Chapter 577: Great Dazhen National Teacher

“By the way, how are my three disciples doing?”

The imperial physician smiled. As the saying goes, “a teacher for a day is a father for life,” and the Celestial Master truly cared about his disciples.

“Please don’t worry, Celestial Master Du,” the physician reassured him. “Your three disciples are merely weak; there’s nothing seriously wrong with them. They’ve already woken up, but they’re still a bit frail and need plenty of rest. They’ll surely come to see you as usual once they get out of bed.”

As the imperial physician was speaking, he saw Du Changsheng had already thrown off the covers and gotten out of bed. The physician was startled, terrified. This man had just been hovering near death; how could he be making such vigorous movements?

“Oh, Celestial Master Du, what are you doing? Please don’t get up! Celestial Master, you’re still weak; allow this old man to examine you!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Du Changsheng replied. “I know my own body; I’m not that frail.”

Du Changsheng began putting on his outer robes and even tidied his topknot. The imperial physician watched him, growing anxious.

“Celestial Master, at least let me take your pulse!”

“Of course. I’ll let the physician take my pulse once I’m done getting ready.”

Only after Du Changsheng had completely tidied himself up did the anxious imperial physician finally get a chance to take his pulse. Although Du Changsheng’s movements seemed quite agile, his complexion didn’t look particularly healthy. However, the results after taking his pulse were surprisingly good: his pulse was not only steady but also strong.

“Celestial Master Du truly lives up to his reputation as one who seeks immortality and the Dao,” the physician exclaimed. “His body, one moment hovering in the underworld, the next able to recover so…”

The imperial physician’s words trailed off as he froze. Du Changsheng merely waved his hand, and a mist of water appeared before him, transforming into shimmering ripples that reflected his figure like a mirror. After seeing that his attire was proper, Du Changsheng waved his hand again to dispel the water ripples. Then, he cupped his hands and bowed to the astonished physician beside him, saying:

“Physician, I have an urgent matter I must attend to outside. Please look after my disciples for me.”

With that, Du Changsheng dropped the pleasantries, took a few quick steps out the door, and was gone. By the time the imperial physician realized what happened and rushed out, Du Changsheng was nowhere to be seen. This left the physician standing rooted to the spot for a long time before he finally remembered that he should inform the Yin family’s servants to report to Minister Yin.

Du Changsheng’s hurried departure was not to check on his disciples. Although he had just inquired about them with the imperial physician, he knew perfectly well that his three disciples would be fine. They had fainted before him, and he understood their condition better than anyone. At that moment, Du Changsheng was rushing off because he wanted to see Ji Yuan.

The Yin Residence was not small, but Du Changsheng naturally knew where Ji Yuan lived. Along the way, he encountered several Yin family servants, whose attitudes towards him ranged from astonishment to reverence. No one dared to stop him as he made his way directly to the courtyard outside Ji Yuan’s dwelling.

Through the arched gate, Du Changsheng saw that the courtyard was quiet. It seemed Ji Yuan had not yet woken up, so he stood outside the courtyard to wait. He waited for a good half-hour, but instead of Ji Yuan waking, he received a summons from Emperor Hongwu.

Du Changsheng was still standing at the courtyard entrance when A-Yuan, the elderly servant of the Yin Residence, found him.

“Celestial Master Du! Celestial Master Du!”

A-Yuan shuffled over in small steps, bowed to Du Changsheng, who returned a slight bow.

“Celestial Master, are you waiting for Mister Ji to wake up?”

Du Changsheng just quirked his lips, saying nothing. *Isn’t that obvious? What else would I be doing standing here?* he thought to himself.

“Uh, Celestial Master Du, someone from the palace has arrived with a message,” A-Yuan stammered. “The eunuch delivering the message said that if you are well, you should enter the palace to have an audience with His Majesty. The messenger is still waiting in the outer hall.”

Du Changsheng glanced into Ji Yuan’s courtyard, hesitated for a long moment, then sighed and cupped his hands in a bow to A-Yuan once more.

