The rear hall of Weiyang Palace.

There were only four people in the spacious hall, but the doors and windows were wide open, making it look deserted.

Fortunately, the lights were bright and there was not the gloomy atmosphere of a cold and lonely palace.

Moreover, a grand banquet was being held in the main hall in front of the Weiyang Palace. The sounds of singing, dancing and poetry drifted over from the air, adding a touch of worldly air.

At this time, the Empress Dowager Dugu of Dali was sitting behind the pearl curtain at the first seat in the back hall.

Can't see the face clearly.

There are several chairs in the hall.

Zhao Rong, Gu Yiwu and Li Mingyi sat on the left and right of Empress Dowager Dugu respectively.

Outside the palace gate, some crescent-shaped women whose decorations Zhao Rong was quite familiar with stood guard quietly.

Not far away, on the corridor connecting to the front hall, there were guards standing guard every ten steps.

Zhao Rong discovered that the back hall seemed to have been set up with a magic circle by some immortal means, and those people outside the hall could not hear the words inside.

However, they could see the situation of Queen Mother Gu Du and Zhao Rong and his group in the back hall, although the people outside the hall did not look away...

At the highest point of the hall, the woman in white behind the beaded curtain spoke:

"Mr. Zhao and Mr. Gu have come all the way to Hanjing. Thank you for your hard work."

Although her voice was dignified and cold, with the intonation of someone who had been in a superior position for a long time, her tone at this moment was also as gentle as possible, with some concern.

Zhao Rong shook his head. "It's not hard, it's just my job. We are studying in the academy, and we should also help the academy. How can it be hard? It's the Queen Mother who has worked hard."

He smiled, his last sentence making a double entendre.

The woman in white behind the pearl curtain seemed to be looking carefully at the young scholar below. She was silent for a moment and shook her head:

"It's just a hard fate. When the late emperor passed away, I and Your Majesty were left alone with an orphan and a widow. The huge empire of the Dali Dynasty was built by the late emperor with great effort. How dare I and Your Majesty take it lightly..."

She sighed softly and seemed to be wiping away tears.

Zhao Rong and Gu Yiwu looked at each other, and bowed together, saying, "The dead are gone, and the living are like this. Queen Mother, please accept my condolences."

On the side, Li Mingyi shook his head with a serious expression, "The emperor's sister-in-law is too sentimental. Although my brother has passed away, I am still here. How can my sister-in-law marry into my Li royal family and let outsiders bully her? I will definitely deal with those traitors who took the opportunity to rebel one by one, and do my best to relieve the worries of the emperor's sister-in-law and nephew, and I will do my best until my death."

Li Mingyi was dressed in a dragon robe, standing with his hands behind his back, and spoke in a sonorous and powerful voice.

This caused Zhao Rong and Gu Yiwu to look at him sideways.

Dugu seemed to burst into laughter, and was relieved again and again, "That's great, that's great, your majesty and I have suffered a lot, and we will rely on the emperor's uncle from now on."

"What are you saying, sister-in-law? You are embarrassing me." Li Mingyi shook his head slightly.

Zhao Rong, who was listening in, raised his eyebrows and couldn't help but glance at the Regent of Dali.

What you said is really thought-provoking.

I picked out the Dugu clan and the Li clan separately and said...

So the Dugu clan was an outsider before, and as for now, they may or may not be outsiders, I won’t say it clearly, but you, Li Mingyi, definitely represent the Li royal family, and the little emperor also has the surname Li, so this dynasty also belongs to the Li royal family...

Although he didn't know whether Li Mingyi's words were subconscious or intentional, Zhao Rong felt that this could explain a lot of problems.

In this way, Zhao Rong watched the scene of the sister-in-law being kind and the uncle being harmonious for a while, as if he was watching a good show.

Just find it interesting.

Afterwards, Empress Dowager Dugu cleverly changed the subject.

"Speaking of which, if the late emperor, who was always eager to seek talents, were still alive, he would definitely laugh heartily and welcome such great scholars as Mr. Zhao and Mr. Gu."

Gu Yiwu said, "Your Majesty, you are too polite. The Confucian scholars in my academy have also heard about the deeds of the late Emperor Dali. It is a pity for Ziyu and I that we were not able to meet him in person."

Dugu also complimented Linlu Academy and Confucian scholars such as Zhao Rong, and spoke to them in a friendly manner.

Zhao Rong and Gu Yiwu also responded politely.

At the same time, the two of them also took the initiative to propose that they go to the palace where the body of the late Emperor of Dali is currently resting to pay tribute tomorrow, and Dugu nodded in agreement.

After a while, the four people in the hall, who had different thoughts, were silent for a moment and finally talked about business.

Empress Dowager Dugu asked, "Mr. Zhao, I heard that you are in charge of arranging and guiding the specific procedures of this Fengshan Ceremony..."

Zhao Rong nodded, "Thanks to my colleagues for not giving up, I will indeed set the tone for most of the Fengshan ceremony, but the final process and details will still require me to come up with a plan, and then discuss it carefully with Brother Yiwu and other fellow disciples, and then make the final decision together."

