Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 223 Junior Brother, I Need Your Help in My Cultivation!

Yingzhou Main Island, Aki Country Castle.

Wow!

The priceless Tang Dynasty Yao Bian Tenmoku teacup was swept to the ground by a large sleeve and shattered into pieces.

The owner of this place, Mori Motonari, the guardian of Aki Province, had no time to feel sorry for this precious antique that had been brought to Japan during the Song Dynasty.

He stared intently at the pale-faced, trembling seventh-rank [Warrior] before him and roared thunderously:

"Iwami Ginzan's silver-carrying fleet was ambushed by an unknown enemy as soon as it left Tomoura Port."

All 320,000 taels of silver produced this quarter have vanished without a trace. The silver transport team was wiped out, leaving not even a single plank of the ship behind!

"Okubo! How dare you, the Silver Mine Magistrate, come back alive to see me?!"

The samurai in charge of managing the production and transportation of silver mines kowtowed repeatedly, saying hastily:
"Lord Aki, this is different from the raids in the Seto Inland Sea a while ago."

In those looting incidents, our people, goods, and ships all disappeared without a trace, leaving no clues.

However, this time the silver transport route started from Jipokou, went through the 14-mile-long Topo Mountain Road, and then went to Topo Port to go out to sea, which was all within our territory.

During their reconnaissance mission on land, they destroyed an outpost to extract intelligence, leaving behind several corpses that they couldn't destroy in time.

The courtier summoned the best official in the country, the herbalist, to examine the body. He said that the deceased had been drugged with a modified version of a sleeping potion, somewhat similar to the "Chicken Crows at Dawn Resurrection Incense" from the Central Plains.

"If we can follow this lead, we might be able to catch the mastermind and recover our lost silver and goods!"

It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned the recent piracy at sea; the moment he did, Mori Motonari's anger intensified, and the sixty-something-year-old man roared like a lion:

“Okubo, since you know that many powerful pirates have suddenly appeared in our territory, and they are specifically targeting our merchant ships.”

Why didn't you contact Kobayakawa's navy beforehand for escort? Dereliction of duty! Damn it!

The losses during this period were devastating. The silver, goods, manpower, and merchant ships combined were conservatively estimated to be roughly equivalent to half a year's output of the Iwami Silver Mine.

The entire Maori family was in such a mess that they had no energy left to care about the dispute across the Kanmon Strait.

But a great name never makes a mistake.

The defeat at sea can only be attributed to the mistakes of the subjects.

"Okubo, you are not worthy of the glory of a samurai committing seppuku!"

Mori Motonari could no longer suppress his anger and suddenly drew a magnificent samurai sword from the hands of the beautiful maid beside him.

"Ya Mai Die!!!"

Under the horrified gaze of Ginzan Hougyo, his head was severed with a "crack".

Although the body of this warrior in his sixties was old, his cultivation of sexual techniques, which reached the fourth rank, was still far beyond that of ordinary officials.

He killed a seventh-rank warrior cleanly and efficiently.

His anger subsided slightly, and his greedy and burning gaze fell on the gleaming, blood-stain-free blade in his hand, meeting the gaze of a terrifying, blue ghostly figure within the blade.

He exclaimed in admiration:
"【Onimaru Kunitsuna】truly lives up to its reputation as one of the Five Great Swords of the Land, a treasure of the entire province, and best represents the authority of my samurai family."

Trading the life of the second-generation head of the Eastern Sea Kingdom for this famous sword is absolutely worthwhile.

In Yingzhou, only the finest knives can be called swords.

The so-called Five Great Swords of the Realm are named Mikazuki Munechika, Juzumaru Tsunetsugu, Dojigiri Yasutsuna, Ōdenta Mitsuyo, and Onimaru Kunitsuna.

These five swords were the proof of the samurai family's rule after they usurped power from the court nobles (the royal family of Wa).

The government possesses the "Golden Seal of the King of Han-Wei-Nu" and the Three Divine Artifacts, which control religious authority, while the military family possesses the Five Swords of the World, which control secular power.

It is also the best talisman required for the ceremony when taking up the job of a [Samurai].

By wielding one of the five swords of the world, one can gain the recognition of the royal aura of Yingzhou, obtain a portion of the destiny of the martial family, and be qualified to compete for the throne of "the ruler of the world".

Even if you are just a humble medicine seller, as long as you possess one of the five swords, you can still unite people's hearts and ascend to the throne of the Great General of the Expedition.

According to legend, Onimaru Kunitsuna was the sword used by Hojo Tokimasa, the first regent of the Kamakura shogunate, to slay a demon in a dream, which is equivalent to the Japanese version of the story "I killed someone in my dream".

Holding a knife in one's dreams, one can travel thousands of miles to slay the enemy chieftain.

It was also the payment that Kameyama Publishing House made to Motonari Mori.

After the fall of the Kamakura Shogunate, this famous sword ended up in China and eventually ended up in the treasury of the Great Zhao Kingdom.

Given that Guishan Bookstore could obtain a series of treasures from the national treasury, such as "Zheng He's Treasure Map" and "Zhang Heng's Examination Scroll," it was no surprise that they could also acquire a Japanese sword that was not valued by the Zhao court.

