Chapter 884: Message Summary

"At that time, they, like Baile, paid tribute to the State of Mu. However, after the State of Ya was founded, it expanded its territory through several campaigns, annexing several small neighboring states. With its growing power, it no longer paid homage to the State of Mu and repeatedly sent troops to discipline Baile. I heard that late last year, Baile and Ya had another border conflict. Ya initiated the trouble, and Baile ended up paying them a large sum of money."

"This is blackmail," He Lingchuan pondered, stroking his chin. "With such a troublesome neighbor, Baile's fate is truly unfortunate. If it happens once and twice, it will happen thrice. Ya has tasted success, and Baile will never have peace."

"Currently, the leader of the Baile clan is Lu Zhensheng. The direct lineage of the Lu family died out long ago, and Lu Zhensheng, from a collateral branch, was chosen as clan head."

"Lu Zhensheng reportedly negotiated with the State of Qing to reclaim Blade Port, but he failed."

"However, the Baile territory itself seems to have developed quite well over the past decade or so."

Lu Zhensheng? He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow. This was the cousin of his original body's mother, Lu Xiaoyun, and the person who forced her to renounce her inheritance and flee to the State of Yuan. As expected, he later became the clan head.

He was also the supreme leader of the Baile territory.

Six hundred years ago, after the State of Baile was defeated and its land occupied by Beijia, the Lu family led the Baile people to settle here and continue their lives, but they did not re-establish a state.

This was merely the Lu family's territory.

Against the backdrop of diminishing spiritual energy, very few aristocratic families could endure for six hundred years; most faded into obscurity within one or two centuries. The Lu family was no exception. It had experienced several revivals and periods of glory, but ultimately succumbed to the river of time. It was truly difficult for them to have maintained their standing until now.

In today's world, the Lu family was an ancient lineage.

Unfortunately, "old" did not necessarily command respect.

Ding Zuodong also spoke: "Lu Zhensheng has two sons. His elder son, Lu Qing'an, is thirty-one and has always remained within the clan. His second son, Lu Qinglin, twenty-seven, entered Qianyuan Valley as a child. This is one of the largest and oldest Daoist sects in the State of Mu, its predecessor being an ancient immortal sect. Later, Lu Qinglin was recommended by Qianyuan Valley to join the Mu military. He quickly rose to the rank of commandant, and it seems he recently earned merit in the western front battles, receiving the title General Xu. The State of Mu is full of talent, and competition is fierce, so this promotion speed is quite extraordinary."

"Xu?" He Lingchuan mused, stroking his chin. "That's a good title. It seems his contributions are significant, and the State of Mu intends to promote him."

Some miscellaneous general titles, like "General of Tower Ships" or "General of Artisans," seemed almost trivial and were related to the troops they commanded.

The implication of the character "Xu" (meaning "dawn" or "rising sun") was excellent. Lu Qinglin seemed to be a talented individual. He Lingchuan had heard of Qianyuan Valley; this ancient Daoist sect had extremely strict selection criteria and very close ties to the Great Mu Royal Court. Wealthy families couldn't simply buy their way in.

Qiu Hu also asked, "The western front? Is that fighting against Beijia?"

"So I hear. Blade Port has many merchants from the west, and they all say Beijia has been launching frequent strong attacks, with the State of Mu rising to meet the challenge."

He Lingchuan glanced at Dong Rui from the corner of his eye and saw him wink, the meaning clear:

The instigator was right here.

If He Lingchuan hadn't released Zuju, nearly blowing up the Star-Gazing Tower, and ignited the fuse of unrest in Lingxu City, Beijia wouldn't have been so enraged.

When the emperor is angered, blood flows like rivers. The dignity of a powerful nation cannot be offended.

However, heroes emerge in times of chaos. Such an era of war was most conducive to the rise of powerful figures and extraordinary talents.

Lu Qinglin also took the opportunity to accumulate military achievements.

"But his greatest achievement isn't winning battles; it's marrying Xia Lishang, the daughter of General Yutian and Grand Tutor Xia Pei. Legend has it that as soon as Lu Qinglin arrived in the capital, Xia Lishang took a liking to him." Ding Zuodong chuckled, "The most widely circulated story outside is the romance between Lu Qinglin and the Xia family's daughter."

"Xia Pei is currently leading troops on the western front; he can be considered a pivotal figure in the royal court."

"The Lu family certainly found themselves a powerful in-law." He Lingchuan immediately knew this could be a major obstacle to his future plans of reclaiming the Baile territory.

When he was investigating the elixir of immortality case in Beijia, he followed the clues to Cen Boqing, but then the trail went cold. Cen Boqing was by no means a top power in Lingxu City, where nobles gathered, but he had married the daughter of the Grand Minister of Agriculture, so no one dared touch him—including Crown Prince Fushan Yue of Chiyan, who was present in person.

He Lingchuan had to use every trick to lure Cen Boqing into confessing.

The Lu family was no different. Lu Zhensheng securing an alliance with a serving general of the State of Mu as an in-law significantly complicated He Lingchuan's plans.

Royal relatives and powerful in-laws were the most difficult to deal with. Given Xia Pei's reputation in the State of Mu, it was almost the same.

As expected, Ding Zuodong nodded: "That's right. Ever since Lu Qinglin married the Xia family daughter, the Lu family's prestige has soared. Except for the State of Ya, which doesn't fall for this and still threatens them with military action, neighboring powers have become much more polite towards their family. I hear it said outside that if Lu Qinglin can earn a few more military merits, he will be a rising star in the State of Mu's official circles."

He Lingchuan grunted in acknowledgment.

