Red Mansion: Incense and God Road, starting from the City God of Shenjing

Chapter 79

Shenjing City

Royal Palace
imperial study room

"Your Majesty, Ziweisi has received an urgent report from Yingtian Prefecture!"

Emperor Shunde was discussing state affairs with his ministers.

Xia Shouzhong suddenly came in and interrupted.

The royal ancestral system of Daqian!

The urgent report from Ziweisi is more urgent than the 800-mile express.

Whenever it is received, the emperor must be notified immediately.

Anyone who dares to stop or delay will be punished along with his entire clan!

"Emergency report from Yingtian Prefecture?"

"But something happened to Lord Jia?"

Emperor Shunde was shocked.

I thought something went wrong with Jia Cong in Jiangnan.

He hurriedly took the information and started looking through it.

"Half-step demon king?"

"The daughter of the Xue family has awakened the dragon bloodline!"

"Five of the eight third-level masters of Bailu Academy died and three were captured?"

"Kong Chengxi of the Qufu Kong family..."

"White Lotus Rebellion!"

Even the shrewd Emperor Shunde was shocked and confused by the successive pieces of information in this intelligence.

Several ministers in the imperial study were also shocked.

Although I didn't see the specific content of the information.

However, I was able to guess the general idea from the few words spoken by Emperor Shunde.

Good guy!
Marquis Zi Yi is going to heaven!
Two of the officials from the Jiangnan faction were even more incredulous.

"My dear ministers, I have other things to deal with today..."

"Let's submit a memorial to the cabinet later on what we discussed today."

After giving up the intelligence, Emperor Shunde no longer had the heart to discuss matters.

He waved away several court ministers indifferently.

"Your Majesty, please leave!"

Several court officials were no longer in the mood to deal with state affairs.

Such a big change occurred in Jiangnan.

To the families behind them.

Whether it is a crisis or an opportunity depends on who can receive the news first and who can react faster.

……

"Otomo..."

"What do you think about this?"

Emperor Shunde rubbed his forehead and threw the information aside.

Xia Shouzhong read it carefully and pondered for a moment.

"Your Majesty, I have some guesses about the half-step demon king that Marquis Zi Yi brought with him."

"That day at Xishan, one of the three great treasures of the White Lotus Sect, the Karma Fire White Lotus, fell into the hands of Marquis Zi Yi."

"I will go back and order someone to search for intelligence."

"During the previous dynasty, there was an investigation into this Karma Fire White Lotus, which contained a demonic dragon soul."

"Are you saying that Jia Cong, the half-step demon king, was transformed from the demon soul in the Karma Fire White Lotus?"

Emperor Shunde spoke.

The Karma Fire White Lotus is one of the three greatest treasures of the White Lotus Sect.

However, no one on that day mentioned it tacitly, and just regarded it as an invisible reward to Jia Cong.

“I think it’s possible that the senior master behind Marquis Zi Yi helped him refine the dragon demon soul.”

"Including the martial arts innate and spiritual cultivators who appeared outside Jinling City, as well as a great scholar..."

"Have you found out who Zi Yi Hou's master is?"

Emperor Shunde nodded, this guess was exactly what he thought.

"Your Majesty, I am incompetent!"

"The Imperial City Department has been investigating for several months. I even took your Majesty's order to the Ziwei Department to question several of the Lords."

“And nothing was found.”

Xia Shouzhong knelt down hurriedly to plead guilty.

"Never mind, it's not your fault."

"Except for the few who use the Fulongting Arm to help them practice, the Xuanmen monks have always secluded themselves from the world throughout the dynasties."

"They have never interfered with the imperial world. If Jia Cong's talent was not so amazing this time, I'm afraid they would not have accepted disciples from the rich and powerful."

Emperor Shunde waved his hand.

……

"Your Majesty, Chief Steward Dai is outside asking for an audience!"

At this time, the voice of the young eunuch reporting came from outside the imperial study.

"Xuan!"

Emperor Shunde and Xia Shouzhong looked at each other and spoke.

"Old slave pays homage to Your Majesty!"

After a moment, Dai Quan entered and knelt down to pay his respects.

"Be flat!"

"But has the emperor issued an order?"

Since that day in Huangji Palace, Emperor Kaiyuan, the retired emperor, had a heart-to-heart talk with Emperor Shunde and handed over the Beijing camp to Emperor Shunde.

After speaking their minds out, the relationship between father and son was greatly eased.

