Chapter 1: Awakening (Part 1)

Tang Xuan was so frightened that he stuck out his tongue and cautiously replied in his heart: "Grandfather Niu, how could I dare to blame you? I only feel gratitude and admiration for you. Oh! It seems that Grandmother Niu is calling you for dinner, so you should go back! You need not worry about me here. By the way! Please send my regards to your whole family!"

My beloved consort! Am I... handsome?

Tang Xuan secretly cursed, "Seeing me drink this soup, turning into this unrecognizable state, of neither human nor ghost, of course you wouldn't dare!" Yet, with no expression on his face, he calmly said, "Then let's leave it here to cool for a while! By the way! Whose offering was this soup that I forgot?"

Upon hearing this, both elders were greatly astonished, this...! ... this is completely unlike the emperor of old! However, both old men were shrewd individuals, and they immediately maintained their composure.

As Tang Xuan looked at the other ministers, he noticed that they all seemed to take pleasure in his misfortune, each with a smile at the corners of their mouths, as if they were watching a good show! Tang Xuan thought to himself, "You bunch of bastards want to see a show, then I shall give you a good performance!" He then pretended to be angry and said, "You old man, don't you know that I have long found you displeasing? How dare you bring up disaster relief!" In fact, Tang Xuan had no idea who this old man was. However, by the standards of a foolish ruler, this old man was indeed quite detestable! Tang Xuan speculated that previous foolish rulers must have greatly disliked this old fellow! Thus, he decided to voice his thoughts as a test.

The woman smiled softly, clearly satisfied, and said, "Your Majesty, why not play for a while longer? The day is still young." Tang Xuan lowered his head to look at his little worm, thinking to himself, "What is there to play with this thing? This woman really hasn't seen much of the world! Back in the day, I had a fine little cannon! Alas! Forget it! A true hero does not dwell on past glories! I will endure!" Tang Xuan helplessly said, "Forget it, I am tired today! Let us change clothes!"

In the Mengshan region, the Lianhua sect is causing turmoil, inciting the populace, stirring up discord, and colluding with local officials in Mengshan, amassing an army of several hundred thousand. There is a strong sentiment of rebellion! I implore Your Majesty to swiftly dispatch troops to suppress this unrest

Oh? So this is the virtue of being handsome and extraordinary!" Tang Xuan suddenly realized, chuckling as he spoke. He looked with great interest at the figure in the mirror, a "monster" that was seven parts ghostly and three parts human, which was none other than his current "self". His hair was sparse, his face pale and emaciated, his eyes dull and lifeless, with deep-set eye sockets. "If I were to appear in Egypt, I would definitely be mistaken for a mummy!"

In the surrounding regions, the countries of Idou, Kaizis, Yunan, and Mani are all stirring restlessly, increasing their military presence at the borders and encroaching upon a significant portion of our territory. They are encouraging the citizens of other nations to settle and cultivate land there. Our border defense forces have already been forced to retreat by several dozen miles

Tang Xuanzheng was thinking when the old eunuch Hu Yu approached, carefully holding a bowl of clear soup, and said: "This is your favorite soothing soup! The old servant has brought it to you!"

Grand Tutor Wu nodded vigorously. Tang Xuan lowered his voice and explained his plan in detail. The more Grand Tutor Wu listened, the more delighted and excited he became. In the end, he suddenly knelt on the ground and exclaimed, "Your Majesty is wise! Long live Your Majesty! It is a great fortune for the nation!" It seems that this shrewd old fox also has a side that is quite out of character.

Indeed, although the old man knelt down, he straightened his back even more and resolutely said: "I would rather have the Emperor hate me than let the people of the world hate the Emperor"

The Grand Tutor Wu's expression turned stern as he set down his wine cup and let out a heavy sigh, saying, "The nation is indeed in a precarious situation!" He then proceeded to analyze the current circumstances, each word striking Tang Xuan's ears like a bolt from the blue. Compared to the memorials presented during the morning court, this was even more alarming. There were some things the Grand Tutor dared not speak openly, but a few phrases about factionalism, treacherous ministers in power, phoenixes leaving their nests, and crows perching on trees were enough to convey everything! And then there was that bowl of soul-stirring soup just now!

