According to all existing historical records, the royal sacrifice in Daqing has always been held every ten years, without exception.
Even when Emperor Yongtai was still a prince, he wrote a letter requesting that the grand sacrifice be held several months earlier, which was unprecedented.
Although the ten-year grand sacrifice is only a rule of the royal family, not a rule of the world.
But even the royal family themselves would never support this.
This is easy to understand.
The beneficiaries of the rules will always be the most staunch supporters of the rules.
Even if someone wants to break the most insignificant and inconspicuous part of the rules, it will never be allowed.
This is true in any world.
So there is no doubt that Emperor Yongtai's move was absolutely unpopular.
So naturally, Lou Youzhi couldn't understand this.
"Your Majesty should know that this matter cannot be accomplished. Why..."
Lou Youzhi stared at King Qian closely.
"No."
Prince Qian shook his head slightly, "This matter has been accomplished, and it will be announced to the world tomorrow."
"How is this possible?!"
Lou Youzhi was so shocked that he lost his voice.
“Because of the royal family, more than half of the people chose to support it.”
King Qian sighed, "No one expected this."
“…”
Lou Youzhi's face froze, and he blurted out, "A demon in the heart of Tao?"
"It can only be this."
King Qian sighed.
"After the incident in Yongzhou, I started to monitor the palace. No matter who enters or leaves the back hall of Tianji Palace, I can get the news."
Lou Youzhi said thoughtfully.
Although monitoring the imperial palace was a taboo and was tantamount to treason, he no longer needed to hide anything at this point.
In response, King Qian just frowned, but did not get angry or interrupt Lou Youzhi.
"And during this period of time, few people have entered the back hall..."
Lou Youzhi narrowed his eyes and came to a conclusion: "That is to say, those royal family members who supported him had already been controlled by him using his magical powers long before this."
"Indeed."
Prince Qian nodded seriously, "I have checked and no one has entered the back hall during this period of time."
"Is there anything special about those who support His Majesty?"
Lou Youzhi suddenly asked, "For example, the relationship between them and Your Majesty, or their attitude towards Your Majesty."
"You've experienced the time when he was the crown prince, so you should know."
Prince Qian stroked his long beard and said helplessly, "At that time, there was probably no one in the entire capital who didn't like him except me... In addition, your power was not enough back then, so there are some things you may not know."
"What?"
Lou Youzhi's eyes narrowed.
"Back then, after he handed over all power to the cabinet, he held a large-scale discussion in the Inner Courtyard Cave Heaven, inviting the younger generation of the royal family to take turns to debate with each other, just like in the Eastern Palace."
As Prince Qian spoke, a look of reminiscence appeared on his face. "Almost all, all the young men of the royal family have participated in this kind of literary competition... Of course, he and I have always been at odds. Although he invited me every time, I never participated once."
"all?"
Dou Tianyuan looked dazed. "If I remember correctly, there are 200,000 people in Neiyuan Dongtian... Even if we only count the young people, there are tens of thousands, right?"
“…”
Prince Qian's face suddenly darkened, and he glared at Dou Tianyuan fiercely, "Is there any place in this world that you haven't been to?"
The Inner Courtyard Cave Heaven is not a secret at all, and everyone in the capital who is a little bit prominent knows about it.
However, except for members of the royal family and their subordinate eunuchs and palace maids, no one else was allowed to enter.
“Ah, this…”
Dou Tianyuan paused, looking embarrassed.
It was obvious that he had sneaked in.
"snort."
King Qian snorted coldly, then suddenly smiled again, "However, you are still wrong about the number of people. The number of people in the Inner Courtyard is far more than 200,000... The exact number is 3.8 million."
"Three hundred... Impossible!"
Dou Tianyuan curled his lips and said, "Neiyuan Dongtian is just a small island. It can accommodate at most 300,000 to 500,000 people, and they have to accommodate several people in one room."
"No."
Lou Youzhi suddenly shook his head, "Theoretically, 3.8 million people is not a lot ."
"You know, the royal family will always be the royal family."
"Since Taizu, every generation of the royal family has continued to reproduce until now. Just think about how many years of history Daqing has."
"As for why it can accommodate so many people..."
Lou Youzhi looked at King Qian, "It should be related to the rules of the Inner Courtyard Cave Heaven, right?"
