Chapter 180: Slipping Him a Pair of Tight Shoes
"A fox spirit and a dragon-headed lion made a huge scene at Ngọc Long Lake? Not only did they bathe in the lake, but they also beat you up?"
Cố Ly Noãn had just returned from the imperial palace when the Taoist in charge of guarding Ngọc Long Lake came to lodge a complaint. Cố Ly Noãn's heart jolted, and he blurted out in shock: "The fish king among the red dragon carps was also taken by that dragon lion? Whose fox spirit and dragon lion are so bold? I've only been in office for a little over a month, and this happens. Who is slipping me a pair of tight shoes?"
Before he could even digest this news, another person came to report: "Grand Sacrificial Wine, the fox spirit raised by Grand Academician Tần Mục of the Scholars' Residence chopped down the tree of advancement and used it to roast fish. That fish looks like the fish king from Ngọc Long Lake—it's been roasted and eaten! Grand Academician Tần Mục and scholar Vệ Dung are currently cleaning up the fish bones, trying to destroy the evidence."
Cố Ly Noãn was both shocked and delighted, laughing: "This brat—I was just worrying about not having a handle on him, and now he's delivered himself right to my doorstep. This matter is enough to have him beheaded a hundred times. Now that brute Bá Sơn should have nothing to say, right?"
He was full of vigor, immediately rising to his feet, saying: "Let's go! Come with me to arrest him right now! We need both physical evidence and witnesses. Escort him directly to the Grand Court of Justice and let the Grand Court Chief Justice interrogate him. We'll sentence him to execution of his entire family! And send a memorial to the palace to report this matter!"
"That scholar named Vệ Dung..."
"Take him too! Charge them together!"
Cố Ly Noãn laughed: "I was just saying who was slipping me a pair of tight shoes, but now it seems these shoes aren't small at all—they fit perfectly."
Cố Ly Noãn and his men burst into the Scholars' Residence, only to find Tần Mục wasn't in the courtyard. There was only a fox and a dragon qilin dozing off. Cố Ly Noãn woke the dragon qilin and asked: "Where has that brat surnamed Tần gone?"
The dragon qilin raised its head, glanced at them, and said slowly: "He was here just a moment ago. Someone from the palace came and invited him over."
"Could it be that the Emperor already knows about this and has summoned him to the palace for execution?"
Cố Ly Noãn chuckled: "That brat still has my Junior Guardian Sword on him—execution would be letting him off easy. What are you all standing around for? Arrest the fox and the dragon qilin! I'm going to the palace to see the Emperor and witness with my own eyes how this brat dies." With that, he hurried off.
The several Sacrificial Wines who came with him and the Taoist guarding Ngọc Long Lake quickly activated a chain to bind the dragon qilin. Hồ Linh Nhi tried to run but was also captured.
Cố Ly Noãn rushed to the palace in a flurry and requested an audience with the Emperor. After a moment, a guard announced: "His Majesty is in the imperial garden. Please proceed there, Lord Cố."
Cố Ly Noãn was surprised: "Executing that Tần fellow in the imperial garden? His Majesty must truly be furious."
He arrived at the imperial garden and heard laughter coming from within. Cố Ly Noãn was unsettled. He walked closer and saw Diên Phong Emperor supporting the Empress Dowager, with several officials following behind. Tần Mục was at the Empress Dowager's left rear, and whatever he had just said made the Empress Dowager laugh.
Diên Phong Emperor caught sight of him, waved his hand, and called him forward, saying warmly: "What brings you here, my minister?"
Cố Ly Noãn hesitated for a moment, then said: "Grand Academician Tần allowed a dragon qilin to leap into Ngọc Long Lake, catch the fish king, and eat it. Ngọc Long Lake is the imperial drinking water source, and the red dragon carps are imperial cuisine. Grand Academician Tần has acted with reckless audacity—this is a capital offense. I dare not conceal this, so I have come to report it to Your Majesty."
"Is that so?"
Diên Phong Emperor looked at Tần Mục beside him and said: "What does Minister Tần have to say?"
"Your subject is a man from beyond civilization, unfamiliar with the capital's rules, and therefore acted rashly."
Tần Mục said: "I did not know that Ngọc Long Lake was imperial property, nor that the fish in the lake could not be eaten. I deeply feel the weight of my crime and request Your Majesty's judgment."
