Jade Capital Celestial City, within the palace and imperial city.

Upon leaving the Supreme Heaven Hall, the outside world is mostly unaware that the current Emperor has not attended court for several months.

Ten years ago, after the Emperor executed Xie Huaizheng, he was once high-spirited and dedicated to political reforms for a time.

He abolished the feudal system, implemented prefectures, and divided the realm into nine regions, appointing Governors in all nine who could independently report to the throne, bypassing the traditional bureaucracy.

The Right and Left Governors managed both civil and military affairs, capable of reaching the Emperor directly, circumventing the three departments and six ministries.

Additionally, he established Transport Envoys and the Thousand Treasure Pavilion, collecting and distributing rare Spiritual Objects across the Ziwei Academy to cultivate an army of cultivators.

He curbed demon infestations and opposed heretical paths.

The tax code was reformed into a three-tax system, namely land tax, wealth tax, and spiritual tax. He conducted a population census and lightened corvée, encouraging restoration and recuperation.

All governance plans involved both decentralizing and centralizing power.

He issued practical decrees for the people's livelihood, executed corrupt eunuchs, and opposed the eunuch faction...

Who could claim this Emperor was inactive?

Yet this ambitious Emperor, five years after the execution of a group of corrupt officials, suddenly changed his previous approach.

All the reforms he initiated were gradually shelved imperceptibly.

The nine regions of the realm, with eighteen governors, despite their direct lines to the throne, found their daily civil and military reports often unable to bypass the cabinet.

Chief Minister Liu Shao, without the official title of Prime Minister, wielded the power of one in truth.

People referred to him as Minister Liu or Grand Tutor.

He has served as the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel for twenty years!

There may not be an Emperor reigning for twenty years, but there indeed has been a Minister of the Ministry of Personnel for two decades; Liu Shao wielded such authority that Xie Huaizheng's demise seemed justified.

Of course, these secrets are usually unclear to those not present in the court or in significant positions.

The world is also unaware that the Emperor had become lax about attending court five years ago.

From initially holding daily small court meetings and large court meetings every five days, he later canceled the small meetings, attending only the large ones.

Eventually, it shifted to large meetings every ten days, then every fifteen days.

This continued for several years, and by this year, from the beginning of February, the Emperor even ceased attending the fifteen-day meetings!

To say that apart from specific individuals, such as Chief Minister Liu Shao, Commander Gongsun Chu of the Prison Control Department, Master Xuan Ming of the Qingxu Daoist Palace, Mountain Master Wen Daoyuan of the Ziwei Academy...

And a select group of the Emperor's close eunuchs, other officials within and outside the Imperial Court had not seen the Emperor for a long time.

Even with a severe drought in the Northern Border, the Emperor did not hold court early.

All state affairs were handed over to the cabinet.

Amid such previous circumstances, on this day, the Emperor was summoning Mountain Master Wen Daoyuan of the Ziwei Academy.

Wen Daoyuan was also a Great Scholar of the generation, advocating the theory of the Infinite and Grand Ultimate, with profound cultivation and transparent principles.

Recently, the Emperor frequently convened Wen Daoyuan for discussions, addressing not the common people, but only inquiring about longevity.

The Emperor asked, "Master Wen, I have consumed numerous longevity items and feel vigorous, yet somehow sense that my lifespan cannot exceed a hundred years.

Why is this?

Could it really be as the Heavenly Sage National Teacher once said, that while an Emperor is the sovereign of humans, they are also shunned by Heaven, making it impossible to live beyond a hundred years no matter what?"

Wen Daoyuan, with a lean appearance, bore a full head of black hair despite his sixties.

Three long strands of beard hung beneath his chin, his eyes glowing with spirit.

The question of longevity was not one the Emperor had posed for the first time, yet even Wen Daoyuan could not truly provide an answer.

However, Wen Daoyuan was not hasty. He gently stroked his short beard, speaking in a calm tone: "Your Majesty, the Way of Heaven diminishes the surplus and supplements the insufficient. The greater the life destiny, the harder it is to extend life.

