Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

As he spoke, he thought to himself that this person's thoughts coincided with his own, and he must be even more far-sighted, having already prepared methods for producing weapons and training soldiers.

It is an indisputable fact that the soldiers of Yue were inferior to those of Wu.

After listening to his subordinates' words, Goujian replied, "That's natural. It's just a pity that the holy monk only asks for my help in building a new temple; he seems to have no other requests."

After saying that, he felt a little regretful, after all, he had solved such a big problem for himself, just for a small matter concerning the temple.

Yes, in the eyes of King Goujian of Yue, building a temple was a trivial matter.

Wen Zhong asked, "Your Majesty, I wonder if the Holy Monk has any special hobbies?"

As he spoke, he raised his head and stared intently at Goujian.

Goujian thought about it carefully after hearing this, and suddenly said, "Hmm, the holy monk is unconventional and does not abstain from meat or vegetables, and he is accompanied by two women. If that can be considered a special hobby, it seems that there is a way to win him over."

After exchanging glances, the three finally came up with a plan. Little did Li Xiuyuan know, the three were plotting their own scheme.

However, Li Xiuyuan wouldn't care about just a few mortals. After all, with his abilities, he could easily predict what would happen with a simple calculation, and mortals couldn't conceal the secrets of heaven.

Chapter 116 The Beauty Xi Shi

Woo!

Li Xiuyuan, sitting in the side room, gazed at the beautiful woman's long, soft hair cascading down like a waterfall, a satisfied expression on his lips.

Nie Xiaoqian said shyly, "Holy Monk, I can't hold on any longer. Please go find that little girl, A Qing!"

After saying that, she continued to lower her head. In this era, it was not uncommon for thirteen or fourteen-year-olds to do inappropriate things.

Even with her Golden Core cultivation, Nie Xiaoqian couldn't withstand Li Xiuyuan's daily summons.

Seeing Xiaoqian, Li Xiuyuan pursed his lips and chuckled, "Alright! This humble monk will let you go today."

After saying that, Nie Xiaoqian let out a long sigh of relief; her lips were a little swollen.

Since the two of them moved into the Yue Prince's Mansion, they had more free time and spent more and more time together.

…………

After finishing his business, Li Xiuyuan had someone prepare bathwater so he could have a proper bath. The bathtub was covered with flower petals.

Li Xiuyuan sat in the bathtub, his perfect figure on full display, when he suddenly heard a soft voice ask, "May I ask if the master is here?"

Suddenly, a melodious, clear voice, as pure as water, was heard.

The voice was so beautiful that it captivated people without them even realizing it.

Li Xiuyuan pondered for a moment and then asked, "Who are you?"

After saying that, he pinched his fingers twice. It has to be said that some of the skills in Jianglong's memories are quite good. He can understand the cause and effect of things big and small just by pinching his fingers.

"I am Xi Shi, and I was sent by the King of Yue to serve the holy monk!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan's lips curled up, and he chuckled, "In that case, please come in!"

After saying that, the door to the room opened, and a slender figure came in with light steps.

"I am Xi Shi, and I greet the Holy Monk!"

She wore a white gauze dress, which was shrouded in mystery, revealing her graceful figure and beautiful face. She bowed gracefully, her posture exquisite.

Li Xiuyuan chuckled lightly, "No need for formalities!"

Having said that, he already understood what Xi Shi meant. This woman, who was considered the most beautiful of the Four Beauties of ancient China, possessed a beauty that was no less than that of Nie Xiaoqian.

Xi Shi, whose given name was Yi Guang, was a woman from the state of Yue during the Spring and Autumn Period. She was born in Zhuji, Zhejiang Province, in the village of Zhuluo Mountain. Xi Shi is one of the Four Beauties of ancient China, also known as Xi Zi, and was naturally beautiful.

At that time, the State of Yue was a vassal state of the State of Wu. King Goujian of Yue endured hardship and humiliation, plotting to restore his kingdom.

When the country was in peril, Xi Shi endured humiliation and sacrificed herself to save the country. She and Zheng Dan were presented to King Fuchai of Wu by King Goujian of Yue and became the most favored concubines of King Fuchai of Wu. They caused chaos in the Wu palace and helped Yue to dominate.

There is also a classic story about Xi Shi that describes her beauty.

Whenever Xi Shi stands by the water, her reflection shimmers in the clear Xiang River, the flowers along the riverbank wither in shame, and the fish dare not swim in the river, for fear of disturbing her beautiful reflection.

Her snow-white hands reached into the Xiang River, so gentle they seemed to melt into the water…

From then on, the nickname "Sinking Fish" for Xi Shi spread throughout the area.

How could Li Xiuyuan not be moved by such a beautiful woman!

Moreover, the divination shows that Xi Shi was originally a scheme proposed by Li Xiuyuan to select beautiful women and present them to the King of Wu, causing him to become infatuated with beauty and neglect state affairs.

As for why he returned here, it was because King Goujian of Yue wanted to win over Li Xiuyuan. As for beauties, there were plenty in the Yue Kingdom. Although they could not compare to Xi Shi, they were by no means much worse. After all, he controlled the power of the country. If he wanted women, wouldn't he have them?

This was also what the King of Yue wanted to please him. First of all, Li Xiuyuan's request was simply to build a new Buddhist temple.

But Goujian thought it was too lenient, and seeing that the other party was accompanied by two beautiful women, he came to a conclusion.

