Chapter 374 A Peaceful Retreat

Within the Divine Firmament Rushing Spirit Temple.

Zhou Jing sipped his tea, casually chatting with Qin Song, who had come to visit. The atmosphere was relaxed.

"This place of yours, Real Person, is secluded amidst the bustle, a truly excellent place for cultivating oneself," Qin Song said, blowing on his tea leaves with a smile.

"If Prime Minister Qin is interested, you are welcome to visit more often," Zhou Jing replied casually.

He and Qin Song weren't particularly close, but Qin Song's courteous visit and flattering words today were clearly intended to foster a better relationship.

Ever since his return to the capital for an audience with the emperor, Zhou Jing had received a great many rewards, both substantial and symbolic, and gained new bestowed titles, the emperor finding various ways to name him.

Most importantly, he now had the privilege of attending court daily, while Ning Zhongjun had lost this privilege.

The officials in the court were all quick-witted and well-informed, so they naturally understood the implications of this change.

Furthermore, the abilities displayed by True Person Yufeng this time seemed like those of a celestial being descending to earth, inspiring awe in the officials.

And with Chen Feng as an external threat, True Person would likely become an indispensable court enshrinement in the future, so the powerful figures in the capital no longer dared to treat him as just another favored Daoist.

As a result, officials came to visit and curry favor one after another, knowing that True Person Yufeng had rendered meritorious service this time and gained the emperor's favor, so his future was bound to be boundless.

The threshold of the Daoist temple was nearly broken from all the visitors, but Zhou Jing didn't take advantage of his meritorious service to expand his connections everywhere. Instead, he claimed to be recuperating from injuries and declined most visits, only occasionally meeting with some important court officials.

Qin Song was one of them… even as the Right Prime Minister, he couldn't sit still and had come to establish a good relationship.

The rest of the time, Zhou Jing stayed in the Daoist temple, cultivating his spells, training his disciples, and maintaining an appearance of not being arrogant or spoiled by favor.

Now that he was a prominent figure in the capital, every move he made was being watched, and having gained further imperial favor, he felt it best to avoid the limelight.

As for the evidence of Yuding Sect's crimes, Zhou Jing didn't continue to interfere. After reporting to the emperor and handing over the assassins to the Dali Temple, he stopped concerning himself with the matter.

After all, the Yuding Sect still held a certain status in the emperor's mind, so it was unlikely to be completely destroyed. However, to appease his dissatisfaction, the emperor would probably make things difficult for Ning Zhongjun and his group, as a way of showing his attitude.

Just as the two were chatting casually, a disciple knocked on the door and spoke to Zhou Jing in his ear.

Zhou Jing raised his eyebrows and suddenly laughed, "Commander Lu is truly blessed with good fortune, I am greatly gratified."

Then, he turned to Qin Song and said, "Lu Longchuan has returned to the capital after his defeat. Unexpectedly, he came directly to me. I recall that he was able to be recruited by the court thanks to Prime Minister Qin's help. Since we are all acquainted, why not invite him in for a chat? What do you think, Prime Minister Qin?"

Qin Song narrowed his eyes, betraying nothing, and said with a smile, "As the host pleases."

Zhou Jing nodded and said to the disciple, "Go and invite Commander Lu and his companions in."

The disciple obeyed and left.

Before long, a travel-worn Lu Longchuan and his group entered the room.

The group was stunned to see Qin Song also present.

Sun Rong tugged at Lu Longchuan and quickly stepped forward to greet them, "Greetings, Real Person, Prime Minister Qin."

The others hurriedly followed suit.

Zhou Jing accepted their greetings calmly and then smiled, "After our parting at Lake Yang, I thought Commander Lu and Military Advisor Sun had fallen into the hands of the bandits. Now it seems that good fortune attends good people."

Hearing this, Lu Longchuan's face darkened.

Sun Rong quickly took over the conversation, revealing a look of shame. "To be honest with Real Person and Prime Minister Qin, after our defeat that day, we led the routed troops in flight, but we were still captured by the bandits and nearly lost our lives. However, the bandit leader Chen Feng remembered a past favor owed to my elder brother and released us, saying that he would only spare us this once. But the bandits are holding many of our brothers hostage, so we had no choice but to return to the capital to report our duties first."

He didn't hide the fact that they were captured and released by Chen Feng. Although this would be a stain on their record, it couldn't be concealed.