“Please trouble this elderly butler of the Prime Minister’s residence,” Du Changsheng said, “if Mister Ji awakens, tell him that I, Du, waited for a while longer but was compelled by the imperial decree to go to the palace first.”

“Certainly, certainly, Celestial Master Du, please come this way.”

After returning the bow, A-Yuan led Du Changsheng to the outer hall. Carriages and horses were already prepared outside the Yin Residence, indicating that the Emperor was indeed very eager to see Du Changsheng immediately.

Less than half an hour later, inside the Imperial Study of the palace, only Emperor Hongwu Yang Hao, his personal eunuch, Du Changsheng, and Yan Chang from the Bureau of Astronomy were present. Du Changsheng had already said much of what needed to be said in the past fifteen minutes.

Yang Hao looked at Du Changsheng with a serious expression.

“Celestial Master Du, do you mean that the life-extending technique that alters fate can truly only be used once in your lifetime?”

Du Changsheng had anticipated this exact question, and Mister Ji had also reminded him earlier, so he already had a prepared response. He replied calmly:

“To be frank, Your Majesty, as your humble servant previously stated, this technique does not rely on my own magical power. Being able to use it this time was only possible after I lingered at the gates of the underworld. If I possessed such power myself, I would have ascended to immortality long ago and roamed freely in the world.”

As he spoke, Du Changsheng added:

“Furthermore, this technique has extreme limitations. The Great Zhen Dynasty is destined for eternal reign, and thus, Prime Minister Yin was not meant to die prematurely. My use of this technique merely resolved a crisis, it did not extend his lifespan. For ordinary people who are healthy and would naturally live a full life, this method would not have much effect. Moreover, if it were someone else, the Immortal Venerable might not have been willing to lend me his power.”

It was Du Changsheng’s usual tactic: emphasizing difficulties while also offering a few compliments, a trick that never failed. As expected, when Emperor Hongwu heard this, his expression, while not entirely pleased, at least softened considerably. He then seized on another key point in Celestial Master Du’s words.

“Celestial Master Du, you’ve mentioned ‘Immortal Venerable’ several times. Who is this exalted immortal you speak of? Could you perhaps invite him so that I may meet him? I know immortals are proud and aloof; I would grant him permission to see the monarch without bowing, and he need not worry about any verbal offense.”

“Uh…”

Du Changsheng paused for a moment, then replied with sincere words tinged with a hint of bitterness.

“Your Majesty, to be honest, your humble servant also desperately wishes to see the Immortal Venerable again. However, such an exalted figure is simply nowhere to be found…”

After a brief silence in the Imperial Study, Yang Hao seemed to accept the reality, sighing and shaking his head with a smile.

“Indeed, some things simply cannot be forced.”

In this regard, Yang Hao was much stronger than his father, Emperor Yuande. He would inquire if there was hope, but he wouldn’t go to great lengths specifically to seek immortality. Having lived through his father’s relatively obsessive years, he naturally held a resistance to such pursuits.

Moreover, after the recent events, Yang Hao’s perception of Celestial Master Du had changed; he genuinely respected him now.

“By the way, the imperial physician said Prime Minister Yin is out of danger,” Yang Hao continued. “Celestial Master Du, your contribution is immense. I once promised you the position of National Preceptor. Now that your task is complete, I will naturally not go back on my word. Your official rank, your residence—nothing will be lacking…”

After such a long period of tension in the Imperial Study, Du Changsheng finally heard the most pleasant words of the day. Even if he wasn’t entirely clear about the actual status of a National Preceptor, it certainly sounded good.

Emperor Hongwu, lauded as an enlightened ruler, was naturally a diligent emperor with highly efficient administrative skills. He would never delay or equivocate when granting Du Changsheng the position of National Preceptor. The third day happened to be the Grand Court Assembly, when most officials in the capital had to attend morning court. Du Changsheng, who usually had no connection to court assemblies, received a special visit from a eunuch the following afternoon, after returning to the Bureau of Astronomy, informing him to attend morning court the next day.