Master Wu was instantly at a loss for words, yet he silently thought to himself: "If the teaching is not strict, it is the teacher's laziness! If the teaching is not strict, it is the teacher's laziness..." It seems that this place lacks the Three Character Classic. The more Master Wu pondered, the more he felt that the Emperor's words were reasonable; had he been stricter from the beginning, perhaps the Emperor would have been much more enlightened!

Master Wu thought to himself, The Emperor is absolutely right! At that moment, his expression became much more respectful, repeatedly affirming. Tang Xuan, naturally, was filled with pride, and the displeasure of having just lost twenty rounds was completely swept away.

Tang Xuan was contemplating: "This old man is a loyal minister, and his intellect is beyond question. Just by watching him play chess, one can see the various ingenious moves he employs, making it difficult to guard against his strategies! No wonder, despite the many treacherous officials in the court, he can still maintain his position as Grand Preceptor; he certainly possesses some skills! Such a person is exactly someone I can rely on." With this thought in mind, Tang Xuan, with an air of mystery, said to Grand Preceptor Wu: "Old Wu, I have a good show here; are you interested in performing it?"

The woman, seeing Tang Xuan in a daze, playfully shook his shoulder as if to tease him

So he is the emperor's teacher? No wonder! It is likely that this old eunuch has not gained any benefits from him; otherwise, he would not have kicked him when he was down. Tang Xuan came back to his senses and said to the old eunuch: "Take me to the imperial study to have a look"

Tang Xuan finally came to his senses and asked with a lecherous look, "What is it, my beloved consort?"

This... this... is probably unnecessary, right? Tang Xuan was awkwardly sweating profusely! Fortunately, the old cow did not give a middle finger! It's just that the sound never came again, so it seems it has really left.

Alas! This worthless emperor cannot continue to reign

Tang Xuanyi returned to his room, feeling indignant as he thought: "This fellow has had his fun and just left, leaving behind a broken country for me to help him pay off his debts! Where in the world is there such a cheap deal? No, I must leave... But... where can I go? With this body of mine, I would starve to death outside the palace!"

Behind him stood a captivating and alluring woman, her serpentine figure tightly entwined around him, twisting with great delight. Her arms were pure and flawless, her bare body soft, smooth, and warm as jade. Upon hearing Tang Xuan's question, this woman ceased her melodious gasps akin to a yellow oriole, and with a playful smile, she praised: "Your Majesty is handsome and extraordinary. Even Pan An and Song Yu would feel ashamed of their own appearances in your presence"

After analyzing the current situation, Master Wu noticed that dawn was approaching, and Tang Xuan could hardly sleep. He then invited Master Wu to play a few games of chess. To his surprise, Master Wu had never heard of chess! Thus, Tang Xuan began to teach him how to play, but he was concerned that Master Wu, being an old man, might go easy on him, making the game uninteresting. Therefore, he promised that if Master Wu could win just one game against him, he would agree to one matter from a memorial. Master Wu was overjoyed at this proposition. However, Tang Xuan did not expect that this old man was exceptionally clever. Starting from the second game, they played twenty consecutive games, and Tang Xuan never won a single one again. Moreover, as they progressed, the old man won even faster! Seeing Tang Xuan dumbfounded, Master Wu laughed awkwardly, perhaps thinking that this game was too simple, or that someone’s chess skills were too poor, making him feel embarrassed for winning. Tang Xuan, maintaining his composure, admonished, "Look, I am simply better than you! You have taught me for over ten years, yet I have learned nothing well? And I only taught you for one night, and you became so skilled! The teacher's teaching method is very important! It should be guided by the situation and not forced! If I had said earlier, 'If you win a game against me, I will chop off one of your fingers,' you probably wouldn’t have learned chess in one night, would you? So, you old man should learn more from me! Your previous methods were all wrong!"

