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Chapter 407 Imperial Edict and Letter, The Third Sound of Nine Cauldrons (asking for monthly ticket)
Ji Zichang held the list of divine generals and looked through the battle record of the fifth divine general. He flipped through it over and over again, looking extremely happy and amazed. After a long time, he put the scroll aside and said with a smile: "Good, good, good brother, well done!"

"Come on, write a reward letter and give away the gold, silver and weapons in the national treasury."

"If we can't send it to the Western Regions, we can send it to Jiangnan via this water route."

"Just say congratulations to Qin Wu Hou."

Ji Zichang saw clearly that if the gold and silver in the national treasury were left, they would be embezzled by the royal family members. The general trend was like this, with holes everywhere. He alone could not stop it, so he simply used this name to do something.

Rather than letting these things become fine wine in the glasses of the royal family.

It would be better to exchange it for food rations, clothes for the people, and medicine for the soldiers' wounds.

Ji Yanzhong, a kind-hearted elder, used to look after Chixiao Sword. Now that Chixiao Sword had left, he protected Ji Zichang. He entered with many files in his arms, put them down, and said, "Your Majesty, all the officials in the court have submitted petitions, hoping that Your Majesty will confer a higher title on Qin Wuhou."

Ji Zichang raised his eyebrows and asked, "A promotion?"

The emperor, who was over thirty years old, looked at the memorial and couldn't help laughing: "Uncle, you said [promotion], with the thousands of miles of land in Zhongzhou and this little military force, apart from the little reputation left by our ancestors, what are you talking about promoting?"

"This title still has prestige when there is no chaos in the world, but now that Chen and Ying are fighting each other, the Red Emperor's prestige has long been destroyed."

Ji Yanzhong said: "Although this is the case, the prestige of the Red Emperor is still there, and the appeal of the orthodox court is still there."

Ji Zichang was silent for a moment and said:
"Let me take a look at these memorials. What will they be sealed with?"

Ji Zichang flipped through the memorials and saw a series of titles and official positions, which were extremely prominent. He ignored the title of the duke and read the content directly, saying, "Well, this is to let him inherit his father's career and achieve the prestige of the Duke of Taiping."

"Appoint Li Guanyi as the first-rank founding Duke of Taiping."

"This one, it means that his achievements have surpassed his father's."

"Since he rides on a Qilin, he should be called Qilin Gong."

"And this one is even more outrageous."

"They say he will be crowned King Wu of Qin, with the same title and status as King Chen and King Ying. This is really the hope for another storm."

Ji Zichang looked through the memorials, shook his head and said:

"These people really haven't changed at all."

"At a time of great turmoil in the world, they are not seen working hard for the country. Instead, they shrink their necks, close the doors of their own mansions, dream about the spring and autumn, and talk about metaphysics all day long."

"Now that the situation has changed, everyone is spirited again."

Ji Zichang reached out his hand and fiddled with the pile of files and memorials on the table, with a hint of mockery in his eyes: "Uncle, you have always only liked to practice martial arts, just like that mad king Chen Chengbi, you don't think much about these things."

“But I gradually saw it clearly.”

"They clamored to serve the country and the people before because they knew that the world would not be in chaos. They have been at peace in the past two years because Chen and Ying really started fighting."

"If either Chen or Ying rises, they will immediately move there with their roots, relying on the legacy of their ancestors, respecting the victor as the legitimate ruler, and hoping for a long-lasting prosperity."

"Now I feel refreshed."

"It's just that Li Guanyi became very powerful in the Western Regions and his reputation was greatly shaken. The Wolf King also impacted the national destiny of Ying State and put an end to Jiang Wanxiang's ambitions, so the situation became balanced."

"Chen State won a great victory on the border of Ying State, but the Wolf King is dead."

"Ying State was defeated, but they had the strongest foundation before. Although they were seriously injured, they were still on par with Chen State."

"The Tiance Palace is magnificent, the Western Region is flourishing, and it has risen to a position that is not inferior to the Ying State and the Chen State. The situation in all four directions is balanced and restrained. These gentlemen have become energetic again, and they want to play tricks in this balance again."

"Add a seal?!"

"Humph - they just want to drag Qin Wuhou into their rules, and then rely on Qin Wuhou's prestige to show off their power. They talk so nicely, but their stomach is full of petty schemes and despicable things, which makes people sick."

