Chapter 1516: Order of Succession

He Lingchuan then added, "Since you're going back anyway, do something for me on the way."

"Oh? Tell me."

"Throughout Flash Gold Plains, especially in the central and western parts, there are groups operating under the banner of the 'Black Armored Army'. They're nascent, weak, and easily suppressed by local forces." Such impromptu grassroots organizations usually emerge out of desperation or sheer passion, lacking both clear principles and proper organization. But they represent the seeds of resistance. "We need to give them a hand." A spark, in its early stages, always needs nurturing.

Dong Rui agreed readily, "Alright. You want me to eliminate their opponents, right?"

"These groups are a mixed bag. On this trip back, help me with two types of screening." He Lingchuan raised a finger. "First, identify the groups worth supporting—those who genuinely perform good deeds."

"Hoo, that step won't be easy."

"What's difficult about it? If you're unsure, just pick the ones with a good reputation among the common people. Besides, Fu Liushan has already recorded quite a few. The Yangshan Chamber of Commerce is spread throughout the central and western regions; I'll have them compile all relevant information."

He Lingchuan raised a second finger. "Second, help them resist suppression. If necessary, the Black Armored Army can appear publicly."

"Appear publicly?" Dong Rui was visibly moved. "The Great Emperor Jiuyou and the Black Armored Army openly supporting these small fries?"

"Precisely." Otherwise, pure idealism won't last. "They need to know their actions are being watched."

"Alright, alright, just thinking about it gives me a boost!" Dong Rui readily agreed. "As soon as I find Xiao An, I'll make time to handle these matters for you."

"When are you leaving?"

Dong Rui rubbed his hands together. "I'll be gone for two or three months. How about we have a drink first, as brothers, then..."

He Lingchuan saw through his feigned politeness instantly. "I don't mind."

"Then I'll leave now."

Half an hour later, Dong Rui packed up and left, disappearing from Yongquan Villa with the Ghost Ape.

It wasn't until the fifth day that Yongquan Villa began to take on a new appearance, prompting He Lingchuan to invite guests to his new home.

He Lingchuan today was not the same as when he first arrived in Tianshui City. Though only a month had passed, through the construction and auction of Secluded Lake Villa and by executing He Yang at the King of Yao's birthday celebration, he had quickly become acquainted with most of Tianshui City's upper-class nobility.

In its nearly two hundred years of history, the Kingdom of Yao had seen countless talented and charismatic figures, but almost none had achieved popularity so rapidly. This was also partly why He Lingchuan quickly moved out of Sanmentou Inn: people who couldn't secure an appointment with him would quietly come to the inn to waylay him.

However, He Lingchuan's invitation today was for a private banquet. He "didn't want a big fuss, just a few close friends." So his "close friends" arrived, bringing generous gifts to congratulate him on his new residence.

Since he began handling affairs for the King of Yao, He Lingchuan's relationship with these royalists had grown even stronger. He shrewdly leveraged these connections to arrange for the Yangshan Archipelago to purchase large quantities of state-run goods. Rare metals, warhorses, spices, and other specialty products, previously limited or restricted for external sales, were now openly available to him. As the King of Yao's favored individual, he naturally enjoyed certain benefits.

Currently, more than just Tonglinji among the local merchant guilds were serving Yangshan; a total of twelve, including the long-established Deyou Merchant Guild, frequently traveled to and from the border. They not only transported specialty goods out but also carried Yangshan's and other external products back to the Kingdom of Yao on their return journeys.

Everyone knew that He Lingchuan had just made a fortune from the Secluded Lake Villa project. Yet, his merchant-class friends in Tianshui City were eager to boost their own performance through him. Moreover, everyone had spent a fortune purchasing the luxury villas and needed to recoup their investments, and Yangshan's bulk purchases provided that opportunity. While Yangshan's bulk transactions were reported to the King of Yao, he remained largely unconcerned. Firstly, He Lingchuan's massive purchases kept the money within the Kingdom of Yao, not taking it out. Secondly, the national treasury was indeed empty and needed a good replenishment. Commercial income was a very healthy profit. Why would the Yao court refuse it? All three parties benefited. Thus, the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce's business in Tianshui City was truly flourishing.

Of course, these were just the official accounts. Privately, He Lingchuan maintained a complete set of secret ledgers.

Today, to everyone's surprise, Zhang Shan from Qingwang Manor also appeared, in addition to Fan Shuang, Gu Xuan, and the Yuwen brothers. Zhang Shan was known for his extreme arrogance; he would whip a vagrant or slave to death if they so much as stepped on his shadow when he went out. He wouldn't even spare a glance for ordinary officials. The Yuwen brothers knew that Qingwang Manor only employed people from Tianshui City as servants and retainers, not even those from the distant suburbs. How could such an exclusive and conservative figure now be a "close friend" of Island Lord He? The favor He Lingchuan received from the King of Yao was indeed extraordinary.

Nestled between mountains and rivers, Yongquan Villa offered cool summer evenings, so He Lingchuan decided to hold the banquet under the grape arbor. While none of their own homes lacked meticulously landscaped gardens, and Yongquan Villa couldn't truly compare in that regard, its fruit trees were nonetheless laden with fruit. Sitting under the grape arbor, they could easily pick a bunch of honey-sweet grapes; if they walked a few more steps, they could find pomegranates bending the branches. Gu Xuan even muddled pomegranate juice, adding it to the fine wine to create a fruit wine, which received unanimous praise from everyone. Compared to this delightful touch, the exquisite dishes He Lingchuan had paid a high price for, prepared by famous chefs from Tianshui City's grand restaurants, were less impressive. After all, who among them wasn't accustomed to delicacies from mountains and seas?

