Da Ping County, Governor's Mansion
The Governor's Mansion was spacious and deep. The weather was hot, but King Lu was in high spirits. His skin was tanned and his face was glowing as he sat down.
Xie Cheng Dong bowed and was about to speak when King Lu laughed, "You don't have to say anything. I know what you want to say. You're trying to persuade me not to go out and bring a large number of soldiers with me."
"But if I want to conquer the world, I have to do something about it. Even with my current position, I have to take a look at the situation of the citizens and not just listen to reports."
"If I were to bring a large number of soldiers with me, how would I be able to see the truth?"
"Even if it's a private visit, I still brought a number of guards with me. I understand that the White Dragon doesn't obey fish." King Lu then spoke, "I went to the city to take a look. Luckily, there aren't many cases of soldiers plundering and pillaging. There's plenty of food on the market, and I feel more at ease. This is the heart of the people."
When Xie Cheng Dong heard King Lu speak, he sighed, "Although that's the case, King Lu is the ruler of a thousand cities. You have to take care of your own safety. The next time you're patrolling, please allow me to follow you."
"Alright." King Lu laughed and said, "What I'm looking at is the heart of the people. I'm well aware of the heart of the army. There are three thousand soldiers in the city, and I've ordered for them to be reorganized. I'm not worried about this. What's next is to see the heart of the officials."
"This time, Da Ping County was conquered thanks to the secret help of many nobles. Some of them leaked information to me, while some of them were spies. These people are aware of the bigger picture and have given up on the dark side for the light side. They've contributed food and manpower. How can I be stingy with my future prospects? Have you arranged everything?"
Xie Cheng Dong then spoke, "There are seven families in this county that can be rewarded based on their contributions. Under your orders, I've already asked each of them to send a disciple. They're all waiting outside, waiting for you to meet them."
King Lu nodded his head as he looked at the map, "The situation in Qin Prefecture has been reported. Ji Bei Hou's plan isn't bad. As long as a third of the officials follow us, we'll be able to operate."
"But management isn't just about operations. These seven families have to cooperate as well. I've decided to spend a lot of money to buy their talents. Regardless if they're talented or stupid, they'll be given an official position when they meet me."
"No matter how ignorant they are, they should be able to learn how to read right?"
"They can be sent out after some training. Give them an official position and let them know that they will have a bright future if they follow me."
Xie Cheng Dong was convinced and bowed, "Yes, this official will ask them to come in."
The Yamen's second hall was a row of rooms to the west. The rooms were full of people, drinking tea and chatting. There were about twenty people, old and young, sitting at a table, sipping tea, tasting fruits, and gossiping.
There were a few other youngsters seated in the row. One of them offered his tea and smiled, "Brother Liu … what did your family do?"
"Hey, there's a Daoist outside my mansion. He's known as the 'National Chess Master'. I like to play a few games of chess as well, but I'm not very good at it. I'm just bored and went to take a look. Who would've thought that my father would be in cahoots with him, and was able to get King Lu to help him." Liu Yin fanned himself as he asked, "Where's your house?"
"My family is not that mysterious!" The young man replied. He was slightly plump, and was sweating profusely, "My family is a merchant. We sold some rations to King Lu, and thus connected to him."
Everyone took turns to chat. Finally, someone couldn't help but ask, "Hey, what kind of official do you think we can get? My family and my father have put in so much effort and risked so much. At the very least, we should be able to get an official position, right? If that's the case, who would dare to look down on us in the future? "
"That's right. Riches come from danger. Those who are timid will starve to death, and those who are bold will die." Just as someone was speaking, his expression changed, as though he was in pain. Everyone around him asked, "Li Cheng, are you alright?"
This man clutched his stomach, "I have a sudden need to pee. I'll go, I'll be back soon."
As he spoke, everyone laughed as he ran out. When he reached the corridor, he revealed a fierce look, "I didn't expect that there would be a remnant soul hidden within my body."
As soon as he finished speaking, his expression changed again as he struggled, "No, no, you can't do this."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he laughed coldly, "Blind Daoist, I've healed your eyes and restored your youth. You still want to struggle? I've bewitched the Li family, and helped you get closer to the Hidden Dragon. It'll be beneficial to you."
After struggling several times, the pain disappeared. He then stood up and left.
"Li Cheng, why are you so fast?" Everyone at the table looked at Li Cheng. Just as Li Cheng was about to explain, a eunuch walked in and spoke, "Everyone, come in. King Lu wants to see you."
The seven young men followed behind him, not daring to even breathe loudly. As they walked along the corridor, they saw a dense bamboo forest. Imperial Guards were patrolling the area, each of them had swords hanging from their waists. They stood there like nails, and the atmosphere was solemn.
As soon as they entered, these people shivered. Even their footsteps became lighter, as they could feel the solemnity of the place. When the eunuch reached the door, he signaled for them to stop. This was something he had repeatedly instructed them to do. Hence, they stopped immediately. Their hearts were thumping wildly. When they saw the eunuch enter, they retreated and shouted, "Come in!"
This group of people entered, and before they even saw King Lu, they fell to their knees and shouted, "We pay our respects to King Lu."
King Lu raised his head and swept his gaze across these people. He then took a sip of tea before speaking, "Rise. I've seen your records. Not bad, you've all been educated. Some of you are even Elementary Scholars."
"The country selects scholars once every three years. Those who are outstanding in their studies will become officials. They are divided into Tong Sheng, Elementary Scholar, High Scholar, and Grand Scholar. Only then will they be able to become officials. Because of your contributions to your clans, you've managed to take this step. I've decided to bestow upon you the title of a ninth ranked official. You shall follow me and observe the politics of the country. This is a rare opportunity, and I have to warn you."