"This is a capital offense."
Diên Phong Emperor glanced at him and said: "Though I hold you in high regard, the law is the law. How would you have me judge you?"
Cố Ly Noãn smiled ingratiatingly: "Your Majesty, according to the law, his entire family should be executed..."
The Empress Dowager laughed: "Emperor, I also believe the young divine physician should be executed."
Diên Phong Emperor was momentarily taken aback, then laughed: "Mother, why do you say that?"
The Empress Dowager walked forward unhurriedly, saying leisurely: "Of course he should be executed. If we don't execute the young divine physician, how will the people of the world know that the Emperor values fish over people? If we don't execute the Grand Academician, how will the people know that the Emperor values water over people? Execute him, and only then will the people know that the Emperor killed the divine physician who cured the Empress Dowager and was renowned throughout the court for a single sip of water and a single fish—only then will they know the Emperor is a foolish ruler."
Diên Phong Emperor burst into laughter, waving his hand: "Lord Cố, this is a trivial matter, and you still come to bother me. Withdraw."
Cố Ly Noãn was stunned: "But this..."
"Go, go."
Diên Phong Emperor waved his hand and said: "You failed to guard Ngọc Long Lake properly, and I won't punish you for it, since you've only just arrived at the Grand Academy. What you did today has already given me enough of a headache—you even got into a fight with Sacrificial Wine Bá Sơn and made me lose face. If you had won, that would be one thing, but you couldn't even manage that. A Grand Sacrificial Wine who can't beat a Sacrificial Wine—you've made me lose all face. Go back and reflect on your conduct."
"Your subject obeys the decree."
Cố Ly Noãn felt deeply wronged and was about to leave when Tần Mục said: "Lord Cố, please don't make things difficult for my fox and that dragon qilin."
Cố Ly Noãn's heart skipped a beat, and he heard the Empress Dowager laugh: "He wouldn't dare. By the way, Emperor, the young divine physician cured me, and you haven't rewarded him yet."
"Mother, he is already a Grand Academician, a sixth-rank official. He cannot be promoted further. After all, he is still young. Let's wait a few years, lest the court officials say I am showing favoritism."
"Young divine physician, tell me more about the interesting stories from your childhood..."
Cố Ly Noãn walked far away, left the palace, and returned to the Grand Academy, his stomach full of pent-up frustration with nowhere to vent. The Taoist guarding Ngọc Long Lake hurried forward and asked: "Grand Sacrificial Wine, have the criminals been executed?"
"It's all because of your meddling! Just watch your lake properly! You had to stir up this mess and get me covered in filth!"
Cố Ly Noãn glared at him and barked: "Release that fox and the dragon qilin!"
The lake-guarding Taoist felt deeply wronged, not knowing how he had offended him, but could only release Hồ Linh Nhi and the dragon qilin, saying: "Grand Sacrificial Wine, we've already sent people to arrest Vệ Dung, but Vệ Dung is under Sacrificial Wine Bá Sơn, and Bá Sơn won't let us take him. What do you think we should do about this..."
"What background does Vệ Dung have?"
"He's from the Duke Vệ household..."
"Don't go looking for trouble!"
...
In the imperial garden, the Empress Dowager chatted with Tần Mục for a while. Tần Mục took her pulse again and prescribed several more doses of medicine, saying: "The Empress Dowager is recovering very well. There will be no lingering problems."
"Good."
The Empress Dowager smiled: "Thank you for your trouble, young divine physician."
Tần Mục rose to take his leave, and Diên Phong Emperor laughed: "Minister, walk slowly. I have something to say to you."
Tần Mục stopped. Diên Phong Emperor walked to his side, waved for the eunuchs, guards, and palace maids to withdraw, and strolled out of the imperial garden, laughing: "My Grand Academician, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect, the abandoned son of the Great Ruins, the disciple of the Jade-Faced Poison King—Minister Tần has quite a few identities."
Tần Mục was slightly startled, and his footsteps unconsciously slowed. If the National Preceptor of Diên Khang could know he was the new Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect, then Diên Phong Emperor naturally had his own means of knowing as well.
Diên Phong Emperor had already walked far ahead. He turned back and laughed: "Minister, why aren't you keeping up?"
