Chapter 161: The Dragon Raises Its Head

The ancient ancestors of the Dongsheng Continent believed that the stars in the sky were all manifestations of the supreme and most powerful Demon Gods from an era so ancient it was beyond knowing.

Later, they observed the celestial phenomena.

They divided the most dazzling stars in the eastern celestial river into twenty-eight constellations, collectively known as the Twenty-Eight Mansions.

The first of these mansions is named the "Azure Dragon."

It contains seven stars: Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei, and Ji.

The Jiao star is the dragon's head;

The Kang star is the neck;

The Di star is the chest;

The Fang star is the dragon's belly;

The Xin star is the dragon's body;

And the Wei and Ji stars together represent the dragon's tail.

Every year on the third day of the third lunar month,

The Jiao star, symbolizing the dragon's head, rotates to the very center of the celestial sphere for a moment; this is known as "The Dragon Raises Its Head."

In ancient times, hunter families among the common people would cut their hair and tattoo scales on this day to resemble the dragon's offspring,

Praying for a greater harvest of game in the coming year.

This custom has been passed down to the present day, evolving into a practice for people of all ages, genders, and statuses.

On the third day of the third month, a close elder

Cuts off a lock of hair, symbolizing the severing of all bad luck from the previous year and the welcoming of good fortune for the new one...

Zhang Gui returned to Zhihai Town and walked straight toward his curtain office.

After sitting down in the main hall, he summoned his Right Chancellor, Ding Chengqi.

He asked whether everything in Zhihai Town had remained as usual during the days he was away.

Upon receiving an affirmative reply, he nodded with satisfaction; feeling that kind words cost nothing, he gave Ding Chengqi a hearty compliment.

Finally, he said:

"The tax revenue earned during the days I was away—exchange it for 1,500 taels in gold notes.

It will be convenient for me to handle matters when I return to Xianrong Island later."

Ding Chengqi, who was as cunning as a clown on a stage, had an exceptionally sharp mind; he knew that to get ahead in the Dongyue Sea Province these days, the most important thing was to curry favor with Prince Zhen.

And Prince Zhen was currently staying on Xianrong Island.

He immediately nodded like a chicken pecking at rice and replied, "Yes.

General, since the New Year, thanks to the prestige of your 'Nine Islands Expedition,'

The number of people coming to buy and sell in our town has increased by more than eighty percent.

The surplus money in the cabinet, when exchanged for gold, totals over three thousand.

If one thousand is not enough, you may certainly withdraw more."

"One must know how to guide circumstances to one's advantage; Right Chancellor Ding, you are indeed skilled at management.

To have collected so much tax."

Zhang Gui was startled and said:

"Don't tell me you've been forcing those who come to do business in town..."

"General, how could you say such a thing?

Our town is called your curtain fiefdom and a military hub,

But in reality, it is a place for opening ports and doing business.

Even if I were a fool, I would never dare to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs!"

Ding Chengqi stomped his feet in grievance upon hearing this.

Zhang Gui hurriedly waved his hand and said:

"Don't be anxious, don't be anxious, I was just speaking casually.

Since you've saved so much money, you haven't been harsh on anyone, have you?"

Ding Chengqi shook his head repeatedly and said, "That would never happen.

Even if I, a bachelor, were willing,

The brothers in town have grown accustomed to a good life since following you, General.

It would be absolutely impossible for them to agree to that."

"That is true. Then get me three thousand taels in gold notes.

One hundred notes of ten taels each, and forty notes of fifty taels each."

"Yes," Ding Chengqi said joyfully, seeing that he had successfully flattered his superior.

No matter how much tax he saved, it was still revenue for Zhang Gui's fiefdom.

Now, using Zhang Gui's money to please Zhang Gui himself—wasn't that wonderful?

Afterward, seeing that Zhang Gui's gaze toward him had become increasingly gentle, Ding Chengqi hesitated for a moment before stammering:

"General, you have been doing great things on Xianrong Island for a long time now.

I wonder, um, after we took the capital region of the Qianji people, do you intend to take all of Xianrong in one go this year?

And help the vassal state of Hanli rebuild its nation?"

"Wait, who said we took the capital region of Xianrong Island?"

Zhang Gui asked in surprise.

Ding Chengqi was stunned and exclaimed in shock:

"Everyone, everyone is saying so.