Li Xiuyuan likes beautiful women, so let's start from that point.

Although Li Xiuyuan had made sure to silence the noise in the room while she was doing it, no one would believe that nothing had happened between a man and a woman alone together.

As for the saying that monks should not be close to women, that's pure nonsense. Don't you see that Li Xiuyuan still breaks the precepts when he drinks and eats meat, but he doesn't care at all?

After King Yue had just selected a girl from the common people, he gave Xi Shi to Li Xiuyuan. Because the time for giving the girl away was short, Fan Li would not have developed feelings for Xi Shi.

On important matters, Xi Shi was willing to sacrifice herself to meet the King of Yue's demands, and most importantly, she was able to win over Li Xiuyuan.

Politicians are ruthless. If sacrificing Xi Shi can prevent Li Xiuyuan from siding with other countries, then what does it matter?

Xi Shi said softly, "Holy Monk, let me serve you!"

After saying that, she stepped forward and saw that the person behind the scenes was blushing and looked extremely cute!

Xi Shi did not back down. She stretched out her fair and jade-like hand, picked up a towel, and wiped Li Xiuyuan's back.

Li Xiuyuan already knew the whole story, so he didn't refuse. Besides, if he didn't accept this woman, the King of Yue probably wouldn't be at ease!

Li Xiuyuan said calmly, "Yiguang, help me wipe off my front body."

As he spoke, a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes, wondering what Xi Shi would choose.

Yiguang was Xi Shi's nickname. She didn't understand how the other person knew it, but as long as she knew they were calling her, that was enough.

"Yes!"

Xi Shi walked over, and the two faced each other.

Upon seeing this handsome face, a blush involuntarily rose to her cheeks. After all, she was an unmarried young woman, and even though she was acting on the orders of the King of Yue, she was still quite shy.

However, Xi Shi did as she was told. Upon seeing this, Li Xiuyuan's lips curled up. He reached out and stroked her long, glossy black hair that cascaded down like a waterfall, and chuckled, "Come with this humble monk!"

After saying that, Li Xiuyuan exerted more force, stood up, and hugged her tightly.

Xi Shi struggled for a moment, but when she realized she couldn't escape his large hand, she stopped moving and buried her head deep beside Li Xiuyuan.

Woohoo!

Chapter 117 The Emperor's Dream of Immortality

Li Xiuyuan raised the wine cup, drank it all in one gulp, smiled slightly, put the cup down, and without needing to give any instructions, a beautiful maid immediately refilled the cup.

He sat below the King of Yue, and Fan Li and Wen Zhong were also present.

Half a month has passed since the King of Yue presented Xi Shi to Li Xiuyuan, and during this time, he has become quite accustomed to her.

After all, she was the most beautiful of the Four Beauties, so her appearance was undeniable and no less stunning than Xiaoqian's. The two seemed to be vying for the emperor's favor, but Li Xiuyuan always managed to defeat her, as his fighting prowess was simply too formidable.

Although Li Xiuyuan knew in his heart that Xi Shi was merely a pawn planted by King Goujian of Yue, he didn't mind, as long as she was his woman.

Furthermore, Li Xiuyuan also taught Xi Shi cultivation, so even if he left in the future, they would eventually meet again.

King Goujian of Yue laughed loudly, “Come, let me offer a toast to the holy monk. Thanks to your methods, the weapons and armor of my Yue Kingdom have been able to surpass those of the Wu Kingdom.”

Over the past two weeks, following the methods provided by Li Xiuyuan, the Yue Kingdom has made significant breakthroughs in the forging of weapons and armor. Moreover, since learning the martial arts he taught them, the soldiers' morale and spirit have been greatly enhanced.

Li Xiuyuan smiled and said, "These are all things this humble monk should do."

He thought that in the past two weeks, he had not only gained a beautiful woman, but the construction of Lanruo Temple had already begun. He figured that in just three months, he could leave with his merits fulfilled.

Upon hearing this, the King of Yue smiled slightly and said, "Come, holy monk, drink and eat to your heart's content."

After saying that, he gave Fan Li a look.

Fan Li asked, "I wonder if the Holy Monk is doing well these days?"

Li Xiuyuan replied calmly, "Very well, this humble monk is so content in Yue that I almost don't want to leave!"

How could he not be happy? With beautiful women by his side every day, he must be very comfortable.

Wen Zhong asked, "Holy Monk, is there a method of cultivation that can prolong life?"

As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on Li Xiuyuan, trying to get information from him.

Indeed, the desire for immortality is almost every emperor's dream, even Goujian. But it's not convenient to ask him directly, so he had his subordinates tell him.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan's lips curled up, and he chuckled, "May I ask, Your Majesty, which kind of longevity do you desire? Immortality, or a lifespan of a hundred years?"

As he spoke, he felt utterly contemptuous. It was incredibly difficult for mortals to achieve immortality, let alone emperors.

If emperors could live forever, things would really be chaotic. Neither Ji Fa during the Investiture of the Gods period nor Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of all time, could possibly achieve immortality.

If they wanted to achieve immortality, they had to give up their thrones; even the ancient emperors had to do so.

Goujian replied, "Of course, it's immortality!"

Li Xiuyuan shook his head after hearing this and said, "If the King of Yue wants to live forever, he must abdicate the throne. Otherwise, I'm afraid I can't help you!"