Becoming a God from a Water Monkey

Chapter 1180 Summer Solstice (Seeking monthly votes at the beginning of the month, two chapters combined)

The sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly.

The golden bricks in the hall reflected the young man's image. His white robe was smooth and wrinkle-free, and his long, black hair was perfectly styled. This morning, Eying had personally soaked and washed his hair with soapberry water, then used a fine-toothed comb to scrape off lice more than ten times, gathering each strand and placing it under a white jade crown. His light blue stubble was also carefully shaved clean.

He held the jade scroll and received the imperial seal.

A complete transformation, ascending to heaven in broad daylight.

The winds of change change the clan, and the sun and moon add to its glory.

"Wow."

Banners fluttered in the wind, and the stagnant breathing resumed. All the officials were astonished by this unprecedented "fragmented" fiefdom. Before they could even exchange glances, the chief eunuch presented a tray containing an ivory scroll.

The prime minister picked up both ends, slowly unfolded them, and chanted the Heavenly Steps again. The crowd suppressed their unease and bowed their heads once more.

The newlyweds step forward.

"The Emperor, by the Will of Heaven, decrees:

I have heard that when establishing a dynasty and governing the world, one must uphold the principles of filial piety and righteousness; when recognizing virtue and merit, one should extend the grace of imperial favor. Since Prince Huai Qu has attained the rank of emperor and is stationed to guard the rivers and lakes, his family, teachers, and friends have all contributed to his education and guidance. How could I forget them? Therefore, I hereby issue this imperial decree to demonstrate the virtues of good conduct.

Princess Consort Long, of the Long clan, was a descendant of the Dragon King of the Huai River. She possessed exceptional beauty and grace, her essence like that of the moon. During the Prince's early years as a prince, she accompanied him through hardship and poverty. After he was enfeoffed as a prince, she became a first-rank princess consort, bestowed with a nine-phoenix crown, a red silk robe, a bushel of coral and pearls, and a pair of jade discs from the Eastern Sea…

Master Yang Dongxiong, a valiant general of the Western Army, repeatedly distinguished himself in battle. After retiring from the army, he established a school to teach and educate his fellow villagers. He was especially renowned for taking the Prince of Huai under his tutelage, imparting to him both literary and martial arts, and instilling in him a spirit of loyalty and righteousness. Now that his disciple has become a sage, the glory of his teachings shines even brighter. He is hereby specially granted the title of "Master Zhaowu," and awarded a robe with a unicorn and a jade belt. He is also bestowed with the plaque "Master of the Nation." He is granted the rank of Wude Dafu (a high-ranking official in the military), and permission is granted to build a shrine in his hometown…”

……

"Wow."

Foam overflowed from the poplar basin. He soaked a towel in cool water, wrung it out, and applied it to his face, wiping away the summer heat and sweat from his forehead. Chen Zhao'an let out a long sigh of relief, then had his grandson Chen Tongmin take the basin away. He stood up, leaning on the small table, intending to go to the well to get a watermelon to cool off.

"How's the summer tax this year? Surely no one in our town is behind on their payments?"

"Grandpa, don't worry. I've already asked. Every household has prepared everything. There's definitely nothing left. Master Liang is amazing. He's been hunting tigers for three years and cultivating elephants for three years. I bet he'll be here for a few more years. If he doesn't indulge in drinking, gambling, and whoring, life in town will be very good. Which household doesn't have some savings? They're just waiting for someone to come and collect the grain today. The situation should be similar to last year's autumn tax..."

Before he could finish speaking, a commotion erupted outside.

Chen Zhaoan frowned: "What's going on outside? Why is it so noisy..."

"I gonna go see."

"Oh!"

The door burst open, and the old man stumbled in, yelling, "Father, something terrible has happened! A huge commotion has broken out outside! Hundreds of people, armed with rakes and hoes, are blocking the wharf! The grain official who's collecting the grain has had his head smashed open and is bleeding!"

Chen Zhaoan and Chen Tongmin were greatly alarmed.

"What happened? Why did they start fighting? Did the grain official over-collect or something?" Chen Zhaoan asked anxiously.

"It's not that the grain officials are over-collecting; it's that some people don't want to pay!"

"Don't want to pay? Can't afford it? Someone in your family is sick?" Chen Zhao'an asked his grandson Chen Tongmin to get the rosewood cane that Liang Qu had given him, while he was helped by his son to walk quickly outside.

