Wei Yuan brought out the sand table map of the State of Zhao, loaded it onto a flying boat, and took off, heading straight for the Jin capital. Along the journey, Wei Yuan kept his gaze fixed on the sand table as plan after plan was refined within the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World.
Meanwhile, in Yong'an City of Qingming, several Dao Foundation cultivators in the Government Affairs Office suddenly returned to their seats and began writing furiously. Orders were drafted one after another and gathered at the main building of the Government Affairs Office.
Xiaoyu sat behind a wide desk, scrutinizing every order, cross-checking it against the master plan in the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World, and stamping it once confirmed. Immediately, cultivators took the orders, categorized them, and dispatched them to their respective departments. Many orders were routed again through the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World, delivered directly to other cities outside.
At this point, Qingming spanned over six thousand li from east to west and north to south. Even if a Dao Foundation cultivator flew to deliver a message, it would take half a day. Yet routed through the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World, it arrived in an instant.
Only an hour had passed since Wei Yuan's departure, but Qingming was already springing into motion.
Rows of Dao Foundation cultivators shoved open warehouse doors weighing tens of thousands of jin. Freight vehicles were already parked at the warehouse entrances, with even more arriving in succession. Cultivators loaded crates of sealed military rations and meat onto the vehicles, preparing to transport them to the State of Zhao.
Perfected Chuhe hurried from one pasture to the next. At each pasture he visited, large numbers of mature guinea pigs would march into the processing workshops of their own accord to be turned into meat. And because of the sheer quantity, the breeding guinea pigs that had previously been idling around were set to work once more.
Large numbers of unfinished floating boats and airships took directly to the sky, flying toward designated locations. The floating boats had their internal structures exposed, not even having had time to be sealed. Cloud Sky Roarers brought their own benches, boarded the airships, and commenced this round of emergency missions.
Half a day later, Qingming's first convoy of freight vehicles, laden with grain, set off for the State of Zhao.
Wei Yuan, on the other hand, landed outside Yingdu and walked into the Jingang Zen Monastery.
Stepping through the courtyard gate, Wei Yuan saw the green-eyed woman in an unadorned cloth dress, sweeping the courtyard. The weather was bitterly cold. Several plum trees in the monastery courtyard were in full bloom, scattering petals all over the ground. The green-eyed woman wielded her broom, sweeping the fallen blossoms into a pile. Something had been planted amidst the heap of flowers, and a speck of fresh green was sprouting from it.
Without pausing her sweeping, the green-eyed woman said, "The King of Jin is in the side hall. Go over yourself."
Wei Yuan nodded and walked into the courtyard. Suddenly, he noticed that the Merit Lotus Pond was half-filled with clear water once again, with three or five lotus leaves floating on the surface, along with a small lotus bud.
Wei Yuan glanced at the bud again. Just then, a bell tolled, echoing layer upon layer through the ancient monastery grounds, seeming to wash away much of the mortal world's dust.
The lotus bud suddenly opened and bloomed into a tiny white lotus.
Wei Yuan became thoughtful, feeling as though he understood something, yet as though he understood nothing at all.
Wei Yuan continued forward, looking up at the main hall ahead. The hall seemed a few shades more decrepit and desolate, with a wild vine sprouting on the wall, climbing persistently against the chill.
Wei Yuan turned, stepped onto a side path, and entered the side hall. Inside, a lamp flickered like a bean of light, and the lotus pedestal stood completely empty. The King of Jin sat cross-legged before the Buddhist niche, wrapped in a thick wool blanket, his head nodding as he dozed off.
The bronze lamp sat before him, illuminating only a three-foot radius around him. Outside the pool of light was pitch darkness, within which countless bared fangs and brandished claws seemed to lurk.
Wei Yuan walked over to the King of Jin and sat on a nearby prayer mat. Hearing footsteps, the King of Jin opened his eyes. He stared for a moment before recognizing Wei Yuan, and only then did he muster some energy. "You've come."
Clearly, the King of Jin still had about a decade left before his lifespan ended, yet he had aged beyond recognition. Compared to their last meeting, he looked at least a hundred years older.
Wei Yuan figured there had to be a reason, but since the green-eyed woman was at the King of Jin's side, such matters were not his to worry about.
Wei Yuan produced a pill box, placed it before the King of Jin, and said, "I happened to obtain something good and brought it specifically to present to Your Majesty."
