Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Page 179

Just after the two left, a middle-aged man dressed in Confucian robes silently appeared where Wanwan had just been. Watching the departing figures, he muttered to himself, "Interesting little fellow, she seems to have discovered me? The eighteenth level of the Heavenly Demon Technique? It seems not quite there yet."

The middle-aged man had a melancholy expression, seemingly burdened by endless worries. The knot between his brows, ironically, added to his strange charm. His aura was elusive, appearing empty and indistinct, difficult to discern as real or illusory.

Shaking his head, the man looked down. After a moment, the middle-aged man let out a muffled groan, his eyes bulged, and his aura became sometimes violent and sometimes peaceful. His aura changed unpredictably, and his expression became even more painful. He roared and rushed away into the distance.

………………

Shortly after the man left, an old man with a venerable appearance, flowing sleeves, and childlike eyes arrived with a young girl.

"Huh? Old Daoist seems to have sensed Shi Zhixuan's aura. He seems to be in bad shape." The old man exclaimed in surprise, pinching his right index and middle fingers together in the wind as if he had caught something invisible.

The girl calmly looked around, her long sword emitting a series of sword cries, and said, "We have been searching for a long time but have not found this person. I did not expect him to appear here."

The old man shook his head and said, "His aura is already barely perceptible; he must have been gone for some time. Given the unique nature of his martial arts, even this old Taoist priest can't catch up with him."

As he spoke, he looked at the long sword in the girl's hand and exclaimed, "I never imagined that at such a young age, Fei Xuan, you would have mastered the Sword Heart Clarity Realm of the Cihang Sword Manual, where the sword heart is in harmony with the spirit."

"I owe a great deal to Senior Ning and my master for their guidance, which enabled Fei Xuan to reach the realm of Sword Heart Clarity so quickly. I've heard that the demoness's martial arts are already on par with Zhu Yuyan's; I wonder what level she's reached," the girl said.

The old man shook his head, saying dismissively, "In the end, she hasn't reached the Grandmaster level. Otherwise, Zhu Yuyan would have already attacked Cihang Jingzhai."

These two were Shi Feixuan and Ning Daoqi, disciples of Cihang Jingzhai.

After speaking, Ning Daoqi looked at the ground, and in that single glance, a gigantic palm print was imprinted on his heart. A mental warning rang out, and Ning Daoqi's mind began to transform, like Zhuangzi transforming into a butterfly, about to take flight. Yet, he remained trapped within the giant palm's grasp.

With a "poof," Ning Daoqi spat out a mouthful of blood, his expression froze: "How could this be?" Filled with confusion, Ning Daoqi closed his eyes and fainted.

"Senior Ning!!!" Shi Feixuan exclaimed in surprise, catching the old Taoist who had already fainted, reaching out to feel his pulse, and after a moment, she gently exhaled and leaped away with the old man.

Chapter 378 The Yangzhou Uprising

Yangzhou.

Three days ago, Su Yuchen and Xu Xingzhi returned to Yangzhou, which was still the same as before.

After speaking with his three disciples, Jiang Wenzheng came to terms with reality. Early this morning, Jiang Wenzheng and Xu Xingzhi led their fellow disciples to the governor's mansion.

Inside the governor's mansion, Yuchi Sheng sat in the main seat, while Chen Zhide, the garrison commander of Yangzhou, sat to his right. To his left were Xu Xingzhi and Jiang Wenzheng, both with calm expressions.

At this moment, Commander Chen was no longer the domineering man he usually was, but looked at Yuchi Sheng above him with a nervous expression.

At this moment, Yu Chisheng's face was unusually pale, turning red and then purple-blue, as if he had opened a paint workshop. If anyone could see the letter in his hand, they would probably understand why he looked like this.

Simply because the letter in his hand contained only a large word: "Get out." The humiliation and expulsion were self-evident.

"I am, after all, the Governor-General of Jiangdu appointed by the imperial court. Is Shi Shi in such a hurry?" Yu Chisheng put down the letter and said with a grim face.

Jiang Wenzheng forced a smile and said impatiently...

"General Yuchi knows perfectly well who he is working for. But then again, that man didn't inform the general when he left Danyang, so the general probably isn't an important figure to him."

“My master’s intention is clear, and I don’t want to say more. If General Yuchi leaves on his own, he can still maintain some dignity; but if I were to see him off, I would lose all face.”

"By noon today, General, you must leave Yangzhou, or even the area south of the Yangtze River. Otherwise, do not blame me for not warning you."

Having said that, he turned to Chen Zhide opposite him and said, "Commander Chen, please immediately summon all the military commanders of the Yangzhou garrison to the Governor's Mansion. Do I need to say anything more about what happens next?"