The old eunuch noticed that Tang Xuan's expression was serious and hurriedly asked, "Your Majesty, what is the matter? Is the soup not to your taste?" Upon hearing this, Tang Xuan came to his senses, handed the soup to the old eunuch, and smiled, "I drank too quickly just now and choked. Seeing your loyalty, you may have the rest of it!"

After a few cups of wine, Tang Xuan smiled and said: "Master Wu, you did not teach me well in the past. Now I am giving you an opportunity to make amends! Analyze the current state of the nation for me in detail, as if you are teaching me. How about that?"

Tang Xuan turned around, lifted her little chin, and exclaimed, "Not bad! Just a bit more beautiful than the fairies in the sky! But you mustn't be proud!"

Enough! Enough! You old fellow, why are there so many bad news? I do not want to hear it!" Amidst the suppressed laughter of the many ministers, Emperor Tang Xuan appeared quite angry and shouted: "You old man, go and clean my imperial study thoroughly! If there is even a speck of dust, I will not spare you! The rest of you may leave the court! I am tired!"

"Soul-Consuming Soup?" Tang Xuan secretly remained vigilant: "Why does this name sound like poison?" He took the bowl, sipped it lightly, and spat it out with a 'pah'. Angrily, he thought: "So that's it, so that's it! No wonder the emperor has become so thin. It's because of this soup! The taste of this soup is somewhat familiar to Tang Xuan. On the night of their military academy graduation, when they went out to the disco to have fun, someone had brought a few packets of powder for them to try. Tang Xuan had tasted it, and the flavor was the same as this soup! This is clearly a drug!"

Tang Xuan observed all of this and suddenly let out a cold laugh, saying to the five ministers: "How important is my Imperial Flower Pavilion? You all are truly unaware of the situation! Must you insist on discussing disaster relief? Are you not afraid of dampening my spirits?"

In the event of a disaster, relief must certainly be provided! www.hetushu.com. Tang Xuan did not hesitate and said in a clear voice: "Proceed! You shall handle this matter!"

The woman gently replied in the affirmative and helped Tang Xuan put on his clothes, softly asking: "Your Majesty, if attending court is too tiring, you need not go! Wasn't it the case that you used to attend court only once every ten days or half a month?"

The military rations for the border garrison have not been issued for two years. Several generals have jointly submitted a petition to the Emperor, requesting the resumption of military rations; otherwise, it is feared that the morale of the troops will be unstable. Additionally, the fortifications at the border should be repaired; otherwise, when the enemy arrives, there will be no defenses to protect us

While Tang Xuan listened to Master Wu's explanation, he secretly devised a plan. At this moment, he had no way out. Not to mention that the appointments of the ministers in the court were handled by several princes, even the imperial guards protecting the royal city were mostly dispatched from the various princes' residences, and at that time, it was said that such people could be used with confidence

The man was momentarily taken aback, but soon felt great joy and replied affirmatively before retreating. At that moment, another person stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Flower Pavilion has not yet been completed and requires a substantial amount of silver. The national treasury is under strain! If we were to allocate silver for disaster relief... it is likely that the Imperial Flower Pavilion will not be finished before your 20th birthday. In my humble opinion, let those disaster victims fend for themselves; they can dig up some roots and weeds to survive the calamity, as they have done in the past, haven't they?"

It was that old man again, who took out a dozen or so memorials from his bosom, opened them one by one, and read aloud: "In the regions of Northern and Southern Jiangsu, bandits have recently been causing disturbances. The officials in both areas have repeatedly failed in their efforts to suppress them. We request the Emperor to send additional troops!"

He is not loyal, but rather determined! This Third Prince appears to be smiling, yet he dreams of ending me! Hmph! I would like to see who ends whom in the end. Do not forget, the Terminator has crossed over! And I happen to meet the conditions!

In recent years, piracy has been rampant in coastal areas, with rampant killings, looting, and the robbery of merchant ships. The local populace has suffered countless casualties and dares not venture out to fish at sea, leading to a dire situation for the people. We implore Your Majesty to send troops for protection

The Grand Tutor Wu rose and cautiously replied, "This old minister... this old minister... truly does not know!"

Tang Xuan sat down on the chair and said calmly: "You may rise! Do you know why I have punished you to clean the imperial study?"