If those old brothers who had joined Chen Feng fought against the court on the battlefield in the future, it would implicate them. Therefore, even if this embarrassing experience would be criticized, they had to make a distinction in advance.

Of course, such long-term considerations were based on the premise that they could save their lives upon returning to the capital, otherwise, it would all be in vain.

"So that's how it is… Alas, it's already not easy that you could escape alive from Chen Feng’s hands."

Zhou Jing's face showed seven parts sympathy and three parts regret. His acting was so natural as if this matter had nothing to do with him.

Qin Song blew on his tea leaves and asked casually, "You were defeated in battle and returned to the capital. Why didn't you go to the樞密院 (Shumi Yuan, Privy Council) to report your duties, but came here instead?"

Hearing this, Sun Rong's back was instantly covered in cold sweat.

Their original backer was Qin Song, and their purpose in coming here was to curry favor with Real Person Yufeng, which had the suspicion of switching allegiances. This was not something to be proud of.

Of course, this matter had to be done without the knowledge of the original patron, but he didn't know that Qin Song was here before, and his heart immediately went cold.

Zhou Jing, however, spoke in a timely manner, smiling, "Hehe, Commander Lu must have been concerned about me, his comrade, so he came to me first to tell me the good news that they were still alive."

"That makes sense."

Qin Song nodded with a smile on his face, but no one knew what he was really thinking.

He put down his teacup, slowly stood up, and said to Zhou Jing, "I still have official duties to attend to. I will visit Real Person again next time."

"Prime Minister Qin, please take care on your way."

Zhou Jing also gave him face and stood up to see him off. Sun Rong and his group also hurriedly accompanied them.

After seeing off Qin Song, Zhou Jing and the group returned to the room.

Without outsiders, he directly opened the skylight and spoke frankly, gathering his smile, and asked lightly, "Commander Lu, you were defeated in battle, this crime is inescapable, and you will inevitably be questioned by the emperor. If it weren't for your lax discipline, and your soldiers being bought off, I wouldn't have been poisoned, and this battle might not have been lost… You returned to the capital without reporting your duties, but came here instead. Do you have a request for me?"

Sun Rong quickly pulled Lu Longchuan to perform a great bow, his tone was excited and sincere. He no longer worried about Qin Song's thoughts, and said, "We dare not hide it from Real Person. Right now, only Real Person can save our lives. We hope that Real Person will look upon our camaraderie and save our lives."

They didn't report their duties immediately because they wanted to secretly find a way to meet the emperor directly through Real Person Yufeng's influence, bypassing the Shumi Yuan (Privy Council). Only by convincing the emperor could they be given a lighter sentence.

Otherwise, if they were dealt with officially, given their status as recruits, they would likely be controlled directly, with no room for maneuver, and their ending would be ten deaths without life. That's why they couldn't care about anything else after returning to the capital and risked coming to find Real Person directly.

Zhou Jing frowned and deliberately said, "I am only a 少监 (Shaojian, Vice Director) of the 司天监 (Sitianjian, Directorate of Astrology), and I am not qualified to interfere in military and political affairs. How can I save you?"

"Real Person's abilities are heavenly, his status is transcendent, and he is deeply trusted by His Majesty. We cannot escape the responsibility for this defeat. We dare not trouble Real Person too much, we only seek a glimmer of hope, we want to personally see His Majesty and explain the merits and demerits of this battle. Please say a few good words for us…"

Sun Rong repeatedly bowed, his face pleading.

Zhou Jing remained expressionless and slowly said, "Commander Lu, Military Advisor Sun, although we have the reality of camaraderie, I am not a military man. I have tried my best in this battle. The defeat is not my responsibility, but rather your incompetence in commanding the troops. Why should I exonerate you?"

Sun Rong gritted his teeth and directly knelt down to express his position.

"As long as Real Person saves our lives, we are willing to join Real Person's sect, no matter what Real Person orders, we will never refuse!"

Lu Longchuan was muddleheaded and knelt down with him. The others hurriedly followed suit.

They could even kneel to the emperor, so now kneeling to a transcendent expert who could save their lives and possessed great abilities was naturally without any hesitation or hesitation.

