Chapter 137 The Imperial Palace

At night, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang tossed and turned, unable to sleep for some reason.

The night seemed exceptionally long and quiet.

Finally, he couldn't help but get up, wanting to step out for some air.

"Lishi, Lishi?"

He called twice, but there was no response from outside the door.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang realized something was wrong; he lifted the curtains, grabbed his outer robe, and put it on.

He walked slowly outward, and as he moved, the candles in the hall lit up automatically.

The doors of the Imperial Palace were of exceptionally high quality, yet when Emperor Xuanzong of Tang pushed them open, there was not a sound.

It was only after pushing the door open that he was shocked to see a Daoist with a slightly translucent body standing outside.

Gao Lishi was nowhere to be seen.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang narrowed his eyes slightly, and an indescribable Aura immediately rose up.

For a moment, the entire Imperial Palace seemed to have a will of its own, collectively pointing its spearhead at the Daoist.

"Your Excellency, for you to barge into my bedchamber in the dead of night, if you cannot explain yourself clearly, I fear this will not end well."

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was indeed a brilliant ruler of his era, possessing an air that could swallow mountains and rivers.

He didn't even ask who the other party was, immediately demanding accountability.

The projection of Zhang Daoling couldn't help but nod in admiration; the Emperor was shrouded in Luck, making it impossible for him to divine anything.

Coming here was merely a whim to see with his own eyes what kind of person the creator of the Kaiyuan Prosperity really was.

"Your Majesty, do not be alarmed. I am merely a flickering candle in the wind. I came here today to see what kind of extraordinary person the current mighty ruler is."

"Sir, now that you have seen me, what are your thoughts?"

"Having seen you today, you are indeed extraordinary, possessing the bearing of Emperor Guangwu."

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang narrowed his eyes slightly; if these words had come from anyone else, he would be wondering if they wanted to play the 'elimination game of nine generations'.

Although the influence of the Golden Knife Prophecy had diminished over time, this topic was still extremely sensitive for Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.

Usually, all officials were very wary of mentioning the Liu clan in front of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, especially those from the Daoist sects, who would never bring up this unpleasant topic.

After all, the Golden Knife Prophecy had originally spread from the Daoist sects.

However, the person in front of him was no ordinary Daoist. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang had already vaguely guessed who he was, but since the other party hadn't said it, he pretended not to know.

"Sir, you didn't come here today just to say this, did you?" Emperor Xuanzong of Tang asked indifferently.

"I encountered a rather strange sect today, calling itself the Wusheng Sect, worshipping a wild god named The Unborn Venerable Mother."

Hearing this, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang's heart sank slightly, but his expression revealed nothing, maintaining that same poised and immovable demeanor.

The projection of Zhang Daoling looked at Emperor Xuanzong of Tang with deep meaning.

"Your Majesty, do you know how the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and the founders of the Han and Tang dynasties managed to leave their names in history for eternity?"

This question was naturally not for Emperor Xuanzong of Tang to answer, so he simply said: "I ask for your instruction, Sir."

"The mighty rulers of antiquity were bound to have an Aura that could swallow mountains and rivers, yet they were also humble and open-minded; they loved their people like their own children, yet they were both lenient and strict, governing diligently to ensure the country was prosperous and the people were at peace."

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang smiled faintly: "Does Sir believe my merits are not high enough, or my virtue not deep enough? Or is China not stable enough, and the four barbarians not submissive enough?"

"Your Majesty certainly has great merit and deep virtue, China is at peace, and the four barbarians are submissive."

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was satisfied with this.

"But the wise rulers of antiquity only achieved eternal fame by understanding the principle of knowing when to retreat when at the peak; otherwise, they would inevitably harm themselves and others!"

A strange light flickered in Emperor Xuanzong of Tang's eyes; he understood now. Everything this person had said before was just a map of the Yan state—this last sentence was what he truly wanted to tell him.

"The world does not belong to one family or one surname. This Imperial Dynasty is not eternal. If one tries to block this rolling trend, they will inevitably be crushed by the torrent of history."

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang said with an ambiguous tone: "Sir, I have received your instruction."

"I hope you truly have." After saying this, the projection of Zhang Daoling slowly vanished.

As the projection of Zhang Daoling completely disappeared, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang seemed to sense something and was suddenly shocked.

He opened his eyes abruptly and sat up from the bed.

He had only been dreaming just now!

"Lishi, Lishi!"

Gao Lishi hurriedly opened the palace doors and trotted in from the outer room.

"Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

"It is nothing, you may leave."

"This servant obeys."

Although he didn't know what was going on, Gao Lishi retreated from the bedchamber step by step.

Just as he walked out of the bedchamber and closed the doors, Gao Lishi heard the sound of a cup being knocked over on the floor inside.

He pretended not to hear and walked away quickly.

Once Gao Lishi had left, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang could no longer suppress his surging anger.

His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.

"Just a dead-but-not-stiff old Daoist thief, daring to teach me how to do things!"

"This world is my world; how I do things is not for others to point fingers at!"

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang's voice was calm, as if talking to himself, but in that calm voice, there was a hint of hysteria and madness.

Although he was the Son of Heaven, possessed Dragon Qi, and had tempered his Earth Virtue state physique, his true strength was likely not weaker than the ordinary Heavenly Bridge Realm.

But because of this Imperial Dynasty Luck, he could never truly step into the threshold of cultivation, and his lifespan was short, not as long as a true cultivator.

Usually, he was just like an ordinary Mortal.

But Emperor Xuanzong of Tang didn't care about this; he believed that cultivators were just firewood used to consolidate and strengthen the Great Tang, and as long as they were used properly, they were just weapons in his hands.

As for extending his life, he had his own methods.

But today, a rude old Daoist had kicked open his door and told him, 'If you don't know how to be an emperor, I will teach you.'

It was almost as if his pride had been rubbed into the ground.

He had tried to fight back just now, but when he attempted to mobilize the Imperial Dynasty Luck, he found himself facing a vast, boundless void.

One must ask, no matter how strong human power is, how can it compare to the boundless starry sky?

Is this the power of the Primordial Spirit Realm?

One person opposing a country seems to be a trivial matter.

For a long time, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang's anger finally subsided; he lifted his sleeves and personally picked up the overturned bronze cup from the floor.

When he stood up again, he was expressionless, dignified without anger, and seemed to have become that emperor who did not reveal his emotions.

Regarding that plan, he had been hesitant before, but under the persuasion of Princess Yuzhen, he had decided to test the waters.

But now, he had firmly solidified that idea!

"Heh, no eternal Imperial Dynasty? I, for one, do not believe it..."

Having already left, Zhang Daoling suddenly felt something, shook his head, and sighed secretly.

He could not interfere too much with reality, especially matters related to the Luck of a Dynasty; this attempt to persuade him was already the limit.

But just now, the Heaven's Breath had changed, indicating that this persuasion might not have much effect and could even be counterproductive.

"Forget it, consider it giving the young man today some intensity."