Chapter 1198: Adding Flowers to Brocade
Returning to Haoran, Chen Ping'an immediately manifested his supernatural powers, retracting the enormous Dharma Form that could encompass heaven and earth. His body gradually shrank, from a great mountain or a towering peak, until it condensed into a one-zhang golden body.
His form drifted down onto the sea of clouds. Chen Ping'an made a deep bow to that Confucian sage who guarded the heavens above Bottle Vase Continent. "I left in a hurry earlier and didn't have time to report to you, Master. This junior was rude."
The old master waved his hand, smiling genially. "Did something happen? I didn't see anything either."
Xie Gou's eyes went wide, and her mouth fell open. Was this really allowed? Such a huge Dharma Form of their mountain lord had soared right past her old eyes, and she didn't see anything?
Chen Ping'an gave a silent, wry laugh. He had expected the old master might say something polite like "don't let it happen again". After a moment of silence, Chen Ping'an cupped his fists. "This junior thanks you."
The old master nodded. Each understood the other's meaning.
Xie Gou, who had gained some new insight, felt she still had many things to learn by staying close to the mountain lord.
The old master put on a stern face, suppressing a smile, and said nothing. He just gave that new State Preceptor of Great Li a thumbs-up — good show!
Truly worthy of being the old scholar's last disciple. The student had surpassed the master.
Back then, the old scholar had only gone to the border between two worlds, stretched his neck, and dared Yu Dou to take a swing at him. But this student had directly carried a sword to the White Jade Capital and gone there to cut people.
Never one to bully the weak in his own home. He either made his name on the Sword Qi Great Wall or flaunted his might in the Azure Underworld. Such a young man — fortunately, he was a Confucian scholar of our tradition. What a joy!
Xie Gou bowed to the old master to take her leave. The old master was taken aback and said frankly, "Bai Jing, don't learn this. It makes you awkward and me uncomfortable."
Xie Gou laughed heartily. She pulled a booklet from her sleeve. "Old Master is surely a man of great learning. I humbly request you take a look..."
She was stopped by the mountain lord pressing down on her sable cap. Xie Gou had no choice but to obediently put the booklet back in her sleeve. She cupped her fists. "The green mountains remain, the waters flow forever. We'll meet again."
The old master nodded, smiling. "I have nothing to give you, so I'll just wish you, Fellow Daoist Bai Jing, to go a step further from a hundred feet."
Xie Gou wrinkled her nose and scratched her face. "Now I understand how you feel awkward, Master."
The old master smiled slightly. "Dealing with scholars is indeed troublesome. You never know which sentence will offend them, nor which sentence will make them smile knowingly."
Xie Gou nodded vigorously. She would borrow that saying for her travelogue of mountains and waters. She definitely had to.
A flash of gold. That extremely refined one-zhang golden body pierced through layers of cloud sea and instantly returned to its true form.
Wearing his court robes, Chen Ping'an walked out of the empty great hall, stepped over the threshold, took a deep breath, and looked back at the spot where he had stood.
He told Xie Gou to return directly to Luopo Mountain. Chen Ping'an, with the habit of putting his hands in his sleeves, walked alone on the road to the Imperial Study.
Today's Minor Court Meeting in the Imperial Study was more crowded than usual, with many chairs pressed against each other.
Wu Wangcheng, the Vice Minister of War who had just qualified to attend the meeting, found extremely interesting insights simply from observing who placed both arms on the armrests of their chairs.
When State Preceptor Chen Ping'an took his seat, the only empty chair left in the Imperial Study was that of Prince Luo, Song Mu.
Song Mu had rushed from the Barren Wastes to the capital of Great Li. Coincidentally, whether intentionally or not, this most powerful vassal prince of the Great Li dynasty had missed the celebration and the court meeting.
Emperor Song He asked, "The Imperial Observatory has sent word — is the State Preceptor truly already..."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Already at the Flying Ascension Realm."
The assembled high ministers of Great Li all inhaled sharply.
What was happening? They had only been attending the morning court, and he had become a Flying Ascension cultivator? Though they couldn't investigate the truth, it didn't matter — it was a great blessing. Great Li had received double joy!
Song He stood up first to congratulate him, and naturally the ministers followed their emperor in offering felicitations to the young State Preceptor.
Chen Ping'an stood as well. When the emperor had sat down, an elderly relative of the Song clan who rarely attended Imperial Study meetings in recent years subconsciously sat down after him. But then he realized his mistake. He bent over, using his peripheral vision to watch the young State Preceptor slowly sit down. Only after the latter was settled did the old man slowly take his seat. He interlaced his fingers, palms up, and comfortably placed his elbows on the armrests. But then he noticed State Preceptor Chen looking at him, so he discreetly withdrew his elbows.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Your Majesty, let us continue with the previous agenda."
As he spoke, Chen Ping'an glanced at Xu Tong, who sat beside the elderly clan relative. The Left Vice Minister of War hesitated, then raised his left elbow and placed it on the armrest.
Chen Ping'an tugged at his court robes and crossed his legs.
Emperor Song He laughed. "Last time I invited Mr. Chen to come out and be State Preceptor, this was exactly his sitting posture. Hmm, the boots have changed. Last time it was cloth shoes, this time court boots."
The room erupted in laughter.
Formal discussion began.
Compared to his silence in the great hall, Chen Ping'an spoke more here. He rarely made definitive judgments. For some issues, he would carefully inquire about the reasons, and often exchanged questions and answers.
Back when Cui Chan sat in that chair, though he wasn't exactly sitting upright and stern, he was hardly jovial. But Cui Chan indeed rarely gave others the same... tolerance that Chen Ping'an did.
Every time Cui Chan discussed matters, he was always clear and precise in his wording. He talked about both the big picture and the details, laying out the steps of a matter in an interlocking chain, clear as day.
