Deep within the majestic Imperial Palace of the Tianjing Empire, Emperor Sun Hao is immersed in his cultivation. His meditation room, unlike the opulent halls of the palace, is an austere space, adorned only by a circle of strange symbols and stones embedded in the floor, creating an aura of mystery and ancient power. In the center of this circle sits the emperor, seated in the lotus position, his simple robes contrasting with his usual imperial attire.

  The air in the room vibrates with invisible energies, concentrating the Qi within the perimeter of the circle. To any observer with the ability to see beyond the mundane, the Qi in the room would appear to be intensely concentrated within the confines of the circle, creating a fascinating sight.

  The serenity of the session is interrupted by a soft knock on the wooden door. Without opening his eyes, Sun Hao opens the door with a gesture of his hand, revealing the figure of Taijian Li Ming, one of his most loyal servants, who enters with measured and respectful steps.

  "Emperor, I beg your pardon for interrupting your cultivation”, Taijian Li Ming begins, keeping his head bowed in respect.

  "What urgent matter has caused you to interrupt my cultivation session, Taijian Li Ming?" asks Sun Hao, opening his eyes and fixing his gaze on his right hand.

  "Sir, we have intercepted an intruder attempting to enter the Pavilion of the Scent of Clouds. We believe his intention was to assassinate Zhāohuán Wen”, Taijian Li Ming reports in a grave tone.

  Sun Hao's expression hardens slightly "Have you discovered who sent this assassin?"

  "No, Your Majesty. However, the intruder had two Gates open”, Li Ming replies, concerned about the implications of such an ability.

  Hearing this, a flash of anger and understanding crosses the emperor's gaze "Then it is someone from the sect, and it was almost certainly sent by our father. He is obsessed with getting rid of his granddaughter, whom he considers a stain on our family's reputation because of her physical condition."

  "What do you want us to do, Emperor?" asks Taijian Li Ming, ready to carry out any order.

  "Leave the matter of our father in our hands”, Sun Hao replies. "But our daughter's security must be improved. How far along is Yushi Wang Lianhua's cultivation?"

  "She has opened a Gate, but as she did so before knowing her position, she opened the Yang Gate as all women usually do”, Li Ming replies to the sudden question.

  "Tell her to focus on the Yin Gate, it is the only one that can improve her ability to protect her right now. Now, tell us, how is our daughter? Is it true that she has begun to learn to read?" Sun Hao continues to ask.

  "Yes, Your Majesty. The princess shows great aptitude and enthusiasm for the books she has been given”, confirms Taijian Li Ming, sighing inwardly and hoping that this will not incite the emperor to another act of madness.

  "Good, make sure she is assigned a competent tutor. We want her to receive the best education possible”, declares the emperor, his voice filled with firm determination.

  "A personal tutor? Aren't we going to send her to Guozijian like all the other princes?" asks Taijian Li Ming.

  "No, her mobility issues make it inconvenient to send her there, as someone would have to carry her the whole time. Besides, it would be too exposed in case of another assassination attempt”, replies the emperor. "We give permission for our daughter's tutor to use the imperial library to teach her."

  "As you command, Son of Heaven”, replied Taijian Li Ming, bowing deeply before leaving the room.

  With a wave of his hand, Sun Hao closes the door behind his servant. Returning his attention to the cultivation circle, the emperor resumes his meditation, but his mind is now divided between the path of cultivation and concern for his daughter.

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  In the intricate and solemn framework of the Tianjing Empire, the office of Taijian Li Ming, the emperor's right-hand man, reflects the personality of its occupant, meticulously organized and austere. Dark wood shelves house scrolls of texts on laws, treatises on the art of war, and many on political strategy. A large ebony desk dominates the room, on which sits a jade inkwell and several perfectly aligned papers. The walls are adorned with maps of the empire and portraits of former ministers, illuminated by the soft light of a bronze oil lamp, creating dancing shadows on the walls at sunset.

  Just as the sun begins to set behind the horizon, a soft knock is heard on the wooden door of the office.

  "Come in”, says Taijian Li Ming in a firm voice.