Empress Dowager Dugu and Li Mingyi nodded in agreement, their eyes fixed on the young scholar. They knew clearly that the person in charge... was him.

Zhao Rong lowered his eyes slightly.

In fact, most of the students from the Hall of Justice in the team were not optimistic about the Fengshan ceremony, and some of them had a sense of throwing the jar into the air.

At that time, under the nose of Meng Zhengjun, they all came on stage. In addition to talking about loyalty and supporting Zhao Rong and Gu Yiwu, they also showed their resistance to the oppression of the old-fashioned academician.

Therefore, now that they were "punished" by Meng Zhengjun to come to Dali to organize the Fengshan ceremony, most of them were pessimistic about the final assessment results and scores.

In addition to the difficulty of the Fengshan ceremony, there are also the nitpicking that Meng Zhengjun might have.

This was also the reason why Gu Yiwu got angry when he saw the students from his own school making trouble on the stage.

However, despite this, Gu Yiwu and the students of Justice Hall did not regret their actions on the stage that day. Thinking about it now, they still feel refreshed and relieved.

Just think of it as a 'paid' trip down the mountain.

Zhao Rong was quite depressed by the lazy mentality of everyone in the team, but he did not give them any chicken soup to encourage them. Instead, he took the initiative to shoulder the heavy responsibility of formulating the plan for the Fengshan ceremony.

He was responsible for bringing Brother Yiwu and the other students down the mountain.

Gu Yiwu and the students of Justice Hall also readily agreed to this...

At this time, Empress Dowager Dugu leaned forward slightly and stared at Zhao Rong: "Then may I ask, Mr. Zhao, do you have a rough plan? Can you... can you tell me about it?"

Zhao Rong looked at her and smiled without saying anything.

It seems like the mountain man has a good idea but he just won't tell you.

Keeping it a secret.

Behind the purple bead curtain, the veiled Dugu's beautiful face wrinkled slightly, and she immediately had the aura of a superior who was intimidating without even getting angry.

However, Zhao Rong and others below could not see it, and she soon relaxed her brows.

This Confucian scholar... I thought he was quite serious just now, and thought that Mu Jin and Xue Chan's description was a little inaccurate... Dugu's soft body, which was leaning forward, recovered slightly, and she spat inwardly.

At this time, her expression remained unchanged, and she spoke slowly: "To be honest with you, Mr. Zhao, the officials in the court and the Ministry of Rites are all confused about the Fengshan Ceremony. They have no experience and are unsure... Before Dali, there were no similar ceremonies in the previous dynasties to refer to."

Empress Dowager Dugu paused and sighed, "Except for those ancient dynasties, the northern countries of Wangque are also blank in terms of Fengshan ceremony, and the former will definitely not easily tell our dynasty about such a grand ceremony that involves the country's fortune."

Zhao Rong nodded, calm and composed.

She glanced at Zhao Rong, lowered her eyes, and continued:

"Before Mr. Zhao came to Hanjing, the Ministry of Rites also did its best to make some preparations. The relevant classics were read through, and all kinds of ritual instruments and sacrificial objects were prepared. But I don't know if it is in line with Mr. Zhao's plan. Mr. Zhao, can you... tell me about it."

Zhao Rong nodded slightly, without commenting, and just smiled and said:

"Well, I'll have to trouble the Queen Mother and the brothers from the Ministry of Rites."

“…”

The woman in white behind the purple bead curtain pursed her lips, which were not rouge-covered but were pink and tender.

"Mr. Zhao, there are some inconveniences. Well, I am anxious. Mr. Zhao can do as he wants. Don't worry about me."

She said sympathetically.

Zhao Rong smiled and nodded.

The atmosphere on the field was a little heavy and awkward for a moment.

At the side, Gu Yiwu couldn't help but glance at Ziyu, and saw that he looked like a domineering Confucian scholar who was saying "Teach me how to do things".

But he didn't think it was wrong. Ziyu and the others were originally Confucian scholars in the academy and were not under the jurisdiction of Dali, even though the faceless woman in front of him was the one with the highest power in Dali.

And don’t we still have to rely on them now?

But Ziyu is still very capable. He can grasp the mentality of the Queen Mother Dali and the Regent. These two are not ordinary people... Gu Yiwu thought secretly.

In fact, we have no good plans or tricks. When I asked Tzuyu yesterday, he just smiled bitterly and shrugged. But for now, let's cooperate with Tzuyu to stun these two people first. Hiss, Tzuyu's calm acting is pretty good...

The burly scholar smiled in his heart and sighed secretly.

“Ahem.”

The next second, a cough was heard in the hall. Empress Dowager Dugu and Li Mingyi looked over and saw Gu Yiwu with a serious expression, calling out seriously, "Ziyu."

Zhao Rong didn't look at him, but then nodded:

"How about this, Madam? I will go to the Ministry of Rites with my fellow disciples in the next few days to talk about what should be prepared and give some small suggestions. How about that?"

Dugu's eyes showed a look of joy. "That's great. Mr. Zhao, regarding the Fengshan ceremony, I, the Regent, and the officials of the court will fully cooperate with you. Before the Fengshan ceremony is over, this is very important..."