Everyone, including the emperor, knew clearly that the "embroidered tiger" was humoring them.
When in a good mood, Cui Chan would occasionally crack a joke that required others to twist their brains several times before getting it.
Shen Chen, the Minister of War who was already in his eighties, was truly very old. He knew he didn't have many more times to sit in this chair. With Xu Tong and Wu Wangcheng handling the Ministry's affairs, no major slip-ups would occur. So the old man let his mind wander to some past stories and people that had occurred in this place but would never be told outside. For example, the former owner of that chair, the embroidered tiger, had once asserted that Great Li needed to prepare for a two-front battle. Either the Central Great River, or the vast sea between Bottle Vase Continent and Northern Jambudvipa Continent. Cui Chan's implication was unmistakable. Not only would a vassal prince need to guard the southernmost Old Dragon City and the central secondary capital of Great Li, but even the emperor might have to guard the capital and some place in the far north... When he said those things back then, there was an unspeakable confidence about Cui Chan — no, it was arrogance. It was probably precisely that which made others dare to feel at ease.
After the Minor Court Meeting ended, the emperor accompanied the State Preceptor for a long stretch of the way.
Then the high ministers returned to their respective offices. Shen Chen suddenly quickened his pace and grabbed Chen Ping'an's arm, laughing. "State Preceptor, it's settled! The first one to come calling must be our Ministry of War."
Chen Ping'an gently patted the old man's hand. "My word is good."
Shen Chen suddenly raised his voice. "Everyone here heard that clearly! Whoever dares to play tricks and cut in line, I'll go block their door and curse them out. After cursing the shameless ones, I'll go to the State Preceptor's residence and curse him for going back on his word."
Behind them, Xu Tong and Wu Wangcheng, the two vice ministers, exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat... bitter.
Dong Hu, Vice Minister of Rites, laughed. "Minister Shen, your Ministry of War has great merit, but our Ministry of Rites also works very hard. The key point is, we're a few steps closer to the State Preceptor's residence..."
Shen Chen didn't even need to speak; Xu Tong directly cut in. "Just honestly take second place."
Dong Hu said, "Second place? Fine!"
Ma Yuan, Minister of Justice, clicked his tongue. "Isn't there an old saying, 'first the rites, then the military'? The Ministry of Rites has become so cowardly?"
Chen Ping'an ignored their banter. He stopped, turned around, and said something that made the assembled high ministers of Great Li stare wide-eyed, their breathing quickening.
"Earlier, while walking on a country path with His Majesty, he asked me a question to which I never gave an answer. I thought I'd ask all of you as well and hear your opinions."
"If our Great Li wishes to contend for the top spot among the ten great dynasties of Haoran, do we need to retake the entire Bottle Vase Continent? If so, what should we do? If not, what should we do instead?"
By the time the State Preceptor had walked far away.
The ministers only then seemed to snap out of their shock.
Zhangsun Mao, who had just been promoted from the Office of Transmission to Minister of Personnel, reminded them, "Though it's a useless remark, I'll still say it: old rules."
The old man meant that all confidential court matters should not be brought home, especially not to the dinner table.
Ma Yuan gave a fake smile and added, "Then I'll add another useless remark: old rules are old rules. I hope that at the next Minor Court Meeting, an empty seat doesn't inexplicably appear."
Shen Chen was silent for a long time, then turned with a smile. He rubbed his chin and looked at Xu Tong, whose eyes were shining, and Wu Wangcheng, whose face was already red.
Xu Tong nudged Wu Wangcheng with his elbow. "By the looks of it, Minister Shen isn't planning to retire. What do we do? How will we get promoted?"
Shen Chen pointed a finger at them and scolded with a laugh, "You two bastards."
In the Imperial Study, Emperor Song He stood at the window, gazing out at the blurry figures of the civil and military ministers.
Chen Ping'an returned to the State Preceptor's residence.
Because Rong Yu had warned them in advance, no one dared to leave their rooms to offer congratulations.
In the innermost courtyard, Song Yunjian stood under the peach tree, laughing. "Incredible, truly incredible."
Chen Ping'an waved his hand and walked straight to the study, without any polite formalities.
He had Rong Yu bring a map of Great Li and a large stack of maps of prefectures and counties. Chen Ping'an picked up a brush and drew circles and marks on the maps, all place names.
Rong Yu found they formed a route.
Putting down the brush, Chen Ping'an suddenly asked, "Does the State Preceptor's residence have a complete set of Flower God cups?"
Rong Yu shook her head. "None prepared here."
Though Cui Chan also often drank, he had no particular preferences for wine or vessels, so the residence naturally followed suit.
Moreover, if Cui Chan was willing to invite someone to drink at the residence, that itself was the greatest courtesy and honor. There was no need for Flower God cups to add luster.
Rong Yu said, "But there must be some in the Great Li treasury. Shall I go fetch them?"
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment. "No need for that trouble. I'll go to the Flower God Temple to meet some out-of-town guests. Being close to the water, I can just buy a set of imitations on the spot."
Rong Yu seemed about to speak, then stopped.
The visit of Plum Blossom Flower God Luo Fumeng and Hundred Flowers Paradise Master Qi Fang to the Great Li capital — the residence had naturally received confirmed news. But Rong Yu didn't think they warranted the personal reception of State Preceptor Chen.
When Cui Chan received guests, whether from the mountains or official circles, he generally chatted with them in the main hall. At most, he would have someone come to his study for secret discussions.
The number of times Cui Chan had taken the initiative to stand on the steps to wait for guests could be counted on one hand. As for someone who could make Cui Chan walk out the door and descend the steps to greet them — that was unprecedented.
