Chapter 216: Appointment, Enhanced Rewards

"Appointed Official Zhuang, the two nations' mutual trade is a major matter; I look forward to your continued support in the future."

Zhuang Renhe gazed at the burly man before him, tower-like in stature, and smiled with his eyes half-closed.

"Official Dao, since this concerns both nations, I shall spare no effort."

In the main hall.

Clear division.

On the right, officials wore colorful robes, elegant and noble; on the left, all wore animal hides, radiating a wild, primitive aura.

Yu State honored the left.

Today was the day the county office received the Wu State delegation.

Since the Mutual Trade Office had not yet been established, he, as County Magistrate of Qinghe, temporarily represented the state in negotiations.

To demonstrate Yu State's status as a land of propriety.

He had deliberately given the left side to Wu State.

But it seemed these southern barbarians had no grasp of such courtesy at all.

Zhuang Renhe felt like speaking to a cow.

The lead Wu tribesman, Dao Mo, bowed with a fist, displaying the bearing of a Yu official, and spoke with firm, resonant voice: "Appointed Official Zhuang, we have been sent by the Great Witch to discuss further details with your Mutual Trade Office; we may need to stay in Qinghe for some time."

Zhuang Renhe's face remained warmly smiling.

But his heart tightened.

Wu State's ruler called himself the Great Witch; Dao Mo's "Great Witch" was equivalent to Yu State's State Preceptor.

His sorcery was unfathomably deep.

It was said this mutual trade initiative was the Great Witch's own design.

He could not afford to offend him!

"Naturally. The county office has several vacant courtyards; if Official Dao does not mind, you may reside within."

He extended a courteous invitation.

Dao Mo shook his head:

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Appointed Official Zhuang, but we shall stay at an inn in the city."

Zhuang Renhe did not press further.

He had merely spoken out of politeness.

Those not of our kind have different hearts.

If these Wu people lived in the county office, it would be like planting spies right beside him.

He would have to assign watchers, and every action would become inconvenient.

He'd be bound hand and foot.

Since these Wu people had voluntarily requested to stay in the city inn, he was more than happy to let them go.

"Very well. I have a good relationship with the shopkeeper of Wanfu Inn; I'll send Ah Hua ahead to make arrangements."

"Thank you, Appointed Official Zhuang."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries,

the delegation meeting was concluded.

In truth, it was merely a formal meeting, with almost nothing of substance discussed.

After all, the primary department responsible for mutual trade was the Mutual Trade Office; Zhuang Renhe was only acting as host, so neither side had much to say.

The Wu State delegation exited the county office.

The young clerk named Ah Hua ran ahead.

The Wu tribal girl Xia Xiaotang muttered softly: "Dao Mo, that Zhuang fellow gives me a bad feeling—he's no good."

Dao Mo looked at Xia Xiaotang and smiled faintly:

"I know."

In fact, almost none of Yu State's officials were decent people.

During his travels in Yu State years ago, he had already learned this well—he saw it as clearly as a mirror.

Xia Xiaotang snorted: "Then why did you waste so many words on him?"

Dao Mo chuckled:

"Xiaotang, in Yu State there's a saying: The King of Hell is easy to avoid, but the petty demons are hard to escape."

"These Yu officials are selfish creatures; they care only for their own interests. If we ignore them and fail to satisfy their vanity, they'll find ways to hinder us later."

"Mutual trade is a crucial reform of the Great Witch—it cannot fail."

First interests, then vanity.

The Wu tribal girl Xia Xiaotang felt a pounding headache.

"The Great Witch was right—Yu people are truly no good!"

She added: "Especially the officials."

Dao Mo smiled and said nothing more.

The delegation members had all been personally selected by the Great Witch.

In truth, the girl Xia Xiaotang was the chief envoy; he was merely the deputy.

The reason outsiders assumed he was the chief envoy was simply because he had lived in Yu State for a long time and understood its ways well.

That was why he was specifically brought onto the delegation.

Dao Mo, thinking of Wu State's current situation, sighed softly.

Though Wu State appeared newly stabilized and moving in a positive direction,

in reality,

the power of several imperial princes still existed, and signs of alliance among them had emerged.

The newly enthroned Wu ruler could be overthrown at any moment.

Previously, Yu's God of War, General Yuan, had forcibly crushed the prince coalition—but it wasn't free. In fact, the price was so high the entire Wu State could not bear it.

So General Yuan returned north to his own country.

Without foreign aid,

the war still had to be fought.

War, at its core, is fought with money.

Wu State was short on funds, which was why the Great Witch had conceived the mutual trade plan.

Seeing Xia Xiaotang looking gloomy, Dao Mo recalled how she had nearly fallen from the fanged black tiger, and asked with concern:

"Xiaotang, are you unwell?"

Xia Xiaotang's mind flashed with the image of that terrifying old man.

"N-no."

Dao Mo sighed gently:

"Don't be overly anxious. The Yu Emperor himself is paying close attention—this should go smoothly."

His words carried three parts concern, seven parts flattery.

Why would a Wu official flatter a girl with no official rank?

Only because the Wu Emperor bore the surname Xia, and so did this girl.

Indeed.

