The moment a bitter grimace appeared on his face, Wang Xingyi placated him, "Once I return to my country, I will give instructions that over the coming months, Songyuan and the prominent merchants and guilds of the Mou Kingdom must give special care to the Yangshan Archipelago."
Once the National Preceptor gave his word, normal commercial dealings transformed into a political mandate, and those wealthy merchants would have no choice but to comply.
Only then did He Lingchuan rise tall and bow with clasped hands. "My thanks to the National Preceptor!"
Wang Xingyi stroked his beard and smiled, thinking to himself that this brat truly refused to loose the falcon until he saw the hare.
Yet a talent like He Lingchuan—one who could hold down his own ground while traversing peril as smoothly as flat earth—naturally possessed an exceptionally acute mind; deceiving or concealing things from him would never work. Wang Xingyi knew that in dealing with him, one could not treat him conventionally, much less press him constantly with authority and power.
Such a person wanted respect, and wanted room to display his talents.
With the secret discussion concluded, He Lingchuan dismissed the barrier and welcomed Fang Canran back inside.
After a few more pleasantries, He Lingchuan took his leave for the time being.
Watching his back vanish into the garden, Wang Xingyi's smile vanished as well.
"This brat has his eye on Bailie. Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Before Fang Canran, his standing was first that of a sect senior uncle and only second that of the National Preceptor of the Mou Kingdom, so he spoke far more bluntly.
Fang Canran put on a startled look. "He has designs on Bailie?"
"Would someone like He Xiao remain curled up in a tiny corner of the sea forever? The Yangshan Archipelago is surrounded by water on all sides; the only direction he can expand is toward the mainland. Directly across from the archipelago lie only the Qing Kingdom and Bailie. Between the two, Bailie is the weaker." Wang Xingyi sat back in his chair. "Just now, he even told me Bailie was scheming against him in secret, demanding that we safeguard the archipelago during his absence."
Fang Canran could not help saying, "Martial Uncle, isn't that also the truth?"
"Look at what he has done these past few days. How could Bailie be his match, and how could they pose a threat to him?" Wang Xingyi gave a cold snort. "Yet he went out of his way to bring up Bailie—his intentions are not pure. Ha, the young still lack patience."
With this, Wang Xingyi had seen right through him.
Fang Canran remained silent.
Of course he had guessed He Lingchuan had other motives. The rascal had suddenly fled to the sea to establish his own domain; having witnessed his character and methods, how could Fang Canran believe he would be content merely being a petty island master? Indeed, it was far more likely that He Lingchuan coveted Bailie.
"I warned him, so he shouldn't dare act rashly in the short term." Wang Xingyi gave him a glance. "The impetuous, hot-blooded nature of youth is excusable. He is promising material; I do not wish to see him commit a grave error and cause irreparable loss. Songyuan, in your daily interactions you must counsel him frequently and make sure the intentions of the Mou Kingdom and myself are clearly conveyed."
This was quite stern. Fang Canran lowered his head at once and replied, "Yes."
"Furthermore, I see that his way of handling those Beijia people is quite slick; he doesn't truly wish to offend Beijia."
Two days had passed since the night of the Bailong rebellion. Wang Xingyi had already pieced together the gist of what had happened that night.
He Lingchuan and Yu Zecheng had played chess in Nuanxiang Chamber, and plenty of onlookers nearby had overheard their conversation. Others were baffled, but the moment Wang Xingyi heard of it, he knew the two had been trading cryptic barbs. Afterward, Yu Zecheng hadn't died either and was staying safe and sound at the Hot Spring Villa—something Wang Xingyi naturally knew as well.
Fang Canran could see this too. "Can he truly pull it off?"
He Lingchuan had slain Beijia's monsters, then imprisoned and extorted a Beijia captain—could Lingxu City truly tolerate such egregious conduct? Having spent twenty years in Lingxu City, Fang Canran knew full well it was anything but lenient toward the outside world.
"What makes a mere captain like Yu Zecheng think he can represent Beijia's dignity? Losing face is his own business—can that be counted as Beijia losing face?" Wang Xingyi found it amusing. "His skills fell short, his calculations fell short, and he paid the ransom out of his own pocket; what does that have to do with Beijia? Still, I am curious. He Xiao wouldn't dare act like this without something to rely on. Does he have a powerful backer in Beijia?"
Otherwise, how could He Xiao anticipate Beijia's reaction? As the National Preceptor of the Mou Kingdom, Wang Xingyi knew intimately how loud the conflicting voices in an empire's court could be, and how the development of events was sometimes hard even for those in power to control. How could He Xiao be so sure Beijia wouldn't genuinely settle scores with him?
Unless...
Fang Canran pondered for a moment and shook his head. "Even if he does, he wouldn't let me know."
"Judging from his current situation, this clever, opportunistic approach is understandable." After all, few people or territories dared offend Beijia, so Wang Xingyi could understand He Xiao's pains. "Yet it also shows he harbors other intentions and is unwilling to rely wholly on Lingshan."
Otherwise, with a Lingshan decision-maker watching right beside him, He Lingchuan should have offered a pledge of loyalty through concrete action, such as presenting Yu Zecheng's head. Presenting a pledge of loyalty typically meant leaving oneself no way of retreat.
If He Lingchuan could have heard this conversation with his own ears, cold sweat would likely have broken out across his back, and he would have silently acknowledged that the older ginger is indeed spicier. In just a few words, National Preceptor Wang had dissected his intentions and methods with crystal clarity.
Wang Xingyi glanced at Fang Canran and suddenly changed the subject: "Songyuan, you and He Xiao both face the pursuit of the Heavenly Palace. You altered your face to ward off disaster and flee trouble, yet he chose to plant his feet firmly and turn around to maneuver and negotiate. In this regard, you fall short of him."
