Chapter 723: The Lord of Xiao Capital

The phonograph consumed Ye Shenggo's soul, and the water tank inside it gurgled incessantly.

Li Banfeng rubbed the phonograph's belly: "My dear, what's wrong?"

"I feel like throwing up—"

A gurgling sound erupted! A large cloud of smoke and dust spewed from its horn, and the phonograph truly did vomit.

"Xiao Wan, what's wrong?" Hong Ying asked with concern. "Are you pregnant?"

The phonograph shook its large horn: "This soul isn't right."

Hong Ying chided, "Xiao Wan, you're being unreasonable now. Take a closer look; this is Ye Shenggo's soul. Even the souls of Grandmaster Huan Xiu aren't to your liking. You're too picky!"

"Do you think I don't recognize Ye Shenggo? It's not that his soul is bad; it's mixed with something!" Halfway through her sentence, she began to retch again.

Li Banfeng asked, a little worried, "My dear, what's it mixed with? Is there poison in his soul?"

The phonograph waved its needle: "Don't worry, my lord. It's just a mix of miscellaneous ingredients. Eating it won't cause any serious harm. Ye Shenggo's soul is full of all sorts of seasonings – oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar. He's no longer really a living person; he should be considered a first-grade weapon."

"No wonder."

Li Banfeng recalled his encounter with Ye Shenggo. Every time Qiao Yi issued an order, Ye Shenggo's combat strength would increase. The entire execution process was like a machine.

Considering Ye Shenggo's appearance, he didn't look like a Huan Xiu practitioner at all.

"Was he transformed into a 'great shrimp' by Neizhou?"

The phonograph shook its large horn: "Not exactly. Ye Shenggo founded Huan Xiu, and it gained recognition from the peddler. The peddler provided him with medicinal powder, making Huan Xiu the second Taoist sect in the world. However, Ye Shenggo himself felt that the Huan Xiu sect was not suited for combat, and he repeatedly suffered losses against other Taoist sects. So, he later also cultivated 'Varied Physical Cultivation,' transforming himself into a 'great shrimp'."

Li Banfeng pondered: "No wonder Ye Shenggo's combat style was so obvious: using Huan Xiu techniques for control, and physical cultivation methods for fighting. Is this the standard approach for high-ranking Huan Xiu practitioners?"

The phonograph replied: "High-ranking Huan Xiu practitioners don't follow that pattern. Huan Xiu itself has combat capabilities. It's just that Ye Shenggo looked down on the sect he founded and went down the wrong path, which is why his combat power isn't high, and he's not even considered a leader among Huan Xiu practitioners."

Hong Ying thought for a moment: "For one-on-one combat, Ye Shenggo was indeed weak. But on the battlefield, he was quite capable. His techniques were fast and wide-ranging. He earned many military merits in our army."

Li Banfeng was taken aback: "Ye Shenggo was in your army?"

Hong Ying nodded: "Ye Shenggo was the first Grandmaster of a Taoist sect to pledge allegiance to the imperial court."

"The first one to pledge allegiance, earning so many military merits, and yet he was turned into a first-grade weapon?" Li Banfeng picked up Ye Shenggo's head and examined it closely for a moment.

The phonograph said: "When I consumed his soul, I could still hear him repeatedly saying one sentence."

"Which one?" Li Banfeng was also curious.

"He said, 'Your humble subordinate has fulfilled his duty.'"

Li Banfeng sighed: "Ye Shenggo was actually such a loyal person. I must convey his sentiments to Old Qiao."

After dealing with the corpse, Li Banfeng sent the phonograph and Hong Ying back to their personal residence.

The phonograph was still feeling nauseous and went to rest in the second chamber. Hong Ying and Jiu'er prepared for battle in the main chamber, guarding against any unexpected events.

Li Banfeng then asked Hong Lian for a contract paper.

Hong Lian gave Li Banfeng one: "The fiercest kind of contract paper is too difficult to refine. This one is of slightly lesser quality."

Li Banfeng wasn't too particular: "A slight difference is fine. Let's see if Old Qiao dares to try it."

Leaving the personal residence, Li Banfeng walked out of the mansion, carrying the head.