Mori Motonari sheathed Onimaru Kunitsuna again and gently stroked the blade like a lover:
"With the defeat of the World Ghost Clan and the attack on the caravan and Silver Mountain, I do not have the energy to continue to cause trouble in the East Sea Kingdom for the time being."

But when they went to war with the Otomo family, I entered his dream with my sword and struck that brat, severing his soul. That was one way to give those Tang nobles some closure.”

"Everyone, get ready, we're about to arrive at Pinghu Port."

A large fleet of merchant ships drifted at sea for half a month before finally spotting the iconic building standing outside Pinghu Port—the statue of Prince Jing at the Yingzhou Ancestral Temple.

Shen Yueye returned with the first batch of relief supplies from the Shen family, the God of Wealth.

Although what was being transported was not gold or silver, it was more precious than gold and silver in Yingzhou.

There are medicinal materials such as sugar and musk. Medicines have always been scarce in the Yingzhou medical market, which is a purely seller's market.
There are daily necessities such as needles, iron pots, and iron chains. Yingzhou's smelting technology is relatively backward, and its own production capacity cannot meet market demand at all.
With raw silk, a core raw material for the textile industry, the local production of raw silk in Yingzhou is extremely low, and it mainly relies on imports from Dazhao. The profit from smuggling raw silk can reach 5 to 20 times, which is an absolute windfall.
There were also silks and brocades used for aristocratic clothing and ceremonial items, symbolizing the status and wealth of the nobility. Even if a family fell on hard times, these things were absolutely indispensable.

These things are fine, using luxury goods to fleece people is profitable and has no consequences.

However, this also includes specially customized components for large iron smelting furnaces, rune steel for boring machine cutting tools, and other key production materials.

The Shen family's support came at a great risk.

If Wang Cheng can use these things to defeat the local lord and firmly establish himself, that would be good.

If they lose, and the items fall into enemy hands, they might one day use them to launch a counterattack against Da Zhao. The resulting karma would be enough to give the Shen family, the God of Wealth, a real headache.

For Yingzhou, where many places still use "Tamagane" to forge swords on a large scale, this was enough to bring about a huge leap in productivity.

This blame must be placed on the Shen family, especially Shen Yuting.

Naturally, the fates and fortunes of the Shen family, the God of Wealth, and the Wang family, the Water Collector, became completely intertwined from that point on; they would prosper together and suffer together.

The fleet slowly approached the shore.

Shen Yueye stretched gracefully and suddenly noticed that flags were waving on the shore, soldiers were everywhere, and in the middle stood a large royal banner that belonged exclusively to the Prince of Jinghai.

"Huh? Junior brother, who are you going to greet with such a grand display?"

As the girl looked around, trying to find out if there were any important figures on the other ships behind her, she met Wang Cheng's eyes, which were looking at her.

With her small mouth slightly open, she raised her slender, white fingers and pointed at herself.

He received an affirmative nod.

She was still dizzy when Wang Cheng helped her off the boat. After they boarded the carriage together, she perked up and started listening when she heard many people talking on the dock outside.

"Could this be our princess? She's so beautiful! Only a beauty like her is worthy of the prince."

"I think she's at least a concubine, if not a princess. I joined the Five Peaks Banner when the old ship owner was just starting out, and this is the first time I've seen the prince treat a girl his own age so seriously."

"I hope Your Highness can get married soon."

We Tanka people were the lowest of the low in Dazhao, but here we are the highest class. When we tell others that our family is from Chifeng Banner, foreign merchants and local Japanese all have to give us face.

Only if the Wang family has many descendants will we Tanka people have hope. If we don't have any children, I won't dare bring my relatives from my hometown over.”

A midwife, one of the "gossipy old women," also joined in the fun:

"I heard that the former president of the Mountain and Sea Society praised our Prince as the 'first person to open his eyes to the world,' and the descendants of the Wang family are truly getting stronger with each generation."

I think that girl must be very fertile; our prince has good taste.

Maybe this time next year we'll be able to celebrate our baby's one-month birthday.

Shen Yueye was unwittingly referred to as the Wang family's daughter-in-law by the Tanka people of Wufeng Banner. While secretly delighted, she still wanted to maintain a certain level of composure.

Suddenly someone else said:

"I think this princess is even more beautiful than Princess Jiashan from the Wu family of the Old Port Pacification Commissioner's Office."

The fact that the prince didn't personally greet the princess upon her arrival shows how much he cares for her.

"I think their beauty is about the same, after all, the princess has the added advantage of status. But judging from our prince's attitude, this marriage alliance is probably not going to happen."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yueye felt a strong sense of crisis.

Sure enough, other vixens had their eyes on her youngest son, and one of them was a princess.
The girl turned her head to one side and said casually to Wang Cheng, who was sitting opposite her:

"Junior brother, why didn't you agree to the marriage proposal from Princess Jiashan? The Zhu family's influence should be of great help to you, right?"

Her small, jade-like hands were clenched tightly together, showing that she was not at peace.

Wang Cheng smiled:
"It did help somewhat, but it also caused a lot of trouble, though that's not the main reason."