Ji Zichang threw the memorial on the table.

Ji Yanzhong sighed and said:
"Then there is no need to write these sealed memorials?"

Ji Zichang said: "Back then, Qin Wuhou was weak. He had just gained Jiangnan, a land of thousands of miles with a population of millions. It had also experienced such a long period of war and lacked foundation. On both sides were Chen State and Ying State, so he needed to borrow the name of the Red Emperor."

"Now the State of Chen and the State of Ying have both gone to war."

"Li Guanyi has a very deep background and already has the demeanor of a hegemon."

"At this time, his power and reputation are already higher than ours. He has the military power and can mobilize hundreds of thousands of soldiers in armor and sharp weapons. He has many brave generals and counselors under his command, including the top 100 generals in the world at all levels."

"There are also martial arts legends."

"Why do you need my name, the Scarlet Emperor?"

"As for the additional seal, let me think about it again."

Ji Zichang persuaded Ji Yanzhong to leave and sat alone in the hall, reading the battle report, files, and memorials over and over again. Naturally, he felt a lot of joy in his heart, but also a little bitter, envious, and even jealousy that he himself was unwilling to admit.

No one is a saint. No one can be pure and consistent.

He was genuinely happy for Li Guanyi's success, but when he thought of his current situation, he also felt a mixture of powerlessness and pain, which was so bitter that it was hard to describe.

The reason why he said he would not write the imperial edict to confer the title was because he had complicated emotions in his heart.

Ji Zichang sighed:
"I really envy you...brother."

There were footsteps. At this time, there was only one person who could enter here without being notified by the eunuchs. Ji Zichang raised his eyes slightly and saw a woman with a gentle face walking in. She was Concubine Wen, with whom he had a son who died young.

Now that she was pregnant again, her belly was slightly bulging. Ji Zichang stood up to greet her and supported the imperial concubine, with a tolerant look on his face: "Why are you here?"

"But he didn't bring any people with him."

Concubine Wen said, "I am worried that I have disturbed Your Majesty. Wan'er and the others are waiting outside the palace. Your Majesty has not come for a long time. I have heard about the affairs of the officials in the court and am worried that Your Majesty will be too late to read the memorials, so I came to check on him."

Ji Zichang said: "Yes, these nobles have started to think about this again."

He helped Concubine Wen sit down, and quietly covered up the Wen family's memorial. After a while of intimacy, Concubine Wen saw the change in Ji Zichang's expression and said, "Your Majesty, aren't you going to write the imperial edict?"

Ji Zichang sighed. He had just told Ji Yanzhong that he would not write. But now that he had calmed down and suppressed all his emotions, he still picked up the pen and said, "Li Guanyi, you are so brave, give him a higher title..."

He unfolded a blank scroll of imperial decree.

His eyes drooped slightly, and many thoughts flashed through his mind one by one. He just smiled slightly, and suddenly an idea came to him. He picked up the pen, dipped it in ink, and wrote down the imperial edict in one go, which was just a few words.

Concubine Wen took a look and was slightly surprised.

In fact, Ji Zichang had received guidance from many famous masters in calligraphy and painting, and his attainments were not low, and he had his own rules, but the words he wrote at this moment were bold and unrestrained, with a vigorous spirit.

There are eight words on this imperial edict.

[The world is so big, you can take it as you please]!
Then he wrote another imperial edict. This time his strokes were as winding as a dragon or a snake, so smooth and unrestrained. Concubine Wen had already been shocked by the spirit in these eight big characters, but when she read the beginning of the second imperial edict, her heart skipped a beat.

Not sealed.

Not an imperial decree.

It is [Zun].

【Respect】Li Guanyi is——

There is nothing more after that.

Concubine Wen subconsciously asked, "Didn't your majesty say what title and rank you would give him?"

Ji Zichang put his left hand around Concubine Wen's waist, looked at the imperial edict, lowered his eyes, and the words on the memorials, which praised Li Guanyi's achievements and silently added credit to himself for his ability to "know people", flashed before his eyes.

Duke Taiping.

Kirin Man?
King Wu of Qin?
Why should people like you and me be bound by all these rules?
Ji Zichang threw the pen in his hand away, calmly picked up the seal, pressed it on, and said: "No more, whatever title and title he wants, just fill it in himself."