This was a senior's instruction to a junior. Fang Canran and He Lingchuan were the two chief culprits who had wreaked havoc in Lingxu City. Facing the expected pursuit, Fang Canran had chosen flight, whereas He Lingchuan resolved to charge head-on into adversity. In temperament and courage, the distinction was immediately apparent.
Fang Canran had no words to counter. Only after a long pause did he respond softly, "It is indeed so. He Xiao is an extraordinary man."
"However, a man like him is scheming and restless, unlikely to be content serving under others. Not recruiting him to serve in court was the right choice." Wang Xingyi patted his shoulder, speaking with deep earnestness: "You must make sure he understands: so long as he develops well here and stirs up little trouble, and as long as he renders distinguished service to the Mou Kingdom and Lingshan in the future, there is hope for him to be granted fief and territory, becoming a mighty warlord of his own domain."
If he did not wish to serve under others, then let him rely on his merits to become an independent overlord, free and unfettered. As long as this man could be put to use for their side, Wang Xingyi was happy to see it happen. Making good use of talent required breaking conventional molds.
"Yes!"
That very day, seen off by He Lingchuan, National Preceptor Wang boarded his ship with his retinue, pushed off from the shore, and returned to the Mou Kingdom.
As for Fang Canran, he would remain on the Yangshan Archipelago for seven days to help He Lingchuan map out plans for the islands, before departing by ship to attend to his own affairs.
Yet with Wang Xingyi's instructions, he and He Lingchuan were now bound to stay in closer contact and visit each other often.
By the time He Lingchuan finished his immediate tasks and finally found a spare moment to sip tea and rest beside Ding Lake, the soul-snatching mirror remarked with a sigh, "That Yinzhu Island sounds perilous no matter how you look at it. You really took it on? You're staking your life here."
Did Lingshan only turn to He Lingchuan as their treasure-hunting hound because their own people had completely perished inside?
Utterly exhausted, He Lingchuan closed his eyes to rest his mind the moment he sat down. "Do you think I had the choice to decline?"
"The terms National Preceptor Wang offered sound generous, and those magic artifacts are nice, but they aren't proportional to how difficult the task is," the mirror grumbled indignantly. "Why do I feel like we got the short end of the stick?"
"If it were an easy job, how would it ever fall to me?" He Lingchuan was completely clearheaded. "From the moment National Preceptor Wang set foot on Suoding Island, we had no choice."
"Huh?"
"Coming to the Yangshan Archipelago to set up my own domain was effectively hiding behind the Mou Kingdom's back. Even if the Mou Kingdom does nothing at all, merely standing there shields us from the wind and rain. Could National Preceptor Wang fail to realize that?" He Lingchuan said leisurely. "Besides, Lingshan holds leverage over me; they know what I did."
If Lingshan found him displeasing, they wouldn't even need to lift a finger against him—they would only have to "accidentally" leak his secrets to Beijia.
Whether Beijia or Lingshan, to the present He Lingchuan, both were colossal behemoths.
When you faced a colossus and still needed something from it, you simply had no way to refuse its overbearing demands.
Yet He Lingchuan felt none of the fury of being coerced.
The world was simply like this. Rather than sighing over injustice, it was better to play the few moves in one's hands as best one could.
Besides, when asking for help, one had to act like it. If he wanted to rely on the Mou Kingdom's back to stand tall, he had to give something in return.
So long as he could solve problems for Lingshan, he had value, and he was safe. What a person had to fear most was being of no value.
If subordinates and employees like Lei Ni and Ding Zuodong had no value, He Lingchuan would fire them; if He Lingchuan had no value, he too would be tossed aside like an abandoned pawn.
Still, after juggling man-made disasters and natural calamities over the past few days, and secretly trading moves with a heavyweight like National Preceptor Wang, He Lingchuan was worn down to the bone.
He asked the mirror, "What, are you scared?"
"Me? Scared?" The soul-snatching mirror scoffed. "After walking through life and death so many times, how could I be scared? But hey, why didn't you ask Lingshan for a promise?"
He Lingchuan looked up, feeling the cool breeze. "What promise?"
Ding Lake was named for its resemblance to the character ding. Its glistening jade waters were ideal for boating, and aside from stormy days, it possessed a gentle, graceful air. Elegant lodgings were also being built along the shore, where future guests could open their doors to the water, equally suited for boating or angling.
He Lingchuan sat upon the multi-colored pebble beach, with a woven bamboo reclining chair and footstool, a woven bamboo low table, and a pot of warm, fine wine.
The moment he reclined in the chair, his eyelids grew too heavy to keep open.
Not far off stood half-constructed buildings—the future administrative office of the Yangshan Archipelago, and his workplace.
From the woods, a fawn poked its head out curiously; seeing that he hadn't moved for a long time, it gradually grew bold enough to emerge and graze. Ignorant and fearless.
There were originally no deer on the archipelago; they had all been artificially released onto the island as ornamental creatures.
The mirror knew full well his purpose in crossing the vast ocean to come here: "From now on, our entanglements with Bailie won't stop, and they are certain to seek help from the Mou Kingdom."
The one He Lingchuan feared had never been Bailie, but the adjacent Mou Kingdom. A great power daring to contest Beijia was definitely not something the current He Lingchuan could withstand.
The mirror continued, "If Lingshan could keep the Mou Kingdom in check for us, wouldn't Bailie be something in your bag?"
"If I asked for that promise, my true intentions would be completely exposed," He Lingchuan sighed. "To tell the truth, I already regret mentioning Bailie in front of National Preceptor Wang, even though I threw in the Qing Kingdom alongside it."
Over these past few days, he had exhausted his mind and energies, with countless tangled threads to manage at every moment, making an occasional lapse in judgment unavoidable.
Chapter 1018