Chapter 1032: Wei Wang

The scenery was picturesque, with colorful clouds drifting by.

Figures bustled on the high platform between the landmasses. In the main seat, a True Lord sat quietly. The cultivators of the Li family wore formal, ornate robes, their sleeves adorned with water patterns and moonlit colors. They had put away their weapons and removed the jade talismans from their waists, standing in ordered ranks.

Clouds gathered and rose in the sky. From the distance, a golden light emerged. Li Suining fixed his gaze: in front were two jade horses, each carrying a man, both clad in golden armor. Behind each armor, a long banner with dark patterns was fixed, and in their hands, they brandished dark blue flags embroidered with the white character "Song."

Behind them, there were about a dozen magnificent golden ceremonial carriages and dark-light jade palanquins, grand and majestic. Three-tiered parasols, a deep blue with white patterns, were displayed, alongside bright red banners with dark designs. On both sides, pennants, parasols, halberds, and staves were held high, dotted with various colorful lights, symbolizing wind, rain, thunder, lightning, water, fire, wood, and earth—all represented.

Li Suining lowered his gaze, seeing Li Zhouda, who was one position ahead of him, glaring with furrowed brows. This man was unaccustomed to wearing robes and merely draped the garment over the bronze bell at his waist. He muttered quietly:

“What a grand display.”

Li Suining knew Li Zhouda had a fiery temper. He didn't think much of the Song Emperor and certainly didn't believe their own king needed to be appointed by him. This thought wasn't just in his mind; in his previous life, he had spoken it privately. Naturally, he disliked this procession today.

Fortunately, everyone on the platform could keep him in check. Li Xuanxuan gave him a glare, and the man sullenly fell silent. Li Suining then turned his gaze to the other side.

Li Zhouming's position was further ahead, already a distance from him. He was tilting his head, looking at the sky, with a somewhat drowsy expression. It wasn't until the lifelike jade horses reached the horizon, and a beautiful woman in white descended from the carriage ahead of time, that he became alert, secretly peeking.

“True Lord Ning...”

Li Suining immediately lowered his gaze. Li Xuanxuan had already stepped forward to greet them before Li Zhouwei, respectfully saying:

“Greetings, Emissary!”

The elder's expression was respectful, just as it had been a hundred years ago when the cloud-boat of aurora descended and the green-robed envoy arrived with an indifferent air; he was utterly polite.

However, as soon as the elder finished speaking, Li Suining's emotions became the most complex. He secretly observed his uncle, Li Jiangchun, who had turned his face to look at the landmasses. The various disciples around them wore different expressions. Li Minggong also politely offered a smile, while Li Zhouming's smile had faded. Li Zhouda didn't even lift his head, staring at the ground as if he could discern patterns there.

Ning Wan's expression was complex. She took the glittering white celestial decree from a nearby attendant, holding it between both hands but not opening it. She even slightly lowered her head and handed it to the approaching Li Zhouwei, saying:

“The Emperor, upholding the true lineage, remembers the former Li dynasty, whose glorious celestial branch and noble lineage had been obscured. Li Minghuang has steadfastly guarded Tingzhou in Jianghuai, truly being a vital core. It is fitting that he be granted territory to establish his own domain. Therefore, he is hereby enfeoffed as the King of Wei, to solely command military expeditions beyond the borders.”

Her delicate brows lowered, and her heart stirred slightly. After quite a while, she saw the young man before her politely lower his head, bow, and reply:

“Your humble servant has dedicated himself to the remote wilderness and has long been graced by your benevolent favor. It is difficult to repay such honor and grace. I shall only ever be loyal and cautious.”

His voice was calm yet powerful, echoing across the entire high platform. Immediately, a ripple of kneeling spread across the platform. Both the Great Song soldiers who arrived on celestial light and the Li family members waiting on the platform respectfully declared:

“Greetings to the King of Wei!”

This sound resounded through the sky, causing Li Zhouwei's golden eyes beneath his brows to slightly brighten. His entire being pulsed with radiant light. His aura fluctuated, rising and falling erratically. The divine abilities within him shone brightly, yet seemed to be suppressed by something, hinting at a struggle.

