Chen Ping’an, along with Xiao Mo, left his ancestral home in Mud Bottle Lane and Huaihuang County, setting out on foot towards the highest peak of the western mountains, Mount Pīyún.

At the foot of the mountain, pilgrims bustled about, the road crowded with carriages and horses. There was even a market dedicated to selling mountain goods and medicinal herbs. The goods were genuine, naturally – how could mountain products be fake? – but the prices were far from fair. Local pilgrims from Chuzhou wouldn’t even stop, heading straight up the mountain to offer incense, seeking wealth, love, and peace, each to their designated spot. But the visitors from afar often spent a fortune, because the mountain folk hawking their wares were silver-tongued. They claimed the Fuling mushrooms were dug from the back of Mount Pīyún, and the thunderstruck wood from Ao’tou Peak would ward off evil spirits if placed in the home. Or perhaps the Ganoderma lucidum was from Fairy Herb Mountain. Everyone had heard of Fairy Herb Mountain, one of the small peaks under the jurisdiction of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, right? And why was it that only *they* dared to venture there to dig up the Ganoderma lucidum? Ah, a good question! Coincidentally, they were distant relatives who often exchanged New Year’s greetings with that Chen Ping’an, the mountain lord! Their relationship was exceptional! If you saw him on the road in the county, he’d have to call them “Great Uncle.” Every New Year’s Eve, during the reunion dinner, that kid would offer them countless toasts! You didn’t believe it? They could confront Chen Ping’an face-to-face! Just pay their travel expenses, and once they arrived at Fallen Phoenix Mountain, see if he dared to refuse to show his face, see if he dared not call them “Great Uncle” and acknowledge the kinship!

Chen Ping’an squatted beside a stall, hands tucked into his sleeves, listening with great interest, nodding frequently. The man, seeing someone showing interest, smiled warmly at Chen Ping’an.

Xiao Mo, with his habit of using “millet grain” level vocabulary, said that listening to it made his head hurt.

Wei Bo, using an illusion technique, appeared beside them, smiling, “Do you two have so much leisure?”

Chen Ping’an stood up, using heart-speech, “Just now, in Song Jixin’s house next door, I found a fragment of my Natal Porcelain. Judging by the size of the fragment, I estimate that only one last piece is missing, but I have no leads for now.”

Wei Bo clasped his hands in congratulations, “A cause for celebration.”

Chen Ping’an rubbed his temples, “Except that one piece is still missing.”

Wei Bo asked, “Since only the last piece is missing, don’t you have any sense of it?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, “That’s the strange part. I had a slight sense of it before, but now it’s completely gone.”

When he temporarily borrowed Lu Chen’s Daoist powers, it seemed closer. But after returning the fourteenth realm cultivation, that subtle attraction vanished.

Could the last piece be in the Azure Billow World?

But Lu Chen had never done such a thing. Chen Ping’an believed that Headmaster Lu wouldn’t commit such an unscrupulous act. So, who could have taken it to the Azure Billow World?

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Enough about that. Have you decided on your Divine Title, Mountain Lord Wei?”

“We’ll discuss that at the table.”

Wei Bo didn’t take them up the mountain. Instead, they went to a tavern at the foot of the mountain, opened by Huang Erniang. She hired someone to manage the place, a branch store. Her son, Bai Shang, was a recognized child prodigy, a true scholar. He had studied at the Chen clan’s school in Dragon Tail Creek for several years and now held academic titles, studying elsewhere. He was destined for greatness. In a few years, he might even go to the capital to take the imperial examinations, becoming an official. The well-off Huang Erniang had finally made it. However, she hadn’t considered finding a man in recent years. In local parlance, a man who married a widow was called a “foot-接 (jiē – to connect, receive).” Some time ago, the drunks all thought that Zheng Dafeng, who guarded the eastern gate, had a chance. Everyone knew that every time Zheng Dafeng drank on credit, regardless of Huang Erniang’s harsh words at the time, there was a light in the woman’s eyes. But so many years had passed without any sign of a wedding, a single man and woman wasting each other’s time.

Today, Huang Erniang was personally tending to the business at the tavern. Wei Bo chose a table and asked the still attractive middle-aged woman for three catties of the best wine, smiling softly, “Ever since she knew Zheng Dafeng had returned home, she’s often come here, indirectly helping the Mountain Lord’s Office save on the mountain’s wine expenses. Publicly, privately, emotionally, and rationally, I have to take care of her business. Xiao Mo, I’ll have to trouble you to settle the bill later. I’m afraid Mountain Lord Chen will use the excuse of going to the privy, and disappear in the blink of an eye.”

Xiao Mo nodded first, then helped explain, “Brother Wei misunderstands. My lord is generous with wine and even more so when paying the bill.”

Wei Bo smiled, “Oh? I only heard that the Second Shopkeeper was the best at urging people to drink at the Sword Qi Great Wall? And never offered credit?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, silently finishing half a bowl of wine. He pursed his lips, his expression calm as he said softly, “It’s not that I never offered credit. I secretly made an exception twice.”

There were only two exceptions. After that, the wine shop never had a chance to offer credit to anyone else.

The small wine shop’s table, wine bowls, and wine, remained as they were.

Chen Ping’an proactively changed the subject, asking, “The Divine Title isn’t ‘Night Wanderer’?”

Wei Bo said, “It’s not Night Wanderer. I plan to choose the Divine Title ‘Spiritual Grace’ myself. As for that booklet, I added over thirty thousand words. Just promise me at the table today that you won’t attribute it to me. I’ll give the booklet back to you. Otherwise, we can’t be friends in the future, Chen Ping’an. I’m not joking. I’m serious about this.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “Mountain Lord Wei is a high official, I wouldn’t dare disobey.”

