Chapter 78

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While speaking, Zhang Lu had already arranged for the meal to be prepared. The table was filled with dishes, all of which were taught by Zhao Chen from the future. The old man and the others were stunned by the array of delicious dishes on the table.

However, their faces soon turned somewhat awkward. There were no individual plates! In this era, meals were served in a way similar to how Zhao Chen ate at the Lao Qin family's house, with each person having a small table in front of them, and the dishes were served individually.

Zhao Chen acted very warmly but pretended not to notice their awkward expressions. This was his home, and he had his own rules, which even Lao Qin would not change.

"Guests follow the host's convenience!" The old man's words were effective; the others immediately had no objections, waiting for the old man to sit down before they did, and began to enthusiastically pick up the dishes in front of them.

The round table was large, and many dishes were placed on it, making it difficult to reach other dishes. However, it didn't matter. As the old man and the others were enjoying their meal, Zhao Chen placed his hand on the table and gently turned it. The dishes in front of everyone changed.

The few who had been eating voraciously were stunned when the dishes they had picked from suddenly appeared in front of the old ancestor. They opened their mouths wide, their faces almost turning blue.

What surprised them even more was that the old ancestor actually smiled at Zhao Chen, picked up his chopsticks, and picked from the dish that had been partially eaten.

What a remarkable old man! Zhao Chen couldn't help but give him a mental thumbs up!

The meal was a joyous occasion. Zhao Chen even took out some fine wine and poured a glass for each person. This was genuine wine, not the sour stuff from the Western Regions. The old man and the others sipped the wine, their expressions as if they had drunk nectar.

After the meal, Zhao Chen asked Zhang Lu to arrange for the old man and the others to return to their rooms, while he headed straight for the palace. Li Er was waiting in the palace, probably getting anxious.

The Hidden Sect's high-profile appearance in Chang'an, with the Grand Elder leading the group, was bound to make Li Er anxious before understanding their true intentions!

On his way out, Zhao Chen encountered the old eunuch. Seeing the old eunuch, Zhao Chen's originally excited face immediately fell. This ungrateful old man, who he had even stitched up last time, didn't even give him a heads-up at a critical moment!

The old eunuch, seeing Zhao Chen's cold face, just smiled casually, turned around, and leaped onto a rooftop. Standing there with his hands behind his back, the cold wind blew his clothes and silver hair, making Zhao Chen stare in amazement!

This old man is definitely trying to tempt me!

Forcing himself to look away from the rooftop, Zhao Chen gritted his teeth and headed straight for the palace. As soon as he entered, his face lit up with excitement. Seeing Li Er, he said happily, "Your Majesty, I have good news for you!"

Li Er, who had been waiting for news, was taken aback by Zhao Chen's sudden statement. He looked at Zhao Chen curiously and frowned, asking, "What good news? Tell me!"

Zhao Chen, hearing this, immediately recounted the conversation with the old man in the hall, naturally omitting the parts where he had misled the old man.

"So, it seems the Hidden Sect is like the Jixia Academy of old!" Li Er, after listening to Zhao Chen's account, paused, stood with his hands behind his back, and said thoughtfully.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Zhao Chen looked up at Li Er and said with a smile, "When I heard the old man's words, I immediately thought of the Jixia Academy. However, the Hidden Sect is different in that it exists outside the world."

"But how can we be sure that everything he said is true?" Li Er frowned, thinking for a moment, and looked at Zhao Chen with suspicion.

"Your Majesty, that's not the important part!" Zhao Chen smiled at Li Er. "What's important is that they have appeared and are confronting you in a new way!"

As he said this, a doubt flashed through Zhao Chen's mind. This was just a casual remark, but after saying it, he began to suspect that the Grand Elder's high-profile appearance in Chang'an might indeed be to confront Li Er!

The more Zhao Chen thought about it, the more he felt it was possible. The old man's arrival was already somewhat abrupt and strange. He said he was curious about Zhao Chen and came to see him.

But at the city gate, he made sure Li Er knew his identity. Was it really necessary to reveal his identity to see Zhao Chen?

"What do you mean by 'confronting'?" Li Er suddenly frowned and looked at Zhao Chen, puzzled.

