Chapter 110 Return of the King

Chapter 110 Return of the King

Chapter 110 Return of the King

Capital city, Nanzhili Guild Hall.

"Qing'er, get ready to pack your luggage. We have to prepare to respond to Tianfu." The newly promoted second-class scholar Feng Xifeng said with a yawn.

He went out for dinner and drinks again last night and came back very late.

Feng Wu was no longer surprised by such things.

She was very happy to hear that she could respond to Tianfu. The only thing she was dissatisfied about was why she didn't return to Jiangning Prefecture. But according to the old man's theory, after passing the second-class Jinshi exam, he should stay in the capital, take the imperial examination, be selected to study in the Hanlin Academy, and then become a Shujishi. How could he go directly back to Yingtian Prefecture in Nanzhili?
This process is wrong.

"Dad, you didn't ask for a leave to visit your family, did you?" Feng Wu asked curiously.

Feng Xifeng chuckled, "You underestimate your father too much. Following the procedures to become an official is the path chosen by mediocre people. For the Prime Minister to carry out reforms, extraordinary people must be found to make extraordinary contributions. This time, His Majesty and the Prime Minister personally appointed your father to go to Nanzhili to inspect on behalf of the Emperor and become the new Inspector General."

Because the imperial censors are the eyes and ears of the emperor, the emperor can make the decision directly as long as the cabinet does not strongly oppose it. Now the prime minister took the initiative to recommend the candidate, and the emperor agreed, so Feng Xifeng directly skipped the process of observing politics and taking the imperial examination for the second-class Jinshi, which was a special permission from the emperor and the prime minister.

Although it is against the rules, the emperor and the prime minister have decided it, and this is the biggest rule.

"Dad, even though the Inspector General is not a local official and will leave after one year, and there is nothing wrong with using people from Southern Zhili, why does the court insist on choosing you?" Feng Wu looked strange.

Feng Xifeng coughed and said, "As a father, I naturally have a role that cannot be replaced by others. Well, stop asking about officialdom matters."

Feng Wu was speechless. Who liked to talk to her about officialdom the most? You don't know what's going on, right?

Who wants to listen to it?

Feng Xifeng thought of what his old classmate at Dongzhou Academy reminded him yesterday, "Changing rice crops to mulberry trees is a national policy. Your trip is to escort this cause. There is nothing to worry about other things."

After connecting the cause and effect, he understood.

Lao He is now the prefect of Jiangning Prefecture, which is the pilot project of "changing rice to mulberry". First, although he and Lao He have always been at odds, they are from the same school after all; second...

"I didn't even say I wanted to marry my daughter to that brat, why do everyone say I'm his future father-in-law..." Feng Xifeng was secretly angry.

He also didn't expect Xu Qing to come up with a memorial to "change rice to mulberry". In his letter, Old He praised Xu Qing as if he were his own son. He even directly hinted that if Old Feng didn't plan to marry off his daughter, his eldest daughter, although three years younger than Feng Wu, would not be a bad choice.

"It's not even your turn." Feng Xifeng cursed in reply.

However, Feng Xifeng still had a hidden worry, and said to Feng Wu: "Qing'er, if you don't want to get married, I won't force you."

"Dad, why are you talking about this suddenly?"

"Originally I thought Xu Qing was a good guy, but he was too good. When you practice the Way of Destroying Love, the most difficult stage is the step of destroying love. If you cannot cut off your love in the future, I'm afraid you will go astray and your life will be in danger." Feng Xifeng expressed his concerns.

He secretly regretted that he had been decadent for a period of time and failed to supervise himself, allowing his daughter to be bewitched by the evil spirit and practice the "Book of Destroying Love".

By the time he found out, it was too late.

Once you start practicing this Book of Destruction, you cannot stop.

Seeing that the matter was done, he could only let it go.

Feng Wu said casually, "Life is short, and plants and trees are short. There is no time to think about the future. Just live in the present. If Daddy doesn't want me to get married, I won't."

Feng Xifeng: "If you can get married, I will be so happy."

Feng Wu smiled and said, "That's right. If I weren't there, it wouldn't be difficult for Dad to marry a woman from a wealthy family given his current conditions."

Feng Xifeng retorted: "With you, I can still marry you."

"Go ahead and marry her. I won't stop you." Feng Wu grinned.

Feng Xifeng's face darkened, "You are becoming more and more disrespectful."

"It's all because of you." Feng Wu smiled, and then the boxes and other storage items in the room opened by themselves, and then small items flew in one by one and were neatly arranged.

Feng Xifeng was not surprised.

This daughter's soul has reached the level of being able to drive away objects. Some time ago, she was appreciated by the master of Chaotian Temple, who gave her magical tools and elixirs.

The abbot of Chaotian Temple is the imperial teacher of the current dynasty. No one knows why he is so fond of my daughter.

