Chapter 369 Netherworld Sect
The next day.
Jiang Wan Ning went to Zhou Taifu's residence early in the morning.
"Your Highness has arrived," Butler Zhao greeted her with a smile. "The old master is waiting for you in the study."
Jiang Wan Ning was startled. "Did Grandfather know I was coming?"
Butler Zhao smiled and said, "Liu Zhuanglai recounted everything yesterday, and the old master is waiting for you, Princess, today."
"Was Liu Zhuang sent there by your maternal grandfather?"
This was unexpected for Jiang Wan Ning. She had always kept her actions from her maternal grandfather, who was now quite old, and she didn't want him to worry about her anymore.
Butler Zhao smiled and said, "Your Highness, please go inside quickly. This old servant will have the kitchen staff prepare the meal right away."
"Thank you, Uncle Zhao." Jiang Wanning walked towards the study.
Just as he was about to knock on the door, Grand Tutor Zhou's voice came from inside, "Come in."
Jiang Wanning pushed open the door and walked in, saying playfully, "Grandfather, your hearing is much better than my father's."
Grand Tutor Zhou, writing with his hand without raising his head, said, "What? My son-in-law's eyes aren't blind anymore, but he's starting to go deaf?"
Jiang Wan Ning smiled without saying a word and stepped forward to grind ink for Grand Tutor Zhou.
After writing the last character, Grand Tutor Zhou put down his pen and straightened his back.
Jiang Wan Ning handed over the brewed hot tea.
Grand Tutor Zhou took the tea, skimmed off the foam with the lid, took a small sip to moisten his throat, and said, "Sit down."
Jiang Wan Ning obediently sat down to one side, "Grandfather."
"Ask me anything you want to ask."
"Did you arrange for Liu Zhuang to go?"
Grand Tutor Zhou did not answer.
Jiang Wan Ning understood that her grandfather's silence meant he had tacitly agreed. "Grandfather... Ning Ning didn't mean to keep so many things from you."
Grand Tutor Zhou put down his teacup. “Although I have not attended court or paid attention to external affairs in recent years, it does not mean that I cannot hear anything.”
Grand Tutor Zhou pointed to his ears, "I have ears that can hear everything."
Jiang Wan Ning chuckled, "Grandfather, I really didn't mean to hide it from you. These things are too complicated, and I didn't want you to worry about them."
"I'm afraid I can't avoid worrying about it now."
Grand Tutor Zhou's expression suddenly turned serious, and he asked Jiang Wan Ning in a deep voice, "Is Your Majesty currently doing something else behind the backs of the court officials?"
Jiang Wan Ning knew that there was no point in hiding it from her maternal grandfather now. "His Majesty is now obsessed with immortality, and no one can persuade him otherwise."
Grand Tutor Zhou didn't react much, but calmly said, "Once a person has power, their mind will change, and they will want to live a long life."
"The more you want to live a long life, the easier it is to die quickly."
Last week, Grand Tutor didn't say anything more to Jiang Wan Ning about this matter, and finally asked, "Has the King of Langya's enemy been found?"
"Grandfather..."
Jiang Wanning never imagined that her maternal grandfather already knew this.
“Although I am half-buried in the earth, there are still some things I can do to help you,” said Grand Tutor Zhou. “His Majesty now wants to use the Imperial Son-in-Law Chen Jie to counter the Prince of Langya.”
"Chen Jie looks honest and upright, but the ambition in his eyes cannot be hidden."
"That's why I didn't marry your mother to him back then."
“He hasn’t bothered me all these years because he was afraid of exposing me for doing too much, but now things are probably different.”
Jiang Wanning came here for two reasons: first, because Liu Zhuang helped her that day; and second, because she was afraid that Song Zhuran would target her maternal grandfather.
Little did I know that my maternal grandfather had foreseen all of this.
"Grandfather, you know everything Liu Zhuang did yesterday?"
Grand Tutor Zhou said, "You mean the person in the crowd who led the discussion about Xiao Yu?"
"That man was Liu Zhuang's former fellow villager. The taxes were so heavy that his parents couldn't bear it and starved to death. Now he's the only one left, and he's got an incurable disease."
“He did this voluntarily; Liu Zhuang did not force him.”
Jiang Wan Ning only learned in the last few days that in some cities outside the capital, taxes were so high that some people were starving to death after paying all their taxes.
"I have already arranged for people to set up soup kitchens in the more severely affected areas."
Grand Tutor Zhou nodded. "If this matter is not addressed at its root, things will not improve."
"Setting up soup kitchens can only provide temporary relief."
"Grandfather, what do you mean?" Jiang Wan Ning's heart tightened.
Grand Tutor Zhou remained calm, saying, "This Xiao family's empire was originally guarded by me and the Duke of Ying. Now that the Duke of Ying is gone, it will be guarded by his son."
“Since he refuses to let the people live a peaceful life, I naturally cannot continue to side with him.”
"Old Zhao, come in."
"Grand Tutor Zhou shouted."
Butler Zhao pushed open the door and came in. "Master, Princess."
Grand Tutor Zhou slowly stood up, walked towards the bookshelf, took out one of the books, and took out a small square box from it.
It was handed over to Jiang Wanning.
Jiang Wan Ning opened the box, inside was a very ordinary round black iron piece with a few words faintly engraved on it, but they were no longer clearly visible due to its age.
"Grandfather, this is..."
Grand Tutor Zhou said calmly, "I didn't want to bring this out again."
"But Xiao Yu is no longer a wise ruler. You can keep this. If necessary, you can ask your Uncle Zhao for help."
Jiang Wan Ning looked up at Butler Zhao blankly, "Grandfather, what do you need this for, Uncle Zhao?"
Grand Tutor Zhou chuckled and said, "You still don't know this old fellow's background, do you?"
Grand Tutor Zhou pointed at Steward Zhao, "He founded the Netherworld Sect, which had disappeared from the martial arts world back then."
"That old man is really cunning."
“The Netherworld Sect?” Jiang Wan Ning exclaimed in surprise. “Didn’t that disappear more than twenty years ago? Before I was even born.”
"Even now, some people will tell their disobedient children that the Netherworld Sect has come to arrest them. That's the number one evil sect, Uncle Zhao, isn't it?"
Steward Zhao scratched his head and laughed, "Back then, we were forced to join the Liangshan bandits, leading a group of brothers to make a living. If we weren't ruthless, we would have been swallowed up by others."
"That's how this old servant led a group of homeless brothers to make a name for themselves, and gave them a name that sounds rather frightening."
"Later I met the old master. I originally wanted to extort some money from him because of his rich clothes, but I didn't expect to be recruited by the government."
Jiang Wan Ning looked shocked. "Why didn't Mother tell me these things?"
"Miss doesn't know either," Uncle Zhao said with a simple smile.
"Although the Netherworld Sect is gone, the old master has turned it into an orphanage over the years, just teaching them survival skills."
"And train occasionally."
Jiang Wan Ning's lips twitched. She was surprised that the idea of raising a private army sounded so simple and pleasant.
"However, the old master was only after Dongling, he didn't want anything else," Uncle Zhao added.
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