Protect Our Patriarch

……

Wei Wenxun, standing to the side, felt his scalp tingle and his heart race. Master Wang Shouzhe really intended to manage even the Commandery Governor?

The Governor was a Purple Mansion Master... not someone Wei Wenxun could just manipulate at will.

Wei Wenxun was truly afraid that the Governor, in a fit of anger, might implicate him as well. He quickly winked at Wang Shouzhe, signaling him to stop before he truly angered the Governor.

But to no avail.

Wang Shouzhe seemed oblivious to his signals and continued, "My lord, in name, Longzuo Commandery has half the jurisdiction over Qingluo Sea. But in reality, because Longzuo Commandery City is too far from Qingluo Sea, the control is weak. Additionally, our northern port, Jingang, has a limited ability to control Qingluo Sea. As a result, Qingluo Sea has almost become an exclusive sea area of Longyuan Commandery."

Upon hearing this, Taishi Ankang's face darkened further. This kid Wang Shouzhe was practically pointing at a monk and calling him a bald donkey. Did he, the dignified Commandery Governor, not care about his face?

"But now, our Longzuo Commandery has an opportunity." Wang Shouzhe said seriously, "This time, the Cao Clan of Longyuan Commandery has caused such a big incident. At the least, it's harboring bandits to bolster their own strength; at the worst, it's preparing for rebellion."

"Let's not talk about the Cao Clan's inability to take care of themselves. Did the Commandery Governor of Longyuan Commandery know about this? If he did, he's an accomplice. If not, he's negligent and incompetent. But at this moment, our Commandery Governor Taishi Ankang stepped up in a crisis, cleared out the bandits in Qingluo Sea, and protected the nation's sea. Comparing the two..."

"My lord, Qingluo Sea is named after the Princess Qingluo!" Wang Shouzhe lowered his voice, "When His Majesty was still a Quasi-Imperial Heir, he had Princess Qingluo and has always cherished her. Now, as he ages... well, people tend to reminisce more about their youth... If you clear out Qingluo Sea now and report your achievements, saying you couldn't bear to see the sea named after the princess being ravaged by bandits, it would be easy to reclaim the entire jurisdiction of Qingluo Sea."

Taishi Ankang was immediately tempted. Although the Imperial Heir Struggle had gradually begun, the actual power transition would not happen overnight. The process could take at least a hundred to two hundred years, or even two to three hundred years.

And any Emperor, the closer they get to the end of their reign, the more sensitive they become, often tightening their grip on power. Therefore, the current Emperor's power was actually greater than before.

This was one reason why most high-ranking officials and noble families were reluctant to get involved in the Imperial Heir Struggle prematurely. If they accidentally touched a sensitive nerve of the Emperor, it would be disastrous.

If Taishi Ankang could establish merit through this, he would have a chance to advance further, making it easier to handle the future Imperial Heir Struggle.

The benefits were immense, but Taishi Ankang still had some doubts: "Shouzhe, according to your plan, reclaiming Qingluo Sea's jurisdiction and pleasing His Majesty is not a problem. But what use is it once we reclaim Qingluo Sea? If we fail to manage it properly, it will soon become filthy again. At that time, I, as the Commandery Governor, will be criticized again..."

"Your concerns are very thorough." Wang Shouzhe praised him perfunctorily, then said seriously, "Our northern port, Jingang, is indeed isolated and difficult to support. But we can establish a garrison in the middle of the Qingluo Sea islands. It can serve as a commercial transportation hub for the north and develop industries like fishing and aquaculture."

"Previously, the fishing industry was weak due to insufficient transportation capacity. Now, with our Longzuo Shouda Trading Company's aerial cold chain system maturing, we can easily transport high-end ingredients across Daqian, generating huge economic benefits."

"I believe the reputation of Qingluo Sea's precious seafood will spread throughout Daqian! Our Wang Clan is willing to assist you wholeheartedly in establishing 'Qingluo Garrison'."

Taishi Ankang was stunned. This kid's ambition was so grand and wild. He wasn't just planning for Longzuo Commandery; he was clearly aiming to take over Qingluo Sea for the Wang Clan.

But he had to admit, given Wang Shouzhe's previous capabilities, there was a significant chance of success.

Moreover, such a plan would benefit not only the Wang Clan but also Taishi Ankang himself. After pondering for a moment, he looked at Wang Shouzhe with a more serious expression: "Shouzhe, your strategy is excellent. This move in Qingluo Sea not only suppresses the Cao Clan of Longyuan Commandery but also brings great benefits to the Wang Clan. It's truly killing two birds with one stone."

"No, it's killing three birds with one stone." Wang Shouzhe smiled.