"We just don't want to pay! Master Liang is so capable, he exempted us Pingyang from taxes for three years, up to last summer's tax. We paid the autumn tax last year, and this summer's tax is the second one..."

"Grandpa, the cane is here!"

Chen Zhaoan gripped his rosewood cane tightly: "Continue!"

Chen Zhaoan's son, an old man in his sixties, wiped his sweat: "In May, the court announced that Lord Liang had become a saint and was being celebrated throughout the land. For seven whole days, everyone in the village was talking about how Lord Liang had been made a king and would continue to be exempt from taxes."

"That's true, but so what? Even if taxes are exempted, the calculation will start from this year's autumn tax. There's no time to pay the summer tax. Could it be that an imperial edict has already been issued? Is someone planning to start the calculation from the summer tax?"

"The imperial edict hasn't been issued yet, but Father, have you forgotten? Every year, not only are taxes exempted, but the court also writes off arrears! This has happened twice already. That bunch of damned bastards have learned from experience and are now seizing on this point. They don't plan to pay this year's summer tax, wanting to drag it out into a debt and wait for the court to write it off in one go, so they can earn an extra six months!"
"We've been made miserable for two months anyway, and we're getting nothing in return. It was originally just a few people leading the charge, but because others are doing this, everyone feels resentful and cheated. So they decided to go all out and refuse to pay anything. The grain official got angry, said some harsh words, and was cornered in an alley and beaten up. You'd better go and see for yourself."

Chen Zhaoan's vision went black, his hand gripping his cane so tightly that the veins stood out, and he was panting heavily.

"father!"

"grandfather!"

"Quick, carry me on your back!"

With lightning speed, Chen Tongmin hoisted Chen Zhaoan onto his back and, following his father's directions, rushed into the alleyway filled with shouts of fighting and killing. He yelled, "The old clan chief is here! The village elders are here! Stop it! Stop it!"

The old clan chief and village elder presided over the grand ceremony every year, but in the last two years he stopped presiding over it due to his advanced age. Chen Zhaoan's prestige remained, and the noisy alley quickly quieted down.

Chen Zhaoan landed on the ground, quickly walked through the crowd, and saw the three clerks collecting grain in the alley.

Pingyang Prefecture was a first-class prosperous place, and the clerks who came to collect grain in the town were all at the fourth level of skill. However, Yixing Town was not what it used to be. Every year, young people would enter the Huaiyin Martial Arts Hall with subsidies to learn martial arts. Several clerks were beaten until their heads were bleeding and they lay on the ground on the verge of death.

“One people, one people!”

"grandfather!"

"Quickly, get him to the clinic! No, don't move him yet, be careful the bone doesn't puncture his lung! Go and fetch a doctor from Changchun Hall, quick!"

"Yes!"

Chen Zhaoan clutched his chest, trying to calm himself, then pointed his trembling cane at the crowd: "Lord Liang was granted the title of King in the capital and received by the Emperor. And you're all here making a fool of yourselves over a few bushels of grain! How shameful!"

"Elder Chief, you can't just jump to conclusions! This son of a bitch started it!"

Before the young man could finish speaking, the rosewood cane came crashing down on his head.

Chen Zhaoan chased after him, brandishing his cane and hitting him repeatedly on the head, shouting angrily, "What's our town called? What's Master Liang's title? Yixing, Yixing!"

"When the Way is about to be practiced, people will compete to praise it. People will value their reputation, spread their voices, and share in the glory." I know and remember the words of the academy.

"Master Liang paid for your schooling and martial arts training, and this is what you learned? To cheat and swindle, to deliberately default on debts and then try to cover them up? Who started this? Step forward!"

The young man fell to the ground, too afraid to resist.

The others looked at each other, and no one spoke.

"Fine, fine! You've grown too big for your britches. I'm too old to deal with you anymore. Fine, I won't interfere. I'll deal with you when I get back to Yixing!"

The crowd panicked and started pointing and gesturing wildly.

"It's him, it's him!"

"And him!"

"They don't want to pay! Elder, I only stopped paying because they refused to. Why should they get to pay six months less?"

The crowd pointed to the group of men leading the way. Chen Zhaoan saw one of them and narrowed his eyes: "Liang Liu! I knew it was you! You're just like your father! The same kind of person!"

