We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real?

Chapter 610: Shall We Enter the Palace Now, Then?

”Coming.”

From within the courtyard came Wangxinʼs voice, gentle yet clear.

Wangxin pushed open the door, and found several palace maids standing outside.

Beside these maids stood Huiming, the abbess of Hundred Lantern Temple.

”This servant pays respects to Master Wangxin.” The maids bowed, their tone full of respect. ”We hope Master Wangxin will forgive our sudden intrusion.”

”Thereʼs no need for such formality. Please, come in.” Wangxin pressed her hands together, bowing, and stepped aside, leading the maids inside.

”My thanks to Master Wangxin. We hope we havenʼt disturbed you too greatly.”

The group followed Wangxin into the courtyard.

”Please, everyone, sit.”

Wangxin took up a teapot, personally pouring tea for each of them.

”I wonder what brings all of you here to see me?” Wangxin asked, seated to the side.

”Sister Wangxin, itʼs like this.”

Huiming spoke first, offering an explanation, her tone carrying a note of helplessness.

”These women come from Lingxin Palace, that is, they are attendants of the current Empress Dowager of the Zhou Kingdom.”

”Because your reputation, Sister, has truly grown so great, they came to Hundred Lantern Temple this very morning, asking after your whereabouts, saying that the Empress Dowager wishes to recite the Buddhist sutras, and would like to invite you into the palace, to instruct her in the Buddhist teachings.”

”Thatʼs precisely it.” The lead maid, Xiao Guo, spoke. ”We have long heard of Master Wangxinʼs profound mastery of the Buddhist teachings, renowned throughout the world, and moreover, the most accomplished disciple of Master Xujing. Our Empress Dowager wishes to invite Master Wangxin to stay within the palace for a time. We wonder if Master Wangxin might grant us this honor.”

”Should Master Wangxin have any particular needs, please feel free to voice them. The Empress Dowager has said that whatever is within her power to give, she will surely provide to satisfy Master Wangxin.”

”Sister, thereʼs no need to trouble yourself too much over this. If youʼd rather not go, thatʼs perfectly fine too. Follow your own heart in this matter.”

Huiming added.

To Huimingʼs mind, how could her fellow disciple possibly travel to the Great Zhou palace, to lecture the Empress Dowager on Buddhist teachings?

Though her fellow disciple held no distinctions of status in her heart, showing the utmost respect even toward the empress dowager of some small kingdom.

The trouble was that, all these years, her fellow disciple had continuously searched for someone, never staying in any one place for very long.

Her fellow disciple had already stayed here for quite some time now, and would surely be leaving before too long.

It was not that Huiming had not already tried to decline this invitation on Wangxinʼs behalf but the other party had insisted on meeting her in person, wanting to extend the invitation directly, and Huiming, out of respect for their persistence, had no choice but to bring them here.

Hearing the maidsʼ request, Wangxin lowered her head, thinking it over.

Just as Huiming felt certain her fellow disciple was about to decline, Wangxin raised her head, saying to Xiao Guo and the other maids, “I will go with you into the palace. I need nothing at all. But, might I be allowed to move freely throughout the palace?”

”...”

Huiming froze for a moment, wondering if she had misheard.

Her fellow disciple... was truly going to enter the palace!

”Of course, Master Wangxin. Not only will you be free to move about the palace as you please, you may even come and go from the palace at any time, without the slightest restriction.” Xiao Guoʼs eyes lit up with joy as well.

In her heart, she had, in truth, held little hope for success.

Even her own mistress had held little expectation.

After all, the other partyʼs reputation was simply too great.

It seemed entirely possible that she would not even bother taking the Zhou Kingdom seriously yet, remarkably, it had actually worked.

”That will be sufficient, then.”

Wangxin nodded, her tone even carrying a hint of eagerness.

”Shall we enter the palace now, then?”

The imperial palace, the imperial study.

Not long after Xiao Mo had concluded the morning court session.

Those officials began submitting memorial after memorial.

What was written in these memorials was, for the most part, each official expressing their own loyalty.

Having expressed their loyalty, they then began recommending worthy candidates to Xiao Mo.

Perhaps to win Xiao Moʼs favor.

Or perhaps because these officials feared that His Majesty might be ”testing the waters.”

Among the people these officials recommended, the great majority had no personal or familial connection to themselves at all, and no small number were, indeed, genuinely talented officials who had simply never been given proper recognition.

As for their own relatives and close friends, not a single one of them mentioned any.

”These people seem rather muddled in ordinary times, but it turns out they can size people up quite clearly after all.”

Setting down the memorials, Xiao Mo could not help but feel a smile tugging at his lips.

This showed that no small number of officials had, in fact, been perfectly aware all along which officials at court possessed real ability and which were merely useless placeholders.

It was simply that their position had determined their perspective.

They had all simply been feigning ignorance before.

”Wei Xun, go bring me the files on the officials Iʼve marked here. I want to review them carefully.” Xiao Mo said to Wei Xun. ”Then take these names to the Ministry of Personnel, and have them give the matter careful consideration, checking whether there are any concerns with any of these candidates.”

”Yes, Your Majesty.” Wei Xun nodded.

”Oh, right.” Xiao Mo thought for a moment, then said to Sili, attending nearby, ”These memorials, Sili, take them to Ning Xue Palace, and ask Consort Xue for her opinion.”

”Yes, Your Majesty.” Sili bowed, and hurried off with the maids, gathering up the memorials to deliver to Ning Xue Palace.

Watching this scene, Wei Xun could not help but feel a quiet surprise.

Though, at present, Consort Xue and Consort Mu held equal standing within the harem, rivaling one another in influence yet Consort Xue had previously provided His Majesty with a list of officials, and now His Majesty, in turn, was sending a list of officials to her, seeking her opinion.

This alone suggested that the position of the haremʼs true mistress was, it seemed, gradually becoming clear.

”Is there anything else you wish to say?” Xiao Mo asked, seeing Wei Xun lingering.

”Your Majesty, there is, in fact, one more matter.” Wei Xun drew a file from within his robe. ”Regarding the information on the North Sea that Your Majesty previously asked this servant to investigate, this servant has now gathered a clear picture.”

”Let me see it.” Xiao Moʼs expression grew focused, clearly attaching great importance to this matter.

”Yes.” Wei Xun handed over the file.

As Xiao Mo reviewed the file, Wei Xun offered a brief summary alongside.

”The current Lord of the Four Seas is named Sizhu, a late-stage Immortal realm scaled dragon, said to be but a single step away from that legendary true dragon form.”

”Sizhu...” Xiao Mo looked at the name in the file, his brow furrowing.

The file contained no small amount of information regarding Sizhu, but most of it was based on rumor.

Rumor had it that this Sizhu had originally been nothing more than a common rat snake, but having received guidance from an immortal, had embarked upon the path of cultivation, eventually transforming into a scaled dragon, entering the Four Seas, and rising to become their ruler.

”Is there any other information?” Xiao Mo asked.

”Well...”

Wei Xun thought carefully for a moment.

”There is more...”

”Speak.” Xiao Mo looked directly into Wei Xunʼs eyes.

”Reporting to Your Majesty, there is one more rumor, though this rumor is not particularly reliable, and this servant felt it not worth troubling Your Majestyʼs attention over.”

Wei Xun said.

”Rumor has it that the current Lord of the Four Seas is, in truth, nothing more than a figurehead, with the real power resting elsewhere.”