Chapter 435: Trivial Matters

In the sixth year of Peace.

Within the Wu family’s fortified manor, in Yunping County, Chufeng Prefecture, Dingzhou, of the Great Zhou World.

It was early summer, the weather slightly warm. Wu Ming got up from his bamboo bed, stretched lazily, and walked out of his quarters.

“Has the young master woken up?”

The waiting maids saw a young man in his twenties step out leisurely, wearing a thin gauze robe. His face was as smooth as jade, his eyes gentle, a slight smile on his lips, exuding an approachable charm that naturally inspired affection upon first sight.

“Hmm…”

Wu Ming lazily took a towel and wiped his face: “Is there anything happening today?”

“There is! The ‘Golden Yu Fragrant Kouch’ you planted recently has already sprouted three buds…”

“The lady has also sent over some delicacies and antiques, and the thirty pieces of fine jade you requested earlier have been found. It is said to be top quality from Fengxue Mountain, worth a fortune…”

The two maids smiled sweetly, their presence delightful. They were handpicked and trained from childhood by the Wu family. Not only were they beautiful and graceful, but they also possessed a set of refined skills in attending to their master. Additionally, each had some cultivation ability—one practiced martial arts, the other cultivated Daoism—making them capable of protecting their master when necessary, a rarity indeed, worth a fortune to acquire externally.

However, Wu Ming naturally used them without hesitation and even named them Shiqin and Shihua, promoting them to be his personal attendants, which made the other maids envious for quite some time.

“Also, the steward Wu previously came to request an audience, as did General Wu, but you were in retreat, so we sisters didn’t dare disturb you…”

Shihua handed Wu Ming a folding fan and a sachet, while Shiqin tidied his hair beside him, her breath sweet as she spoke.

“Oh? Do you know what it was about?”

The so-called retreat was actually when he went to deal with the Phantom Spirit World.

Back then, Wu Ming had set up a magical barrier within his quarters. Not only did the two maids dare not disturb him, even if they tried to force their way in, they would be powerless to do so.

“Perhaps it was about the lady’s great victory?”

Shihua said, her smile growing even brighter, clearly happy for Wu Zhi.

After all, if Wu Zhi could unify Dingzhou, their status as maids would surely rise accordingly.

“I also heard that due to the lady’s great victory, many noble families in Dingzhou have secretly sent envoys to pledge allegiance. The mansion of the regional governor has been flooded with visitors, so crowded that it’s impossible to pass through. Some families might also want to seek an audience with the young master!”

Shiqin smiled coyly: “After all, the lady still takes the young master’s word!”

“You little trickster, already flattering the new master and forgetting the old one?”

Wu Ming laughed heartily, gently tapping Shiqin’s small nose.

“Master… We two are born to serve you and the lady, and in death, we shall still belong to you both. We have no relation to anyone else anymore!”

As maids trained from childhood within the grand estate, they were especially sensitive to such matters and immediately professed their loyalty.

“Alright… I’ll go to the garden, and have the steward come too!”

Wu Ming put on his outer robe and walked to the garden with his hands behind his back.

“The situation in Dingzhou, without external interference, is no longer a concern. Along with the entire regional governor’s mansion and my own fortune, it has all greatly increased…”

His eyes gleamed with sharpness, especially when he noticed that even his own aura had gained a strong golden-green tinge, making him feel somewhat speechless.

Dingzhou was one of the nineteen prefectures of the Great Zhou. With chaos erupting in various prefectures and the imperial court powerless, there was indeed nothing left to stop Wu Zhi’s unification efforts.

“Dingzhou has seven prefectures. Chufeng and Nanfeng are Ezhi’s strongholds. Qilin from Pingshan Prefecture has already surrendered, and Dingyuan Prefecture has been captured. Thus, four out of seven have already been secured. Although the governor still holds Rinan, Zhuwu, and Jiude Prefectures, his power has waned. Previously, General Zhang Wenzhen led 30,000 provincial troops but was still forced to retreat by Ezhi, making any further offensive impossible…”

“Therefore, Governor Xu Chun seems to have recognized the situation and has submitted a memorial to Ezhi requesting formal investiture. However, times have changed, and Ezhi likely no longer needs this veneer of legitimacy…”

Wu Ming mused silently, stopping in front of a flowerbed.

In the lush green center, a Golden Yu Fragrant Kouch swayed gracefully, emitting a fragrant aroma.

“Truly a rare spiritual seed, but unfortunately, despite extensive collection efforts, even a secular force like Ezhi still lags behind the true ancient noble families, millennia-old sects, and blessed lands in terms of resources…”

He stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Wu Ming’s Yellow Court Blessed Land, naturally a paradise for immortals, was not only a sanctuary for avoiding calamities but also the most potent of all blessed lands due to its absorption of the power of the main deity’s space. It would be a shame not to cultivate spiritual flowers and herbs, or even immortal birds and rare beasts, within it.

“However, acquiring these spiritual seeds must be done gradually… To achieve it all at once would require directly raiding the treasure vaults of these blessed lands…”

As he was thinking, a plump steward had already entered and knelt down with a thud: “This old servant greets the young master!”

“Stand up!”

Wu Ming looked at his loyal steward.