He Lingchuan first toasted Yuwen Yong. "Come, today is also a farewell toast for Brother Yuwen. I wish you great success in the Northern Border!" The King of Yao's birthday celebration had concluded, and Yuwen Yong was set to depart for the Yao Kingdom's Northern Border tomorrow.

During their casual conversation about recent events in Tianshui City, no one mentioned the scarcity of divine grace at the Petal Festival. Since He Lingchuan hadn't attended, he inquired about the temple's offerings. It turned out that for the offerings made to Miaozhantian on the day of the Petal Festival, the King of Yao was still ranked first, followed by various kings, dukes, and ministers in order. Bai Tan was surprisingly ranked fourth. Gu Xuan laughed, "General Bai was still eighth last year, but this year he's risen to fourth! How fast!"

"Who ranked these positions?"

"The temple?"

He Lingchuan murmured, "Oh, so it was Envoy Liang."

"No, not Envoy Liang, but the Goddess herself arranged the rankings." This carried immense weight. "We saw General Bai was also beaming with joy and in high spirits at the ceremony." His rise in rank indicated he had received further approval from the Goddess.

He Lingchuan then asked curiously, "Where was General Xue Zongwu ranked when he was alive?"

"Uh." Everyone paused, then Yuwen Yong said, "He was eighteenth last year. In previous years, it was usually around that position."

"Understood." It seemed Miaozhantian didn't seem to favor this great general. Otherwise, given Xue Zongwu's prominent status during his lifetime, how could he have been ranked eighteenth?

Yuwen Xu cleared his throat. "For years, General Xue harbored resentment about this." Xue Zongwu was unwilling to accept why the Goddess didn't favor him. But to other subjects, this man was a devil incarnate, openly committing evil deeds. How could the Goddess possibly favor him?

The topic became a bit awkward, so Gu Xuan casually brought up that Qi Yunsheng's nephew, Qi Shu'an, had been doing excellent business recently.

He Lingchuan asked, surprised, "Excellent business? Isn't he a moneylender?"

"It just means more people are borrowing money from him," Gu Xuan laughed. "Do you think there were really that many rich people at the Chibao auction? Many families borrowed money from all over to bid on the Secluded Lake Villa."

Yuwen Yong nodded. "I heard the luxury villa the Xu family acquired was purchased by four families pooling their money. When it's officially announced, all four families' names will be listed."

Zhang Shan sneered, "Putting on a show of wealth."

"Families pooling money to buy one is still considered good," Yuwen Xu said. "If they pooled and it still wasn't enough, they had no choice but to go to Qi Shu'an. I heard his interest rates are very high."

Everyone looked at He Lingchuan and smiled; this fellow was truly a bloodsucker, bleeding even wealthy families dry.

He Lingchuan quickly changed the subject. "How is General Chongwu doing?"

"Several groups of people have approached him, but there's simply no evidence," Yuwen Yong shook his head. "I heard that the Regent approached His Majesty twice more about this matter. Therefore, General Chongwu will depart for the northern front in five days."

He Lingchuan nodded. "The Regent's capabilities are indeed formidable." Chongwu was also unfortunate; Qingyang had to go to great lengths to protect him.

"What about Qu Ruhai?"

Upon asking, he learned that the Chief Elder of the Left of Luodian Kingdom had not yet returned to his country. It wasn't that he didn't want to return, but the Kingdom of Yao had found reasons to detain him in Tianshui City. For example, the King of Yao had only summoned him yesterday, mentioning cooperation with the Luodian Kingdom. As it concerned state affairs, Qu Ruhai could only patiently remain. But both he and He Lingchuan could guess the Yao Kingdom's intention: they were unwilling to let a "suspect" go. He remained a major suspect in Xue Zongwu's death.

He Lingchuan spoke fairly, "Qu Ruhai doesn't look like the Great Emperor Jiuyou at all."

Everyone nodded. "Exactly!" The Luodian Kingdom and the concept of "acting on behalf of Heaven" truly didn't align.

"I don't think Tianshui City can keep Qu Ruhai detained indefinitely," Gu Xuan shook his head. "Unless they find evidence, they'll have to let him go sooner or later." The Kingdom of Yao detaining the Chief Elder of the Left of Luodian Kingdom for too long could easily trigger military conflict.

He Lingchuan silently set a deadline in his mind: ten days at most.

As they chatted, the conversation shifted to the court affairs of the past few days. Zhang Shan picked up a piece of spicy pickled fish maw, putting it in his mouth and slowly chewing. "Yesterday, His Majesty brought up the expansion of Tianshui City again. This is the second time in seven days." The King's repeated mentions indicated his eagerness.

"Expanding Tianshui City, this matter has actually been brought up for seven or eight years," Gu Xuan took a sip of wine. "His Majesty has never made up his mind."

Fan Shuang, who was also present, interjected, "Tianshui City really should be expanded. There are makeshift shelters for vagrants everywhere. Besides the stealing and robbery, there are regular outbreaks of fleas and lice, sometimes bringing epidemics that are truly dreadful, with people dying street by street, alley by alley. Recently, there have been continuous heavy rains. My garden, being low-lying, has been submerged for over half a month; we can't drain the water at all. The water reaches above our knees, turning the garden into a pond. All the plants have rotted, and we can't even use our back door."