"Only this is a royal decree worthy of his achievements."

"But this should be the last way I can help him."

Even the king trapped in the last cage of the Red Emperor.

And I also have the courage to tear this prison apart.

It was not about adding a title, but going one step further, cutting off Li Guanyi's previous strategy of taking advantage of the situation, and leaving behind a slight follow-up influence at this moment, allowing the Qilin in this troubled time to roam the world more freely.

Ji Zichang said to himself:
"I can't leave now. You go and pursue your world and great cause."

Concubine Wen looked at the calm Ji Zichang quietly, smiling and lowering her eyes.

Ji Zichang looked at the imperial edict for a long time, put it away, and on the next day, he called Ji Yanzhong and secretly entered the palace and handed the imperial edict to Ji Yanzhong.

The last great master of the Chidi lineage was asked to personally deliver this item to the Western Regions.

.....................

The situation in the world began to change slowly. The States of Chen and Ying promulgated new policies to encourage spring plowing and farming, reduce taxes, and guide the circulation of goods in various places. After two years of war, the land gradually recovered.

Li Guanyi was still recuperating. The Nine-Colored Divine Deer helped him regulate his vitality every day. He was very clear about Li Guanyi's current condition and said regretfully: "Replenishing with vitality is only a slight improvement. If you want to recover from an injury like this, the best way is to break through to a higher realm."

"What is a serious injury to the Eighth Heaven may be considered as a minor injury by the Ninth Heaven's Grandmaster, and to a martial arts legend, your injury is nothing at all."

Li Guanyi: "How can cultivation be so fast?"

"I'm only eighteen years old and I've already reached the eighth level. It's because of the great changes in the world, the turbulent times, that I was able to ride the wave and rise."

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer replied gently, "That's not necessary."

Li Guanyi smiled and said, "How is Wen Mian doing recently?"

The Nine-Colored Deer replied, "The child usually looks the same as usual, going out to recover the Wolf King's defeated soldiers in different places, but after coming back, he was very silent and just held the weapon in a daze."

"I've seen this kind of situation before, and I was able to get out of it quickly."

Li Guanyi was curious and asked, "Very soon? How long will it take?"

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer thought for a moment and said:
"Everyone's condition is different. Some may need a longer time, while others may need a shorter time. But on average, it takes about 20 years to let go."

More than twenty years...

Li Guanyi's mouth twitched. Looking at the sincere and serious Meilu in front of him, he suddenly realized that this person in front of him was a beast like the ancient red dragon, whose lifespan was even far beyond the martial arts legend. For them, twenty years might really be a very fast time.

"I hope he can come out of this anyway."

Li Guanyi performed a set of Tiger Roaring Bone Tempering Technique and sweated a little. He felt that his breath and physical strength had recovered a little. He went back to the Anxi Protectorate and handled official business for three hours. After stretching his body, he saw Changsun Wuchou coming back.

Zhangsun Wuchou's fifth-level martial arts skills were gradually becoming less prominent among the Qilin Army's generals. In addition, his command was insufficient. At this moment, he was in charge of the logistics and trade routes of the Anxi Protectorate. He bowed and said, "My lord."

"After Changfeng Tower restored its intelligence system, the trade routes are slowly recovering."

"It's just that Lu Youxian has blocked the passage between the Western Regions and the Central Plains. The Xiyi City on the other side is also quite wary of us at the moment, which has caused our trade routes to recover slowly. It may take some time."

Did the States of Chen and Ying start a commercial war, cutting off trade routes and goods exchanges in the Western Regions?
Li Guanyi realized this.

Chen and Ying reached a certain consensus with each other.

Rest and recuperation is the need to rest and recuperate.

However, the prerequisite for the princes, nobles and emperors of Chen and Ying to sleep peacefully and recuperate well is.

The Western Regions cannot rest and recuperate.

The Qilin Army, despite the current situation and logistics, defeated all the armies and established a firm foothold in the world where the situation was already determined to be clear.

If they wait for a few years to allow the Western Regions and Jiangnan to recuperate and recover their strength, Jiang Wanxiang and Chen Dingye will really not be able to sleep well.

Even Lu Youxian blocked the trade route between the Central Plains and the Western Regions without hesitation.

It is because of how troublesome Li Guanyi, who is recuperating, is.

