Chapter 22

Three days later, in mid‑spring, the grass grew and the orioles flew.

South of Luoyang City, the ancient road of the long pavilion.

Wang Jin dressed in a light‑blue everyday robe for ease of movement, bade farewell to his wife and family who had come to see him off, and mounted his horse.

Behind him were twenty Imperial Guards in bright armor and a small convoy of five wagons. Besides the daily provisions of the pacification envoy, the wagons carried many blank edicts, official seals, and the emperor‑bestowed Shangfang sword that allowed one to strike first and report later.

This signified that the emperor had granted him great autonomy.

Crown Prince Li Chongjun ultimately could not hold back and personally led people to see him off.

He grabbed Wang Jin's horse's reins, repeatedly urging him to take care, his eye sockets slightly red.

"Master Wang, the road ahead is long; please take care!"

"Your Highness, rest assured; I will return having accomplished my mission." Wang Jin (Wang Xiu) bowed to him, feeling somewhat moved.

Although this crown prince is hot‑tempered, his sincerity toward me is genuine.

"Go!"

At Wang Jin's command, the envoy's convoy slowly set off, heading southward along the endless road.

Wang Xiu sat on the jolting horseback, watching the distant Luoyang city walls recede, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

This was the first time he truly left the "novice village" where he had struggled for nearly an Era Name Deadline.

The road ahead was full of the unknown and danger.

He opened the game interface and glanced at his 【Family Panel】.

【Wang Clan】

【Founding Head of Family: Wang Jin】

【Family Prestige: 55/100 (Renowned in the Divine Capital)】

【Family Influence: 12/100 (Initial Form)】

【Family Assets:】

【Real Estate: Luoyang Yongxing Fang three‑courtyard residence x1, Luoyang southern suburbs Yishui Manor (300 acres) x1, Luoyang Copper Camel Lane shops x3】

【Currency: Gold 50 taels, Silver 200 taels, Copper cash 100 strings】

【Items: Shu brocade x0, Strengthening Health Pill x0, Gold Sore Medicine x1, Soy‑scented beef jerky x4】

【Family Members: 35 people (Wang Jin, wife Lady Li, servants, craftsmen, guards, etc. 33 people)】

Looking at this short Era Name Deadline, from nothing to something, the rapidly growing family assets and member list, Wang Xiu felt a great sense of achievement.

He had already laid a solid, self‑sustaining foundation for the Wang Family.

Even if he encounters an accident on this journey, as long as his wife Lady Li follows his plan and develops steadily, the Wang Family will not collapse.

But the Wang Family has no heirs; if something happens, I don't know whether I will still exist when I return to the modern world.

Of course, he absolutely does not allow himself to meet with an accident.

His gaze fell on the personal items column, where only one 【Strengthening Health Pill (Small)】 and one 【Gold Sore Medicine】 remained.

These are his only life‑saving trump cards at present.

"I hope I won't need to use them," Wang Xiu silently prayed in his heart.

The convoy's speed was not fast. As the leader, Wang Jin needed to occasionally deal with local officials along the way to demonstrate the Court's pacifying intent.

Along the way, he saw some turmoil caused by the coup, and also saw the great Tang Dynasty displaying vigorous vitality in its recovery period.

This made him more firmly believe that everything he was doing was meaningful.

He was not only raising a clan, but also safeguarding a civilization.

That day, the convoy reached the borders of Ruzhou.

On the official road, a splendid carriage had stopped at the roadside due to a broken axle.

Several servant‑looking retainers, sweating profusely in anxiety, stood around the carriage, at a loss.

Beside the carriage stood a middle‑aged man in fine robes, of extraordinary bearing, pacing back and forth with a worried expression.

The captain of Wang Jin's guards stepped forward, intending to drive them away so they would not block the official road.

Wang Jin (Wang Xiu) waved his hand, indicating that it was unnecessary.

He urged his horse forward and courteously clasped his hands toward the middle‑aged man.

"Sir, are you in trouble?"

Seeing that Wang Jin's party, though few in number, had elite guards and bore the Court's banner on their carriage, the middle‑aged man realized they were not ordinary folk, did not dare to slight them, and hastily returned the salute.

"Sir, you are most courteous. I am surnamed Zheng, coming from Xingyang, preparing to return home to honor my ancestors. Unexpectedly, upon reaching this place, the axle suddenly broke; there is no village ahead, no shop behind—I am truly… alas!"

"Surname Zheng? Xingyang?"

Wang Xiu's heart stirred suddenly.

The Tang Dynasty's Five Surnames and Seven Wangs: the Qinghe Cui, the Fanyang Lu, the Zhao Commandery Li, the Longxi Li, the Taiyuan Wang, and the Xingyang Zheng!

Could this middle‑aged man be a scion of the renowned, top‑tier aristocratic clan, the Xingyang Zheng?