Chen Zhide immediately understood that Yangzhou had undergone a complete upheaval! Without even glancing at Yuchi Sheng at the head of the table, he cupped his hands and said, "This humble official will immediately inform them to come to the Governor's Mansion to pay their respects to this gentleman..."

Xu Xingzhi nodded slightly and said, "I am Xu Xingzhi. Entrusted by Master Shi, I will temporarily serve as the Governor-General of Jiangdu and oversee all affairs in Yangzhou."

"Yes, yes, yes! Your humble servant Chen Zhide, appointed as the garrison commander of Yangzhou, pays his respects to the Governor-General Xu." Chen Zhide said with a respectful fawning expression.

Xu Xingzhi nodded and said:

"There is another matter to inform Commander Chen. This afternoon, Fu Gongyou will lead 10,000 Jianghuai troops from Danyang to temporarily garrison in the southern suburbs of Yangzhou to guard against bandits."

"From today onwards, Jiang Wenzheng will take over the position of garrison commander of Yangzhou. Garrison commander Chen will be temporarily appointed as his deputy to assist garrison commander Jiang in managing military affairs in Yangzhou. What do you think?"

Seeing that Xu Xingzhi had already issued orders in a grand manner, treating him like air, Yu Chisheng could no longer sit still. He snorted coldly, got up angrily, and left.

None of the people in the hall gave him a second glance. When Chen Zhide heard Xu Xingzhi's words, he nodded repeatedly and replied, "This humble officer will obey Commander Xu's orders and follow Commander Jiang's command. I will definitely assist Commander Jiang in sorting out military affairs as soon as possible and will never delay important matters."

Chen Zhide, far from being angry about being demoted, was overjoyed and deeply grateful. Not only had his life been saved, but his official position was also preserved. With this foundation laid, wouldn't it be easy to get promoted again in the future?

Moreover, judging from the words of the nominal governor, it seems that the Jianghuai Army has already surrendered. Chen Zhide silently did some calculations in his mind and decided to take a gamble. He knelt down and said, "I will never forget the great kindness and virtue of the nominal governor. I am willing to offer up 50%, no, 80% of my family property to help the governor manage the government affairs."

"Very good! General Chen, you are too kind! I am truly grateful." Xu Xingzhi stroked his beard and smiled.

Hearing this, Chen Zhide beamed with joy, now that he had finally secured his position. He stood up and said, "I will immediately take Commander Jiang to the military camp to take over the main camp. I guarantee that I can carry out your orders at any time."

Xu Xingzhi nodded. Jiang Wenzheng looked helplessly at Chen Zhide, realizing that he had underestimated this usually greedy guy.

Thinking back to what his master had once said, Jiang Wenzheng couldn't help but shake his head and smile. Perhaps becoming the garrison commander of Yangzhou wouldn't be so bad.

“Mr. Xu, I will leave half of the men behind; I will take the rest with me to take over the military camp,” Jiang Wenzheng said, bowing.

Xu Xingzhi nodded, indicating that he should go ahead. After seeing Jiang Wenzheng off, Xu Xingzhi sat in the main seat of the hall and looked at the clerk beside him, saying, "Order all officials of rank or above in Yangzhou to assemble at the Governor's Mansion. I need to understand the important military and political affairs of Yangzhou."

After the messenger left, Xu Xingzhi ordered his men to bring over all the documents from the Governor's Office, and began to peruse them to understand the situation in Yangzhou, thus getting to work.

………………

After leaving the Governor's Mansion in Yangzhou, Chen Zhide followed closely behind Jiang Wenzheng and his fellow disciples. He glanced around, quickened his pace, and whispered, "Commander Jiang, Yuchi Sheng is leaving Yangzhou. Should we strengthen the checks at the city gates to prevent him from taking away any important documents?"

"Oh?" Jiang Wenzheng and Lei Shilin paused, glancing at each other thoughtfully.

Chen Zhide, facing his future superior, was determined to succeed, gritting his teeth and whispering:

“Yuchi Sheng has served as the Governor of Jiangdu for so many years. The wealth he has amassed is incomparable to the meager sums I have collected.”

"If we want to maintain an army in the future, the military funds required will be considerable. It would be too easy for him to take away the wealth of the people of Yangzhou so easily."

"If the general is willing, I am willing to personally take charge and keep an eye on Yuchi Sheng's family, to give the general and the governor an explanation."

Jiang Wenzheng and Lei Shilin looked at each other, realizing for the first time the gap between themselves and seasoned officials. In just a short while, this fat-headed, big-eared guy had almost maxed out their favorability.

