At the level of Grand Master, selecting a successor is not as simple as distance and proximity, but also depends on the inheritance of ideas.
Being like-minded is the key.
If your successor is of the same mind as you, inherits your own line, and even carries it forward, then your status in future generations will continue to rise.
If the successor and you are not of the same mind and you pass away, the successor will change course. As the saying goes, the ship turns around in a catastrophe. In the process of turning around, you must strengthen your legitimacy by denying your predecessors. Its status in later generations is hard to say.
It would be even more difficult to say if the successor is resentful and makes a secret report after taking office to lift the lid and break the statue.
Obviously, in the eyes of Master Donghua, although Yao Pei is related to him by blood, their ideas are different, and Qi Xuansu is more in line with his own wishes. So it is not difficult to guess how Donghua Zhenren should choose. After all, Yao and Pei will always be in front and Pei in the back.
On the other hand, although people in the Li family also have differences, in terms of the general direction of the overall line, the leaders of the three generations are still the same. This ensures that the degree of unity of Taiping Dao at the overall level is much higher than that of Quanzhen Dao.
As for the Zhang family, it can no longer be said that they are consistent or inconsistent, but has directly shown a situation of disengagement. The fact that the Tianshi can ascend to the throne as a descendant of the ancient immortal is somewhat revealing, and it is the first clue to the problem. From Zhang Jucheng's generation, it was obvious that there was a shortage of talents and gradually became poor. In the third generation, there was no one available, so Zhang Yuelu took advantage and took advantage of the situation.
Seriously speaking, there are still many talents in Quanzhen Taoism, the only problem is that there are many mountains.
This is not accidental, but determined by three patterns. Quanzhen Taoism has the largest number of disciples from poor families and has the smoothest channels for advancement, so it has the most talents. Although the Li family is a family model, it has an adopted son and son-in-law to add new blood, so it ranks second. Only the Zhang family clings to the family model, and those with the surname Zhang cannot serve as Heavenly Masters, which will inevitably lead to gradual decline.
Qi Xuansu is an example, and he has gone too fast. Without considering the competition for the great master, his track is no longer limited to the eighth-generation disciples, but has faintly entered the track of the seventh-generation disciples, and with him Most of the people competing for various positions are disciples of the seventh generation. Among the eighth-generation disciples, apart from the three talents of the Taoist sect, Bai Yingqiong and the others were the eighth-generation disciples who were at the very front. However, Bai Yingqiong and others were only a few years behind the seventh-generation disciples.
After Qi Xuansu left Donghua Zhenren's private residence, he walked aimlessly in Xuandu.
The good news is that Master Donghua is willing to help him, but the bad news is that there are conditions.
Not long ago, Qi Xuansu said in front of Qiniang that he was lucky and had never encountered moral dilemmas. I didn't expect that it would come in a blink of an eye. Although this dilemma was not big, it was a choice after all, and I couldn't have both. Either get benefits or protect your reputation.
The more important point is that it was too sudden. The opening of the coffin and the autopsy happened yesterday, and today he is required to become a disciple. There has to be a process, after all, it is the master who has been thinking about and talking about it for so many years.
He couldn't, and he didn't even feel sad for Qi Haoran's betrayal for a moment. The person who immediately became a disciple of Donghua Zhenren was Qi Xuansu, who was known as Li Minghuang's second.
Qi Xuansu had an impulse at this time to pull out a branch with leaves and then count the leaves to make a decision.
To become a disciple, or not to be a disciple, to be a disciple, or not to be a disciple...
Leave it to fate.
Of course, Qi Xuansu can't really do this. Just as Master Donghua suggested, he should first discuss it with Zhang Yuelu, Qiniang, and Tianshi.
Master Donghua even arranged a sequence for Qi Xuansu, from easy to difficult, starting with Zhang Yuelu and ending with Tianshi.
Let’s start with Zhang Yuelu.
Zhang Yuelu was participating in the discussion, and this long discussion was finally coming to an end. Qi Xuansu went to Beichen Hall, planning to wait for Zhang Yuelu to come out and talk to her about the matter.
Even if Master Donghua doesn't mention it, this is what it should be. Zhang Yuelu has always been Qi Xuansu's important support, especially after Qiniang's problems, she is now the person Qi Xuansu trusts the most.
Today's proceedings are finally over.
Zhang Yuelu walked alone at the end. Xu Jiaorong and Lei Xiaohuan had their own business and did not go together.
Not far away, Zhang Yuelu saw Qi Xuansu waiting there.
Qi Xuansu also knew that his coming to Yujing could not be hidden from the eyes of interested people, and he did not hide it. He simply came out openly and openly, so as not to be shameful.
There were quite a few people who knew Qi Xuansu. When they finished the discussion and walked out, they all greeted Qi Xuansu. The more enthusiastic ones held hands and exchanged a few words, while the more distant ones just nodded.
Qi Xuansu was very busy.
Fortunately, when Zhang Yuelu came over, everyone tacitly agreed to leave time and space to this couple, who were regarded as the most famous couple among the eight generations of disciples.
"Have you finished talking to Master Donghua?" Zhang Yuelu asked softly.
Qi Xuansu nodded: "Go back and talk."
Zhang Yuelu smiled and said, "Okay."
Qi Xuansu took advantage of the situation and took Zhang Yuelu's hand, but Zhang Yuelu gently slapped it away: "There are so many people!"
Qi Xuansu couldn't help but regret that he was still too conservative.
But then I thought about it, and it was better to be conservative. If I weren't conservative, I wouldn't be able to wait until the day the two of them met.
Zhang Yuelu turned around and said, "Have you heard about it?"