Li Zhouwei merely stood there, but Ning Wan felt the light of the celestial decree in her hands instantly dim. Its weight suddenly grew heavy, almost causing it to fall to the ground. Her hands immediately activated a divine ability:

“Crack!”

The rollers at both ends of the celestial decree instantly groaned under the strain, seeming as if they would burst open at any moment. The light flowing from it was scalding hot, burning a patch of brilliant purple flame on her fair arm, and a sharp cicada chirping sound erupted from her right side.

“Hmm.”

The flame and cicada chirping seemed like illusions, flickering before her eyes and buzzing in her ears. As Li Zhouwei took the item from her hands, all anomalies vanished. The celestial decree merely looked somewhat dim.

But as this scroll of celestial decree landed in the hands of the King of Wei, it seemed to gain some acknowledgment. All anomalies vanished, and it once again shimmered with the radiance of true qi, lying quietly.

Yet, how could a Zifu cultivator experience illusions? Ning Wan suppressed her shock and avoided looking further. She busied herself assisting Li Xuanxuan, looking quite embarrassed. While looking up at Li Zhouwei, she whispered:

“No need for further formalities, let us proceed inside to talk...”

Li Zhouwei slightly turned to the side and said:

“Please.”

Ning Wan then turned and gestured. Immediately, celestial luan birds descended frequently, landing on the platform. She dismissed her attendants and went with Li Zhouwei towards the rear of the hall, looking somewhat melancholic.

Ning Wan, who had emerged from seclusion in her early years, serene as autumn, pure as white snow, and unblemished, now appeared slightly different. The years of aiding tyranny and living on the brink of life and death had added a touch of melancholy to her demeanor. Yet, with her delicate brows slightly furrowed, she remained a beauty.

Li Zhouwei invited her to sit, and quietly said:

“Congratulations, Senior!”

Ning Wan could not discern the many implications within this congratulation. She only let out a soft sigh:

“The King of Wei is too modest.”

Li Zhouwei put down his cup and said:

“How should I address the Emissary?”

Ning Wan replied, her expression turning serious:

“I am not worthy of being called Emissary. I am merely the Mountain Lord of Qingchi and a True Lord of the Great Song's Immortal Ceremonial Bureau.”

She paused. She took a token from her sleeve; on one side was the character "Song," and on the other, "Qingchi," both glowing with true qi.

“The Emperor's grace values the Immortal Dao above all. The Qingchi Sect is still permitted to practice its arts and cultivate in the mountains. I am both the Sect Master of Qingchi and a True Lord of the Great Song's Immortal Ceremonial Bureau; the two roles do not conflict.”

She tilted her head and said:

“Please ask Chen Wenyao to come up.”

Soon after, a young man entered the hall, carrying a tray. He first knelt before the threshold, then lowered his head and advanced. He then knelt again before their seats, raising the golden tray above his head.

Ning Wan softly said:

“King of Wei, please look!”

Within the golden tray lay an object veiled in a layer of white, gauze-like light. A feathered cloak was neatly folded there. Each feather was distinct, of uniform length, and evenly colored. The tip of each feather revealed a hint of pale purple. Under the celestial light, countless, extremely precious dark gold mystic patterns became visible.

Merely resting on the table, a mystical, shimmering true qi aura radiated forth, emitting waves of wondrous energy.

Ning Wan's expression grew solemn, and she said in a deep voice:

“This is the 'Conquering Court King of Wei Cloak,' bestowed by the Imperial Family. Its surface is made of Divine Radiance White Silk, a treasure of true qi, woven with crimson gold threads from the Heavenly Separation realm. It is adorned with one thousand eight hundred seventy-two long feathers from the Purple Qi Feathered Beast, the Purple Elk-Oriole, and crafted with immense spiritual resources.

“It is said that Divine Radiance White Silk is renowned for being indestructible even when damaged, and for its light remaining untarnished. This king's cloak is further blessed by various mystical methods. Unless shattered into fragments by a single blow, it can self-repair over time! May it bless the King of Wei to emerge unharmed from a hundred battles and advance further!”

She raised her voice, stating formally:

“It is the most noble among all kings' cloaks, second only to the Emperor's own!”

Regardless of this item's efficacy, the spiritual materials used were probably among the rarest and most valuable. Moreover, this substantial feathered cloak used an entire piece of astonishingly large Divine Radiance White Silk, enough to cut out three or four spiritual artifacts!