Emperor Shunde no longer disliked Dai Quan.

After all, he is a martial arts genius and has a lifespan of 150 years.

In the future, Dai Quan will inevitably have to join the Ziwei Division and become a royal worshiper to serve the royal family for decades.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor has asked me to pass on his instructions."

"We must win over the Purple Robe Marquis. A half-step to the Demon King realm cannot shake the foundation of the country."

"Your Majesty need not worry too much."

Dai Quan reported respectfully and took out another token.

A faint light flashed, and a figure appeared in front of him.

The man dressed in a scholar's quilt and with dull eyes was none other than Jiang Wenxing, the great scholar from Jiangnan who had been captured alive by Jia Cong.

"The Emperor also said that Your Majesty is short-handed."

"This puppet made by the Ziweisi priest is given to Your Majesty for protection."

"I was worrying too much!"

"Thank you, Father, for the reward!"

Emperor Shunde suddenly understood what was going on when he heard this, and when he looked at Jiang Wenxing again, his eyes were filled with joy.

After all, this is the combat power of a great scholar in the third realm.

"The oral instructions have been delivered, and I am leaving now!"

After explaining everything that needed to be explained, Dai Quan bowed and left the imperial study.

……

"Big companion!"

Emperor Shunde read the intelligence several times again, and then suddenly spoke.

"Pass on my decree, to confer the title of Ziwei Sheren on Xue Baochai, the daughter of the Xue family, as Princess Anguo!"

"He is paid a prince's salary, granted the right to walk in the palace, and have the right to see the emperor at any time."

"Enjoy the thousands of acres of fertile farmland in the south of the Yangtze River."

"Order the Ministry of Works to build palaces in the Eastern and Western Capitals according to the system for princes!"

"The Xue family has made great contributions to alleviating the salt famine. I have appointed them to be in charge of salt business for generations. Their descendants cannot be deprived of their rights unless they have committed serious crimes!"

"Xue Hai, the Purple Wei official, is posthumously conferred the title of the Baron of Zhongyi County!" "Madam Xue is conferred the title of the Lady of the Second Rank of Imperial Edict!"

"Xue Pan, the eldest son of the Xue family, is conferred the title of Fourth Rank Cavalry Commandant!"

One reward after another came out of Emperor Shunde's mouth.

True dragons have been extinct for at least two thousand years, and Xue Baochai is the only one in the world who has awakened the dragon bloodline.

The third realm has the strength to transform into a dragon, comparable to the top spiritual cultivators.

There is also the potential brought by blood, if nothing unexpected happens, he will also reach the fourth realm in the future.

This combat power alone is enough to attract the attention of Emperor Shunde.

Not to mention that the intelligence stated that the Xue family girl was suspected to have a very close relationship with Marquis Zi Yi.

An ordinary princess title.

Most of them were named after places, such as Danyang and Hengyang.

Others use words with good foreshadowings, such as Yong'an and Anping.

But An Guo was the founder of Daqian, which was even the first case in the previous dynasties.

This title alone is enough to explain many problems.

In addition to enjoying the salary of a prince, he was ordered to build a princely residence in the two capitals.

Even a real princess of the royal family cannot match this honor.

Even Xue Pan, a good-for-nothing, was given an idle honorary title of fourth-rank cavalry captain.

Not only did he want to win over Xue Baochai, but he also wanted to win over Jia Cong by giving Baochai a higher title.

"The slave obeys the order!"

"Also... there is a locust plague in Shandong, and refugees are everywhere..."

"I'm afraid the report of civil unrest is already on its way eight hundred miles away."

After conferring honors on Baochai, Emperor Shunde turned his attention to the second major event.

Shandong is a large province with a large population.

If the civil unrest really spreads to the surrounding provinces, it may shake the foundation of the country.

"Your Majesty, why not send Marquis Ziyi to lead troops nearby to quell the rebellion?"

At this time, Xia Shouzhong spoke up and gave some advice.

"Lord Jia?"

Emperor Shunde whispered, and then his eyes lit up.

"That's right. Those people in Jiangnan are not decent. It's a waste to transfer troops from the Beijing camp."

"Marquis Zi Yi has strength, means, and even more prestige..."

“It couldn’t be more perfect!”

"Pass on my decree, appoint Jia Cong as the general who smothers bandits, and send him to inspect Shandong as the imperial envoy. Order the Jiangnan camp to dispatch 80,000 elite troops to accompany Jia Cong to Shandong to quell the rebellion!"