Because her memory was too good, Rong Yu remembered it clearly. Though the State Preceptor's decisions were not to be questioned and surely had his plans and considerations, deep down she truly didn't wish for him to make too many exceptions.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Senior Brother was certainly an extremely proud man, but he was never someone who put his aloofness and disdain on the surface. The reason he seemed so distant was, first, to save time and reduce tedious formalities to a minimum, ideally to none. Second, it was to intentionally make the threshold of the residence seem higher, making it easier for his successor. The situation now hasn't reached a point where anyone can just lie back and enjoy the good life. It's still too early to call it a peaceful era, but it's not as urgent as it was during my senior brother's time. So I can be relatively casual... more composed."
Rong Yu felt both guilty and delighted. She said softly, "State Preceptor, you don't need to explain these things to me."
Chen Ping'an said, "You can invite the cultivators of Eternal Spring Palace to visit the residence soon."
Rong Yu nodded. The State Preceptor's first reception of a immortal sect — this gesture was extremely significant. The entire continent's mountain sects were watching.
Eternal Spring Palace was worthy of this opportunity.
If it hadn't been for Eternal Spring Palace helping Great Li through its most difficult times, it might not have even been able to maintain its vassal status under the Lu dynasty.
Chen Ping'an hesitated, then changed his mind. "Let's find an opportunity to visit Eternal Spring Palace ourselves instead."
Rong Yu agreed completely.
Though Eternal Spring Palace had not yet become a sect-rank immortal mansion, Rong Yu was confident it would soon.
Chen Ping'an said, "I'll go meet the guests first. You have Cao Qinglang from the Hanlin Academy come and wait here."
Rong Yu accepted the order and left, hearing the young State Preceptor say something very meaningful.
"In the field of history, whether it's rice or barnyard grass, it seems we need to wait and see."
As Rong Yu walked away thinking to herself, Song Yunjian, hearing this, clapped his hands. "Indeed!"
Chen Ping'an left the residence, and with a single step of ground-shrinking, he arrived directly at a courtyard of the Flower God Temple, using a spell to change his appearance.
Not long after, Rong Yu stood at the residence gate, silently counting in her mind, waiting for the State Preceptor's accomplished student. When Rong Yu saw the figure, he was slightly later than she had expected for Tanhua Cao.
She led Cao Qinglang to the back courtyard. Cao Qinglang thanked her again, and Rong Yu said nothing, smiling as she left.
Cao Qinglang hurried to the door of the house, stood outside, and made a formal bow. "Cao Qinglang pays respects to Mr. Lin."
Lin Shouyi returned the bow, appearing more relaxed and elegant in comparison. He smiled. "We're of the same generation. No need for such formality."
If one considered the lineage hierarchy of the Civil Sage's tradition, they were indeed fellow disciples from the same school.
But Cao Qinglang regarded Lin Shouyi as an elder.
Regardless, both were handsome and had the bearing of noble sons. More like scholars than a certain someone.
Lin Shouyi reached out and grabbed Cao Qinglang's arm, pulling him across the threshold and heading straight for the desk. "I've accumulated some questions and want to consult you properly."
After all, Cao Qinglang had long been the Tanhua of the Great Li imperial examinations.
He was truly the one with the highest "official achievement" in the Civil Sage's lineage within the examination field.
Since Lin Shouyi had aspirations for the examinations, if he unfortunately failed, nothing more to say. But if he passed, then Cao Qinglang would be Lin Shouyi's senior in the examination field.
Cao Qinglang looked a bit embarrassed. Lin Shouyi pressed his shoulder, making him sit, while he himself stood. Cao Qinglang became even more uneasy. Lin Shouyi had already opened a book and was genuinely asking Cao Qinglang about the intricacies of the examination system.
Cao Qinglang asked softly, "Mr. Lin, why not discuss this subject with my teacher?"
Lin Shouyi laughed. "What does he, Chen Ping'an, know about examination composition?"
Cao Qinglang didn't know how to respond.
Lin Shouyi said, "He only needs to oversee a nation's examinations well enough."
---
The celebration had ended, but the Flower God Temple was still bustling. The capital's nobles, officials, and scions usually came here to play, and the temple priest could lead them around, explaining the temple's origins and the stories of the painted statues. But today, that was difficult.
The temple priest of the Flower God Temple was named Ye Man. She wore a long-sleeved gown, had a jade hairpin shaped like an orchid in her hair, and was a beautiful woman with elegant features, more like a well-bred lady from a noble family.
However, there was a beauty mole at the corner of her mouth, which made her appear especially charming. There were various rumors about Ye Man — some said she was kept in a golden house by a certain minister, others said she was actually a Flower God from the Hundred Flowers Paradise. When she walked in the garden, she could attract butterflies and bees. In short, the tales were either romantic or mysterious.
Today, Ye Man walked at the front, leading a group of truly distinguished guests to a separate courtyard of the Flower God Temple. They passed through corridors and around beams, changing scenes with each step, until they finally crossed a moon gate. She led them into a tea room. Outside the room, in the courtyard, flower shadows danced. Walking among them, one's sleeves were filled with fragrance. It was truly a wonderful place, tranquil within the bustle, a hidden paradise.
Walking beside the Balsam Flower God, the Vermilion Face Lady said via heart voice, "Don't be nervous. It's not your first time seeing him."
The young Flower God was timid. "I was fine before, but now that you say that, I'm nervous."
The Vermilion Face Lady gave her a seductive glance. "Forgot? What did the former Hidden Officer say? When you're nervous, tell yourself to just be nervous, and then you won't be afraid of anything."
The young Flower God thought for a moment, then nodded vigorously. "Yeah, that makes sense!"
Last time, the Vermilion Face Lady had introduced her to Chen, the mountain lord who was both a swordsman and a martial arts master. He had been good-tempered and easy to talk to, with profound knowledge — indeed, you can't judge a book by its cover.
