Chapter 811 Thank You

"Seven brats?" Xue San asked, puzzled. "Doesn't Master think that black armor was one of them?"

Zheng Fan nodded and said, "If he's one of them, that's a pleasant surprise. But now, I'm more inclined to think of him as a servant or guard, or perhaps a trigger.

He might be the one who starts things, like a chain reaction, a bit like Gandalf."

"So, Master, what should we do next?" Liang Cheng asked. "Continue searching… for those demon lords who might still be children?"

The blind man smiled and said, "Are you afraid it'll be too boring after we reel in the net early?"

Si Niang said, "If they're all like Tian Tian now, at least for the time being, there's nothing to be afraid of. And it's already been proven that our actions aren't within the scope of the prophecy.

Like this time, we caught the black armor because of the strength of our Marquis's household."

When you have the advantage of a human-wave tactic, there's no need to duel.

The blind man tossed the newly peeled tangerine to Fan Li,

and said:

"Master, my suggestion is that we should look and search, but let everything depend on fate. Finding a few would be a pleasant surprise, but it doesn't matter if we can't find any.

We, who have seized so many advantages, really have nothing to fear; I'm even eager to try.

Our previous worry was that the demon lords in the prophecy would be at their peak upon awakening, which would be too passive for us. It would be like a fishbone stuck in our throat, a knife to our necks.

But now, while we can't say we have everything under control, we're already at the table. We're participants and we've also been given some power to set the rules of the game.

We're in control, so there's no need to panic."

The blind man's words were everyone's consensus.

Life had to go on; those who enjoyed their careers enjoyed their careers, and those who enjoyed life enjoyed their lives. The blind man and the others were a group of ambitious people, and even Zheng Fan, who was usually leisurely, had a rebellious spirit in his bones.

But he didn't have the ideological baggage of being a "founding emperor," nor did he have the sentiment of tirelessly clearing obstacles for future generations.

In short, he didn't care if there was a flood after his death!

A Ming took a sip of wine,

and quipped:

"When dragons soar to the nine heavens, clouds will change, when wind and clouds meet, they swim in shallow waters."

The blind man didn't mind, saying, "Master treats Tian Tian like his own son."

There was no exaggeration in those words.

What kind of person was the Jingnan King? If he didn't value Master's special qualities, he wouldn't have chosen to foster his son there.

This was actually the key to the change in Tian Wujing's attitude. He had previously seen Zheng Fan's "natural disposition" and would occasionally suppress him. But later, and it was quite absurd, Zheng Fan was the only person in the world who was willing to do anything for "natural disposition" without any regard for personal gain.

Zheng Fan clapped his hands,

and said;

"Let's set the tone for this matter first, we'll respond to all changes with constancy. As for the identity of the black armor, Blind Man, you're responsible for following up. I don't believe that such a person wouldn't have a name in the history of the Helian family. Dig up his life story; it'll help us grasp the information in the prophecy more fully."

"Yes, I understand. I'll send someone to Quhe City immediately."

"A Ming."

"At your service."

"Don't keep resting. I'll find you a task to do."

"Please instruct me, Master."

"First go to Yingdu, then to Litian and Quhe. You can even take my personal letter to Yanjing City. The matter of the Three Marquis Alliance needs to be found in the specific records. Although we can roughly guess the general meaning, I want to know the details."

"Yes, Master, I understand. I'll leave tonight."

His departure was actually very simple, he just needed to bring his wine.

Xue San asked, puzzled, "Wouldn't that overlap with the Blind Man's task?"

The blind man said, "Uncultured."

Xue San drooped his eyelids, waiting for an explanation.

The blind man took out another tangerine,

and said:

"Records from eight hundred years ago can't be trusted if they're passed down by word of mouth. You can only rely on ancient books to find them. The three families that divided Jin, the Helian, Wenren, and Situ, are still too young and inexperienced compared to the era of the Three Marquis.