Ah! I have crossed over, and so has everyone else. Why did I have to end up in the body of this useless tyrant? It's one thing to be ugly, but why does he also resemble an earthworm in certain aspects? Completely useless! Back then, I desperately flattered the old bull in the underworld, thinking I had gained a tremendous advantage. Unfortunately, human calculations cannot compare to the bull's calculations. I've been fooled again! Old bull! I despise you!" Tang Xuan thought bitterly, filled with anger and helplessness, and fiercely raised his middle finger at the sun outside the window! I've been fooled again! Old bull! I despise you!" Tang Xuan thought bitterly, filled with anger and helplessness, and fiercely raised his middle finger at the sun outside the window

When the old man finished reading the more than ten memorials, Tang Xuan almost fainted. This foolish monarch was truly the worst! The country was already in such dire straits, both internally and externally! He still had the leisure to build a garden? Tang Xuan was drenched in cold sweat, restless and uneasy. It seemed that this unfortunate emperor could become a foolish monarch who would lead his country to ruin at any moment!

The eunuch responded affirmatively, leading Tang Xuan with great delight.

Tang Xuan followed the old eunuch, winding east and west along the way, and entered the grand hall. He sat upon the dragon throne and surveyed the assembly below. Observing the numerous civil and military officials, most of whom were potbellied and had faces flushed with the effects of wine, he could not help but mutter curses under his breath. Since ancient times, corrupt officials have been the parasites of the nation; which one of them does not possess such a character?

After a while, the food and drinks were served. Tang Xuan still ordered the old eunuch to wait outside and began to drink with Master Wu. Master Wu was indeed taken aback; it had been at least ten years since the Emperor had sat face to face with him like this, let alone shared a drink. The old man was so excited that his hands trembled, and his face turned bright red.

Tang Xuan observed his daze and said, "Please take a seat!" He then instructed the old eunuch outside, "Old Yu, go arrange some food and drinks; I will have a few cups with Master Wu!"

Tang Xuan secretly cursed the foolish monarch after hearing this

Emperor Tang sighed and said with anger: "As the saying goes, if the teaching is not strict, it is the fault of the teacher! As my teacher, you have not educated me well! This has led to internal strife and external threats in the country, and the people are suffering! Tell me, do you deserve to be punished or not?"

Tang Xuan looked at the "self" in the bronze mirror, posed like a "celebrity" for a toothpaste advertisement, and weakly asked a question.

Upon the utterance of this statement, the ministers engaged in fervent discussions. After a thorough debate, it was evident that the majority supported the construction of the Imperial Flower Pavilion, with only five ministers steadfastly arguing for the Emperor to provide disaster relief

Before long, the old eunuch Hu Yu hurried over and cautiously asked outside the door: "Your Majesty, is there a morning court today?" The eunuch's voice was already sharp, and he deliberately dragged it out in a feminine tone, making Tang Xuan's skin crawl. He remembered that during his time at military school, he once helped a major general move, and the general's wife spoke in that same tone. She would exclaim, "Oh dear, don't break this vase, it's from the Ming Dynasty!" Then she would shout, "Be gentle, be gentle, oh dear! You people are so rude, you've scratched the perfectly good floor! This was specially shipped back from Italy! It's precious!" As a result, while the plump woman was not paying attention, Tang Xuan and his companions took the opportunity to urinate in the vase and then sprinkled half a bottle of perfume on it. Under the bed, which was said to cost ten thousand yuan per sheet, they placed three little mice and a dozen cockroaches, and then they left triumphantly!

Good! Well said!

Tang Xuan silently applauded him, feeling somewhat reassured. At least this old man was still of some use. However, his face showed impatience as he waved his hand and said, "Let's discuss this matter further! If there are any other issues, present them all at once!"

Tang Xuan lightly coughed, and upon hearing this, Master Wu was momentarily taken aback. He quickly turned around, knelt down in a hurry, and said: "Long live Your Majesty! This old minister did not know that Your Majesty had arrived, which is truly a great disrespect!"

