"That dragon throne in the palace is something that no one can grasp, especially for you and me. The Empress has General Xiahou's loyalty in the military, the flattery of Old Zhuge Tianxu among the cultivators, the support of Prince Shu's uncle in the imperial family, and even the Prime Minister leans towards her because of his friendship with the National Master."

  Her palms had already grasped too many things, and she was worried that variables would emerge, worried that the worldly affairs of the academy would blow a cold wind into her palm, rendering those things into nothingness, thereby affecting the ownership of that dragon chair. So she was very vigilant. This fear has been lurking in the hearts of many people, even if she herself can still remain calm, but those who are loyal to him cannot continue to be calm, which is why these things happened today.

  "And we have nothing. Hua Shan and Yue are still young, wanting to replace the great generals Xǔ Shì and Xiàhóu in the army, who knows how many years it will take, those scholars in Chang'an city some of whom have already entered the imperial court, but their voices need to resonate loudly on the court for a while, so I very much welcome the academy entering the world."

  "When the Academy enters the world, on the day of the great Tang's inheritance, no matter how many people the Empress has supporting her, as long as the Academy clearly conveys their attitude, the ministers, military and cultivators must remain silent."

  "Why can I determine the attitude of the book club?"

  "Because the people who enter the world of books are rare, I understand rarity."

  "Rather than lacking this person, his personality is indifferent and unfeeling. He may not necessarily help me because of those past events, and it's even possible he won't care about this matter at all. But there are some things that he must take care of; even if he doesn't, Sangsang will."

  "In the city of Chang'an, everyone else thought that Sangsang was just an ordinary little maid, interestingly I knew this wasn't true, fortunately I had always liked Sangsang, and Sangsang also liked me."

  "On that day, if I were to die, Sang would definitely avenge me. If not, he wouldn't be able to rest easy. The academy would also have expressed its stance. Dear brother, why would I die? Because of the struggle for the throne, if one fails, it means death."

  Li Yu finished telling the story that had not happened, picked up the copper chopsticks, carefully arranged the silver charcoal in the brazier into a very orderly shape, looked up at his younger brother with a faint smile, and then got up and went to the study.

  In the study, Li Yu wrote a letter to Crown Prince Chongming of Yan State in the distance. This letter will be delivered directly to the Wang Palace in Chengjing, the capital of Yan State, via Huashan Mountain in Gushan County. This choice has nothing to do with speed, but is out of cautious consideration.

  In the letter, she talked about some recent stories in Chang'an City, and casually mentioned a few interactions between herself and Lao Bi Zhai's master and servant. Finally, she expressed her sincere condolences for the disappearance of Prince Longqing.

  The capital of the State of Yan was Chengjing, and snowflakes were floating in the palace. The gaze of Crown Prince Chongming left the letter paper tightly grasped in his hand, looking out at the snowflakes dancing and swirling outside the window.

  A minister could hardly conceal the joy on his face, and he bowed deeply to Crown Prince Chongming, congratulating him: "If Mr. Thirteen really represents the Academy in the world, according to what Princess Gong said in her letter, it is very likely that the throne of the Great Tang will fall into the hands of Li Huan in the future. Your Highness has a close relationship with Princess Li Yu, which is a perfect situation for you and even for your reign over the State of Yan."

  Chongming Taizi clearly received the intention expressed by Princess Li Yu of the Great Tang Dynasty through this letter. He understood that Her Highness wanted to strengthen her confidence, and if Longqing really died, then there would only be one heir to the throne of Yan State, and he was undoubtedly the greatest beneficiary. Moreover, the future ruler of the Great Tang Dynasty would also support him.

  Now many people know that the Longqing Emperor was defeated by Shuyuan Ningque, and then disappeared without a trace. Logically, he should be grateful to Ningque and celebrate wholeheartedly, but when faced with his subordinates' congratulations, there is no joy on his face.

  "People all think that I and Longqing are fighting for the throne, with hatred that cannot be shared under the same sky. However, it seems like you've all forgotten that he and I are after all blood brothers of the same flesh and blood, and in the past we also played together in this palace. Now he's gone who-knows-where, is he still alive? Do you think I can really be happy?"

  Crown Prince Chongming stared blankly at the snowflakes dancing in the palace, and for no reason, he began to shed tears.

  That minister looked at the tears streaming down the crown prince's face and was startled, hastily kneeling down to apologize. However, his heart was overjoyed, thinking that the lord he served was still pretending to be affectionate towards his brother even in such a moment, not willing to let Yan Huang or others see any flaws, truly worthy of being followed.

  In the south of Jin, the climate is warm, so even in the depths of winter, there is no snowfall. The rocky mountain, like a giant sword, shines with the winter sun, each rock crevice and every stone hole clear as day, just like the old-fashioned pavilion at the foot of the mountain, with its distinct black and white colors, exuding an air of proud and unyielding spirit.

  For countless years, many people have found that to go further on the long and winding road of cultivation, a cultivator's own willpower, temperament, luck, and opportunities are indispensable, and this temperament is often an unshakeable pride and self-confidence.

  In the ancient pavilion, the Sword Saint Liu Bai, who was cultivating the unparalleled sword path of Qingxiu Jingwu, was widely regarded as the strongest in the world. Naturally, he was extremely proud and confident, and that pride and confidence had already exceeded the bounds of reason and seemed to be without any basis.