Everyone was overjoyed as they bowed and listened to King Lu's orders. The entire room was extremely quiet, and even the sounds of the guards patrolling could be heard.
"Loyalty, Diligence, and Secrecy!" King Lu smiled and spoke plainly, "I won't talk about loyalty and diligence. You should understand. Let's talk about secrets."
"I have to manage many affairs every day, and every single one of them involves the fate of thousands of people. This is a rare opportunity for you to observe the politics of the country, and hence, you have to know how to keep secrets. If you can keep these three words to yourself, I'm willing to give them to you."
"However, if anyone were to leak this information, it would be a small matter to be imprisoned or exiled. Exterminating one's entire family would be the norm."
The youths below didn't expect to hear these words, and started to tremble in fear. Li Cheng Shi's body twitched slightly, as though he had just seen the heavens for the first time.
Xie Cheng Dong saw King Lu's admonishment and thought that it wasn't too bad. However, his heart skipped a beat as he frowned. He turned around to look at these people, but didn't notice anything amiss. He then heard King Lu speak, "This is all I have to say. You may leave now."
Hearing King Lu's instructions, these people all heaved a sigh of relief as they hurriedly left. Even the joy in their hearts had diminished.
Qin Ping County, County Magistrate
"True Sovereign, the Qin Ping County Magistrate is just ahead." The carriage stopped as an official reported. Pei Zi Yun nodded his head, "I shall go and see the magistrate."
"Yes, True Sovereign."
Pei Zi Yun alighted from the carriage as several officials followed behind him. The armored soldiers followed behind him without a word.
"Who is it?" One of the bailiffs asked. He had never seen these people before. They looked like officials and yet weren't. He then asked, "Who are you? What business do you have here?"
Hearing the bailiffs speak, the official who had followed them was enraged. He then stepped forward and shouted, "True Sovereign Pei is acting on orders. He is the Imperial Envoy. Hurry and report this."
"Imperial Envoy? Imperial Envoy? " Hearing the Daoist official reprimanding him, the bailiffs were frightened as he trembled in fear. His legs turned to jelly as he fell to his knees, "Allow me to enter and report."
The leader of the guards sent by the Grand Princess spoke out, "He's just a mere county magistrate and yet he's so arrogant. There's no need to report. True Sovereign, let's go in directly."
The leader of the guards had a scar on his face as he led the way in. The bailiffs hesitated for a moment before retreating, not daring to block their way.
"Alright." Pei Zi Yun nodded his head. He didn't want to waste any more time on the bailiffs as they barged in.
The county magistrate was reading some documents when he heard a commotion outside. He then asked, "What's going on outside? What's with all this noise? "
The door swung open and the county magistrate was enraged, "Who dares to …."
As soon as he finished speaking, he realized something was amiss. The leader of the guards had a stern look on his face as he took out a document and slammed it on the table. The county magistrate trembled as he took a look at the document.
When he had finished reading it, he thought of the document he had received yesterday. His face turned pale as he hurriedly fell to his knees, "Your humble servant, County Magistrate of Qin Ping County, pays his respects to the Imperial Envoy!"
"Do you know why I'm here?" Pei Zi Yun asked. Hearing this, the county magistrate bowed his head and replied, "True Sovereign, I understand."
"Then summon the soldiers immediately." Pei Zi Yun said.
"Yes, Imperial Envoy." The county magistrate replied as he stood up, "Quick, summon the County Officer."
"Yes, your excellency."
The County Officer had been prepared for this and hurried over. When he saw Pei Zi Yun bowing, his face was solemn, "Greetings to the Imperial Envoy. Three hundred soldiers have been summoned."
"Set off immediately. Our destination is White Hill Monastery." Pei Zi Yun ordered.
"Yes!" Three hundred soldiers marched out, their weapons ready. At this point, it was almost dusk, and the people on the streets were scared out of their wits. In the blink of an eye, they had arrived at White Hill Monastery.
Pei Zi Yun waved his hands, and the three hundred soldiers surrounded the monastery. Even the Daoist Officials were on guard. The County Officer walked up to Pei Zi Yun and asked softly, "True Sovereign, shall we kill our way in now?"
"There's no rush, let's wait a little longer."
The sky was getting darker, and there were still many worshippers in the monastery. Men and women were holding incense sticks in their hands, their faces were filled with reverence. Pei Zi Yun walked in and didn't attract much attention. The path led straight to the main hall, and wasn't very big. In front of the main hall was a cauldron, half filled with incense. The inside of the cauldron was still burning, and smoke was still rising from it.
Near the stairs, there was a small table. On the table, there was a pen and paper, as well as a Merit Box. Pei Zi Yun looked at it and understood. Apparently, the incense was very popular. Most people would burn incense within the cauldron, and only after donating money would they go to the deity to burn incense.
Pei Zi Yun peered into the main hall and saw that the incense was still burning. Although the light was dim, he could see that the statues within the tent were glowing brightly.
At this point, a middle aged Daoist came out to greet him, "Those seeking medicine, please come back tomorrow."
The worshippers started to disperse, and one person came out. Pei Zi Yun asked, "Is this place efficacious?"
This worshipper was an old man. He squinted his eyes and looked at Pei Zi Yun. He was wearing a silk robe, and looked like an Elementary Scholar. He then said, "Efficacious, efficacious! True efficacious! Don't underestimate me! "
"My daughter-in-law was sick, and so I asked for some talisman water and incense. In the end, she was cured. I'm here to fulfill my wish."
"So that's how it is." Pei Zi Yun laughed and retrieved an incense stick from the side. He lit it up and walked up to the cauldron. He then took a step back and sighed, "Although the incense is efficacious, there's no fate energy left."
He then turned around and smiled at the middle aged Daoist, "Xie Yi, don't you think so? Your young master has taken care of me in the past, and I'm here to repay him. "
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