In a desolate ancient temple nestled within the mountains.
The sky began to turn gloomy once more. After the battle in the water, many had their clothes soaked, so a bonfire was lit in the ancient temple. Several escorts guarded the outside, while inside the temple, guarding Lu Huaining were Chi Yuran, Chi Zhongyu, Lin Zhao, and others. Liu Liying, with a folding fan in hand, floated ethereally, always following behind Lin Zhao.
"May I ask the esteemed immortal master..."
Lu Huaining rose and bowed in the Confucian style, clasping his hands. "Thank you, immortal master, for your intervention. Otherwise, Lu Huaining would likely have become nourishment for the dragon's flesh and blood."
"My name is Lin Zhao."
Lin Zhao rose and performed a martial artist's fist and palm salute. "A traveler passing through the Hundred Flowers Realm."
Lu Huaining smiled and nodded.
The group sat down again to warm themselves by the fire. Chi Zhongyu frowned and said, "Lord Lu, how can you, a dignified Second-Rank Minister of Revenue, be without even a proper boat? If you had an official vessel, you wouldn't be in such a predicament."
"Don't mention it."
A Ministry of Revenue inspector following Lu Huaining frowned. "After Your Lordship arrived in Jiangzhou Prefecture, all official vessels were requisitioned early on. By the time Your Lordship, the Governor of two provinces, assumed his post, there wasn't a single official vessel left to commandeer. To put it bluntly, the local officials of Jiangzhou and Longzhou actually wish for Lord Lu to leave, the sooner the better."
"The river embankment was definitely breached intentionally."
Lin Zhao frowned. "I came from the ancient Shu Kingdom, so I'm not very familiar with the situation in the Xu Dynasty. Who exactly breached the embankment, and what was their intention? It's likely not simple, is it?"
"Indeed, it is not simple."
Lu Huaining took a pot of wine from his satchel. This exceptionally refined scholar tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful of wine. Gazing at the flickering flames, he laughed self-deprecatingly. "When I, Lu Huaining, left the capital, I knew this path would not be easy, but I never expected it to be this arduous. It seems everyone in the Jiangzhou Prefecture officialdom wishes for my death."
Lin Zhao asked, "Can Lord Lu elaborate?"
"Mm."
Lu Huaining pondered for a moment. "This matter must be traced back to its origin. As for the origin, I believe the immortal master must have heard of it. It is the legendary national policy of replacing grain with rice. For many years, our Xu Dynasty has been engaged in constant warfare, relying on the assistance of mountain forces to unify vast territories except for the ancient Shu Kingdom. His Majesty and the Imperial Tutor have tasted success and wish to further elevate the strength of our Xu Dynasty's mountain forces, in hopes of devouring the hard nut to crack that is the ancient Shu Kingdom in one fell swoop. Hence, the national policy of replacing grain with rice came about. However, if all the farmland in Jiangzhou and Longzhou were used to cultivate spirit rice, our Xu Dynasty would surely not have enough food. The wealthy families would naturally not starve, but what would the common people eat? Therefore, the court was divided into two factions: one that supported replacing grain with rice, and one that opposed it. Standing behind Lu Huaining were countless upright officials in the court who cared for the common people. Thus, Lu Huaining went to the Wen Hua Pavilion to meet His Majesty and secured the official post of Governor of two provinces, to patrol the Jiangnan region on behalf of the monarch. His Majesty stated that if replacing grain with rice truly harmed the foundation of the nation, he would reconsider."
Lin Zhao nodded. "No wonder so many people want Lord Lu dead; it turns out you've blocked their path to riches."
The Ministry of Revenue inspector gritted his teeth. "After Your Lordship arrived in Jiangzhou Prefecture, you received no semblance of the treatment of a Governor of two provinces. Before our arrival, the Minister of War, Xu Changnian, that scoundrel, secretly ordered the garrisons in Longzhou and Jiangzhou not to dispatch troops without the tiger tally. As a result, Your Lordship, as Governor of two provinces, arrived in Jiangzhou Prefecture but could not command a single soldier!"
Lu Huaining frowned. "The river embankment breached... it must have been their scheme as well. Now that autumn is near, the next harvest in Jiangnan can only be grains. But the flooded fields are completely unplantable for grains. The common people will surely reap nothing this season. When the starving populace loses their source of food, they will sell anything. That's why even before the river embankment broke, a large number of merchants from the capital had already flooded into Jiangzhou, intending to profit from the chaos, acquiring farmland from the people of the two provinces at low prices, and then begin their spirit rice business. As long as the mountain cultivators can eat, Qing Fu money, Fei Yu money, and Jin Zhi money will pour in. They couldn't care less about the lives of the common people. Even if a million people in Jiangzhou and Longzhou perished, they wouldn't bat an eye."
"That makes sense now."
Lin Zhao frowned. "The interests of the capital merchants and the Jiangzhou and Longzhou officialdom are intertwined. They all wish for the successful implementation of replacing grain with rice. All they desire is land. Therefore, your appearance as the Governor of two provinces, Lord Lu Huaining, is simply a thorn in their side, a splinter in their flesh. Naturally, they wish to remove you as quickly as possible."
Lu Huaining sighed, his eyes filled with melancholy. "We scholars read so many sage books, only to become pens for those fat, corrupt officials. If it's like this, it would have been better not to have studied at all, to avoid disgracing the disciples of the sages!"
Chi Zhongyu frowned. "What's the next step, Lord Lu? Have you considered it?"