While this certainly contained exaggerated embellishments from the Lu family themselves, war was indeed the best path for military officers to advance, especially since Lu Qinglin had found a powerful backer. General Yutian would likely be very pleased to promote his son-in-law.

Nepotism was common, both in Beijia and Mu.

Tao Ran interjected, "Oh, by the way, about a year ago, there was an accident at the Baile people's Niushan Mine. Over two hundred people were buried in a tunnel collapse, while fewer, only about eighty, were injured. I don't know if these casualty numbers are exaggerated, but I heard that the compensation and aftermath arrangements for this mine disaster have still not been completed."

Everyone exclaimed, "That's a serious accident."

"The mine owner will have to pay a fortune."

Tao Ran continued, "The mine owner is the Lu family. The compensation they offered was eighty taels for the deceased, fifty taels for the severely injured and disabled, and only five or ten taels for minor injuries. The families were dissatisfied and gathered to protest several times, to the point where the local jails couldn't hold them all."

"Only eighty thousand coins for the deceased?"

The severely injured and disabled were the real trouble, as they still had the rest of their lives to live. Most of those who worked in the mines were strong laborers for their families. Now, not only could they not support their households, but they would also incur expenses for their own treatment and medicine, becoming a burden instead.

No wonder the families were unhappy.

The others commented, "The Lu family is stingy. They possess fertile land, forests, and mines, yet they're unwilling to part with even twenty or thirty thousand taels."

Ding Zuodong chuckled, "You don't understand. The money of these aristocratic families circulates within their various enterprises. If an urgent matter suddenly requires funds, they usually have to rob Peter to pay Paul. They're not as wealthy as they appear."

Having served as a steward for powerful families for over a decade, managing everything, he was intimately familiar with their inner workings.

Tao Ran didn't believe him: "Even if they're not flush with cash and need to rotate funds, they should be able to come up with it within a year, right?"

"You're right, so there must be something amiss with the Lu family's finances." Ding Zuodong pondered, "The Baile people's settlement is the Lu family's fief. They should want to manage it well and earn a good reputation."

No lord would want their fiefdom to be in such a state of misery and discontent.

Did the Lu family have some unavoidable difficulties? "Perhaps the war with the State of Ya was too costly? Weren't they defeated late last year and had to pay a large indemnity?"

Losing a battle meant paying reparations; that was international practice.

The State of Ya had also become dependent on Baile; whenever they needed money, they'd simply extort it, treating the formerly prosperous Baile as a cash cow.

Hearing this, He Lingchuan said, "We have plenty of time; there's no rush. I'm giving you a long holiday, plus an extra half-month's salary. Go enjoy yourselves in Blade Port and the Baile territory for about ten days."

"Lord, you're generous!" Everyone cheered upon hearing their boss was granting paid leave. After two months of sailing and two months of rough seas, though none of them were delicate, who wouldn't be delighted by an unexpected holiday with good food and fun?

"Don't get too carried away with joy. You know what you need to do, right?"

"Yes, yes, we'll gather information, even if it means visiting entertainment venues!" Tao Ran said solemnly, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained!"

Everyone clapped and laughed.

He Lingchuan generously paid their salaries, then waved his hand and said, "Now, off you go!"

After the Rongshan men left, arm in arm, He Lingchuan called Ding Zuodong over.

"It wasn't easy for you to follow me here; you're not like these carefree bachelors," He Lingchuan said, taking out fifty taels of silver and pressing them into his hand. "Take your wife to buy some clothes and visit a few good restaurants to make her happy."

Ding Zuodong's family had been greatly divided about this eastward journey. His children and grandchildren refused to come along, so Ding Zuodong had no choice but to bring his wife south to Baisha Bay.

The ship's cabins had thin walls, and He Lingchuan could even hear Ding Zuodong and his wife arguing, with his wife crying uncontrollably and accusing him of abandoning his family.

People often lingered in their hometowns due to their affection for relatives and friends. He Lingchuan understood his state of mind.

"That old woman..." Ding Zuodong recalled his wife's grim face when she disembarked, probably noticed by their employer.

Alas, how embarrassing. The employer was truly perceptive.

He was about to refuse but then bit back his words. "Ah, I've caused trouble for you, my lord."

"It's just a matter of human kindness," He Lingchuan said dismissively, patting his shoulder. "Go on."

Tao Ran waited aside, approaching only after Ding Zuodong left. "Young Lord, what task do you have for me?"

He had seen He Lingchuan wink at him earlier, which was why he had stayed behind deliberately.

He Lingchuan nodded discreetly. This young man certainly had good discernment.

Qiu Hu was fierce and tough, while Tao Ran was clever and crafty, yet knew how to act appropriately.

"Go to the Baile territory and try to infiltrate the Lu family's mansion," He Lingchuan instructed him. "Just gathering information from outside isn't enough."

Information that reached outside the mansion was often exaggerated and distorted; a family's true conflicts were usually hidden at its core.

In the past, outsiders saw He Chunhua and He Lingchuan as a harmonious father-son pair. Only He Chunhua and He Lingchuan themselves knew that this was mere superficial harmony, with their hearts pulling in different directions.

"Yes," Tao Ran said, about to move, but then turned back. "Could your pharmacist prepare a medicine for me?"

Lingguang, who was eating melon nearby, looked up at the request. "Are you feeling unwell?"

He Lingchuan chuckled, "He wants a concoction to cause trouble, but not to take lives. Just make it for him."

Tao Ran said admiringly, "The Young Lord is amazing!" He had seen right through his trick.

With all instructions given, He Lingchuan himself left the inn to enjoy the sea breeze by the shore.