Chapter 118: It’s Good to Be Rich

The video transmission cut off.

Xiang Ning was fuming, looking like a cat ready to scratch at any moment. She felt incredibly aggrieved. It was clearly from her master, Qingqiu, that she had heard Fan Li had been assassinated in Chang’an; though he had luckily survived, he was supposedly severely wounded. Xiang Ning, filled with worry, had hurriedly sent him a video call. She never expected him to be recovering so quickly. Not only was he already bouncing around with vitality, he was also boasting about squandering thousands of gold pieces in Chang’an to buy numerous Earth-grade and Heaven-grade treasures and garments.

Six beautiful outfits from the "Cloud Embroidery Workshop"? And there wasn't even one for her?

"Am I, or am I not, the Emperor of Great Chu?"
"Is he, or is he not, a subject of Great Chu?"
"When he was out buying beautiful clothes, couldn't he have spared a thought for me?"

Xiang Ning felt truly wronged. Especially when she considered how much she cared for him, only to have her good intentions essentially fed to the dogs.

"Why are you angry?"

A calm, emotionless voice came through; it was the Holy Master of Qingqiu. She could not hear Xiang Ning’s inner thoughts, nor could she understand why Xiang Ning’s mood shifted so rapidly between anxiety, joy, and depression. How could a person have such rich and complex emotions?

"Master..." Xiang Ning pursed her lips, her eyes still slightly red. "If you had a male acquaintance who usually acted as if he cared about you, but then sent expensive gifts to other women, would you be angry, Master?"

Xiang Ning had originally thought the Holy Master of Qingqiu would be a kindred spirit who would join her in criticizing Fan Li’s "evil deeds." However, that was not the case.

Qingqiu responded with a question: "I wasn't aware that Fan Li cared for you. Don't you call him a treacherous official every chance you get, cursing him hundreds of times a day? Even I have heard you tell many stories of his tyranny and arrogance."

"Master~~~!!" Xiang Ning’s cheeks flushed red. She truly suspected that the reason the Holy Master of Qingqiu was so unpopular in the Pure Land was entirely due to her mouth!

"Furthermore, I have no male acquaintances, so I cannot answer your question," the Holy Master of Qingqiu said solemnly.

"A hypothetical? Can't you just imagine it?" Xiang Ning felt rather depressed. She thought to herself, could Master Qingqiu be a spirit of grass or wood? Otherwise, how could she be so dull and unfeeling? As the saying goes, plants and trees have no heart.

"The Confucian scholars say, 'You are not a fish, so how do you know the joy of fish?' I have no male acquaintances, so how can I construct such a hypothesis?" Qingqiu countered.

Xiang Ning was left speechless. Both Qingqiu and Fan Li gave her a profound sense of powerlessness.

"Master, my cultivation has been going smoothly lately. Is there something you need?" Xiang Ning pouted, looking listless.

Qingqiu had a detached personality. Although she had agreed to take Xiang Ning as her disciple, she rarely sought her out except to provide guidance on cultivation. The only exception had been informing her of Fan Li’s assassination in Chang’an.

"There is nothing of major importance," the Holy Master of Qingqiu said, her tone remaining flat. "The Pure Land has encountered some trouble. We usually procure all kinds of cultivation resources from Great Chu, but the purchasing channels have been severed recently. The disciples in the Pure Land have no raw materials for alchemy or refining qi. Even Holy Master Jinde was forced to abandon her attempt to refine her copy of 'The Virtues of Women' because the materials were exhausted and could not be replenished. The Supreme Holy Master is currently trying to establish trading channels in Great Ming. However, the prices in Great Ming are quite high, and the purchasing costs are estimated to rise by thirty percent. To save expenses, the Supreme Holy Master is considering reducing the resource quotas for disciples of all generations."

Xiang Ning was astonished: "There is such a thing?"

But in her heart, she thought: Great Chu is now under the reign of Xiang Chong, who is close to the Pure Land along with Empress Dowager Li. It is impossible that Xiang Chong would cut off trade channels. It must be Fan Li!

Xiang Ning immediately realized: he’s retaliating right after being assassinated—he acts so quickly!

