Chapter 144

More than three hundred years ago, after the world-shaking master craftsman Song Tianxing achieved success in his skills, he began to create the marvel 'Heavenly Craft Opens Things.'

In his whole life, he could only proceed step by step, and in the end, he only identified thirty-six of them.

Now that more than a quarter of them have been taken out by the Zhen King, is it a coincidence?

Many people feel that it must be a treasure of the Inner Court.

But Zhang Gui doesn't believe it; otherwise, the other princes who left the capital to inspect would not have been unable to take one out.

So the most likely thing is that it is a treasure privately hidden by that mysterious Mr. Yin in the Zhen King faction.

And now, what is called the so-called 'New Year Appreciation,' but everyone knows it is the 'Heavenly Spirit' that shows the foundation, is what Zhang Gui is determined to get.

The ironwood turtle mechanism ship finally docked at Giant Serpent Head Island.

At this time, countless ships were already docked at the wharf.

Zhang Gui, wearing a mysterious black leather robe, and Lü Zhenduan, in similar attire, led a group of attendants off the ship.

They stood on the crowded wharf for a long time before two attendants, dressed in uniform soap-colored clothes and white trousers with regular features, came over,

"Where are the guests from?"

"This is the current Dragon-Tiger General, Caiyang Shizhong.

I am Zaicheng Lü, a staff member of His Highness the Zhen King's 'Traveling Palace.'

We received His Highness's invitation and are here to attend the 'Traveling Palace's' small court assembly in the first month."

Lü Zhenduan answered loudly with pride.

As a result, he didn't expect that when the two attendants heard this, their eyes were nailed to Zhang Gui,

"It is actually the 'Nine Islands Expedition,' Caiyang Dragon-Tiger.

Disrespect, disrespect.

Please follow us.

This Zaicheng Lü, please, please as well."

Zhang Gui looked at Lü Zhenduan, whose face almost collapsed, with amusement, and followed the two soap-clothed attendants toward the 'Gourd Mouth.'

On the way, he slowed his pace slightly and smiled half-truthfully in Lü Zhenduan's ear:

"Since ancient times, 'Only names and vessels cannot be lent to others.'

In the beginning, for the sake of a good reputation, the Zhen King put me, a Dragon-Tiger General who can 'open the curtain and conquer the barbarians at his own discretion,' in front as a puppet.

He should have thought that after the momentum of the so-called 'Nine Islands, Nine Cities, Nine Military Towns' rose, even if this 'fake' of mine is fake to the core.

Naturally, there will still be real prestige credited to me.

From ancient times to the present, examples of this kind of truth and falsehood being indistinguishable, and even finally passing off the fake as the real, are everywhere."...

Actually, turning an island in the Eastern Inner Sea into Zhang Gui's earthly 'Divine Kingdom' is not something that can be done by just shaking one's butt and saying a few words.

First, this island must be an ownerless land belonging to the sea area of the Eastern Yue Province of the Ming Song Kingdom.

The subsequent steps are not in any particular order.

In short, one must accumulate 'Civilization Imprints' on the island to drive away the wilderness aura in the dark.

And establishing 'Heavenly Craft Opens Things' to start building cities can be said to be a very effective means.

Coupled with the cooperation of immigrants during the city construction period, it quickly allowed the 'Civilization Imprints' in the dark to break through a certain threshold.

At the same time, it is a coincidence that the Zhen King faction, in order to legalize their own behavior.

Delivered a document already stamped with the 'Dragon-Tiger General' seal to their own gate.

Completely speaking for themselves in Zhang Gui's name, requesting to station troops and reclaim land on the ownerless island indefinitely.

Afterward, the Zhen King's Traveling Palace, which has the privilege of 'as if the Emperor were present' in the Eastern Yue Province, agreed to this request.

Only then can it be considered a complete success...

Lü Zhenduan came back to his senses and defended himself somewhat embarrassedly in the face of Zhang Gui's teasing:

"Caiyang Dragon-Tiger, don't be proud.

Even if you pass off the fake as the real, the weight of both sides must be similar.

The attendants welcoming guests at the wharf today are all newcomers just recruited by the 'Traveling Palace,' so they let you borrow the tiger's power..."

But seeing Zhang Gui's half-smiling expression, he couldn't go on.

He sighed and changed the subject:

"After twenty years of hard study, I originally felt confident and satisfied.

Saying things like 'It is better to have no books than to believe everything in books.'

But when I really left the capital and did practical work, I felt that it really is, 'A man wants to fulfill his life's ambition, so he should study the Six Classics diligently before the window.'

The classics of those great philosophers and famous ministers in ancient times were not wrong at all.

You think they were wrong, it's just that you didn't understand them at the time.

I'm afraid even Zhao Pujun didn't expect that using you as a shield would have this drawback.

As things stand, even some servants in the 'Traveling Palace' don't know whose position is ahead of whose between you and me, this staff member."

"These are all lessons.

So that kind of mastermind who is born to predict things like a god and has no flaws will only appear in legendary novels.

By the way, that Zhao Pujun you mentioned is the mastermind of the Zhen King, or at least one of the masterminds..."

The two chatted and walked, and unknowingly arrived at Laojun Terrace.

Zhang Gui swept his eyes over the pitch-black cave entrance, and thinking that the beginning of his rise was in it, he couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion.

At this time, there was the sound of horse hooves behind him, and he hurriedly dodged to the side.

But what passed by was not a real steed, but a team of crimson mechanism treasure horses.

Zhang Gui, who was ignorant and ill-informed, had naturally never seen such a marvel.

But as long as a man born in Ming Song who had a little spare money in his family when he was a child knows the origin of this crimson mechanism horse.

"Hiss, that must be the Red Flame Armored Horse Troop of the 'Fire Splashing Yang Manor.'

The legendary story I loved to listen to most when I was a child was that.

I even stole my Amu's money to listen to 'storytelling,' and I didn't expect to meet my childhood idol here.

It seems that your Zhen King Highness has really gained momentum.

Holding a small court assembly in the Outer Wild Ocean can attract one of the 'Three Martial Houses' of Ming Song to send people to congratulate.

But be careful not to attract wind by being too prominent."

Lü Zhenduan made a gesture of silence with a bitter face upon hearing this,

"Dragon-Tiger, don't joke.

This Fire Splashing Yang Manor has been loyal for generations and has always only listened to the Emperor's orders.

You understand what I mean, so don't talk too much.

Let's just pretend we didn't meet anything."

Only listening to the 'Emperor's' orders means that the face of the Emperor's son will actually not be given.

Zhang Gui understood the meaning and nodded, no longer talking nonsense.

The two silently followed the attendants and continued to move forward.

From time to time, people riding mounts, sitting in beast carriages, or even driving treasures passed by them or over their heads.

It increasingly set off the shabbiness of the Dragon-Tiger Shogunate and the owner of Zhihai Town.

This made Zhang Gui couldn't help but complain,

"Old Lü, I really fell for your trick.

If I had known, I would have used a ship to transport some horses, and we would have ridden them to pay our respects.

Anyway, that large ironwood turtle mechanism ship is an armed merchant ship, and the cabin is large enough to hold hundreds of them."

While speaking, he suddenly felt a nameless divine energy erupting from the depths of the island dozens of miles away.

Zhang Gui stiffened and hurriedly drove the territorial divine authority he mastered, connecting the power of the capital element rules, to locate the place where the energy erupted.

Sensing that this place was covered by dense primeval jungle.

Although the location was far from the ocean, the surface was moist.

A metal cave with an area of more than ten zhang on the ground was slowly completing its final shaping and fixing.

(End of Chapter)