Chapter 244: Indeed Not Worth It

Emperor Yuande realized he had lost his composure. He slumped on his throne for a long while before finally issuing his decree.

The decree primarily instructed the capital's authorities and security personnel to search for the old beggar. Upon finding him, they were to treat him with the utmost respect. As for Yan Chang, the former Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, the Emperor made no further mention of him.

Feeling physically and mentally exhausted, Emperor Yuande lost all interest in remaining in the hall. With a somewhat dejected expression, he simply uttered "Dismissed" to the old eunuch beside him and stood up, leading the way out.

"Dismissed!"

After the old eunuch loudly proclaimed the dismissal, he quickly hastened to follow the Emperor, genuinely fearing that the frail Emperor might stumble.

Once the Emperor departed, the officials below began to murmur amongst themselves. The sorcerers also exchanged bewildered glances. The "Celestial Master" title, which was supposed to be conferred that day, had not been bestowed, leaving everyone uncertain about future developments.

In any case, no one dared to broach the subject or offer an opinion. Officials from the Ministry of Rites and lesser individuals who had been vying for the "Celestial Master" position certainly wouldn't risk it.

Among the sorcerers, those with genuine abilities were largely unconcerned. In fact, they were astonished by the old beggar's beheading and subsequent revival. Previously, the old beggar had appeared no different from an ordinary mortal, leading most of them to believe he was a charlatan. Now, it was clear he was a master of unfathomable power and cultivation.

"Minister Lu, do you truly believe that old beggar is an immortal?"

"That remains unclear." "Hmph, a charlatan spreading falsehoods!"

"Minister Xiao, what are your thoughts on this situation?"

"On what, precisely?"

"Why did the Emperor not release Minister Yan Chang?"

"Alas..."

Some officials either shook their heads or sighed, then departed the grand hall one by one.

Meanwhile, the four imperial guards, seemingly forgotten by everyone, remained kneeling in the hall.

Prince Jin slowed his pace, observing the four guards. Seeing that everyone in the hall was dispersing and his elder brother had already left, he hesitated for a moment before finally addressing them.

"You may all rise and leave. Father Emperor will not fault you."

"Thank you, Your Royal Highness Prince Jin!" "Our deepest thanks, Your Royal Highness Prince Jin!"

The imperial guards rose and gratefully bowed to Prince Jin, Yang Hao. Only at that moment did they truly breathe a sigh of relief, convinced that their lives were no longer in peril.

Indeed, serving the Emperor was akin to accompanying a tiger; they had profoundly experienced this truth today.

In the Ministry of Punishment's prison, Yan Chang had not suffered much abuse. He was confined in a relatively clean cell that contained a brick bed covered with straw and a mat, along with a low table.

Yan Chang's official robes had been replaced with prisoner's attire. He sat on the bed, back against the wall, his expression similarly dejected.

"Alas... right and wrong reside in the hearts of the people, but it is a pity that emperors are devoid of human sentiment... Heh, perhaps many now consider me, Yan Chang, to be a sycophant..."

By his reckoning, the old beggar should have been beheaded by now.

While Yan Chang did harbor some resentment towards the old beggar, when he considered truly hating him, he realized he was the one who had recommended the old man, inadvertently bringing about his demise...

"Alas..."

Confined in the cell for the entire morning, Yan Chang had lost count of how many times he had sighed.

On the low table by the bed, the candle in the lamp had already burned down to a mere stub. It wasn't even dark yet, but the prison was already shrouded in gloom. He wondered what it would be like at night.

He looked up again, observing the cell's layout. Aside from the ironwood bars at the front, there were no windows at the back or sides, making it impossible to gaze at the stars at night.

Two sword-bearing jailers passed by Yan Chang's cell after completing their patrol of the deeper parts of the prison.

The jailers had a rather strong impression of Yan Chang. Being personally escorted to the imperial prison by imperial guards signified only one possibility: he had been directly condemned by the Emperor during court. In recent years, such cases often involved an admonishing official.

Seeing Yan Chang still lost in thought, the jailer paused and asked a question.

"Sir, were you formerly employed by the Secretariat?"

Yan Chang looked at the two men. As the saying goes, "It's better to provoke a prime minister than a jailer." He understood he now had to curry favor with the imperial prison guards, so he reluctantly mustered his spirits and replied with a bitter smile.

"I am not an official of the Secretariat. I was the Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau."

"The Astronomical Bureau? Oh, you mean the Director of the Imperial Observatory, the one who establishes the calendar?"

One of the jailers pondered for a moment before a realization dawned on him.

Yan Chang was not in the mood to elaborate; he merely nodded.

The other jailer was equally curious.

"This is quite unusual. Our Ministry of Punishment's prison has held countless high-ranking officials over the years, but it's truly the first time someone from the Astronomical Bureau, especially the Director of the Imperial Observatory himself, has been incarcerated here!"

"Hmm, now that you mention it, that does seem to be the case!"

The two jailers found this highly intriguing. Normally, officials from the Imperial Observatory steered clear of court intrigues, so a sense of curiosity and gossip naturally arose within them.

"So, Director of the Imperial Observatory, what offense did you commit, and what sentence did the Emperor impose?"

Since he was idle anyway and had no idea if or for how long he would live, Yan Chang, after a morning of despondency, found himself with a sudden urge to confide as he spoke. He sat up a bit straighter.

"You're aware of the Grand Water-Land Dharma Assembly held in the capital, aren't you?"