So, whether it's going to Yingdu, Litian, or Quhe, it's just going through the motions.

The original Jin palace has long been abandoned. In the end, if we want to find real clues, we still have to go to Yanjing."

Si Niang said, "The blind man is right. To preserve ancient books, you must have a strong and lasting regime to protect them.

The Jin orthodoxy has long declined, and the Jin palace was looted by us. Back then, we didn't pay attention to things like books and records."

Speaking of this,

the faces of all the demon lords present were a little unnatural, and even Master looked a little embarrassed.

Back then, Zheng Fan was going to be transferred to Shengle City as the city lord and needed to open up a new map. He was short of start-up funds, so he even scraped off the gold statues in the ancestral temple of the Jin palace.

Everything valuable was transported away. Those so-called "cultural treasures," like books and documents, were worthless in the turbulent Jin territory at that time; it was extremely troublesome and cumbersome to carry them. In fact, many were burned during the looting.

So, strictly speaking, later historians could completely criticize their short-sighted brutality and their "destruction" and "damage" to Jin culture.

And the current Pingxi Marquis's household, the current Jindong, while it can be called a small "strong army and sturdy horses," after all, it just single-handedly defeated Chu, and its commerce is also extremely developed, and all industries are visibly prosperous, it is indeed a "cultural desert."

What Zheng Fan said earlier, about sending A Ming to Yingdu and the other three former "capitals" of Jin, was just to try his luck. After the Yan people entered Jin, their actions in the Jin capital palace were no different from those of Zheng Fan and the others. After all, they were all infantrymen under the Black Dragon banner.

It was too idealistic to expect the Yan army to value Jin culture and preserve ancient books; the Yan people, in their bones, were "barbarians," and generally had no "culture."

The only place worth hoping for was Yanjing, because the Yan people, from beginning to end, even when they were fighting most fiercely with the barbarians, had protected their capital from being breached.

"Then why send A Ming? Just write a letter…"

The blind man shook his head and said to Xue San, "It's still more appropriate for A Ming to go. A Ming has been by Master's side for a long time, and the Yan Emperor also knows A Ming. Letting A Ming hold Master's personal letter will make it easier to find similar records in Yanjing City.

In the end, this is about preserving the dignity of the respected."

The Three Marquis Alliance did not betray Great Xia, but Great Xia still perished. Subsequently, Great Yan, Great Jin, and Great Chu were established. Obviously, the ancestors of each family were not acting honorably in this matter.

If an ordinary letter were sent, they might just deal with it casually.

Only by relying on the relationship between Master and the Yan Emperor, and by having Master's trusted confidant, known to the Yan Emperor, personally go, would it be possible to open a "door of convenience."

The blind man continued:

"Master, I also think there's one place we can try."

"Where?"

"Chu."

Liang Cheng said, "Yingdu was burned down."

"Heh."

Zheng Fan couldn't help but laugh. When self-deprecation reached a certain level, he would really laugh out loud.

This showed that the Yan people were truly the destroyers of Xia culture.

The blind man said, "There's a person in Chu who once served as the Jingnan King's teacher and also compiled the history books of the four countries."

Meng Shou.

Zheng Fan was a little surprised and asked, "That old fellow, isn't he dead yet?"

"He shouldn't be dead, since we haven't received any news. So, I suggest that the princess or Qu Peiluo come forward to contact some nobles or acquaintances in Chu who are willing to help with this small favor, and inquire about news from Meng Shou. After all, that person is a living fossil of history himself."

"Okay, you arrange it."

"Yes, I understand."

"Then let's leave it at that. If anyone wants to go down to see the black armor, or do any dissecting research, they have to notify the others in advance. After all, this thing is locked up in our home, and we can't allow any carelessness."

"Yes, I understand."

"I understand."

Zheng Fan got up and left;

Xue San laughed and said, "Wanna bet?"

The blind man scoffed, "No need to bet, Master is going to see the child."

……

"Brother, does it hurt?"