Your Majesty, as the supreme ruler, already holds the highest prestige. To extend your lifespan, you must achieve what others cannot, accomplishing unprecedented deeds throughout history.

Only then can you break the heavenly imprint, so that even after your natural lifespan, your legacy endures through the ages."

Such pronouncements were not new from Wen Daoyuan either.

Yet the Emperor was unsatisfied.

He offered a bitter smile: "Master Wen, attaining unparalleled achievements is easy to say, but from where can I accomplish that?

At the Tribulation Abyss, have I not deployed troops? Corrupt officials, have I not executed them?

But it hasn't worked; if every Emperor can do such things, how can it be deemed an unprecedented achievement?

Even if such achievements were attained, I do not seek immortality across the ages.

I only wish to extend my life by a mere hundred or ten more years!

Master Wen, do you think I can achieve it?"

The Emperor's eyes burned and locked onto Wen Daoyuan.

He was growing increasingly impatient, though not overtly; every time he summoned Wen Daoyuan, the pressure he exerted was mounting.

This was also an invisible struggle.

However, Wen Daoyuan, as a Great Scholar of the generation and head of the Ziwei Academy, possessed self-assuredness.

Though the Emperor pressed, Wen Daoyuan remained unmoved by external influence.

He smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty wishes not for eternal legacy but merely for longevity, yet you should still achieve unprecedented achievements. With such a great feat, you can defy your destiny."

The Emperor persisted: "But unprecedented achievements..."

Before he could finish, the bell in the Taiwei Palace of the previous dynasty suddenly sounded.

Dong——

The long chime was like spring thunder, resounding in everyone's hearts.

The Emperor, startled, turned his head to see a familiar figure, beaming, hunched slightly, and hurriedly but lightly walking in, joyfully proclaiming:

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, great joy!"

This was the Emperor's close attendant, Wang Zhen.

Seeing Wang's happiness, the Emperor's previously tense heart relaxed instantly, and he heard Wang Zhen raising his voice to say:

"Your Majesty, during the local examinations in the Celestial South Dao, a student's essay produced purple smoke. At that moment, purple light shot to the sky, blocking the drifting clouds.

This is an extremely auspicious sign!

It shows that the heavens are moved by Your Majesty's dedication to the people; otherwise, why would such a star descend?"

Saying this, Wang Zhen was moved himself.

He couldn't help but raise his hand to gently wipe the corners of his eyes.

The Emperor was dazed for a moment, then rejoiced, "Purple smoke rising from the essay, is this true? Good, good, good! Quickly, quickly, what kind of essay is it? Present it immediately!"

Wang Zhen had naturally prepared the essay, though it wasn't the original, but a handwritten copy based on secret codes he personally transcribed.

He presented the transcribed essay with both hands, and the Emperor lifted and took it, intending to read it himself, but upon seeing the densely packed text, his eyes began to blur.

He promptly handed the essay to Wen Daoyuan beside him, who quickly accepted it.

Wen Daoyuan was also surprised; he had written essays from which purple smoke arose, but those were at the point of reaching the Great Scholar realm.

How astonishing that such an essay was written by a student during a regional examination.

Since the founding of the Great Li, no such prodigy had been seen in centuries!

Wen Daoyuan read the essay quickly, initially skimming through, and within mere moments, he finished the entire piece.

But moments later, he quickly returned to the beginning to read it carefully.

Then, he read more slowly and meticulously.

Back and forth, repeatedly, unwittingly, nearly a quarter of an hour passed.

The Emperor had never waited this long for anyone.

Initially patient, he began to frown later on.

But considering it was Wen Daoyuan, the Emperor ultimately dared not rush him too much.

He could only endure repeatedly until he could no longer hold back from speaking: "Master Wen..."

But suddenly he saw Wen Daoyuan's expression relax, and he burst into laughter: "Hahaha!"

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