National Division

Chapter 118 This person's scheming and skill far surpasses that of the Shen family!
Shen Residence
Shen Xian and the members of the Shen clan sat down around a table and began to talk.

Shen Lin introduced, "Muzhi, these are your cousins ​​Shen Jun and Shen Dai, who are currently studying at the Imperial Academy."

Shen Jun quickly stepped forward, bowed his hands, and greeted him, saying, "Brother Xian."

It's rather strange.

Shen Xian was clearly a few years younger than Shen Jun and Shen Dai, but at this moment, their expressions and behavior were as if they were facing an elder.

This was because Shen Xian held a high position in the court, while Shen Jun and Shen Dai were both insignificant.

Shen Qian introduced, "Nephew Xian, this is your cousin Shen Zheng."

Shen Xian looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young man with an ancient face and a resolute demeanor approaching.

Shen Zheng clasped his hands in a respectful greeting: "Brother Xian."

Shen Xian said, "Cousin."

Madam Shen smiled and said gently, "Come and eat, everyone."

This banquet was mainly for Shen Xian to meet his cousins; the rest was secondary.

Guo smiled and said, "Youyi, go and see your cousin."

Shen Youyi was a beautiful and bright young woman. As she approached, she said, "Greetings, cousin."

Shen Xian nodded, without saying anything more.

Xue Zhihua looked at the beautiful Shen Youyi with obvious interest and asked with a smile, "What books have you been reading lately?"

Shen Youyi was clearly a little shy, and without thinking much, she blurted out, "Reporting to my sister-in-law, I have read some of the 'Admonitions for Women' and some poetry collections."

Upon hearing this, Xue Zhihua's cheeks flushed crimson, and a feeling of embarrassment and annoyance arose in her heart.

What is this little girl shouting about? Who is her cousin-in-law?
“Sister Youyi,” Shen Xian said softly, then corrected, “This is Miss Xue, not my sister-in-law.”

Upon hearing this, the blush on Xue Zhihua's beautiful skin faded, and a sense of loss welled up in her heart.

A bright smile spread across Madam Shen's clear and bright face as she said, "Youyi is raised in seclusion, never leaving her room and never stepping outside, so she is not well-versed in etiquette."

Guo also quickly pulled Shen Youyi over and kept apologizing to Xue Zhihua.

Xue Zhihua smiled, pretending not to care.

After this little incident, the Shen family members didn't exchange many pleasantries, and Shen Xian didn't say much either, and they sat down to eat with the Shen family members.

The beautiful Du Shi frowned slightly, gazing intently at the young man, her heart filled with a knowing look.

It seems they have already won the contest against the Cui and Lu clans.

I'm afraid that after this incident, he will be even more trusted by the Empress Dowager in the palace.

After dinner, Shen Lin invited Shen Xian, Shen Qian, and Xue Zhihua to his study.

Shen Lin sat down in a pear wood chair with a backrest, while Shen Qian and Xue Zhihua sat at a small lacquered wooden table not far away, and Shen Xian sat opposite Shen Lin.

Shen Lin did not allow Shen Zheng and Shen Zhai to follow him in, clearly indicating that this was a conversation intentionally kept away from the two brothers.

Shen Lin asked, "Mu Zhi, are you going to Anzhou on official business?"

"The Empress Dowager intends to dismiss Cui Xu, the Prefect of Anzhou," Shen Xian said softly, his eyes darting about beneath his sword-like brows.

Shen Lin said, "You have severely damaged the reputation of the Cui and Lu clans. I'm afraid they hate you to the bone. If you go to Anzhou next, they might try to harm you!"

"My relationship with the Cui and Lu clans has long been one of irreconcilable enmity." Shen Xian pondered for a moment and said, "The Empress originally intended to take this opportunity to reshuffle the personnel of the Cui and Lu clans, and now I can say that I have eradicated evil completely!"

Political struggle is not a dinner party, but a life-or-death struggle.

Shen Lin said, "The Cui and Lu clans have deep-rooted influence in Hebei and other places, relying on and supporting each other, making them difficult to deal with."

"The Empress Dowager has appointed me as the Inspector of Hebei Province, tasked with investigating and punishing all illegal activities in Hebei Province," Shen Xian said gently.

Shen Lin: "..."

The old man stared blankly for a moment, then exclaimed, "The Empress Dowager truly trusts you greatly; she is going to put you to great use."

