Origin Paradise!

Unlike the present world, humans have existed for countless years and their knowledge is quite comprehensive. In a real world, there are usually one or several extremely powerful ceilings, which are the so-called "world-class BOSSes".

Such life forms are rare and hard to come by. The world usually protects them consciously, making it impossible to use divination or other means to spy on them and thus kill them in advance.

But the inability to get a result from divination also indicates a problem.

At this moment, Prince Yong is clearly the main force in the Crown Prince's camp. The eldest prince has the support of many powerful families, and the third prince is Xiao Qingzhi's nephew. He is protected by the Night Guards and Xuanjin Manor, and is also a Sacred Beast Envoy.

Only the crown prince, unless he is cannon fodder, should have a powerful figure to maintain the balance.

Grand Secretary Pei said softly, "The New Year is just two months away, and Prince Yong will soon be going on an inspection tour. The Crown Prince, mindful of his brotherly affection, wants to present Prince Yong with a generous gift when he returns. However, fine silks and antiques are not considered dignified. I wonder what your opinions are?"

Grand Secretary Pei silently emphasized the words "generous gifts".

"Absolutely not! How can brotherly affection be tainted by the stench of money!" The Imperial Secretary exclaimed in alarm.

The crown prince's face lit up with joy.

Grand Secretary Pei remained expressionless; they'd actually dared to challenge him.

……

Qingzhou, Gaomi City.

The Prince's entourage departed from Dongyang and stopped here.

It was called a caravan, but in reality, it consisted of only one carriage and a hundred skeleton dragon riders as guards.

The regulations for princes leaving their prefectures are strictly prohibited, and there was no need to adhere to such conventions. However, the cabinet had previously issued an order to dismiss Jiang Ada, the commander of Dongyang, and send him to the capital.

However, the next day, the Dongyang uprising occurred, and the cabinet ordered Jiang A, the high-ranking official, to be reinstated and troops were dispatched to suppress it, and the matter was barely resolved.

Jiang He had the silver he had recently plundered handed over to General A'er of Gaomi. In addition to reorganizing and adjusting the Gaomi army, he also sent people to Xuzhou and other places to secretly purchase a batch of grain and military equipment.

"Your Majesty did not expect the Prince to have such a good idea. Since that is the case, it is not necessary to be a bad person. After all, military and national affairs are more important. However, the emperor's word is law, and the Prince must always consider the face of the imperial family."

Outside Gaomi City, the entourage from the capital city approached and joined forces.

A eunuch in a python robe stood bowing outside the carriage and spoke.

Behind the carriage curtain, Jiang He said, "Qingzhou will not be lost, and this governor will not leave empty-handed."

"Your Highness is very magnanimous." The eunuch in the python robe stepped back.

Those who have killed their own kind of terrestrial immortals have the right to remain uninvolved. Moreover, as a member of the imperial clan, the mere existence of Prince Yong is a huge deterrent to rebels. Emperor Wu of Liang tacitly approved of this trickery, but Qingzhou cannot be allowed to have problems, and the governor must find a scapegoat. Face is secondary; if the state monopoly on salt and iron is to be implemented, it must not fail miserably in the early stages. The significance of the result outweighs the achievement.

The Prince's entourage joined the capital's entourage, forming a much larger procession of over a thousand people. This included high-ranking officials dispatched by the Ministry of Revenue, such as the Second-Rank Grand Canal Transport Commissioner and the Fourth-Rank Salt Inspector, as well as their families, relatives, servants, maids, and guards.

The Prince of Yong's chariot was surrounded by a hundred dragon riders.

The only people in the carriage were Jiang He, Wu He, Zhuang Ya, and a three-year-old girl whose name was unknown.

"Boss, Sheng Gui married into the Yu family of Yangzhou, which is how he got the position of commander. When he went to Dongyang to take up his post, the Yu family bought him a concubine from afar. The concubine gave birth to a daughter, but she committed suicide after the war. The Yu family recently sent a letter through someone, asking if we could escort her along the way," Wuhe reported.