Wei Bo glared, “You’re not taking me seriously, are you?”

Chen Ping’an quickly raised his wine bowl, “Mount Pīyún hasn’t been officially recognized by the Confucian Temple yet, and Mountain Lord Wei’s temper is already growing. What will happen in the future? Will we, the poor relatives, still be welcome to visit?”

Xiao Mo nodded and raised his own wine bowl, not saying a word, first honoring with a drink, emptying it in one go. Only then did Xiao Mo say, “Don’t forget about us when you become rich and powerful. Mountain Lord Wei shouldn’t be like this.”

Wei Bo picked up his wine bowl, clinking it against Chen Ping’an’s, then turned to look at Xiao Mo, his face full of helplessness, “Xiao Mo, don’t learn from this kind of person. He may be a good drinker, but his drinking manners are terrible.”

‘If I don’t urge you to drink at the table, it’s because I don’t consider you a friend. If the affection isn’t there, drinking is just drinking water. If you don’t toast to me, it’s because you don’t consider me a brother…’ Listen to the words he says!

Chen Ping’an ignored him, silently reciting the words “Spiritual Grace”.

According to Shuowen Jiezi, “Spiritual Grace” implies the heavenly dew, which can be used as a metaphor for a country’s virtuous governance.
Before Wei Bo became the Earth God of Chessboard Mountain, he was once the Mountain Lord of the Great Mountain in the ancient Shu Kingdom’s Divine Water Nation.

His divine title was “Ling Ze,” carrying a nostalgic sentiment for his former homeland. This wasn’t a taboo within the divine bureaucracy, but it had both advantages and disadvantages for Wei Bo. Frankly, it wasn’t as universally beneficial as “Night Wanderer.” As a Mountain Lord of a continent’s northern mountain range, having a divine title related to sweet rain and dew meant that Wei Bo was essentially bound to the Song Dynasty of Great Li. After all, half the continent’s land belonged to Great Li. The so-called virtuous governance meant that if the Great Li Dynasty enjoyed prolonged peace and prosperity with enlightened rule, Wei Bo would benefit. However, if the Song Dynasty of Great Li faced a foolish emperor and corrupt court in the future, Wei Bo’s pure golden body would naturally be affected to some extent.

So, Chen Ping’an asked again, “Are you sure about this?”

Wei Bo replied, “As a Mountain Lord, having a divine title associated with water, isn’t that killing two birds with one stone?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “If Mountain Lord Wei explains it that way, it makes some sense.”

Since Wei Bo’s mind was made up, Chen Ping’an wouldn’t interfere. He clinked his wine bowl against Wei Bo’s, and they both finished their drinks.

Chen Ping’an said, “His Majesty will be very surprised, pleasantly so. He’ll feel that his trust and support for Mount Píyún over the years haven’t been wasted.”

Wei Bo laughed, “To put it bluntly, His Majesty will be glad he didn’t raise a thankless wretch, right?”

Chen Ping’an complained, “That’s a bit harsh! Don’t belittle yourself like that. Hurry up, punish yourself with a bowl, and refill it quickly.”

Wei Bo looked at Xiao Mo, “How good is your young master at urging people to drink? Have I misunderstood him?”

Without a word, Xiao Mo drank a bowl himself, “What Master says is both urging you to drink, and also reasonable.”

Wei Bo clicked his tongue, “Mountain Master Chen, could you find me an attendant like that?”

Chen Ping’an took a sip of wine and made a slurping sound, “One of a kind, no duplicates.”

Xiao Mo was happy to hear that and was about to make a request like Zheng Dafeng, but Chen Ping’an immediately signaled him not to cause internal strife. Xiao Mo silently moved his wine bowl toward Wei Bo, “I’ll propose a toast first. Whether Mountain Lord Wei accepts, how much you’re willing to drink, and whether you’ll drain the bowl, all depends on the depth of our friendship.”

Wei Bo was exasperated, “Good heavens, are you two teaming up to cause trouble? Have you forgotten whose territory this is?”

Chen Ping’an waved his hand, signaling Wei Bo not to dawdle. It was just drinking; why was he being so verbose?

Wei Bo chuckled, “Xiao Mo, I’ll be blunt with you. I’ll leave the words here today. I’ll drink every time you urge me to, but with each drink, our friendship will diminish by a bit.”

Xiao Mo was suddenly hesitant.

Chen Ping’an laughed, “Don’t worry. Your friendship is as deep as the ocean. If you want to empty your wine cups, you’d have to drink down several liquor stores in a row. Mountain Lord Wei is using reverse psychology on you.”

Wei Bo was speechless and had to raise his hands, cupping them in a gesture of surrender.

Chen Ping’an asked via heart-sound, “Is Yang Hua, the Marquis of Everlasting Spring in Qi Du, similar in background to you, a reincarnation of a former deity from the old Divine Water Nation?”

Wei Bo smiled without answering.

Chen Ping’an didn’t ask further.

Wei Bo clicked his tongue, “That Old Master Chen of yours is quite something. Not content with drinking alone, he brought a few friends to wander around at the foot of my mountain, had a morning drink there, and was practically shouting for me to show my face and help entertain them.”

That green-robed youngster swaggered around with three friends: a Dragon Slayer at the fourteenth realm, a Ascendant Realm cultivator from Flowing Rosy Continent, and a Jade Purity Realm sword immortal, clearly flaunting their status to Wei Bo.

Chen Ping’an laughed, “Whose fault is it that you gave him the cold shoulder a few times back then? He’s been holding it in. But I have to clarify one thing for you, believe it or not, Jing Qing never said a bad word about you to me, not a single complaint. On the contrary, he only spoke well of you. You have no idea what it was like, he was full of grievances but had to force himself to praise you. It was hard on him.”

