Chapter 720 Yuan Huaimin: I accept no inheritance except money! [Seeking monthly votes!]

"oh."

In the courtyard, the thin, elderly man remained unmoved. Yuan Huaimin noticed that he didn't budge an inch, sitting on the stone bench, slowly sipping his tea and saying:

"This young man is probably in dire straits himself. Don't worry, we won't be able to help you these next couple of days."

Yuan Huaimin immediately asked:

"What do you mean? What do you know, sir?"

His expression was somewhat unspeakable.

Wu Daozi smiled but remained silent.

Yuan Huaimin swallowed hard, and asked somewhat nervously, "Does the gentleman know something about the victory celebration?"

Wu Daozi glanced at his expression again, then suddenly asked, "Does Xiao Huaimin know something?"

Yuan Huaimin shook his head, and after a while continued to ask:

"Sir, do you know someone from Yunmeng Jianze?"

Wu Daozi did not answer, but said with a hint of regret:

"However, in your government's terms, I am also a rebel."

Yuan Huaimin looked towards the door with some concern and asked repeatedly:

"Is the gentleman from the Jianghu of the South, or from the Southwest Restoration Army?"

Wu Daozi chuckled lightly:

"Is there a difference? Aren't all those who oppose Wei Zhao traitors? How can they be called loyal ministers who are trying to restore the imperial dynasty? Hmm, they are all here to seize the throne of her pseudo-Zhou dynasty. But doesn't she ever think about whether she stole the throne that Emperor Taizong conquered and whether she bullied Emperor Taizong's children? What a fine saying: 'Those who steal pearls are thieves, those who steal kingdoms are nobles.' But will the one who started this have no descendants?"

The old man shook his head and then asked:

"Little Huaimin, are you waiting for that young friend next door?"

Yuan Huaimin immediately stood up halfway and asked nervously, "What did the master do to him?"

Wu Daozi said calmly, "Nothing much, but he's probably busy with something and won't come to see you."

"What do you mean by this, sir? How is Brother Yu?"

Wu Daozi waved his hand and said:

"He was originally from Jianze, and it seems his daughter also joined Jianze and became the personal disciple of that Second Lady. Of course, her life is not in danger."

Yuan Huaimin didn't quite understand, so he guessed and asked:

"Mr. Wu didn't come alone, did he?"

Wu Daozi smiled, as if he had said something, yet also as if he hadn't said anything at all:

"I've come to see you alone. That's all you need to know. No one will bother us. Little Huaimin, you don't need to be so suspicious. Sit down and have a drink with me. Let's talk. It's been a long time since we last chatted."

Yuan Huaimin stared intently at the elderly man leisurely sipping his tea, then slowly sat back down on the stool. He suddenly asked:

"Mr. Wu, why do I always feel that you still look exactly the same as you did back then, as if you haven't aged at all?"

Wu Daozi said kindly, "Want to know? Actually, you can do it too. Just come to Peach Blossom Spring to find me and inherit my mantle."

He asked in confusion, "What does this mean? Mr. Wu, aren't you right here?"

Wu Daozi smiled but remained silent.

Yuan Huaimin lowered his head in thought, still restless, and said with a somewhat worried expression:

"I don't want to go to some Peach Blossom Spring. It sounds like a secluded paradise. Since Mr. Wu said it's a good place, and the imperial court hasn't found it for so many years, and they've been doing just fine there, why would he suddenly come to Xunyang City?"

Wu Daozi poured him a cup of tea: "Couldn't I just come to see you?"

“What’s so interesting about me? I’m just an idle person.” Yuan Huaimin shook his head, his expression gradually becoming serious: “Sir, are you… here for the victory celebration?”

Wu Daozi did not answer.

Yuan Huaimin reached out to collect the teacup: "If you don't tell me, I'll be anxious and unable to eat or sleep. Don't blame me for not showing any mercy; I'll have to see you out."

Wu Daozi glanced at him, took a scroll from his waist with two bronze shafts, and handed it to Yuan Huaimin.

