She is devoted to cultivating immortality

Chapter 76: Serving the King is Like Serving a Tiger, Everyone Knows that Immortals Are Good (First Order)
"Mr. Xie, is Zhuang considered your good friend?"

Xie Lian was stunned.

She didn't understand why Zhuang Mochen suddenly asked this question, but she could feel his seriousness.

"No."

Xie Lian shook his head and replied in an equally serious tone.

"Not just any good friend, but a close friend."

Zhuang Mochen was the first person in the world to show kindness to her, and then the fate of the two were intertwined, which was of great significance to Xie Lian.

This is often the case with human interaction; the first meeting determines the future.

"That's enough, that's enough, that's enough."

Zhuang Mochen closed his eyes, and after a while he suddenly bowed to Xie Lian, then left with a big laugh.

Why bother to reveal it?

Isn't it good to leave it like this?

Xie Lian looked at his back, as if he had guessed something, but it seemed that no matter what he guessed, it didn’t matter. In the end, he just smiled.

"I don't know what's going on."

He started painting again, but this time his brush seemed particularly light.

God is not so heartless after all.

This heavy snow lasted until the afternoon of the next day, when it finally began to subside and stopped completely by late at night.

As a result, I don’t know how many people breathed a sigh of relief.

But even so, it still caused huge damage to the eastern part of Qian State.

The New Year of the 41st year of Dakang is destined to be unforgettable.

The most difficult thing after a disaster is reconstruction, which local governments naturally cannot accomplish independently, so they all petition the court and request assistance.

But when these memorials floated into the palace like snowflakes, they made Emperor Qian very angry.

"waste!"

"Bastard!"

"Insect!"

Emperor Qian's eyes were bloodshot, like an angry lion.

"How generous is the government in supporting scholars? But it has produced a bunch of good-for-nothings like this?"

"When the disaster struck, there was no preparation at all, causing countless people to be displaced and chaos to break out in the east."

"This is a huge mistake, but instead of trying to correct it, you even dare to ask me for money and food! Do you think my sword and axe are useless!?"

Under the hall, all the ministers bowed down.

"Your Majesty, calm down."

They seemed to be trembling with fear and intimidated by the might of heaven, but in fact, few of them were truly afraid.

It’s not that Emperor Qian is not cruel enough, but that they have become accustomed to it.

The emperor lost his temper in almost every court meeting.

There is nothing in this world that can satisfy him. In his later years, the emperor is like an old lion who is afraid of being abandoned by the lion group, so he releases his majesty all the time.
Everyone knew that the emperor acted like this because he was terrified of death.

The previous incident of "beheading the immortal at Caishikou" had made the emperor briefly enlightened for a few days, but after he repented and made amends, he still did not receive a response from the immortal, so Emperor Qian became more and more irritable.

His patience was running low, and his murderous intent was growing stronger.

If you want to live longer, then you should talk less and do less, and wait until the emperor dies, then you will naturally survive.
This is the survival rule summed up by the old hands in the court.

So after Emperor Qian vented his anger, he found that no one stood up to offer any constructive suggestions. Instead, they all knelt on the ground like praying mantises.

This made him even angrier.

"Convey my order, send the imperial guards to investigate the counties and prefectures. For those places that are severely affected by the disaster, there is no need to report to the emperor. First, take off their official uniforms and escort them to Fengdu. For those who commit crimes and take advantage of the disaster to make money, their property will be confiscated and their families will be exterminated. For those who fail to provide disaster relief, they will all be warned. We must see results in the short term. If they can't do that, they don't need to come to see me. Just exile them to Mobei and eat sand!"

"Also, send an order to the four major granaries to open them all and escort the grain and fodder to the nearby prefectures and counties. Make sure the people are settled first and do not cause any unrest."

"Instruct the Five Military Headquarters, the Heavenly Guards, the Embroidered Uniform Battalion, and the governors of all prefectures to prepare at key locations. Once a civil uprising occurs, suppress it immediately. No mistakes can be made!"