"Ah!" Xiang Ning remembered something else and said gloomily, "Master, won't my cultivation be delayed too?" She was trapped in the Pure Land and, without her imperial status, could only receive the quotas of an ordinary disciple. If Fan Li was retaliating against the Brahma Sound Pure Land, why was she becoming a victim too?

"It won't delay you," the Holy Master of Qingqiu shook her head, her expression slightly strange. "A secret channel from Chu contacted me yesterday. They claimed to represent the Fan Family Merchant Guild and are willing to provide a long-term, free supply of various cultivation resources." She paused slightly and added, "Exclusively for the two of us."

Xiang Ning was stunned. She could hardly believe her ears! Could... could this be something Fan Li had secretly done for her?

Qingqiu ignored her shock and shoved a gourd into her hands. "This gourd contains fifty Heaven-grade pills and three hundred Earth-grade pills. This is your share for the month."

So many? Xiang Ning held the heavy gourd, gradually falling into a daze. Even when she was the Chu Emperor, the royal family could not afford such an amount of medicinal resources. Just how much wealth did Fan Li control?

At this moment, master and disciple were surprisingly of one mind. Xiang Ning heard the Holy Master of Qingqiu mutter softly: "It’s actually quite nice to be rich."

...

Great Han, Chang’an City.

A divine beast had descended to the world, submitting to the Emperor, and the whole nation was celebrating. The streets were paved with yellow earth and sprinkled with clean water. The Weiyang Palace was decorated with lanterns and festoons, hosting a grand banquet of a thousand tables.

Liu Xie, the twenty-ninth Emperor of Great Han, wore his imperial robes and a nine-inch crown. At this moment, he sat inside the Weiyang Palace, looking out the window at the civil and military officials taking their seats in the square outside.

Liu Xie’s gaze fell upon the head of the officials. That seat was empty, meaning Dong Zhuo had not yet arrived. What an arrogant display. Liu Xie’s gaze was somewhat gloomy; in truth, he should have long been accustomed to Dong Zhuo’s tyranny. Even when the Son of Heaven held a banquet, whether Dong Zhuo came or not depended entirely on his mood. But tonight was slightly different. Liu Xie knew that Dong Zhuo would definitely come!

"The officials, all celebrating for me."
"The people of Han, all rejoicing for me."
"I have been on the throne for decades, and only today do I realize that I am truly the Son of Heaven of this Han dynasty."

Liu Xie seemed to be talking to himself. When he finished speaking, no one answered. At this time, Princess Changle was nowhere to be seen behind him, let alone Cao Cao, Liu Bei, or Sun Quan. On this night of celebration, those following Liu Xie were several Yulin Guard commanders with bright new armor and imposing manners.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, every one of the Yulin warriors is loyal to you! Tonight, we are willing to fight to the death for you!" After speaking, the commanders knelt in unison. Their eyes were filled with fanaticism and loyalty; every word they spoke came from the depths of their hearts!

Liu Xie turned around and personally helped the commanders up. "How fortunate I am to have such loyal subjects?"

The Yulin Guards, created by Emperor Wu of Han, were the personal troops of the Son of Heaven. The Han had three excellencies: the Chancellor, the Grand Marshal, and the Censor-in-Chief. Among them, the Grand Marshal was in charge of military affairs. However, the Yulin Guards obeyed only the imperial decree and were not controlled by the Grand Marshal’s tally. Therefore, the Yulin Guards of all generations were deeply trusted by the Han Emperors. And Liu Xie’s trust in the Yulin Guards was even greater than his trust in Cao Cao, Liu Bei, or Sun Quan.

"Lord Dong has arrived~~~~~~~~~~!"

Suddenly, a voice rang out. In the Weiyang Palace square, Dong Zhuo’s figure was not yet visible, but the civil and military officials fell silent. A moment later, a large contingent of people finally appeared. Banners fluttered, and drums and music led the way. The procession was divided into three parts: the "vanguard" and the "rear guard." In the center was an extremely luxurious carriage with a bright yellow canopy raised high.

Liu Xie watched coldly, squeezing four words through his teeth: "Imperial regalia..."