"Ah?" Zhao Chen, lost in thought, was startled by Li Er's question. After a moment, he blushed and explained, "It means to openly and honestly clarify some matters!"

"Go on!" Li Er, not dwelling on Zhao Chen's awkward phrasing, frowned and looked at Zhao Chen.

"The Hidden Sect has been able to remain hidden for a long time without being discovered because the court's control over the regions is weak!" Zhao Chen, thinking as he spoke, analyzed for Li Er. "Now, with the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, control over the regions is becoming stronger, which greatly threatens the survival of the Hidden Sect!"

Zhao Chen looked at Li Er and continued, "After all, the Hidden Sect isn't just a handful of people. So, I suspect that the Grand Elder's visit to Chang'an, while he claims to be curious about me, actually has another purpose!"

"Do you mean the Hidden Sect wants to come out of hiding?" Li Er's eyes suddenly brightened as he stared at Zhao Chen and asked intently.

"Your Majesty, that's just my guess. As for the true purpose of the Grand Elder's visit, we can't be sure!" Zhao Chen immediately shook his head, as he said, it was just a guess. Who knew the true intentions of the old man and his group? If they had other plans, promising anything to Li Er now would only cause trouble.

"If your guess is correct!" Li Er frowned at Zhao Chen and pondered, "Why didn't they come to see me directly, but instead went to find you?"

"Your Majesty, as I said, it's just a guess!" Zhao Chen smiled bitterly and said, "But if it's true, I think there are two main reasons why they didn't come to see you directly!"

Seeing Li Er frown, Zhao Chen thought for a moment and said, "First, the Hidden Sect is still outside the Tang Dynasty's control, so they are being cautious. Second, they don't understand your attitude, so they are trying to indirectly gauge your stance by going through me."

"Hearing you say this, it does make some sense!" Li Er closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then opened them and nodded at Zhao Chen.

"Your Majesty!" Zhao Chen took the opportunity to ask, "What if the Hidden Sect really wants to come out of hiding?"

"That depends on what they want to do!" Li Er's eyes narrowed, and a cold light flashed in them, clearly his possessive nature was flaring up.

Seeing this, Zhao Chen rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on, and continued to probe, "If, just if, the Hidden Sect comes out of hiding and maintains its current status, establishing an academy like the Jixia Academy in the Tang Dynasty, what do you think?"

"What do you think?" Li Er's gaze was cold, and his tone icy, making Zhao Chen shiver.

However, Zhao Chen was not going to back down this time. The Hidden Sect's emergence was crucial to his future in the Tang Dynasty. If he missed this opportunity, he would have to develop slowly on his own.

Li Er was known for his petty nature, which Zhao Chen had already experienced. But Li Er also had a broad mind, provided you knew how to submit.

This was evident from how the various tribes later called Li Er the Heavenly Khan!

Since he couldn't deal with Li Er's petty nature, he would try a different approach. He would tempt Li Er with benefits, and he was sure he could move him.

"Your Majesty, I believe the Hidden Sect coming out of hiding would be beneficial for the Tang Dynasty in every way!" Zhao Chen immediately said, "As I mentioned, the Hidden Sect has preserved many lost traditions, such as the Zhuge repeating crossbow. This is a powerful weapon in battle!"

In the hall, Zhao Chen used his persuasive skills, just as he had in the mountains when he wrote the memorial to Li Er, carefully explaining the benefits the Hidden Sect's emergence would bring to the Tang Dynasty, painting a grand picture for Li Er's imperial ambitions.

Li Er's initial wariness began to waver under the impact of Zhao Chen's grand vision. It was clear that Li Er was starting to be swayed.

Knowing not to push too hard, Zhao Chen knew when to stop, just as he had with the old man. He had said what needed to be said, and the rest was up to the other party to consider.

"Even if what you say is true, it's still just a guess!" Li Er frowned, his fingers rubbing together behind his back, and after a moment, he looked at Zhao Chen.

Hearing Li Er say this, Zhao Chen was delighted. This meant Li Er was already swayed. The next step was to wait for the old man's response. Once the old man agreed, the matter would be settled.

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