  In the ancient pavilion, the calm yet sharp voice of Jian Sheng rose up, as if it was going to pierce through the clouds and penetrate the eardrums of all the disciples! "Months ago, I said 'Those who lose face should not come back', so why have you returned?"

  The Jian Ge disciples lowered their heads, shocked and uneasy in their hearts, thinking to themselves that they had received the divine temple's decree to go to the wasteland, and in these days, after fighting against the grassland people and then against the wasteland people, they had fought bloody battles without ever retreating, so where did they lose face for their sect?

  Deep in the ancient temple of black and white, a patch of sky light falls down, covering a small emerald pool and a thatched cottage. It turns out that from this place upwards to the top of the peak, it is actually a large cave eroded by years.

  At this time, the sun had already shifted, and the cave was quiet and clear.

  A man with long hair sitting under the sunlight, can't feel any strong aura from him, however if someone dares to stare at his figure for a while, they will soon feel their eyes stinging and unbearable, even tears will flow and become blind.

  Because of the man's scattered hair, the waistband's quiet hanging sleeves, including his gaze and back shadow are all swords.

  This man himself is a sword, a sword that spans heaven and earth.

  "Go to Chang'an City and take a look at what kind of person Ning Que is. Back then, when he couldn't even cultivate, he was able to kill the Sword Pavilion disciples. Now that he's become Master Yan's student, how much further will he progress? The weakest Academy wanderer in history? I don't believe such nonsense. Even if it's the weakest Academy wanderer, it's enough to hone your spirit."

  In front of the thatched hut, a young man knelt down. The man was tall and slender, his knees still on the ground like a large tree. Listening to the voice of Tan Bian Sword Saint Liu Bai, his face turned slightly pale, and he forcibly calmed the turbulent sea of consciousness, saying: "But when I went there, I'm afraid he had already returned to Chang'an."

  "What about Chang'an City? Yan Serning would rather die with Wei Ming than fight me again. Now, I want to see whose successor is stronger between him and me. You don't have to worry that the Academy will stop you from challenging him. The Academy's successors should be prepared to be constantly challenged since they are entering the world. They must be prepared to be killed at any moment. That's how Mr. Kuang came all the way, what makes Ning Que an exception?"

  After the New Year, it's not long before the Lantern Festival. At night, Chang'an City becomes an ocean of lights, countless civilians go out for a stroll with their families, children holding sugar sticks chattering and running around everywhere, young girls blushing and smiling, leaning against their lovers, secretly rolling their eyes. In the alleys and streets, who knows how many shoes and hats will be lost, how many purses will be dropped.

  In contrast to the lively and joyful atmosphere of the folk, the palace's atmosphere is naturally much more solemn and serious. That night, Emperor Ping and Empress invited high-ranking officials to enter the palace for a banquet. After the banquet, the emperor continued to appreciate calligraphy, compose music, and drink with the civil officials, while the empress kept a few close ladies-in-waiting in her own palace to continue chatting.

  Whether the prime minister's wife or the university scholar's wife, they all had to maintain a calm and composed demeanor in this setting. However, when they saw Li Yu's expression after seeing the plan on the emperor's desk, they couldn't help but reveal their surprise.

  The Great Tang Dynasty is prosperous and peaceful, with abundant harvests and a stable government. The only thing that has caused some concern for the court and the people in recent years is the succession of the throne.

  Everyone knows that the queen wants her own son to sit on the dragon chair in the future, while Princess Li Yu unhesitatingly believes that her own younger brother is qualified to become the emperor in the future. There has been no open conflict between the two sides, but there have been many secret struggles. The princess was married off to the grasslands back then, and the queen rarely set foot in the imperial study again, all of which are related to this matter. Today, it's surprising to see the shadow of the princess in such a gathering, could it be that these two are really going to make amends?

  Under the shock of their emotions, the ladies did not notice the little maid sitting quietly beside Li Yu.

  Li Yu didn't want to come, but the Empress Dowager wanted to see Sang Sang. This made her very vigilant. Nowadays, many people have clearly understood that Ning Que is a worldly person from the Academy, and winning over Ning Que's support is largely equivalent to gaining the support of the Academy. What does the Empress Dowager want to do by seeing Sang Sang?

  The ladies-in-waiting and the empress dowager were close to each other, but they also had their own inclinations. However, thinking of their husbands' positions in the court, they were cautious in their actions and went forward one after another to pay respects to Li Yu, except for one noblewoman who remained unmoved.

  This noble lady is the wife of Wenyuan Pavilion University Scholar Zeng Jing.

  This lady was once a favored concubine of Zeng Jingfu, but after giving birth to a daughter, she was cruelly murdered by the first wife. If not for the accidental discovery of this matter by the Empress Dowager, who wrote a letter in anger to the mansion, she would have quietly died long ago. How could she have achieved her current glory as a first-rank noblewoman?

  Due to this history, Zeng Jing's wife was extremely grateful to the Empress Dowager. As long as the Empress Dowager was happy, not only would her husband's career advance, but she could even sacrifice her own life. Therefore, when the Prime Minister's wife and others smiled and greeted Li Yu with courtesy, she simply sat indifferently behind the table, without any intention of going forward.

  She looked at the little girl in maid's uniform beside Li Yu, slightly frowned and thought that Princess is becoming more and more unscrupulous, even daring to bring a maid to the Queen Mother's banquet.

  However, looking at the slightly dark face of the little maid and her bright willow-leaf eyes, Mrs. Zeng Jing always felt as if she had seen her somewhere before, and a inexplicable feeling of pity and heartache arose in her heart.