I have Immortality In The Cultivation World Chapter 524

Chapter 524: Chapter 384: Heaven Spares No One

The power struggles within the palace do not affect His Majesty.

With just a nod or a word at a critical moment, he determines the fates of many.

After all, the eunuchs are but household slaves; letting them fight amongst themselves ensures they remain even more loyal to their master.

It was in the depths of winter.

Within the Imperial Garden, the cold wind howled, and bare branches swayed.

Zhou Yi stood beside a pavilion, dressed in the unchanging thin garb of all seasons, protected by the profoundly thick True Qi, he felt not the cold.

He leaned slightly forward, continuously cycling the Epiphyllum Treasure Tome within his body.

This was a skill he had only recently grasped; he was no longer bound to the seated meditative posture, and regardless of walking, sitting, or lying down, he was always circulating his cultivation technique.

As the True Qi grew inexorably, Zhou Yi could not even clearly articulate its substantial nature.

In his Dantian, what was once like mist had later condensed into streaming water, and now, it surged like a vast river, ceaseless and mighty.

“Yesterday, beating around the bush, Big Brother Zheng and Brother Yuan have been cultivating for ten years and still cannot circulate it on their own. Could it be that my aptitude is ordinary, yet my comprehension is extraordinary?”

“Or perhaps, both elder brothers are being cautious and told me a lie!”

Zhou Yi now trusted no one, or to be more accurate, he dared not trust completely; to make a living in the palace, one must sleep with one eye open.

As he was pondering,

a sharp voice rang out, sounding slightly familiar.

“The Emperor has arrived!”

Zhou Yi's response was quicker than his thoughts; before the echo had faded, he was already kneeling upright on the ground, quietly waiting for Emperor Hongwu to approach from afar.

Surprisingly, he did not enter Jiangxuexuan but came to the pavilion instead.

Immediately, the attendant palace maids brought forth tea, pastries, and fruits, and Empress Yuan, who accompanied the Emperor, personally served him to taste them.

Zhou Yi slowly inched forward, unnoticeably moving two steps closer, just enough to let the pavilion's column conceal his form; he had not yet reached the point of “vying for favor,” so it was best not to stand out.

With a slight glance from the corner of his eye, he saw that the eunuch serving by Emperor Hongwu's side was none other than lil' Roundy.

Today, lil' Roundy donned a red robe, no longer the tagalong of little Zheng from yesterday, bearing quite an imposing presence in the center of the pavilion.

“Director of the Imperial Household, Steward Grandfather!”

Envy flashed in Zhou Yi's eyes; setting aside all other powers, just being by the Emperor's side was an honor beyond compare.

“And what of little Zheng…”

At that moment, within the pavilion, Emperor Hongwu laughed heartily at a joke told by Empress Yuan.

When the Emperor laughed, the climate seemed to shift from winter to spring instantly.

The accompanying eunuchs and palace maids all discreetly hid their smiles and played along.

Emperor Hongwu and Empress Yuan appeared deeply affectionate, engaged in lively, harmonious conversation, the very image of a blissful husband and wife.

After chatting for a while, feeling the chill outside, they stood up to rest inside the pavilion. Passing by a crabapple tree, Emperor Hongwu suddenly stopped and inquired of the nearby eunuch on duty.

“I remember this crabapple tree, it seems not to have bloomed this year?”

The eunuch knelt in a flurry, shaking his head rapidly and stammering his ignorance, promising to inquire with the Department of Palace Grounds afterward.

Empress Yuan stepped forward for a closer look, then said, “This tree is too old, it can no longer blossom. Your servant will arrange for a new tree to be brought from Jiangnan, ensuring a bounty of blooms next year.”

“Hmm.”

Emperor Hongwu nodded slightly, “I almost forgot, my consort's family resides in Jiangning. But there's no need to send one tree; if I ask for one, they would scour for a hundred, and it would affect tens of thousands of common people!”

Empress Yuan bowed gracefully, praising, “Your Majesty loves his subjects like his children, truly an unparalleled sage monarch in history.”

“My consort flatters me; I do this to safeguard the ancestral legacy,” said Emperor Hongwu.

“I just remembered, there are still some memorials I haven't dealt with, so I must excuse myself from accompanying my consort today,” he continued.

With that, paying no mind to Empress Yuan's expression, he turned and left Jiangxuexuan.

Lil' Roundy followed close behind, with the other eunuchs and palace maids scurrying after, leaving Empress Yuan standing alone.

