Wei Yuan sat facing Old Daoist Chuhe, listening to the old daoist chatter endlessly about various biomes and habitats. Not only was the old daoist well-versed in plants, he knew just as much about animals. He was especially knowledgeable about spirit beasts and even privy to the intimate secrets of several feline and serpentine big shots. Naturally, most of the gossip involved the feline rulers—after all, they had a staggering number of illegitimate offspring, often a dozen to a litter.
After listening patiently for a long while, Wei Yuan finally asked, "So what is the real reason these creatures concentrate their breeding in a specific season of the year?"
Having rambled on for so long, the old daoist finally addressed the question directly. "In my view, the primary factor isn't the season itself, but that during that season, they can eat their fill and accumulate enough reserves to produce the next generation."
"In other words, if they are fed well, they could breed year-round?"
"It wouldn't change overnight, but it would certainly prolong their breeding window. If seasonal environmental cues are blurred—say, by keeping them in a warm environment at all times—the effect should be even more pronounced."
Lost in thought, Wei Yuan asked, "Why don't humans have seasonal restrictions?"
Without missing a beat, the old daoist replied, "Isn't it just because people are stuffed with nothing better to do?"
Upon deeper reflection, Wei Yuan actually found some sense in that.
Even so, he asked, "Isn't it because humans are the pinnacle of all creation?"
The old daoist shot Wei Yuan a side-glance. "If certain spirit beasts heard you say that, they'd probably declare war. Besides, do you think the Shamans, the Sea Li, or the Mountain Folk look more like spirit beasts or more like humans? In their eyes, we are the grotesque freaks."
Wei Yuan thought about it carefully; it was indeed true. Adult Shamans, in particular, took on all manner of bizarre, abstract appearances that were utterly baffling from a human perspective.
"...Perhaps that's also the case with the Xu family children. Pay close attention to monitoring their condition from your perspective in daily life."
Perfected Chuhe nodded and left the room.
***
With an ashen face, the King of Zhao suddenly snatched the inkstone off his desk and smashed it heavily onto the floor. The numerous civil and military officials gathered in the study held their breath, daring not make a sound, much less utter a single word.
The King of Zhao ground out through gritted teeth, "This year, cut all tributes owed to the House of Tang by half!"
An elderly minister beside him gave a dry cough and said, "Forgive this old official's bluntness, but our tribute is already the smallest among the Nine Kingdoms—scarcely better than nothing. If we reduce it further, we will become a laughingstock. We might as well cut it off entirely."
At these words, many officials turned pale. Yet the old minister kept his eyes half-closed, indifferent to the troubled looks around him.
The House of Tang was still the shared sovereign of the world. Though it was in decline, the karmic luck of humanity remained anchored to Tang—an undeniable truth.
Consequently, honoring Tang was universal consensus. No matter how ambitious a hegemon might be, none dared treat the matter lightly. Otherwise, at the very least, one's own karmic luck would suffer; at worst, the other states might seize the excuse to launch a joint crusade.
In days past, the State of Qi had been at the zenith of its power. King Heng of Qi had grown arrogant and overbearing, demanding an imperial guard of honor superior even to that of the House of Tang. As a result, he provoked widespread outrage and alienated the prominent clans. A joint invasion by five kingdoms soon followed. At the critical juncture, Qi's General of Pacifying Distant Lands, Li Xuanheng, defected on the battlefield, leading to Qi's catastrophic defeat and subsequent partition.
Li Xuanheng carved away a vast expanse of fertile southern lands and was enfeoffed by the House of Tang as the Duke of Huai, governing nine commanderies. It was practically a state within a state, beholden to no authority from the King of Qi—thus establishing the Southern Qi Li family, one of the two great Li branches.
Two generations later, Li Xuanheng's grandson petitioned the House of Tang to declare himself king, giving rise to Southern Qi.
Present-day Zhao was far weaker than Qi had been in its prime. Arrogant though the King of Zhao was, he did not consider himself superior to King Heng of Qi. King Heng had been among the rare monarchs in history who, after ascending the throne and shouldering a realm's Great Fortune, still broke through into the Scenery Command realm. Meanwhile, the King of Zhao remained stuck at the threshold of Scenery Command, desperately searching for an opportunity to break through.
Suppressing his fury, the King of Zhao said, "Wei Boyang approaches aboard the Regent King's flagship with deafening gongs and drums, making his presence known to all under heaven. Does he truly expect Us to let him fly right over Our head?"
A prince spoke up, "Wei Boyang only revealed himself after entering our borders. By now, he has flown over three cities, and his movements are known to everyone. It is already too late to shoot him down."
