Shen Zhi laughed coldly and said, "Master Hou, the pirates' plan is a success."
"Attacking the county is a small matter. I've already recruited the pirates to assassinate the Governor. When the time comes, the pirates will attack and destroy the entire county. When that happens, Master Hou can write a letter asking for forgiveness."
"Now that the power is in the hands of the Governor, the higher-ups are clear on this as well. We're just showing our loyalty."
"Besides, the generals are arrogant. If it were someone else, it would take time to subdue them. Even if the imperial court sent someone, they would have to rely on Master Hou."
Ji Bei Hou took a few steps around the hall, "Since we've already sent someone, can we just kill the Governor?"
Shen Zhi leaned forward and replied in a low voice, "No."
He paused before continuing, "Master Hou, this is all within reason."
"No matter how strong the pirates are, they can only take over our county. That's why we've chosen them."
"Assassinating the Governor is to show that the Governor is useless. That's why the imperial court would consider choosing you to take charge of Ying Prefecture. However, we can't let the assassination succeed. If the assassination succeeds, it would shake the imperial court. The imperial court would investigate the matter thoroughly and no one would benefit from it."
"Master Hou, this isn't a time of chaos. If you had the heart and power, you could have killed the Governor. What you're doing now is seeking death."
"Master Hou, the founding emperor is a wise and powerful man. However, it's been seven years since he ascended to the throne. I've heard that his health isn't very good."
"As long as Master Hou controls the military, if the Emperor dies and the Crown Prince ascends to the throne, the Crown Prince will be weak and it would be difficult for him to eliminate the feudal lords. Master Hou can then control the military for a long time."
"If there's chaos, Master Hou can take another step forward..."
"But now, we can't act rashly. In order to prevent this from happening, I think we should send people to the scene. If the pirates have the guts and the ability to act, we can kill them."
Ji Bei Hou's eyes were gloomy, as though he was deep in thought. After some time, he sighed, "Mister, you've worked hard. I've relied on you these days. If it weren't for your plan, I don't know how long it would take for me to control the military."
Shen Zhi bowed and said, "Master Hou, I've been your man since I was born. Even if I die, I'll still be your ghost. What's this hard work worth?"
Ji Bei Hou laughed and didn't speak further. After some time, he seemed to have thought of something, "Oh right, I heard that third brother instructed you to prepare some books?"
"Yes, Pei Zi Yun. This year's Top Scorer is indeed a genius."
Ji Bei Hou nodded his head. After some time, he asked, "Are they from Free Cloud Sect?"
"Yes!"
"Then can we rope in this person and Free Cloud Sect?"
'It's going to be extremely difficult to win over this disciple. As for winning over Free Cloud Sect, I'm afraid it's impossible.' Shen Zhi paused before explaining, "Although Free Cloud Sect's history isn't that long, we've gone through two dynasties. It can be said that we've already gained a firm foothold."
"These Blessed Lands of Daoism rely on Earth Qi. Although Earth Qi is natural Qi, there are ways to break it. As long as the imperial court gives the order, even famous mountains and great rivers can be diverted."
"Even though the Earth Qi has changed and not died, it has deviated. The original Blessed Land will gradually disappear."
"Changing the terrain of a mountain, changing a waterway, this is a huge undertaking. The imperial court isn't willing to do it, but it's not impossible. Hence, Daoist sects don't want to get involved too deeply."
"Although third young master has joined Free Cloud Sect, and Free Cloud Sect has received some benefits from Hou Mansion, it's not enough to rope in Free Cloud Sect." Shen Zhi said.
"I understand. You can leave now!" Ji Bei Hou waited for Shen Zhi to leave before he turned around, "Come out!"
"Mister Shen is a true scholar!" A Daoist walked out and clapped his hands as he laughed. This person was wearing a Daoist robe and a bamboo crown. His face was thin, and he had a long beard. He looked to be in his forties.
Hearing this, Ji Bei Hou felt uneasy. He then laughed and said, "With a Daoist from Holy Jail Sect joining us, what's there to worry about?"
Several days later.
The bookseller wiped the sweat off his forehead as he waited outside Hou Mansion. After some time, a servant came out and led him in. The bookseller held onto a book in his hands as he followed the servant in.
Shen Zhi was practicing his calligraphy. When he saw the bookseller enter, he ignored him.
When the bookseller entered the room, he bowed and said, "Your excellency, I've found some books personally written by you."
He handed the book over to the servant, who then handed it over to him. Shen Zhi received the book and looked through it. Indeed, they were famous works. He then smiled, "Not bad. I didn't expect you to be able to find books personally written by these people in such a short period of time. Not bad!"
"This is all because of your excellency's prestige. I've heard that Hou Mansion is collecting original manuscripts. Very few people would reject it." The bookseller smiled as he spoke.
"Even so, you're very diligent." Shen Zhi took a sip of tea and instructed the butler to bring the bookseller to the accounts room. He then took out another hundred taels of silver. This was the final payment. These seven books were not bad.
Shen Zhi took the seven books and walked towards Wei Ang's courtyard. When he entered the courtyard, Wei Ang was brewing tea. He had already finished painting and placed it beside him.
Shen Zhi stepped forward, "Third young master, I've found the books you asked for."
He then handed the books over. Wei Ang took the books and flipped through them before saying, "These books are not bad. They're all written by famous authors. Huang Li, you're my personal maid. Take these books and bring them to him."
"Yes, young master." Huang Li replied as she received the manuscripts. She then went to the mansion to hire an oxcart and brought the manuscripts to Fu Mansion.
When the oxcart arrived at Fu Mansion, Huang Li alighted from the cart and knocked on the door. The door opened quickly, and the gatekeeper asked, "Miss, may I know who you're looking for?"