At the intersection of the sixth street on the right, there was a dry tree branch.

By the street was a carpenter's workshop, with two bricks stacked at the entrance. Li Banfeng walked in.

The carpenter's workshop was quite large. In the front hall were cabinets, chests, tea tables, writing desks, and various other pieces of furniture. Banfeng Zi stood by the wall, pointing to the backyard. Qiao Yi and Nian Shangyou were both in the yard.

In the backyard, there was a pond, and beside the pond stood a dragon-bone waterwheel.

Qiao Yi was worried that something might have gone wrong with Ye Shenggo, so he was looking for a fallback plan for himself.

He had considered escaping from Tianyi City, but the mechanism to control Tianyi City was in the Jinrui Hall. Li Qi and Ye Shenggo were currently fighting in Jinrui Hall, so Qiao Yi and Nian Shangyou couldn't enter and thus couldn't control Tianyi City.

Now, the only fallback was to join forces with another first-grade weapon and Ye Shenggo to collectively attack Li Banfeng.

This waterwheel was a first-grade weapon deployed by Xie Gong in Tianyi City. Nian Shangyou had participated in its deployment, but he didn't know how to use it.

He stood on the waterwheel and pedaled for a long time. All the parts of the waterwheel transmitted flexibly, capable of drawing water from the pond.

After half a day of pumping water, the waterwheel showed no change. Qiao Yi was anxious, and Nian Shangyou was also anxious, but he couldn't think of a solution.

"My lord, Lord Xie instructed your humble subordinate to deploy this weapon here, but he never instructed me on how to use it. Your humble subordinate truly doesn't know how this waterwheel should be operated."

Qiao Yi urged, "Pedal faster!"

Nian Shangyou was panting heavily, his gills practically flapping: "My lord, your humble subordinate has already exerted his full strength."

Qiao Yi angrily retorted, "You're from a martial family; don't you even have that much strength?"

Li Banfeng said, "I don't think faster is necessarily better. A little slower, when the water flow is just right, perhaps then this waterwheel can be used."

"How slow is 'just right'?" Qiao Yi looked at Li Banfeng, pressing his lips together.

Nian Shangyou looked at Li Banfeng, then at Ye Shenggo's head in Li Banfeng's hand. He lowered his head and continued to pedal the waterwheel.

Li Banfeng waved Nian Shangyou over: "Come down first, let's discuss how to pedal it."

"Okay!" Nian Shangyou agreed, stepping off the waterwheel. Wiping his sweat, he said to Li Banfeng, "Your Highness, this is a first-grade weapon my master gifted to you. We're here to help you test it out and see if it works well."

Li Banfeng praised, "Scholar Nian, I knew you were thorough in your work, and I knew you were loyal to your master."

Nian Shangyou quickly bowed: "Thank you for the praise, Your Highness."

Li Banfeng lifted Ye Shenggo's head and looked at Qiao Yi: "This was also a loyal person. Even in death, he didn't forget to tell you, 'Your humble subordinate has fulfilled his duty.'"

Qiao Yi nodded: "He was indeed a loyal person."

Li Banfeng's expression turned sorrowful: "I can't bear to lose this loyal man. Why don't you go with him?"

Qiao Yi's expression also showed some sorrow: "Your Highness, we must be reasonable. If you can't bear to lose him, why should this old man be the one to go with him?"

"I can't bear to lose you either, so you two might as well go together!" Li Banfeng felt this logic was perfectly sound.

Qiao Yi was silent for a moment, then tears welled up: "Your Highness, I can't bear to leave you either. I'd rather not go—"

"If you don't want to go, sign the contract!" Li Banfeng pulled out the contract paper; the Judge's Brush had already written the terms.

The contract contained three stipulations:1. The Shang Kingdom must not deploy troops against Puluo State in the future.2. The Shang Kingdom must not deploy troops against Xiaocheng in the future.3. Prince Pingyuan may travel freely within the Shang Kingdom, without interference or harm.

After reading these three terms, Qiao Yi shook his head and said, "I, Qiao, am certainly not someone without a backbone. This contract absolutely cannot be signed."