"That's right."
King Qian nodded, "Inner Court Cave Heaven is also called Xumi Heaven, and its rules can be said to be both special and common - Xumi mustard seed."
"It's common because every cave has this rule, and it's special because it only has this rule."
"To put it bluntly, the space inside is extremely huge, larger than a province."
As he spoke, King Qian glanced at Dou Tianyuan calmly, "The small island you saw is just the entrance and exit. There are nearly three hundred islands that are several times larger than it."
"All right."
Dou Tianyuan nodded helplessly, "I thought there was only one. I should have walked around more..."
"ordinary man."
Prince Qian showed disdain on his face. Without waiting for Dou Tianyuan to respond, he became serious and continued, "In short, in those days, apart from the big and small court meetings, His Majesty would go to the back hall of Tianji Palace, and the rest of the time he was in Xumi Heaven."
"It was on the island at the entrance that I discussed this with many members of the royal family. It took nine years."
"And every time there is a discussion, many very inconspicuous talents will stand out and receive a lot of awards."
"I say insignificant because the bloodline of these people can be traced back to the previous emperor many generations ago. They are extremely distant from the recent emperors. Even in the Xumi Heaven, they are in a relatively marginal position."
"That is why, after these people received your Majesty's approval and rewards during the discussion, they are truly convinced of your Majesty."
"To put it bluntly, back then, those people almost regarded him as a belief, and even I, the clan leader, was not taken seriously by them."
As he spoke, Prince Qian's eyes revealed a hint of depression, "As for this incident, it should be those people who secretly helped Your Majesty persuade other royal families, and finally made the grand ceremony successfully advanced."
"Understood."
Lou Youzhi nodded, his eyes showing some shock, "Your Majesty's actions back then were ostensibly to encourage the clan members, but in fact they were secretly spreading the demon seeds."
He couldn't help but be shocked.
Three million and eight hundred thousand people, or three million and eight hundred thousand royal family members whose qualifications far exceed those of normal people.
How many kinds of Tao are there here?
If all of them were planted with demon seeds...
"ha."
Dou Tianyuan slapped his thigh and said, "Fortunately, we already know how to remove the demon seed. As long as..."
"It's no use."
Prince Qian shook his head, "Don't forget, you also told me the eight words Xu Chong told you, how could I come to you without trying first?"
"you mean……"
Lou Youzhi's expression became serious again, "Their demon species cannot be removed?"
"I have already found three different people to try it secretly."
Prince Qian replied, "These three people were among those picked by Your Majesty back then, and they were also the first ones I suspected. Xu Chong's method was ineffective against them... In addition, these three people gave me the feeling that they were not just puppets being controlled. Their attitude towards Your Majesty was even more fanatical."
"invalid……"
Dou Tianyuan looked extremely unhappy, and couldn't help asking, "What was their reaction at that time... No, where are they now? How about we try again?"
"Without exception, after hearing those eight words, all three of them changed color and attacked me."
Prince Qian had a calm expression and said indifferently, "As for where the person is... Anyone who attempts to assassinate a clan leader will be killed without mercy. This is written in the royal clan law."
"Well."
Dou Tianyuan paused, and could only turn to look at Lou Youzhi, "The demon seed cannot be removed, so what should we do now?"
"These people should be different from the direct descendants of the Fang family that Xu Chong has come into contact with. They are controlled more thoroughly."
Lou Youzhi rubbed his brows and slowly exhaled, "We can only take it one step at a time and react flexibly after three months."
After thinking for a while, Dou Tianyuan suggested, "How about asking Xu Chong?"
"Xu Chong..."
Lou Youzhi's heart was slightly moved.
yes.
Xu Chong has already achieved the ninth level of golden body transformation.
Add to that the fact that he could break the sky with one hand, and he was just another Dou Tianyuan, no doubt very powerful... No, even more than that.
To Xu Chong’s words, one should also add the Zifu Seeding Dao and the Huangting Seeding Dao.
That's right.
There are also magical powers of incarnation...
Taking all aspects into consideration, Xu Chong should be the top master in Daqing today.
But will Xu Chong have a solution?
