Amid the noise, Hao Yun hurriedly nodded in agreement; if they continued to pull him, his pants would be ripped off.
"Imperial Preceptor, please be sure to dissuade His Majesty."
Even though Hao Yun agreed, the court officials were still worried and kept giving him instructions.
"I'll go right now."
Turning around, Hao Yun walked into the palace, finally shaking off the group of ministers.
"You are the Imperial Advisor?"
Upon entering the palace, a little girl suddenly appeared out of nowhere, standing on the wall and curiously observing Hao Yun.
"That's right, I am the Imperial Advisor. You have something to discuss with me?"
Hao Yun looked up at her and thought to himself that she must be the emperor's daughter. She was quite pretty and had a lively spirit.
"Princess, come down quickly, be careful not to fall!"
Two palace maids, their foreheads covered in sweat, hurried to the low wall and pleaded with the princess above to come down.
This princess is the emperor's third daughter and the youngest. She is twelve years old this year. The emperor doesn't usually interfere in affairs and doesn't care much about his children. He spends his time either seeking scriptures and worshipping Buddha or practicing qigong for health.
He was too lazy to care about the messy affairs in the harem. This third princess hadn't seen her father in who knows how long, so she was used to being mischievous and naughty.
"I heard you're an immortal, can you fly?!"
The little girl jumped down from the wall in a flash, bypassed the palace maids, and ran to Hao Yun.
"Princess, you cannot be so disrespectful to the Imperial Advisor!"
It was only then that the palace maid noticed Hao Yun, and the two of them were so frightened that they immediately knelt down.
"Get up, all of you. Which daughter of the Emperor are you?"
Hao Yun waved to the palace maid, then looked at the little girl in front of him.
"I am the third princess, and also the youngest. My two older sisters are married, and there is no one in the palace to play with me."
"I heard that I will get married, but my mother said I am still young and I have to wait two more years."
The little girl was very lively. Hao Yun looked at her and, recalling the argument in the court just now, couldn't help but curse inwardly.
These old fools, you actually want to marry such a young child off to a foreign tribe.
"Haven't you left the palace to see your sister?"
Hao Yun patted the little girl's head and asked her a question.
The two palace maids standing to the side watched Hao Yun's actions and wanted to speak up to remind him, but they were worried about being punished, so they could only keep quiet and pretend they hadn't seen anything.
"Mother said that my eldest and second eldest sisters have both married to very far away places and will never have the chance to see each other again. Grand Preceptor, will I also marry to a very far away place?"
The Third Princess's innocent gaze deeply moved Hao Yun. Those old fogies were really ruthless; they had actually married off two princesses.
No, it won't.
Ruffled the Third Princess's hair and walked away with a smile.
Led by a guard, Hao Yun arrived at the palace where the emperor was practicing his inner energy cultivation in seclusion.
"Imperial Preceptor, is there anything you wish to discuss with me?"
The emperor, who was meditating, opened his eyes, smiled, and got up to greet Hao Yun.
"It's nothing, it's just that those ministers are making a fuss and asking me to dissuade you from going to war."
Hao Yun shrugged and plopped down on the chair next to him.
The emperor didn't blame Hao Yun, after all, his good health was all thanks to the cultivation techniques and elixirs Hao Yun had passed down to him.
"Those old bastards are always causing me trouble. They're useless most of the time. This time, I'm determined to lead the expedition in person and crush the arrogance of these foreign tribes!"
Over the years, the emperor had lost his vigor due to the obstruction of his ministers. But things are different now. With the help of Qi cultivation and elixirs, his increasingly powerful body makes the emperor feel as if he has returned to the time when he first ascended the throne.
No emperor wanted to experience ceding territory, paying reparations, or marrying off his daughters; it was a stain on his reputation, and who wouldn't want to die with a good name?
With Hao Yun's assistance, the emperor felt that he could completely defeat the foreign tribes, which would be a great achievement that would be recorded in history.
"If the Imperial Advisor has come to advise me, then please leave."
The emperor was determined to lead the expedition in person.
"I'm not here to advise you, I just want some peace and quiet."
Hao Yun yawned and called a servant to bring him tea and snacks.
"Hahaha, I knew the Imperial Advisor would support me. After I leave, the Crown Prince will need your continued care."
Hao Yun curled his lip. The Crown Prince is almost thirty. What am I supposed to take care of? He's not a child.
Hao Yun spent a day hiding in the palace before leaving in the evening. The next day at court, the emperor, dressed in armor, disregarded the ministers' objections and fled with his army.
With the emperor gone, the mess he left behind naturally fell to Hao Yun.
The crown prince was no easy task either. He had wanted to be emperor for countless years, but unfortunately, his beloved old father just wouldn't die.
The crown prince had considered seizing the throne by force, but he didn't dare to try it, since his father was in poor health and might die any day now.