The old man smiled and said:

"Enough with the jokes, little Huaimin. If you can inherit my mantle, this item will be yours from now on. It is a treasure of your Jingzhao Yuan clan."

“Mr. Wu, this scroll rod originally belonged to my family. I gave it to you as a gift, so you may as well not take it now.”

"No, these are not the same things. You gave me yours, and I gave you mine. They are two different things."

"What's the meaning?"

"If the scroll rods that were once hidden in the secret vault of your Jingzhao Yuan clan were a withered, lifeless object, then the painting I now hold, made from these scroll rods, is a living thing, brought to life like the finishing touch on a dragon. It's incomparable to what it was before."

Faced with Yuan Huaimin's questioning gaze, Wu Daozi showed no impatience. He was remarkably patient with this student, saying:

"It was originally written by Tao Yuanming, a famous scholar of the Southern Dynasties three hundred years ago. It was his work. Later, the Southern Dynasties were defeated and the scroll was lost to the north. It fell into the hands of your ancestor, Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Later, a scholar from the Cui family of Qinghe asked for it back and added a stroke to it. This scholar surnamed Cui was remarkable. Unfortunately, he died tragically at the hands of another ancestor emperor of your Yuan family. After his death, this item was still a great legacy left to your Yuan Wei Dynasty."

"The rise and fall of the Northern Wei Dynasty were all somehow connected to this one thing. If it can now return to the hands of someone with the bloodline of the Tuoba clan of the Northern Wei royal family, this cause and effect, which has never been recorded in history, will continue. Little Huaimin, you really do seem to have a destiny in your heart..."

At this point, the lean old man calculated with his fingers for a while, and Yuan Huaimin heard him mutter to himself:

"Look at today, the Great Gan inherited the Sui dynasty, and the pseudo-Zhou dynasty once again usurped the Gan dynasty without any changes. The Sui dynasty itself came from the melting pot of the Northern Dynasties that had lasted for three hundred years. In the struggle for the throne, the Southern Dynasty lost. The Great Sui dynasty was the culmination of the Northern Dynasties. It stood out, and that young mad emperor trampled the south of the Yangtze River with his iron cavalry..."

"The Northern Wei was the first dynasty of the Northern Dynasties. It was an important starting point. The subsequent Sui, Gan, and Wei Zhou dynasties were all closely related to it. It can be said that without the Northern Wei, there might not have been any of them. The final outcome of the struggle between the Northern and Southern Dynasties is still unknown!"

"For example, your Jingzhao Yuan clan also survived to the present Wei Zhou; the powerful clans that have grown so large that they give the pseudo-Zhou Empress a headache are also from the Northern Wei... The first Han Chinese clan of the Northern Wei, the Qinghe Cui clan, is now the head of the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families."

"Therefore, the Sui, Gan, and Wei Zhou dynasties were all successors of the Northern Wei, and their dragon veins were all in the Zhongnan Mountains. In a sense, their dragon energy all originated from the Northern Wei. What's more, the capital of the Northern Wei was Luoyang, which is now known as the Divine Capital of the Wei Zhou dynasty!"

"Little Huaimin, do you now realize how special your bloodline is? The pseudo-Zhou dynasty you serve under owes its position to the legacy of your ancestors, which is why you have the right to claim the Mandate of Heaven. Although this right isn't uncommon, it's a ticket to the game. Without it, even the most heroic figures will fall from grace..."

"By the way, do you know what the most wonderful thing is right now?"

As Yuan Huaimin listened, he broke out in a cold sweat and his heart pounded with fear. Before he could even organize his thoughts to reply, the thin, old man chuckled and answered his own question:

"The Great Gan belongs to the Earth element, and Earth generates Metal, so the Wei Zhou belongs to the Metal element, while the Northern Wei established by your ancestors belongs to the Water element, haha."