"Good! Once we take over the military camp, General Chen will have to work with me to guard Yangzhou." Jiang Wenzheng patted Chen Zhide on the shoulder.

Chen Zhide laughed so hard that his belly fat jiggled, and said modestly, "This is all what I should do. I will certainly assist the general, guard Yangzhou, and achieve great things."

………………

With his almost fully developed political talent, Xu Xingzhi managed to win over, suppress, and divide the group of government officials in Yangzhou in just one afternoon.

Those who should be imprisoned were imprisoned, those whose homes were confiscated were confiscated, those who should be promoted were promoted, and those who should be reprimanded were reprimanded. Everything was done in an orderly manner, which made people convinced.

All government affairs were easily sorted out; all that remained was to "cultivate meticulously" and gradually target individuals—something that couldn't be rushed.

With the help of his fellow disciples at the Shilong Dojo, and with Chen Zhide's shrewdness and understanding, Jiang Wenzheng quickly placed his own people throughout the military camp. Although he could not completely control the garrison, he could at least keep track of news from the army.

By the time the Bamboo Flower Gang and other prominent families in Yangzhou learned of the news, Jiang Wenzheng and his fellow disciples, accompanied by Chen Zhide, were already inventorying Yuchi Sheng's assets at the city gate.

When the Jiang family head, who was listening to music at home, and the Jiang family's eldest son, who was idle at home, heard the news, they were completely stunned, because they had never heard the illegitimate son mention this before!

Just as the major families were actively making connections and the Bamboo Flower Gang was gathering information everywhere, news spread throughout Yangzhou that Fu Gongyou, who had occupied Danyang, was personally leading three thousand troops to escort Song Shidao, the eldest son of the Song clan, into the city.

P.S.: I wrote two chapters about the boring Spring Festival Gala, take a look first, there will be two more chapters during the day.

happy New Year!

Chapter 379 Night Talk at Jiang Mansion 1

The lanterns are on.

The main hall of the Jiang residence was in complete disarray and filled with noise.

Jiang's father sat in the main seat without saying a word, watching a large group of people making a ruckus around him. Occasionally, a maid would pass through the crowd and serve hot tea.

An afternoon was enough for these prominent families in the city to learn about everything that was happening in Yangzhou.

In this era where powerful families controlled knowledge and upward mobility, most of the city's officials came from these prominent clans. After Xu Xingzhi took over the governor's office, with the cooperation of the disciples of the Shilong Taoist temple and the garrison troops, a large number of officials were either demoted or killed.

Those who were promoted were naturally overjoyed, while those who were demoted were naturally dissatisfied. Among them, the Jiang family, who had taken over the Yangzhou garrison, benefited the most. As the largest local power in Yangzhou, the Jiang family naturally gathered here.

Watching the noisy crowd, Jiang's father smiled, but inwardly he was ruthless. Everyone here is a cunning fox; who doesn't know how to play tricks? They just think their own family is benefiting the most, feel they've secretly betrayed everyone, and want to gather information and fight for profits!

The problem is that his second son didn't consult him at all! He has no idea what the future holds in Yangzhou! Didn't he see that his eldest son's face was so dark it could freeze over?

………………

"Master...Master! The Second Young Master has returned to the manor!" The head steward of the Jiang family rushed into the hall to report.

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell silent. The people who had been making a ruckus just moments before quieted down and sat down to drink their tea. On such a cold day, they could even make the most of a cup of cold tea.

Just as the eldest son of the Jiang family stood up, Jiang's father exclaimed with a beaming smile, "Our precious son has returned! Quickly, invite him in!!!"

The eldest son of the Jiang family turned pale. He considered himself a scholar and could only sit down sullenly.

Led by the butler, Jiang Wenzheng strode into the hall, glanced around, and then looked straight at his father, cupping his hands in greeting, "Father, I'm back!"

Jiang's father grabbed his hand and pulled him to sit down in the first seat on the left, asking with concern, "How is it? Is it going smoothly? How's the takeover of the military camp going? Is Chen Zhide willing to cooperate? I heard that Fu Gongyou has brought troops here? Has Young Master Song Shidao entered the city?"

Jiang Wenzheng glanced around, and although no one spoke, their ears perked up! Having dealt with military affairs all day, Jiang Wenzheng was too tired to deal with these people, and he spoke directly…

"I know what you uncles and elders want to ask! Since everyone is here tonight, I'll make it clear at once, so that no one will say later that we don't care about our fellow townsmen!"

"Firstly, following Master's orders, the disciples of Shilong Dojo have taken full control of the Yangzhou garrison. General Chen Zhide is cooperating well, and the military camp is currently unharmed!"