“Oh.”

Li Zhouwei's golden eyes flickered, resting on the cloak. The touch was delicate in his hands. He nodded:

“I should present a memorial to express my gratitude.”

As his words fell, the king's cloak spontaneously vibrated. A delicate, feather-like flame of light ascended, as if to rise in response to the blessing. But he pressed it down, rendering it motionless. Ning Wan then said:

“In the path of true qi, tokens and immortal seats are not considered most valuable. The most noble are feathered adornments, and among these, feathered cloaks are the most prized. The Conquering Court King of Wei Cloak serves as the King of Wei's token of authority; when he departs on campaign or returns in procession, and when his presence is honored, his personal name shall not be called out.”

The woman raised her delicate hand and took out a small, palm-sized flag. It had a dark blue and purple base with black and gold patterns, inscribed with "Great Song King of Wei."

Ning Wan said:

“This is the 'Cultivating Martial Tingzhou King of Wei Flag.' When erected in the Grand Void, it can quell calamities of wind and fire, and evil spirits and barbarians in an area. It draws the true qi of heaven and earth, which greatly benefits the disciples' cultivation.”

Li Zhouwei casually picked up the spiritual artifact to examine it. Its mystical properties were far inferior to the Conquering Court King of Wei Cloak. Its main function was to regulate spiritual ley lines, nurture the spiritual vitality of a region, and possess some protective abilities.

“The only thing worth mentioning is that it can be erected in the Grand Void. When armies move in and out, if this item is remotely raised, even if a Zifu cultivator descends or spies, they can be detected.”

This was clearly refined for conquering the north. Li Zhouwei took a sip of tea and quickly understood the Song court's intentions. He casually asked:

“What does the Immortal Ceremonial Bureau oversee, and which families are involved?”

Ning Wan whispered:

“The Song court has three halls and six bureaus. Currently, the six bureaus have been established to manage court affairs, but the three halls have not yet been activated. It is said that the highest is the Purple Gold Hall, where only a few individuals will be appointed, and those who enter will gain great benefits.”

“As for the Immortal Ceremonial Bureau... it doesn't have much to oversee. Its main purpose is to regulate sects. But now, there aren't many sects left in Yue Kingdom to speak of. Mainly Qingchi, Xueji, Wanyu... and various small temples and courtyards.”

“Wanyu?”

Li Zhouwei asked, and Ning Wan said:

“Yang Ruiyi has gone to the Sword Gate. The Sword Gate will oversee its inner disciples and Foundation Establishment cultivators to continue their seclusion in the mountains. The outer disciples will gather at Taijian Du, to preserve the Sword Gate's foundation, and also follow the Immortal Ceremonial Bureau's instructions.”

“Allow me to add something. Taijian Du will certainly have many Cheng family disciples. Quite a few have already gone south, and I believe they have aspirations for official positions.”

Her expression was slightly complex as she replied:

“It's hard to say! The Sword Gate built its reputation on morality, and the Cheng family has always upheld morality, advocating for reclusive cultivation and staying out of Jiangnan's affairs. Now, seeking official posts in the palace and governing a region has become 'moral' for them. It seems... the Cheng family is the one least bound by their own rules.”

Although Ning Wan claimed it was hard to say much, she was now certainly one of the boldest speakers within the Sun Dao lineage. Her expression gradually calmed, and she sighed, saying:

“It's a pity for Senior Ling Mei. The Sword Gate easily relinquished Jingchuan Commandery, which was originally pushed by the Sword Gate elders who, based on ancient moral principles, did not advocate for entering the world to govern. Now that he sees so many Cheng family disciples emerging from the mountains, I wonder what he must be thinking.”

Li Zhouwei had received a favor from Ling Mei, which he had not yet repaid. This matter was not something to discuss much, so he only nodded silently. Ning Wan paused slightly, then immediately changed the topic and said:

“His Majesty greatly values the King, regarding him as his left and right arm. My visit today is twofold: first, to perform the king enfeoffment ceremony; second, to discuss the fiefdom.”