Wei Bo was a little surprised. He thought that little brat Chen Lingjun would only complain and speak ill of him behind his back to the old master.

Xiao Mo nodded, “Jing Qing only mentioned to me at Fallen Mountain that he has been friends with you for many years, that you are like long-lost brothers, with a wonderful relationship. He also never said a bad word about Mountain Lord Wei.”

Wei Bo rubbed his chin, feeling a little guilty.

Wei Bo suddenly said, “His Majesty, who left the capital early and headed south, has changed his planned route. Instead of returning to the capital, he has chosen to continue south and has now entered Yunzhou. From the looks of it, he will go to Suian County in Yanzhou Prefecture, clearly heading to find you.”

Chen Ping’an hesitated and said, “In the future, it’s best if you just pretend you don’t know about these things.”

From being a young man who secretly drank alone to later drinking at Second Shopkeeper’s liquor stall and on the roadside, perhaps like the green-robed youngster’s experience of wandering the world, each drinking with their own flavors, but never wanting to put “friend in a difficult position” into their drinks.

Wei Bo laughed, “That old coachman who stayed in Yuzhang Commandery is like a firefly that doesn’t move in the courtyard, one of a kind. It’s hard for me not to notice.”

Chen Ping’an said, “That’s also a reason? Can you find an even more ridiculous one?”

Wei Bo raised his wine bowl, full of vigor, “I want to drink, do I need an excuse?”

Chen Ping’an exclaimed and quickly stood up, holding the bowl with both hands, his face full of flattery, “Well said! At the wine table, reason means nothing! Xiao Mo, don’t just stand there, we must accompany Mountain Lord Wei for a drink.”

Yunzhou, Yanzhou Prefecture, Suian County.

Green mountains and ridges, long flowing green waters, stretching fields, mountain flowers in full bloom.

The sun was just right, and in the drying ground outside the village bean curd workshop, the soy curd blocks were as white as shining silver. The donkey pulled the millstone, chatting idly, and the young men’s gazes followed the bulging breasts and full behinds of the young women and girls not far away. The men swallowed their saliva, and their voices unconsciously grew louder. Old men sat in the shade of the eaves, smoking their dry tobacco, calculating the amount of rainfall since the beginning of spring, thinking about the year’s harvest. On the door were the Chinese character “Fu (good fortune)” and Spring Festival couplets written by their grandchildren, with childish strokes, but exuding a youthful vitality. On the road, someone carried two flat, round bamboo cages on their shoulders, filled with fuzzy chicks, chirping.
Two horse-drawn carriages slowly passed the boundary marker between the two counties, a towering Wenchang Pagoda visible in the distance.

Beside a tributary of the slender Mei River, a roadside pavilion with black tiles and white walls stood, already occupied by those waiting.

Adjacent to the pavilion, a centuries-old Chinese Torreya tree, its embrace vast, formed a colossal umbrella, perfectly shading the small resting place. The cool shade was lush and verdant, like a spring pond.

Within the pavilion sat two officials of the Great Li, Pei Tong and Chu Liang, both holding important positions. They were the Prefect of Yun Province and a General, respectively, effectively the military and administrative heads of the region. For this journey, they had left their heavily guarded offices, each accompanied by only one attendant. According to Great Li law, the court would provide these powerful regional officials with a number of accompanying cultivators, granting them the temporary honorary title of “Secretary,” allowing them to draw two stipends, for an indefinite period, but relatively free, often for three to five years. This was no mere formality. Since the conclusion of the war in Treasure Bottle洲, there had been over a hundred assassination attempts, both overt and covert, targeting high-ranking officials in the southern provinces of Great Li. The assassins included remnants of the savage demon clans who had failed to escape Treasure Bottle洲, as well as cultivators from various nations filled with hatred for the Song clan of Great Li. For the latter, the Great Li court, under the guidance of the National Preceptor Cui Chan, had long established a policy: their families were not to be implicated, nor were the tributary courts to be angered.

The two cultivator attendants sat at the pavilion’s entrance, both young in appearance, hailing from True Martial Mountain’s Tongtian River and Wind and Snow Temple’s Great Salamander Stream, respectively.

These two prominent officials, Pei Tong and Chu Liang, both risen from humble beginnings, had recently received a secret imperial edict, instructing them to find a suitable location within the boundaries of Suian County to receive the Emperor.

The two carriages halted by the roadside, and Emperor Song He lifted the curtain, waving his hand to signal that Prefect Pei and General Chu need not stand on ceremony.

Away from the formal halls and palaces of the capital, Emperor Song He was quite relaxed. He reached behind him and rubbed his posterior, jesting, “This carriage ride has rattled me to my very core.”

Pei Tong immediately understood. The official roads within his jurisdiction of Yan Province would need some serious repairs.

Song He did not mind Prefect Pei’s speculation. He walked directly into the pavilion. The two Secretaries greeted His Majesty with cupped-fist salutes. Song He smilingly called out their names and chatted with them briefly.

Lifting the hem of his robe, Song He casually sat on the long stone bench inside the pavilion. A large hole was broken in the wall facing the river, allowing a refreshing breeze to flow through. The wall was adorned with charcoal drawings by local children. Song He glanced at them, raised his hand in a gesture, and smiled, inviting everyone to sit and converse. Empress Song Mian sat beside the Emperor, and the cultivator Yu Yu, designated “戌”, sat next to her.

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Zhao Yao, and the Weaving Official of Yu Province, Li Baozhen, sat together.

In the former Dragon Province, now the new Chu Province, there was no Provincial General. Therefore, Chu Liang, as the General of Yun Province, also oversaw the military affairs of Hong Province, just as General Cao Wu of Yu Province did. He was responsible for commanding the garrison troops and several fortress towns in the territory of Chu Province.

