Capital City, Western City, Chen Pawnshop.
Just like yesterday, Li Yuluo easily evaded the Zhang family servants’ watchful eyes and slipped into the pawnshop’s backyard, reaching the door of Zhang Yuge’s room.
She had been serving as a close palace maid this morning, staying by Li Yuhan’s side.
Yet as the Rain-Seeking Ceremony neared, Zhang Yuge was nowhere to be seen.
Even at the Imperial Preceptor’s residence inside the palace, there was no sign of him.
Because of this, Li Yuluo had no choice but to investigate.
To her surprise, both Zhang Yuge and Zhang Qingyao were absent from the room.
Anxiety gnawed at Li Yuluo’s heart.
Ignoring her identity as an intruder, she hurried to question the maid Lv Zhu about Zhang Yuge’s whereabouts.
Lv Zhu was a bit startled but quickly regained composure.
After all, this woman was closely connected to the young master—someone they couldn’t afford to offend.
“The young master and Qingyao left at dawn this morning and haven’t returned yet.”
“You’re saying they left so early?”
“Yes.”
“Did he say where they were going?”
“No, not exactly. But the young master ordered us to prepare several boxes of instant rations and a few carts, so everyone went out to buy supplies.”
“Rations…”
Li Yuluo muttered to herself softly upon hearing this.
Zhang Yuge and Zhang Qingyao left early but hadn’t met with the imperial brother.
They were missing.
Suddenly ordering servants to purchase large amounts of travel provisions was clearly a sign they intended to flee the capital.
But the Zhang family was still imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, heavily guarded.
To rescue them, Zhang Yuge needed the imperial brother’s help.
What exactly was Zhang Yuge planning?
Suddenly, Li Yuluo’s eyes snapped wide open as realization dawned on her.
Zhang Yuge wanted to use the chaos of the Rain-Seeking Ceremony, when everyone would be stationed at the palace’s main gate, to launch a surprise attack on the Heavenly Prison!
But that didn’t add up—he wasn’t there.
Without the Imperial Preceptor present, the ceremony couldn’t proceed.
Moreover, with so many experts gathered at the palace’s main gate, any disturbance at the Heavenly Prison would be quickly discovered.
Li Yuluo’s head ached as she shook it vigorously.
In any case, the jailbreak was certain.
She couldn’t let him succeed.
The identity of Imperial Preceptor still had to be maintained by Zhang Yuge—he mustn’t drag down the imperial brother.
Ignoring Lv Zhu’s surprised expression, Li Yuluo decisively climbed over the wall and headed straight for the palace.
When she arrived, dusty and exhausted, at the plaza before the palace’s main gate, the Rain-Seeking Ceremony was underway as usual.
Everyone’s gaze was fixed on the altar hastily set up over the past few days.
At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind.
“Ahahaha, the Imperial Preceptor has arrived.”
That unmistakable sarcastic tone could belong to no one but Zhang Yuge.
Turning around, Li Yuluo saw a figure in a black robe wearing a mask adorned with painted patterns emerging from the crowd.
“Oh, so I’m the Imperial Preceptor? Well, that’s no problem then, hahaha…”
Some had put on masks but were actually removing them.
All the civil and military officials present, along with representatives from the Five Great Families, stared silently at the masked man in black robes.
Li Yuluo was stunned.
Did this guy even know what he was doing?
Was he out of his mind?
However, the masked man stopped when he passed by her.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, disciple. Your master has returned.”
Li Yuluo froze.
Disciple?
The Imperial Preceptor turned to face the officials.
“Esteemed colleagues, I shall officially begin the Rain-Seeking Ceremony at noon. My disciple will assist me throughout.”
Since he referred to her as his disciple, the ministers all turned their gazes toward Li Yuluo, placing great pressure on her.
Some who recognized her as the new close palace maid appointed by the emperor frowned.
Most believed this so-called Imperial Preceptor was nothing more than a charlatan exploiting the inexperienced emperor for personal gain.
Now he was putting his disciple close to the emperor—his ambitions were clear to all.
“Heh, a slick-talking conman, and he even has a disciple,”
muttered a young man from the Yun family.
His voice was just loud enough to be heard by the Imperial Preceptor and those nearby.
The Imperial Preceptor smiled calmly in response.
“Whether I’m a fraud will be clear in a few days.”
His confidence sparked some hope among the ministers.
Could it be that he wasn’t a fake after all?
Unfortunately, the Imperial Preceptor really was a fraud.
All talk and showmanship.
After this performance, he would disappear without a trace.
Although Li Yuluo wanted to retort,
“Who the hell is your disciple?”
that was impossible.
She had to play along with Zhang Yuge.
If exposed, it would be the imperial brother who suffered.
“The Emperor has arrived!”
A sharp eunuch’s voice rang out, and Li Yuhan, clad in a black dragon robe and wearing a Zhujian, stepped out of the hall accompanied by palace maids and guards.
Li Yuhan stood on the elevated steps, overlooking the civil and military officials gathered in the main gate plaza.
Palace guards entered through the main gate behind the ministers, spaced three meters apart, filling the entire square.
“Greetings, Your Majesty!”
All officials and representatives from the Five Great Families, including the Imperial Preceptor and Li Yuluo, bowed deeply with fists clenched and one knee on the ground, paying respects to the ruler of the nation.
“Rise.”
Li Yuhan spoke calmly, but his voice was clear and carried to everyone present.
This shocked the ministers and noble families.
They were surprised that the so-called useless emperor Li Yuhan was actually a cultivator.
The Great Zhou Dynasty forbade the imperial family from practicing cultivation, with the Five Great Families guarding this rule for generations.
Yet this ability to transmit sound remotely was clearly a technique of cultivators.
Li Feng, the Master of Rites from the Feng family, was the first to voice protest.
“Your Majesty, from the founding of Great Zhou, it was decreed that the imperial family must not cultivate. Why do you break this rule and disregard the teachings of your ancestors?”
Once he spoke, others quickly followed, and a heated debate erupted among the ministers.
“Imperial Brother…”
Li Yuluo clenched her fists nervously in the crowd, worried for Li Yuhan.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yuge, the Imperial Preceptor, quietly cheered to himself.
He wished they would just fight it out so he could slip away unharmed.
“Silence!”
A deep inner strength mixed with his words, striking forward.
The oppressive force made even the Five Great Families’ cultivators at the Qi Refinement stage stagger backward, not to mention the mostly mortal civil and military officials.
Many were pushed back by the shock.
“It is nearly noon. All major matters will be discussed after the Rain-Seeking Ceremony concludes.”
Li Yuhan’s tone was firm and authoritative—unlike the puppet emperor of before, he radiated dignity.
At that moment, warmth spread through Zhang Yuge’s palm.
Turning his head, he met Li Yuluo’s pleading gaze and was moved.
“Let’s go.”
The Imperial Preceptor took the girl’s hand and they walked toward the altar.