"What did you hear?" Qi Xuansu was startled, "How come you are starting to talk about your family's shortcomings with the way you speak?"
Zhang Yuelu said: "You guessed it right, it is indeed a family that is naughty, but this family's nanny is not just a naughty family."
"How do you say it?" Qi Xuansu became interested.
Zhang Yuelu did not beat around the bush: "Princess Chiying has come to Yujing."
Qi Xuansu thought for a while: "I know this Princess Chiying, and I had a relationship with her once. It was when I was in charge of the Imperial Palace, and I had a little conflict with Princess Chiying's entourage. Later she Go to Taiping Inn to find Li Changge, you and Yao Pei were also there at the time."
Zhang Yuelu said: "It's her, the third daughter of the emperor, who is nominally the emperor's daughter, but is actually adopted from the clan. After all, Ziji Zhenren is an immortal, so it is difficult to have heirs. However, Ziji Zhenren I like this daughter very much. You can tell one thing or two from the title. The county owner chooses a place from the counties in his father's fiefdom as the title, and the princess chooses a place from among the prefectures in his father's fiefdom as the title. On the contrary, the princess is not titled with the name of a state like the prince, but with two words with a beautiful meaning. "Chi Ying" comes from the five thousand words of Taishang Taozu, "Zhi Er Ying".
Qi Xuansu asked: "What is she doing in Yujing? Is she practicing Taoism?"
It is never unusual for members of the royal family to enter the Taoist sect. The noble daughters of the clan who do not want to marry often choose to become Taoist. Xuanyuanfang, one of the twenty-four squares in Yujing, is where the royal family and clan members gather.
Zhang Yuelu said: "Most likely they are here to meet their elders again."
Qi Xuansu couldn't help but smile.
This was Princess Chiying's excuse the last time she met Li Changge. To be fair, it was a bit lame, but it made sense.
There have been eleven emperors from Daxuan to the current emperor. Although the current emperor corresponds to seven generations of disciples of the Taoist sect, even if you include Emperor Gaozu, who is one generation higher than Xuansheng, it is only eight generations. However, there have been several emperors in the meantime. The reasons for the elimination of heirs are sometimes because the emperor's cultivation level is too high and it is difficult to give birth to a bloodline. There are also emperors who left home and turned to Taoism. There are also emperors who died early. In short, there have been several cases where the throne has been transferred between the same generation, so the eight generations Eleven emperors were born.
Of these eleven emperors, six queens came from the Li family. The current queen mother is from the Li family. She is the niece of the imperial master and the cousin of Zhenren Qingwei. The current emperor, the late Empress Yuan, was also from the Li family and was the grand-niece of the Imperial Master. Li Tianlan and Li Tianyue were both of this generation.
Unfortunately, Li Changge's seniority is too high. Based on this calculation, Princess Chiying is Li Changge's great-grandson, but looking at her age, Princess Chiying is actually older. .
Of course, under normal circumstances, the two families would not calculate based on family seniority, but on the unified seniority of the Taoist sect. The emperor and Qingwei Zhenren are both seventh-generation disciples, and Li Changge and Princess Chiying are both eighth-generation disciples. These seniorities match up. .
Qi Xuansu said: "I know why you said it's not just the parents who are filthy. Look at this, the Li family and the Qin family are getting married again."
Zhang Yuelu said: "That's right, the competition has already begun.
Entering the final stage, we must unite all forces that can be united. "
Hearing this, Qi Xuansu suddenly had an enlightenment. No wonder Master Donghua suddenly made a request to become a disciple.
If Qi Xuansu is the direct disciple and successor of Donghua Zhenren, he is equivalent to a son, then his and Zhang Yuelu's Taoist couple will become the marriage between Donghua Zhenren's Pei family and Zhang family, not the Yao family.
No wonder Master Donghua specifically named Zhang Yuelu, Qiniang, and Tianshi.
Zhang Yuelu is the party involved in the marriage, Qiniang is Gaotang, and Tianshi is the in-laws of the marriage.
The opinions of these three people are crucial.
Therefore, this apprenticeship has nothing to do with morality or state of cultivation, but only with the power structure.
He still thought less and only thought about the negative impact of this incident, but did not realize the positive help to Master Donghua.
Master Donghua is not willing to make an intermediate transition and really wants to make the decision himself.
Qi Xuansu said softly: "That's it."
Zhang Yuelu said: "But I don't look very happy when I see Li Changge."
Qi Xuansu clicked his tongue: "Do you think everyone can be like us?"
Zhang Yuelu said: "I heard that Li Changge lived in the Imperial Palace for a period of time when he was a child. The two of them have known each other since they were young. They are childhood sweethearts. This is also the good intentions of their parents. But when people grow up, many of their ideas change. .”
Qi Xuansu concluded: "I remember there was a saying in the storybook, it seemed that a childhood sweetheart was defeated by a confidante who fell from the sky, that's what it meant."
Zhang Yuelu said nothing and did not want to cooperate with Qi Xuansu.
Qi Xuansu could only say to himself: "I think you are my destiny."
Zhang Yuelu raised his hand and said, "Stop it, I know you don't have a childhood sweetheart."
Qi Xuansu sighed: "You really know how to ruin the scenery."
Zhang Yuelu smiled and said: "We are both childhood sweethearts and confidante. It's so embarrassing. I can't stand this."
Qi Xuansu hasn't grown a beard yet, and the fifth-generation master is destined to grow a beard at the age of forty and a long beard at the age of sixty. At this time, he can only touch his chin: "It is indeed a bit embarrassing. It seems that I am not suitable for this trick. .”
Just as the two were talking, a person walked up from a distance. Zhang Yuelu exclaimed: "Princess, the princess is here."