At such a young age, with the addition of a promotion and demotion envoy, he will likely be able to enter the Council of State Affairs once the affairs of Hebei are settled.

This……

The thought of a prime minister who was not even twenty years old made Shen Lin, who was used to all kinds of storms, feel his breath catch in his throat.

Smoke rising from the ancestral graves? No, it's fire rising from the ancestral graves.

I'm afraid that in the future, the family genealogy will have to be split into a separate page.

Shen Qian looked at the young man with shock, thinking to himself, "He is truly a genius."

Shen Xian picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and said with a heavy tone, "The situation in Hebei is complicated, and this mission will not be easy."

To become an indispensable minister to the Empress, he not only needed to impeach the Cui and Lu families in the court, but also to help them manage their respective regions in local prefectures and counties.

Shen Lin was silent for a moment, then said, "We should use their strength against them. The provinces and counties of Hebei are not a monolithic entity, nor are they all supporters of the Cui and Lu clans."

Shen Xian nodded and said, "That makes sense."

Unite the majority and strike at the minority.

Shen Lin gave a few more instructions, saying in a hoarse voice, "I will submit my resignation to the Ministry of Personnel in a few days. As for matters of the court, Shen Zheng and his brothers have always been foolish. If they fail to see the situation clearly, you, as their nephew, will have to give them more guidance."

Shen Xian did not rush to reply, but asked, "Uncle seems to be under seventy years old, just a year or two away from seventy."

"It's nothing more than someone eyeing my prestigious position." Shen Lin smiled bitterly and sighed, "I might as well secure a good future for my descendants. I've been an official for the past two years, and it's time for me to enjoy my retirement."

This was a resource exchange; before retiring, he helped Shen Zhai secure a position in the Imperial Censorate.

Upon hearing this, Shen Xian fell silent for a moment.

He could recommend talented people from his clan, but Shen Lin was old and frail, and not a great talent for governing the world. I'm afraid that even if he were recommended to the Empress, he would not be of much use.

Moreover, Shen Lin had long lost his drive, and with the current political situation in the court so unpredictable, it would be better for him to stay home and enjoy his grandchildren.

Shen Lincang's gaze fell on Shen Qian's face, and he said, "Muzhi, your uncle has been in the Imperial Guard for many years, but he is frustrated and unfulfilled. The Imperial Guard in the Southern Court is a one-person-one-position system, and our Shen family doesn't have many connections in the Imperial Guard. If you have other connections, it would be best to transfer out of the Imperial Guard."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qian's face flushed slightly, and he said, "How can this be?"

This means they've even resorted to using their own nephew as a backdoor.

Shen Xian said, "I will keep an eye on it. Although it is true that recommendations should not be made without regard to kinship, it would be best if my uncle could make some contributions and let people see his talent, otherwise he would not be able to be promoted."

It wouldn't be too late for his uncle to improve his cultivation level first, and then be selected for an important position in the army.

Shen Qian's face flushed red as he said, "Our Guard Prefecture did not have the opportunity to go on a campaign during this pacification of the rebellion."

The main force deployed to quell the rebellion of Prince Qing in Tanzhou was the Left and Right Guards, while the troops of the Imperial Guards were not mobilized.

Xue Zhihua said, "My uncle is the Left Gatekeeper, in charge of the palace. He only selects those who are loyal, brave, and diligent, not those who are good at fighting. That's why my father didn't choose one that day."

“The left and right gate guards should also be given some experience. Otherwise, if any villains in the capital try to spy on the palace, the left and right gate guards will not be ineffective in command and control due to their lack of combat experience,” Shen Xian said.

Xue Zhihua nodded and said, "That's how it should be."

A strange feeling welled up in the hearts of Shen Lin and Shen Qian.

No, the Duke's daughter is following Shen Xian's orders?
Yes, that makes sense. Shen Xian is, after all, the Commander of the Vermilion Bird Division, while Xue Zhihua is just a commander of the Vermilion Bird Division.

Shen Xian said gently, "It's getting late. I have to go to Qilin Pavilion to handle official business tomorrow."

Shen Lin nodded and said, "You must be tired from today's competition. Get some rest."

Shen Xian didn't linger and said, "Uncle, there's something I want to tell you."

Shen Qian's gaze deepened, and he quickly stood up, following Shen Xian out of the courtyard.

As the two were talking, they arrived at their residence's courtyard.

The servants had already prepared everything. Shen Xian and Shen Qian sat down and took out several bottles of pills from their storage bags.