The Crown Prince stood by the bed, looking at Tian Tian lying on his stomach.

"It doesn't hurt."

"Brother is lying, how could it not hurt?"

"Dad hit me, it doesn't hurt."

The Crown Prince shook his head and said, "I don't believe it."

"Have you been hit by your dad?" Tian Tian asked.

"No, it's just… just…"

"Just what?"

"I was drugged by my dad."

"Um…"

"Brother, do you want to eat breakfast? I'll feed you."

"No, thanks."

"Then I'll go eat."

"Go ahead, Little Brother."

The Crown Prince went to eat breakfast, and as he ate, he felt a little happy.

After finishing breakfast and going to the courtyard, he found that Liu Dahu hadn't come today, and the Crown Prince was even happier.

This happiness stemmed from the fact that the person who was originally ranked last in the class had automatically been promoted to first place after everyone ahead of him was absent.

The Crown Prince began to happily run laps alone,

feeling that the air this morning was so fresh.

Zheng Fan came to Tian Tian's room.

In his previous life, he had no children, and in this life, his two biological children were still in their mother's belly.

However, because of the lack of parental love in his previous life, Zheng Fan felt that if he became a father, he would definitely be a good father who would get along with his children and become friends with them.

Now, he realized that he had been thinking too much.

Standing at the door,

he knew that Tian Tian was still lying in bed, but he just couldn't bring himself to step inside and see him. Some words of comfort and closeness were also difficult to say.

In the end,

Zheng Fan could only stand at the door like a very feudal patriarch, sigh, and turn to leave.

……

Chu Territory,

the Chen Residence;

Meng Shou sat in a rocking chair, basking in the sun;

beside him, a young boy was preparing tea.

His face was covered with age spots, and he exuded an aura similar to that of old, slightly decaying books.

He was dying,

he was really dying,

but he was still not dead.

Back then, when the Yan Kingdom was about to launch a full-scale invasion of Chu, he had completed the *History of Yan*, bid farewell to Yanjing, and decided to return to Chu; he wanted to die in his motherland.

Although he didn't hold a specific official position, his nobility was unmatched, even by the grand chancellor. After returning to the country, he was summoned by the regent, and they played chess while overlooking the raging fire engulfing Yingdu to the north.

He was the one who told the regent about the hundred-and-twenty-year cycle of climate change, which the regent used as an opportunity to perform bone scraping for healing.

But now,

the situation

hadn't improved.

The Pingxi Marquis's household stood tall in Jindong, without principles, yet firmly adhering to some kind of principle.

Great Chu wanted to be reborn from the ashes, but was once again beheaded of a pillar of the state by that Pingxi Marquis, and Great Chu lost another great general.

Upon hearing this news,

the age spots on Meng Shou's face became more pronounced overnight.

After writing history for a lifetime, he finally felt, at that moment, as if he were living in a history book himself.

In history books, there were always heroic figures who resisted the tide with their own strength.

Ordinary heroes relied on good winds to gain strength, following the trend;

true heroes stirred up the tide themselves and were able to lead it.

The Pingxi Marquis was that kind of person.

The head of the Chen family, an old man a generation younger than Meng Shou, was waiting outside, not daring to disturb Meng Shou's peace.

Meng Shou's original surname was Chen, he was a member of the Chen family, but because of his origins, he had been stripped of his surname early on.

This was perhaps the worst thing the Chen family had done in a hundred years.

Meng Shou opened his eyes; he had just dozed off again.

Every time he felt sleepy, he would close his eyes peacefully, imagining that the next moment would be his death anniversary;

but he woke up again.

Throughout the ages, how many great figures regretted that the heavens would not grant them more years? Unfortunately, in his case, he wanted to end it but had been unable to wait for heaven's will.

The head of the Chen family saw this and walked in small steps, kneeling down and performing the ceremony of a junior.

"Uncle, His Majesty has returned from the meeting and will pass through Chen Commandery. He will likely come to visit you, Uncle."

