Chapter 732: The Game (II)
Zhang Yuelu suddenly recalled many things.
Why was that figure nowhere to be seen? Because he had already died in the Imperial Capital many years ago.
The winter of the 42nd Year of the Jiushi Era was extraordinary both for her and the Daoist Order.
At that time, she was just a rising star of the Daoist Order. On New Year’s Day of the same year, she was attacked by the Ancient Immortal Wu Luo. By midyear, she saw the outbreak of the second major Jiangnan case in Jinling Prefecture, and by year’s end, turmoil erupted again in the Imperial Capital.
Though people claimed that the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court were on equal footing, the latter could not compare to the former when it came to top-tier combat strength.
For the Daoist Order, launching a full-scale war to overthrow a dynasty was no simple matter. However, with the weakening of the Northern Dragon, planning a small-scale palace coup targeting the upper echelons of the Imperial Court was not difficult, especially targeted assassinations of high-ranking officials. This was an area where the Daoists were notably experienced.
For example, in the former Wei Dynasty, when the Western Daoist Sect under Song Zheng sought to establish their own empire, Xu Wugui personally struck down Qi Ying, the then Governor of Qinzhong, causing his body to decay. Despite having numerous experts under the Governor’s command, no one could break Xu Wugui’s curse. Ultimately, Qi Ying perished, and the Western Sect successfully founded the later Zhou Dynasty.
The Daoist Order had only ever governed directly twice—once in the present era and once tracing back to when the White Emperor honored the teachings of Huang-Lao.
But when it came to rebellion, the Daoists were seasoned veterans. From the era of the Taiping Rebellion to the Prince Ning Rebellion and the founding of the Zhou Dynasty, Confucians long dominated the court while Daoists lurked in Jianghu.
Only in the final struggle did the Daoists succeed, finally emerging from this subordinate position. Though the Great Xuan Dynasty hailed from Daoist roots, their new station caused no small amount of anxiety.
To the Imperial Court, the Daoist Order was like a sword suspended over their heads. When it would fall was not up to the Imperial Court, but the Daoists. It was an intolerable feeling, and the court was bound to seek ways to reverse the situation and take the hilt into their own hands.