Song He smiled and said, “On the way here, I perused several local gazetteers of Suian County and discovered that many private academies have been established in the last century. There are surprisingly more than sixty of them, large and small.”

Within a single county, academies abounded, filled with the sounds of students reciting texts. These were perhaps not high-ranking aristocratic families, not even considered local gentry, but simply scholarly families who valued learning alongside farming. Therefore, the literary fortune of Yan Province was not overly concentrated, but rather flowed steadily. In the eyes of a geomancer, the larger prefectures had their mountain and river fortunes concentrated in various families, like colorful jewels, dazzling, but differing greatly from one another. Suian County, on the other hand, was like a jade plate holding pearls of literary fortune of varying sizes.

Pei Tong immediately replied, “Reporting to Your Majesty, Suian County has been a land of scholarship since ancient times. Although resources are scarce, the local people highly value the tradition of learning alongside farming. Among the dozens of counties in Yun Province, it can be considered one of the best in terms of literary and cultural education. However, most of the academies have been newly established in the last twenty years. For example, the largest, Stone Gorge Academy, has just been established. In addition, there are Yunlin Academy in Zitong and Jiaochi Academy in Hengtang, both of which are quite large. They were founded by local worthies pooling their money, as well as by officials who had served in the capital for many years and then retired, spending their own money and even using their personal connections to invite famous literary figures and respected scholars to come here to lecture. Over time, the number of academies surpassed that of the rest of Yan Province. And Suian County’s academies have a special characteristic: once they are established, they can almost always continue for many years. The academies always have teachers instructing and students studying, unlike other places, where they often fail halfway through for various reasons.”

Although they were officials of the same province, Chu Liang, who considered himself a roughneck, did not have many opportunities to interact with Pei Tong, who came from a scholarly background. However, just listening to Prefect Pei’s words today, the General of Yun Province began to admire Pei Tong’s speaking skills. He was indeed a scholar who had passed the imperial examination, and his words were full of implied meanings. Since the academies in Suian County were mostly established in recent years, wasn’t this a tribute to His Majesty’s emphasis on cultural governance? As for His Majesty’s “martial prowess,” the entire Vastness, the whole world knew it. Even after ceding half of Treasure Bottle洲, Great Li was still one of the ten great dynasties of the Vastness.

Song He nodded and said, “I remember that one of the county gazetteers recorded that a teacher from another place once taught here and left behind a school motto: ‘Teach people before teaching knowledge, teach people to be true people?'”

Pei Tong immediately interjected, “If I remember correctly, it comes from the first Headmaster of Five Peaks Academy. The saying is engraved on a stone tablet.”

Song He smiled. It seemed there was a reason why Prefect Pei was able to receive an uncommon “Excellent” rating in the Ministry of Personnel’s evaluation during the bi-annual assessment for two consecutive terms.

Cui Chan was not only the National Preceptor of Great Li but also Emperor Song He’s teacher. When Song He was still a prince, he had imparted to Song He a secret “art of the officialdom,” saying that the descendants of military generals in Great Li’s capital sought fame rather than wealth in their official careers, because they felt that the entire empire was conquered by their fathers, and they were born with the ambition to defend it. However, this easily led to grandstanding and a lack of understanding of local customs, resulting in projects that were costly and wasteful, with ambition but lacking in knowledge. Therefore, the court needed to guard against their arrogance and impetuosity.
Officials from humble origins, rising from the lowest rungs of society, having tasted poverty from a young age, find it even harder to resist the lure of wealth. As they ascend the bureaucratic ladder, they are easily tempted by riches. Even if they themselves remain incorruptible, they cannot prevent their relatives and clansmen from suddenly becoming wealthy and losing their heads. Human nature is rarely content. These individuals often become domineering and reckless in their local areas, squandering the reputation of the imperial court in the eyes of the people. Therefore, the court must constantly remind them to be pure and incorruptible.

At this moment, His Majesty the Emperor looked at Pei Tong, the governor of a province, and said with a smile, “Before leaving the capital, I specifically requested two calligraphic works from Lord Zhao of the Ministry of Revenue, family precepts from his Tianshui Zhao clan. They are on the carriage and will be given to you later.”

Pei Tong and Chu Liang quickly rose to express their gratitude.

Song He said, “General Chu Liang is a meritorious military man. Now he governs military affairs in two provinces. Besides military texts, he should also take time to read books of sages and scholars in his leisure time.”

Chu Liang, who had just sat down, rose again, cupping his fist in acknowledgement. He was, after all, a warrior from the battlefield, and his voice was full of vigor.

Song He continued, “From what I have seen of Yun Province, it deserves the ‘atmosphere should be pure and lofty’ mentioned in the family precepts. Governor Pei’s profound scholarship and integrity are also beyond question. I hope Governor Pei will not slacken in the future and maintain this path consistently.”

Pei Tong’s expression remained unchanged as he immediately rose to thank the Emperor for his recognition.

However, this provincial official, not yet fifty years old, felt a great surge of emotion within. The Emperor had used the word “himself”? What about Pei Tong’s family? Moreover, Zhao, the Minister of Revenue, was the founder of the *Guange* style of calligraphy, and Pei Tong was naturally familiar with the Tianshui Zhao family precepts. He remembered that after the phrase “conduct should be upright and sincere,” came the line “demeanor should be gentle and dignified.” Pei Tong immediately made a decision. Upon returning to his governor’s office, he would immediately send a letter home, ordering his family to conduct a self-examination. If any member dared to commit wrongdoing, engage in activities that harmed the people, or was involved in lawsuits, they would be handed over to the local government without leniency. There would be no minor punishments. In the ancestral hall, they would be immediately expelled from the clan.

Song He smiled and said, “I have summoned you here to accompany me to meet someone.”