"Good, let me see your backbone then." Li Banfeng drew his sickle.

Qiao Yi drew his dagger. Before Li Banfeng could stand up, he pricked his finger and pressed his fingerprint onto the paper.

Li Banfeng collected the contract and called Nian Shangyou over: "Scholar Nian, where exactly are we going now? Are we really going to Xiaocheng?"

"Yes, to Xiaocheng—" Nian Shangyou replied softly, lowering his head.

Li Banfeng reminded him, "Why don't you go take another look at Jinrui Hall? Make sure you don't misunderstand."

Nian Shangyou nodded: "Your humble subordinate will go check immediately."

Nian Shangyou had originally ordered Tianyi City to make a circuit at sea and then return to Chaoge.

Given the current situation, Nian Shangyou dared not have any other ideas and immediately directed Tianyi City to proceed to Xiaocheng.

Qiao Yi repeatedly pondered the contract's contents and sighed, "Your Highness possesses remarkable ingenuity; I, Qiao, am truly ashamed of my inferiority."

Li Banfeng shook his head: "Brother Qiao, you plan meticulously and never miss a beat, so why be so modest? With three heads on one body, you outmaneuvered Xie Gong and Zhu Jin; they knew nothing until their dying breath. This skill alone fills me with admiration. When the altar was destroyed, everyone thought you were exhausted and near death; you even deceived the Outer States. If I hadn't meticulously prepared the contract beforehand and then risked my life to defeat Ye Shenggo, today, no one would even collect my remains. Isn't that the truth?"

Qiao Yi forced a bitter smile, a hint of regret in his expression.

Li Banfeng asked, "Brother Qiao, are you particularly regretting that if you had brought a more powerful first-grade weapon, you would have achieved complete victory?"

Qiao Yi sighed repeatedly: "To find a first-grade weapon that only obeys my orders and not those of my two brothers—just achieving that was incredibly difficult. How could I further demand more in terms of combat power? How many things in this world are truly perfect?"

Li Banfeng nodded: "That's true. It seems Brother Qiao also faces many difficulties in his daily life."

Qiao Yi sighed: "I am facing difficulties right now and must confide in Your Highness. Now that my body has changed, if others discover the truth, I won't be able to continue as the Chief Grand Secretary. And then all my promises to Your Highness will be impossible to fulfill."

"Brother Qiao speaks wisely," Li Banfeng said, looking at Qiao Yi with a considerate smile. "So, this matter of becoming a one-headed person, try to keep it secret. But if it does become known, you must still hold onto your position as Chief Grand Secretary. If you can't, then make sure you've made arrangements for your burial, so you're not left uncollected when the time comes."

Qiao Yi looked helpless: "The terms Your Highness set in the contract are airtight and truly too harsh for me. If I strictly adhere to the contract, I fear I won't be able to hold my position as Chief Grand Secretary."

Li Banfeng walked to the edge of the pond and touched the dragon-bone waterwheel: "Brother Qiao, didn't I just tell you not to be modest? Every contract in this world has loopholes to exploit. If you couldn't find a way to exploit loopholes, you would never have become Chief Grand Secretary. How you exploit them depends on your skill and your courage. We have a long road ahead, with give and take, and we can slowly maneuver in the future. But there's one thing you must remember: when doing business in Puluo State, you need capital. When you profit, by all means, laugh, but don't cry when you lose."

Qiao Yi sighed, looking up: "By my calculation, I am the one who lost this time."

Li Banfeng lowered his gaze, looking at Qiao Yi: "Don't act innocent when you've gained an advantage. You should have died by your two brothers' blades. Yet not only are you alive, but you've also gotten rid of two burdens. From now on, you won't need anyone watching over you when you do things. You've profited immensely, and you're still claiming to have lost?"

Qiao Yi said, "The one who profited the most this time should be Your Royal Highness, shouldn't it?"

Li Banfeng looked pleased: "Say that again, slowly. I didn't quite catch it."

Qiao Yi softened his tone: "Your Highness, please calm your anger. My meaning is—"

"I wasn't talking about you," Li Banfeng said, raising a hand to signal Qiao Yi to stop talking. "Say it again, slower."