Feng Xifeng was worried that something bad might happen, so he was happy to be able to leave the capital city, which was a vortex of gossip.

"After you get out, don't show off these Taoist skills. Also, I have the luck of the dynasty on me, so you better be careful not to get hurt."

"I see. The dynasty's luck is just to suppress the soul. Moreover, if the soul is cultivated to the point of being visible, only officials above the third rank can form a significant suppression. You are just a shabby inspector, and you are only a seventh rank official."

Feng Xifeng's face twitched, and he couldn't help but retort: ​​"You haven't cultivated to the point of revealing your form either."

Feng Wu: "Yes, yes, yes. I am afraid that I will reveal myself before you become a third-rank official."

Feng Xifeng felt very pressured when he heard this.

The father's power is weak!
He then stopped talking to his good daughter, returned to his study, and began writing letters to his classmates and friends in Nanzhili, including Magistrate He.

I wrote a lot, but the letter only conveyed one meaning: Do you know what "the king's return" means?

As the ancients said, if you don't return to your hometown when you are rich and powerful, it is like walking in fine clothes at night.

He used to be disdainful of this, but now he feels that it is finally his turn!

...

...

"So, Gongming, you said a lot just to make me go to Jinyang Prefecture to be the prefect?" Inspector Wu looked at the good student with a strange expression.

Xu Qing: "Zheng Zhixian's hometown is in Jinyang Prefecture. My teacher is the prefect of Jinyang Prefecture, so he naturally doesn't dare to do anything reckless. It's naturally easy for students to get things done here."

"Well, even if you didn't say it, I would also think that being a prefect of Northern Zhili is a good thing." Inspector Wu had previously had illusions, but after Xu Qing analyzed the pros and cons, he had to admit that with his background, he would be cannon fodder if he went to the capital. It would be better to be a local official, which would be more comfortable and easier to achieve political achievements.

Xu Qing also cited the example of Su Daxueshi of the previous dynasty. He was also demoted all the way, but he made achievements in local politics and his reputation became better and better. At his peak, he also sat in the position of Minister of Rites.

Xun'an Wu really wanted to say that the other person had a younger brother who was the vice prime minister.

Xu Qing replied confidently that his mentor also had a good disciple.

How dare you, a little scholar, be so arrogant!

Wu Xun'an complained in his heart, but this student is a monster. He is only fifteen years old, but he already knows so many things. Even if he suffers some losses in the future, he can outlast many old guys.

Young is good.

The possibilities are endless.

Of course, he knew that if he didn't want to be an official in Beijing, the best place to go would be to be the inspector of salt, inspector of grain transport, or prefect of Zhili Prefecture. The salt industry and grain transport were both very complicated, so the prefect of Zhili Prefecture was indeed an excellent choice. Moreover, Jinyang Prefecture was close to the capital, so sending ice and charcoal during festivals was faster and easier than sending officials from other places, and it was easier to build relationships.

In addition, Jinyang Prefecture is close to the sea and has a large dock. So Xu Qing gave him an idea, which was to ask the court to conduct a pilot project in Jinyang Prefecture to transport grain from the south by sea.

The quantity is not much, just enough for Jinyang Prefecture.

This was only in name only. In reality, it was a suggestion that the court maintain an army in Jinyang Prefecture to supply food by sea to reduce consumption.

Since ancient times, political reforms have no chance of success without military support.

If we use our connections to privately pass this suggestion on to the Prime Minister, he will definitely get his support.

Of course, transporting grain by sea will certainly affect the interests of water transport.

Whether it can be implemented depends entirely on whether the Prime Minister is strong enough and the emperor's will is firm.

In any case, it is also an opportunity to show off to the Prime Minister.

Moreover, this kind of opportunity would also face pressure from the canal transport faction, so even if others thought about it, they would not dare to take it.

Wu Xun'an's move did involve certain risks, but it was better than being directly involved in the vortex of the grain transport and salt industry.

To get promoted and make money, one must take risks.

Of course, Inspector Wu was willing to give it a try.

If he didn't want to make progress, he could just work peacefully as a prefect of Zhili Prefecture, which would bring honor to the Wu family.

It was not surprising that Xu Qing was able to persuade Inspector Wu. In fact, Old Wu himself understood that becoming a prefect was the best option for the next step, but he was reluctant to give up the title of Qingliu.

Now that Xu Qing has talked about the pros and cons of the matter, it is an easy choice to make whether to save face or save substance.