The military man Chu Liang was utterly confused, but the civil official Pei Tong understood immediately. After a moment’s thought, he guessed the other person’s identity.

Who else could cause the Emperor to make such a grand gesture, besides that one person?

Could it be that there was a dispute between Fallen Mountain and the imperial court over the ownership of the Subtly-Browed River Dragon Palace ruins, requiring the Emperor to personally step in to mediate?

Afterward, Emperor Song He said that he wanted to take a walk and asked them to wait for him a few miles ahead in their carriages.

Leaving the pavilion, accompanied only by Vice Minister Zhao Yao and the textile official Li Baozhen, Song He took out a palm-sized booklet from his sleeve. It contained the contents of a secret report from the Yu Province Textile Bureau.

General Cao Wu of Yu Province went to the Cloud-Veiled Mountain of the Northern Peak. Subsequently, Mountain Lord Wei Bo went to Fallen Mountain to inform Chen Ping An. Finally, the two sides met for tea in the Ritual Department of the Mountain Lord’s mansion. This was only the content of the main report. The supplementary report was more detailed, serving as a supplement to the key points of the main report. This was the standard practice for secret reports from the kiln supervision departments, textile bureaus, and logging yards of the Great Li Dynasty. To this day, only the Hong Province Logging Yard had not submitted any reports to the Emperor.

Previously, with Lin Zhengcheng, the chief official of the Logging Yard, the Emperor had only engaged in casual conversation, talking about customs of the small town. They did not discuss any official matters.

Chen Ping An, under the alias Chen Ji, opened a private school in the village where the Subtly-Browed River originated, hiding in the countryside as a teacher. According to the latest intelligence, Gao Niang, the Water God of the Subtly-Browed River, and Yu Huiting, the female cultivator of the Wind-Snow Temple, were already aware of this secret. However, they had not secretly reported it to the Ministry of Rites or the Ministry of Justice of the Great Li Dynasty, choosing to deliberately conceal the matter. The Great Li Dynasty was able to discover this thanks to the movements of a Jade Purity Realm cultivator from Green Palace Mountain of Flowing Rosy Continent. The Ministry of Justice followed the clues and stumbled upon the truth. After that, Jing Hao, the foremost cultivator on Flowing Rosy Continent, a Flying Ascension Realm old cultivator, personally traveled to Yun Province. Of course, Jing Hao had informed the imitation White Jade Capital above the capital city of Luo beforehand. The old cultivator’s reason was to meet a mountain friend in Chu Province of Treasure Bottle Continent.

Overall, the imperial court was late to the party.

Learning of this secret report halfway through his journey, the Emperor only visited the Logging Yard in Yuzhang County of Hong Province, met Lin Zhengcheng, and then, on a whim, headed straight to Yun Province’s Yan Prefecture. The Empress Dowager remained in her ancestral home, making her “provincial visit” from beginning to end without much fanfare, so that the entire Hong Province officialdom was still unaware that the Empress Dowager was currently in the Nan family of Yuzhang County, and the Emperor had come and gone.

Song He smiled and said, “The law is nothing more than human sentiment. Vice Minister Zhao, in this matter, your Ministry of Justice should not be too harsh on Gao Niang and Yu Huiting. If I were in their position, I wouldn’t actively leak secrets to the court, or rather, I wouldn’t dare to.”

Regarding Gao Niang, the first River God of the Subtly-Browed River, the Cloud-Veiled Mountain Lord’s Mansion, which governed all the mountain and water deities of the Northern Peak, and the Ministry of Rites’ Sacrificial Affairs Department of the Great Li Dynasty, had all made the same comments.

It was evident that Gao Niang was an old fox adept at playing the game of officialdom.

As for Yu Huiting, after descending the mountain, she served as a Great Li military cultivator for nearly twenty years, accumulating many meritorious achievements. This time, she and a stable, local Great Li nascent soul cultivator were responsible for the unsealing and excavation of the Dragon Palace ruins. The Great Li Dynasty clearly intended to add another bright chapter to her record. Whether she intended to serve in the Great Li Dynasty in the future or return to the Wind-Snow Temple for quiet cultivation, both the Ministry of Personnel and the ancestral hall on the mountain had considerations. Furthermore, the ability to open the Dragon Palace restrictions ahead of schedule, saving the Imperial Observatory in the capital a wealth of rare materials needed for mountain opening, was due to her主动交出主动交出voluntary surrender of two “dragon eyes,” an unexpected benefit. The Great Li Ministry of Justice would provide compensation afterward, selecting treasures of equal rank from the B-grade secret vault and giving them to Yu Huiting. The Ministry of Justice was currently debating whether to give Yu Huiting a third-class or a second-class “Peace and Tranquility” plaque.

Song He said, “I have read Yu Huiting’s battle record. The Ministry of Justice should give her a second-class peace plaque. She deserves it. A woman with such heroism is a blessing for our Great Li.”
Zhao Yao chuckled, “Your Majesty, back then, when the Ministry of Justice wanted to bestow upon her a lowest-ranking ‘Innocence Plaque,’ she refused, claiming her meritorious service had long been dispersed, and she wouldn’t accept unearned honors.”

Song He, equally aware of the matter, couldn’t help but laugh, “Truly befitting of a military strategist cultivated in the Frostwind Temple. Your Ministry of Justice finds bestowing gifts more challenging than receiving them.”

Zhao Yao suggested, “Actually, getting her to accept a gift isn’t difficult, but it might require Your Majesty and the Minister to speak up and permit Yu Huiting to transfer the ‘Innocence Plaque.’ She’d definitely accept it then.”

Song He mused, “Such things are rare, no? As I recall, Great Li only broke precedent once before, with Zeng Ye of the Five Islands Sect?”

