Unsheathed

It seemed like the empress dowager had finally recalled that her son was with her, and she smiled as she introduced, “Young Master Chen, this is my son, Song He. This is your first time meeting each other, and I hope that this will be the first of many correspondences between the two of you.

“You are a prodigy who is endowed with the martial fortune of our Great Li Empire, and martial fortune is the foundation of our Great Li Empire, you will undoubtedly play a significant role in shaping the future of our empire.”

Song He leaned forward slightly with a smile as he greeted, “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Chen.”

Despite his lofty status as emperor, he was carrying himself in a very humble manner.

Song He had a stellar reputation in the officialdom, partially attributable to the role that his mother had played in his upbringing, but in addition to that, he had also done very well for himself.

“I’ll be sure to visit the capital if the opportunity arises in the future,” Chen Ping’an replied with a nod.

The empress dowager smiled as she said, “Right now, the imperial court is considering elevating the Dragon Spring Prefecture into a province. Wu Yuan will become the provincial governor, and as a result, the position of prefectural overseer will become vacant. Is there anyone that you think would be fit for that role?”

Chen Ping’an smiled as he replied, “Is it not simply a matter of picking one between County Magistrate Yuan and Kiln Supervision Official Cao? Both of them have done extremely well in their respective roles, and I’m sure the citizens of the Dragon Spring Prefecture would be happy regardless of which one receives the promotion.”

Song He took a subtle glance at Chen Ping’an.

Is he playing dumb or is he actually dumb?

The Cao and Yuan Clans had been constantly at each other’s throats for generations, both in the officialdom and in the military. Promoting either of the two aforementioned men would be shunning the other. The rank of prefectural overseer wasn’t very significant, but the consequences of offending one of the pillar generals is much more significant.

Even the leaders of the Cao and Yuan Clans didn’t take offense to whatever decision was made, what would their students and descendants think? One side would be triumphant, while the other would be indignant, and that was certainly not an outcome that the imperial court wanted to see.

The empress dowager’s expression remained unchanged as she said, “I understand that you’re a cultivator, and you spend a great deal of your time traveling the world, so you may not be very familiar with the two local officials, thereby making it difficult for you to offer your input on this subject.

“However, there’s one thing that you should definitely have an opinion on, and that’s the appointment of the provincial, prefectural, and county city gods of the future Dragon Spring Province. At the moment, there has been no consensus on who is to be chosen to fill those positions.

“The former kiln supervision official, Song Yuzhang, was chosen to become the Downtrodden Mountain God without consulting you, and even though our imperial court was well within its rights to do this, I still feel like we could’ve handled that situation better. At the very least, we should’ve discussed the matter with you before making the official appointment.

“Hence, please don’t be afraid to speak your mind on this matter, Young Master Chen. My son, I, and the imperial court at large trust your character and expertise, and we would like to trouble you to pick out the three city gods for us.

“Even though you’re embarking on another long journey, the Dragon Spring Prefecture remains your home, so I’m sure you’d feel better with some individuals that you trust looking after your mountains while you’re away.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head as he replied, “I’m afraid I’m not very familiar with all of the mountain and water deities and city gods around the Jewel Small World, or any of the other notable figures in the history of the Great Li Empire who have perished and attained godhood. Otherwise, I really would have to be selfish for once and make a request for who I would like to appoint the city god of the Dragon Spring Prefecture.

“I came from a very humble upbringing, and I haven’t gone to a day of school in my life, nor am I familiar with the rules of the officialdom, However, throughout my travels, I’ve learned that someone directly in charge often plays a more important role than even officials above them on the hierarchy.”

A faint smile appeared on Song He’s face. Chen Ping’an was telling the truth in that he really was unfamiliar with the mountain and water deities around the Jewel Small World. The only one that he was well acquainted with was Wei Bo, the Northern Mountain God, and they were so close with each other that they practically felt like brothers.

A wistful look appeared on the empress dowager’s face as she said, “There’s been much debate in the Ministry of Rites over who should be chosen to fill the positions of the three city gods, and a decision has to be made soon. The Ministry of Works is already discussing site selection for the three city god temples, and it’s quite a pity that you’re missing out on this decision-making process.

“Once the temples are built, they will be interconnected to the local mountain and water fortune, so they can’t be easily moved.”

“I’m honored that the imperial court has so much respect and trust for me. Hopefully, similar opportunities will arise in the future,” Chen Ping’an replied.