As he spoke, he took his senior sister's fair and smooth hand, placed it between his two large hands, and gazed into her alluring fox-like eyes, saying:
"The Queen Consort of the Eastern Sea Kingdom can only have the surname Shen or Yan. This is a promise I made to you two in my heart when we went through hardships together."

Senior sister, are you willing?

This was the first time Shen Yueye had ever seen Wang Cheng be so proactive. Her heart trembled, her chest pounded, and she nodded vigorously.

A confession is a natural declaration, not a battle cry.

Do not put the cart before the horse.

Wang Cheng's grand gesture today was partly to give his senior sister a formal response, to announce it to the entire East China Sea Kingdom, and to get her verified on social media.

After all, if all you know is to ask for money, take advantage of others and keep them hanging on all day, claiming to be a slow-burning type, then you can only be considered a humanoid.

On the other hand, by clarifying their relationship with Shen Yueye, they could politely decline the marriage proposal from the King of Wu, or more accurately, the marriage proposal for their daughter's eldest son, without hurting each other's feelings.

The royal entourage arrived at the palace quickly.

With the head steward, Lord Longwei, in charge, everyone in the palace had been waiting for a long time and regarded Shen Yueye as the mistress of the place.

They surrounded her and allowed her to move into the Pear Blossom Palace openly and legitimately.

After all the commotion, Shen Yueye took a bath and changed her clothes in the evening. She put on a pure white silk robe and wore only a bright red undergarment embroidered with phoenixes underneath.

Lost in thought, he took out a book and a mother-of-pearl inlaid box from his storage bag.

That book is the secret Taoist text "Yanwu Huajian Ji" passed down by the "Bodhisattva Man" lineage.

On the page describing the fifth stage of cultivation, there are records of four generations of ancestors restraining the six thieves and six desires and opening the six senses.

Her family's first ancestor on the maternal line was born around 1453 AD.

Compared to the first generation of the Caishui Wang family in the eighth year of Xuande (1433 AD), almost twenty years have passed, and there is also one less generation than the Wang family.

The first generation (Avenger): "Find a powerful and influential old man who can realize your political ambitions, and inherit everything after he dies."

Second generation (royal noblewoman): "Find a powerful and influential man who can help me realize my political ambitions, and then find a bunch of handsome lovers, and we'll all go our separate ways."

Third generation (survivor of the royal purge): "If conditions don't allow, find a handsome and wealthy man who can satisfy all my material desires."

Fourth Generation (Exile): "Find a handsome, wealthy, and capable man with whom you love each other and have children."

The tricks passed down through four generations became more and more in line with normal people's understanding over time, and the fourth generation corresponds to Shen Yueye's elusive mother.

Don't let the fact that my father, Shen Yuting, is now an old man with white hair fool you. In his youth, he was a talented young man with good looks, a wealthy family, and great skills.

The newly promoted fifth-rank [Bodhisattva Barbarian] Shen Yueye carefully examined the few sentences above and felt that her mother's tips were the most suitable for her; the previous ones were simply unbearable to read.

"The ideas of the noble ladies in the Western lands are truly terrifying. No wonder my mother said that there's no need to carry on the mess left by our ancestors; we should just be ourselves."

I don't want to become like them in social situations.

Although my mother left me in the east to live with my father, she never told me about the family's glorious past.

His gaze then fell upon the mother-of-pearl inlaid box.

The Three Thousand Abyss Treasures drifted out from the depths of the vast ocean. It was unknown how long they would drift at sea before someone accidentally picked them up. Shen Yueye was indeed lucky, as she found this treasure box on her way here.

But what was inside after opening it made people blush and their hearts race.

There are three items: the precious mirror in Wu Zetian's Mirror Room; the couch that Princess Shouchang slept on in Hanzhang Palace; and the beaded curtain made by Princess Tongchang.

In addition, there were two items that Wang Cheng had collected and later gave to her: a gold plate that Zhao Feiyan had danced on; and a papaya that An Lushan had thrown that injured Yang Yuhuan's breast.

None of them are of high quality, and each piece individually is nothing special, but when the five pieces are put together, they produce a strange and mysterious effect.

One by one, alluring beauties with different charms transformed into various colored lights and shadows, filling the hall.

From a pitiful dancer to a pretty princess, and then to a majestic and domineering empress, the limits of a man's imagination are no more than this.

With just a touch of the corresponding light and shadow, one can transform from the inside out into the corresponding temperament, clothing, and style.

For a fox spirit who is already skilled in illusion, this is simply a magical artifact for her private quarters, its value no less than that of the "Golden Chamber Techniques for the Bedchamber".

As she repeatedly looked at the tips in the book and the five treasures bestowed by heaven, Shen Yueye's beautiful fox-like eyes became even more watery.

I sprayed a little bit of my mother's perfume, "Pink Kiss," from the Western region onto my wrists and behind my ears.

Then he lightly touched the Empress amidst the countless lights and shadows.

In an instant, he was draped in a yellow robe.

He raised his hand and pushed open the door to the adjacent bedroom, speaking with an air of authority:

"Junior brother, I need your help in my cultivation!"

(End of this chapter)