Then the voice let out a heavy grunt and said: "This is more like it! Alright! I'll let you live a little longer! I must be on my way now, and please send my regards to your whole family! Even I, the old ox, value etiquette"

Among the five individuals, an emaciated old man, with a resolute expression, slowly spoke: "Your Majesty, the common people are the foundation of the nation! This disaster must not go unrelieved, lest we lose the hearts of the people! This old minister is willing to die in counsel, I implore Your Majesty to open the treasury for disaster relief!" After speaking, the old man proudly knelt down on the spot. The other four hesitated for a moment, then also knelt down behind him, collectively exclaiming: "We implore Your Majesty to open the treasury for disaster relief!"

The study was very quiet, with only the soft sound of pages being turned. Master Wu was meticulously wiping the scrolls, and upon seeing his slightly hunched back, Tang Xuan suddenly thought of the term "pillar of support"! If this country did not have great ministers like Master Wu, it might have long since perished.

Tang Xuan smiled mysteriously at him, then raised his voice and shouted: "Old Yu, quickly take this Hu away from me, hum! It makes me so angry! How dare he win twenty games of chess against me!"

This time it was Tang Xuan's turn to be stunned. The 20th birthday? Let the disaster victims fend for themselves? Hmph! The principle of officials forcing the people to revolt has been seen throughout history. I certainly do not want to die so early! I really cannot understand how this wasteful and foolish ruler has managed to live this long. It is truly a miracle!

Your Majesty ... ... Your Majesty ... ...

"Acting?" Wu Taishi did not understand, "Why does the Emperor look so strange today?" Tang Xuan chuckled and said, "You just need to do as I ask, but this matter must not be known to a third person! Do you understand?"

Hmph! You can rest assured, but I am certainly not at ease! It seems that none of these fellows are good people!" Tang Xuan secretly cursed.

Upon reaching the entrance of the Imperial Study, Tang Xuan instructed the eunuch not to announce the arrival of the Emperor in a loud voice. He left him outside and quietly entered alone.

The woman pouted and murmured, "Your Majesty, I just asked you, is Jing'er beautiful?"

The four major princes, Jin Wang, Kang Wang, De Wang, and Wei Wang, have all submitted petitions stating that this year's harvest is poor. They request the Emperor to urgently allocate grain and supplies to prevent unrest among the people

"Master Wu?" Tang Xuan pondered privately, "So that old man is Master Wu!"

After the civil and military officials shouted "Long live the Emperor" more than ten thousand times, one person stepped forward and reported: "Your Majesty, the Jidong region has suffered a great disaster, with millions of starving people displaced. I humbly request that Your Majesty allocate silver for disaster relief"

A commanding voice resounded in his mind: "You little brat, don't take advantage and act coy! Speaking ill of this old bull? Hmph! If it weren't for your deceitful victory over me, I would have long turned you into a fly, making you eat excrement every day"

The old eunuch continued, "Your Majesty! When you were young, Master Wu was the strictest in teaching you, often reprimanding you at the slightest mistake. In my heart, I was so angry that I shed tears! Alas! Justice has finally been served; that old man deserves to be punished more!"

The eunuch was taken aback, his expression troubled, and he stammered, "Your Majesty... the old servant... dares not!"

When Tang Xuan first attended court, most of the officials did not recognize him. He thought to himself: "Let me first test the loyalty and treachery of the ministers! I wonder which of these fellows is a good person and which is a bad one?" Thus, he spoke aloud: "This matter is indeed difficult to handle. Gentlemen ministers, what are your thoughts? Should we provide relief for this disaster? Feel free to speak your mind!"

Emperor Tang, feeling a surge of anger, maintained a calm expression and uttered a sound, saying: "In recent days, there have been too many matters; I cannot recall them!" The old eunuch then chuckled and said: "Your Majesty, Grand Tutor Wu is currently sweeping the imperial study; would you like to go and take a look?"

The eunuch, seeing that Tang Xuan was not forcing him to drink the soup, felt greatly pleased and said: "This soup was made using secret methods by the Third Prince, specifically offered to the Emperor! He is truly loyal!"

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