He simply held it, as though drawing some measure of resolve from the warmth of the teacup.
Hu Juzheng’s gaze remained fixed on Gu Chengyin, and the scrutiny in his eyes grew increasingly intense.
Shangguan Yuan lowered his head and leisurely smoothed the creases in his sleeve.
Gu Chengyin did not rush to speak.
He lifted the cup of tea he had poured for himself and took another sip.
The tea had already cooled slightly. The lingering sweetness of the pre-Qingming Longjing slowly spread across his tongue, clear and refreshing, with the faintest trace of sweetness.
He set the cup back on the table and lightly tapped a finger against its rim.
The crisp sound rang out.
“Three Grand Secretaries, there is one more matter I came here to discuss today.”
The three men’s gazes returned to Gu Chengyin.
“You’ve all seen the imperial edict granting the marriage arranged by His Majesty, I presume.”
Cui Shifan’s hand continued stirring his tea, but his eyes narrowed slightly.
The imperial marriage edict had been drafted personally by Emperor Luo. Its wording was exceedingly precise, every character repeatedly considered and revised.
The Grand Secretariat had naturally seen it.
Not only had they seen it, they had pored over the edict again and again, trying to discern His Majesty’s true intentions.
Why had Gu Chengyin brought it up of his own accord?
“The edict states that Lin Qingyan of the Celestial Masters’ Residence, Jingzhe, is to be wed to Gu Chengyin, Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince.”
Gu Chengyin repeated the contents of the edict at an unhurried pace.
“Lin Qingyan is His Highness’s maternal aunt. The three of you should know that as well.”
Of course they knew.
Jingzhe of the Celestial Masters’ Residence was an existence above and beyond the secular world.
Lin Qingyan’s identity was not limited to that of Jingzhe of the Celestial Masters’ Residence. She was also Luo Zhao’s maternal aunt—and Emperor Luo’s sister-in-law.
Emperor Luo had arranged for the Jingzhe of the Celestial Masters’ Residence to marry the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince. The three Grand Secretaries had long since analyzed the profound implications behind it countless times.
“Then here is the problem.”
Gu Chengyin’s gaze swept over the three men’s faces one by one. The smile at the corner of his lips remained calm and composed.
“I am clearly betrothed to His Highness, yet I have ended up marrying His Highness’s maternal aunt.”
“By every consideration of propriety and reason, this is somewhat difficult to justify. So, to prevent any damage to His Highness’s reputation…”
“I have decided to join the Celestial Masters’ Residence. I’ll be doing so this afternoon.”
Cui Shifan’s hand finally stopped moving. This time, it came to a complete halt.
The lid struck the edge of the teacup with a soft clink. In the quiet council chamber, however, the sound was as clear as someone striking a chime.
Shangguan Yuan’s brows lowered as far as they could, nearly concealing his eyes.
The smile at the corners of Hu Juzheng’s lips vanished completely, replaced by a frozen seriousness.
Join the Celestial Masters’ Residence.
Gu Chengyin, Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, was going to join the Celestial Masters’ Residence.
What did that mean?
It meant that he would cease to be a purely courtly official and become someone with a dual identity spanning both the imperial court and the Celestial Masters’ Residence.
It meant that while the imperial marriage edict had bound him, His Majesty had inadvertently given him a springboard with which to leap beyond the constraints of the court.
It meant that from now on, he would be not only the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, but also a member of the Celestial Masters’ Residence.
“Of course, the formalities are rather troublesome,” Gu Chengyin added, as though mentioning an insignificant detail.
“Official membership requires an oath, so I’ll need to make some preparations.”
“Once it’s done, I’ll invite the three of you to tea.”
Though Gu Chengyin spoke lightly, the three Grand Secretaries all knew what the oath to join the Celestial Masters’ Residence entailed.
It was not merely a formality in the worldly sense, nor a ceremony completed by reciting a few conventional phrases.
The four lines of the oath had to be carved into one’s Dao Heart.