Gu Can of the Book Brief Lake had once transferred his ‘Innocence Plaque’ to Zeng Ye.

Zhao Yao nodded, “Then let’s add an additional condition: the transfer is permissible, but the Second-Class ‘Innocence Plaque’ must be downgraded to Third-Class. Given Yu Huiting’s character, she would still happily accept.”

Song He turned to look at Li Baozhen beside him, smiling, “Chief Weaver Li, what do you think?”

Li Baozhen smiled faintly, “Your Majesty is wise and has already made his decision in his heart, and are merely testing Minister Zhao and this humble official.”

Song He patted Li Baozhen’s shoulder, teasing, “The outside world says you lot from the Carp Pearl Grotto are quick with praise and even quicker with cutting remarks, never needing to rehearse.”

Zhao Yao said, “In this regard, we of Fortune Street and Peach Leaf Lane are far inferior to other parts of the town. Moreover, in our hometown, it always seems the women are mightier than the men. Granny Ma of Apricot Blossom Lane, the Widow Gu of Mud Bottle Alley, Li Huai’s mother from the far west of town, and Huang Erniang, the wine seller, those are the acknowledged first-rate experts. Their skills are profound, and when they argue, they’re all invincible.”

Li Baozhen nodded with a smile.

Song He asked curiously, “So, if they were to spar, who would win?”

Zhao Yao replied, “Peak experts don’t readily engage in contests.”

Li Baozhen chimed in, “Each has their own territory. A glance exchanged upon meeting, that’s likely a clash already. Common folk cannot comprehend the scholarship within.”

After a moment of silence, the three spoke almost in unison, “No wonder.”

No wonder that fellow from Mud Bottle Alley was so extraordinary, his fame echoing in foreign lands.

The simple folkways of that small town were now as renowned as Lord Wei of the Northern Peak’s Night Banquet.

Inside a carriage, taking advantage of His Majesty the Emperor’s absence, Yu Yu stealthily took out a pot of Everlasting Spring Palace Immortal Brew and began drinking.

Empress Yu Mian didn’t stop her. Yu Yu wiped her mouth and said, “Your Majesty, Empress, we’re about to meet the Hidden Official. I’m incredibly nervous, I need to drink a little to calm my nerves.”

According to the family genealogy, the girl was actually Empress Yu Mian’s senior in terms of lineage, Yu Mian would have to call Yu Yu “Little Aunt.”

Yu Mian asked softly with a smile, “Are you that afraid of Mr. Chen?”

Having accompanied His Majesty the Emperor to that wedding banquet in the capital last time, Yu Mian had met Chen Pingan. In her impression, he was a scholar of great integrity, lacking in the ethereal air of mountain cultivators.

Leaning against the carriage wall, Yu Yu hiccupped heartily and playfully blew a breath towards the Empress, “Missing the plural ‘we.’ It’s not just me who’s afraid of him, we all are. Anyway, we’ll all lose face together, so no one loses face.”

Yu Mian waved her hand, dispersing the alcoholic odor, and then lifted the curtain to ventilate the carriage, lest the Emperor be greeted by a carriage full of wine aroma upon boarding. “You’re so improper. How will you ever get married?”

Yu Yu mimicked the young Hidden Official’s tone, sighing, “This business of urging marriage is unwelcome. Besides, I’m a family elder. Your Majesty, Empress, that’s disrespectful.”

Yu Mian couldn’t help but chuckle, patting the girl’s head. Yu Yu cried out for liberties, turning her head and mumbling, launching a series of punches towards the Empress.

Song He laughed, “Baozhen, on this trip home, remember to find some time to meet with Jian Feng. He’s at least a Prefectural Ceramics Commissioner, he’s been in Locust Yellow County for more than just a day or two. It won’t do to have him knocking on closed doors like this. Alright, stop here. Zhao Yao and I will continue on our way.”

Jian Feng was a scion of a capital aristocratic family, replacing Cao Gengxin as the Grade Four Commissioner. However, upon arriving in the small town, he was met with obstacles everywhere, stepping on many soft nails. His situation was no better than that of Wu Yuan, the small town’s first magistrate. Jian Feng was still proud, looking down on the idle Cao Wine-Soaked from the bottom of his heart. In the eyes of discerning people within the Great Li’s central court, he was far less “effortless” than Cao Gengxin. Emperor Song He was not satisfied with Jian Feng’s performance in the Ceramics Bureau over the years, but he couldn’t personally teach Jian Feng how to be an official. Conveniently, Li Baozhen was returning home, so he simply had these two confidants of the Emperor exchange some candid words. If Jian Feng still showed no improvement afterward, Song He could directly turn to Li Baozhen.

Li Baozhen bowed with clasped hands, stopping in place and silently departing.

Once Li Baozhen had quietly traveled away on the wind, Zhao Yao withdrew his gaze and said softly, “Zhu Lu, an adjutant from the Weaving Bureau, her disappearance halfway there is a bit peculiar.”

Song He rubbed his forehead and said, “Things that can make the old coachman ambiguous are best left unexamined. Since the other party is very likely a Fourteenth Realm cultivator, the Confucian Temple wouldn’t be so secretive in their actions. Thinking it over, there’s only one possibility.”

Zhao Yao nodded, “If it’s him, it makes sense.”

Zhu Lu came from the Li family of Fortune Street. It would make sense for Lu Chen to have taken her away.

Song He walked slowly, the scenery beautiful, and smiled, “Peach blossoms, plum blossoms, and apricot blossoms together, petals falling into the wild man’s home.”

Zhao Yao smiled, “What does the wild man in the mountains have? A full vat of newly brewed Yangchun wine.”

Song He suddenly asked, “My coming here can’t be hidden from Cloud-Veiled Mountain, Zhao Yao, do you think Lord Wei of the Mountain will inform Mr. Chen?”

