Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan never expected there really was an underworld. As soon as they arrived, they immediately began observing and researching everywhere with curiosity.

Learning that Zhao Changyu had much influence in the underworld and also much money, the two couldn’t help but borrow people and money from him for research.

They were very interested in the existence of ghost officers, and even more interested in King Yanluo and the other ghost immortals.

Both chose not to reincarnate, but why did ghost immortals like King Yanluo who existed longer have higher martial power values, while ordinary ghosts became increasingly weak and finally disappeared?

Zhao Changyu was an exception because his memorial tablet was placed in the palace. With national worship, he was the first beneficiary.

And like him – innocent with no faults and able to enjoy national offerings – how many such people existed?

Even Zhao Song, though Zhao Ming and Zhao Shen never forgot to burn paper money for him every year, plus money, goods and mindpower given by other Zhao clan descendants during worship, over decades his energy was still slowly decreasing. Especially after Zhao Ming also passed away, his annual offerings decreased greatly.

Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan firmly believed they must have their own cultivation methods, just like her martial arts practice forms.

They wanted to learn.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t hide her desire at all.

How could reincarnating compare to being a ghost immortal?

After reincarnating, with completely new experiences and completely new thoughts, she would no longer be herself.

Therefore, when one had control, one should grasp one’s own future.

Just after Zhao Hanzhang borrowed money, she immediately received offerings from the mortal realm – so much. Though reluctant, she still pulled Fu Tinghan along to return the money.

“Alas, if I’d known we’d have so many offerings, we wouldn’t have borrowed yesterday.” Shamelessly borrowing money only to not use it – how heartbreaking!

Fu Tinghan was still hesitating: “Should we return it? How about waiting a while before returning – we’re not sure yet how much the research will cost.”

Based on his many years of research experience, with money this thing, more was better than less. What if their offerings weren’t enough?

Having to ask to borrow again would require another round of psychological preparation.

Zhao Hanzhang said: “Let’s return it first. When I was human I often owed debts. The feeling of having debt – I’ve experienced quite enough of it. I can’t still be constantly in debt as a ghost.”

Fu Tinghan listened to her.

The two ghosts went together to return the money.

Zhao Changyu received them warmly with a gentle face.

Though he was their grandfather, because Zhao Hanzhang became Emperor, and now everyone was dead, though past events weren’t completely dissipated, they should be mostly gone. So Zhao Changyu received them with the attitude of receiving distinguished guests.

Zhao Changyu was very interested in the current situation of the mortal realm. Though he could learn about changes in the mortal realm from other new ghosts, he more wanted to get information from Zhao Hanzhang.

Other ghosts knew miscellaneous detailed information. Only Zhao Hanzhang – she was the Emperor. She had more comprehensive understanding of the nation’s plans and the country’s major and minor affairs.

Zhao Hanzhang had only been dead two days. These two days she’d been constantly receiving new knowledge and new information. The world below was truly too wonderful, so she hadn’t had time for detailed discussions with Zhao Changyu.

This time the grandfather and granddaughter talked for a long time.

Having just become a ghost, saying so much at once, she didn’t react at first. After a while she’d look for tea to drink, after a while look for tea again.

Zhao Changyu brewed tea for her with his limited tea leaves.

Only later did Zhao Hanzhang learn that for ghosts like them, in the underworld they didn’t lack meat – what they lacked were things like vegetables and tea.

People in the mortal realm almost never offered ancestors these things.

Even as a nation’s emperor, after death one couldn’t casually give dreams to the mortal realm. One always had to pay something.

She felt she still needed to experience the mortal realm for a long time, so when she once sensed the mortal realm emperor’s summons that she could go up to give a dream, she paid extra to争取 争取more time. After finishing official business, she made a request of her granddaughter: “Send me some tea – it doesn’t need to be precious, just the tea leaves you and grandfather often drink. During festivals besides the five sacrifices, also remember to offer us some fresh vegetables…”

Zhao Hanzhang gave many instructions, not knowing how much her granddaughter remembered in the dream.

When the new Emperor awoke from her dream, her face was blank. After a good while she remembered the dream she just had. She immediately threw off the covers and got up: “Someone—”

There were no secrets in the palace.

The next day, all the court officials knew the new Emperor had dreamed. She dreamed of the late Emperor who had passed just one year ago.

Not just the court officials – even the Grand Empress was bewildered. How could she dream of the Grand Ancestor but not her?

The new Emperor cried like a child at court, then told the court officials the dream in detail, only concealing the latter half.

After the court session, the shaky new policies were able to continue.

Civil and military officials’ belief that she truly dreamed of the late Emperor was half and half.

Half believed she truly dreamed of the new Emperor – after all, the late Emperor had hinted at these new policies when alive.

Half believed this was merely the new Emperor’s excuse to promote new policies.

But this excuse really worked! Bringing out the late Emperor, few in court opposed.

At the insistence of some opposing ministers, the new Emperor chose an auspicious day and had the Imperial Observatory divine.

Whether it was truly the late Emperor’s blessing or the Observatory’s blind cat catching a dead mouse, the divination result was actually supremely auspicious. Moreover, there were celestial phenomena. Though far from matching the auspicious signs when the late Emperor ascended, they were still visible anomalies – auspicious signs.

The new policies proceeded smoothly.

The new Emperor excitedly returned to the rear palace, only then remembering the latter half of the dream. She hesitated: “Was last night truly my grandmother giving me a dream?”

Those around naturally agreed: “It must be the late Emperor’s blessing.”

The new Emperor frowned: “But my grandmother most loved eating meat. Before, she restrained herself for health. Now… why doesn’t she like meat but prefers vegetables and tea?”

Those around also couldn’t find a reason.

The new Emperor felt this dream was caused by her daily thoughts. She wanted to promote new policies, so in the dream she imagined ancestors agreeing. As for the more detailed and thorough measures imagined in the dream, those must have been thoughts she’d had before, just not formed, so her brain didn’t remember them. While sleeping, ideas from deep consciousness emerged.

What about offering more vegetables and tea – that must be aftereffects from her constantly urging her mother and grandmother to eat more vegetables and less meat.

Though thinking this, at night the new Emperor still couldn’t help but take her tea canister and slip to the imperial shrine, placing it before her mother’s memorial tablet. After offering incense, she sat on a cushion and talked to her: “Grandmother, being Emperor is truly difficult. After Mother gave me the throne, she ran out, saying she was going to observe mourning for you, but only stayed at the imperial mausoleum half a year. Now she’s already run off to the northern desert…”

She had thought that having supervised state affairs for many years, she had long experienced the hardships of being Emperor. She never expected that truly sitting in that position, the pressure faced was a hundred times that of supervision.

If not for her many years of supervisory experience, this first year of ascending would have definitely cost her ten years of life.

Especially after her mother abdicated as Grand Empress and simply left, the pressure increased exponentially.

Zhao Changyu kept waiting – waiting until Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan successively received offerings of tea and vegetables from the mortal realm, waiting until for research they blew up the underworld with excitement. To atone and cultivate, they even had to follow ghost officers holding chains to the mortal realm to lock souls. Unknowingly stepping into the ranks of cultivation, he laughed heartily and went to reincarnate.

The mortal realm was peaceful, hell orderly, the underworld had rules – he had no more attachments.

This time, it was Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan who stood before Naihe Bridge to send him off.