Qiao Yi didn't understand. There seemed to be no one else here.

Li Banfeng said, "Go to the outer room and bring over the water bucket from the second shelf."

Qiao Yi was stunned: "Your Highness is talking to me?"

Li Banfeng frowned: "Is there anyone else here?"

Qiao Yi went to the outer room and returned with a wooden bucket.

Li Banfeng told Qiao Yi to place the bucket at the water trough's outlet. He himself stepped onto the waterwheel and began to draw water.

Soon, the bucket was full. Li Banfeng had Qiao Yi pour the water into the water tank.

Qiao Yi had never done such rough work, and having just transformed from a three-headed person to a one-headed person, he swayed unsteadily with a bucket of water before pouring it into the water tank.

Just as he was about to catch his breath, Li Banfeng called out, "Quickly bring the bucket back."

Qiao Yi returned the bucket. Li Banfeng drew another bucket of water and had Qiao Yi pour it into the tank again.

This process repeated for a full eighteen buckets of water. Qiao Yi's face turned pale from exhaustion. Li Banfeng nodded: "That should be enough."

Qiao Yi was confused: "Enough for what?"

Li Banfeng stepped off the waterwheel and waited for a moment. Then, the dragon-bone waterwheel began to creak and clatter.

Its waterwheel transformed into a torso, its dragon bones into arms, its water trough into a leg, and its pedals into two feet. The dragon-bone waterwheel stood upright.

This was a first-grade weapon! But why did Li Qi know how to use it?

The dragon-bone waterwheel bowed its body towards Li Qi, awaiting his instructions.

Qiao Yi was even more confused now. This was a first-grade weapon brought from Chaoge, so why did it obey Li Qi?

"I certainly gained a lot this time," Li Qi instructed the dragon-bone waterwheel, "Keep an eye on Old Qiao!"

The waterwheel approached, looking down at Qiao Yi.

Qiao Yi dared not move.

Li Banfeng left the carpenter's workshop to learn from Nian Shangyou how to control Tianyi City.

Tianyi City was indeed fast; it reached Xiaocheng in less than half a day. Under Li Banfeng's control, Tianyi City opened its mouth, and the three of them entered Xiaocheng together.

Like Chaoge and Haocheng, Xiaocheng also had nine layers of gates.

Li Banfeng asked Qiao Yi, "Do the nine layers of gates have any special significance?"

Qiao Yi simply replied, "It's an ancestral system. All capitals of the Shang Kingdom must be built according to ancestral traditions."

Li Banfeng felt that such a complex construction pattern couldn't be as simple as merely being an ancestral tradition.

Before entering the city, Li Banfeng, worried that Qiao Yi might be recognized, specifically used pond mud to blacken the faces of both Qiao Yi and Nian Shangyou.

Nian Shangyou didn't mind; he quite liked the sensation.

Qiao Yi suffered; the fishy smell of the mud made him feel nauseous in waves.

But after entering the city, Li Banfeng realized he had worried unnecessarily.

Although Xiaocheng was the old capital, the city was not desolate.

Haocheng had an altar, which was the ceremonial foundation of the Shang Kingdom.

Xiaocheng, situated at a transportation hub, was the commercial foundation of the Shang Kingdom.

Inside the first city gate, there were factories everywhere.

Inside the second city gate, there were workshops everywhere.

The layout of these two layers of the city was essentially the same as Chaoge.

After entering the third city gate, the layout changed.

Chaoge's third layer of gates primarily housed restaurants and taverns. Xiaocheng's third layer, however, featured an endless array of shops selling everything imaginable: clothes and fabrics, furniture, gold and silver jewelry, ceramics and calligraphy, gears and springs, medicinal herbs and tonics.

The streets were bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder; no one paid any attention to Qiao Yi or Nian Shangyou.

Li Banfeng was quite satisfied with Xiaocheng's condition: "Now this looks more like a city. I thought you would leave me with another empty one."

Nian Shangyou smiled humbly: "Since there was a prior agreement, my master naturally wouldn't break his word."

Qiao Yi gritted his teeth and remained silent.