When inspecting salt and iron, Yangzhou was inevitably the first stop.

However, recently, bandits have been rampant in the Yangzhou area of ​​Jiangnan, and the evil cult has been rampant, making the region as chaotic as the frontier.

"Sure." Jiang He nodded. "Sheng Gui died defending the city. Compared to the aristocratic families of Qingzhou, at least we had some connections. I'll give him a ride since it's on my way. What's the background of the Yu family?"

“The Yu family is the Xie family’s money bag,” Wuhe replied.

Chapter 569 Alleyway Siege

mid-October.

The autumn wind is biting, and the moonlight is like frost.

On the Grand Canal, giant ships resembling fortified docks drift downstream.

After twenty days, the governor's entourage arrived in the Jiangnan region.

Inside the only hall on the giant ship, Jiang He opened her eyes, ending what could be described as a long period of seclusion.

In the Land of Gluttony, the history of Gluttony has now lasted for 400 years.

The Zhao Kingdom split into two kingdoms, East and West, and fought each other for two hundred years. From hatred to habit, war had become ingrained in their very being and had become part of their cultural imprint.

Within the blessed land, two evil soldiers who served as generals of ten thousand men from both countries returned. Jiang He canceled the "King and Minister Descend" mode of the first emperor. The time flow in the blessed land had no effect on him and his animal companions, but it did work on the evil soldiers.

Through manipulation by Wang Chen, and by secretly instigating a bloody war between the Eastern and Western Zhao Kingdoms, the two evil spirits continuously slaughtered. This was a method he had recently developed to harvest the evil spirits.

"The life level of creatures in blessed lands is not as high as that of those who compete in the world."

"Population size also limited the scale of the war."

"Two hundred years of bloody battles have given birth to a mere wisp of celestial dragon power."

"But it is a great tempering of martial arts."

"Dual Heavenly Dragon Power"

On Jiang He's arms, a lifelike dragon pattern spreads across each arm, significantly enhancing his power. This power, unlike fate, space, and ultimate flame, directly affects his physical body, with golden blood and auspicious clouds swirling around him.

During the two-hundred-year blood war, Jiang He controlled the evil demon soldiers to practice the basic martial arts in the Holy Martial Arts Grand Ceremony one by one. Before this, he had only comprehended them but rarely used them. This practice also greatly improved his theoretical understanding.

With a flick of his finger, three thousand arcs of light shot out, not all of them straight, but flowing and graceful.

"Dragon Spear Technique - Thousand Mountains Snow, Sub-Legendary Level".

Of course, the increased lethality of his spear skills is secondary. The real focus is that, through deliberate refinement and training, including the Overlord's Armor, Jiang He's energy consumption has decreased by 40% compared to the previous year, which is astonishing.

"But he still hasn't reached the level of the King of Gold."

Jiang He pondered to himself that the difference between a king of an era and a hegemon is like that between a hegemon and a great power; he still has something to lack.

"The good news is that I have learned the Divine Transformation described in various top-tier martial arts techniques."

When the "Immortal Transformation: The End of the Divine World" event began, a thick, muddy black liquid enveloped Jiang He, instantly turning her entire body into a shadow, with only her cold, indifferent eyes remaining.

"Like a god moving with the heavens, the extraordinary factors in his body temporarily transformed into the ultimate control over the devouring power."

"However, its greatest advantage lies in defense."

The pitch-black natal sword flew out and pierced Jiang He's own brow, but the damage was absorbed, and in the end, a wisp of sword mark remained in the Gluttony Blessed Land.

"We only need to consider the status of the mythical form, the extent of damage it causes to the blessed land, and the enormous energy consumption."

"This is an alternative way of achieving harmony with the Tao."

Jiang He stood up, the black mud all over her body disappearing.