Tần Mục quickened his pace to catch up, smiling: "Your Majesty is blessed with boundless fortune."
Diên Phong Emperor laughed heartily: "The Heavenly Demon Sect is the number one sect of the demonic path, the foremost holy land. And its Sect Master has become a student of the Son of Heaven—I am indeed blessed with boundless fortune. But it could be boundless fortune, or it could be a hidden danger at my side. Minister Tần, do you think it is fortune or a hidden threat?"
Tần Mục smiled: "Your Majesty, if the Daoist Sect's Dao Master pledged allegiance to Your Majesty, what office would you grant him?"
Diên Phong Emperor said solemnly: "The Daoist Sect's Dao Master holds the leading position among all righteous paths. I would enfeoff him as first-rank, allow him to be called a king, and make the title hereditary for generations!"
Tần Mục continued: "If the Tathagata of the Great Thunderclap Temple pledged allegiance to Your Majesty, what office would you grant him?"
Diên Phong Emperor said: "The Tathagata is the supreme leader of Buddhism. If he were willing to enter the court as an official, I would enfeoff him as first-rank and make him an ancestor!"
Tần Mục said: "The three holy lands of Diên Khang—the sect masters of the Daoist Sect and the Great Thunderclap Temple—Your Majesty enfeoffs them as first-rank, allowing them to be called kings and ancestors. The Heavenly Sage Sect is also a holy land, and its Sect Master voluntarily pledged allegiance to Your Majesty, yet Your Majesty granted him a shabby sixth-rank position, and furthermore questions whether it is fortune or a hidden threat. Would that not chill the hearts of loyal ministers and righteous men?"
Diên Phong Emperor was momentarily taken aback, then nodded: "I suppose you have a point. However, I cannot immediately promote you. You are too young. Direct promotion would invite criticism, and most likely people would guess your identity."
Tần Mục acknowledged this.
Diên Phong Emperor was silent for a moment, then said: "I know you have a grudge against Cố Ly Noãn, and I know you took his Junior Guardian Sword. You are the Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect—your heart should be magnanimous. Don't keep slipping him tight shoes. He is someone I placed in the Grand Academy. If you embarrass him too much, I will lose face as well."
Tần Mục looked aggrieved: "Your Majesty, how would your subject dare to slip him tight shoes?"
Diên Phong Emperor smiled enigmatically: "Didn't you slip him a pair of tight shoes today, leaving him unable to save face? You can rest assured—no one dares claim to be more audacious than the National Preceptor, and I dare to use him just as I dare to use you. Don't harbor any doubts in your heart. Alright, you may take your leave."
Tần Mục walked out of the palace, feeling refreshed and clear-headed. He let out a long breath of turbid air, completely relaxed.
The National Preceptor of Diên Khang knew his true identity. If Diên Phong Emperor didn't know, he would have been worried. Now that both the Emperor and the National Preceptor knew, he was actually safer—no need to fear either of these two great powers making a move against him.
More than ten days later, Tần Mục's western room was piled high with Great Abundance coins exchanged for dragon saliva. Sacrificial Wine Bá Sơn took Vệ Dung and Young Lord Mẫn Nguyệt out for training, stopping by his western room to grab a few bags of coins before leaving. Tần Mục didn't mind—after all, he was rich and generous.
These past few days, whenever he had free time, he refined Crimson Fire Spirit Pills and another type of spirit pill that replenished mental energy. Because he used Buddhist techniques when refining these pills, Buddhist chants would resonate when the pills were completed, so Tần Mục called them Spirit Buddha Pills.
During these days, he went to the treasury to purchase medicinal herbs, nearly buying out dozens of varieties. Recently, the Grand Academy was organizing a large-scale training expedition, selecting scholars to go to the front lines, with the Imperial Academy directors from each hall leading the scholars to the front to suppress the rebellion.
Tần Mục was also singled out by Cố Ly Noãn, who insisted on sending him to the front lines. Moreover, because Tần Mục held the sixth-rank position of Grand Academician, his treatment was nearly equivalent to that of an Imperial Academy director, so Cố Ly Noãn also assigned him several scholars to lead.
These scholars were all at the Five Radiance stage from the Scholars' Residence, without much combat power. Their cultivation and strength were far inferior to the supernatural power practitioners of the Supernatural Power Residence.