"How could we not be? The entire capital has been abuzz with talk of it."

Yan Chang managed a smile that was more like a grimace.

"The Water-Land Dharma Assembly was primarily overseen by officials from my Imperial Astronomical Bureau and the Ministry of Rites. We were tasked with supervising and selecting sorcerers for the Emperor, who would then be granted the title of Celestial Master. My misfortune stems from this very matter..."

Yan Chang slowly recounted the circumstances that led to his arrest. There was nothing he couldn't disclose, as the details were already recorded, albeit briefly, in the imperial prison's registry.

After Yan Chang finished his account, the two jailers exchanged bewildered glances.

"That old beggar is incredibly brazen, daring to speak such words directly to the Emperor and even begging for death..."

"Someone's coming."

Before one jailer could finish speaking, the other looked towards the entrance. Both cupped their hands towards Yan Chang and quickly departed.

Approximately half a 'cup of tea's time' later, an unfamiliar jailer escorted an old eunuch to Yan Chang's cell.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Yan Chang's spirits immediately lifted, though he found himself somewhat at a loss for words.

The jailer unhooked the keyring from his waist, selected a key, unlocked the cell, and pushed open the door, gesturing for him to enter.

"Please, Eunuch!"

Once the old eunuch entered the cell, the jailer relocked the door.

Only then did Yan Chang fully come to his senses. Noticing that the old eunuch was carrying what appeared to be a food box, he quickly descended from the bed and bowed respectfully.

"Eunuch Li, what brings you here?"

The old eunuch placed the food box on the bed and respectfully returned Yan Chang's bow.

"Minister Yan, you haven't had your lunch yet, have you? These dishes were personally bestowed by the Emperor, all prepared by the master chefs of the Imperial Kitchen. Please, Minister, do try them while they're hot."

As he spoke, the old eunuch opened the food box. A rich aroma of food wafted out as he began to remove the various plates of dishes.

Yan Chang stared blankly at the dishes. The food was exquisite, featuring both fish and meat. As plate after plate was laid out, Yan Chang's complexion grew increasingly grim and pale. By the time the old eunuch even produced wine, Yan Chang's face was completely drained of color.

'The Emperor intends to execute me...'

Although Yan Chang rarely interacted with officials from the Ministry of Punishment, he had heard a persistent rumor: when an official who had angered the Emperor, but was not yet convicted, suddenly received an extraordinarily lavish meal, replete with fish and meat, it was almost always their final meal before execution.

"Minister Yan, Minister Yan? You look unwell. Shall I summon an imperial physician?"

"Eunuch Li... Is His Majesty preparing to execute me?"

The old eunuch glanced at the dishes, immediately understood, and shook his head with a wry, exasperated smile.

"Minister Yan, you've misunderstood. This is lunch personally bestowed by the Emperor, who worried you might not be eating well in the imperial prison. There's no hidden meaning. After court was dismissed, officials from both the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and the Ministry of Rites jointly petitioned the Imperial Study on your behalf, Minister Yan..."

Yan Chang found this information somewhat unreal.

'They're being this kind? No, do they dare to do such a thing?'

The old eunuch sighed at this point before continuing to speak.

"Actually, several things transpired after Minister Yan was incarcerated in the imperial prison..."

In a private room on the second floor of the Qingye Tea House in the capital, Ji Yuan, the old beggar, and the young beggar who had later joined them, were seated. On the table inside lay a pot of hot tea and a total of six plates of pastries and preserved fruits.

"Oh, so Old Mr. Lu, you won't be taking on this disciple after all?"

Ji Yuan had just finished hearing about some events from the Nine Heavens Ten Conferences, as well as the cause and effect of the morning's court session.

"I've already died once; anyone who takes me on would be a fool!"

The old beggar mumbled something, his mouth full of two pastries. Beside him, the young beggar, after popping a pastry into his own mouth, poured water for the old man.

"Grandpa Lu, what about Minister Yan?"

"Him? Don't worry, as long as he doesn't act foolishly, he'll be fine. Right now, you should be worrying about your Grandpa Lu here."

The young beggar, whose mouth was still full of pastry, immediately paled in shock upon hearing this. He nervously rushed to the old beggar's side, touching and examining him.

"Ah? Grandpa Lu, are you hurt? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

"No, no... I don't mean that. I'm referring to Master Ji right here in front of us..."

The old beggar chuckled, glancing at Ji Yuan, who remained composed, quietly drinking his tea and listening intently.

"This old beggar, I tested the Emperor of Da Zhen this time, and I suppose I might have inadvertently crossed Master Ji's boundaries. This is far more perilous than facing the executioners in the palace! If I had a choice, this old beggar wouldn't be eager to drink this tea..."

"Oh?"

The young beggar glanced at the perpetually gentle Ji Yuan, then back at the old beggar, noting that Grandpa Lu's expression was uncharacteristically serious.

"Old Mr. Lu's actions are bound to cause some turbulence within the court and public of Da Zhen..."

Ji Yuan set down his teacup, drew a trickle of tea onto the table, then dipped his index finger into it and wrote the character 'Yuan'.

"However, Old Mr. Lu, you have misunderstood. Da Zhen possesses its own inherent destiny. Indeed, malevolent beings and those who cause chaos must be disciplined. But what you did, Master Lu, neither went against your conscience nor defied the Dao. In fact, it could even be considered a form of serendipity for the Emperor. As for me, I have little to say, as long as you believe it was worthwhile."

"Heh... it was indeed not entirely worth it..."