They say Prince Zhen used a brilliant strategy on New Year's Eve to attack Qianji, breaking through several cities in a single night.

And took the capital, Hancheng Prefecture, in one go—is that not true?"

"Hancheng Prefecture was taken, but that is the old capital of the Hanli people; the capital of the Qianji people is in Pingrang Prefecture.

Moreover, the capital region consists of Haizhou Mu, Yizhou Mu, Hancheng Prefecture... four prefectures in total.

Prince Zhen has only taken Hancheng for now; that does not count as taking the capital region of Xianrong Island.

Let alone taking all of Xianrong."

"It is good enough that Hancheng Prefecture was taken," Ding Chengqi said, feeling relieved.

"In any case, Xianrong Island is a small, insignificant country; the people around me only know of Hancheng Prefecture.

Since they have lost even that place, I imagine the momentum of the Yuanshan protectors has completely collapsed.

They will no longer be able to continue invading our Ming Song Southern Kingdom's provinces; this is all thanks to the wise decision of Prince Zhen!

And the military fortune of the generals in the 'Traveling Court,' including yourself, General, is flourishing."

Zhang Gui opened his mouth, wanting to explain that Prince Zhen's troops on Xianrong Island had lost over seventy percent of their strength in that one New Year's battle.

During these days, he had been digging a 'ten-thousand-man pit' almost every day to bury the dead from both Prince Zhen's new army and the Yuanshan protectors.

But after thinking about it, he ultimately said nothing.

Instead, he smiled and nodded, agreeing with Ding Chengqi a few times before ordering him to withdraw.

Although Zhihai Town was also Zhang Gui's 'Divine Kingdom' on earth,

The people here were actually all part of some illusion he had set up, and their nature was completely different from the people of the True Dragon Kingdom.

And some things simply could not be explained clearly without breaking them down and tearing them apart.

Half-truthful, deceptive words were better left unexplained from the start.

Thus, having simply handled the loose ends of Zhihai Town, Zhang Gui rose, left the town, and plunged into the mountain forest, crossing half of the Xuanzhi Mountain Range as if walking on land.

At noon, he ran back to his home in 'Youyu Ward' of Pingyang Town.

Caiyang Duojie was in the courtyard, combing the hair of two widowed sisters-in-law and several nieces, cutting it to seek good fortune.

Seeing her son rush home for the third day of the third month, she was naturally overjoyed, laughing until tears streamed down her face.

But Zhang Gui knew his mother wasn't just happy; she was worried, so he hurriedly wrapped his arms around her neck to comfort her:

"Amu, although I went to Xianrong Island, I didn't fight a single battle.

I just went around the island picking up benefits.

Really, haven't you noticed I've even grown a bit fatter?

Alright, alright, don't cry; if you keep crying, I'm going to shed tears too.

It's the Dragon Raises Its Head festival; this isn't auspicious.

Why don't you hurry and cut a lock of my hair, burn it, and get rid of the bad luck."

Caiyang Duojie stopped her tears upon hearing this.

She took the scissors, cut a piece of hair from the front of her son's brow, and solemnly prayed:

"Jiao star above, Dragon Head above, true spirits of the universe, listen.

May my son's military fortune flourish in the new year, and may he be safe and sound..."

She muttered for a long while, all for Zhang Gui, and no one else.

Zhang Gui listened with a smile, the fatigue accumulated over dozens of days on Xianrong Island gradually creeping into his heart.

Since transforming from a human into a 'god' on Giant Serpent Head Island the year before last and gaining his own earthly Divine Kingdom,

Zhang Gui had never left his Divine Kingdom for such a long time.

Even when he traveled far to Jinmen for that "fake king-saving, real official-attacking" mission, he stayed at sea for less than twenty days.

But this trip to Xianrong Island had kept him away from his 'earthly' Divine Kingdom for two whole months.

He deeply felt the disappointment of a god losing the corresponding divine authority for a long time and being unable to speak the law into existence.

And a strange terror similar to an amphibian leaving the river and slowly 'drying up.'

But strangely, just now in Zhihai Town, Zhang Gui had clearly returned to his earthly Divine Kingdom, yet his spirit remained tense.

It wasn't until he went to his hometown, Pingyang Town—which was not his earthly Divine Kingdom—and saw Amu that his spirit slowly reacted.

He was so tired he wanted to collapse.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 162 =====