Zongwu: Aspiring to be the mastermind behind the scenes

Chapter 208 The Richest Man Gets Married, Xinlian's Flaw Revealed

When people talk about the richest people in the Ming Dynasty, the first person that comes to mind is Wan Sanqian, the richest man in the country.

Even though some people think that this richest man title is undeserved, and that there are many hidden billionaires in the world who may be even richer than Wan Sanqian.

Even among this group, it must be acknowledged that a fortune of 13,000 would place them among the top in the entire Ming Dynasty.

Unlike other wealthy individuals who spend their days scheming to expand their businesses and increase their wealth, Wan Sanqian prefers to disguise his identity and travel around.

In this process, he often encounters talented people who have difficulties they cannot solve and dreams they cannot realize.

Whenever he encounters someone like this, he is always quick to give generously.

This gave Wan Sanqian a wide network of connections throughout the martial arts world, and people all over the world owed him favors. At his command, countless people would lend a hand to him.

"Master Wan, please have a seat."

Zhang Kui quickly offered his seat and said, "Are you here to inspect our Beijing branch?"

Wan Sanqian smiled and said, "Although I have a small share in the Ming Dynasty section of Jianghu Monthly, I never interfere with the management. Professionals should do professional things. I trust you with these matters."

"Thank you for your trust, sir. We will never let you down."

Wan Sanqian said, "I have come here today because I want to publish something in the Jianghu Monthly."

"Oh dear! If Your Excellency has something to say, you only need to send someone to inform you. Why bother coming in person?"

“This matter is very important to me, and I am not comfortable sending someone over.”

"In that case, please speak plainly, sir, and I, Zhang, will do my utmost!"

Wan Sanqian laughed and said, "It's nothing big, it's just that I'm getting married!"

"Oh ah?!"

The biggest news in the martial arts world recently is the outcome of the siege of Bright Peak by the six major sects.

Under the mediation of the imperial court, the six major sects withdrew their troops.

This greatly disappointed many people who were hoping to see a spectacle.

However, since the incident occurred on the southwestern border of the Ming Dynasty, few people know the specific details.

Fortunately, the Southern Press release was extremely fast, and the supplement was published in just two days, detailing all the details.

The Jianghu Monthly, which was supposed to compete with it, was once again a step too late.

However, those who were already accustomed to subscribing to the Jianghu Monthly still bought a copy as a show of support after the supplement was released.

However, when they opened the newspaper, the huge headline was a great shock.

"What? Wan Sanqian is getting married?"

"Thirteen thousand? The richest man in the Ming Dynasty is actually getting married?!"

"Who is the woman? Is she the legitimate daughter of a high-ranking official in the court, or a princess of a prince or noble family?"

"Neither! It's Shangguan Hai, the lord of the number one manor in the world!"

"hiss!"

"Master Wan is truly masterful; he's really got some serious tricks up his sleeve!"

"I don't understand it, but I'm deeply moved!"

"Why should I? My muscular biceps and sexy beard are no less impressive than that pretty boy Shangguan Hai. Why doesn't Master Wan look at me?"

"Are you all blind? Didn't you see that the Jianghu Monthly clearly states that Master Shangguan is a woman disguised as a man? In reality, she is extremely beautiful, a beauty that could topple kingdoms!"

"What? The Lord of Shangguan Manor is actually a woman?"

"No wonder when I traveled with Master Shangguan last time, I always felt a faint fragrance lingering around me. I almost thought there was something wrong with my taste. It turns out, there was something wrong with Master Shangguan!"

"You can say whatever you want, but please don't get so close!"

"Hey bro! You smell amazing! You're not a woman disguised as a man, are you? Hey, we've known each other for so many years, what's there to hide!"

"Get out of here!!!"

Although the withdrawal of troops by the six major sects involved the six major sects and the Ming Cult, it also involved the Yuan Kingdom's conspiracy, the Ming Kingdom's discovery, and the investigation by the Four Great Detectives, among other factors.

However, compared to the news that Wan Sanqian, the richest man in the Ming Dynasty, was getting married, it was really nothing.

The hype was easily suppressed.

This sparked a great deal of discussion throughout the Ming Dynasty, especially in the capital.

After all, Wan Sanqian's other marriage partner was none other than Shangguan Hai, who was famous throughout the capital.

Inside the Pei residence.

"Shangguan Hai is actually a woman? Did you know that?"

“I know,” Zhou Ming said. “Many high-ranking officials and dignitaries in the capital know this.”

"Don't ordinary people and ordinary martial arts heroes know this?"

"Of course, Shangguan Haitang's acting skills are still quite good."

"Wait a minute, does that mean that Wan Sanqian actually met Shangguan Hai, who was disguised as a man and whose every move was no different from a man's, and then he fell in love with her?"
Hiss, this Mr. Wan's hobby...

"what are you thinking!"