Zhou Jing's eyes flashed, he deliberately pondered for a while, and then slowly said, "Since you are so sincere, fine, I will help you with a favor, but your merits and demerits are still up to His Majesty to decide. If His Majesty wants to sentence you to death, I can't help you either."

"Thank you, Real Person, for the grace of saving our lives!"

Sun Rong and others were overjoyed and hurriedly kowtowed in salute.

Although their fate was still in the hands of the emperor, they at least had a glimmer of hope now.

Zhou Jing looked at the group performing the great salute, his eyes subtle.

Unexpectedly, these guys finally turned to "himself".

Seeing their grateful appearance, they were still in the dark, mistaking a thief for their father.

It was useless to take these people in for a while, but Zhou Jing wasn't sure if it would be useful in the future. Anyway, it was just a matter of convenience, so he decided to plant a spare piece.

…

With Zhou Jing's notification, Lu Longchuan and his group were able to enter the palace to meet the emperor.

The emperor flew into a rage, scolding Lu Longchuan for his incompetence in person. Lu Longchuan and the others did not dare to retort, and repeatedly pleaded guilty, deeply reflecting, and truthfully told the emperor the causes and consequences of the battle.

Lu Longchuan blamed the defeat on the mole, among whom he hated Xiang Tianjie the most, saying that this person was secretly colluding with the enemy and alienating the internal forces, and they were unable to turn the tide, which led to the great defeat.

There were already signs of internal sabotage in this battle, and now that Lu Longchuan put all the blame on Xiang Tianjie, no one would suspect anyone else.

Because Zhou Jing said a few good words by the side, the emperor finally decided to keep Lu Longchuan and his group to atone for their crimes.

Of course, they could avoid the death penalty but not the living penalty. It was certain that they would be demoted. They shouldn't even think about the 鎮撫使 (Zhenfushi, Pacification Commissioner) and 節度使 (Jiedushi, Military Governor) that were promised during the recruitment.

Lu Longchuan and others did not dare to ask for more and thanked the emperor one after another.

Although they had spent all their family wealth for the court, they felt lucky as long as they could save their lives, and they would never dare to resent the court for killing the donkey after it had served its purpose.

During the court session the next day, the emperor summoned Lu Longchuan and his group into the palace, scolded them severely, and then announced the results of the disposal, without executing Lu Longchuan and his group.

The civil and military officials were well-informed and knew that Lu Longchuan had gone to see Real Person Yufeng yesterday. They understood that Real Person Yufeng must have exerted some influence to allow Lu Longchuan and his group to receive a lenient punishment.

The officials couldn't help but raise Real Person Yufeng's status in the emperor's mind once again, and became more and more awe-inspiring towards Real Person Yufeng on the side.

Now, it was clear that the Yuding Sect was losing power, and this Real Person Yufeng, as a colleague, would definitely be able to rise further.

Qin Song did not interfere. Although he was very dissatisfied that this group of people had taken the initiative to switch allegiances, he didn't want to have a grudge against Real Person Yufeng because of this, so he sat idly by.

Anyway, as far as he was concerned, Lu Longchuan had lost more than 100,000 soldiers and had no more value, becoming a useless discarded piece… If they could make use of waste and let them serve as a medium to deepen his friendship with Real Person Yufeng, that would be good too.

In the following days, Zhou Jing didn't care about the changes in the court anymore. He went to court every day to space out and then went home to "recuperate in seclusion", living quite regularly.

The problem of the Yuding Sect was still fermenting naturally, and he hadn't transmigrated to Chen Feng yet. It wasn't time for demolition yet, and Lu Longchuan and his group had saved their lives, and there were still many follow-up matters about this battle to report, so he didn't need to do anything for the time being.

The court was not idle, and was gathering troops on a large scale, preparing to formally send troops to conquer Chen Feng of Lake Yang.

Some time passed like this.

On this day, Zhou Jing was testing his disciples' martial arts in the temple when a receptionist boy ran over in a hurry.

"There are three people outside, claiming to be Ma Zhen, Huang Ping, and Yuwen Yan, who want to see Shizun (Master)."

Zhou Jing raised his eyebrows.

These three people seemed to be the appointed commanders of the court's expedition this time.

They came to find me this time, probably like Lu Longchuan last time, to ask him to come out of the mountain to help, right?

"Then let's see them."

The corner of Zhou Jing's mouth curled up, and he smiled secretly in his heart.

The next sucker has appeared.