To be honest, the steward had indeed done many wrongdoings for the previous wastrel heir, but his one redeeming quality was his loyalty, which made up for everything.

Now that Wu Ming was not much involved in daily affairs, the steward’s status and power naturally rose accordingly. As his social circle expanded and improved, he had even developed a touch of noble grace.

Of course, in front of Wu Ming, he still maintained the demeanor of a loyal servant.

“Hmm… So from being a mere steward of a rural noble family to becoming a seasoned butler serving high-ranking officials, is that the transition?”

Wu Ming casually asked, “Are there many noble families coming to Yunping County?”

“Countless…”

The steward had clearly gained experience: “This old servant has dismissed them one by one. Fortunately, under the young master’s mighty reputation, they dared not cause trouble. The visiting cards left have already been sorted, and most are not important figures. Only two families require attention: one is the Xie family of Luoshui, who also came to celebrate the young master’s wedding last time, and the other is the Lin family, a scholarly household whose prestige in the literary circles of Dingzhou even surpasses that of the Xie family…”

“The Xie family?”

Wu Ming’s expression was somewhat peculiar: “Who is their envoy?”

“Xie Yi, the chief steward of the Xie family, and the young lady Xie Ling’er from last time is also among them…”

The steward kept his gaze lowered, appearing oblivious as he answered, while inwardly thinking, “This Xie family is indeed considerate, sending a lamb into the tiger’s den…”

“Then make time to meet with the Xie and Lin families.”

To Wu Ming, this was a rather indifferent matter, but it could serve as a bit of leisurely diversion, which was quite good.

However, suddenly, a vague premonition arose: “Hmm? What audacity, someone is scheming against me? Heh heh…”

…

At the same time, within the Li family’s grand mansion in Yunping County.

The Li family was also a prominent household in the county, with connections throughout the prefecture, enjoying quite a reputation.

Of course, compared to the colossal families like the Xie and Lin families at the state level, they were practically insignificant.

With these two families visiting, naturally, they wouldn’t stay at an inn. As the local power brokers, the Li family had to offer most of their mansion for accommodation and attend to their every need, fearing any oversight in hospitality.

In the rear quarters of the Li family’s estate, there was a garden with a small pavilion built over a pond. The water shimmered like jade, with golden koi swimming about, making it an excellent place to escape the summer heat.

At this moment, within the pavilion, two people sat facing each other. Before them was an incense burner emitting wispy white smoke and a jade Go board.

The two were engaged in a game of Go. One was a middle-aged man dressed in a green robe, looking relaxed and composed—it was Xie Yi from the Xie family.

The other appeared to be in his twenties, with red lips and white teeth, sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, possessing a rather impressive appearance. He exuded a mature air despite his youth and was not at all inferior to Xie Yi.

After finishing a game, Xie Yi chuckled as he put down his Go stone: “My nephew’s skill is truly impressive. Next time we play, I might need you to give me a few stones before I dare to take the board again…”

“Uncle Xie flatters me. I know my own abilities well enough…”

The young man, Lin Xi, smiled slightly as he slowly gathered the stones, maintaining a calm demeanor.

Observing this, Xie Yi’s eyes gleamed with sharpness, and his mind raced: “He neither becomes conceited in victory nor discouraged in defeat! I’ve long heard that among this generation of the Lin family, Lin Xi is the most outstanding. I didn’t expect them to send him here… They’ve truly invested heavily!”

He thought for a moment and continued: “My nephew, your literary talent is renowned. Even without an official title, the regional governor’s mansion would surely welcome you. Why endure such condescension here?”

Lin Xi waved his ivory fan and countered with a question: “The Xie family has generations of nobility and prestige. Why have you come here, then? Isn’t it all for that person?”

“Haha… Indeed, great minds think alike!”

Xie Yi slowly nodded, his expression turning serious: “Wu Zhi, the pride of the martial world, a woman who outshines men. For her to lower her status in marriage, the man must be extraordinary! I have also done extensive investigations here, but you know what I found? Alas… The young master of the Wu family’s previous conduct was simply… deplorable! However, his elder sister is exceptionally talented and may achieve great things in cultivation in the future!”

Despite the extensive intelligence networks of these noble families, they could not possibly uncover Wu Ming’s past life.

Therefore, all they could find out about the past decade was the wastrel heir’s despicable behavior of bullying others and taking liberties with women, leaving all investigators puzzled.

Even if one were to tarnish their reputation, it wouldn’t be to this extent! Moreover, why Wu Zhi would marry this person remained a great mystery.

“Noble families often have their moments of youthful indiscretion, as it has always been!”

Lin Xi was unconcerned: “There’s no need to be overly critical… As long as we confirm that this person holds significant influence over Wu Zhi, that should suffice! In fact, it’s also worth exploring which of the couple holds the upper hand!”

“How do you plan to proceed? Just be sure not to bring trouble to the Lin family!” Xie Yi said gravely.

“No worries…”

Lin Xi laughed heartily: “I’ve prepared twenty beautiful concubines as a gift for Master Wu. Let’s see if he dares to accept them, ha ha…”

“This… is indeed a method…”

Xie Yi was somewhat amused, having forgotten that Lin Xi, being a noble’s son himself, might share the same tastes as that wastrel heir from the Wu family.