  The door opens to reveal a man in his fifties, with a long white beard and the typical appearance of a Confucian scholar, dressed in a blue silk robe, a tall hat, and a frown that reflected a life devoted to study and reflection. It is Jijiu Zhang Zhihao, the director of the prestigious Guozijian, the imperial academy.

  "Greetings, Taijian Li Ming”, Jijiu Zhang begins with a respectful bow. "I have received an urgent summons to discuss matters of the empire."

  "Jijiu Zhang, thank you for coming promptly. You have been summoned because the emperor has ordered that Zhāohuán Wen receive personalized education. Her lessons will be given to her in the imperial library”, says Taijian Li Ming, looking directly into the old man's eyes.

  "But that is unprecedented!" protests Jijiu Zhang, clearly upset by the break with tradition. "Never has a member of the imperial family been instructed outside the formalism of the Guozijian."

  "If you have objections, you may express them directly to the emperor”, Taijian Li Ming interrupts sternly, his tone making it clear that there was no room for debate. "Are you saying that you will not comply with His Majesty's orders?"

  Upon hearing this, Jijiu Zhang falls silent, his face reflecting the gravity of the situation.

  "These are the emperor's direct orders. You may withdraw now”, concludes Taijian Li Ming, gesturing toward the door.

  Jijiu Zhang bows, his expression full of discontent, and leaves the office, heading toward the Guozijian.

  After Jijiu Zhang leaves, Taijian Li Ming remains thoughtful for a moment, staring at the door, and seems to come to some kind of decision, because he snaps out of his contemplation and begins to write something on a piece of paper, which he puts in an envelope. He then calls one of his trusted men and hands it to him, saying “Deliver this to the third prince, but be as discreet as possible."

  "As you command, Taijian”, the man replies, after which he takes the envelope and leaves the office, leaving Taijian Li Ming lost in thought once again.

  The Guozijian, located in the heart of the empire, is a complex of majestic buildings surrounded by meticulously manicured gardens. The classrooms and dormitories are arranged around a large central courtyard where students practice calligraphy and debate classical texts. Jijiu Zhang's office is in the main building, decorated with banners bearing the academy's symbol.

  Upon arrival, Jijiu Zhang passes by several secretaries and instructs them in a firm voice “Find all the available teachers and tell them to meet in the staff room within half an hour."

  Half an hour later, Jijiu Zhang enters the staff room, where about twenty scholars await him, their faces full of curiosity and concern about the suddenness of the call.

  "Colleagues, the emperor has ordered that his daughter, Zhāohuán Wen, be taught individually”, he begins, capturing everyone's attention. "I need a volunteer to take on this honor."

  A stunned silence falls over the room. After a few moments, excuses begin to emerge among the scholars.

  "I... I am in charge of supervising the graduation theses this quarter”, says one, avoiding Jijiu Zhang's gaze.

  "My health would not allow me to devote the necessary time to the princess”, claims another, coughing lightly to emphasize his point.

  As the professors present their various reasons for why they cannot take on the task, Jijiu Zhang surveys the room, his face darkening as he realizes the true reason for their excuses. Finally, his gaze settles on a corner, where a short, plump man known as Xueshi Wenxue is engrossed in a book, seemingly oblivious to the commotion.

  "Xueshi Wenxue”, calls Jijiu Zhang. The man looks up, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

  "You will be Zhāohuán Wen's private tutor”, Jijiu Zhang tells him firmly.

  "I'm sorry, Jijiu Zhang, but right now I'm in the middle of important research that I can't put aside”, replies the scholar named Xueshi Wenxue.

  "It is the emperor's personal order”, Jijiu Zhang replies. "Furthermore, he has ordered that your lessons be given in the imperial library."

  Upon hearing mention of the imperial library, Xueshi Wenxue's face lights up as he responds enthusiastically, his interest clearly piqued by the prospect of access to it “I will gladly carry out the emperor's orders."

  Thus, with a new purpose and the responsibility of guiding the future leader of the empire, Xueshi Wenxue rises to face his new and prestigious task, without it having anything to do with the fact that it gave him access to the imperial library, something he had always dreamed of.

  Meanwhile, Jijiu Zhang watches him, praying that the implications of this decision will not cause him to lose his head.