Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 134 Xiangji Temple Plaque: Me too!
The air in the space enclosed by the screen suddenly seemed to freeze.

"It really is him? This treacherous and cunning villain has fooled everyone!"

"His elder brother treated him like his own son, yet he could do such a heartless and despicable thing. He's simply not a human being!"

No one doubted Wang Cheng's words.

Uncle Zhang, who looked the most honest and upright, almost jumped up on the spot with red eyes, but was held down by the others, suppressing his impulse to fight Mao Haifeng to the death.

After all, the opponent was a fourth-rank "White Water Gentleman," and they were no match for him in a one-on-one fight. One careless move could ruin everything, so they had to plan carefully to take his life.

Looking at Wang Cheng again, one can't help but be impressed by how smoothly he had performed the "brotherly love and respect" act.

I find him increasingly unfathomable, and a sense of awe arises from this.

"Let's give him an appetizer first, and find him something to do."

The party started soon.

This time, a separate meal system was adopted, with Wang Cheng in the head seat, Mao Haifeng, Longweiye, Xu Weixue, and Peng Laosheng on the left and right, and the others arranged on both sides of the main hall with a table on each side.

Wait until three rounds of wine have been drunk and five flavors of dishes have been served.

Suddenly, one of the men in the hall rose, bowed deeply to Wang Cheng above, and spoke:
"Your Highness, our Lord Jinghai has been a god for several months, and the throne of the East Sea Kingdom has also been vacant for several months."

Now that the Crown Prince has returned, I humbly request that he ascend the throne to bring peace to the people!

Those present who supported Wang Cheng were naturally invigorated upon hearing this and joined in the supplication:
"Please, Crown Prince, inherit the throne to appease the people!"

However, many hesitated to act.

Just as Wang Cheng had predicted, Mao Haifeng was not the only one eyeing the position; they were just hiding it more discreetly.

He was not annoyed at all; on the contrary, he was secretly delighted.
“It’s good that you have ambition. If you were all united, I, the heir apparent, would have already packed my bags and left in disgrace.”

Before the Tanka people's henchmen could take advantage of the grand occasion of the prince's return and the old king's establishment of the ancestral temple, they could force the forces of Mao Haifeng, Xu Weixue, and Peng Laosheng to express their opinions.

Wang Cheng then pressed his hand down and resolutely refused:
"Don't say that anymore, my father has already made arrangements."

Then look around:

"I'm not afraid of being laughed at by you uncles and elders. Many of you have watched me grow up and should know that I was born with a light bone and a fragile life."

My father had a complete plan for my future before he passed away.

I haven't even studied the "Guide to Sending You Off with Favorable Winds" or entered the Thirty-Six Halls of the Water Class. I've stayed in Dazhao to study and dedicate myself to the imperial examinations and official career, hoping to change my fate later in life.

I never had any intention of coming to Yingzhou to inherit the throne.

Unfortunately, he failed to succeed in his studies and his path to becoming an official was also unsuccessful, and the Wang family suffered another calamity along the way.

Nowadays, my father's greatest hope for me is simply to be a wealthy man, have many children, and become a grandfather as soon as possible—that would be a blessing from his ancestors' graves.

Although the Wang family wasn't wealthy, supporting one or two hundred wives and concubines wasn't a problem for them.

His self-deprecating remark drew a burst of lighthearted laughter from the hall.

Some people secretly breathed a sigh of relief and found the self-aware prince increasingly pleasing to the eye.

He thought that if he were to rise to power, he might as well follow the example of Japan and learn from the shogunate to support the imperial family. He could find a bunch of beautiful girls from his own family and send them to him to support this "flag," thus gaining both face and substance.

With a second-rank deity protecting the Wang family, it seems not entirely impossible for them to maintain their lineage for ten thousand generations in a remote and impoverished place like Yingzhou.

Without realizing it, they categorized Wang Cheng as someone who posed no threat, or even someone who could be won over and used.

"but."

Wang Cheng abruptly changed the subject, and his voice rose:
“My sworn brother Mao Haifeng is different; he is the most successful one in our Wang family.”

My father's unwavering belief was to "share the benefits with the people and defend the country's borders."

He consistently advocated for the court to grant amnesty, lift the maritime ban, provide a livelihood for those who rely on the sea for farming, and remove the lowly status of fishermen, river workers, sailors, Tanka people, and fishing boats of the Nine Clans, allowing them to live normal lives.

My father often said to me, "A good-for-nothing child stays at home with his parents' feet, but a good child goes out to serve his country."

On the day I was invited ashore by the imperial court, my father took me back to our hometown, thinking that it would be best if we could live a wealthy and leisurely life after being granted amnesty.

Then I handed over most of the industries of Wufengqi and Donghai Kingdom to my sworn brother Mao Haifeng, who was in charge of managing them and carrying on my father's will to protect the country and defend the borders.

At that time, my sworn brother was already the only Grand Commander among the five banners of Black, Red, White, Yellow and Blue, while I remained an ordinary citizen, which was clear proof of my father's painstaking efforts.

"What a pity, what a pity."

Wang Cheng stopped speaking here, drank the wine in his cup in one gulp, and kept shaking his head and sighing.

At the next seat, Mao Haifeng's heart skipped a beat, and he sat frozen on the spot, muttering to himself:

"A good-for-nothing child is content to stay at home, while a good-for-nothing child serves the country."

Wang Cheng is useless? I am useful?

A large portion of this legacy was originally intended for me.

Scenes from the past flashed through Mao Haifeng's mind like a revolving lantern.