"This is..." Shen Qian's expression changed slightly upon seeing this.

Shen Xian said, "This is a Great Rejuvenation Pill. My uncle has been stuck in the Innate Realm for many years, probably because he lacks martial arts resources. This bottle of Great Rejuvenation Pills can help my uncle cultivate and break through to the Grandmaster level as soon as possible."

"This is too precious. Don't you need it for your daily cultivation? How can you give it to me?" Shen Qian said.

Shen Xian smiled gently and said, "I have already broken through to the peak of the Grandmaster level, so these pills have little effect on me."

To advance to the Grandmaster level, the issue now is not the pills, but rather his martial will and sword intent, which he needs to refine to perfection.

Shen Qian pondered for a moment and said, "But you're keeping your father to cultivate. He's not at the peak of the Innate Realm, but only a hair's breadth away from becoming a Grandmaster."

"There's no need for such formalities among family." Shen Xian waved his hand and smiled, "As for my father, I've also prepared some martial arts supplies for him."

Seeing this, Shen Qian could no longer refuse and said, "Then I'll accept it."

Shen Xian said, "I will strive to break through to the Grandmaster realm as soon as possible, and after some time, I will see if I can be transferred to a post in a prefecture or county."

Shen Qian didn't say much, but silently kept this sentiment in his heart.

Meanwhile, after dinner, Shen Zhai and his wife, Du, went to their small courtyard. The room was lit by warm, orange lamplight, creating a soft and tranquil atmosphere.

Shen Zhai sat down in the chair, picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and looked inscrutable.

Du asked in surprise, "Mu Zhi won?"

Shen Zhai nodded solemnly and said, "The banners of the great victory over the young men of the Cui and Lu clans are all hung on the flagpoles in front of the palace. As soon as you enter the palace gate, you can see the banners there."

"Such ruthless methods? This is even more... insidious than Zhou Lai and his companion." Madam Du said softly, her bright eyes shining slightly beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows.

Her heart stirred with emotion, and she looked at the boy who had appeared so nonchalant during the meal with even greater admiration.

This person's cunning and maneuvering are far superior to those of the Shen family!
Shen Zhai pondered for a moment and said, "This move will surely offend the Cui and Lu clans to death. Just you wait and see, the Cui and Lu clans will not let this go!"

“That’s not quite right. Since we’ve already offended them, we might as well go all the way and offend them to death. That way, we can still gain their favor in the palace,” said Madam Du, raising her willow-leaf eyebrows and looking deep into her eyes.

In her opinion, there was nothing wrong with serving the diva.

Shen Zhai's face was grim, and he said indignantly, "The powerful families are difficult to control. They are all in cahoots with the court and the people. They only care about their momentary pleasure. When they retaliate, I'm afraid even the palace won't be able to protect him!"

Seeing that her husband was still unconvinced, Du sighed softly in her heart.

I'm afraid she's both jealous and resentful of Shen Xian.

Shen Xian is only twenty years old, yet he is already a fifth-rank official. Judging from his current status, he will likely be able to enter the Council of State Affairs in the future.

"Why are you angry? He is now a favorite minister of the Empress. If he can say a few words to her, your future career will be smoother," Madam Du said softly and gently.

Shen Zhai's eyes had already turned somewhat gloomy, and he waved his hand: "You don't understand."

How could he possibly lower his head?
……

……

next day
The sky was bright and clear, and the willows in the courtyard were lush and verdant after the rain.

Shen Xian and Xue Zhihua got out of bed in the courtyard and stood under the eaves of the square courtyard.

"Today we're going to the Qilin Pavilion and then into the Vermilion Bird Blessed Land to prepare some martial arts pills," Xue Zhihua said.

Before heading to Guhe County, I need to prepare some martial arts pills for my training.

Shen Xian nodded.

Just then, a servant came in from the outer room and said, "Young master, breakfast is ready."

Shen Xian said, "Let's have breakfast first, then we'll go to Qilin Pavilion."

He wrote some excerpts from The Legend of the Condor Heroes last night, and today he had Qilin Pavilion print them in the Qilin Daily to increase the newspaper's popularity.

After having breakfast with Xue Zhihua, Shen Xian did not linger. Under the escort of the Thousand Bull Guards, he rode his steed toward the Qilin Pavilion.