"Indeed, hahaha." Taishi Ankang laughed heartily, "Master Wang Shouzhe, come, try some of my treasured Yunluo Immortal Tea. It's a high-grade immortal tea from the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty, with the effect of nourishing the spirit and soul."

"Thank you, my lord." Wang Shouzhe smiled and joined Taishi Ankang in tasting the immortal tea.

As they drank tea and chatted, they seemed like old friends who had known each other for years.

Wei Wenxun, standing to the side, was filled with emotions. Oh, Commandery Governor, you've given in so quickly? Couldn't you have held out a bit longer? Sigh, it really is Master Wang Shouzhe's ability.

……

Longyuan Commandery.

Cao Clan's main residence.

As a family with nearly two thousand years of heritage, the Cao Clan's main residence was enormous, even among fifth-grade families.

From the sky, one could see crisscrossing paths, rows of houses stretching endlessly, black-tiled flying eaves, and towering courtyard walls, all forming a magnificent sight.

Compared to the Wang Clan's prosperity, the Cao Clan seemed dispirited and desolate.

Suddenly.

A white bird flew across mountains and rivers, flapping its wings as it disappeared into the layers of flying eaves.

Soon, a small bamboo tube made of spiritual bamboo, no thicker than a thumb, was delivered to the "Cangqin Courtyard" where the family head, Cao Bangning, resided.

The bamboo tube was engraved with simple inscriptions, sealed with a restriction, and carefully sealed with wax, indicating it was no ordinary item.

At this moment, in the Cangqin Courtyard, the family head Cao Bangning was discussing important matters with his aunt, Cao Youqing, in the study.

Both of their expressions were heavy.

Clearly, the failure of the operation against the Wang Clan's convoy in Qingluo Sea had put them under great pressure.

After delivering the bamboo tube, the servant retreated.

Cao Bangning picked up the bamboo tube and said in a deep voice, "Aunt, the current situation is dire. The Wang Clan was well-prepared for our attack and used the Heavenly Recording Disk to secretly record and extract a confession from Bangyan."

"I've already made arrangements to inform Bangyan to stick to his story, claiming that his previous statements were just arrogant remarks made on the spot, and that it was his personal behavior, unrelated to our Cao Clan. This way, our Cao Clan will have a chance to secretly exert influence and rescue him."

"Now, the messenger bird has returned with news. It should be the reply."

Cao Youqing's expression relaxed slightly: "Bangning, you handled this matter quite well. Only by distancing the Cao Clan can we have room to maneuver. Rest assured, once the situation calms down, I will also use my connections to help. It's just that Bangyan will have to endure a few years of hardship."

"Hmph, what's there to be aggrieved about? If he hadn't..." Cao Bangning muttered as he opened the letter. After reading just a few lines, his face changed instantly, "How is this possible?"

Cao Youqing was also startled, a sense of foreboding rising: "Has something changed?"

"That spineless fool Bangyan!" Cao Bangning's hands trembled with anger, and he slammed the table, nearly shattering the thousand-year-old spiritual wood table, "He, he couldn't hold out and confessed."

"How could this be?" Cao Youqing's face turned ugly, "Bangyan couldn't endure?"

"It's all because the family spoiled him too much since childhood, never letting him face any real challenges." Cao Bangning's face was ashen, "Not only that, but Taishi Ankang, the Commandery Governor of Longzuo Commandery, has already written a report and used the 'Cloud-Piercing Pigeon' for urgent delivery! By now, the report has probably reached the Supervisory Office in the capital, and the imperial investigators might already be on their way."

Just thinking about this gave him a headache.

It was known that there were two ways for the Commandery Governor's office to send reports to the imperial court.

One was to dispatch soldiers on fast horses, changing horses at each relay station. From Longzuo Commandery City to Guilong City, it generally took more than half a month. Without urgent matters, the daily reports from the Commandery Governor's office to the imperial court followed this procedure.

The second way was using messenger birds.

The imperial court specially trained a type of second-grade exotic spiritual bird called the "Cloud-Piercing Pigeon" as messenger birds. These birds were fast, had great endurance, and had a homing instinct. After training, they could accurately find their way back to their nests even from tens of thousands of miles away.

Each Commandery Governor's office kept a certain number of "Cloud-Piercing Pigeons". In case of emergencies, they would release the birds to send urgent reports to the capital.

With the speed of the "Cloud-Piercing Pigeon", it would take no more than three days to fly from Longzuo Commandery Governor's office to Guilong City.

Taishi Ankang's use of the "Cloud-Piercing Pigeon" clearly showed he was giving the Cao Clan no time or space to maneuver, intending to deal a fatal blow.