After all, he was the emperor for forty years. Even if he was incompetent in his later years, when he really got serious, he still had the aura of a wise ruler.

At least this series of consecutive orders impressed the ministers present, and also made them more certain of one thing: the emperor was not without talent, he was just obsessed with immortality, but once it came to matters of principle, his sanity would return briefly.

For Emperor Qian, this was clearly a matter of principle.

The entire eastern part of Qian State suffered a major disaster. If not handled properly, it would shake the foundation of the country.

As the Son of Heaven, the entire Qian Kingdom is his private property. He may not care about many things, but it is impossible for him not to protect his own home.

As for those emperors who could even destroy the empire, they were not even incompetent rulers, but complete idiots!
"Where is the Minister?"

After a series of orders, Emperor Qian had no intention of giving up, but directly named the people.

"The minister is here."

In the front row of the ministers, a man slowly stood up, with a look of fear on his face.
If Xie Lian were here, he would definitely recognize this man as the "executioner" who personally ordered his beheading that day.

On that day, he was just an insignificant official, but now, he has become a minister.

······
The so-called Shizhong could enter and leave the palace freely and participate in important court affairs. He was the emperor's closest minister.

The power of the Shizhong depended on the emperor's favor.

In many cases, the Minister of the State of Qian could be regarded as a reserve for the prime minister.

But this person was obviously not in that category. The ministers looked at him with ridicule, jealousy and contempt.

In their eyes, Quan Shaoze was a real "lucky minister".

It was only because he had supervised the execution of an immortal and was the only official who had face-to-face contact and conversation with an immortal that he was valued by the emperor and directly promoted to the position of Shizhong.

His way of promotion was destined to be despised. Once Emperor Qian passed away, it was foreseeable that he would end up in disgrace.

But Quan Shaoze had no choice.

The emperor's pursuit of immortality has led him to the point of being possessed by the devil. He has lost all rationality. He insists that the emperor has had contact with immortals and is destined to be immortal, so he wants to promote him as a way of pleasing the immortals.

Can he say no?
Does he have a choice?

But the world only thinks that he is a lucky villain, and does not care about his inner suffering. Quan Shaoze feels helpless. Facing the increasingly irritable emperor, he lives every day like walking on thin ice.
"I want to seek immortality, but a natural disaster suddenly struck the east. Is this a warning from heaven? What do you think, my Lord?"

Emperor Qian asked in a deep voice.

"I think"

Quan Shaoze thought for a while and was about to speak, but when he looked up, he saw Emperor Qian's eyes full of murderous intent. His heart was suddenly startled and he spoke quickly.

"I don't think so. What does a natural disaster have to do with Your Majesty? Your Majesty has been in office for forty years, working hard to govern the country and bringing peace to the world. How could God punish you? I think this natural disaster may be a test from God. Perhaps as long as Your Majesty survives this disaster, you can fulfill your wish and obtain immortality!"

When these words were spoken, all the ministers were stunned, and they looked at Quan Shaoze with disbelief in their eyes.

You are such a fucking talent!

Can you accomplish this?
Quan Shaoze didn't care what others thought. His back was already soaked with cold sweat. He was very familiar with the look in Emperor Qian's eyes just now. It was a murderous look.

If he said one wrong word, he would be dead.

"What Ai Qing said makes sense."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qian's anger turned into joy and he said.

"I also view this matter in this way, and there have been signs. Among all the petitions for help, there is a county called Xiaoning that reported auspicious signs. Despite such a great disaster, no one in Xiaoning County died. Isn't this a hint from heaven to me?"

"It's just that it's hard to tell whether this is true or not, so I can't just believe it."

"We still need to send someone to Xiaoning County. If this is true, there will naturally be a huge reward. If it is false, hehe, the entire clan will be executed."

Emperor Qian's light words revealed a deep murderous intent.

Quan Shaoze felt this murderous intent at close range, which made him even more tormented. He gritted his teeth and came up with an idea.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to take this trip to Xiaoning County to see if the auspicious sign is real or not!"

But the pressure was too great and he wanted to go out and hide for a few days. But Emperor Qian didn't want him to do so.