Kirin Court

As soon as Shen Xian arrived at the first floor of the pavilion, Han Yi, who had received the news, quickly stepped forward to greet him and said, "Scholar, please take a look at this issue of the newspaper."

Shen Xian said, "It's not too late to look at it later. I brought some manuscripts. Have someone copy them into the Qilin Gazette later."

Han Yi responded respectfully, cupping his hands in agreement.

As Shen Xian spoke, he and Xue Zhihua went up to the Qilin Pavilion, picked up Han Yi's newspaper and read it, saying, "The investigation into the Cui and Lu clans is not detailed enough."

Han Yi said, "This subordinate will have someone rewrite it immediately."

“There’s no need to rewrite it. Just do two more follow-up reports,” Shen Xian said. “These are six chapters of the Legend of the Condor Heroes manuscript. That should keep you going for a while.”

Han Yi's eyes lit up as he looked at the manuscript: "Scholar Shen, now everyone in the capital city wants to see the sequel to Scholar Shen's Condor Heroes. They are even more interested in it than the competition between the Cui and Lu clans."

It can be said that people from all walks of life like The Legend of the Condor Heroes more than ordinary chivalrous stories.

Shen Xian smiled and said, "A new work will be released in a while."

He wants to write "Zhu Xian" and make both the righteous and demonic paths, or the immortals of this world, lose sleep over it.

Han Yi praised, "The people of the capital are truly blessed."

After giving his instructions, Shen Xian told Han Yi to leave without saying anything else, and then followed Xue Zhihua to the sixth floor.

Xue Zhihua looked at Shen Xian in surprise and asked, "What are you looking for?"

"I'll look for some more Earth Element Grandmaster Techniques and Earth Element Martial Arts," Shen Xian said in a low voice.

Xue Zhihua asked, "Didn't you previously practice several other martial arts techniques?"

Shen Xian said, "There may be some dangers on our way to Anzhou. With Earth Element True Essence and Earth Element Martial Arts, our defensive capabilities can be improved."

As Shen Xian spoke, he came to a wooden cabinet and looked at the various martial arts manuals displayed on it, including "Genshan Technique", "Earth Qilin Method", "Mysterious Heavy Prison Suppression Technique"...

Shen Xian walked up to it, picked up a book, and began to read it.

The title page prominently displayed the words "Kun Yuan Yun Qi Jue" (坤元蕴气诀).

This is a relatively peaceful earth-elemental cultivation technique. Shen Xian took it over and looked at it with his eyes lowered.

A line of text suddenly appeared on the data panel.

"The Earth Element Technique 'Kun Yuan Yun Qi Jue' can be fused, consuming 5,000 merit points. Do you want to fuse it?"

Undoubtedly, the complete integration of the Grandmaster-level techniques seemed to have triggered some kind of mutation, consuming a large sum of money.

Upon hearing this, Shen Xian's mind stirred, but he noticed that the names of the cultivation techniques in the section were shrouded in a hazy mist, making it difficult to see them clearly. Instantly, a continuous stream of insights surged into his mind.

However, Shen Xian was not in a hurry to change the circulation route of the true essence in the cultivation technique. Instead, he was puzzled as to why the name of the cultivation technique had not appeared for the time being.

Xue Zhihua interrupted Shen Xian's thoughts: "I've found you a high-grade Xuan-level martial art and a mid-grade Xuan-level martial art, so you can practice them on your journey."

Shen Xian suppressed his doubts for the time being and took the martial arts technique from Xue Zhihua.

The mid-grade Xuan-rank martial art is "Quicksand Earth-Splitting Blade," and the high-grade Xuan-rank martial art is "Mysterious Yellow Blade."

Shen Xian said, "I'll take it with me and practice on the way. Also, I'll return the previous cultivation manuals to the Qilin Pavilion."

Although having a photographic memory could explain it, it's still best to keep it for a while to avoid arousing suspicion from others.

Xue Zhihua nodded, took out some martial arts manuals from her storage bag, and asked, "Are these the martial arts techniques that Her Highness the Eldest Princess took you to find earlier?"

Shen Xian said, "There are a few martial arts techniques that I haven't learned yet. I'll leave the Seven Forms of Breaking Army, Night White Blade Technique, Wildfire Hundred Slashes, Ice Soul Slash, and two movement techniques in the Qilin Pavilion."

Techniques like the Dawn Blade Technique, the Sunset Blade Technique, and the Thunder Blade Technique can all be practiced gradually on the road.

(End of this chapter)