Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 209 Like a Fish in Water (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"Death squad?" Shen Tang was somewhat surprised. "You mean the like Yang Dechang did before? Is someone behind it?"

"There might not be such people, but there could be assassins secretly plotting against us. If there is a powerful backer, it is more likely that a powerful cultivator from a distant sect will appear... The Incense Burning Pavilion used to have a network of connections, but it was suppressed by the emperor's orders, and no one dared to step forward. Don't the Dongjiang Gang or the Lingyun Sect have any connections? Bringing out a second-rank or even first-rank person to intimidate others with their power is not too difficult."

Shen Tang's expression was somewhat serious. He had been misled by the fact that no other sects were involved in the previous incident with Fenxianglou, but he had forgotten that Fenxianglou's case was an exception, because the emperor had severed the most powerful external network of alchemy sects.

Those alchemists trained by the Incense Burning Pavilion who established themselves in other forces, if they still harbored grudges, have now all become hostile forces.

Lu Xingzhou comforted him, "It's not that serious. Although alchemists hold good positions within their respective factions, they're not qualified to influence sect-level wars. If the Incense Pavilion were still around, they could indeed forge many alliances. But with the Incense Pavilion gone, this is unlikely. At most, a few might... On the contrary, the Incense Pavilion and the Dongjiang Gang, those who had previously been allies, are more worthy of attention. Do you have any intelligence on this?"

Shen Tang immediately replied, "Yes, I'll have someone fetch the information for you."

“Alright.” The two exchanged a smile, recalling how the Fenxiang Tower’s raiding force had collapsed after Gua Mei obtained their intelligence data. Several of them had now become the backbone of the Tianxing Sword Sect.

From then on, Shen Tang paid great attention to collecting information from other sources.

"I'm going back to call a meeting, do you want to come?" Shen Tang asked with a smile.

"I won't go. I have a letter here, so I'll take this opportunity to meet the new prefect."

Shen Tang left feeling refreshed, giving Madam Ye a quick glance before she went.

Why won't they let me see Xingzhou?

Can we really have such an important business exchange between our sect leader and guest advisor without meeting in person?

She forgot that if the meeting was purely for business, they could have held a public meeting instead of a private one...

Ye Tinglan was too lazy to care about her stupid look at the moment, but she was also thinking about something.

What a typical scene of a monarch discussing matters with his trusted prime minister... Such harmony between the monarch and his minister is indeed a prerequisite for the rise of a powerful force.

Does Gu Zhanting still have someone like that around him? He does have his own Lu Xingzhou, but he keeps him at a distance. He uses him to check and balance Pei Qingyan, and he seems to have a similar affinity with the Huo family. However, the Huo family's abilities are truly limited. A martial artist as an advisor only comes up with ideas that are full of violence... Just look at that altar. Whether Gu Zhanting consults with Pei Qingyan or her imperial advisor, nothing like that will come to fruition.

But Shen Tang's problem wasn't because of any kingly magnanimity or willingness to accept advice; it was because she was love-struck and listened to her husband's words!
If Lu Xingzhou acts recklessly, wouldn't she become a wicked concubine in a chaotic world?

Ye Tinglan pinched her head.

…………

Actually, when it comes to this aspect alone, it's not that Shen Tang is love-struck.

Ye Tinglan found it hard to empathize with Shen Tang's experience. When Shen Tang was down on her luck, she was even contemplating jumping off a cliff to end it all. But then she met Lu Xingzhou and was supported by him, rising rapidly to become a powerful figure.

She would believe anything Lu Xingzhou said, even a fart, demonstrating absolute and blind trust, regardless of whether they were in a relationship. Being in a relationship only ensured that the relationship wouldn't become distant or defensive; not being in a relationship wouldn't affect her level of trust in Lu Xingzhou's judgment.

What Lu Xingzhou said this time wasn't exactly groundbreaking.

In fact, Shen Tang himself had vaguely considered these matters, and some people had also raised similar, albeit rougher, ideas during the sect meetings these past few days. There was no need to wait for Lu Xingzhou to bring everything up; not everyone was just sitting around doing nothing.

But whether it's your own idea or someone else's suggestion, it's something that needs to be considered and discussed. What Lu Xingzhou said was to make a decision directly and just do it that way.

Rather than a strategist, he was more like a reassurance. Since he said so, it was feasible; Lu Xingzhou would consider all the details. If even Lu Xingzhou couldn't be trusted, then no one could be.

Without saying a word, Shen Tang returned to Danxia Mountain to convene a meeting, directly ordering the resumption of the old escort services of the Tianxing Sword Sect, and designating the Shen Family Trading Company as a transit point for trade, announcing to Xiazhou that it would begin accepting goods.

The pills and flying swords that were originally sold to the public were mostly sold by the Dongjiang Gang in Dongjiang County. Now, the transactions with the Dongjiang Gang have been directly taken back.

Tang Yunzhong and other former officials were overjoyed.

Although this job wasn't exactly high-end, it was considered a "family tradition" by those who cherished the past, carrying an emotional weight. Furthermore, for sword cultivators, this type of work was far more suitable than planting herbs or refining pills; the process of going on missions was also part of their cultivation journey, unlike their current solitude where they simply buried themselves in arduous training, which always felt somewhat lacking. Tang Yunzhong immediately took charge of the matter and got to work.

