Above the Great Dao
Chapter 563 - 261 Testing the Waters_2

Chapter 563: Chapter 261 Testing the Waters_2

He smiled slightly and said, "Lord Yan, if you do not reclaim the position of the University Scholar in the Cabinet soon, Mr. Zhang will surely secure his seat."

Lord Yan Xianzhi chuckled, "Is Mr. Zhang truly seated securely?"

He lifted his teacup to drink and laughed, "When he is helpless, he will beg me to return and take up the role of University Scholar. But what about you, Elder Feng? How can you take back control of the Eastern Factory? How can you return to your position as Chief Eunuch?"

Eunuch Feng kicked aside a maid who was massaging his leg, laughing, "I was crippled by Chen Yindu, having performed arduous and meritorious deeds; wouldn’t it make sense for me to retake control?"

Yan Xianzhi stared at his legs, "Your legs have been crippled for ten years now, haven’t they? Still not healed?"

"Not healed," Eunuch Feng stated solemnly.

Yan Xianzhi glanced at the maid kicked aside and spoke, "You say they haven’t healed, so they haven’t. Among the current troubles, Creation Little Five is one issue, and the Imperial Examination is another. Mr. Zhang can’t settle them. If he can’t settle them, someone needs to clean up this mess."

Eunuch Feng asked, "Lord Yan, who will be the top scorer in this year’s new scholars?"

Yan Xianzhi replied irritably, "The examination hasn’t even been held; how would I know who the new top scorer is?"

He paused, then continued, "The young master is highly favored. The Sect Master of the Yan Family has communicated that after consulting with the elders, if the young master competes for the top scorer, the Yan Family will yield, aiding him like stars surrounding the moon."

Eunuch Feng raised his eyebrows, chuckling, "The Yan Family supports him like stars surrounding the moon, but what about the other families?"

Yan Xianzhi scolded playfully, "You eunuchs always enjoy prying into others’ affairs; how would I know the decisions of other families? However... the Thirteen Families share close ties; presumably, if the Yan Family has made this decision, the other families will too."

He waved his hand, signaling the maids serving them to leave, and slowly said, "The young master needs a major influence, needs to create momentum, to find a reason for his rise – to garner the admiration of the masses and gather the people’s heart. Only then can he have a chance to ascend to greatness and revive the Great Ming. The Thirteen Families also need a leader who can call for arms, able to break free from the constraints from above."

Eunuch Feng appeared solemn and, after a moment of silence, asked, "Can it be done?"

Yan Xianzhi fell silent, slowly sipping his tea.

He set down his teacup and softly said, "If we don’t try, it will never be accomplished. The True King Era has ended over six thousand years ago. The times are changing, unlike the past. The West Bull New Continent needs a new True King."

Eunuch Feng exhaled a breath of turbid air and gently tapped his legs, a gleam of light flashing in his eyes.

There had been no opportunity before, but now, the times are changing!

The vacant throne of the True King at court must ultimately be filled by someone!

The young master is the True King chosen by the Thirteen Families.

"And what about Chen Shi?"

Eunuch Feng asked, "I heard that Chen Shi also came to take the Advanced Scholar exam. After passing, he must sit the palace examination. There’s only one top scorer, and if it’s given to the young master, it cannot be given to him."

"So Chen Shi can only be the second-place holder," Yan Xianzhi said.

Eunuch Feng chuckled, "I’ve heard that the young master and Chen Shi have fallen out severely. Because of this, the Marshal of Spearman in Fuzheng Pavilion died. Do you think, Chen Shi would willingly accept the lesser position and be the second-place holder?"

Yan Xianzhi picked up his teacup to drink, found it empty, and set it down again, casually saying, "If not the lesser position, what else could he do? He passed the Scholar exam by favor of the court; otherwise, he’d still be merely a Scholar. Granting him the second-place holder is already a grace from the court."

He clapped his hands, beckoning a maid to come over and refill his tea.

Eunuch Feng covered his teacup, signaling that he didn’t need more water, and smiled, "Inside him, there are over a hundred demons. If it comes to a conflict, he’ll show you death. What can you do?"

Yan Xianzhi smiled slightly, "That’s a problem for University Scholar Zhang to worry about, not me since I’m currently taking a break at home."

"Sly! Truly sly!"

Eunuch Feng laughed heartily, "When Mr. Zhang Fuzheng can’t solve it and comes to beg you, you can then take back the position of University Scholar and still be the Chief Minister of the Cabinet!"

In the Central Wasteland of West Bull New Continent, the province known as South Wind.

South Wind province is notorious for its perennial southern winds, which display three oddities.

First oddity, the winds are strong. The sound of the wind roars like bulls and dragons; during a fierce blow, sand and stones fly about, trees are uprooted entirely, and large rocks roll as fast as galloping horses.

Second oddity, the winds are sudden. Often without any warning, a fierce wind will suddenly rise, catching one off-guard.

Third oddity, strange things exist in the wind. People often see herds of mutant beasts stampeding on the wind. Some see tall, thin figures standing motionless in the wind. There are also Evil Spirits in the wind, appearing and disappearing unpredictably.

Chen Shi found an ancient temple and drew a Wind Stabilizing Talisman, which he hung on all four walls of the temple.

Black Pot sought firewood, set up a bonfire, and Hu Feifei swung a wooden lever, rotating the Flea Pig over the fire, now yellowed and sizzling with oil.

Nannan swallowed her saliva and brushed the Flea Pig with fruit syrup using a brush.

They had found some tart fruit syrup outside; one taste filled the mouth with sourness, causing a constant flow of saliva, but it should be good for basting the Flea Pig.

Sun Yisheng glanced outside to see the sky turning yellow, like the desert had drifted into the sky, and said, "I fear there might be more wind."

These past days, Black Pot had taken his Primordial Spirit to the underworld, using the Sheep Horn Heavenly Spirit Lamp to treat his injuries, significantly alleviating the harm to his Primordial Spirit.

At that moment, voices came from outside.

Chen Shi looked outside and saw many Scholars arriving for the examination, one after another, totaling dozens, mostly impoverished students carrying book boxes.

Seeing the ancient temple, these impoverishedstudents couldn’t help but rejoice, hastening their steps.

Although South Wind province lies in the heartland of West Bull New Continent, it is exceedingly dry, hardly suitable for crops, and sparsely populated, with only the provincial capital boasting around a million residents. In other places, people are rarely seen.

The provincial roads, neglected over the years, are now disconnected. If one travels in this yellow sandy weather, it’s easy to lose direction. This ancient temple is one of the few places where they can stop.

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