With that, the empress dowager rose to her feet in an elegant manner, and just that simple gesture was brimming with seductive allure as she said, “In that case, we won’t trouble you any longer, Young Master Chen. Best of your luck in your journey and your cultivation.”

Chen Ping’an also rose to his feet as he said, “Right now, I’m neither a swordsman, nor a Far Roaming Tier martial artist, so I’m afraid that I won’t be able to escort you very far. I hope you don’t mind.”

The empress dowager nodded reassuringly, then turned to Xu Ruo with a smile as she said, “The ship still hasn’t left the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent yet, so I’m sure my son and I will be able to enjoy a safe and smooth return journey. I know that you are an acquaintance of Young Master Chen’s, so why not stay for a while longer to chat?”

“No need,” Xu Ruo replied with a smile and a shake of his head.

It was an extremely concise response, not even bothering to provide a reason for his refusal.

However, neither the empress dowager nor Song He felt this to be offensive. On the contrary, this was the Xu Ruo that they had grown accustomed to.

In the end, Chen Ping’an escorted the three of them to the railing of the ship, and flying alongside the ship nearby was a massive, six-story vessel. The Skeleton Shoal intercontinental ship was already enormous, yet it was made to appear somewhat slender compared with the gargantuan ship beside it.

Somehow, a covered bridge formed by azure mist had been erected between the ships. The bridge was roughly twenty feet wide, and there were celestial maidens dancing around its pillars, giving it the appearance of a covered walkway from the ancient Heavenly Court.

The three of them were able to walk over the bridge as easily as if they were walking over flat ground, and whenever the soles of their shoes came into contact with the “bluestone path” beneath them, ripples of rainbow light would spread over its surface.

Chen Ping’an stood and watched as the immortal covered bridge was withdrawn by an elderly white-robed cultivator on the other ship. The bridge shrank down until it was only the size of a seal before being slowly tucked into his sleeve, while Song He and his mother disappeared into the ship.

Xu Ruo turned around to face Chen Ping’an, and the latter cupped his fist in a farewell salute, one that was returned by the former with a nod and a smile.

Chen Ping’an returned to his room, and as opposed to continuing his fist technique practice, he closed his eyes and reprised his role of accountant from back on Cyan Gorge Island, silently going through his accounts.

Some things appeared extremely trivial, but they were not so easy to look into as doing so would raise the alarm, thereby giving cause for caution for the other parties involved.

However, Chen Ping’an could easily ask Cui Dongshan about some much more significant matters, even if they concerned the secrets of the Song Clan’s top brass.

However, even after meticulous reflection, he decided that there was nothing for him to do but wait.

With that in mind, he opened his eyes and began drumming his fingers against his Sword Nurturing Gourd in an absentminded manner.

There was really no need for Song He and his mother to have made this trip and taken the initiative to try and appease him.

Perhaps in the empress dowager’s eyes, in the pursuit of the greatest benefits, their past differences were completely trivial given the drastic changes in the state of affairs.

As an example, if it would cost ten taels of silver to kill Chen Ping’an, but winning over Chen Ping’an would result in a profit of five taels of silver, then overall, that was a matter of fifteen taels of silver.

Of course, this could’ve also just been an attempt to pull the wool over Chen Ping’an’s eyes. After all, it was clear that the empress dowager was the kind to go all-out on any enemy, no matter how minor. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have sent so many top-tier assassins after Chen Ping’an back when he was still just a second tier martial artist.

Similarly, she could’ve also been probing Chen Ping’an, trying to see what he was made of and gauge his attitude toward the assassination attempt made against him before making a decision on what to do with him.

Chen Ping’an’s thoughts began to drift, and he thought about many things.

For some reason, he recalled a scene that he had been extremely envious of as a child. He had witnessed a bunch of children his age, role-playing in groups in the immortal tomb. Some were playing cops and robbers, while others were playing couples.

Mostly, it was the boys from the wealthy clans that played the husbands, while the prettiest little girls played their wives, and everyone else played the roles of stewards and servants. It had seemed like a lot of fun.

However, looking back now, such a scene was no longer as wonderful as it had appeared to him back then. It seemed that those children had already learned all of the principles that they were going to be using in their entire lives even back then.

Chen Ping’an removed his Sword Nurturing Gourd from his waist, then sipped on wine as he made his way toward the observation deck.

It was already nighttime, and the intercontinental ship had just flown past the old Northern Mountain of the Great Li Empire. The mountain was extremely steep and perilous, just like the way that the Great Li Empire liked to do things.