This made Du Changsheng quite excited. He knew that Emperor Hongwu was likely going to publicly confer upon him the title of National Preceptor. He had initially thought it would just be an imperial decree, a private ceremony in his small courtyard. He never expected to make an appearance at the Grand Court Assembly. Such a position, even if it carried no real power, would undoubtedly greatly satisfy Du Changsheng’s vanity and earn him the respect of the entire court.

For the Grand Court Assembly, nearly all officials had woken up and dressed while it was still dark, making their way to the imperial palace one after another. Du Changsheng was no exception. Having barely rested all night, he accompanied Yan Chang to the palace, his heart slightly pounding with excitement. They followed the proper protocols for queuing and waiting, entering the hall before the fifth watch.

Du Changsheng’s gaze swept across the Golden Hall, and a strange emotion welled up in his heart. This was his second time setting foot in the Golden Hall. The first had been during Emperor Yuande’s reign, where he had personally witnessed what he considered the most absurd scene in his many years of cultivation: Emperor Yuande ordering the public beheading of an expert who appeared to be a beggar. Now, on his second visit, he had a different feeling entirely.

Many civil and military officials attended the Grand Court Assembly. Du Changsheng simply followed Yan Chang closely, and the two did not converse much. They stood quietly, distinguishing themselves among the many whispering officials.

“His Majesty arrives!”

As the eunuch announced in a loud voice, the entire Golden Hall fell silent. Emperor Hongwu walked slowly, sat on his dragon throne, and surveyed his assembled officials. His gaze first swept over Xiao Du, then turned to Yin Qing, and finally landed on the calmly standing Yan Chang and the equally composed Du Changsheng on the periphery.

Yang Hao withdrew his gaze and gave a slight nod to Li Jingchun, who was standing to one side. After nodding in return, Li Jingchun took a deep breath and announced loudly to the hall:

“Since our venerable Ancestor founded this dynasty, this court has revered filial piety, upheld strict laws, valued virtue and propriety, and excelled at utilizing individuals of extraordinary ability to solidify the foundation of our empire and bolster the power of our state. Now, Du Changsheng, a practitioner from Dongli, possesses abundant wisdom and virtue, a profound mastery of the Dao, and has even performed the technique of altering fate…”

The old eunuch read the lengthy imperial decree of appointment fluidly, without even needing to pause for breath.

“…Therefore, recognizing this, a special position of National Preceptor of Great Zhen is hereby established. Du Changsheng is appointed as the first National Preceptor of our dynasty, holding the rank of Official Fifth Grade, with an exclusive office, granted a residence, and one hundred taels of gold. By imperial decree!”

“Your subject thanks Your Majesty!”

Du Changsheng bowed respectfully before the throne. As he raised his head, beyond his excitement, he had a unique, almost ethereal sensation: it was as if his spiritual vision and perception had sharpened. The aura and colors around him became clearer. Subconsciously, he scanned the hall and surprisingly found that a considerable number of officials emanated dark energy, even bloody light, especially the elderly official at the very front of the opposite row.

Du Changsheng’s gaze lingered for a moment, which naturally drew Xiao Du’s attention, as all the civil and military officials were currently watching the National Preceptor.

“National Preceptor, there is no need for excessive ceremony,” Yang Hao said. “You need not concern yourself too much with court affairs. Simply continue your cultivation diligently and provide assistance at crucial moments.”

Yang Hao’s words clearly stated his intention: the position of National Preceptor was bestowed upon him, but he held no power to interfere in state affairs, nor was he expected to.

“Your subject obeys the imperial decree!”

“Hahaha, excellent.”

Yang Hao seemed to be in a good mood. At his unspoken command, the eunuch beside him continued speaking, effectively commencing the actual Grand Court Assembly.

“Those with a petition may present it!”