Zhou Ming tapped Li Mochou's head with one finger: "Wan Sanqian is the financial backer of the number one manor in the world, so he naturally knows Shangguan Haitang's true identity."

"I see..." Li Mochou was somewhat disappointed.

Xiao Ai then sent a message: "Should we block this information from Guihai Yidao?"

What's the point of the lockdown?

Zhou Ming asked back.

Xiao Ai said, "Guihai Yidao is in love with Shangguan Haitang, and he is obsessed with Shangguan Haitang for the Heart Lotus Technique. If he learns of this, there is a possibility that the Heart Lotus Technique may go out of control."

What is the probability?

"Twenty percent."

"So low?"

Zhou Ming pondered for a moment and said, "No, there's no need to block the news. On the contrary, immediately arrange for Guihai Yidao to be informed of this news on the forum."

"?"

Ai sent me a question mark.

"I want to see what the consequences will be if the obsession with the Lotus Heart Dharma is shattered."

Zhou Ming replied.

He knew that Zhu Wushi, despite his immense power, was a devoted lover.

Many years ago, Zhu Wushi fell in love with a woman named Suxin. Therefore, he petitioned the late emperor to allow him to marry Suxin.

However, Su Xin was just an ordinary woman, and she was also engaged to someone else, namely the undefeated rascal Gu Santong, so the late emperor resolutely refused.

This incident directly led to a conflict between Zhu Wushi and the late emperor.

This also marked the beginning of Zhu Wushi's ambition to seize the throne.

He believed that only by becoming emperor could he silence the people about his marriage to Su Xin.

In the ending of the original novel, Zhu Wushi killed his great enemy Cao Zhengchun, and his martial arts skills were almost invincible. The main characters were all defeated by him.

However, Su Xin committed suicide and had her head delivered to Zhu Wushi.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Wushi went completely mad and died in a fit of infatuation, demonstrating the extent of his obsession.

In this world, Zhu Wushi created the Heart Lotus Method to solve the problem of memory confusion caused by the Absorption Technique's absorption of people's souls and essence. Using obsession as a seed, he planted a lotus flower in the sea of ​​the heart.

And the obsession he was fixated on was most likely Su Xin!
Therefore, if everything proceeds according to the original plot, once Su Xin dies, Zhu Wushi's obsession will collapse, and he will probably go mad and die like in the original plot.

But this is not good news for Zhou Ming.

Because Zhou Ming planned to use the Heart Lotus Technique to counter the Twelve Profound Yin Swords and create the Seven Swords Technique.

If the Heart Lotus Technique has such a problem, then his Seven Swords Technique is destined to be imperfect. And to remedy its flaws, one naturally needs to observe more and conduct some experiments.

Currently, there are only two practitioners of the Heart Lotus Method, so Zhou Ming can only make some moves on Gui Hai Yi Dao.

Xiao Ai received Zhou Ming's order and quickly posted on the organization's forum.

In fact, the news that Wan Sanqian was getting married had already been known to some people on the forum, and the discussion was quite heated.

After all, people are naturally gossipy.

Ai simultaneously controlled hundreds of accounts, instantly escalating the issue's popularity to its peak.

"Wan Sanqian is known as the richest man in the Ming Dynasty. What kind of beauties hasn't he seen? I'm really curious, what does Shangguan Haitang look like?"

"I have seen Shangguan Hai dressed as a man. He is indeed very handsome, but in terms of beauty, he would at most rank in the top twenty in the Ming Dynasty!"

"Isn't being in the top twenty a high achievement?"

"Of course it's high for you, but for them it's thirteen thousand!"

"Hey! You said it yourself, what kind of beauties haven't I seen? Of course, what I'm playing with is the understanding of the soul."

"Oh, I get it! This is love!"

"I'm curious, how did these two meet?"

Having laid the groundwork, Ai switched to a different account and said, "I know a little about this, before..."

The story begins at the top of the Forbidden City.

Zhu Wushi was worried that Shangguan Haitang would ruin his plans, so before the Forbidden City Tour began, he sent Shangguan Haitang out of the capital to find Cheng Shifei.

It was during this process that Shangguan Haitang encountered Wan Sanqian in disguise.

At the time, Wan Sanqian was being robbed when Shangguan Haitang came to his rescue, which is how Wan Sanqian noticed her.

Love at first sight!

Xiao Ai understood Zhou Ming's meaning; this part of the story was written with a rather romantic atmosphere.

Although this makes the story seem somewhat unrealistic, it has garnered a large following.

"If you can write, then write more!"

"I'm a local dog, I love to watch!"

"Sigh, my life has been so ordinary, why can't I encounter such exciting stories?"

Meanwhile, on Blackwood Cliff.

After completing his daily training, Guihai Yidao meditated and circulated his energy to recover. He then took out his silver badge, which represented his official membership, and entered the forum.