“With the new dynasty established, the Yue region has been divided into six prefectures and thirty-two commanderies: namely, Tingzhou of Wangyue Lake, Xunzhou of Xunlin Plain, Hezhou of Cangwu Helin, Hengzhou of Hengdong Plain, Minzhou of Simin Jianchuan, and Lizhou of Lixia Mountains.”

“The remaining territories formerly belonging to Xueji, Ziyan, Wanyu, and Xiukui have been designated as commanderies but not prefectures. There are twelve such commanderies, most of which retain their old names.”

The woman blinked and replied:

“After all, most of those names were established by the King of Yue back then. Now, adhering to the old system, any changes are reverts to the original names.”

Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow and asked:

“How are the various commanderies being enfeoffed?”

Ning Wan replied without much thought:

“The Great Song has enfeoffed three kings: first, the King of Wei from the Li family; second, the King of Yuyang from the Chen family; third, the King of Nanjia from the Linggu family. Other noble titles are not worth mentioning!”

She hesitated for a moment and said:

“Actually, there's also a protectorate called Jinghai Protectorate. It's the former Shahuang territory, overlooking Shitang, and is guarded by Protector Liu.”

The Protector Liu she mentioned was naturally True Lord Zhusheng. This made Li Zhouwei raise an eyebrow and put down the cup in his hand:

‘It's not surprising; Sui Guan had already cooperated well. After all, this True Lord Zhusheng is also of imperial descent, a descendant of the Chu kingdom. Even the legal lineage of the Xiao-Wu dynasty originated from Chu, so naturally, they wouldn't let him go. Combined with Shitang's crucial location, this protectorate was inevitable.’

‘As for people like Sima Yuanli and Yang Ruiyi, they are truly the Great Song's own people, so naturally, they wouldn't be granted kingships.’

Ning Wan looked at him and continued:

“Among the six prefectures, only Tingzhou has a king, belonging to Wei. Its territory was demarcated by your family's Li Jiangliang. The other kings rule over a single commandery and cannot call it a prefecture.”

“For nobles in Tingzhou, there's not much difference. But the Chen family's fiefdom has been severely reduced, losing well over half, leaving only a single commandery city. The Linggu family fared better, losing only ten to twenty percent.”

“As for the others, most commanderies in Minzhou are state-owned, with a few designated as enfeoffed territories. I looked at the fiefdom map; beyond Quanyaoshan, it's vastly different. Various families stand side by side, with countless minor noble titles everywhere.”

Upon hearing this, Li Zhouwei glanced at the map handed to him and immediately understood:

‘The prefectures are directly administered by the Great Song, comprising the former core territories of Qingchi, Hengzhu, and Changxiao, like the Mount Wangyue Prefecture. The territories beyond that are similar to the Li family's method of governing the wilderness.’

‘The difference is that the Yue Kingdom is quite large. The twelve commandery cities are still controlled by the Great Song, which appoints and dismisses officials. And outside these commandery cities, they can extensively grant fiefs to aristocratic families, sending them to reclaim the wilderness. The numbers are frighteningly high.’

He merely cast a casual glance at the overall situation and immediately shifted his attention to Tingzhou, realizing its area was quite substantial:

‘To the north, it extends all the way to the riverbank; to the south, it's backed by mountains, so there's not much to change. And from east to west, starting from the traditionally recognized east bank, it crosses Xipingshan, which serves as the border between Wu and Yue, and even includes a small portion of the desert.’

At least, compared to the Li family's current territory, the area defined by the Song court as Wangyue Lake was not small, but rather larger. The only drawback was that the wilderness had already been designated as commanderies: Jiangjuan Commandery to the west and Baoshan Commandery to the east.

‘Only the wilderness has been carved out.’

The wilderness was not a good place now. It had been severely scarred by the Great Desire Path. The actual losses were not many; it was just that the foundations of many affiliated families were still in the wilderness, making things difficult to manage.

Li Zhouwei nodded, but his gaze quietly lingered on the very top of the map.

The surging river, outlined by a black curve, connected to Xianhu Lake. Below Xianhu Lake was Shanji Commandery. This commandery city, lost for many years, was specifically marked as belonging to the Great Song.

Seeing Li Zhouwei's gaze fixed, Ning Wan merely followed his gaze and immediately understood:

‘The nail planted by Zhi Xuanxie; the Song Emperor cannot ignore it. In the end, there will be a great war...’