Liang Liu shrank back, stammering, but still stubbornly insisted: "My family just can't afford to pay the grain tax, what can I do? They want to learn, what does that have to do with me? What can I do? Oh, martial arts, studying, I never get any of the benefits, which makes my family poor and unable to pay the grain tax, so why are they picking on me? This is so unfair."

"Yes, that's right, we just can't afford it!"

"I have no grain, but I'll give you my life. Take me to dig a canal!"

The crowd was agitated. "A fool wouldn't take advantage of a good deal," they thought. Liang Liu had spurred them into action, drawing in a small group of people and forcing them toward Chen Zhao'an. The shouts drowned out the angry curses.

The remaining majority of people watched as the two groups clashed and blamed each other, leaning against the wall, unwilling to hand over the grain, yet feeling that the matter was indeed dishonorable—a perfectly good tax exemption had turned into this mess.

Chen Zhaoan felt dizzy in waves, never expecting that he would be unable to control these young people.

suddenly.

The scene was silent.

The noisy alley fell silent, and everyone looked towards the alley entrance. Liang Liu even shrank back and burrowed into the crowd.

"Kakaka..."

The pebbles bounced.

The sound of wheels rolling over bluestone bricks rolled in as Chen Qingjiang drove his donkey cart to deliver grain to Shangrao Wharf, just passing through the alleyway.

"Elder Chief, what's going on? Why is this such a big fuss?"

"Cough cough cough, cough cough cough."

Chen Zhaoan coughed violently, and Chen Qingjiang quickly jumped out of the car to pat the old clan chief on the back: "What's wrong? Why are you all gathered here? Wasn't today the day to deliver the grain? Did you change the location?"

Chen Zhaoan waved his hand, knowing exactly what was going on. Liang Guangtian was all show and no substance; this was Liang Qu's "uncle." Looking at the entire Yixing Town, only Chen Qingjiang could keep this group in check. He rushed towards the crowd, waving his cane: "Hand over the grain! Everyone, hand over the grain!"

No one moved.

Chen Qingjiang asked in bewilderment, "The grain collectors haven't come? Why isn't anyone going?"

Chen Zhaoan slammed his cane heavily on the ground: "Hand over the grain!" The crowd moved.

Chen Qingjiang was completely baffled. Wasn't it quite lively here just now? Why has it been so quiet since he arrived?
……

"...Her adoptive mother, Lady Xu of the Yang family, was the tutor of the Prince of Huai, and her kindness was akin to that of a loving mother. She once raised the orphaned son alongside the general, nurturing a hero from humble beginnings; she encouraged his lofty aspirations through hardship. Now that her adopted son has achieved great success, her benevolent grace is a source of great comfort. She is hereby specially granted the title 'Lady Zhenyi,' and bestowed with a dove-feathered staff and a golden crown..."

Liang's father... posthumously conferred...

Mother Liang... posthumously conferred...

Grandfather Liang... posthumously conferred...

Grandmother Liang...

Alas! Your divine favor is truly due to your virtuous character. You should all abide by the proper etiquette and uphold this glorious honor. The Prince of Huai should diligently fulfill his filial duties, and though he holds the throne, he must not Don't forget the kindness of his parents. So be it.

He was awarded a title for his merits, and the honor extended to his ancestors.

The cumulus clouds drifted by, radiating golden light!
After the announcement at Tianchen Hall, the "Zhonghe Shaoyue" music was played.

"pass!"

"pass!"

"pass!"

The imperial edict was received and conveyed in three words. The eunuch held it high above his head with both hands, carrying a cloud-shaped plate, and quickly descended the middle steps of the imperial road to the Meridian Gate of the Imperial City.

The imperial edict was displayed in rows, and officials from the Court of State Ceremonial knelt facing north to receive it. They placed it on the edict table, read it aloud, and proclaimed it to Heaven and Earth.

After the edict was read aloud, it was placed in a cloud-shaped container and carried by the Director of the Ceremonial Affairs Department of the Ministry of Rites. Surrounded by ceremonial guards and covered by a canopy, the edict proceeded along the central imperial road to the left gate of the imperial city. Elders from the capital region, envoys from various countries, scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants all prostrated themselves to hear the edict, which was then proclaimed to the people.