Who would have thought that Hao Yun's appearance would completely shatter his illusions? Seeing his father's health improving day by day, the Crown Prince began to doubt that even if he died, his father might not die.
Now that his father is away on a campaign, the Crown Prince can't help but try to build a relationship with Hao Yun.
If I get Hao Yun's support, then my throne will be secure.
Seeing that the morning court session was over, the Crown Prince called out to Hao Yun, and approached him with a smile, saying...
"Imperial Preceptor, I wonder if you have time to visit my palace and perhaps sample the culinary skills of the Eastern Palace's kitchen?"
The Crown Prince had already inquired about Hao Yun's background; the Imperial Advisor was fond of fine food and wine.
Hao Yun glanced at the Crown Prince, clearly seeing through his ulterior motives, but still accepted the invitation.
"Alright, Your Highness, please lead the way."
The two rode in a carriage all the way to the East Palace.
This was Hao Yun's first time visiting the East Palace, so he was quite curious about everything there and kept looking around.
The crown prince, who was secretly observing Hao Yun, noticed that Hao Yun was interested in his palace, and then spoke up.
"Grand Preceptor, what do you think of my Eastern Palace? It was designed by a renowned artist. If you are interested, I can have them help you renovate your residence."
Hao Yun shook his head after hearing this. He could have left this world half a year ago, but he was too lazy to go and wanted to relax for a while longer so that he wouldn't be thrown into other worlds by the Void after returning.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Your Highness. My residence is fine and does not need any renovation."
The Crown Prince sensed Hao Yun's evasiveness and became a little anxious. Could it be that he was unable to win over the Imperial Advisor?
With a sigh, the Crown Prince muttered to himself, "Oh well, even if I can't win him over, it's still good to leave a good impression."
His position as crown prince was actually quite secure, while the other princes had long been sent out by the emperor to gain experience and were not in the capital at all.
The princes who had been sent to distant lands had long since given up on the idea of inheriting the throne. Wouldn't it be better for them to just enjoy their own territories?
"Imperial Preceptor, please follow me."
The Crown Prince led Hao Yun to the inner room and summoned the Crown Princess to receive him.
The three chatted briefly, and the Crown Princess looked at Hao Yun and couldn't help but ask him a question.
"Imperial Preceptor, I've heard you're still unmarried. Is there any marriage prospect you'd like?"
Hao Yun, who was drinking tea, suddenly coughed. Why was he being pressured to get married even though he had arrived in another world?
"I am a person outside the secular world, and my lifespan is a little longer than that of ordinary people. In addition, the path of cultivation is long and arduous, so it is better to be alone."
Chapter 232 Death by Falsehood
After leaving the Eastern Palace, Hao Yun spent a leisurely month while the emperor, who personally led the expedition, successfully won a victory, inflicting a crushing defeat on the foreign tribes.
They pursued the enemy deep into their territory and successfully subjugated them.
The emperor, returning victorious, held a celebratory banquet, inviting all his officials and ministers, including Hao Yun.
The Dali Temple deserves the greatest credit for this great victory. If the Dali Temple had not executed the foreign general, the victory would not have been achieved so quickly.
At the celebratory banquet, the emperor accepted the compliments of his officials, his eyes narrowing into slits with laughter.
Hao Yun, who dislikes crowds, sat in a corner, leisurely enjoying his wine alone.
"Imperial Advisor, I really have to thank you. Without you, we wouldn't have achieved such a great victory!"
The emperor raised his wine cup, walked over to Hao Yun, patted him on the shoulder, and laughed heartily.
Just as Hao Yun was about to reply, a powerful suction force came, and a time tunnel sucked Hao Yun in.
"Damn it! They're using this trick again."
Hao Yun was quite helpless; his boss, Xu, was practically a vampire.
Soon Hao Yun arrived at Xu's palace. Just as Hao Yun was about to complain, Xu snorted coldly.
"What a dullard."
Am I stupid?
Hao Yun pointed to himself, feeling somewhat resentful.
"That's right. What are your insights into the six realms of reincarnation?"
Hao Yun scratched his head, realizing he hadn't really grasped the meaning. Even after obtaining the Book of Life and Death, he hadn't studied it carefully; he had only conferred titles upon Yin Gods.
"Hmph! You don't even know how to appreciate such a good thing when it's presented to you."
Xu shook his head in disappointment and ignored Hao Yun.
"nice one?"
Hao Yun was somewhat bewildered, completely unaware of what he had missed.
"The Six Paths of Reincarnation is the most important law to complete the incomplete Heavenly Dao. I sent you to that broken little world so that you could understand the operation of the Six Paths of Reincarnation and make it easier for you to manage the Heavenly Dao in the future."
He sighed. His time was running out. He hoped that the other man would be able to take his place.