By the time Xiao Mo's consciousness pulled free of the Hundred Lives Book, it was already six in the morning the next day.
Inside the Hundred Lives Book, Xiao Mo had spent nearly two whole months.
The Book's time flowed a hundred times faster than reality, but thanks to its protection mechanism, Xiao Mo had adapted back to the real world's pace very quickly.
And while he was living out that life inside the Book, his body's strength had been recovering as well.
What made Xiao Mo frown, though, was this: inside the Book he had plainly been a Nascent Soul sword cultivator who plainly knew the Cursive Sword Formula.
Yet the moment he woke, he had forgotten all of it. No matter how he tried, he could not call any of it back.
He had been counting on practicing the Cursive Sword Formula here in the real world.
But now it looked impossible.
Well, then, I can only find out what this business of handing out rewards is all about.
After breakfast, Xiao Mo stayed in bed to rest.
Since his illness had not yet cleared up, he was excused from paying his respects to the Empress Dowager, and from morning court as well.
As far as Xiao Mo could see, attending morning court was useless anyway—most of the court belonged to Yan Shan'ao.
He was eighteen years old already, and the Empress Dowager was still holding court from behind a curtain. She has absolutely no shame.
Once Wang Can was stripped of office and driven out of the capital, no one dared to brush against Yan Shan'ao's bad side at all.
"Wei Xun," Xiao Mo called.
"Your Majesty." Eunuch Wei hurried to Xiao Mo's side.
"Go have some Daoist scriptures sent over, then tell the Chancellor and the Empress Dowager that while I'm away, the state of Zhou will need them to take great care of things."
"Your Majesty, what are you—"
Xiao Mo stood up and paced his bedchamber, hands clasped behind his back:
"Trained my body until it's like a crane's, Beneath a thousand pines, two baskets of sutras. I come to ask the Way; there's nothing more to say— clouds in the blue sky, water in the bottle."
Xiao Mo stopped and looked at Wei Xun. "From this day on, I am cultivating immortality!"
"Trained my body until it's like a crane's, Beneath a thousand pines, two baskets of sutras. I come to ask the Way; there's nothing more to say— clouds in the blue sky, water in the bottle."
Yan Shan'ao recited the lines Xiao Mo had composed and nodded despite himself. "His Majesty's literary talent is truly excellent."
Wei Xun kept his head down and did not dare make a sound.
Just moments earlier, Wei Xun had come to Lingxin Palace and relayed His Majesty's message.
Empress Dowager Yan sat on the high seat, calmly drinking her tea, as though none of it had anything to do with her.
She was already past thirty, yet her beauty had not faded in the least; it even carried a mature allure, and every gesture held not only an empress dowager's dignity but a natural seductiveness.
Yan Shan'ao turned to look at Wei Xun. "His Majesty really said that?"
"In reply to the Chancellor, yes. His Majesty says he wishes to cultivate immortality, and begs that you and the Empress Dowager take great care with the affairs of court."
"Since ancient times, emperors have been bound by the qi of the realm's mountains and rivers. How could one of them possibly cultivate? Every emperor who set his heart on immortality came to a bad end."
Yan Shan'ao sighed.
"When the time comes, I'll go have a word with His Majesty—urge him to pay more mind to state affairs."
Listening to Yan Shan'ao, Wei Xun's brow twitched. How is this man even more shameless than a eunuch like me?
You want His Majesty to take an interest in state affairs?
More like you're praying His Majesty cultivates all day long and never asks about court business again.
"Still, this poem really is fine work. Wei Xun, spread it around—let the court officials get a taste of His Majesty's literary gifts."
"Yes, Chancellor..."
Yan Shan'ao rose, walked over to Wei Xun, and patted his shoulder. "If anything comes up on His Majesty's side, tell me promptly, and the benefits won't be small. But if you've got other ideas in that head of yours, you know how that ends."
"Rest assured, Chancellor!" Wei Xun dropped to his knees at once. "This old servant has no second loyalty—only to the Chancellor and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager!"
Yan Shan'ao waved a hand. "Go on. A few palace maids will be sent over shortly—deliver them to His Majesty."
"Yes, Chancellor."
Wei Xun wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and tottered out of Lingxin Palace.
Once Wei Xun had left, Yan Shan'ao turned to his elder sister with a delighted look. "Sister, now that His Majesty has set his heart on immortality, what do you make of it?"
"'Trained my body until it's like a crane's, beneath a thousand pines, two baskets of sutras. I come to ask the Way; there's nothing more to say— clouds in the blue sky, water in the bottle.' Heh heh heh heh..."
Empress Dowager Yan said it with a cold laugh.
"Our emperor has never had an ounce of ambition, and he's always been a coward—otherwise we would never have picked him for the adoption.
The last time Wang Can went to see him, you had Wang Can demoted. His Majesty must have been scared out of his wits; that's the only reason he came down with such a serious illness.
And now it looks like he has given up completely on ever ruling again."
The Empress Dowager lifted her eyes to her younger brother. "Having Wei Xun leak that poem was well done. There are still a few in court whose hearts turn toward the Xiao imperial house. Now that His Majesty has set his heart on cultivation, what excuse do they have left to hold out?"
"Still, Xiao Mo did just about claw his life back."
A vicious light flickered in Yan Shan'ao's eyes.
"That throne he sits on today, he owes entirely to us—and then he goes and meets with Wang Can! If he doesn't settle down and learn his place, heh heh heh... we can always choose another emperor!"
Empress Dowager Yan glanced at Wei Xun, then turned to her brother. "The less trouble the better. As for Wang Can, find a way to do away with him, but do it clean—leave nothing to be used against us, understand? The censors are like dogs; they're the best at biting."
"Understood, Sister." Yan Shan'ao nodded and sat back down to take a sip of wine. "In a poor backwater like Lingnan, making a man 'die of illness' is far too easy."
The Empress Dowager lay back on the soft couch. A maid hurried forward and gently kneaded her legs and pounded her shoulders. "By the way, how go things with the Myriad Sword Sect?"
"Elder Huang of the Myriad Sword Sect will arrive in our imperial capital in three months. I've already got a thorough grasp of Elder Huang's tastes, and I've exchanged letters with him before. Barring accidents, we'll have the Myriad Sword Sect as our backer."
The Empress Dowager nodded. Where her brother's work was concerned, she had no worries.
"If we can get aboard that ship and make the Myriad Sword Sect our patron, everything will be much easier to handle. Whatever the Myriad Sword Sect asks for, give it to them as far as we can.
Also, take Elder Huang to see our Yan family often. The Myriad Sword Sect is strict about choosing disciples, I know.
But if some junior of ours manages to catch Elder Huang's eye even barely, it will be of enormous benefit to the Yan family."
"Hahaha! If a Yan junior could become a disciple of that Jiang Qingyi, then the whole of Zhou would be entirely ours to command. Those old fossils wouldn't dare curse us behind our backs anymore—and by then, Sister, you might even become the first woman emperor of Zhou!"
The Empress Dowager gave her brother a flat look. "Sword Immortal Jiang has been famous all this time and has never taken a single disciple. Put that out of your mind and do your own work well. Besides, it's about time we chose a few Yan girls to enter the palace—the future crown prince must be one of ours."
Yan Shan'ao bowed with clasped hands. "Yes, Sister."