After that, she had been extremely nervous, dazed and confused, and had gone to find Zhang Wenqian, a disciple of Suzi. When the old master frowned, she was so scared she didn't dare breathe. When the old gentleman nodded, she felt a bit relieved. In the end, when that most serious old master remained silent, her mind went blank. She only remembered the swordsman Chen's advice: if you're nervous, just be nervous — don't be afraid of being nervous.
Zhang Wenqian had asked, "How did you come up with those words?"
The Balsam Flower God had then sold out that Mountain Lord Chen... It really wasn't that she was disloyal; it was just that the expression on Zhang Fuzi's face was too terrifying.
The young Flower God silently thought, "Swordsman Chen, I'm sorry, Hidden Officer, forgive me," while telling Zhang Wenqian the truth — that she had gotten the method from the Luopo Mountain Swordsman Chen.
The old master remained expressionless and muttered to himself, "Unexpected. The Civil Sage's tradition, known for the most rigorous scholarship, actually so sincerely recognizes our tradition's learning. They are close to Suzi. Unexpected, unexpected."
In the old man's view, you could say that the several disciples of the Civil Sage's lineage, regardless of the depth of their learning or cultivation, if you only talked about temperament, each had their own arrogance, even hubris.
But you absolutely must not mistake them for being the type of free-spirited and broad-minded people like Suzi. Absolutely not.
Indeed, even for Bai Ye's poetry, Chen Ping'an could only tactfully say that he only felt its wonder when drunk.
So when Bai Ye, who was then on Luopo Mountain, learned of this, he joked that it seemed their mountain lord had been drunk very few times in his life.
According to their agreement, the Swordsman Chen had taken a bag of Guyu coins from her in advance. If things didn't work out, he would return the money.
The young girl had already decided that even if things didn't work out and instead backfired, making the old master resent her and scold her severely, she wouldn't ask for the money back.
Encountering someone in the martial world is fate. Even if the deal fails, righteousness remains. Let's not blame each other.
Actually, the Vermilion Face Lady had told the girl not to be nervous, but wasn't she herself nervous?
That Hidden Officer had first become the master of a superior sect. She had thought that since they were one family, she could finally see the clouds part and the moon shine. But then he turned into the Great Li State Preceptor.
The young Flower God whispered in admiration, "Sister Vermilion, you're so brave. You're not afraid no matter who you meet."
The Vermilion Face Lady gave an awkward smile.
The young Flower God silently mustered her courage. Though she wasn't sure if she would see that noble-minded Swordsman Chen on this trip to the Great Li capital, she had still brought a bag of balsam flower seeds as a thank-you gift. Gifts never offend, after all.
For this year's Paradise ranking, presided over by Mr. Baishan, Zhang Yi, and Zhou Fuqing, she had previously been worried she might drop to the lowest ninth-grade, one-life rank.
If a Flower God's fate rank dropped, once it hit rock bottom, the Paradise would replace her with a new Flower God for the balsam flower. If she was still the lowest at the next evaluation, the balsam flower would be removed from the ranks of the hundred flowers, and all Flower God temples would have to remove her statue.
In this evaluation, her Flower God fate rank remained seventh-grade, three lives — neither up nor down. She was very satisfied. With such fierce competition, not dropping meant she was already strong!
Nine-Thebes Mountain had always been full of plum trees, so it had a very good relationship with Luo Fumeng, the Plum Blossom Flower God.
The Narcissus, one of the fate-master flower gods, often exchanged poems and letters with the Water Lord of the Five Lakes.
As for her, ha, she hadn't met many great figures or old immortals in her life.
The young Flower God had already devised a strategy. For instance, when she saw the new State Preceptor, she would find an opportunity to pretend to ask tentatively: "Swordsman Chen, do you remember me?"
They said that great men are forgetful. If he didn't remember, that would be best. She would bravely introduce herself, thank him, and then listen to the Flower Master and the others discuss their business. If Swordsman Chen did remember her, the Flower Master or Sister Luo would probably scold her for being insolent. Then she could safely play dumb... A flawless plan, indeed! The young Flower Girl secretly lowered her head and grinned.
Ye Man stopped near the steps, turned, and performed a wanfu greeting. Softly, she said, "We've arrived. If you need anything, just let me know. I'll be waiting outside."
Beside this temple priest, aside from Qi Fang of the Hundred Flowers Paradise, Luo Fumeng, the Balsam Flower God, there were also Nian Xin and the Vermilion Face Lady. All of them were beautiful women.
But they had all used illusion spells. If they had "descended in truth" with their real appearances at the Flower God Temple, word would spread like wildfire. How would that look? Would they be trying to steal the spotlight from the new State Preceptor?
Luo Fumeng took a deep breath. She was finally about to meet that famous young Hidden Officer.
The young Flower God quickly felt the bag of balsam flower seeds in her sleeve, confirming she wasn't arriving empty-handed, and felt less nervous.
As for the story from back then — why he had helped her — Nian Xin had gotten an explanation from Qi Fang. In the view of the Hundred Flowers Paradise, women in the world are like flowers: some in gardens, some in vases, some in the wilderness, some in the forests.
Ye Man moved to a side room, stepped over the threshold, and didn't close the door. She held her breath and stood near the entrance. On the wall inside hung a calligraphy scroll: "When guests arrive, tea stands for wine."
Over the years, she had wanted to ask a famous calligrapher for a scroll — for example, Zhao Duanjin, the Minister of Rites who had founded the Great Li official script style.
Just a small square piece, with a line of small characters: "Nothing to do today."
Ye Man sighed softly. Unfortunately, Minister Zhao had never visited the Flower God Temple, so she had no chance to meet him.
She wondered how the calligraphy of that guest inside, who was clearly not ordinary, would be?
Ye Man recognized the top-grade "nothing-to-do tablet" issued by the Great Li Ministry of Justice. Could it be a fake? In today's Great Li capital, who would dare!
