone who places righteousness above family. How could you do something worse than a beast …"
He revealed a smile and said, "I'll be going back first."
Seeing Deputy Minister Feng leave, Cui Ming's face gradually darkened.
It had been twenty years since the incident. Everyone in the Chu clan had been sentenced to death for colluding with the Heretical Cultivation. He had personally seen his entire family, including the servants, decapitated and their souls scattered.
Other than him, no one else knew about this matter. How did the new Imperial Clan Temple minister find out?
Moreover, the words' Imperial Clan Temple 'sounded familiar to him. The more he thought about it, the more familiar it seemed …
However, he had never been to the Imperial Clan Temple and had never had any interactions with the officials of the Imperial Clan Temple.
He returned to the Secretariat with deep thoughts. Coincidentally, a few people walked out of a yamen.
"Take care, Lord Li."
"Lord Li, you've worked hard."
"It's finally over. These days, it's all thanks to Lord Li …"
…
Several officials from the Secretariat escorted Li Mu out. With Li Mu's help, after half a month of discussion, the complete imperial examination system was finally settled.
When Li Mu walked out of the Secretariat, he turned his head and looked at Cui Ming standing in the courtyard. He smiled faintly.
This smile seemed to strike Cui Ming's mind like a bolt of lightning.
The Imperial Clan Temple!
He finally remembered where his sense of familiarity with the Imperial Clan Temple came from …
It came from Li Mu!
In the past half a month, Li Mu had used the imperial examination discussion to first break the situation where the old faction of the Xiao clan completely controlled the Imperial Clan Temple.
Then, he proposed that the Imperial Clan Temple supervise the imperial examination and took the opportunity to expand the number of officials in the Imperial Clan Temple.
Then, he threatened the six officials from the Secretariat to give Zhang Chun the position of Deputy Minister of the Imperial Clan Temple.
This series of abnormal and strange actions had once puzzled Cui Ming for a long time. Li Mu shouldn't have gone through so much trouble, and it wasn't very likely that it was just to send his subordinate to the Imperial Clan Temple.
On the first day that Zhang Chun came to the Imperial Clan Temple, he summoned him. The reason for the summons was about the old matter from twenty years ago.
This wasn't a coincidence!
Before this, everything that Li Mu did was to pave the way for today's matter.
He was Li Mu's ultimate goal!
All of this was linked, layer by layer. In the past half a month, Li Mu had approached his goal step by step.
Cui Ming even suspected that Li Mu didn't hesitate to become enemies with the four great academies, reform the Great Zhou's official selection system, and propose the imperial examination. Was it just to take the opportunity to interfere with the Imperial Clan Temple, for today …
This person's scheming was deep, and his plans were meticulous. It was terrifying …
Thinking back to Li Mu's meaningful smile just now, Cui Ming only felt his entire body turn cold. A chill rushed from his tailbone to the top of his head …
Li Mu, what a deep scheme!
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