It wasn't that he didn't want to break his word; it was because this matter originated from Xie Gong, not something Qiao Yi had arranged.

Xie Gong had no intention of letting Li Qi arrive alive in Xiaocheng, so naturally, he hadn't planned to empty Xiaocheng.

However, even if Qiao Yi had been in charge, he wouldn't have been able to clear out Xiaocheng in the short term. This was the commercial center of the Shang Kingdom; its population exceeded Haocheng's and was only slightly less than Chaoge's. It wouldn't be easy to send away so many residents.

Nevertheless, Qiao Yi wasn't overly worried. Xiaocheng held a high status in the Shang Kingdom. Even if the imperial court issued a decree, it would be difficult for Li Qi to establish a firm foothold in Xiaocheng.

If he recognized the difficulty and retreated, it would be his good fortune. But if he persisted stubbornly, Xiaocheng could very well become his burial ground.

Li Banfeng walked, and Nian Shangyou introduced the various areas along the way.

The fourth layer of the city contained many guild halls, places where large business deals were conducted. For large transactions, goods weren't displayed, especially for businesses like coal, stone, and timber. Deals were finalized in the guild halls.

Upon reaching the fifth layer of the city, one would find mostly the residences of the city's scholars.

The sixth layer of the city was inhabited by the Grand Masters.

The seventh and eighth layers of the city housed various government offices, both large and small. By the ninth layer, one reached the former imperial city site.

Xiaocheng was once a capital, so it naturally had an imperial city. However, no one resided there permanently; only staff were assigned to clean it regularly.

Li Banfeng asked, "Where does Xiaocheng's lord reside? Is there no Marquis's residence here?"

Nian Shangyou shook his head: "Xiaocheng has no city lord, nor any dukes or marquises. It is directly administered by Chaoge."

In other words, Xiaocheng had never been granted as a fiefdom.

"But not everything can be handed over to Chaoge for handling, can it?"

Nian Shangyou explained: "There are two Grand Masters in the city, Yu Yunqiu and Ao Shuangqian. Minor affairs are presided over by these two Grand Masters, who then consult with more than thirty other Grand Masters for collective discussion and resolution."

Li Banfeng asked, "Where are my three first-grade weapons?"

Nian Shangyou replied, "They are all in the Imperial City. I will take Your Highness to inspect them now."

"That's not urgent. How many scholars are there in Xiaocheng?"

Nian Shangyou roughly estimated: "Around ten thousand."

"And the commoners?"

Nian Shangyou thought for a while: "Over three hundred thousand."

"How many serfs are there?"

Nian Shangyou truly didn't know this. Who would care about the number of serfs?

After a long deliberation, Nian Shangyou replied, "There must be several million."

Li Banfeng nodded: "It is indeed a large city. Go and invite all these people to the Imperial City."

Nian Shangyou was stunned for a long moment, not understanding what Li Banfeng meant.

Li Banfeng said, "Hurry up! It won't be easy to invite so many people."

Nian Shangyou nodded: "Indeed, it's not easy to invite them, and your humble subordinate doesn't have the means to do so."

Li Banfeng chuckled: "You're just like your master, always modest. When you, Scholar Nian, arrive in Xiaocheng, won't all the Grand Masters show you respect? Won't all the government offices obey your command? Have them help you get things done." Nian Shangyou looked at Qiao Yi. Qiao Yi asked Li Banfeng, "Your Highness, what is the purpose of this action?"

Li Banfeng frowned: "Why do you ask 'why'? I'm taking office in Xiaocheng; shouldn't others know about this? Shouldn't there be an inauguration ceremony? Otherwise, who will recognize me as the city lord?"

Nian Shangyou thought for a moment and said, "Informing the Grand Masters should suffice." Li Banfeng disagreed: "Am I only the city lord of the Grand Masters? Are the gentry, commoners, and serfs not under my jurisdiction?"

Nian Shangyou wanted to say more, but Li Banfeng waved his hand: "Enough talk! Go get it done!"

Nian Shangyou looked at Qiao Yi. Qiao Yi had no words, so, helpless, Nian Shangyou quickly went into the city to notify everyone. Li Banfeng and Qiao Yi strolled around the Imperial City. Although it was the old capital, the palace's grandeur remained undiminished, with over a hundred large and small palaces and tens of thousands of rooms.