Meng Shou opened his eyes and looked at the head of the Chen family.

The head of the Chen family felt as if all his thoughts had been seen through in that one glance.

"Uncle, I plan to welcome His Majesty. Is there anything Uncle can teach me about the ceremony?"

The Chen family was not a great aristocratic family; even at its peak, it was not comparable to the Dugu or Qu families. With the regent's crackdown on the Chu nobles, high-level nobles could rely on "selling themselves" to find new patrons, low-level nobles were somewhat comforted with affectionate words, while mid-level nobles were truly miserable.

The Chen family's days were not good.

Chen Commandery was supposed to be the Chen family's fief, but now, the Chen family only retained its power in the area around the commandery city. The family's private army had long been disbanded, and the glory of the aristocracy was gone.

The more this was the case, the more they needed to proactively seek change and do something. As the head of the family, he couldn't just sit by and watch the family sink step by step.

"Welcome? Ceremony?"

"Yes."

Meng Shou smiled,

and said;

"His Majesty is a proud man."

"This, I know."

"The meeting with Qian was a helpless move. The defeat at Fancheng revealed the emptiness and weakness of our Great Chu to the north. His Majesty was forced to stand with the Qian Kingdom.

Perhaps, in your opinion, the alliance between Qian and Chu, with the Qian people's wealth and grain entering Chu, can relieve Chu's urgent needs and solve Chu's northern troubles.

But back then, when the Yan Kingdom used the strength of Yan and Jin to attack Chu, our Great Chu, though in a weak position, could still barely resist with its own strength. Now, facing a Pingxi Marquis's household, we are so embarrassed.

This meeting is a disgrace to His Majesty.

His Majesty went there with great fanfare to reassure you people;

if you welcome him with great fanfare upon his return, you will only be adding to His Majesty's annoyance.

While this old, dying man still has a breath left, His Majesty will at least take care of the Chen family's reputation. If you think your life is too long, then make the welcome even grander."

"Uncle, has it really come to this?"

"I am not a member of the Chen family."

"Uncle, you are!"

"For the sake of this familial connection, I will give you two sentences. After that, don't come here often. Being disturbed once, and saying a few more words, might make it easier for me to fall asleep and never wake up.

It's better to leave me here to fend for myself; I might be able to last a little longer.

The first sentence: When His Majesty returns from the meeting, the Chen family, from top to bottom, should not make a sound, just pretend that they don't know about it at all.

If His Majesty wants to see me, he will come to see me.

The second sentence: It's a knife whether you stick your neck out or hide it. His Majesty has no way out. The defeat at Fancheng has torn off the last fig leaf of Great Chu. His Majesty will not appease the nobles with affectionate words; he will only make the knife more ruthless.

Since you are going to be cut anyway, proactively offering your head can still leave a bit of goodwill.

His Majesty is vigorously promoting commoners and accepting the Yue people, it's not that His Majesty doesn't want to use aristocratic sons; the people who can really be used are still mostly aristocratic sons.

It's just that some people have too many concerns.

Do you understand?"

"I understand."

"Will you do it?"

"I…"

"Good words are hard to persuade a ghost who deserves to die. Don't you see what time it is? Heh heh."

The Chen family head's face suddenly became extremely ugly.

"Cough cough…"

Meng Shou coughed.

The Chen family head immediately got up to help pat his back.

"Do you know why I came back to live in the Chen family residence?"

"It's because my mother took care of you when you were in need."

"Yes."

Meng Shou took a deep breath and stopped coughing;

"I know now I can't speak for the Emperor, but the times are hard and one has to be strong and not fall apart."

"Now what do you propose the Emperor do, for the whole country and for all that is righteous"

"Hold my Hand For I feel so cold, the sun has burnt so high, what do you think."

Meng Shou raised a finger,

and the Chen family head immediately opened his palms and offered them,

Meng Shou wrote a word in his palm:

Thank You.