Chapter 99: Interest Exchange

Three people encountered the same event, seemingly discussing the cause, but in reality, each was saying their own thing.

The scene was truly ridiculous.

However, Dragon Gate Berth was, after all, Wang Shitong's territory.

So although he knew he was being unreasonable and trying his best to wash away his own guilt, Zhang Gui still changed the subject and said, "So there is such an inside story."

This counted as agreement.

But afterward, he closed his mouth and didn't say another word.

Flattering a few words when necessary to gain benefits was a profitable rhetorical skill.

But after all, he was not a petty opportunist who was truly rooted in Ming Song and relied entirely on the appreciation of the Emperor and Inner Court eunuchs to maintain his wealth and status.

He was the sovereign of a nation, a future great power!

Looking down at the hundreds or thousands of casualties at Dragon Gate Berth, it was a tragic sight.

Yet Wang Shitong, as the official manager, didn't care at all about the urgent tasks of saving lives and comforting the public.

He was only concerned with his own petty interests.

Zhang Gui truly looked down on him and was unwilling to continue playing along.

Unexpectedly, Wang Shitong had other plans, turning his head to look at him with a solemn face:

"This time, the change at Dragon Gate Berth, Caiyang Longhu is also one of the eyewitnesses.

It is only right to report to the Emperor, state the facts, and remind His Majesty of the danger of the current situation."

Zhang Gui almost laughed out loud upon hearing this.

Don't look at how he had been tossing and turning everywhere recently; his view on the overall situation for himself was steady and stable—managing the True Dragon Kingdom.

Striving to possess 500,000 citizens within three years and refine 10,000 professional soldiers of Stone Corpse Soldiers.

And then, while opening up a new city, occupy a seaport and formally make a name for himself in the Chaotic Tooth Archipelago.

Where would he have the leisure to take sides in the disputes within the Ming Song court?

"Chief Wang, I am just a newly appointed hereditary local official; how would I have the guts to report directly to the Heavenly Hearing?

It is better to deliberate on this in the long run."

Wang Shitong's small trick of shooting blindly was rejected by Zhang Gui, but he didn't get angry.

Originally, someone who sounded like he had a good background, but was actually just a poor boy selling shrimp paste, could rise to the top in just one year and be titled Dragon Tiger General.

Then, because of timing and fate.

But the courage to rise up and kill, and the brains to snatch chestnuts from the fire, were indispensable.

Wanting to let such a person enter the game and stir things up without paying some real benefits was purely a daydream.

"I was reckless."

Wang Shitong laughed, "Just now, seeing Caiyang Longhu transform into a Vajra body, it should be the power of the bloodline Divine Cluster, right?

I have only two things in my life that I have never let go of.

One is the determination to be loyal and serve the Emperor until death;

The second is the will to cultivate the body and refine the spirit, to strive for self-improvement, even though I am already a broken body.

So I have specifically collected quite a few entry-level cultivation techniques, among which there is an excellent method for tempering Qi-blood named..."

Hearing this name, he felt the temptation was insufficient.

And since this was a transaction and not begging for help, Zhang Gui didn't need to continue being polite.

He directly put forward his own request,

"Chief Wang, I am currently only lacking a top-tier Primordial Spirit cultivation method."

The chips offered by others were excellent Qi-blood techniques, and he was bargaining for a top-tier Primordial Spirit method; this was simply asking for a lion's share.

Yet he didn't expect this stance to suit the eunuch's temperament.

"Good, good, good.

Let's not cover up, saying things that are ambiguous; it's best to be straightforward.

Entry-level cultivation techniques for the Primordial Spirit are far rarer than those for Qi-blood and Gang-Qi.

I only have three of the most superior ones, and I can only give you one, named 【Rainwater】.

It sounds ordinary, but this 'Rainwater' refers to one of the twenty-four solar terms.

You are a Yuehai person, born and raised by the East Inner Sea, having only experienced the power of Crow Wind and Ape Wind, and know little about the 'twenty-four solar terms.'

In fact, the climate changes between years in the inland are all reflected in the 'twenty-four solar terms.'

And 'Rainwater' is the second number in the cycle of the 'twenty-four solar terms' at the beginning of the year, arranged according to the ancient 'Yellow Meridian Degree Method.'

It is only below the Beginning of Spring.

Although it is not as prominent as the 'Four Establishments' of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, it is comparable to Awakening of Insects, Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice..."

"The Chief speaks so enthusiastically, but since this Rainwater is one of the 'twenty-four solar terms.'

There must be a comparison between the solar terms.

There should be twenty-four parts to the technique, right?"

Wang Shitong nodded without any embarrassment,

"That is exactly so.

However, collecting the complete 'twenty-four solar terms' is about the same as the Pingyang Zhang family's.

Even a genius gifted by heaven couldn't possibly finish cultivating them all.

Besides, a former head of the outer court who had spent decades adjusting Yin and Yang for the Son of Heaven only managed to collect the full volume of entry-level classics of this level.

Now you help me submit a memorial, and you can exchange it back for 【Rainwater】.

Is there such a good thing in the world?

Even if I promised it to you, could you believe it, and would you dare to accept it?"

Zhang Gui was a reasonable person, and upon hearing this, he opened his mouth and said:

"It is my greed that is not satisfied; I am thinking nonsense. Chief, do not blame me."

Wang Shitong laughed loudly:

"Young people have fierce temperaments; if you are not greedy at this time, when will you be greedy?

Could it be when you are seventy or eighty?

However, it is right for you to be greedy.

If I give good things, it is only natural to have sufficient returns.

The memorial you submit must be written by me."

Zhang Gui was stunned and glanced at Rong Anchuan beside him.

Helping out is helping out, belonging to factionalism.

Although the Hezheng Emperor was ambitious but lacked talent, he had quite a talent for imperial mind-games.

Even if he learned the inside story in the future, he wouldn't hold a grudge.

But letting others ghostwrite a memorial for the Emperor, whether it was the one submitting it or the one ghostwriting it, was deceiving the monarch.

Once such a matter was poked up by someone, the consequences could be big or small.

Wang Shitong saw the change in Zhang Gui's eyes and instantly understood the meaning of the signal.

He guaranteed decisively: "Longhu, rest assured, Brother Yexiang and I have a deep friendship.

It doesn't matter."

Hearing the change in address, Zhang Gui didn't talk nonsense and nodded.

The transaction was thus completed.

That same evening.

Zhang Gui's memorial was sent to the Siyang Commandery post station, reaching the Heavenly Hearing directly.

The 【Rainwater】 volume was also learned by him.

And at this time, the officials of Siyang Commandery suddenly realized that although Dragon Tiger General was only a barbarian local official, it had nothing to do with their promotion and transfer.

But as a "Fourth Rank," as a quasi-frontier official and high-ranking department official of the Ming Song Dynasty, he was qualified to report to the Heavenly Hearing.

And according to the rules established by the Founding Emperor, Fourth Rank barbarian local officials also had this privilege.

It was just a matter of whether the "Current Emperor" was willing to read the nonsense of these high-ranking local officials, who were becoming fewer and fewer and some of whom couldn't even recognize all the characters.

But at the very least, the Emperor would inevitably read the memorial of the Fourth Rank Dragon Tiger Caiyang Shizhong General, who was in the Emperor's heart.

And for those local officials below the Fifth Rank who were "the sky is high and the emperor is far away, and monkeys call themselves kings," and who were shouting and yelling.

In fact, for those who might not even have a chance to communicate with the "Current Emperor" once in their lifetime, this was already a quite terrifying constraint.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 100 =====