Sensing the movement, the small white snake in the corner of the bed crawled over and went to sleep at the neck.

Jiang He took out Pei Xuanran and placed her on the table. He held her fair wrists with both hands, as if reining in a horse, and after a few hours, he put her back in.

[Note: The curse of corruption has ended this month.]

[Gold Energy Value: 80300]

……

As dawn broke, the morning light shone on the river.

The giant ship was packed with people. As it approached the shore, the servants of the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner and the Salt Commissioner were busy running around. Both of them were staunch supporters of the imperial power, but because of someone's plundering of Qingzhou, they had not taken the initiative to come closer to him these days in order to avoid danger.

"Kill people!"

Suddenly, a maid screamed in panic, her glass cup falling to the ground and shattering. She pointed tremblingly towards the shore.

A group of servants and guards rushed over and quickly looked in that direction.

On the east bank of the canal, a village was engulfed in flames. A group of ragged young men rushed into the village, wielding knives and guns, and engaged in naked looting.

"They are bandits from Jiangnan."

A middle-aged civil official, dressed in a long robe adorned with pheasant feathers, looked towards the riverbank, his eyes filled with pity. This second-rank Grand Canal Transport Commissioner paced back and forth for a moment, hesitated for a long while, and then waved his hand, saying:

"Quickly, summon Prince Yong! Lives are at stake!"

"My lord, it's too late now."

"Then let's go invite them too!"

A raging fire engulfed the village, and hundreds of bandits looted it clean. Men, children, and the elderly were killed on the spot, and women of marriageable age were carried away. Some people jumped into the river in a panic. The bandits, who had few arrows, immediately picked up stones and threw them at the villagers, splashing water everywhere.

Whoosh!

A powerful arrow shot through the air, striking the riverbank squarely. Like a thunderclap, it blasted a huge crater, and the force of the arrow spread out like a tornado, instantly obliterating the bodies of more than a dozen bandits nearby.

The commotion caused the bandits who were dividing up the spoils in front of the village to flee in haste, quickly disappearing into the mountains and forests.

"Thank you for your mercy, Your Highness."

On the giant ship, the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner paid his respects with deep bows.

Jiang He leaned against the ship's railing and waved his hand. He picked up a jade cup containing a golden, mellow wine. It was a legendary wine called Divine Blood Wine, whose main ingredient was Pei Xuanran's heroic blood, and whose auxiliary ingredients were gold, silver, and bronze, which were symbols of wealth in the mysterious realm and had been circulated and were pure.

From Bronze to Hero, Divine Blood Wine is also known as Ascension Wine.

"Is Jiangnan really in such a chaotic state now?" Jiang He asked casually after taking a sip of her wine.

The Grand Canal Transport Commissioner sighed, “Your Highness may not know this, but in the end, the world is governed by His Majesty, who is above the rank of Emperor, and countless petty officials who are not even ninth-rank officials.”

“And minor officials are the foundation of powerful families’ dominance in local areas.”

"His Majesty's return from the temple this time, his heavy reliance on scholars such as the Imperial Secretary, his restart of the state monopoly on salt and iron, the performance evaluation system and the Single Whip Law, his centralization of financial power, his rectification of officialdom, and his land survey are all well-intentioned, but they are poison that will lead to the downfall of the country."

"Leaving aside the turmoil caused by the Guanshanhai system and the Single Whip system, the performance evaluation of officials alone is quite outdated. Work is implemented at every level, and performance is linked to official rank. Although the efficiency is high, the result is completely wrong. The provincial governor suppresses the prefect, the prefect suppresses the county magistrate, the county magistrate suppresses the yamen runners, and the yamen runners and clerks can only suppress the common people."

The Grand Canal Transport Commissioner sighed repeatedly and said painfully, “The people can’t bear the oppression and can’t even get enough to eat. They flock to the ranks of refugees and become bandits. Because of the performance evaluation, the county magistrate doesn’t report to the prefect, the prefect doesn’t report to the provincial governor, and the provincial governor doesn’t report to the court. And because the target is set, they can only intensify their oppression of other people, and they are sinking deeper and deeper into the mire.”