A bright moon was hanging high up in the sky, and Chen Ping’an was peering at the mountain and the moon from afar.

With the mountain in closer proximity than the moon, one assumed that the mountain was larger than the moon. However, if one possessed eyes as enormous as the heavens, then they would see that the mountain was dwarfed by the moon.

Inside an opulent room with the most exquisite ground gown from the Colorful Garment Nation draped over the floor, the empress dowager poured herself a cup of tea, then suddenly furrowed her brows slightly. Her chair was a little too tall, causing both of her feet to leave the ground.

Fortunately, adaptability was her greatest skill in life, and she elevated her own heels even further, gently tapping the tips of her feet against the ground gown as she smiled and asked, “What do you think?”

“He seems very stubborn and difficult to get through to,” Song He replied after some contemplation.

The empress dowager took a sip of tea, then savored it for a moment, but it wasn’t as appetizing to her as the spring tea of the Palace of Eternal Spring. Everything was terrible about that place. It was even quieter than a limbo palace, filled with women who didn’t even know how to gossip, and it had been mind-numbingly boring there.

However, the tea was the only bright spot, and her only source of enjoyment over that grueling period of time. She took another sip of tea, then began chewing on a tea leaf. In her eyes, of all of the flavors of the world, only those with bitterness as a base could slowly translate to sweetness from prolonged savoring.

After swallowing the thoroughly chewed tea leaf, she remarked, “How do you think an orphan wretch from Clay Vase Alley managed to survive to this point without some gumption and steel? Right now, he’s only twenty-one years old, yet he’s accumulated an enormous amount of wealth from the humblest of beginnings.”

Song He didn’t actually care much for Chen Ping’an, but his mother had insisted on bringing him along, so he had no choice but to go and see Chen Ping’an on the intercontinental ship.

Ever since he was a child, Song He had been acutely aware of how much fortune one should enjoy and how much troubles one should have to deal with as an emperor. Just this past year since his inauguration alone, he had been forced to endure countless complex rites and ceremonies.

Thankfully, he had displayed such exceptional proficiency in all of this that he didn’t seem like a newly-crowned emperor at all. There were some old geezers in the officialdom who had opposed his succession to the throne, and they had been straining their eyes, trying to pick up any minute faults or slip-ups of his that they could latch onto, but to no avail.

Song He smiled as he said, “If I had been in the same position and granted the same opportunities, I wouldn’t have done much worse than him.”

“Is that really what you think?” the empress dowager asked.

Song He smiled and nodded in response.

The empress dowager’s eyes narrowed slightly as she set down her beautiful teacup and said, “Have a good think before you answer me.”

Song He hurriedly raised his hands in surrender as he grinned and replied, “Please don’t be mad at me, Mother, I only said that out of a place of envy.”

However, the empress dowager didn’t revert back to her usual doting demeanor. Whenever they were alone, she never treated Song He like the emperor, and at this moment, a stern look appeared on her face as she snapped, “Would Qi Jingchun have chosen you?! Would you have been able to endure the same hardships as Chen Ping’an did?!”

“No on both accounts,” Song He replied with a shake of his head.

“If you are inferior to someone in some area, then concede your inferiority. No one is better than everyone else in everything in this world!” the empress dowager continued in a furious manner. “You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, so your job is to think about how best to capitalize on that.

“Countless people in this world are envious of your position, but don’t forget that this has never been an easy role to fill! Don’t you dare allow yourself to get even the slightest bit complacent just because you’re the emperor now! Let me be frank with you here: if you lose the throne out of your own foolishness, and Song Mu takes over as emperor, I will still be the empress dowager, but what do you think you’ll be then?!

“Others may not know the truth, or perhaps they wouldn’t dare to divulge it even if they did, but do you think that your teacher, Cui Chan, and your uncle, Song Changjing, would forget?! If they want to reveal the truth, which of us two do you think will be able to stop them?”

“I’m sorry, Mother. I shouldn’t have allowed myself to become so conceited,” Song He said in an apologetic manner.

In the past, the empress dowager’s demeanor would’ve immediately softened at such an apology, but on this day, the obedience of her son seemed to have only made her more enraged.

She slammed her teacup down onto the table, spilling tea everywhere as she snapped with a cold expression, “How did I educate in the past? Deep within the palace, it’s very difficult to catch any glimpses of the outside world, and that’s why I begged His Majesty to get the imperial preceptor to teach you in person.

