Chapter 7: How Could the National Teacher Like a Girl? (Reset)

The night was deep in the Imperial Study.
“Hahaha!”
Reading the secret report personally delivered by Yin Xuan, Liu Jun could no longer contain his joy, bursting into unrestrained laughter.
He read the report over and over, each word fueling his elation.
When he finally calmed down, Yin Xuan, with excitement tinged with lingering fear, spoke slowly:
“Your Majesty, the spies lurking in the palace have been apprehended and await your judgment.”
“Hm.”

Liu Jun let out a heavy sigh of relief. Half the weight in his heart had lifted; the other half depended on the imperial guards.
“Execute all those spies publicly. Let those self-righteous sects see that the Great Han royal family is not to be trifled with.”
Yin Xuan bowed and departed.
The three dukes, seeing Yin Xuan leave, exchanged subtle glances. Grand Tutor Li Shichang spoke first:
“Your Majesty, those seven scoundrels disturbed the National Teacher in the dead of night. This may incur her displeasure. Should we make preparations?”

With the Grand Tutor leading, the Grand Mentor and Grand Guardian followed suit.
“Indeed, Your Majesty’s foresight used the sects’ spies to eliminate those seven elders through the National Teacher’s hand, resolving a great threat. But the National Teacher is no ordinary figure—such petty schemes surely won’t escape her notice.”
“In my humble opinion, why not build a temple to honor the National Teacher, so that future generations of the Great Han can praise her?”
The proposal was quickly endorsed by the other two.

Liu Jun considered it but ultimately rejected the idea.
“My dear ministers, you may not understand the National Teacher well. She holds the world in her heart, prefers tranquility, and dislikes disturbances. The founding emperor once proposed a temple, but she personally declined.”
This left the three dukes at a loss. In their view, entering the imperial ancestral temple after death was the highest honor, but it clearly didn’t apply to the National Teacher.
Liu Jun didn’t let them dwell on it, his tone light:
“As for the National Teacher, I have my own plans. It’s late, my dear ministers. Retire and rest.”
The three dukes thanked him and withdrew.

In high spirits, Liu Jun visited the empress’s chambers. Dismissing the maids, his gaze softened as it lingered on the mother and daughter by the bedside.
“Your Majesty…”
Seeing the emperor, Xiao Tingbai began to rise for a formal greeting, but Liu Jun gently raised a hand, speaking softly:
“No need, Tingbai. Between us, such formalities are unnecessary. I’m here to see our princess.”
At the mention of her daughter, pride warmed Xiao Tingbai’s expression as she gazed tenderly at the sleeping infant in her arms:
“Yan’er sleeps so soundly. When she’s awake during the day, she can already make simple sounds. It won’t be long before our Yan’er starts speaking.”

Liu Jun smiled:
“Wonderful! Our Yan’er is far ahead of those five rascals when they were in swaddling clothes. And to gain the National Teacher’s favor—Tingbai, this is all thanks to you!”
Xiao Tingbai gracefully accepted the praise, but her thoughts turned to the empire’s internal and external troubles, her brows furrowing:
“Your Majesty, though the Qi Introduction Record gifted by the National Teacher keeps the Jingwu Sect at bay, this is not an isolated case. With spiritual energy reviving, the cultivation sects will only grow stronger. By the time Yan’er grows up, the situation may become even graver.”

Liu Jun nodded solemnly, stepping to the bedside and sitting gently beside Xiao Tingbai, his gaze fixed on the infant:
“You’re right. I chose the reign name Dingwu to stabilize the empire and quell external threats, ensuring peace and prosperity. But now, those sects watch us like tigers, and our court lacks a single formidable cultivator!”
After a brief pause to steady his emotions, Liu Jun shared his true thoughts:
“Fortunately, we have the National Teacher. I plan to send Yan’er to her residence when she turns three, even if only as a servant—that would still be Yan’er’s blessing.”

Xiao Tingbai was startled. Since the National Teacher’s residence was established, there had never been talk of servants. The National Teacher had explicitly stated she wanted no one else there, and the founding emperor had issued a decree to the royal family and the world:
Without the National Teacher’s permission, no one may step foot in her residence, or face severe punishment.
After a moment’s thought, Xiao Tingbai understood Liu Jun’s intent, her gaze hesitant:
“Your Majesty, will the National Teacher… agree?”
“We have to try.”

Recalling the National Teacher’s faintly astonished look at Yan’er that day, Liu Jun felt confident:
“I think there’s a good chance this will work!”
Hearing her husband’s certainty, Xiao Tingbai’s unease settled. Gazing at Yan’er in her swaddling, her thoughts were drawn back to her daughter.
Liu Jun watched the mother and daughter with a warm smile, but as his eyes fell on the sixth princess, his expression grew serious.

The sects’ threat loomed constant. His five sons, though cultivators, were weak, lacking a powerful backer.
For mortals, the royal family was a pillar.
But against cultivators, the royal family was powerless.
He dared not gamble on the National Teacher’s intentions. The founding emperor’s maxim tied the empire’s fate to her.
What if she grew disappointed in the Great Han royal family?
But Yan’er, favored by the unfathomably powerful National Teacher, might even become her disciple if truly cherished…

Lost in thought, Liu Jun blurted out:
“Tingbai, what do you think of making Yan’er the empress?”
Xiao Tingbai’s face paled. Realizing his blunder, Liu Jun quickly backtracked:
“Never mind, I was muddled. Pretend you didn’t hear that.”
He laughed self-deprecatingly, caught in his habitual thinking. He’d even considered marrying Yan’er to the National Teacher to secure her long-term support.
But the National Teacher was a woman—how could she possibly have romantic feelings for Yan’er, another woman?
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
“Forget it, forget it. Time to sleep!”

Liu Jun waved dismissively. Xiao Tingbai hurriedly attended to her husband, wary of him saying anything more outrageous.

…
Another sect alliance meeting concluded. Chen Yangyan’s words had some effect, but restoring the previous unity was now a pipe dream.
Even if Chen Yangyan tried to suppress the news, no wall is airtight. With so few elders in each sect, one missing was conspicuous.
Thus, the alliance learned that seven Golden Core elders from seven sects had died in the National Teacher’s residence in a single night, the cause of death unknown, the killer… naturally unknown.

Soon after, the sects received word that their spies in the Great Han capital, Anyang, had been publicly executed.
Almost simultaneously, they withdrew or distanced their spies from Anyang City.
Moreover, the sects sent elite disciples to scout regions where the rare treasure might appear. After repeated verification, they concluded the treasure’s emergence was still distant, likely not until the third year of Dingwu.
This conclusion, validated by multiple sects, forced Chen Yangyan to compromise under internal pressure, reducing the strain on the Great Han royal family.

The second year of Dingwu was relatively peaceful.
In the third year of Dingwu, signs of the rare treasure’s emergence began to show, stirring the sect alliance into action, and conflicts arose once more.