My Wife Is A Sword Immortal
Chapter 749 - 458: Discussion in the Rear Hall, Empress Dowager Bestows a Plaque

Chapter 749: Chapter 458: Discussion in the Rear Hall, Empress Dowager Bestows a Plaque

Weiyang Palace’s inner hall.

In the spacious Great Hall, only four people were present, yet with the doors and windows wide open, it seemed desolate.

Fortunately, the bright lights dispelled the gloom often associated with the deep palaces.

Furthermore, a grand banquet was being held in the main hall of Weiyang Palace, and faint sounds of singing and poetry added a touch of liveliness.

At this moment, the Empress Dowager of Great Li, of the Du Gou family, sat regally behind the bead curtain at the head of the inner hall.

Her face was not clear to see.

There were a few chairs in the hall.

Zhao Rong, Gu Yiwu, and Li Mingyi sat to the left and right below the Empress Dowager Du Gou.

Outside the hall doors, some guards that Zhao Rong was quite familiar with, dressed in crescent moon uniforms, stood silently.

Not far away, on the corridor leading to the front hall, guards were posted every ten steps to keep watch.

Zhao Rong noticed that the inner hall seemed to be protected by an Array laid down using Immortal arts; those outside could not hear any sounds from within.

Yet, they could see the lone Empress Dowager and the others with Zhao Rong inside the hall. Although those outside all looked straight ahead without glancing elsewhere...

At the highest point of the Great Hall, behind the bead curtain, the woman in white spoke:

"Teacher Zhao and Teacher Gu have traveled thousands of miles to get to Hanjing, you must be weary from the journey."

Her voice was dignified and detached, hinting at an accustomed tone of someone who used to be in high power. However, her tone was now as gentle as she could manage, with a hint of concern.

Zhao Rong shook his head, "It was not difficult, just part of our duties. Us scholars at the Academy study to relieve the Academy of its worries; there is no talk of hardship. It’s Empress Dowager who has had it tough."

He smiled, his last sentence bearing a double meaning.

The woman behind the bead curtain seemed to be observing the young Confucian Scholar below carefully. After a quiet moment, she shook her head:

"It’s only a hard life that I have. After the Emperor passed away, he left me and His Majesty the Emperor alone, mother and son, in this world. The great foundation of the Great Li Dynasty was built by him through hard work. How can His Majesty and I dare to take it lightly..."

She sighed softly, seemingly lowering her head to wipe away tears.

Zhao Rong and Gu Yiwu exchanged glances and both bowed, saying ceremoniously, "The deceased has passed, and the living must go on, Empress Dowager, please preserve your mourning."

Meanwhile, Li Mingyi with a serious face shook his head, "The Empress is too sentimental. Although the Emperor has passed, I am still here. The Empress married into our Li Imperial Family; how could I let others bully her? Those traitorous officials who have risen in rebellion, I shall deal with them one by one and exhaust all efforts to alleviate the worries of the Empress and her son, working tirelessly until the end."

Li Mingyi, dressed in a Python Robe, stood with his hands behind his back, his words ringing with conviction.

This caught the attention of Zhao Rong and Gu Yiwu.

The Empress Dowager seemed to smile through her tears, expressing gratefulness repeatedly, "That would be most wonderful, most wonderful. His Majesty and I have had a difficult life, and from now on, we will rely on the Regent Uncle."

"What is the Empress saying? You flatter me too much," Li Mingyi gently shook his head.

Zhao Rong raised an eyebrow, unable to suppress a glance at the regent king of Great Li.

Those words you say are indeed suggestive.

You separated the Empress Dowager and the Li Imperial Family...

So before, the Empress Dowager was an outsider, and now, she could be an outsider or not; you didn’t say clearly, but you, Li Mingyi, are certainly representing the Li Imperial Family, and the little Emperor also bears the Li name, this dynasty belongs to the Li Imperial Family...

Whether those words of Li Mingyi were subconscious or deliberate, Zhao Rong felt that they already revealed a lot of underlying issues.

With that, Zhao Rong watched, almost as if enjoying a show, the scene of a kind sister-in-law and an amiable uncle.

It was intriguing.

Then, the Empress Dowager skillfully changed the topic.

"Speaking of which, if the Late Emperor who was desperate for talents were still here, and could meet scholars like Teacher Zhao and Teacher Gu, he would surely laugh heartily and welcome you warmly."

Gu Yiwu spoke up, "The Empress is too kind. The deeds of the late Emperor of Great Li are well-known even to us scholars up in the mountains. It is a regret for Ziyu and me that we never had the chance to meet him."

The Empress Dowager then lavishly praised Linlu Academy and scholars like Zhao Rong, speaking warmly.

Zhao Rong and Gu Yiwu both replied with polite clichés.

At the same time, they took the initiative to propose that tomorrow they would first visit the palace where the late Emperor’s spirit was housed to offer their respects. The Empress Dowager nodded in agreement.

Before long, with each person in the Great Hall harboring different thoughts, there was a moment of tacit silence until they finally began to discuss pressing matters.

The Empress Dowager inquired, "Teacher Zhao, I hear that the detailed planning and guidance for the upcoming Sealing and Sacrifice Ceremony are all being arranged by you..."

Zhao Rong nodded. "Thanks to the trust of my colleagues, the Ceremony planning is indeed largely led by me. However, the final procedures and details will still need to be discussed in detail with Brother Yiwu and other peers. We’ll make the final decisions together after a proposal is drawn up."

The Empress Dowager and Li Mingyi both nodded, their gaze resting on the young Confucian Scholar before them, recognizing him as the key figure in charge.

Zhao Rong lowered his gaze slightly.

Regarding the upcoming Sealing and Sacrifice Ceremony, the majority of the scholars from Justice Hall were pessimistic, adopting an almost defeatist attitude.

Back in the Academy, under the watchful eye of Teacher Meng, they had taken the stage one by one, driven not only by loyalty to support Zhao Rong and Gu Yiwu but also by a spirit of rebellion against the oppressive traditionalist Teacher Meng.

Now, having been ’punished’ with the task of arranging the Sealing and Sacrifice Ceremony in Great Li, most of them held a grim view of the potential assessment outcomes and grades.

Aside from the challenges of the Ceremony itself, there were concerns about the nitpicking that Teacher Meng might engage in.

This was the reason for Gu Yiwu’s anger when he saw his fellow students spontaneously taking to the stage to cause a commotion.

Nonetheless, both Gu Yiwu and the scholars from Justice Hall did not regret their actions, looking back with a feeling of satisfaction and relief.