Wu Xun'an went to Xu Qing to make a decision. Now that he had made up his mind, he felt much more relaxed. He added, "When I leave, you have to be careful. Eunuch Zhao and Marquis Wu Ding used their connections with the Imperial Household Department to present a large sum of silver to the inner treasury, so they landed safely this time. When I am here, they may not necessarily do anything to you. If I leave, they dare not block the major event of replacing rice with mulberry trees openly, but they can still make things difficult for you in private, such as making you rank low in the provincial examination." Xu Qing nodded. He knew very well that although replacing rice with mulberry trees was a national policy, the emperor was far away, and when it was really implemented in the local area, the resistance from all sides would be extremely great.

It is absolutely possible that Eunuch Zhao and Marquis Wuding are plotting something shady.

Xu Qing was not afraid of other shady tricks, but he was most worried about the provincial examination. Passing the provincial examination would be the most beneficial thing for him, and at the very least he would at least be the top scorer in the five classics.

If one doesn't even get the top prize in the Five Classics, even if one ranks sixth in the provincial examination, it won't mean much.

The main thing is that he has not only offended Eunuch Zhao and Marquis Wuding, but also the local faction of Nanzhili led by Duke Wei.

If Xu Qing had not offended these people, he would not have the resources he has now.

There was no chance that he would have a share in the Golden Light Mantra.

Maybe he has already been made rich by King Lin and gone to sea.

"When that day really comes, going out to sea may not be a bad thing." Xu Qing thought about it and decided that it would be best if they could continue playing now, but if they really couldn't, no one would play.

He just needs to make arrangements with his uncle and aunt, and then go underground with Su Lianqing to defeat these bastards.

The reason why he is in a difficult situation now is because Xu Qing still abides by the rules and wants to build things up. If he is really pushed to the limit, he will also start to sabotage.

If he is not allowed to eat, no one else can eat either.

As long as he can cultivate his spirit and soul to the point where he can manifest his physical form, and practice martial arts, there will be a place for him to stay in this world.

At most, it changes from light to dark.

At that time, the worst that could happen is that he would swallow up the Luo Sect and become the leader.

Of course, if you want to do big things, it is better to have a base. There is no need to give up your foundation unless it is absolutely necessary.

Once he can withstand the initial pressure and consolidate his base, he will be able to transform from a snake into a dragon and become powerful, waiting for changes in the world.

Xu Qing suppressed his angry thoughts.

After discussing with him, Inspector Wu left Tianxiangyuan. He had little time left in office, so he had to make money quickly.

I can only say that for many things, we only learn to cherish them when we are about to lose them.

Now, for Lord Wu, the position of Inspector General is like becoming someone else's wife, so he must push hard for it.

...

...

"Sir, I just received some bad news." After Inspector Wu left, Xu Qing came to Meixiang Cottage, and Su Lianqing reported to him.

"what's up?"

"Sir, do you still remember that the inner factory planted a woman named Sun Xiang to join the Luo Sect last time? This woman is the descendant of the Golden Centipede Dharma King of the Luo Sect. Now the Golden Centipede Dharma King has possessed her body by splitting his spirit." She paused and continued, "Fortunately, I followed your instructions and reported the matter of the inner factory to the Luo Sect in advance. Otherwise, after the Golden Centipede Dharma King possessed her and investigated the matter, he would definitely suspect me."

"Has the Golden Centipede Dharma King reached the stage of 'possession'?"

"I just learned about it. Now he and the leader are both in the realm of possession, and their Taoist magic is endless. Fortunately, possession is at most the level of driving things, but she must have many secret methods, so you have to be careful these days."

Xu Qing knew what Su Lianqing meant. Jiangning Prefecture suddenly had a clone of a powerful man possessed by the Luo Sect. For Xu Qing, this was definitely an unsettling factor.

"The person who tied the bell must untie it. This time the problem was caused by the people in the inner factory themselves, so it is up to the inner factory to solve it." Xu Qing thought to himself. He decided to wait for a while, wrote a letter and went to Shangqing Palace in Laoshan, using the excuse that he had made considerable progress in comprehending the Five Tigers Breaking Door Sword, and asked Captain Zuo whether he had come out of seclusion.

As soon as Captain Zuo returns to Jiangning Prefecture, the Golden Centipede Dharma King's clone will naturally be more wary of the head of Jiangning Prefecture's internal factory and will divert his attention.

It wasn't that he was afraid of a spirit that had mastered the art of driving away creatures, but the Golden Centipede Dharma King was behind the other party. If he wasted too much energy on these things during the critical period of his provincial examination, it would be a waste of time.

"It's a pity that my five great demon gods are not all gathered together, otherwise, the five great demon gods can fight against the possessed spirit of the master of exorcism."

He did not intend to use his true strength, such as flying swords, feathered swords, etc., as this would easily alert the enemy. Through the five great demon gods, it would be impossible to see the way out, and even the enemy would not know that Xu Qing was behind it.

After all, those who knew that Xu Qing practiced the Five Great Demon Gods were all close to Xu Qing.