"At the urging of the two Wei brothers, Wei Zhao chose a feng shui treasure land called 'Dragon Gate' in Xunyang City, a place of great significance in the world, a place with auspicious mountains and waters and a strong wind and energy gathering. She built this golden Buddha statue in an attempt to stabilize the so-called national fortune of the Great Zhou. Little did she know that in the Five Elements, metal generates water. Isn't this gathering up the fortune of your Yuan clan and making wedding clothes for you? Hahaha, what a cycle!"

Wu Daozi laughed heartily:

“Little Huaimin, tell me, what would happen if the descendants of your Jingzhao Yuan clan obtained the dragon's aura again? Your daughter who changed her surname to Yi is still a bit short-sighted. She only knows to take the Yuan clan and that secret of Yuan Wei with her father to surrender to the pseudo-Zhou Empress and win her favor. She has taken a roundabout way, not knowing that there is a completely new path that can open up a whole new world for the Jingzhao Yuan clan…”

Wu Daozi sighed deeply, turned his head and said softly:

"Actually, we should also consider the Xunyang Prince's Mansion. Li Xian was the crown prince appointed by Emperor Gaozong, but later became a deposed emperor and lost his right to rule. However, he was once a true dragon emperor and still has the potential to become one. Now that he has been reinstated as the Xunyang Prince, he will naturally gather dragon energy and attract talented people to support him. Li Xian is rising to power in the southeast. In a sense, what he is gathering is the remnant dragon energy of the Southern Dynasty. Xunyang City is located in the middle of the Yangtze River, which can be considered half a place where dragons rise..."

"Judging from that unknown aura-gazing technique, the role that the Xunyang Prince's Mansion is playing in recuperating and building up its strength is actually the same as the role that Li Zhengyan and others are playing in the southwest. Both are starting from scratch, which is why the Kuangfu Army needs the Xunyang Prince's Mansion. They can join forces, as the two are complementary. After joining forces, they can swallow half of the pseudo-Zhou dragon aura stolen from Gan Tong. It's just a pity that the Xunyang Prince seems to have other ideas. In the end, a forced marriage is not sweet. The Xunyang Prince's Mansion probably has a master guiding it. This person has influenced the current situation in the southwest with just a few words. Tsk tsk, I'd really like to meet this fellow Daoist..."

"However, little Huaimin, if you are willing to inherit my mantle and master this new scroll, I will arrange for the Kuangfu Army to assist you. If the two of you join forces, I will also seek out some dragon energy for you. With your status as a descendant of the Northern Wei royal family, you might be able to bypass the Xunyang Prince's Mansion and contend for the Mandate of Heaven..."

"The key to victory actually lies in this Jiangzhou. The Xunyang Prince's Mansion is one, the Kuangfu Army is another, and you are only half a candidate, but if the three of you choose two to join forces and work together, you can challenge the pseudo-Zhou dragon vein. Heh, perhaps she is also feeling uneasy, which is why Wei Zhao painstakingly built the Buddha statue in Xunyang City and sent so many people this time..."

"Therefore, I am not lying to the world that there is an aura of an emperor in the southeast. The Wei dynasty is indeed coming to an end, and the false Zhou dynasty is doomed."

Yuan Huaimin seemed dumbfounded, staring blankly at Wu Daozi, who was calmly counting on his fingers and recounting the details for him.

The latter asked with a kind and considerate expression, "Little Huaimin, with such a legacy, not to mention gold and silver jewelry, you could even distribute all the silver in the world in the future. Why don't we give it a little consideration?"

Yuan Huaimin paused for a moment, then, almost without thinking, he shook his head like a rattle drum:

"Me? No way, don't joke around."

Wu Daozi squinted and said:

"Well then, let's not talk about these things for now, and don't think too much about it. After the celebration ceremony the day after tomorrow, you can give me your answer."

Yuan Huaimin asked, his hand trembling slightly, "What do you want to do, sir?"