From the beginning of the 11th year of Tianqi when Qin Wuhou pacified Jiangnan to the summer of the 13th year of Tianqi today, in more than two years, the population of Jiangnan has been in rapid development, the farmers have been active, and the role of the core waterway hub has also led to the rapid prosperity of Jiangnan.

Although two years is not a long time for the education of the common people carried out by the disciples of the academy.

However, it is enough to train a group of young people who know some characters, understand basic numerology, and have flexible and intelligent minds, as well as wise and experienced elders, to replace the basic positions that originally had to be held by students in the academy.

Gradually free up the elite members of the academy so that they will have more time and energy to take on more tasks.

After more than two years of recuperation, Jiangnan's cultural heritage has been greatly enhanced.

As for the aristocratic family.

In the past two years, I haven't heard much from the Jiangnan family.

I think life in the south of the Yangtze River is pretty good.

If it were in the past, when the world was generally at peace, the prosperity of Jiangnan over the past two years would have been nothing.

But everything in the world is afraid of comparison. During the two years of rapid development in the south of the Yangtze River, the states of Chen and Ying were constantly fighting. Other areas in the Central Plains also experienced two years of war and increased taxes.

As a result, even if people all over the world are not boiling with resentment, they are certainly unwilling to accept the situation. In comparison, the gap becomes even more terrifying.

Also because of Qin Wuhou's reputation for benevolence.

He once led the people across long distances and brought them all back to the south of the Yangtze River.

Under this heavy taxation, many people from both countries tried to settle down in the south of the Yangtze River.

Wen Lingjun was in charge of the rear and had settled all the people. Now the population of Jiangnan had grown from the original one million households to more than 200,000 households. The cultivated land area, standing army, city commerce, etc. had all increased, and the granaries were mostly filled.

Jiangnan lacks war horses and iron ore resources.

The Western Regions are vast and sparsely populated, with abundant war horses and minerals, but lack of food.

The two sides are completely complementary. Lu Youxian knew that once the two sides were connected, it would be like adding wings to a tiger and would be unstoppable. So, regardless of the opposition from others, he firmly blocked the throat of the trade route and prolonged the life of the State of Chen.

However, this also affected the interests of officials of all ranks and aristocratic families.

There were many impeachments against General Lu Youxian in the court.

Li Guanyi also knew about this situation. After reading the file records, he said, "It's hard work."

Changsun Wuchou said, "I dare not." He took out a letter from his waist, held it in both hands, and said, "In addition, this is a handwritten letter from the owner of Changfeng Tower, Xue Louzhu. It seems to contain news about the lords of the southwest cities."

Li Guanyi was surprised and took the letter. Changsun Wuchou left.

Li Guanyi was sitting in the Anxi Protectorate when he opened the letter. The writing on it was clear and elegant, and it was exactly the handwriting of the eldest lady Xue Shuangtao.

[Long time no see, how are you doing recently? 】

Then there was a smear of black ink, as if there was a typo or something that was embarrassing to be seen, so after writing it, it was erased again. Xue Shuangtao wrote down his experiences during this period.

It is said that old man Xue Daoyong seems to be feeling annoyed with dealing with those aristocratic families recently. In addition, Li Guanyi has already gained power, so he wanted to resign and go back, but he was restrained. He also thought about the affairs of his grandson Chen Tianyi, so he had to stay in the court.

It is said that Xue Changqing, at the age of fifteen, has already mastered the martial arts of the second level and is quite skilled in boxing and kicking, but he still has some of the stubbornness of a young man.

Finally, she said that she happened to have the opportunity to come to the southwest and met the King of the Southwest. The King of the Southwest and those city lords still cared about their old friendship with the Duke of Taiping. They knew about Li Guanyi and hoped to meet Li Guanyi.

[The letter comes with the seals of the King of Southwest China and the city lords]

【If you have any thoughts, you can write a reply letter】

[There are many rare treasures in the southwest. One day, I went out and walked among the mountains and bamboo forests. I found a bamboo leaf with a very lovely shape. I sent it with this letter for you to enjoy.]

Li Guanyi saw a green bamboo leaf inside the letter.

Very beautiful and even, it must have taken a long time to find.

He looked at the contents of the letter and knew very well that even if the King of Southwest and his men knew of his existence, they would not show goodwill so easily. The King of Southwest represented not only himself, but also millions of people in the southwest.