After Xu Qing made up his mind, he returned to Wutong Courtyard and began to visualize the Shura King.

King Shura is also a ferocious demon god with three heads and six arms, holding various terrible weapons. He is the embodiment of Xu Qing's evil thoughts.

The most powerful feature of this demon is his claws.

When Xu Qing was meditating, he incorporated the tiger claw artistic conception of the Tiger Demon Bone Training Fist. When this demon appeared, even the Yaksha King and the Rakshasa King trembled slightly beside them.

Obviously, the Asura King is more terrifying than the Rakshasa King and the Yaksha King.

Xu Qing's soul is not afraid of him now, and Ziweixing severely suppresses the Shura King.

However, this Shura King was very ferocious and kept resisting.

Xu Qing had to put in a lot of effort to subdue him the first time, but after the first time, there was a second time.

After going through so many twists and turns, King Shura finally surrendered.

But its ferocity is still frightening.

Just like raising a vicious dog, the owner may be bitten if he is not careful.

"It is cruel and evil on its own, but I have enough true Qi on my own." Seeing that the Shura King was still not behaving himself, Xu Qing directly stimulated a trace of innate Qi in his Dantian.

This innate Qi is the prototype of thunder magic, and it carries the majesty of thunder magic. Under Xu Qing's control, it is like the mighty power of heaven, which smooths out the Shura King's vicious resistance.

"This innate Qi is indeed extremely powerful. I still have to specialize in the Golden Light Mantra and the Xuantian Visualization Method. As long as I can continuously improve the Golden Light Mantra and cultivate the Thunder Method with the innate Qi, I will not be afraid of any Taoist magic." Xu Qing increasingly realized the exquisiteness of the innate Qi.

The reputation of "one method can break all methods" is indeed not an exaggeration.

He subdued the Shura King and stopped caring about it. He calmed down and visualized the "horn" vein, the first of the seven veins of the Eastern Blue Dragon. When visualizing this hidden vein, Xu Qing clearly felt that there was a huge dragon vein sleeping in Yingtian Prefecture, and the royal aura was restrained.

"Yingtian Prefecture really has a dragon vein. When the Dayu Dynasty was founded, the capital was located here, and it is absolutely correct." Xu Qing sighed to himself.

Although most dynasties with Yingtian Prefecture as their capital were short-lived since ancient times, they did establish hegemony over a certain area, and this dynasty used this as the foundation to achieve great unification.

Xu Qing couldn't help but have an idea. It might be more appropriate for him to practice the Seven Meridians of the Eastern Blue Dragon in Yingtian Prefecture. Moreover, the Purple Star Emperor Meridian was in Yingtian Prefecture, so it might provide him with some help.

But there is another problem, that is, the old Wutong tree is in Jiangning Prefecture. He needs the help of the old Wutong tree to enter a state of harmony between yin and yang. Otherwise, it will be troublesome to cultivate the innate Qi.

It's really a dilemma.

Anyway, I have to take the provincial examination later, so I'll give it a try then.

Xu Qing is not in a hurry, as his power will infiltrate Yingtian Prefecture sooner or later.

If Lord Wu could serve as the Inspector General for another year, it would be much easier for him to develop his power in Yingtian Prefecture after Xu Qing passed the imperial examination.

Xu Qing secretly felt sorry.

Because of his great influence, the Inspector-General can only serve for one year.

After all, the Governor-General of Zhili might not be able to accomplish anything in Southern Zhili, but the Inspector-General could ruin anything in Southern Zhili.

In the officialdom, who is not afraid of being able to report directly to the emperor?

"I wonder who the new Inspector General will be." Xu Qing couldn't help but think about this quietly.

...

...

"Eunuch Zhao, let's be patient for a while. Once Wu Laogou leaves, that kid will come to Yingtian Prefecture to take part in the provincial examination. We must teach him a lesson." Wu Dinghou spent a lot of money to get through this dangerous test. It would be a lie to say that he was not angry. And he was not afraid of Xu Qing. After all, he was a trusted military hero of the emperor. Although he made mistakes, he had roots in the imperial city. If he got close to the civil officials, it would make the emperor really angry.

The most crucial thing is that after he and Eunuch Zhao suffered setbacks this time, the civil officials and military officers of Nanzhili took over their jobs, and the money paid as tribute to His Majesty was reduced by more than half.

This matter has made His Majesty furious, and he is ready to restore the two men's duties.

Eunuch Zhao nodded. "Without the protection of the Imperial Inspector, we will definitely humiliate him."

The two were the emperor's confidants. As long as they were not impeached by people like the Inspectors who could report directly to the emperor, they had no natural enemies in Nanzhili.

Even the Duke of Wei and the Governor-General of Zhili, who held great power in Southern Zhili, were usually very polite to the two.

(End of this chapter)