Wu Daozi pointed into the distance: "The newly built Buddha statue in Xunyang Grottoes is a good thing. I'll bring it to you. With the Buddha statue and the new painting in hand, who else but you will have a bright future?"

The old man asked with a smile, leaving Yuan Huaimin dumbfounded.

...

The sun is setting in the west.

Hukou County, at the foot of Phoenix Ridge.

After finishing a simple meal in front of a roadside tavern, Wang Caozhi, accompanied by his entourage, boarded his carriage.

Once in the car, he casually gave an order:

"Return to the county government office."

After speaking, Wang Caozhi lowered his head and sniffed the fabric at his shoulder.

A sandalwood scent lingered in the air.

He exhaled a long breath.

These past few days, Wang Caozhi has been supervising the man named Qian Chen at Guanyin Temple.

After Yan Liulang returned to report, nothing unusual happened at Guanyin Temple. The thin-faced man also stayed at Guanyin Temple obediently, communicating with the monks there every day, seemingly about Princess Anhui. Nothing seemed amiss.

"Keep an eye on Guanyin Temple. Sooner or later, someone will have to keep watch on them, understand?"

"Yes, shopkeeper."

After jumping off the carriage in front of a large house next to the Hukou County government office, Wang Caozhi turned to his subordinates and instructed them.

Upon returning home, he immediately saw a young man in a Taoist robe sitting upright in the living room, waiting. He quickly went forward to greet him.

"Why is Master Lu back? Isn't he keeping watch at the White Tiger Guard camp anymore?"

Lu Ya stated frankly:

"Duan Yiwu has left with half of his armored soldiers. They should be returning to Xunyang Grottoes. Before I came here, I received orders from Young Master Ouyang to accompany them back to Xunyang City and supervise them along the way."

"Did Duan Yiwu and the others go back?"

Wang Caozhi muttered to himself, then suddenly slapped his forehead, realizing what he had just said.

"By the way, the celebration ceremony for the Xunyang Grottoes is the day after tomorrow, and they need to rush back to set up defenses."

"Um."

Wang Caozhi said with some envy, "If Master Lu goes back early, he can still make it to Madam Zhen's birthday banquet."

"I shouldn't join in the fun," Lu Ya nodded, his expressionless face revealing no emotion.

"Alright." Wang Caozhi nodded. "When are you leaving, Daoist Master?"

"Duan Quanwu and the White Tiger Guards have gone to the ferry. It may be midnight before the boats are all ready. I'm going to pack my things and rest for a while. I'll join them at midnight."

"Alright, then I won't see you off."

"polite."

Wang Caozhi smiled, didn't stand on ceremony with Lu Ya, bid him farewell, and went back to his room to rest, planning to go to bed early that night...

late at night.

Wang Caozhi felt a little uncomfortable without a woman's company. He used to always bring a mature woman along when he went out, but this trip to Hukou County was special. His brother-in-law took it very seriously and didn't want a woman to affect his "progress."

So he dreamed about the breakfast shop owner tonight.

Wang Caozhi was half asleep, just as he was getting into the most exciting part of his sleep, when he was woken up by the night watchman.

Not knowing what time it was outside, the night watchman, with a lantern lit, stood outside the door and knocked:

"Knock knock knock—"

"Who is it?" he mumbled groggily, his face showing some displeasure.

A timid voice came from outside: "Shopkeeper, someone has come to report."

Wang Caozhi didn't lift the covers, but reached his hand under the pillow and said calmly, "Who is it? Where did you come from, brother?"

The night watchman whispered, "Over at Guanyin Temple."

He immediately snapped out of it: "Come in!"

The servant led a weary messenger into the room and brought him to the bedside. The messenger whispered something in Wang Caozhi's ear.

Wang Caozhi's expression changed slightly, but his exact expression was not clear in the dim light.

He suddenly threw back the covers and instructed his subordinates:

"Go and fetch Master Lu immediately. If he's not in the house, go to the ferry to find him. It would be best if he accompanied us on this trip. Right now!"

"yes!"

(End of this chapter)