"Please don't ask me, my Lord. I still have many questions on my way to becoming an immortal, and I would like you to answer them."

There was a sneer on his lips, as if he could see through Quan Shaoze's thoughts.

"Your Majesty, I think that the entire eastern region was affected by the disaster, and only Xiaoning County was spared. This matter is not simple. Maybe there is an immortal protecting Xiaoning County? I am the only one who has seen an immortal, and it is my duty to share your Majesty's worries. I may find something during this trip."

Quan Shaoze also knew Emperor Qian's situation well. As long as it was related to immortals, the emperor would most likely approve it.

As expected, Emperor Qian's expression changed several times, but he finally spoke with a glimmer of hope.

"That makes sense. Please go on this trip, my dear."

Quan Shaoze breathed a sigh of relief and bowed quickly.

"Long live my emperor."

But at this moment, Emperor Qian spoke again.

"etc.."

He felt a chill in his heart and looked up, only to find that Emperor Qian no longer showed any signs of anger. Without his cruel exterior, he was just an old man in his twilight years, and there was even a look of humility in his eyes.

"If we meet an immortal this time, we must not let her go."
-
The post-disaster reconstruction work in Xiaoning County is progressing smoothly.

Compared with other county towns and counties that are mired in the quagmire, Xiaoning County is undoubtedly a paradise.

Because at least not many people died, and as long as people are still alive, rebuilding homes will not be difficult.

As the saying goes, if people survive but the land is lost, both people and land survive; if the land survives but the people are lost, both people and land are lost. This is exactly the truth.

Perhaps sensing the signal of a promotion, Magistrate Lou showed great enthusiasm and personally went to the grassroots to preside over the reconstruction work.

This is a smart move. Before being officially appointed, everything is still an illusion. The more times like this, the more you cannot relax, but instead you must be more vigilant than before.

In addition, he also wanted to leave a good reputation for himself during his tenure as an official.

Because of his achievement this time, even if he is transferred away from Xiaoning County in the future, he will be remembered by many people.

After about half a month of chaos, Xiaoning County gradually got back on track and was not affected by the surrounding counties. Firstly, it was located in a remote area, with Changxing County being the only city close to it; secondly, the court reacted relatively quickly, and the series of orders issued by Emperor Qian during his brief sobriety indeed played a crucial role.

But as Xiaoning County gradually returned to normal, Xie Lian’s peace was broken.

The magic of "Spring Festival Couplets" has even spread to the neighboring Changxing County.

This was not some fabricated story, but a real event. Many people benefited from this event, so the news about Xie Lian spread quickly, and it became more and more amazing.
As for the Spring Festival couplets, they were regarded as heirlooms by the people. In the beginning, some people became greedy and either bought them at high prices or stole them directly. But no matter which way, as long as they left the original owner, the words on the couplets would fade away.

It was once considered a strange story.

And Xie Lian, who wrote the Spring Festival couplets himself, also had a bit of ethereal air.

Because of this, Xie Lian no longer dared to go out for a walk. Once he was recognized by someone, he would be harassed. Some even kowtowed to him directly.

But even if she didn't go out, she couldn't avoid harassment. Many people came to her house and treated her as a deity who saved people from suffering, if for nothing else, just for a pair of Spring Festival couplets.

As for the wealthy families in the city, it goes without saying that gifts were transported to Xie Lian's home in horse-drawn carriages.

The news about a "Fairy Goddess" appearing in Xiaoning County is spreading like wildfire.

Even Magistrate Lou and the county magistrate sent visiting cards several times.

This was definitely not the result Xie Lian wanted.

But because of these people's commotion, she knew the whole story.

"It turns out that the Spring Festival couplets I wrote have blessed the people."

Xie Lian did not have much emotion about this news. In fact, she had a vague premonition after she finished writing the Spring Festival couplets.

Although she got into trouble because of this incident, she did not regret it. Instead, she felt very fortunate.

At least it helped a lot of people survive.

Not all people outside want to curry favor with her and gain benefits from her. There are also many people who are truly grateful to her.