She paused, "Mr. Zhao can handle all appropriate matters at his discretion. The dispatch of officials and immortals, the use of treasures and resources, are all subject to your command. If anyone makes trouble or refuses to cooperate, Mr. Zhao and all the gentlemen can come to me directly, and I will solve the problem for you."

Zhao Rong was slightly surprised. Wow, the power given here was too great. It would be easy to rob women. He could even go to the Music Bureau where many beauties gathered to rob them.

He joked in his heart.

However, this power to "do whatever he wants" can indeed allow Zhao Rong to do something. Of course, his most important task at the moment is to prepare for the Fengshan ceremony, not to mess around.

After some thoughts in his mind, Zhao Rong nodded and said:

"Thank you, Your Majesty." This is the truth.

"It is I who need to rely on Mr. Zhao. Mr. Zhao, I have a crescent silver medal here. Please accept it. In this Dali territory, seeing this silver medal is like seeing me. I hope Mr. Zhao will use it properly."

Zhao Rong nodded.

Dugu turned around and called softly, "Mujin."

A woman in palace dress that Zhao Rong was familiar with walked out from a dark corner of the hall with her head down and handed him an ancient silver medal.

Zhao Rong took the silver medal, the power of which he had not yet fully realized.

He glanced at it and thought about it.

"Well, can I really call upon any person or thing in Dali, consult any book, or go to any place in Hanjing?"

The young scholar put away the silver plate and confirmed with the woman with a sincere expression.

"Of course..." Dugu was about to respond, but suddenly he became alert and stopped talking.

She couldn't help but glance at the sincere smile of the young scholar at the bottom of the stairs.

Dugu had previously thought that Zhao Rong might be polite and serious, but after the conversation just now, and also after what Mu Jin and Xue Chan had reported to her.

In an instant, many thoughts come to mind.

The masked woman in white clothes behind the purple bead curtain bit her teeth lightly and suddenly felt a little regretful that she had given him the crescent silver medal directly.

Why does this scholar's eyes look so disgusting? He is staring at me. Isn't there a pearl curtain blocking the view? What is he looking at... Yes, this scholar surnamed Zhao is lustful and greedy. He has already accepted two stunning girls in Xingzi Town, but he refused to do anything after accepting the gifts. His attitude is ambiguous. Tonight he is frivolous and arrogant. He is really hateful.

She whispered in her heart, feeling a little disgusted, but it soon faded away.

The eyes of the woman behind the pearl curtain were as calm as a still well.

It's not like I haven't seen these men's looks over the years. I've received too many of them, many looks that are even more disgusting than this one. It's just that this Zhao Ziyu seems to be even more blatant and unscrupulous.

All men in this world are the same. She has long since become indifferent to them and has gradually become indifferent to them, and they no longer affect her mood and rationality.

However, why did Linlu Academy send such a frivolous Confucian scholar? Didn’t the polite Mr. Meng say at the time that he would send an upright younger generation who was very promising and very similar to her to preside over the Fengshan ceremony?

Is this Zhao Ziyu?

An upright younger generation who is very similar to Mr. Meng?

Dugu frowned secretly, but since she needed help from others, she was not the kind of girl who would show her joy on her face.

Under the veil, she tried to put on a gentle smile and continued:

"Of course, everything will be arranged by Mr. Zhao. I trust you to arrange Dali's human and material resources and prepare for the Fengshan Ceremony. As for going anywhere... I believe that you are a polite person like you, so you will not set foot in places that are inappropriate or not in accordance with etiquette... Right, Mr. Zhao?"

Zhao Rong had no idea that his sincere and honest look was misunderstood.

At this moment, he was slightly stunned.

Um, for example, your bedroom? And the bedrooms of the late emperor's concubines? If you don't beat around the bush, I haven't thought about this yet.

He complained in his heart and said seriously, "Of course." Well, unless you can't help it.

The young Confucian scholar curled his lips in his heart, wondering if there are some shameful secrets hidden in your palace.

Dugu had no idea of ​​the complaints in Zhao Rong's heart, and nodded with some relief.

The few of them then chatted for a while about the matters of Fengshan.

At a certain moment, Zhao Rong suddenly nodded and said, "Actually, it's not that I can't talk about my plans for the Fengshan ceremony right now."

Dugu knew that he was keeping her in suspense, but she still couldn't help but lean forward slightly again.

"Oh? Mr. Zhao, is there anything you are willing to say? I would like to hear the details and give it to you for your reference."

She stared at the smiling scholar below.

"I heard that there is a tallest mountain in Dali."

Li Mingyi calmly replied, "Mr. Zhao, are you talking about Jiyue Mountain?"

"Exactly."

Zhao Rong nodded and glanced around the field.

"Well, let's go there. The scenery looks nice." Well, the thunder was quite loud.

He said it in a light tone.

Behind the purple bead curtain, the masked woman in white clothes had her eyes flashing, and then her eyelids dropped...

"Jiyue Mountain... of course, everything will be arranged by Mr. Zhao."