Huang Li replied, "I am the maid of the third young master of Ji Bei Hou's Mansion. High Scholar Pei asked my young master to look for some manuscripts. Today, I have some news, and am here to bring it to young master."
The gatekeeper looked at her and saw that it was a young lady. He then said, "Miss, please wait a moment. I shall go and report this."
After some time, the gatekeeper came out, "Miss, this way please."
He then led Huang Li into the mansion.
At this point, Pei Zi Yun was writing. When Huang Li entered, she saw that it was a study. It was filled to the brim with history books. There were piles of manuscripts on the table. She thought to herself, 'Although she's not as good as young master's drawing skills, and is only good at writing, she looks more like a master Top Scorer.'
Just as she was thinking this, Huang Li stepped forward and handed the book over.
Pei Zi Yun stood up and took a look. It was the maid he had seen the last time. She had bright eyes and white teeth. Although she wasn't very pretty, there was something about her that moved him. He smiled, "Thank you, young master."
As soon as he received the book, he was elated. He then smiled, "These books are not bad. Huang Li, in a few days, I shall pay you a visit."
"Young master Pei, I shall return to report to my superiors. Farewell!" Huang Li said as she hurriedly left with the gatekeeper. It wasn't appropriate for her to stay outside for too long.
Pei Zi Yun watched as she left. Without hesitation, he took out three of the seven books and threw the other four aside, "Out of the seven books, three of them contain legacies."
"In ancient times, writing a book required a lot of effort and effort. Usually, it would take several years or even decades to complete. It's not surprising that such a ratio exists."
"Zeng Xiao Qin, High Scholar."
"Lu Ji Yuan, High Scholar."
"Wang Zi Liang, High Scholar."
"These are all famous people. These three books can sense it, and can be absorbed."
"Speaking of which, having these three books is enough. Learning is mostly about understanding by analogy. It's not always the more the better. I shall use one book first and absorb it. Once I've absorbed it, I shall absorb the rest."
Pei Zi Yun walked into his room and placed one of the books under his pillow. He then fell asleep and entered a dream.
Not long after Pei Zi Yun entered his dream, the sound of a door being pushed open could be heard, "Junior brother, junior brother, the weather is good today. Let's go fly a kite."
The little girl, Chu Xia, entered the room with the kite in her hands. When she saw Pei Zi Yun sleeping soundly, she leaned in and shouted, "Junior brother, junior brother, don't sleep anymore. Come fly a kite with me."
Pei Zi Yun was sleeping soundly, and couldn't wake up. He stomped his feet angrily and walked out the door.
He woke up from his dream and entered it again. Pei Zi Yun absorbed three books in a row. He felt as if the entire world was shaking. He stood up and took a few steps back. He then placed his hands on the bed to rest.
"Even though the Plum Blossom has opened its second petal, I can't take it much longer." Pei Zi Yun came to a realization. The Plum Blossom didn't have many restrictions. At least he couldn't reach the peak. However, even though he was a Dao cultivator, there was a limit to how much he could absorb.
Not only did he have a headache, even his train of thought was sluggish. This was a sign that his mental state was severely depleted. Pei Zi Yun laughed bitterly as he placed the books aside and fell asleep again.
When he woke up, he felt as if he had recovered somewhat. His head was still throbbing. He stood up and stretched his limbs. He saw some food on the table, but it was cold. Underneath the food was a piece of paper. He picked it up and saw that it was his master's handwriting. He couldn't help but feel a warmth in his heart.
"Gu gu" Pei Zi Yun's stomach growled. He pushed open the door and wanted to call for someone to warm up the food. Seeing that the sky was pitch black, with only a few stars in the sky, Pei Zi Yun then realized that he had slept all the way until midnight.
At this point, the night breeze blew past, and the servants were all asleep. Pei Zi Yun thought for some time before closing the door and returning to the table. He lit some charcoal and placed it in a small pot. Before long, the pot was boiling, and the food was heated up. The fragrance of the food wafted out, and he started eating.
Although the food was a little cold, it tasted pretty good. After eating, he went to the study table and laid out a piece of paper. He ground the ink and started writing. His thoughts flowed like a spring.
Originally, there were a total of seven chapters. By the time Pei Zi Yun started reading, he had already revised it eleven times. Although it wasn't perfect, every word was a gem.
After receiving the thoughts of three great masters of this world, Pei Zi Yun changed the seven chapters and took the essence of each chapter. He then expanded the chapters and wrote them down in one go. When he was done, he placed it on the table and didn't feel like sleeping. This was a beginner's Dao Art. Pei Zi Yun had the original owner's memories, so he didn't need to practice it. All he needed to do was accumulate energy.
In the blink of an eye, seven days had passed. Pei Zi Yun wrote every day, and would proofread it. He also practiced the Hundred Beasts Arts to accumulate energy. When he was done, he laughed out loud, "Finally, the Great Dao Art is complete."
He then instructed, "Men, prepare an ox-cart. I am going to Hou Mansion."
At this point, High Scholar Fu and Yu Yun Jun were standing in front of a room. The room was locked, and the corridors were quiet. Both of them looked sad and happy at the same time. Several old books were placed on the shelf, and the curtains on the bed were drawn. There was a blanket on the table, and everything looked the same as before.
"Ai, Mistress Cloud and I have come to see you again. It's all my fault …" High Scholar Fu said softly as he lit three joss sticks. He then thought to himself, 'But you're living in Paradise, and should have no worries. It's just that I miss you so much. This can be considered a form of compensation.'
Yu Yun Jun thought to herself. If it weren't for her sister, High Scholar Fu wouldn't have been able to enter a Dao sect. This was all fate.
After leaving, High Scholar Fu's expression changed. He was about to say something when Yu Yun Jun waved her hands. Her expression changed, "Eh?"
She then revealed an indescribable expression.
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