In the past few days, someone would come to the door almost every day, but they would not disturb Xie Lian. The family would just kowtow silently to express their gratitude and then leave.

"No wonder Mr. Zhuang was so strange that day. It turns out he already knew about this."

Xie Lian understood all the doubts, and in the end he could only shake his head.

If she doesn't want to see anyone, then no one can see her.
Since the outside world was making so much noise because of her, she might as well just stay in seclusion in the yard. Apart from the Zhuang father and son and the little white fox, there was no one else she had to see.

It is a good opportunity to take advantage of this period of time to complete the Golden Crow painting.

Xie Lian already had a good deal of confidence.

She received the best guidance by reading "Qing Yu Miscellaneous Notes", and after a lot of practice, she has grasped the essence.

At least the "skill" in the three realms of painting is no longer her shortcoming.
Some of the artistic conception can also be vividly expressed on paper.

But it is still a long way to go to depict the "god" of the Golden Crow.

"This time, we must draw a complete Golden Crow diagram!"

Xie Lian took a deep breath and secretly made a plan.

This time, she was determined to succeed.
Because she had originally planned to go out for a trip after the Chinese New Year and when the locust flowers bloomed.

The beautiful mountains and rivers of this world are even more magnificent and mysterious than those in her previous life, and she has long wanted to see them.

Now that this kind of thing has happened again, the people of Xiaoning County are too "enthusiastic", which makes Xie Lian want to hide from the limelight.
But no matter how the plan is, the Golden Crow Map must be drawn first.

Almost another half month passed.

The father and son of the farmer next door are having dinner.

Although Zhuang Mochen was usually strict, he did not have a hard and fast rule of "no talking while eating, no talking while sleeping". The father and son were quite casual when dining.

For example, now, Zhuang Mochen swallowed the food in his mouth slowly and asked lightly.

"Is Mr. Xie still the same?"

Zhuang Yan's cheeks were bulging with food, and he took a big sip of water before swallowing it with difficulty.

"Yes, when I went to study in the morning, Aunt Lian was still painting. She didn't move for more than ten days."

Zhuang Mochen nodded, with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"I don't know what's so magical about the thing she wants to paint? It can actually occupy her entire mind."

The Zhuang family father and son simply ignored the fact that Xie Lian had not eaten or slept for more than ten days.

This obviously didn't mean anything to Xie Lian.

"I don't know either. We are not allowed to look at the old locust tree in the yard. Hu Qianli tried to peek several times but was beaten back every time."

Zhuang Yan said this with a smile, but his mind was recollecting the scene of the little white fox being whipped away by the branches of the old locust tree.

This old tree has no other hobbies except persecuting the little white fox.

In terms of Taoism, the little white fox entered the Tao earlier than the old tree, but he was still no match for the old tree and could only feel helpless and furious.

If Xie Lian were here, he would certainly be surprised that Zhuang Mochen also knew about the little white fox.

But if you think about it for a while, you will understand. Zhuang Mochen is a smart man. He was just blinded by one thing before. Now that he knows that Xie Lian is not an ordinary person, what else can he hide from him?

Zhuang Yan had basically no ability to resist in front of his own father, and Zhuang Mochen didn't have to spend much effort before Zhuang Yan told him almost all the details.

Therefore, Zhuang Mochen knew a lot of secrets.

It turns out that Zhuang Yan had known Xie Lian's identity a long time ago, and was taken to Qingping Mountain to meet a group of great monsters.

This is really, really...disloyal!
When Zhuang Mochen thought that he was the only one who was kept in the dark, he wanted to find Xie Lian to have a good debate.

But Xie Lian had obviously entered a strange state and could not be disturbed, so he could only hold it in.

Just as the father and son were talking, a man with good fortune walked in.

"Master, those people are so shameless. I refused to accept their gift, so they rolled up their bedding and lay down at the door of our house, refusing to leave!"

Zhuang Mochen's face changed, and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes.
"This is ridiculous, it's really disrespectful to society!"

(End of this chapter)