"Secondly, the newly appointed Governor of Yangzhou is Mr. Xu, whom my master invited back from outside. I don't know much about him. But he will temporarily take charge of all military and political affairs in Yangzhou."

"Third, the Jianghuai Army has already surrendered! They will soon be merged into the Jiangnan region, and the unification of the Jiangnan region will be an indisputable fact."

"Fourth, Master is determined to support Young Master Song in his quest to dominate the world. I know nothing about the specifics of his visit to Master this time, and no one should ask."

After a moment's consideration, Jiang's father said, "According to what you said, Zheng'er, Chen Zhide is still serving in the Yangzhou army? Could this pose a threat to your control of the Yangzhou garrison?"

Jiang Wenzheng's expression turned serious, and he said solemnly:

"Father, please be careful with your words! I am only temporarily in charge of the Yangzhou garrison! Everything must be done according to Master Xu's instructions. After Master and Young Master Song have met, it will be incorporated into the Song family army, and will not be a private army of one person!"

"Furthermore, Chen Zhide voluntarily offered to donate 80% of his family property in the main hall of the Governor's Mansion to support the operation of the government. Mr. Xu personally agreed to his appointment as my deputy, and it is not to be changed."

Jiang's father wasn't angry. He smiled and said, "I misspoke! My son is just temporarily in charge!"

"Damn it!" Everyone sitting nearby cursed the shameless father and son in their hearts, but since the situation was unclear, they decided to listen to what was said first.

Jiang's father paused for a moment, then continued, "From what my son is saying, this Mr. Xu is in charge of all military and political affairs in Yangzhou on behalf of Mr. Shi! I just don't know what his background is, that he has gained Mr. Shi's trust so much?"

Jiang Wenzheng shook his head and said, "I only know that Mr. Xu comes from Jingling and is from a poor family! I know nothing else about him."

………………

"From a poor family?"

"Not from a prominent family?"

"Where did this person come from? Can he really understand how the government office operates?"

"How dare a mere poor scholar harm our family?"

Upon hearing that he was merely a poor, educated man, the crowd couldn't help but feel a bit condescending and expressed their dissatisfaction.

Jiang's father's eyes darted around, and he knew that these people were trying to test him. But before he could speak, Jiang Wenzheng snorted coldly and slammed his palm on the table next to him. With a 'bang,' a palm print an inch deep was imprinted on the table.

Jiang Wenzheng's gaze turned cold, and he said:

"Chen Zhide taking over as my deputy was Mr. Xu's idea! The transfer of Fu Gongyou to lead troops to garrison Yangzhou was also Mr. Xu's request! My master didn't even ask about any of this. You should know what that means?"

"You all had better know your place! If something goes wrong, the Jiang family won't be able to save itself, let alone you!"

"Hiss..." someone gasped, "Is he...is he going to send troops to suppress us?"

Upon hearing this, the room immediately fell silent. Those who had been shouting the loudest shrank back into their chairs. After a moment, someone stammered, "Governing Yangzhou requires our help, doesn't it? He wouldn't kill us all, would he?"

Jiang Wenzheng lowered his gaze to the ground and said, "Governing Yangzhou doesn't necessarily require so many people!"

Everyone's breath caught in their throats as a chilling, ruthless aura spread out! Yes! There were those who weren't afraid to die, and of course, there were those who were. Even if someone were gone, Yangzhou would still be Yangzhou, but their own homes would be gone. And those who survived, naturally, would be the ones to devour!

At this moment, everyone looked at each other, still smiling on the surface, but secretly wondering if the other party wanted to kill them! After all, what could be faster than swallowing up the other party's wealth after all the hard work they had put into building their fortune?!

The alliance that the Yangzhou aristocratic families had agreed upon collapsed instantly!

Looking at the expressions on these people's faces, Jiang Wenzheng sighed inwardly, gaining a deeper understanding of Mr. Xu's prowess. Every move of these uncles and brothers was under his control.

Jiang's father observed all of this, secretly marveling at how his once shrewd son had become so capable. But he was still his son, so it was a good thing, wasn't it?

Jiang's father glanced at his eldest son, who remained silent beside him, and couldn't help but ask, "My son, do you know what kind of plan this Mr. Xu will have for governing Yangzhou? Your elder brother has been idle at home for a long time; it's time he came out and made his move around."

Jiang Wenzheng glanced at his elder brother and said helplessly, "This matter can't be rushed! I'll find an opportunity to ask Mr. Xu when he'll have time to invite my brother to meet with me!"

………………

"Uh……"