After thinking for a moment, Lou Youzhi shook his head and said, "No need. Xu Chong probably only knows this much about the Dao Heart Demon. Otherwise, he wouldn't have mentioned it on his own initiative. Moreover, since he has agreed with you for a year, he must be sure that he will reach a new height in a year. We'd better not interfere with him during this period."
"He has the Cloud Piercing Order I left on him, so there's no need to put in any effort."
Dou Tianyuan didn't take it seriously, and said with some pride: "How powerful Single-handed Breaking Heaven is, only he and I know."
"I have long guessed that you have some hidden abilities. Otherwise, if everything were exposed, your reputation as the best master would have been shaken over the years."
Lou Youzhi shook his head and said, "But I still don't recommend telling Xu Chong about this."
"Uh... why?"
Dou Tianyuan was stunned.
"in case."
Lou Youzhi replied calmly, "Don't forget, during the Royal Family Grand Ceremony, Your Majesty will personally go on stage to pay tribute to the ancestors and pray to God for blessings."
Prince Qian and Dou Tianyuan looked at each other, both horrified.
“No way?!”
Dou Tianyuan frowned, "According to our inference, His Majesty is unable to come out of the back hall because of his life span and cave heaven. If three months later... then won't all our speculations be overturned?"
"uncertain."
Lou Youzhi's eyes flickered, "It is also possible that something unexpected happened during this period of time, and the reason why he had to be trapped in the back hall has been fundamentally resolved."
"this……"
Dou Tianyuan's expression changed and became extremely complicated.
Once an inherent cognition has been formed, breaking it will make people feel at a loss.
That's what Dou Tianyuan is like.
He fantasized about meeting Emperor Yongtai face to face again and didn't know how he would respond.
"Anyway."
Lou Youzhi continued, "Assuming this inference continues to hold true, then when His Majesty walks out of the back hall, he will definitely be more powerful than we can imagine."
"In this case, I think it's better to let Xu Chong stay away."
"after all……"
At this point, Lou Youzhi paused and smiled: "If we die in the grand ceremony three months later, Xu Chong, who returns in a year, will be our last hope."
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of Prince Qian and Dou Tianyuan became solemn at the same time.
a long time.
Dou Tianyuan stood up, laughed and pushed the door open: "Lou Heizi, I was right about you."
Prince Qian also stood up and nodded to Lou Youzhi: "It is a great honor to have you."
After saying that, he also strode towards the invisible door opened by Dou Tianyuan.
Great blessing?
Lou Youzhi shook his head and laughed, "Compared to Jiang Zhihong's worldly happiness, it's still a step behind."
…
…
Taiping Township.
Li Xiangxue woke up slowly and sat up in a daze.
As soon as I came back to my senses, I suddenly froze there.
"this……"
Li Xiangxue frowned and looked around vigilantly.
That's right.
It was that familiar room.
Inside the Taiping Palace, there is a room belonging to Daozi, who is also the disciple of Daozhu.
"How long have I been unconscious, and why am I here?"
Li Xiangxue was extremely puzzled.
He clearly remembered that he was in the Taiping Palace before he lost consciousness.
And not far away was the dead Ji Qingzhi.
If he survived, he should have woken up in the same place. How did he return to the room?
Or in other words, why didn't the person who discovered him kill him?
Just as I was thinking about it, a creaking sound was heard.
This is the sound of the door opening.
Almost instantly, Li Xiangxue took a vigilant stance, ready to fight to the death at any time.
However, when he saw the appearance of the person who came, he couldn't help but be stunned.
He had a towel draped over his shoulders and a basin of water in his hand, with steam rising from it.
It’s Keiichi.
When Qingyi saw Li Xiangxue, he was also stunned, and then he was overjoyed: "You are finally awake."
"I……"
Li Xiangxue opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.
"Don't be afraid, I won't do anything to you... I'll wait for you in the yard."
Qingyi put down the towel and basin, turned around and walked out again.
He even closed the door again.
Li Xiangxue's heart moved slightly.
It is obvious that Qingyi knew that he was the one who killed Ji Qingzhi.
"Whatever, whether it's a blessing or a curse, I can't avoid it now."
Li Xiangxue shook his head and got out of bed to wash.
Soon, the two of them sat opposite each other in the octagonal pavilion in the courtyard.
"Why don't you kill me?"