Moreover, the Supervisory Office was known for its efficiency. From receiving the report to selecting and dispatching investigators, it generally took no more than two days.

And the investigators' standard mode of travel was the flying carriage.

With the speed of the flying carriage, it would take at most ten days, and as little as seven or eight days, to travel from Guilong City to Longyuan Commandery City.

Local officials in Longyuan Commandery needed the Cao Clan's cooperation to manage the area, so they would give the Cao Clan some face. But the investigators from the capital would not.

Furthermore, the charge of colluding with pirates was serious. If proven, the Cao Clan would suffer greatly, even if they didn't face extermination.

Additionally, Cao Bangyan was a major problem.

He was the family's carefully nurtured Purple Mansion seed, expected to advance to the Purple Mansion Realm in a little over a hundred years and take over the position of the Ancestor.

If they couldn't rescue him, not only would the family's years of investment go to waste, but the succession of the Purple Mansion might also be jeopardized.

The more Cao Bangning thought about it, the more his head throbbed, and his temples pulsed. Damn it! What kind of bad luck was this, dealing with all these troubles!

On the other side, Cao Youqing's face had also turned ashen: "The letter says it was Wang Shouzhe, the head of the Wang Clan, who secretly instigated this. What qualifications does Wang Shouzhe have to make Taishi Ankang so determined to oppose our Cao Clan?"

"Has Taishi Ankang gone mad? What benefit does he gain from this?"

"Ninth Aunt, what's the use of saying this now? Think of a way to deal with the investigators from the Supervisory Office." Cao Bangning's face was ugly, and he couldn't help but feel some resentment towards Cao Youqing.

Previously, Ninth Aunt had confidently said that dealing with the mere Wang Clan was a piece of cake. First, break the Qian Clan's arm, then slowly deal with the Qian Clan.

But who would have thought that instead of breaking someone's arm, they had their own arm broken.

"Ninth Aunt, could you ask your backer to smooth things over with the investigators from the Supervisory Office?" Cao Bangning said helplessly, "Otherwise, our Cao Clan is in big trouble."

"My master has gone to the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty." Cao Youqing's eyelids twitched, "Moreover, the Supervisory Office is one of the three independent offices, specifically overseeing the legality of all officials and noble families in the world. Even the Commandery Kings and Princes have no right to interfere! Even if my master were here, he couldn't change the investigators' actions. Bangning, think of a way to clean things up."

Cao Bangning was at a loss.

His younger brother Cao Bangyan was unreliable, and his talented Ninth Aunt was also unreliable. Being the head of the Cao Clan... was too difficult.

……

At the same time.

Qing'an Commandery, Zuoqiu Clan's main residence.

The two Purple Mansion Ancestors of the Zuoqiu Clan were sitting with Xiaoyue, discussing their next plan of action.

Suddenly.

A pretty maid came over with a tray, respectfully presenting the items on it to Xiaoyue: "Aunt Xiaoyue, it's news from Celestial Maiden Yuqing."

Xiaoyue took it and frowned immediately.

Zuoqiu Deye, the first ancestor of the Zuoqiu Clan, noticed and his expression became more serious: "Is there a problem?"

"It's about the Cao Clan." Xiaoyue sighed and, not bothering to explain, handed the note directly to him.

Zuoqiu Deye took it and, after reading it, was furious: "Those useless Cao Clan! They couldn't even handle a seventh-grade family and got themselves in such a mess. Are they pigs? Xiaoyue, is this the ally Young Master Ce chose?"

It wasn't that Zuoqiu Deye lacked self-control, but anyone would be furious if their ally got crushed right after making a move.

"Ahem~"

Xiaoyue coughed awkwardly: "Perhaps Youqing was a bit careless."

"Careless?" Zuoqiu Deye sneered, "A nouveau riche is still a nouveau riche, with strength but lacking foundation. Such allies are better off not being used."

"Ancestor Deye is right." Xiaoyue quickly said, "But it's just a minor setback. The items my master promised you have been gathered and should be in transit now."

Zuoqiu Deye's expression softened slightly, and he looked at Xiaoyue with some appreciation: "At least you're reliable. In that case, forget about the Cao Clan. Our Zuoqiu Clan will deal with both the Qian Clan of Longzuo Commandery and the Wang Clan of Changning."

In an instant, Zuoqiu Deye's old eyes gleamed with excitement. If this plan succeeded, the overall strength of the Zuoqiu Clan would rise another level, possibly even reaching the threshold of a third-grade family.

A third-grade family!

The Zuoqiu Clan had been a fourth-grade family for far too long, and Zuoqiu Deye was growing impatient.

……

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