"All the troops in Shandong Province are under the command of Marquis Zi Yi!"

Emperor Shunde smiled.

The Bandit-Suppressing General has no rank or grade and is a temporary official position.

Generally, before a general leads his troops to war, he is awarded different titles according to different goals.

For Emperor Shunde, it doesn’t matter whether Jia Cong can command troops!

It doesn’t matter whether you have experience in leading troops or not!
There is no shortage of veteran generals in the Jiangnan camp who have experience in fighting in border towns and are capable of assisting Jia Cong in deploying troops.

What really matters is Jia Cong’s own strength and the combat power of the half-step demon king beside him.

"Jia Cong said he would massacre tens of thousands of people in Jiangnan. I'm afraid he has already started now."

"My dear companion, go to Ziweisi to get a great scholar's treasure and a small boat, and go to Jiangnan in person to announce the decree."

"Tell Jia Cong that I'm backing him up!"

"The White Deer Academy is just a small institution that cannot turn the tables!"

"The slave obeys the order!"

Xia Shouzhong bowed and accepted the order.

……

Rongguofu

"Please stay, Lord Zheng. Come back another day to ask for a cup of tea!"

After seeing off the seventh guest of the day, Jia Zheng breathed a sigh of relief.

The key words in Ziweisi's urgent report spread among the top dignitaries in Shenjing City in less than half a day.

The Rongguo Mansion, which had been quiet since Jia Cong left, was almost broken into by people.

Before this, Jia Cong had always had the upper hand in his battles with Bailu Academy.

But anyone with a discerning eye can see it.

Jia Cong is weak and alone, so how can he compare to the hundreds of years of heritage of Bailu Academy?

Defeat took only a month.

Who would have thought that less than a month had passed since I went to the south of the Yangtze River.

All eight major salt merchants were slaughtered.

Bailu Academy was badly injured, as if its spine was broken.

Step down on the powerful and flatter the weak, and curry favor with the powerful!
Although it is a derogatory term, we have to admit that this is one of the reasons why many families can stand firm.

For a while, visitors came in wave after wave.

And they all brought generous gifts.

"Send all these things to Lixiangyuan."

Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Jia Zheng had not yet received any news from Jiangnan, but it was not difficult for him to guess why the attitudes of all the ministers and nobles in the court had changed drastically.

Most likely Jia Cong has done something terrible outside again.

All gifts were confiscated from the public account.

Let the servants take it directly to Jia Cong's courtyard.

at this time……

In Lixiangyuan, the warm dragon was burning hot.

"Is this the eighth or ninth batch..."

Shi Xiangyun held her chin with both hands.

Looking at Yuanyang who was busy directing his servants to organize various gifts, he exclaimed in amazement.

"Just now, the palace sent a lot of things over, saying they were rewards from the queen."

"It must be that Brother Cong has had some big incident outside again."

There was no joy on Yingchun's face, but instead a hint of sadness.

"I don't know if Brother Cong is in danger now..."

"Don't worry, Second Sister. Brother Cong is so powerful, no one can hurt him!"

Seeing this, Tanchun quickly spoke to comfort her.

"Third sister is right. If there is real danger, how could so many people come to give gifts?"

Shi Xiangyun nodded repeatedly and looked at the servants busy outside.

"I'm afraid that all the houses in Brother Cong's yard can no longer hold all the treasures."

"Girl, just go and take whatever you like. You don't know Cong'er's temper. When has he ever been stingy with you?"

"Whatever it is, you can just take a look at it and have it delivered to your room later."

Yingchun was comforted and came out of her worries.

He reached out and tapped Shi Xiangyun's forehead, scolding her.

"That's different. What Brother Cong gave me was given by Brother Cong. I can't take it myself."

Shi Xiangyun shook her head and waved her hands repeatedly.

Seeing this, Yingchun shouted outside the hall.

"Xiren, quickly go and get the two sets of head ornaments and the string of South Pearl bracelets sent by the Duke Zhiguo's Mansion. Xiangyun's eyes will follow them into the warehouse soon."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of several maids laughing and joking was heard outside.

"That's great. You must tell our Third Master that Miss Xiangyun is helping our Master look after the treasure in the library every day."

"This sincerity cannot be wasted."

"Oh, Xiren, I will not forgive you today!"

Shi Xiangyun was very embarrassed by what she said.

……

(End of this chapter)