“Not only that, but I would sneak you out of the palace to see the capital whenever the opportunity arose, and I did that so you could see how impoverished clans came into prominence, how wealth clans fell from grace, how fools were able to survive, and how the shrewd met their demise!

“Everyone has their own ways of living that have unique advantages and disadvantages, and I was showing you all of that to make you understand the truth and complexity of this world! Do you still remember why I beat you for the first time in your life?

“You overheard an ignorant commoner joking about how the imperial family had to have been carrying poles of gold, and that many large plates of steamed buns had to have been served at each meal. You found that to be very amusing at the time, but was it really funny?!

“The Embroidered Tiger was with us at the time, and your reaction to those joking remarks made you just as much of a joke in his eyes as those commoners were a joke in yours! Will a throne and an imperial robe be enough to feed you? If you completely fall from grace one day, you would eagerly trade them for a few steamed buns to eat!

“What did the imperial preceptor teach you? All those who accomplish feats of significance must possess firm foundations somewhere hidden from the prying eyes of others, and the more this foundation aligns with the common sense of the world, the more resilient it’ll be! Who did the imperial preceptor raise as an example at the time?

“It was the patriarch of the Guan Clan, the old man who always looked as if he could pass out at any moment! In contrast, who did he bring up as a cautionary tale? The ancestors of the Cao and Yuan Clans, who appear to wield immense power and have secured their names in the history books! That was a profound lesson in how bad people can live good lives, yet you dared to not heed it?!”

The empress dowager rose to her feet, and her rage only continued to build as she yelled, “Those wretched books that are closely guarded secrets of all of the emperors under the heavens, those so-called books that teach one how to rule with shrewdness and aplomb. They’re nothing but a pile of horse shit! Is it because the principles within them are wrong?

“No, they are exceptional principles that couldn’t be more correct, but do you know why there are so few emperors left on the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent when there had been too many to count in the past? And how many of those remaining rulers are considered to be wise and capable rulers?

“It’s because none of them possess the vision, the gumption, and the capabilities to make use of the principles in those books! Back when the Embroidered Tiger was imparting his theory of practical ability upon you, all of his principles, no matter how grand and imposing, stemmed from the most minute and seemingly trivial origins!

“Right now, you are comparing yourself with a poor wretch, declaring that you are more capable of enduring hardships than he is. What are you going to do next? Compare yourself to your brother and claim that your merits exceed his? Are you going to compare your own wisdom to that of the imperial preceptor, your martial arts to your uncle?

“Are you going to conclude that you’re not inferior to any of them in those fields? Who gave you the courage to be so arrogant and conceited? I’ve been carefully living with my tail tucked between my legs my entire life, and I certainly didn’t teach you to be such an arrogant fool, so was it the late emperor that taught you this, or perhaps it was the imperial preceptor, who has never truly acknowledged you as a worthy disciple?”

Song He also rose to his feet in silence, and he humbly accepted this scathing criticism, displaying no anger or resentment in the process, even though he was the current emperor of the Great Li Empire.

The empress dowager heaved a forlorn sigh, then sat back down on her chair in a weary manner, while Song He remained standing.

“You must think I’m a huge bother, don’t you, He’er?”

Only then did Song He sit back down as he smiled and replied, “Not at all, Mother. If I weren’t concerned about sparking controversy in the imperial court, I would have you listen in during assemblies to provide your input on matters of political importance. That way, you’ll be able to have more of a presence in the history books.”

“Ridiculous!” the empress dowager scoffed, but she was clearly amused, and with that, the tension between them completely vanished, restoring them to the amicable mother and son duo of old.

The difference between a common household and the imperial clan was like that between heaven and earth, but the principles that applied to both were the same.

However, back then, the empress dowager was forced to make a difficult decision, keeping one of her sons while casting the other away. For the sake of the Song Clan and the empire, she was forced to send Song Mu to the Jewel Small World back when he was still just an infant. Following his “untimely demise,” his name was removed from the genealogical records.

Song Jixin was the eldest son who should’ve taken on the name of Song Mu, but in the wake of his false demise, her youngest son had taken both that name and the status of the eldest son away from him.

That was the origin story of Song Jixin of Clay Vase Alley, and after that, Song Yuzhang left the capital to serve as the kiln supervision official of the small town. Following his stint as kiln supervision official, he returned to the capital to report to the Ministry of Rites, and upon his return to the small town, he was killed by that former general of the Lu Empire at the empress dowager’s behest.