A powerful leader like this will always consider his own interests when doing anything.

You have to think carefully about every move you make and not make decisions based on your own preferences. Behind this letter from the King of Southwest, I'm afraid Miss Xue Shuangtao has put in a lot of hard work.

"...The young lady is holding on again."

Li Guanyi knew that Xue Shuangtao would often do ten things but only tell him one point of his hard work. As Li Guanyi was thinking about it, something suddenly fell out of the letter. Li Guanyi instinctively reached out and easily picked up the thing in his hand.

But it is a round, golden bean.

Li Guan was stunned, then he laughed subconsciously: "Hahaha, golden beans..." He picked up the golden beans and put them in front of him. These golden beans were a huge sum of money for him when he was young three or four years ago.

When he was locked up in the small dark room, the eldest lady used gold beans to attract his attention. Now he is growing up and becoming a powerful figure. Although he is still short of money, what he lacks is not just one or two gold beans.

But when he saw the golden beans, his expression was still gentle.

It’s like going back to those days.

Li Guan stuffed the golden beans into his arms, picked up the pen and wrote a letter to Xue Shuangtao, recounting the general situation in the Western Regions. His language was calm, but he also omitted his injuries and his current condition.

He paused at the end and wrote deliberately.

Also, if you meet Mr. Xue, please say hello.

After writing it, I read it through several times.

Then he put the letter to the eldest lady aside.

Li Guanyi picked up the letters from the King of Southwest and the city lords that came with the letter. As soon as his palm touched the letter, Li Guanyi felt something was wrong. On such a small piece of letter, there were actually streams of complicated yet extremely huge luck!
Inside Li Guanyi's body, the Jiuzhou Ding seemed to be hit by a gust of air.

Suddenly it whistled.

Li Guanyi was shocked: "Is this, the destiny of humanity?!"

What was flowing into his body at this moment was a stream of humanitarian luck. Li Guanyi realized that the things sent by the eldest lady were definitely not ordinary, so he slowly unfolded the carefully sealed letter and saw a large piece of white paper with simple words written on it.

"Because Master Xue has collected the national treasures of our Southwest Country, the pearls, and sent them back to us to build trade routes, and there is also the alliance between Duke Taiping Li Wanli and Old Wolf Chen Fubi. We hope to meet with Qin Wuhou and talk about the previous agreement."

"I can give you two little iron beasts."

"King of the Southwest... Never mind, what a bullshit King of the Southwest."

"Marquis Qin Wu, I'm your father's nearly sworn brother. I'm the clan leader of the big and small city alliance here, Duan Qingyu. We have a stew ready with good bamboo shoots and pork with skin. We can have a good chat."

"That's about it. If you're willing to come, please reply."

"If you don't want to chat with us rough guys."

"Please reply as well."

Li Guan laughed out loud. He swore that although the eldest lady had confirmed these seals, she must not have paid attention to what the King of Southwest wrote. However, when he stroked the letter with his palm, he suddenly felt refreshed.

One reason was because I received news from Xue Shuangtao.

The second reason is that the most troublesome strategic goal that has been bothering us for a long time - how to quickly gain control of the southwestern region when the troops in the western region are also exhausted - has become possible to be solved.

At this time, the Jiuzhou Ding whistled again.

The first sound seemed to be from the Jiangnan water system, the sound of a tripod was clear, elegant, and continuous.

The second sound seemed to be from the desert of the Western Regions. The sound of the tripod was desolate, magnificent, grand and heroic.

At this moment, on the letter paper, seals lit up one by one. The seals of the kings and princes of the southwest dynasties, and the destiny of humanity of the southwest contained in them, were now stimulated and surged by the Nine Cauldrons.

On the letter, the energy of humanity surged and fell into Li Guanyi's body.

The path that Li Guanyi took was the road to unify the Nine Provinces. At this moment, he took another step forward. Li Guanyi's realm moved with this, and there was a faint momentum of a tiger swallowing and spitting. At this moment, all these changes bombarded the Nine Provinces Ding within Li Guanyi's body.

Above the Jiuzhou Cauldron, a faint light flows.

Like this several times.

Finally at this moment, it lights up completely.

There was a bang.

Desolate and heroic.

The Nine Cauldrons resounded——

The third sound!
(End of this chapter)