Zhao Yao said, “Hard to say.”

Indeed, hard to say.

It wasn’t a matter of a yes or no answer, but rather that Zhao Yao’s position made it difficult for him to answer this question.

The Emperor smiled and didn’t press the Chamberlain.
A rustic old man, herding a drove of piglets, emerged from the village entrance. Perhaps seeing Song He and Zhao Yao walking in the middle of the road, the piglets squealed and scattered wildly. Song He wrung his hands, rolled up his sleeves, lowered his head, and bent his back, trying to block the scampering piglets. Zhao Yao followed suit, spreading his arms and joining the Emperor in blocking the road. The old man, feeling hindered rather than helped, restrained himself, but finally couldn’t hold back. If they continued to block like this, the piglets might not only run into the fields but might even plunge into the river. “You’ll have to pay for them then!” the old man exclaimed anxiously, quickly telling the two to stop meddling. He busied himself for a while before finally gathering the piglets together, and Song He and Zhao Yao received a scolding.

Song He quickly cupped his hands and waved them a few times, apologizing to the old farmer in the elegant language of Great Li. The old farmer’s expression softened, and he muttered a few words. The Emperor then turned to look at the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

Yan Prefecture was a land of rolling hills, a place where customs differed every ten li and dialects changed every hundred li. Fortunately, the pig-herding old farmer and the young Minister, one understood but couldn’t speak the official language, and the other knew the local dialect but couldn’t speak it. This didn’t hinder their communication, and before long, the three of them were chatting, with a group of smelly piglets at their feet. When the Emperor caught up with the convoy and entered the carriage, Yu Yu had already tactfully yielded her seat. Yu Mian was somewhat surprised, but Song He explained it to her, laughing heartily to himself, in good spirits.

Mu Prefecture’s prefectural city was also the seat of Yun Prefecture.

A Phoenix Cry Temple, simultaneously bearing the plaque of the Yun Prefecture Taoist Administration, received three distinguished guests from the capital today.

The two plaques hanging together indicated that it was not only a local Taoist temple but also a Taoist administration under the Great Li Bureau of Cultivating Emptiness.

An old Taoist priest holding a horsetail whisk looked up at the couplet outside the temple gate, stroked his beard, and smiled, “The temple’s facade is twice as grand, but the couplet’s content is less impressive than ours by a long shot.”

A handsome young Taoist teased, “Taoist Director Hong, as fellow Taoist Administrations, such sectarianism is not acceptable.”

The old Taoist, called “Taoist Director,” shook his head, “We Taoists value antiquity and seek truth from facts. Where does this sectarianism come from? Don’t try to put words in my mouth and tarnish my reputation with Abbot Wu.”

The middle-aged Taoist standing in the center smiled and nodded, “The couplet’s content is indeed less profound than yours.”

The three uninvited visitors outside the gate were the Hong surname old Taoist, the Chief Taoist Official of the Capital Taoist Administration.

The young Taoist was the Recorder of Taoist Affairs, Ge Ling, who also had a hidden identity as one of the Great Li Earthly Branch cultivators.

The couplet displayed at their Capital Taoist Administration was indeed ambitious, filled with ancient meaning: “Pine and Cypress Golden Court Nourish True Fortune, Forever Cherish the Myriad Ancient Spiritual Ruins of Cultivation.”

Outside that administration, a stele stood beside the steps. The stele was erected by the current leader of the Great Li Bureau of Cultivating Emptiness, who had a string of titles: Disciple of the Three Caverns, Leading Capital Taoist, Director of the Hall of Cultivating Emptiness, Wu Lingjing of She County.

This was Wu Lingjing, the middle-aged Taoist who nominally managed Taoist affairs of the Great Li Kingdom, his title was “Grand Taoist Director,” and his weight in the Great Li court was similar to that of a Buddhist Tripitaka Master.

Wu Lingjing was not a “native” Great Li Taoist. His ancestral home was in the southeastern region of the Treasure Bottle Continent, in the Qingluan Kingdom, once a Great Li tributary state, where he had once presided over a small, unknown Taoist temple.

Now, this middle-aged Taoist was the leader of the Great Li Bureau of Cultivating Emptiness. In a sense, he was the highest-ranking official among the hundreds of thousands of ordained Taoists in the entire Great Li Dynasty, without exception.

Wu Lingjing and the monk who had obtained the title of Tripitaka Master a few years ago and concurrently presided over the Great Li Translation Bureau were from the same hometown, both from the Qingluan Kingdom. Both the Taoist and the monk were strongly recommended by Liu Qingfeng, the former Minister of Rites in the Great Li secondary capital, Luo Jing. The Taoist came from the White Cloud Temple of Qingluan Kingdom, and the monk came from the White Water Monastery.

Soon, a Taoist appeared to inquire, and upon learning their identities, he was greatly shocked and hurriedly led them into the temple to notify the Taoist Director.

In the blink of an eye, in addition to the Yun Prefecture Taoist Director, there were also two Recorders of Taoist Affairs who happened to be on duty in the temple, discussing matters, leading a large group of Taoist officials of the state, registered with the court, all holding their breaths, moving lightly, quickly came to pay respects to Wu Lingjing and his party.

This Yun Prefecture Taoist Administration, like the Capital Taoist Administration, was established with six offices: Records, Litigation, Incantations, Seals, Geography, and Rules. The Taoist officials of the various offices were all Recorders of Taoist Affairs.