At the main door stood a handsome young man in a yellow cap and green shoes. His demeanor was gentle, and he looked like a kind and good-natured person.
He turned sideways, cupped his fists, and said with a smile to everyone, "My master is already inside waiting for you all."
He symbolically knocked on the door, gently pushed it open, turned sideways, and after the guests entered, he gently closed it again.
The sunlight in the world was just right. Golden rays streamed through the windows and fell upon the man with a warm smile.
Standing up, Chen Ping'an explained with a smile, "My true body is still discussing matters at the Imperial Study in the palace. Please forgive me."
Qi Fang smiled charmingly. "State Preceptor, you're too polite."
Last time at the Confucian Temple meeting, they had only caught a distant glimpse of each other, so this was Qi Fang's first close contact with Chen Ping'an.
And she knew more truths than Luo Fumeng — for example, he was the first Haoran cultivator to say the words, "Then let's fight."
Such secrets couldn't be shared with anyone. They had to be kept inside, not a word spoken. It was actually quite uncomfortable.
Like a heavy drinker with a glass of fine wine that he couldn't drink — the feeling was beyond words.
Actually, Chen Ping'an had already been very gracious.
The Hundred Flowers Paradise was the one seeking a favor. Chen Ping'an could have just made them wait in the capital.
Qi Fang — a very common, ordinary name. Used for her, it even sounded a bit vulgar.
But when you consider the meaning — "a hundred flowers bloom together, ten thousand beauties share fragrance" — it seemed like a very fitting and wonderful name.
Tea utensils were already arranged on the low table. Naturally, the Vermilion Face Lady took over, responsible for brewing tea for the guests. She opened a tin can, took out the best pre-Qingming tea of the year, and quickly glanced at the signature on the bottom of the can.
Chen Ping'an looked at the Balsam Flower God and took the initiative to ask with a smile, "We meet again. Did things go smoothly with Mr. Zhang last time?"
The girl said, "Ah?" — it seemed her strategy wasn't working at all.
Fortunately, seeing her dumbfounded, Luo Fumeng both reminded her and helped smooth things over. "Wu Cai, don't be rude. The State Preceptor is asking you a question."
See, just as expected — the "don't be rude" line.
The young Flower God immediately relaxed. "Smooth, very smooth. Swordsman Chen's ingenious plan was excellent!"
She instinctively wanted to give a thumbs up, but luckily Luo Fumeng grabbed her arm early. Because if Wu Cai made that gesture, she would inevitably follow it with a "ding-ding-ding"...
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Good to hear. Then I've managed to keep that bag of Guyu coins. Making money from someone else's pocket is the hardest; earning money you haven't even had time to warm up, then having to give it back immediately — that's the most painful."
He told a joke that could probably be considered a joke, but the room was dead silent, to the point where you could hear a pin drop.
Perhaps Chen Ping'an's joke was very average. Or maybe they simply didn't dare to laugh casually.
This was probably what was called secular power. It wasn't all about the superior ordering others around, or the moment they opened their mouths in any setting, noise immediately turned to silence, or the grandeur of their travel arrangements.
Power was like an invisible spiderweb. The more power one had, the more strands of silk could spread further. The outer edge of the web could trap more money, women, seats, and the joys, sorrows, and life vicissitudes of others. A small ripple at the center of the web would extend outward layer by layer, becoming waves of separation and reunion, honor and disgrace, life and death, wealth and destiny.
The Vermilion Face Lady stared at the kettle filled with spring water. The water was boiling, making a bubbling sound.
Gathering his thoughts, Chen Ping'an said slowly, "The matter of apologizing — it's nothing more than what you say, what you think in your heart, and what you do."
Earlier, Qi Fang hadn't seen Aunt Feng, so Luo Fumeng steadied herself and said, "We've already discussed it with Flower Master Qi. First, within a hundred years, all expenses for garden flora from the capital down to the prefectural level official residences in the Great Li court will be covered by our Paradise. We are willing to provide people, money, and effort. Second, every season, we will dispatch several dozen Flower Gods to descend at the Flower God temples within Great Li's territory, to do our modest part and add some fortune to the mountains and rivers everywhere. If you feel this sincerity is still insufficient, State Preceptor Chen and Aunt Feng can raise further demands. Until you are satisfied, not even one day of negotiation completed, Flower Master Qi and I will remain in the Great Li capital."
Great Li was no ordinary dynasty. It occupied half of Bottle Vase Continent. That expense was indeed considerable.
If they extended down to the county-level official residences, it wasn't that the Paradise didn't want to be generous; they simply couldn't. Gathering immortal money was one difficulty, but dispatching manpower from the Paradise was even harder.
Unless the entire Hundred Flowers Paradise relocated to Bottle Vase Continent, and all Flower Gods were determined to spend a hundred years in the Great Li dynasty, could they manage it. But that was obviously unrealistic.
Chen Ping'an thought about this matter and didn't rush to say yes or no.
Qi Fang suddenly asked via heart voice, "Hidden Officer, is he okay?"
Since she addressed him that way, who "he" was became perfectly clear — the former Criminal Officer Hao Su, who had once hidden in the Hundred Flowers Paradise.
Chen Ping'an replied via heart voice, "Hao Su is cultivating at the Divine Thunder City in the White Jade Capital. Things are going smoothly. His own cultivation level is high enough, and his few interventions carried sufficient weight. Plus, with his transcendent identity as a former Criminal Officer, Hao Su might not be walking horizontally in the Azure Underworld, but he can at least walk diagonally without any problems. Even with some chaos over there now, if Hao Su goes wandering, no one will actively provoke him — there's no need. So Flower Master Qi can rest assured."