After the ceremony, the scribe respectfully copied the text onto yellow silk, a process known as "copying the yellow silk."

Outside the capital, the imperial messengers, having eaten and drunk their fill, prepared their fast horses, received the "copying," tucked it into their pockets, mounted their horses, and sent it to the world.

Like a stone thrown into water, it splashed and created waves that spread from the capital to every province, prefecture, and county of Da Shun, surging and turbulent.

The Jianghuai region prospers, and Liangqu King reigns supreme!
From this day forward, let us steadily ascend to the heavens. Let us not boast of the three thousand miles of waterways, but rather sing and dance in ten thousand homes!

……

The jade disc reflects light brilliantly.

"To grant the Marquis of Xingyi thirteen ports and only accept 70% of the profits is unheard of. In this way, wouldn't the Prince of Huai's fiefdom be 'shattered'?"

"Not only that, I haven't even heard of most of the ports here. I only know of Yixing because of the title of Marquis of Xingyi. Could they all be some small ports?"

The crowd dispersed from the palace, chatting in twos and threes.

Inside the Hall of Diligent Governance, the air was filled with the fragrance of incense.

The palace maids stood waiting, and Liang Qu grasped the royal seal, staring blankly at the map of the fiefdoms, looking dazed.

The map shows thirteen red dots that are both in and out of Southern Zhili, and both in and out of the Huai River region...

"Does Liang Qing have any surprises about this fiefdom?"

"Your Majesty!" Liang Qu snapped out of his daze and saw the Holy Emperor enter from the side hall. He bowed respectfully and frankly admitted, "It was unexpected."

I never expected that the fiefdom could be granted in this way. When a king is enfeoffed, the fiefdom is the area of ​​a prefecture, which varies depending on the location. The fiefdom is large in the northwest border region and small in the prosperous Central Plains. For example, the fiefdom of the King of Yue is in Ningjiang Prefecture, which is relatively small.

Therefore, the size and wealth of a fiefdom are often a direct reflection of a king's strength. When the King of Chong was transferred to the South Sea Commandery, it was a "promotion," and the strength of a king can be directly seen from his title.

But no matter how it's divided, there's never been a precedent for such a "fragmented" division!

There are a total of thirteen ports along the upper and lower reaches of the Huai River. As can be seen from the map, each port, along with its surrounding area, is considered a county, which together constitutes the area of ​​a prefecture.

This "Gongji" prefecture was Liangqu's fiefdom!
Anyone else would be cursing. What kind of fiefdom is this? Fragmented and scattered, stretching from east to west, and the area isn't even that big—only thirteen counties. Yet, in Liang Qu's eyes, these thirteen fiefdoms, these thirteen red dots, are actually connected to the Huai River, all of the same color, and all connected to the Huai River waterway, forming a whole.

In this light, the title "King of Huai" is truly undeserved. There are kings in the northwest and in the southeast, probably because their territory is too scattered and they are everywhere. No name would be appropriate for them, so they just borrow the name of the Huai River.

"Is it more surprises than satisfaction?"

"After the unexpected, all that's left is satisfaction!" Liang Qu said with beaming eyes. "It's a pity that if Your Majesty had told me about the third option earlier, I could have been happy for another month."

The steward jokingly said, "Prince Huai can't stay happy forever. If he's already happy now, he won't be as happy today."

Liang Qu shook his head: "Grand Steward, you are mistaken. Knowing more for a month is a joy of anticipation, like receiving a letter from home. When the letter arrives on its way, it becomes a joy of harvest. These are two kinds of joy."

“That makes sense.” The steward nodded in agreement. “In that case, the Prince of Huai is indeed less pleased with His Majesty.”

The Holy Emperor laughed heartily.

"Does Minister Liang know why I bestowed this title?"

"Since then, he has shown me special favor, which has surprised and astonished me. I am overwhelmed by his kindness and do not know how to repay it. I dare not forget it."

“I know your thoughts and I know you are unwilling to leave Jianghuai. However, it is impossible to enfeoff within Southern Zhili. Therefore, I will make Yixing independent, not as a prefecture, but as a port city to you. This will greatly reduce the resistance.”

But the cabinet ministers insisted that the ancestral laws could not be changed, and that I should divide the tax revenue again, sharing it among all parties. Only then did they agree to allocate the thirteen ports of Pingyang, including Jiangchuan and Lanzhou.