"Saving the people... ultimately, it still comes down to saving the people..."
Lu Huaining appeared dejected.
Just then, an escort walked in from outside and respectfully announced, "My lord, someone is here with soldiers to see you. They say he is Lu Zili, the commander of the Jiangzhou Water Army Commandery."
"Finally!"
Lu Huaining's eyes lit up, and he rose with everyone to greet them outside the ancient temple.
Outside the ancient temple, the cold wind whipped. A young martial artist in armor dismounted, followed by a group of water army soldiers. He respectfully cupped his fist. "This student, Lu Zili, pays his respects to his teacher."
"Mm."
Lu Huaining nodded. "Zili, you've finally arrived. How many men have you brought?"
"Five thousand."
Lu Zili frowned. "I've brought almost all the men from the Water Army Commandery. Please give your orders, teacher."
"First, seal the breaches along the river and repair the Lingze River embankment."
Lu Huaining took a deep breath. "These five thousand troops will likely all be deployed. Additionally, take my decree to commandeer the salt tax official ships and salt transport soldiers, and have them immediately enter the flooded areas to rescue people!"
"Yes!"
Lu Zili took the decree and frowned. "Teacher, I will go now. You must also take care!"
"Go."
...
In the afternoon, Lu Huaining, along with Chi Yuran, Chi Zhongyu, and others, returned to Jiangzhou Prefecture. Lin Zhao and Liu Liying also stepped into this legendary city of Jiangzhou. The city was located at a considerable height, so it was not affected by the flood. Conversely, in the evening, Jiangzhou Prefecture was illuminated by countless lights, appearing exceptionally peaceful, and the main street was quite bustling.
Chi Zhongyu bid farewell; he had a crucial mission to protect Lu Huaining.
Lin Zhao, as a mere traveler, did not deliberately entangle himself in the internal conflicts of the southern Xu Dynasty. Dressed in white, with Liu Liying hidden within his sword sheath, since he was here, he might as well thoroughly explore the beautiful scenery of Jiangzhou city. At night, in a renowned restaurant in Jiangzhou city, he booked a private room. From the window, one could see the Jiangshan scenery to the north of Jiangzhou city in the distance. A gentle breeze blew, making it extremely pleasant.
After the waiter served the dishes and left, Lin Zhao patted his sword sheath and smiled, "Come out, it's time to eat."
A faint golden light flew out. Liu Liying, in a red dress and holding a folding fan, smiled, "It smells so good! Jiangzhou city truly lives up to its reputation as a great city."
"Indeed."
Lin Zhao picked up his chopsticks and took out two pots of Qingzhu wine from his bag, saying, "Don't delay, let's eat and drink to our fill first. You've had a tough couple of days, so rest well and regain your energy."
"Thank you, young master!" the fan goddess said with a smile.
Lin Zhao partially covered the window, partly so Liu Liying could see the beautiful scenery outside, and partly to prevent outsiders from seeing Liu Liying. After all, he had changed into white clothes precisely to keep a low profile. The incident at Qinglu Inn, where the Second Prince Xu Beiji was killed, must have spread. Who knows how many assassins and cultivators the capital has sent to hunt him down. If he wasn't more discreet, he'd truly be in a lot of trouble. This was also why he and Chi Zhongyu, Lu Huaining, and the others had split up. If Lu Huaining were implicated because of him, that upright official in court might not be safe for long.
In fact, Lin Zhao understood clearly. Lu Huaining's heart was with the common people, which was why he requested to go south. But the Emperor's heart might not be with the common people, perhaps only with the entire realm. For Emperor Xu Chen, the lives of the common people were merely numbers on a ledger. He unified most of the realm through the strength of mountain cultivators, not the common people. Therefore, Lu Huaining might still harbor hope for the Emperor, but Lin Zhao was dismissive. Perhaps in the end, Lu Huaining would only find disappointment.
...
Late at night.
In a rather luxurious inn in Jiangzhou city, Lin Zhao lay on the soft bed, resting his arms. His face was bathed in the moonlight from outside. At this moment, he could finally rest a little.
Beside him, Liu Liying held her folding fan and sat by the tea table near the window. Her beautiful eyes looked at Lin Zhao, and she smiled softly, "If you're tired, young master, please rest for a while. Liying will guard here."
"Aren't you sleeping?"
Lin Zhao asked.
"Ah?"
Liu Liying's pretty face flushed instantly. "Does young master mean... Liying needs to serve you to sleep? If so, Liying will sleep with you."
"Wait."
Lin Zhao frowned. "I didn't mean that. I meant, doesn't Liying need sleep?"
"I don't."
Liu Liying smiled. "Liying is a spirit sealed by the heavens and earth in a mural. I slept for countless years within the mural. Now that I've left the mural, I can go for a hundred years without sleep."
"Alright then."
Lin Zhao nodded. "I'll take a nap."
Not long after, Lin Zhao's light snores could be heard. Liu Liying, pursing her red lips, looked at his sleeping face and couldn't help but smile. What kind of man was this, to be able to control himself even with her?
...
Just then, a scholar in a green robe appeared on the lantern-lit street of Jiangzhou city. He carried a scroll and had an oil-paper umbrella on his back. He looked up and saw Liu Liying by the window from afar, a smile appearing on his face. He spoke in his mind, "Back then, he easily shattered Chi Zhongyu's state of mind with a few casual words. Why is it with this Lin Zhao, he hasn't succeeded yet?"