Qi Fang couldn't help but laugh. The Hidden Officer's description was witty, and imagining Hao Su "walking diagonally" was even funnier.
The faint melancholy between her brows seemed to be swept away.
The innocent young Flower God, named Wu Cai, held back for a long time. In the gap when no one was speaking, she finally managed to come up with some words she thought were polite and appropriate. She put down the Flower God cup, which happened to be painted with balsam flowers, and cupped her fists. "Congratulations, Swordsman Chen. Great Li and you — a powerful alliance, ha."
Qi Fang was somewhat resigned. Luo Fumeng was nervous. Dealing with a big figure like Chen Ping'an in the same room required caution, more caution — you never knew which sentence might violate a taboo.
It wasn't just words hiding behind faces and hearts behind bellies; it was deep cunning, separated by thousands of mountains and rivers.
On the way here, Luo Fumeng had specifically warned Wu Cai: when meeting State Preceptor Chen, stick to the principle of "no merit, no fault," talk as little as possible, and preferably not at all.
The Vermilion Face Lady hurriedly lowered her head to brew the tea, but in truth, her toes inside her embroidered shoes were curled up. It was truly awkward.
Luo Fumeng shared the same understanding as the vast majority of Haoran's peak cultivators. You could say Chen Ping'an had good fortune, or you could say Heaven doesn't let down a dedicated man. But you absolutely could not regard him as a simple-minded person.
If life was like thousands of mountains forming fences, with one mountain releasing and another blocking — walking on the road meant constantly breaking through barriers — wasn't this young State Preceptor Chen, who held a high position at such a young age, also the same?
In his hometown, he encountered Qi Jingchun of Cliff-Side Academy, Cui Chan the embroidered tiger, the old scholar. On the Sword Qi Great Wall, there was the Oldest Swordsman. Returning to Haoran, there was Ritual Sage, Zheng Juzhong...
But unexpectedly, Chen Ping'an didn't remain expressionless and indifferent. He wasn't even politely dismissive with a laugh. Instead, he also cupped his fists and smiled. "I'll borrow your auspicious words. I'll borrow them."
The girl scratched her head, being too honest, and said with embarrassment, "Swordsman Chen, my Flower God fate rank isn't high now, and my Dao power is very shallow. I'm a million miles away from the sage's level of 'words are heavenly decrees' or the true man's 'words become law'. You might not be able to borrow much from my auspicious words. Ha, haha."
Chen Ping'an laughed along. "No matter, no matter. Gifts never offend, and good words are never too many."
Luo Fumeng felt relieved. Seeing Chen Ping'an's expression and tone didn't seem fake — could this girl Wu Cai really be a fool with good luck?
Generally speaking, those who hold high positions for a long time either display obvious arrogance or have a deep, accumulated authority.
For instance, when Luo Fumeng first saw Chen Ping'an at the door, she felt immense pressure, even a momentary blank in her mind.
Nian Xin was somewhat curious and asked via heart voice, "Why are you especially nice to this young girl?"
Chen Ping'an replied with a heart laugh. "No big reason. Just that when I was a child back home, there was a balsam flower plant in front of Liu Xianyang's house. It bloomed with colorful flowers. Both Gu Can and I thought it was beautiful."
The Vermilion Face Lady handed out porcelain cups to each of them. Seeing that the conversation was going well, she also felt relaxed.
Chen Ping'an took the teacup and said, "With those two conditions as a foundation, I think there's no big problem. But whether Aunt Feng will put forward one or two additional small requests, I can't guarantee anything now."
Chen Ping'an turned to Nian Xin. "Nian Xin, later you accompany Flower Master Qi and the others to visit Aunt Feng at the Fire God Temple. Tell her that I have no further objections here."
Nian Xin nodded.
Wu Cai wondered if it was her imagination, but at that moment, the whole room seemed to brighten.
Qi Fang chatted about those two seal catalogues, asking if the State Preceptor had any hand-rubbed copies in his private collection that she could borrow. It turned out that a certain immortal mansion on White Bear Continent had selected the ten best seal catalogues from Haoran's past thousand years. Once printed and published, sales were astonishing both on and off the mountains. The Twenty-Four Flower Season Seal Catalogue ranked ninth. It was the work of an honorary guest of the Hundred Flowers Paradise. And the Two Hundred Swordsmen Seal Catalogue that Chen Ping'an had personally compiled ranked third.
Unfortunately, the commercially available copies weren't hand-rubbed originals, so they couldn't fully capture the spirit and style of the seal impressions.
Chen Ping'an shook his head, saying he didn't have any spare hand-rubbed copies either.
The atmosphere grew increasingly relaxed. The Vermilion Face Lady was completely at ease, so she had the leisure to grumble to herself.
Entertaining all the Flower Gods — and using imitation Flower God cups.
Items fired in civilian kilns, in the eyes of immortals, were nothing short of shoddy.
The glaze was dull, the texture rough, the floral patterns lifeless, the calligraphy weak... In short, nothing was acceptable.
The Vermilion Face Lady couldn't help complaining inwardly: Hidden Officer, are you so short of money? Are you missing some common sense?
Qi Fang took the initiative to joke, mentioning the Flower God cups. She said that next time, the State Preceptor should not use imitation cups for guests. She insisted on sending a few sets of genuine Flower God cups to the residence.
The Vermilion Face Lady glanced at the Hidden Officer from the corner of her eye. So? Embarrassed or not?
Unfortunately, she underestimated the second-in-command's thick skin.
Chen Ping'an said with a smile that he had been waiting for exactly those words from the Flower Master.
Qi Fang seemed speechless.
The Vermilion Face Lady clicked her tongue softly.
Xiao Mo stood quietly outside the door, glancing at the lonely side room.
The temple priest of the Flower God Temple was a cultivator, but her level wasn't high. In her forties, she was still only at the Grotto Dwelling realm, having taken a shortcut.