"To be honest, Your Highness, the six prefectures north of the Yangtze River are still relatively safe, thanks to the elite border troops stationed there. However, the ten prefectures south of the Yangtze River are now teeming with bandits. The powerful families are rebelling against the court and often condone their actions. Furthermore, the Sun Moon Demonic Sect is secretly guiding them. It is said that Jiaozhou has already been occupied by a powerful bandit."

The servants and maids tacitly retreated to a distance, for some things they overheard could cause trouble.

Upon seeing the two talking, the salt inspector ordered the boatmen to dock and sent men to rescue the man struggling in the water.

The Grand Canal Transport Commissioner bowed deeply and pleaded:

"Please, Your Highness, write to His Majesty, begging only for a chance for the people of the world to breathe."

Jiang He remained noncommittal.

A terrestrial immortal, a powerful regional king, and the ruler of Qingzhou—it would be a lie to say he had no influence over the emperor.

Wuhe, perched on his shoulder, whispered, “Boss, according to modern research, any agricultural tax, whether good or bad, right or wrong, whether it increases or decreases, will ultimately lead to a heavier burden. There are no exceptions. This is the famous Huang Zongxi Law in economics.”

"what?"

Zongxi was a great Confucian scholar in ancient times.

"You are the most learned person in our family."

"Quack quack!"

Upon seeing Prince Yong whispering with a sparrow, the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner suppressed his humiliation and bowed again.

"Please, Your Highness, submit a memorial!"

Jiang He calmly said, "Your Majesty is wise and insightful, and surely has a good plan. I'm afraid the governor is overthinking it. I have important salt and iron matters to attend to, so please excuse me."

"Your Highness, the people of the world, Your Highness!"

The Grand Canal Transport Commissioner watched helplessly as Prince Yong turned and walked away.

……

As night fell, the giant ship arrived in Yangzhou.

Unlike the devastation and ruin along the way, as night fell, the extravagant prosperity of Yangzhou was just beginning to awaken.

As the giant ship docked, lanterns on the Zhuque Bridge lit up one after another, their glow reflected in the shimmering waters of the canal. Painted boats crisscrossed the water, and melodious music drifted from the carved beams and painted rafters. The sound of pipa strings mixed with sandalwood incense wafted from the carved windows, attracting tourists to stop and admire the scenery.

Shops line both sides of the long street, wine flags flutter, and golden plaques gleam. The night market is bustling with activity, with stalls of all kinds stretching for miles. Silversmiths hammer away, old men selling lanterns hang lotus lanterns high, and children chase and laugh in groups. Along the Qing Shi River, the moonlight and lanterns reflect each other.

On the giant ship, the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner and the Salt Commissioner disembarked together, followed by their families and servants.

The Yangzhou Provincial Governor, the Yangzhou General, and others stood on the shore to greet him, surrounding a handsome young man like stars around the moon.

The young man, dressed in purple robes and a jade belt, possessed an elegant demeanor. He wore a tall crown and had the Chenjun cinnabar stone, a symbol of the Xie family, hanging from his waist. He was none other than Xie Wendao, the sixth person in the world and the second son of Xie An'nan, the head of the Xie family. His courtesy name was Qiusuo.

A page stepped forward and whispered, "Guild Master, the world-class BOSS should be on the ship. It's said to be a formidable opponent. We're only at our peak; our combat strength isn't enough to withstand it."

Prince Yong is from the Crown Prince's faction, while the Xie family is from the First Prince's faction. If the other side came with the intention of killing, today is like lambs to the slaughter.

Xie Wendao picked up his folding fan and replied in a low voice, "It's not easy to get a high-level status, it's not just for show, what are you timid about? Xie An'nan is ranked above Prince Yong."