However, the ranks of the seven Taoist officials receiving court salaries in each state Taoist Administration, one Director and six Recorders, were one level lower than those in the capital. In addition, the six Recorders often managed a major Taoist temple in an important prefecture within the state. The Capital Taoist Administration was a very small Taoist temple, the kind that the people of the capital would miss if they weren’t careful. The Yun Prefecture Taoist Administration, whose rank was slightly lower, was instead such a magnificent and imposing temple, worthy of being called a fairyland. The current Yun Prefecture Taoist Director, who was in charge of the Taoists of the state, was a Golden Core cultivator. The dozens of state Taoist Administrations in Great Li were more or less the same, affiliated with a historic Taoist temple, with the local abbot serving concurrently as the director of the administration.

The first impression of the Taoists upon seeing the leader of the Bureau of Cultivating Emptiness was inevitably a tightening of their Taoist hearts. In the officialdom, they were not afraid of those sanctimonious, pretentious people, but of this kind of smiling, seemingly approachable superior official.

Wu Lingjing didn’t mind, and if the Yun Prefecture Taoist Director said to take them around the temple first, he would follow them on the tour. If they offered tea, he would drink it.

Such affability made the Director and the two Recorders feel even more uneasy, wondering what the Grand Taoist Director, who was in charge of the promotion of Taoists in the country, was doing here without prior notice.

This middle-aged Taoist, who habitually squinted when looking at people and things, had actually begun his mountain cultivation very late, with only a few years of “Taoist age.” He was truly a case of coincidence, “cultivating the Tao in middle age.”
When Wu Lingjing was still a mortal, he was a veritable bookworm, fond of burning the midnight oil. Due to the sheer volume of books he devoured, he inadvertently strained his eyes, causing his vision to blur. Consequently, he developed a habitual squint. This habit, unfortunately, persisted even after he embarked on the path of cultivation. Over time, this led to a rather distorted and exaggerated perception. In the capital, the esteemed Curator Wu of the Bureau of Transcendence became known by the moniker “Smiling Tiger.” It was rumored that this epithet originated from the gossipy alleys of Rén Yún Yì Yún Tower or perhaps from the old Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Revenue, of the Heavenly Waters Zhao Clan. Wu Lingjing found this quite vexing, as he had merely visited the alley out of curiosity and admiration, never even stepping inside. He was stopped at the entrance, exchanged a few idle words with the old nascent soul cultivator, Liu Jia, and kindly offered some guidance to a young man who seemed perpetually struck by lightning. Yet, he gained such a nickname from this encounter.

Wu Lingjing’s current trip out of the capital was at the invitation of Master Yuan of the Directorate of Astronomy, who promised to introduce him to a friend. This individual’s identity was too sensitive for them to appear within the Great Li capital.

Therefore, Wu Lingjing agreed to meet Master Yuan in the Yun Province region.

Liu Zihun?

Wu Lingjing’s heart was filled with complicated emotions.

The renaming of Long Province to Chu Province was based on theories of stellar divisions and was suggested by the Directorate of Astronomy in the capital, specifically by Yuan Tianfeng, a “guest scholar” of the Directorate. Furthermore, the series of new county names in Chu Province—Xiandu, Jinyun, Wuyi, Wencheng, and so on—were also crafted by this Master Yuan.

At this moment, Yuan Tianfeng was in a certain location in Yan Province, advising an old Confucian scholar with no official title to donate money to build a Kui Xing Pavilion in the southeast corner of the county’s Confucian temple in order to gather auspicious energy.

Beside Yuan Tianfeng stood a young scholar, remaining noncommittal, as if to say that while the suggestion was good, it was not the best.

At the foot of a mountain, in a village school, a teacher was conducting a lesson. He explained the principles written in the books to the young students, and then, in more accessible vernacular language, clarified the concepts for the children.

“Boasting of accomplishments and flaunting literary talent are all relying on external things to define oneself. No matter how domineering and unrestrained you are, you will still have to bow your head before others. Having a benevolent heart and treating others with kindness, even if one has no achievements and is illiterate, one need not fear ghosts knocking on the door in the middle of the night and can live an upright life.”

Outside the school, a group of unfamiliar outsiders stood beneath the eaves, refraining from interrupting the teacher’s lesson.

In addition, two old teachers from the Wu Xi village school, having heard the commotion in the village about the arrival of three impressive carriages, were curious about the identity of these outsiders. So, they agreed to investigate together. One was the old novice scholar, Feng Yuanting, from the Wu Xi village school, and the other was Han Wo, styled Yuncheng, now serving as a tutor for the richest family in a village. The old man had no official title but had taught several students who had passed the county-level exams. After all, successful candidates in the Great Li Dynasty, especially in the north, were exceedingly rare.

The two old teachers were discreetly observing the group not far away while whispering to each other.

The old novice scholar whispered, “Brother Han, at first glance, they look like officials, don’t they?”

Han Wo, having seen more of the world, nodded, “High-ranking officials.”

The old teacher then added with insider knowledge, “Most likely from aristocratic families, gaining experience in officialdom. Perhaps in a few years, they’ll go to one of the six ministries in the capital or take a position in a major metropolitan prefecture, while also obtaining elegant posts like Proofreader or Compiler in the Secretariat.”

Upon hearing this, Feng Yuanting was immediately astonished. Wouldn’t they start their careers as county magistrates at the very least?

The Great Li Dynasty was divided by a line, with Chu Province marking the boundary. North of Chu Province was considered “Old Great Li,” while south of Chu Province and north of the Great Du River was considered “New Great Li.”

Therefore, officials serving in Yun Province and the north held higher status than those serving in the south, especially in the surrounding vassal states of the Great Li’s secondary capital, Luojing.

However, classes were only on break, and school had not yet been dismissed.

Chen Ping’an walked out of the school and greeted them with a smiling bow.

Song He returned the bow, saying, “Song He greets Master Chen.”

Song He?

The two old teachers were momentarily stunned, then exchanged amused smiles. They found it quite interesting; how could a young man choose such a grandiose name?