Wang Xiu immediately became interested.

He had long wanted an opportunity to contact these true aristocratic families that have endured for centuries, to learn their ways of managing a household; he never expected the opportunity to come knocking so readily.

He dismounted, walked to the damaged carriage, and examined it closely.

The axle had snapped in the middle; to repair it one needed a skilled carpenter and blacksmith, which is indeed hard to find in this wilderness.

Wang Xiu's mind instantly flashed with knowledge of emergency automobile repairs from his former life.

He turned to one of his attendant clerks and said, "Go, fetch a spare flagpole—make it the thickest and sturdiest one. Also bring some strong hemp rope and a few planks."

The clerk, though puzzled, immediately complied.

Soon, the items were fetched.

Wang Xiu directed several Imperial Guards to first lift the carriage with a jack (a simple tool carried on the vehicle), then press the thick flagpole firmly against the underside of the broken axle, pad it with planks, and bind the pole and axle tightly together with hemp rope using a special 'cross‑cross' lashing.

This binding method makes the force more evenly distributed, guaranteeing temporary stability to the greatest extent.

After doing all this, Wang Xiu said to the middle-aged man surnamed Zheng: "Brother Zheng, this is only a makeshift solution. The cart must not go fast at all; at most it can support you walking to the next county seat. Once you reach the county seat, you must immediately find someone to completely replace the axle."

The middle-aged man surnamed Zheng and his several servants stared, dumbfounded.

They had never seen such a clever repair method.

"Great... sir, you... you are truly a god!" the middle-aged man surnamed Zheng exclaimed, his words incoherent with excitement.

He bowed deeply to Wang Jin.

"May I ask your esteemed name, sir? Your kindness today will be etched in my heart; I will surely repay it handsomely!"

Wang Jin (Wang Xiu) smiled slightly and helped him up.

"It's just a small effort, not worth mentioning. I am Wang Jin, carrying out the imperial order to attend to affairs in the southwest."

"Wang Jin?" the Zheng-surnamed middle-aged man stared, then his face showed utter shock: "You... you are the Wang Secretary known as 'Yice Annan'?"

Evidently, Wang Jin's fame had spread beyond Luoyang.

"Not at all, that is me."

After confirming his identity, the Zheng-surnamed middle-aged man's attitude became increasingly respectful and eager.

"So it's the Royal Attendant in person! My apologies for the lack of courtesy. I am Zheng Hao, a junior branch member of the Yingyang Zheng clan. I have long heard of the Royal Attendant's youthful talent, capable of governing the world; today I see it, and indeed the reputation is deserved. Even such artisan skills are mastered to this degree, truly opening my eyes!"

His words came from the heart.

Scholars of this era mostly look down on "frivolous tricks." Someone like Wang Jin, who holds high office yet is willing to roll up his sleeves and solve practical problems, is as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

Wang Jin (Wang Xiu) exchanged a few modest remarks, then began chatting with him.

He deliberately steered the conversation toward clan governance, educating the youth, and similar topics.

Zheng Hao, too, seemed highly skilled in conversation, feeling grateful and admiring toward Wang Jin, and spoke his mind fully.

The two discussed everything from family inheritance and estate management to the youths' imperial examinations and marriage alliances.

After the conversation, Wang Xiu gained enormously.

He realized that the survival wisdom of these top aristocratic families was far deeper than he had imagined.

They never put all their eggs in one basket. Among the clan's descendants, some serve as officials, some specialize in the classics, some manage estates, and even some become monks or Daoist priests, maintaining the family's influence in religious circles as well.

Internally, they have extremely strict evaluation and elimination mechanisms; even direct heirs, if incompetent, cannot hold the family's core authority.

Their intermarriages further formed a vast, invisible network of relations that blankets the empire's upper echelons.

"So this is the true foundation of a thousand-year-old aristocratic clan..."

Wang Xiu felt a myriad of emotions. He knew that the road ahead for his Wang family was still long.

The two talked happily, unaware that night had fallen.

Zheng Hao warmly invited Wang Jin to spend the night at one of the Zheng family's retreats not far ahead.

Wang Jin (Wang Xiu) gladly agreed.

He also wanted to see what the retreats of these top aristocratic families were really like.

Yet none of them noticed.

In the woods not far behind them, several pairs of cold, sinister eyes had been watching them for a long time.

"Boss, the target has mingled with a group of strangers. Should we still make a move?" a black-clad man asked in a low voice.

The leader, a black-clad man with a chilling aura, flashed a hint of cruelty in his eyes.

"Wait."

"Wait until they enter that manor. Tonight we will burn them, along with everyone inside the manor, to ashes!"

"Perfect, we can also frame the Yingyang Zheng clan."

"Two birds with one stone!"