As soon as they sat down, Li Xiangxue was the first to ask questions.
"What will I gain if I kill you? And what will Taiping Township gain?"
Keiichi asked back.
"With the name of revenge for the Taoist master, you can use it to ascend to the position of Taoist master."
Li Xiangxue looked at Qingyi deeply, "Even if you don't care about this, the demon seed in you..."
As he spoke, Li Xiangxue was stunned: "Could it be that the demon seed has been automatically eliminated?"
"The demon species is still there."
Qingyi shook his head. "Although the Taoist master is dead, Emperor Yongtai is still alive. Both of them should have the mark of the Demon Lord in their bodies."
Is the incarnation really so powerful?
Li Xiangxue felt a little sorry, and at the same time even more confused: "Since the demon seed is still there, why are you..."
Keiichi did not answer, but asked another question: "Do you know what the origins of these 19 guards were before they were selected?"
"have no idea."
Li Xiangxue shook his head.
"The one whose family was destroyed in the internal strife of the Taiping Dao."
Qing Yi spoke quietly, his voice low, "To be precise, they are the survivors of the three ancient clans' struggle for power."
"Whether it's me, Qing Er, or even Qing Jiujiu, we all come from this kind of background."
"The family we originally belonged to was destroyed by the three ancient clans, either because of interests or conflicts."
"Well, calling them the three ancient clans is flattering ourselves... We should say they are branches of the three ancient clans."
"Back then, we were able to stand out among many candidates because of the deep hatred between the other party, the Lin family, and the Zheng family."
"The Taoist master told us the origins of these three families, told us how powerful these three families are, and showed us his identity and the power that has the potential to destroy the three ancient clans."
"Therefore, we willingly offered our faith and respected him as our master, so that we could one day avenge the three ancient clans."
"But now, this identity of his is dead."
"I know very well that with his other identity as Emperor Yongtai, it is impossible for him to take action for the sake of us nineteen slaves."
Qingyi laughed at himself, "Not to mention that his clones died in Taiping Township. How could he easily take risks with a body worth millions of gold?"
"But if the demon seed has not been removed, you should still be loyal to him..."
Li Xiangxue asked in confusion.
"You are wrong."
Qingyi shook his head. "Emperor Yongtai can indeed control us, but that is just control. We believe in Ji Qingzhi, not Emperor Yongtai. We will not work for Emperor Yongtai willingly."
"But I killed your faith..."
Li Xiangxue became even more confused.
"Indeed."
Qingyi nodded, "So, I disposed of his body before the others came back, and lied that he was out for something."
"Because in my opinion, revenge on you is far less serious than the three ancient clans getting involved in Taiping Township again."
"Now, one of the three ancient clans is missing. Although the situation seems to be better than before, it actually breaks the previous balance."
"Next, the rivalry between the Zheng and Lin families is likely to escalate into an open fight."
"Once the news of the Taoist master's death spreads, Taiping Township will definitely become the main target of competition between the two families ."
"Rather than killing you, I choose to keep you alive."
"Because you are the best candidate to pretend to be the Taoist master."
After saying that, Qingyi waved his hand towards a place not far away, and a crown of grass flew over.
It was the cave paradise, Baicao Garden, which was once ruled and enjoyed by the three ancient clans in turn.
The only difference is that there is an extra small flower on it compared to the previous times I saw it, a small flower that is shining with a faint white light.
"This is the hub of the cave. I have tried it. As long as you touch it, you can choose to become the controller of the cave."
Qingyi handed the straw crown to Li Xiangxue.
Li Xiangxue took it subconsciously, looking stunned.
"Don't think too much. I'm not a kind person."
Qingyi stood up and said with a cheerful smile: "If I have enough life left, or if I have relatives alive, I will not give you such a great benefit, even if it means taking the greatest risk."
"But now I just hope that it can prevent the tragedy that happened to us guards from happening again in Taiping Township."
"You hurry up and adapt. I will figure out how to make Li Xiangxue disappear and let the Taoist master return."
After saying that, Qingyi walked out without waiting for a response.
Li Xiangxue watched silently, and suddenly felt a sense of empathy.
Qingyi has taken charge of Taiping Township.
Just like...
Just like when I was in the county school and in Fenggu County.