Ye Man understood very well that the people in that room were either wealthy or noble, all immortals. It was unlikely anyone would call her for errands. But she still had to wait patiently.
After all, he was a state preceptor, with weighty affairs. That was to be expected. He couldn't just chat indefinitely. Just as Qi Fang was about to take her leave.
Chen Ping'an put down his teacup. "I have a suggestion. You might want to hear it."
Qi Fang immediately tensed. "State Preceptor, please speak."
Chen Ping'an said, "Our Great Li dynasty has over a hundred prefectures, which exactly corresponds to the Hundred Flowers Paradise. Each prefecture could have its own state flower. A Flower God Temple would be built in the prefectural capital, and a particular Flower God could receive incense offerings. These temples don't need to be large, to avoid overshadowing the main ones. The Paradise only needs to provide the blueprints, appended with each Flower God's personal preferences and interests. As for the construction costs, you won't have to pay a single coin."
"Great Li also has thirty-two vassal states that have not yet had their national titles revoked. Similarly, they can choose their own national flower."
"If you find this feasible, whether it's state flowers or national flowers, it also depends on whether you are fated with the local prefectures and vassal states. It can't be one-sided enthusiasm. The matter of incense offerings is the least deceptive. If either side is one-sided, the incense won't last. So it may require the Flower Gods themselves to personally travel through Great Li's territory. At that time, the Ministry of Rites in the capital and the secondary capital, as well as the garrison troops in each prefecture, will provide relevant officials to escort the Paradise's Flower Gods and help choose suitable prefectures and vassal states based on affinity. The number of such officials won't be too large. If necessary, the Great Li court can temporarily establish a new office — for example, led by a prefectural education commissioner to coordinate specific matters with you. This office will be dissolved within a year at most."
"Give me your conclusion as soon as possible. If you think it's not feasible, don't worry — it won't affect the previous agreement between us at all."
"If you think it's fine, I'll bring it up at the next Minor Court Meeting in the Imperial Study."
Sitting at the far end, Nian Xin remained as if she were resting her eyes, only lifting her cup to drink tea.
The Vermilion Face Lady was greatly surprised. The Hidden Officer, when he first walked the jianghu, wasn't he famous for "ruthlessly destroying flowers"? She had experienced his methods of "taking advantage" at the Plum Garden during that trip years ago.
Qi Fang was silent, contemplating. Though her heart was pounding, the matter was too important; she had to weigh it repeatedly. Luo Fumeng was slightly stunned — such good fortune?
The Balsam Flower God was dumbfounded. Could she really have her own temple separate from the Hundred Flowers Paradise?
The Vermilion Face Lady looked at the calm Hidden Officer. Earlier, she had thought that now that he was Great Li's State Preceptor, the Hundred Flowers Paradise would be constrained. At least the matter of him being an honorary guest would be difficult to discuss.
Never did she expect Chen Ping'an's next words to give Qi Fang and the others a real startle. "This is still a small matter. Whether it succeeds or fails, it doesn't matter."
At these words, even someone as thick-skinned as Wu Cai instinctively sat up straight.
Chen Ping'an said, "This matter is related to the great river in Tongye Continent that hasn't been fully dug yet."
Not just Qi Fang and Luo Fumeng, but even Nian Xin was baffled. He couldn't be going to ask the Hundred Flowers Paradise for money in some roundabout way, could he?
When the Tongye Continent great river was completed, it would need "conferment". A Confucian sage from the Confucian Temple would have to be present.
Coincidentally, the old scholar had merged with the geography of three continents, and Tongye Continent was one of them.
Qi Fang smiled. "State Preceptor, rest assured. If our Hundred Flowers Paradise can contribute to this grand endeavor, we would be extremely honored."
Chen Ping'an shook his head and continued, "I want to invite you to go there, to Tongye Continent, and create a 'Hundred Flowers River' — something unseen in ten thousand years."
The Hundred Flowers River!
To facilitate and accomplish this, no matter how difficult, it was still less than digging a brand-new great river from nothing. That was truly creating something from nothing.
If successful, it would be an unprecedented "adding flowers to brocade".
It could stabilize the fortune of mountains and rivers, reduce drought and flood disasters on both banks, create more lands of fish and rice, and ensure the people's abundant harvests and year-round warmth.
Luo Fumeng no longer cared about appearance. She reached out and grabbed Qi Fang's arm tightly. She said via heart voice, "Flower Master, you absolutely must not hesitate any longer!"
Qi Fang's eyes sparkled. The Hundred Flowers River! Just imagining that future scene in the world — a hundred flowers blooming along both banks — made her heart yearn for it!
"Besides empty fame and good name, the Confucian Temple in the Central Land will also record a merit for you."
Chen Ping'an said calmly, "That is my compensation — nothing more. But as for claiming credit, if you're too embarrassed to speak up, or if you bring it up and the Confucian Temple gives you less merit than expected, I'll go to the Central Land Confucian Temple myself and reason with them to demand justice."
The Vermilion Face Lady stared blankly at this man, both familiar and strange.
"If reason doesn't prevail at the Confucian Temple..."
Chen Ping'an paused, then laughed at himself. "What can I do? Nothing."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "When doing big business, how can there be no risk?"
Would Qi Fang hesitate or be ambiguous this time? She made no attempt to hide her excitement. She said decisively, "State Preceptor, I can give you an answer right now. I don't need to return to the Paradise for discussion. If I don't agree to this, and miss it, then I, Qi Fang, would surely be the sinner of the Hundred Flowers Paradise!"
"No need to talk about money!"
This unparalleled good fortune — if it slipped through her hands, she could just resign as Flower Master.
"State Preceptor, is it decided?!"
Not just Qi Fang, but all the Flower Gods of the entire Paradise had an unspeakable complex.