From the moment my adopted brother was born, his bone weight was determined, his academic arrangements were made, and my adoptive father's attitude—everything seemed to confirm that this arrangement was indeed very likely true. It's just that I've always judged others by my own standards, and no matter how much my adoptive father gave me, I always felt that he was unfair and that he was a stumbling block to my progress.

Unable to wait any longer, he seized the opportunity when the imperial court offered him amnesty and stabbed him in the back.

For a moment, even he himself felt that he might deserve to die.

"As long as they, father and son, successfully land and accept amnesty, and together with all the Tanka people, clear their names, this foundation will be mine sooner or later. By now, I might have already completed the 'All Rivers Run into the Sea' ritual and successfully advanced to the third rank?"

But why didn't you say so sooner?

In the midst of his intense emotional turmoil, he was unaware that a hostile gaze had already fallen upon him.

Does he feel he hasn't received enough? And don't others feel the same way?

When can the human heart ever be satisfied?
Everyone knew that Wang Cheng was too weak and might not be able to shoulder the ancestral legacy of the Donghai Kingdom, so they all harbored their own ambitions.

No one stipulates that the second-generation Prince Jinghai must have the surname Wang or have been surnamed Wang. As long as they have ships and cannons, they have opportunities.

Wang Zeng's rise to prominence was due to his position as a sentry officer, which allowed him to inherit the wealth of the four Xu brothers, known as the "Shuangyu Shipping Kings."
At this moment, Wang Chengming said nothing and made no promises, yet it seemed as if he had said everything.

Xu Weixue and Peng Laosheng exchanged a glance, then separated immediately, having already determined who their greatest enemy was.

"Whether we accept the amnesty and become a general who guards the seas, a general who leaps across the seas, or a carefree prince, taking down Mao Haifeng, this formidable enemy, is imperative."

With or without the foundation of the Donghai Kingdom, the bargaining chips would be completely different.

'With such a deep bond between father and son, brothers and close relatives, if they want to sideline Wang Cheng, they'll have to get rid of Mao Haifeng first.'

Someone was suddenly put on the hot seat.

Only Wang Cheng saw that he had only pretended to relinquish the throne, and hadn't actually done so, yet it had already caused tensions to rise among the various factions. He was filled with mixed emotions:
"Although my father died from a series of conspiracies by members of the imperial family, gentry, and upright officials."

However, if he had not declared himself king in the first place, the ruler of the state might not have tacitly allowed the Qingliu faction, which represented the interests of the gentry, and Wang Bengu to take action.

Even now, the imperial court remains uneasy and continues to relentlessly pursue and attack the Five Peaks Banner.

The saying "Build high walls, store up plenty of grain, and delay declaring yourself king" still holds some practical truth.

After the banquet, Mao Haifeng returned to his residence still somewhat dazed.

His newlywed wife found her husband very strange that day, and kept muttering to herself:
"Why didn't you say so sooner?"
I don't know how long I kept muttering about it, but in the end, ambition easily overwhelmed my guilt, and I naturally shifted the blame onto others.

"The arrow is on the string and must be released. Godfather, blame yourself for not giving me the family business sooner so that I could break through to the upper three ranks."

Chengdi, if you had a wife and children, I would definitely help you raise them, but unfortunately you have none.

The Wang family line has ended, but my family's story is just beginning!

He placed the Xuanwu Gate plaque on the altar, picked up his beautiful wife, and strode into the bedroom.

"what!"

at the same time.

In another corner of the palace, there are several large pear trees, and the Pear Blossom Palace is in full bloom with pure white pear blossoms.

This is Wang Cheng's residence in the imperial palace. He didn't bother to change it this time when he returned.

At that moment, he was also carefully wiping a plaque with a cloth.

【Fu Yingzhenwu: Xiangji Temple plaque (a treasure of the prefecture), anchoring the historical event of the Battle of Xiangji Temple, where 150,000 Tang troops faced off against 100,000 An Lushan rebels.

Effect: Whoever loses is a rebel!

The affiliation of the orthodox and the traitorous factions can be set freely, from a country to a small faction, as long as both sides can be assigned to the same faction.

No matter how well someone disguises themselves, and no matter how much others don't believe they are a traitor, as long as they fight openly and win, they will automatically "expose" their true nature as a traitor.

Note: Both are relics from the Tang Dynasty, and they are connected by fate to another plaque, "Xuanwu Gate." Possessing "Xiangji Temple" increases the chance of encountering "Xuanwu Gate."

"Under this plaque of Xiangji Temple, as long as my winning alliance can defeat his winning alliance, I don't even need to kill him personally."

This farce in the Eastern Sea Kingdom can finally come to a complete end.

I took a risk halfway through my journey to contact Magellan and his Trinidad, and eventually made a deal, all so that I could keep a trump card up my sleeve when we were exchanging blows.

Fighting for the throne will inevitably involve bloodshed, but it's better to shed as little blood as possible from one's own people.

No matter what methods I use, I can only wipe out Mao Haifeng and his accomplices in one fell swoop, then it will be clear who the rebels and the regulars are.

At this moment, neither of the two brothers, harboring their own ulterior motives, had expected this.

The other plaque in the "Imperial Heir Set" is actually very close, right in the other person's hands.

Nobody can afford to lose even a little bit; in the end, it will be a winner-takes-all situation!

Wang Cheng took a shower and was just about to rest.

Click!

The extremely wide-ranging "Listening to Thunder" suddenly heard a crisp sound of someone stepping on a tile.

(End of this chapter)