This scene fell into Zhou Yi's eyes.

“My godfather often says that Consort Yuan is favored, but this kind of behavior isn't a reliable backing…”

Zhou Yi, as an onlooker, had a clear perspective. Just now, when Consort Yuan mentioned the word 'old,' Emperor Hongwu's expression turned dark in an instant, and then he found an excuse to leave abruptly.

“When a tree gets old, you plant a new one. If the emperor is getting old, does it mean he should be replaced too?”

It was a truth that even Zhou Yi understood, yet Consort Yuan spoke without considering the implications.

There are many taboos in the palace, with 'avoiding the subjects that displease those above' being just the most basic. Other words like old, young, sick, and dead are best left unsaid if possible.

When such words must be spoken, they should be alluded to ambiguously or replaced with other words.

Take, for instance, today when Consort Yuan mentioned the word for old and annoyed his majesty. Last year, a eunuch in Kunning Palace said the word 'depose,' and the empress had him dragged out and executed with the cane.

“Precious Consort Zhen once said, the more you lack something, the more you desire it!”

Zhou Yi, while on duty in the Imperial Garden, once overheard Precious Consort Zhen mocking Noble Consort Hua behind her back, saying her family were all blockheads, yet she fancied playing at being cultured.

Little did Precious Consort Zhen know, she was just as unaware of her own faults.

Precious Consort Zhen came from a family steeped in scholarly tradition, with three generations of imperial scholars who also served in the imperial court. Yet she herself was fond of military texts, showing off her knowledge of battle formations in conversations with the emperor.

“By that logic, I'm afraid the emperor must be lacking in years, wanting more longevity!”

Zhou Yi's eyes flickered. Each time the imperial power changed hands, the palace would be plunged into a storm of bloodshed far more intense than the turmoil caused by Eunuch Chu.

“With such an ignorant mother, the Second Prince likely won't amount to much, and judging from his majesty's tone, he seems quite displeased with those corrupt officials in Jiangnan!”

“If another prince ascends the throne, godfather's position is not secure. I need to find a new support soon.”

Zhou Yi quickly had a candidate in mind, someone with whom he already had a close relationship. Acknowledging another godfather would naturally follow.

After finishing his duty.

Zhou Yi went to the Duty Hall first to report today's events in detail.

Eunuch Xu had more than one informant, and if Zhou Yi didn't report today, it would indicate he had ulterior motives, exposing him to various forms of retaliation, overt and covert.

“The Consort was somewhat too anxious!”

Eunuch Xu sighed. Recently, his majesty had shown an inclination to favor the Second Prince, and the political winds in the court had started to shift in his direction, only for this incident to occur.

Never underestimate the significance of such events; the affairs of the realm often hinged on the emperor's emotions!

Eunuch Xu instructed Xiaoyunzi to summon people to discuss how to regain the emperor's favor, and Zhou Yi, sensing the situation, tactfully excused himself.

A mere pawn like him had no place in such important matters!

On his way back to Bingliu Residence, Zhou Yi encountered the empress, whom he had seen for the first time in his four years at the palace.

It was rumored that since the case of the deposed crown prince, the emperor had never visited Kunning Palace again. Moreover, because the empress had revealed the crown prince's rebellion to his majesty, she was credited with contributing to the court, so her phoenix position was not revoked.

Zhou Yi knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head to look at the empress.

In the palace, it was said the empress was dignified and noble, a beauty unmatched, and in her earlier years, her favor was unrivaled in the inner palace.

Zhou Yi shrank into a corner, striving to make himself even smaller and less noticeable, not daring to draw the slightest interest from the empress. Attracting her attention could prove deadlier than receiving the emperor's praise.

After all, apart from the deposed crown prince, the empress had no children!

A moment later.

As the empress's palanquin moved away, Zhou Yi stood up and hurriedly left.

Bingliu Residence.

Zhou Yi opened the door cautiously and saw Xiaoyuanzi packing his belongings.

No, he should now be addressed as Eunuch Yuan!

“Eunuch Yuan, there's no need for you to do it yourself, just instruct me, and I'll handle it,” Zhou Yi said obsequiously as he approached, though he had no intention of actually helping. The luggage might contain personal secrets, and knowing them could lead to enmity.

A Fourth Rank attendant eunuch, a favorite in front of the emperor, becoming an enemy of such a person was akin to courting death!

Chapter end

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