The King of Jin stared at the box. After a moment, he opened it to reveal a pill inside, blood-red and seeming to burn with inner flames.
The King of Jin was no stranger to this medicine. With just a whiff of the pill aroma, he knew it was a precious longevity medicine—and of even higher quality than the last one.
Yet a complex expression appeared on the King of Jin's face. He let out a heavy sigh, his breathing raspy with phlegm. Suddenly, he coughed violently, only subsiding after a while. He sighed, "I originally planned to abdicate this year, pass the throne to Prince Chu, and live out my remaining years in peace. But you chose this exact moment to come. This precious pill... seems hard to swallow!"
Wei Yuan said, "Normally, this medicine can extend life by thirty-six years. You have taken similar medicine before, so its efficacy will be diminished, but it can still extend your life by at least eighteen years."
At this moment, the King of Jin seemed to care little for longevity pills. Looking at Wei Yuan with somewhat cloudy eyes, he slowly wiped away the discharge from the corner of his eye and asked, "What do you want?"
"Regent King, Grand Minister Managing Southern Military Affairs, and the title of Prince Wei."
These had been the rewards offered last time, which Wei Yuan had turned down completely. But this time, not only had he come to ask for them, he had even added Grand Minister Managing Southern Military Affairs. With these titles, Wei Yuan would essentially hold sway over Western Jin, dominating the court.
"What do you want these for?" the King of Jin asked.
Wei Yuan said, "I want the reverence of the masses, my name renowned across the realm."
The King of Jin said thoughtfully, "Taking this step up is easy, but stepping down will be hard. It can easily leave an infamous name for eternity."
"I know."
The King of Jin nodded. "Very well. We grant it. Go to Qingtong for the imperial decree."
Wei Yuan expressed his thanks, then said, "Once unsealed, the pill's medicinal essence will continually dissipate. It must be swallowed immediately."
The King of Jin picked up the pill, placed it in his mouth, and swallowed it in a single gulp. Immediately, his greying temples turned black, his hunched back straightened once more, and a murderous aura and sharp gleam resurfaced in his eyes.
The King of Jin glanced at Wei Yuan and said, "It seems your pill was the one truly hard to swallow."
Wei Yuan smiled, rose, and stepped out of the side hall. Qingtong was still sweeping, though an imperial decree had appeared upon a stone table in the corner of the courtyard.
Taking the imperial decree, Wei Yuan flew into Yingdu.
The next morning, the morning court bell rang out—a rare occurrence. Before dawn broke, court officials of Western Jin, high and low, held lanterns against the biting wind, hurrying along the palace walkways with quick, short steps to file into the main hall.
The wind was bone-chilling.
Inside the grand hall, the King of Jin, who had neglected court affairs for many days, sat upon the throne—a rare sight. Several veteran ministers were astonished. Stealing a glance, they seemed to catch glimpses of the King of Jin in his prime.
When the court session formally began, Wei Yuan entered the hall in full battle regalia. The gathered ministers, especially the Left and Right Prime Ministers, felt their pupils contract when they saw the precious sword hanging at Wei Yuan's waist!
On this day, Wei Yuan was officially enfeoffed as Prince Wei in Western Jin. This act immediately stirred up a tremendous uproar, drawing fierce condemnation and scolding from literati across the realm. Even the Thirteen Grand Guardians could not hold the line.
Meanwhile, convoys from Qingming entered the State of Zhao one after another, transporting vast quantities of grain. Perfected Chuhe led five thousand Universe Earth-Movers into Zhao, dispersing into commanderies and counties to guide the people of Zhao in clearing farmland.
Wei Yuan intended to first feed the people of Zhao, then clear vast tracts of land to distribute to the destitute populace for farming, giving them hope. Since ancient times, this had been the supreme method for gathering mortal fortune, and the State of Zhao was no exception.
Thus, within a month, the King of Zhao's prestige skyrocketed, unmatched by anyone.
Titles like Sage King, Worthy King, Wise Sovereign, and Benevolent Ruler poured in one after another. If this continued, before long, people might even bestow upon the King of Zhao the title of Emperor of All Ages.
At this time, in the Western Jin imperial palace, beside Chunhua Hall within Wude Hall, a tall youth—standing more than half a head taller than ordinary supervising eunuchs—was throwing a massive temper tantrum, smashing everything in the study that could be smashed.
Palace attendants and supervising eunuchs were all trembling in fear, and not a single soul dared utter a word of restraint to Prince Chu.
Chapter 992