The Minister of Rites added, "According to Tang rites, the King of Jin of Great Tang is currently serving as regent and is entitled to certain imperial prerogatives. In other words, his flagship is permitted to fly directly over royal palaces."
With an ashen face, the King of Zhao ground his teeth. "Had it been anyone else, perhaps, but never him! Under no circumstances will We grant him an audience, nor will We permit that ship to pass over the royal palace! No, it shall not even enter the capital!"
The old minister who had spoken earlier said, "The matter is easily resolved. We can claim that an assassination attempt was made on Your Majesty today—we shall seal the nine gates, conduct a citywide sweep, and activate the protective grand array. If they still attempt to force their way in, the breach of etiquette will be entirely theirs. When the sovereign first acts without benevolence, the subject cannot be blamed for abandoning righteousness."
The King of Zhao's eyes lit up. "So be it! Seal the city and activate the array in half an hour. Then send a messenger to that wretched boat and tell him to get as far away as possible!"
***
In the afternoon, during what should have been the capital's busiest and most bustling hour, a barrier of light enveloped the royal city of Zhao. Iridescent hues rippled across the curtain of light, radiant yet laced with lethal intent.
The colossal flying vessel bearing the insignias of the House of Tang hovered in midair. Looking at the nearby royal city of Zhao, Wei Boyang chuckled. "Haven't seen him in years, yet that lad Li Shenji has grown crafty. Still, I doubt his temper has improved one bit. Men!"
"Here, General!"
"Pass down my order: open the lower hold's floorboards. The entire army shall relieve themselves alongside me!"
"Understood!"
A moment later, the bottom floorboards of the massive vessel swung open, and an endless torrent of filth rained down. From the city walls of Zhao, one could vaguely glimpse a vast sea of bare, pale backsides—a truly bizarre spectacle.
Inside the palace, the King of Zhao slammed his palm onto the desk, shattering it to splinters as he roared, "If We hadn't barred him outside the city, would he have actually taken a dump right on Our head?!"
This time, even the old minister kept silent.
Suddenly calming down, the King of Zhao asked, "Why did they come here in the first place? Ah, that's right—to reinforce Wei Yuan. Why didn't Wei Yuan seek Our aid first?! Why?!"
A close attendant ventured, "We received his plea for aid some days ago, but..."
Only then did the King of Zhao recall that he had casually tossed the letter into the wastebasket, remarking that he would wait until Qingming was half-dead before considering it.
A murderous glint surfaced in his eyes, and he sneered coldly, "Well played, Wei Yuan. How dare you make a fool of this king!"
With a sweep of his broad sleeves, he dismissed the officials, leaving only the old minister behind. The King of Zhao's furious expression vanished without a trace as he asked, "The celestial signs indicated that a mighty sovereign would emerge in the lands surrounding our state. There is no mistake about this, correct?"
"The Celestial Ancestor obtained this insight from heavenly secrets by chance. There can be no mistake."
"Who are the candidates?"
"At present, the Young King of Chu in Western Jin heads the list, followed by Li Zhi, then the Crown Prince of Western Jin, then the two princes of Southern Jin, and finally Wei Yuan."
The King of Zhao mused, "How likely is Wei Yuan?"
"Judging by his current trajectory, Wei Yuan has a clear path to Scenery Command and possesses the potential to attain immortality. He should be unwilling to be bound by a throne. If he were not also the Domain Lord of Qingming, he would not even appear on this list. The same applies to Li Zhi; reaching Scenery Command presents no great difficulty for him, so it depends on what path he chooses. Were his innate bone structure and talent not slightly lacking, he would have been at the top of the list."
Frowning deeply, the King of Zhao said slowly, "And yet, We cannot shake the feeling that Wei Yuan is the most dangerous of them all."
"These were the words of the Celestial Ancestor. This old official dares not make presumptuous remarks."
His spirits dampened, the King of Zhao dismissed the old minister and retired to the inner palace.
Outside the royal city, the colossal vessel sealed its floorboards and resumed its journey northwest. Having unloaded his burden, Wei Boyang felt thoroughly relieved and gathered several close officers for a feast of hearty food and drink.
One of the officers asked, "General, wasn't that taking things a bit too far earlier? What if it goes down in the history books...?"
*Smack!* A heavy swat landed on the officer's head.
Wei Boyang chuckled slyly. "Someone like you actually dreams of making the history books? Keep dreaming! Even to leave a stench for ten thousand years, you'd need the credentials for it! We might not make the official histories, but the storybooks will surely have room for us. Mark my words, in just a few days, an episode will be making the rounds:
*Wei Boyang drops dung before the city gates, and Li Shenji swallows his rage in silence!*"
Chapter 481