Zhang Shaoyou asked meaningfully, "Are you planning to break ties with the Dongjiang Gang?"

Shen Tang smiled and said, "It was bound to happen sooner or later."

Zhang Shaoyou also laughed: "That's right, after all, Elder Lu is back."

Shen Tang smiled brightly: "I'm afraid I'll have to trouble Hall Master Zhang to put in more effort next."

Zhang Shaoyou shook his head and chuckled: "Sect Master, have you forgotten? In the past, Bu Wang and I were enemies of the Dongjiang Gang at the Fenxiang Tower, and we have some old grudges. We were definitely the most proactive in opposing the Dongjiang Gang."

Shen Tang also realized this and laughed, "Back when you were enemies with them, your cultivation wasn't as good as it is now. Now that you're all much stronger, haven't you been wanting to beat them up for a while?"

“That’s the idea,” Zhang Shaoyou sighed. “However, our foundation is much weaker than others. Even if others don’t have a reclusive ancestor, they often have friends in the martial arts world to help them. We are ridiculously lacking in resources, and our network of connections is all in Xiazhou. We are too weak.”

Shen Tang smiled slightly: "Who said there isn't? At least the Dongjiang Gang hasn't managed to get in touch with the new prefect."

Zhang Shaoyou was taken aback: "It is said that the new prefect is impervious to reason. When did the sect leader secretly establish connections?"

Shen Tang smiled radiantly: "I have Lu Xingzhou."

Zhang Shaoyou: "..."

This brazen act of living off a woman is nothing like the decisive and efficient sect leader you usually are. Anyone who didn't know better would think you're being kept... Oh, come to think of it, a woman eating a man's food isn't considered living off a woman, is it?
At this moment, Lu Xingzhou knocked on the door of the prefectural governor's mansion.

Since the prefectural seat has been relocated, the most important people to take the lead in moving are the prefect and his subordinates. Prefect Zhang Rong arrived in Xia Prefecture a few days ago. Xu Bingkun's former city lord's mansion has been renovated after so long. It was previously the residence of the new city lord, but now it has become the prefect's mansion.

In the few days since Zhang Rongzhi arrived, various forces in Xia Prefecture have flocked to him, trying to establish connections. However, Zhang Rongzhi has just moved the prefectural capital and has a ton of unfinished business to attend to. He has no time to deal with these rural forces, and all those who sought an audience were turned away and couldn't even see him.

Shen Tang was ahead of the curve. Back when Zhang Rongzhi was still in Dongjiang, she had been introduced to him through the connections of Wan Cheng and others from the County Demon Division. Unfortunately, she didn't manage to build a very good relationship with him and could only be considered a familiar face.

Without revealing the princess's identity, a local sect with no foundation like this really doesn't have much face in front of the head of a prefecture, and having connections with the Demon Suppression Division is useless.

Especially since he even used Wan Cheng's connections... Wan Cheng is on the Huo family's side, and Zhang Rongzhi is Pei Qingyan's man. If it weren't for the factional strife not extending to this rural level, they might have dealt with you.

Against this backdrop, Lu Xingzhou knocked on the door of the prefectural governor's mansion and handed over an envelope, which appeared to be a visiting card.

Many people quietly gathered around, and those who recognized Lu Xingzhou were secretly laughing, thinking that he had been away for several months and was out of touch with the situation, and that he was going to be turned away again.

The next moment, the main gate swung open, and Zhang Rongzhi came out with a big smile: "Haha, it's an honor to have Scholar Lu here. I was also in the capital at the beginning of the year, but unfortunately I missed the chance to meet Scholar Lu. I never thought that I would make up for it today."

Zhang Rongzhi affectionately took Lu Xingzhou's arm and led him through the door.

With a "bang," the door slammed shut, leaving a group of onlookers dumbfounded.

Why is Lu Xingzhou allowed to walk arm in arm with the main gate open? Is his status as the top student of Dan Academy that impressive?
Ye Tinglan sighed from a distance.

What kind of top scholar from the Alchemy Academy? Even I, a first-rank teacher at the Alchemy Academy, don't receive this treatment.

Zhang Rongzhi isn't stupid. The whole capital knows about Lu Xingzhou and Pei Chuyun's lovey-dovey relationship. That's fine, but the key point is that Pei Qingyan didn't break Lu Xingzhou's leg. What does that mean?
No sooner had Pei Qingyan’s letter asking him to help Lu Xingzhou arrived than Lu Xingzhou showed up at his door with Meng Guan’s private letter. What does this mean?
Ye Tinglan suddenly realized something... Lu Xingzhou's trip to Beijing and his admission to the Dan Academy were at least 80% for Shen Tang's sake. Including his previous regret about "connections," this shouldn't have been something Lu Xingzhou would care about. The reason he cared about such things was to pave the way for Shen Tang.

This is a true example of a couple working together in harmony, and Shen Tang's romantic notion is worthwhile because he deserves it.

This harmonious relationship between ruler and minister has a specific description: "like a fish in water." But the fish was clearly caught, so why did things turn out this way?
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: Please vote for me!
(End of this chapter)