Xia Xiaotang was of the Wu Emperor's bloodline, though her lineage was distant. Only because the new Wu ruler had no one else to rely on had he sent Xia Xiaotang.

This alone revealed:

The Wu ruler's situation—he truly had no one left to trust.

Or perhaps he distrusted outsiders entirely, insisting on placing blood relatives in charge.

In fact, the same applied to the other mutual trade ports: every chief envoy bore the surname Xia. Xia Xiaotang's thoughts had already drifted to that wooden tower.

Dao Mo's words had not entered her ears at all.

In the wooden tower.

"The Wu delegation truly has grandeur—riding demonic beasts, so imposing."

Wei Ming recalled the scene of the Wu delegation entering the city.

Though Yu State had its own masters who tamed demonic beasts, compared to Wu State, they were mere dwarfs beside giants.

Ning Zhongtian also marveled:

"It is said the ancestors of Wu State were the Beast God, naturally attuned to nature; every Wu person excels in beast-taming. Ordinary people can make venomous snakes dance; warriors can command demonic beasts as if they were extensions of their own limbs."

Li Rui listened silently.

He had learned much about this neighboring great state from ancient texts.

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Wu State also cultivates martial arts, but has developed its own unique martial system.

They call it Wu.

The most representative aspect is beast-taming.

It is said the former dynasty's Xuan State's demon-feeding art borrowed from Wu State's beast-taming techniques, though Wu State reveres natural harmony, while Xuan State sought to transform demonic beasts into entirely new beings.

As for the claim that Wu State's ancestors were the Beast God,

that was pure nonsense.

If you put it that way, the Zhu family of Yu State even claims their ancestors were lords of the ancient immortal court.

Since none of it can be verified, might as well boast as loudly as possible.

Ge Hong offered his own opinion: "All eight major sects have arrived. I hear the Weiheshimao Office has received approval from the Ministry of Personnel—the appointee has already been decided and will assume office shortly."

The appointee is the head of the Weiheshimao Office, a proper fifth-rank position.

Thus,

Qinghe will become extremely bustling, its status terrifyingly high.

The city already has three fifth-rank officials, and with the incoming head of the Weiheshimao Office, that's four in total.

More than the fifth-rank officials in neighboring Anning Prefecture.

Only Yunzhou City can surpass Qinghe in status.

Wei Ming grinned: "This is a good thing."

Though Anning Guard's jurisdiction includes more than just Qinghe County, the better the garrison location, the higher their status.

The higher their status, the more resources they can draw from Annan Town.

These Anning Guard officers can grow stronger faster.

It's truly a great thing.

Beyond that, the real highlight is still the representatives of the eight major sects.

The officials sent by the Yu State court are fifth-rank because of bureaucratic rules—unless an exception is made, they cannot exceed that rank.

But sects are different.

Right now, Qinghe City might even harbor fourth-rank Primordial Qi cultivators.

That's truly extraordinary.

Hidden tigers and crouching dragons!

While everyone was discussing the political situation, Tan Hu suddenly blurted out:

"His muscles are huge!"

"."

Ning Zhongtian gave Tan Hu a strange look.

'This kid can't be turned gay, can he?'

There's always been a rumor in the streets.

Only weaklings like women; real men must bed men!

Tan Hu is clearly a real man.

But remembering the recent Wu State envoys, Ning Zhongtian couldn't help adding:

"Yeah, they're huge."

"Cough, cough."

Wei Ming cleared his throat, breaking the strange atmosphere, and asked: "Ning Boss, what realm do you think the Wu State envoy delegation is?"

For martial cultivators, discerning another's realm is extremely difficult.

So people often describe a powerful martial artist by saying they have long, steady breath and agile posture.

In truth, you can't tell anything until they fight.

Unless they've reached the Primordial Qi realm.

Ning Zhongtian stroked his chin:

"Looking at the leader, he's got to be at least fifth-rank, otherwise it'd be too embarrassing."

"Makes sense."

Tan Hu, however, looked eager:

"Ning Boss, Li Boss, why don't we figure out a way to challenge those guys to a fight?"

Oh dear.

Wei Ming sighed, rubbing his forehead.

Hu Zi really wants to bed men.

Three days passed in succession.

The Wu State envoy delegation checked into the city's most expensive inn—and never came out again.

Just as Qinghe began to return to calm,

something minor yet notable happened.

Li Rui's appointment document arrived.

A sixth-rank document was far more modest than a sixth-rank-from document—he was likely the first in Yu State to receive such a thing.

A sixth-rank-from appointment was a genuine imperial edict.

But at sixth-rank, it was merely a thin sheet of paper, plus a jade token as proof of authority.

That's all.

Or rather, this was the proper treatment for a sixth-rank official.

Sixth-rank was a notable figure in Qinghe.

But to the high officials of the imperial court, he was still an insignificant minor official—no one would waste thought on such a small fry.

A big official?

At least fifth-rank.

In the capital, they'd likely raise it to third-rank.

Li Rui stared intently at the document—in truth, he was staring at his panel.

At that moment,

a line of small characters appeared before his eyes.

【Congratulations, Host! You have completed the "Rising from General to Chancellor" Beginner Plot—Promotion.】

"Of course!"

(End of Chapter)