After waiting for half a day, Nian Shangyou returned to report: "The Grand Masters, gentry, and commoners will arrive soon. As for the serfs, at most thirty percent will be able to come."

Li Banfeng was not very satisfied: "Thirty percent is a bit too little."

Nian Shangyou shook his head: "Your Highness, thirty percent is quite a lot. There won't even be enough space in the Imperial City for just these people."

Li Banfeng nodded: "Let these people come first. Go prepare the ceremony, and get the imperial decree and seal ready as well."

Nian Shangyou quickly went to prepare. There wasn't time for a too complex ceremony; in haste, he could only prepare a simple musical accompaniment.

When everyone had gathered, the area in front of the main hall was a sea of people. The Grand Masters stood at the very front, followed closely by the scholars. The commoners were already standing outside the Imperial City, and the serfs filled the eighth layer of the city.

Qiao Yi stood in the pavilion, looking at the sea of people outside, thinking Li Qi's action was utterly absurd.

What was the point of creating such a grand spectacle? Reading the decree alone in front of the main hall would still be a joke in the end, wouldn't it?

Li Banfeng, however, had no intention of reading the decree himself.

He had Banfeng Bing and Banfeng Chou disguise themselves as guards and open the main hall's doors, but he himself did not go out.

A projector stood at the entrance, creating images of Qiao Yi, Xie Gong, and Zhu Jin, who slowly walked out of the main hall.

The real Qiao Yi watched from the pavilion, dumbfounded: "Is this an illusion? What is he trying to do?"

Nian Shangyou watched beside him, his eight whiskers trembling wildly; he also couldn't offer a reasonable explanation.

The projector's images were extremely realistic; no one present could discern any flaw. Moreover, the assembled crowd dared not look directly at Qiao Yi.

"Qiao Yi" stood at the entrance of the main hall and began to read the decree:

"Prince Pingyuan, possessing both virtue and talent, is unmatched in loyalty and bravery. His contributions to the nation's stability and the prosperity of the realm are outstanding, his achievements remarkable. Now, Prince Pingyuan is specially enfeoffed with the land of Xiaocheng, to honor his accomplishments and display his glory. Xiaocheng, with its fertile plains spanning a thousand li and magnificent mountains and rivers, is a blessed land bestowed by Heaven. It is hoped that Prince Pingyuan will uphold a loyal and righteous heart, love the people as his children, govern diligently, protect the borders and bring peace to the populace, so that the people may live in peace and contentment and share in the blessings of great peace."

Every word was deafening, clearly audible even in the first layer of the city.

Where did such a loud sound come from? The projector didn't have this capability; this was a technique Li Banfeng borrowed from his dear wife using his "Deep Mansion Grand Courtyard" skill.

The crowd present erupted in an uproar. When Nian Shangyou had notified them, they hadn't believed that the imperial court would truly enfeoff Xiaocheng, and to a Puluo State native at that.

But now, whether they believed it or not, they had to. This was a decree personally read by Qiao Yi, the Chief Grand Secretary.

"Where does this act leave me? I will be cursed for eternity!" The real Qiao Yi's eyes were bloodshot; he wanted to rush out from the pavilion and clarify the situation.

Nian Shangyou stopped Qiao Yi: "My lord, you mustn't!"

Qiao Yi couldn't go out. The one-headed Qiao Yi couldn't be seen by people yet.

This was a bitter pill to swallow! He had to take it, whether he liked it or not!

Li Banfeng walked out of the main hall and took the decree from "Qiao Yi's" hand.

Enhanced by the projector's light, Li Banfeng stood dressed in a sapphire-blue brocade robe, with a golden silk spider-web patterned belt around his waist and a jade-inlaid, gilded crown on his head. This was the princely image he had designed based on the appearance of Kui Huazi.

Standing before the main hall, Li Banfeng spoke two sentences:

"From today forward, I am the Lord of Xiaocheng!"

"From today forward, Xiaocheng abolishes the system of serfdom!"