"Thank you so much, Your Majesty!"

Liang Qu was filled with excitement.

The greatest advantage of being granted the title of king is, of course, the independence of governance and the fact that all profits within the fiefdom belong to the king himself.

The current situation is that they have the right to govern, but a large portion of the economic benefits have been transferred out. But what good is transferring them out?

With a dock and relying on one's own abilities, I'm afraid there's still 30% left that won't make money.
Damn it, this is what personal charisma is all about. If someone were to suddenly emerge and vie for the throne, wouldn't I be there to defend them wholeheartedly?

"There is something I need to tell you in advance."

Liang Qu bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please speak."

"These thirteen ports still need to be separated from the local area, and the county boundaries need to be redefined, and towns and townships need to be merged. This is not something that can be done overnight. It requires multiple departments to conduct investigations and complete the process. It will take at least several months. Moreover, the ports are not ready-made. They are shallow water areas. As things stand, they are not actually suitable for building ports. Their only advantage is that there are many local people."

"What's so difficult about that? It's nothing more than 'construction'—opening up mountains when there are mountains and building bridges when there are rivers! If Your Majesty were to really give me thirteen of the best ports in the world, that would be boring. Doing something practical would bring me no sense of accomplishment whatsoever."

Is the water shallow?

One slaying dragon leads to a deep chasm, perfect for mooring boats, and most importantly, it has the [Emergency Escape Path]!
This is the real killer weapon; the water spiders rented from the river and lake management office will be of great use.

The fact that the Turtle King, Frog King, and Sea Monk went to the Southern Frontier has exposed the matter of the waterway, and there is no need to cover it up now. At the same time, the inability to transmit the Martial Saint without Xuanhuang Qi is also a kind of conditional trust.

Liangqu was eager to embark on a grand construction project.

This will all be his territory, where he can do whatever he wants!
Eight hundred years ago, we could have sailed interstellar warships.

Seeing Liang Qu's eagerness, the Holy Emperor did not keep him and let him go to celebrate with his family.

"Go to the Imperial Stables to select your own fine horse later. Three days later, pay homage at the temple, inform your ancestors, and then go with me to see the Martial Immortal. During these three days, continue to burn incense and bathe as usual."

"Yes!"

Wearing white cloud boots, he stepped out of the Hall of Diligent Governance.

The sky is vast and the land is wide, with white clouds drifting by.

Liang Qu's sideburns fluttered as he saw many people standing silently in the square, including "Princess Consort of Huai" Long E'ying, "Master Zhaowu" Yang Dongxiong, "Lady Zhenyi" Madam Xu, a group of senior brothers and sisters, "Earl Jingbo" Su Guishan, "Earl Anxiang" Xu Yuelong, Xu Wenzhu, Ke Wenbin, Xiang Fangsu...

All of these are the paths we came from.

Go down the steps.

Countless touching moments are brewing within it.

Liang Qu pretended to wipe away his tears, slowly stepped forward, and sighed softly.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, and then they heard it.

"I... am lonely at the top."

"Dry!"

[Annals of the Prince of Huai]:
"Liang Qu, a native of Yixing, Pingyang, was orphaned and poor at a young age but possessed a chivalrous spirit. He studied under Yang Dongxiong, a former general of the Western Army. He once received a meal from a neighbor and repaid him with a thousand gold pieces to raise his son to become a successful person..."

...At the age of eighteen, he broke through the Tiger Hunting Record; at twenty-two, he broke through the Elephant Realm. At that time, the Northern Court invaded the south, and he rode alone out of the Great Snow Mountain, slaying one of the eight beasts; he then fought at the source of the Yellow River, where he killed two more beasts, and the northern border was thus secured.

On the 27th, he led a southern campaign against the Gu rebellion. Upon entering the battlefield, he slew fifteen sects; in less than ten days, he crushed the enemy's advance, beheading over thirty more sects, capturing the Red Water and subduing the Black Water, thus recovering Lingnan. The following month, he attained enlightenment and became a saint, subsequently destroying the Water Demon Queen and the King of Chu, and collecting twenty-eight dragon artifacts. He was promoted to the title of King of Huai, and granted the fiefdom of Jianghuai. With his saintly status attained, the land was forever secure.

(End of this chapter)