Every word became a covenant with the Dao Heart and a testimony before Heaven and Earth.
To violate the oath was to suffer the backlash of one’s Dao Heart shattering.
It was a true restraint, a shackle a hundred times heavier than any ordinary contract.
At that moment, none of the three Grand Secretaries could quite determine what Gu Chengyin was trying to do.
Even Shangguan Yuan fell into deep thought.
His relationship with Gu Chengyin was a partnership on the imperial stage—both secretive and steadfast.
Their cooperation had never required words.
A glance, a gesture, or even the briefest exchange of looks was enough for one to understand the other.
But this time, Shangguan Yuan was utterly baffled.
He had not understood what Gu Chengyin hoped to accomplish by joining the Celestial Masters’ Residence.
That meant he did not know whether this move was offensive or defensive, whether it was advancing or retreating, whom it was meant to oppose or whom it was meant to win over.
Without knowing any of that, Shangguan Yuan had no idea what stance he should take in order to coordinate with him.
Naturally, he had no idea how to provide cover, either.
And there was also something strange about his recommendation of Xiao Yuliang.
What kind of person was Xiao Yuliang?
A remnant of the Xiao clan.
And who had personally brought down and crushed the Xiao clan?
Gu Chengyin.
Gu Chengyin was the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, a central figure in the Crown Prince’s faction.
For him to recommend Xiao Yuliang as Minister of Rites—wasn’t that tantamount to aiding the enemy?
The Minister of Rites was one of the Six Ministries, a true pillar of the imperial court.
Handing that position to Xiao Yuliang was equivalent to personally bringing the Xiao clan back to the center of power.
Therefore, even if Gu Chengyin wanted to make a recommendation, he should have recommended someone from the Crown Prince’s faction, shouldn’t he?
The Ministry of Personnel was still in Luo Zhao’s hands.
It controlled the selection and assessment of officials throughout the realm and wielded the greatest authority among the Six Ministries.
If handled properly, within a month, every position in the Ministry of Rites could be replaced with someone from the Crown Prince’s faction.
From the minister to the vice ministers, from the directors to the deputy directors—replacing them level by level and infiltrating the ministry layer by layer.
Before long, the Ministry of Rites would become yet another unshakable stronghold of the Crown Prince’s faction.
Wouldn’t that have been the best choice?
Why recommend Xiao Yuliang of all people?
Shangguan Yuan could not make sense of it. But the more closely he examined the matter, the more he felt that this move concealed something profound.
He simply had not seen it yet.
Still, Shangguan Yuan had a faint feeling.
Gu Chengyin’s true purpose in coming to the Grand Secretariat today was neither to recommend Xiao Yuliang nor to announce his intention to join the Celestial Masters’ Residence.
Those two matters were merely outward appearances meant to conceal his real objective—the smoke he had deliberately released for others to see.
His true purpose was still hidden beneath those two matters, concealed within the calm smile on his face.
Though the three Grand Secretaries were each lost in thought, Gu Chengyin had no intention of waiting patiently.
He still had plenty to do. He had to return to the Celestial Masters’ Residence that afternoon.
If Lin Qingyan and Shangguan Yunying happened to throw a fit and refuse to get out of bed, he might even have to coax them up.
He had neither the time to sit here nor the patience to wait for the three Grand Secretaries to sort out their thoughts.
Gu Chengyin shifted his gaze to Cui Shifan and spoke.
“Grand Secretary Cui.”
At the sound of Gu Chengyin’s voice, Cui Shifan looked up.
His gaze moved away from the teacup and met Gu Chengyin’s in midair.
Morning light streamed through the window lattice, drawing a boundary of light and shadow between the two men.
Gu Chengyin stood in the light, the radiance falling across the robes of the Celestial Masters’ Residence.
Cui Shifan stood in the shadows, his face hidden in the darkness against the light.
Then Cui Shifan heard a piece of news that caught him completely off guard.
“His Highness wants Cui Zilu to serve as the new Chief Female Official.”
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