My intention was simply to see if anything was mentioned in the forum, but I immediately spotted the most popular post on the forum.

"Wan Sanqian is getting married, and the bride is... Haitang?!"

Gui Haiyi felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

I immediately opened the post and examined it carefully.

After a long while, he finally put down the silver token. Feeling extremely agitated, he simply picked up the demonic blade again and began to cultivate.

"That's it?"

Zhou Ming raised an eyebrow upon seeing this.

He still remembered that in the original story, Guihai Yidao almost went mad when he learned that Haitang was going to marry Wan Sanqian.

Why is this the only reaction now?
"Ai, you said before that there was only a 20% chance that he would lose control after learning about this, meaning there's an 80% chance that things will turn out like this now?"

"Yes."

"why?"

"Firstly, Guihai Yidao's feelings for Shangguan Haitang are just a secret crush. Secondly, as an undercover agent for the organization, he was already mentally prepared."

Zhou Ming slapped his forehead, finally understanding.

This is a moment.

In the original story, Guihai Yidao fell into demonic possession after practicing the Avici Path Three-Sword Technique, and he had no Heart Lotus Technique to help him control it. Later, a Shaolin monk taught him a method to subdue demons, which resolved the matter.

Before he began practicing magic, he had not only experienced many things with Shangguan Haitang, but had also confessed his feelings to her, which was practically equivalent to pledging his life to her.

So, after he emerged from his cultivation of demon-slaying magic, he suddenly learned that Shangguan Haitang was going to marry Wan Sanqian, which caused him to go mad again.

But for now, it's just a crush.

He didn't confess his feelings, and Shangguan Haitang didn't respond at all.

Moreover, having infiltrated the organization, he had long been prepared to remain undercover for a long time, even for life.

Therefore, he had long since given up the idea of ​​settling down with Shangguan Haitang.

Moreover, Wan Sanqian is indeed a good match.

He was in his early thirties, yet he was already the richest man in the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, he had no wife or concubines, enjoyed traveling the world, was charitable, and had an excellent reputation.

This is a perfect match, one you could only dream of.

Therefore, although Guihai Yidao was depressed after learning this news, he was not so much driven to madness.

The differences between people are truly vast!

Zhou Ming understood this point and couldn't help but sigh.

Both Zhu Wushi and Guihai Yidao were deeply in love and both cultivated the Heart Lotus Technique with unwavering devotion, yet they were completely different.

Zhu Wushi was determined to do everything he could to stay with Suxin for the rest of his life.

Su Xin and Gu Santong were engaged, so he tried every means to frame, defeat, and imprison Gu Santong.

Since the late emperor wouldn't allow it, he decided to ascend the throne himself and marry Su Xin.

On the other hand, Guihai Yidao fully demonstrated that 'love is not about possession, but about letting go,' preferring to suffer himself so that Haitang could be happy!
but……

"What am I supposed to do now that you've done this?"

Zhou Ming rubbed his temples and asked, "Xiao Ai, how's Shangguan Haitang doing? Is she marrying Wan Sanqian willingly?"

Xiao Ai's eyes flickered, and various data were brought up: "Shangguan Haitang did not resist. Although she did not take the initiative, she was willing."

Immediately, one projection after another appeared before Zhou Ming's eyes, displaying various scenes.

After reading it, Zhou Ming understood.

Although Shangguan Haitang is a woman of the martial arts world, she is actually a rather traditional person.

In matters of marriage, she was more inclined to obey her parents' wishes and the matchmaker's words than to follow her own personal desires.

However, she lost both her parents at a young age and was adopted by Zhu Wushi, so her father is Zhu Wushi.

However, this does not mean that Zhu Wushi forced Shangguan Haitang to marry Wan Sanqian. On the contrary, Zhu Wushi gave Shangguan Haitang the right to choose for herself.

Zhu ignored the fact that he was a treacherous villain disguised as a loyalist, and kept all his ambitions and thoughts deeply hidden.

He will never reveal his true colors right now.

Therefore, after Wan Sanqian came to propose marriage, Zhu Wushi said that everything should be done according to Haitang's own wishes.

However, after that, Zhu Wushi began to show his weakness in the court.

In fact, there's no need to deliberately show it; Zhu Wushi is indeed in a weak position in the court at present.

On the Eastern Depot side, Liu Xi rose to power, and Cao Zhengchun replaced the previous Chief Steward Wang, becoming the emperor's right-hand man. He seemed powerless, but in reality, he wielded immense power.

After the incident at the Forbidden City, although there was no evidence, the intelligent young emperor sensed Zhu Wushi's hidden henchmen and became even more vigilant towards him.

The imperial guards were reorganized and transformed into the Dragon Protector Clan.

Interfering in the operation of the Dragon Guard Villa directly infringes upon Zhu Wushi's most fundamental rights!
All of this indicates that Zhu Wushi's power is being continuously weakened.

(End of this chapter)