That was the reputation of the Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven and the prestige of Lady Qingshen, which had always been a notch above the Hundred Flowers Paradise in Haoran.
At the last Confucian Temple meeting, Lady Qingshen had also attended. Qi Fang, looking at that indifferent expression she showed to everyone, felt both jealousy and admiration, and also disappointment.
Luo Fumeng could fully imagine that this "Hundred Flowers River" would surely become one of Haoran's top ten scenic wonders in the future!
Chen Ping'an said calmly, "Don't be too full of yourselves. Whether we'll drink a victory toast, or whether we'll give up halfway and part on bad terms — it's still uncertain."
As if splashed with a basin of cold water, Qi Fang was startled awake. She forced herself to calm down, at least to make State Preceptor Chen think she was someone with whom he could plan things.
Chen Ping'an said, "Better to say the unpleasant things first than to beat around the bush and pretend to be nice. When it comes time to actually do things, stumbling here and there, all problems and all bad people."
Qi Fang nodded. "It must be so."
Chen Ping'an narrowed his eyes. "When it comes to doing practical work, if our Great Li dynasty claims second, no one in all of Haoran dares to claim first. So if we truly cooperate, one or two complaints or even arguments — I understand completely and fully accept. Reaching a mutual understanding always takes a process. But I don't want you to come to me repeatedly to complain or accuse someone. Since we're going to do real work, especially something with the fine reputation of 'work for the present, merit for a thousand ages' — then neither Great Li nor the Hundred Flowers Paradise should be too delicate."
"If it were just Chen Ping'an of Luopo Mountain doing business with you, of course I could be more flexible. Losing money wouldn't matter; it could be excused as 'at least the intention was good'."
Chen Ping'an leaned back and let out a soft breath. "After all, I only have to be responsible to the registered cultivators of one Luopo Mountain. If there's a mistake or a misstep, I'm confident I can still cover for them."
"But as the State Preceptor of Great Li, I have to be responsible to the entire Great Li dynasty, and also to the people on both banks of the Tongye Continent great river."
Chen Ping'an straightened up, leaning slightly forward, staring at Qi Fang and Luo Fumeng across from him. "Whoever makes things difficult for me, especially whoever makes me regret a decision I made, whoever takes a good thing that could benefit everyone and turns it into a complete mess — I'll make sure they know what it feels like to have a difficult New Year every single day of the year."
Outside, Xiao Mo's gaze was gentle.
In the side room, the female cultivator was still considering whether to presumptuously ask that guest for a calligraphy scroll. If the writing was mediocre, she'd hang it in the side room. If it was good, she'd hang it in the main hall.
Inside the room.
Wu Cai was a little afraid of Swordsman Chen now.
The Vermilion Face Lady seemed somewhat distracted.
Nian Xin didn't find anything wrong.
Once the context became clear, Nian Xin understood the long history behind this deal. Chen Ping'an hadn't said it explicitly, but she believed the Hundred Flowers Paradise also understood: Chen Ping'an wanted to use the Hundred Flowers Paradise's influence in the Central Land Divine Continent, and this Hundred Flowers River, over centuries and millennia, to continuously attract more mountain cultivators to Tongye Continent. When people go, wealth comes. With both popularity and wealth, a broken Tongye Continent would gradually gain a breath of life — like a withered tree meeting spring.
Perhaps that was the brilliance of his senior brother Cui Chan's doctrine of practical merit?
Qi Fang stood up, took three steps back, and then made a deep bow. "On behalf of the Hundred Flowers Paradise, I thank Mr. Chen for his instruction!"
Luo Fumeng, Wu Cai, and even the Vermilion Face Lady all stood up simultaneously and sincerely thanked this man.
Afterwards, Chen Ping'an was the first to walk out of the house. Perhaps because the sunlight was glaring, he raised his hand to shield his eyes.
Xiao Mo followed behind his master, who had his hands in his sleeves. As they descended the steps, the female cultivator temple priest walked quickly out of the side room and said softly, "Honored guest, please wait."
Chen Ping'an stopped, withdrew his hands from his sleeves, and asked with a smile, "Is something the matter?"
Ye Man asked softly, "May I presumptuously ask, what is the guest's surname?"
Chen Ping'an hesitated, then said, "Chen."
Ye Man seemed a little disappointed. She said with embarrassment, "Then I must have mistaken you for someone else."
Chen Ping'an didn't ask why. He just smiled. "No matter."
Leaving the Flower God Temple, walking with Xiao Mo on the still-bustling street.
Chen Ping'an was silent for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Xiao Mo?"
Xiao Mo knew what his master wanted to ask. He understood without words. He replied, "Master will also be a good person in the future."
Xiao Mo added, "We are all following."
Chen Ping'an put his hands behind his head and murmured, "Is that so..."
One of the foundations of Senior Brother Cui Chan's doctrine of practical merit was reward.
To entice people with fame and fortune, you must give them enough promotion and wealth. If the official hat is big enough, give them posthumous titles, have official historians write their biographies, or let them see real gold and silver.
To entice people with benevolence and righteousness, you must give them a path to realize their ambitions — whether it's literary fame, scholarly reputation, or the vision of governing the country and pacifying the world — all must be given.
To entice people with the great Dao of immortality, you must give them enough heavenly materials, secret scriptures, immortal heavy treasures, and stable breakthroughs in cultivation levels, step by step up the mountain.
Satisfy their ambitions and desires. Give them the freedom they yearn for in their hearts.
The second foundation was to make everyone both fear and respect him, forever seeing him as an "unknown".
The third foundation was... to walk alone, to be lonely. Perhaps true hermits are either beasts or gods.
As he walked, he saw Ning Yao standing not far away, munching on a candied hawthorn stick, with another in her hand. She raised it, shaking it, waiting for Chen Ping'an.