Protect Our Chief

However, Wang Shouzhe was very determined on this matter and conveyed a message to Saintess Dai and the Elder Gu through several aspects.

If this condition could not be accepted, then everything would revert to the past, and military action would be taken if necessary.

In the end, as the conditions in the Southern Border improved, Saintess Dai increasingly trusted Wang Shouzhe and ultimately compromised under his will.

Additionally, there were more than a hundred various clauses, some of which were quite beneficial to the Southern Border County. For example, the Daqian Association would invest funds annually to guide the development of various industries in the Southern Border County.

Furthermore, if a natural or man-made disaster were to occur in the Southern Border Semi-autonomous County, the Daqian Association would provide personnel and resources, and even military assistance. However, if the Daqian needed to go to war, the Southern Border’s troops must also submit to conscription.

Many terms, therefore, will not be mentioned one by one.

As soon as the agreement was signed.

Emperor Longchang could not help being both spirited and full of loss, very contradictory.

The submission of the Southern Border Barbarian Gu Race to Daqian and solving many subsequent troubles was naturally a great achievement and glory during his reign as the emperor, and the annals of history would certainly highlight it.

But in reality, he, as the emperor, was just going through the motions, unaware of what happened in between, and by the time he knew, just needed to sign and stamp...

It was incidental.

Had he not come thick-skinned to watch the excitement, Wang Shouzhe might have waited until everything was done and just had Emperor’s Son An bring the agreement back for him to stamp.

"Your Majesty, Xiao Limo and Prince Dexin have been detained in the Central Army." Wang Shouzhe kindly reminded, "One is a prince, the other is a grand marshal, you’d better handle it personally."

"Shouzhe, you are the most capable minister I’ve ever seen. Why don’t you handle it all for me?" Emperor Longchang’s tone carried the melancholy and dissatisfaction of being "deprived of power."

The implication was unmistakable.

Aren’t you quite capable? Why do you need me to clean up the aftermath?

If you have the ability, go ahead and cut down both Dexin and Xiao Limo! No matter how you handle it, you’ll offend countless people.

"Alright, Your Majesty, please give me a decree to handle it all," Wang Shouzhe seriously contemplated and responded, "I will dispose of it entirely according to Daqian Law, with no bias."

Emperor Longchang was taken aback.

You really dare, Shouzhe.

However, it was Wang Shouzhe’s daring that, conversely, made Emperor Longchang dare not.

He fully realized Shouzhe’s capability, and the key was that this lad was rather lazy and not very ambitious.

In the future, as long as Emperor’s Son An receives occasional guidance and support from Wang Shouzhe, Daqian might have a chance to ascend to an Immortal Dynasty.

Such a person, Emperor Longchang should protect and care for when necessary. Should he become too troubled due to numerous enmities and retires in seclusion, that would be disastrous.

"I will handle Dexin and Xiao Limo myself," Emperor Longchang waved his hand, "Once this is finished, let’s return home early. I do miss the leisure days at your Wang Family, having morning tea, playing mahjong, and cards."

The emperor’s chess skills were "too high." He found it boring to often torment Shouzhe, but fortunately, the Wang Family has plenty of card games, including mahjong, landlord, eighty points, and ascending, though simple, they are fresh.

"Your Majesty, returning home early is doable," Wang Shouzhe looked at Emperor Longchang and said nostalgically, "but when will you issue a decree to have the National Taxation Bureau and the Royal Ancestral Mansion settle your pension account? Our Wang Family is small and thin..."

"Didn’t we just settle it?" The emperor glared with a vigorous demeanor and accused like a villain, "Shouzhe, are you planning to extort the old emperor’s pension? Is it easy being an emperor? I have bled for Daqian, for the Human Race..."

"Your Majesty, that’s not how the account is calculated; everything has its own category," Wang Shouzhe interrupted, "I heard from Ruolan that you feel playing mahjong without money is dull. You insisted on issuing a decree for gambling with money, resulting in you losing three years’ worth of pensions, which are still owed. The physiotherapy costs that Xian’Er and I gave you are considered filial piety, but the gambling debt still needs settling, right?"

Gambling is prohibited within the Wang Family, and when the family plays cards, it’s very small stakes. Yet, His Majesty finds it boring, so we must find a way to discipline him, or else he’ll corrupt the Wang Family’s conduct.

"This, it’s inappropriate to ask the National Taxation and Ancestral Mansion for gambling debts... let’s find another way to repay," the emperor’s tone immediately weakened, looking innocently at Wang Shouzhe with blinking eyes.

"Does Your Majesty have any private property left?" Wang Shouzhe pressed, intending to make the emperor bleed heavily.

"None left, all distributed to my descendants," Emperor Longchang spread his hands helplessly, "I’m just a lonely old man, what do I need those for? Rest assured, I won’t decree money for mahjong gains or losses in the future."

Upon hearing this, Wang Shouzhe was not angry but happy, suddenly pulling out a stack of documents from his storage ring with a bright smile: "Your Majesty, how about taking a look at the Outer Domain development project list... This task is good; there’s a large Upper Grade Spirit Vein that even Celestial River Zhenren’s Divine Techniques can’t extract..."

"..." Emperor Longchang.

...

In the blink of an eye, time passed by swiftly.

In the year 3260 of the Longchang Calendar, spring.

It had been two years since the pacification of the Southern Border and the resolution of the troubles involving Dexin, etc.

Wang Shouzhe was now one hundred and thirty-four years old, with many descendants.

On an unnamed island more than two thousand miles from Ice Demon Island, Wang Shouzhe was quietly sitting cross-legged on a small hillock.

Behind him was a towering tree tens of feet high.

The thick trunk stretched and spread in all directions, opening a canopy like a green parasol. The verdant leaves rustled, and strands of green brilliance emanated, forming a massive energy shield with the massive tree as its core.

It enveloped the area around Wang Shouzhe, creating a space of absolute safety for him.

This towering tree was naturally Wang Shouzhe’s Lifebound Spirit Plant, Wang Lixian.

Over the years, under Wang Shouzhe’s Profound Qi catalysis, Wang Lixian had already advanced to Tier Seven. Usually, in the Wang Family, to accommodate her father’s wish to keep a low profile, she deliberately maintained a reduced size.

Now, her body was fully extended, almost no smaller than the old Evergreen Tree of the Eternal Spring Valley. In terms of power, there wasn’t much difference either.

At this moment, this man and tree appeared here not for any other reason, but because Wang Shouzhe was about to advance to the Purple Mansion Realm.

Since his bloodline talent transformed to the Innate Spirit Body Level, Wang Shouzhe’s not-so-modest cultivation speed further accelerated. In less than twelve years, he had completed the accumulation and refinement of Profound Qi, reaching the standard for advancing to the Purple Mansion Realm.

Currently, he was conducting the final honing and adjustments, preparing for the upcoming advance to the Purple Mansion Realm.

The thought of soon entering the Purple Mansion Realm stirred even Wang Shouzhe’s well-tempered heart with a bit of excitement.

Having transmigrated for a hundred and eighteen years, the arduous journey he had traversed was vividly remembered, and his heart gradually surged with emotions.

Once in the Purple Mansion, he would be an Ascendant, with a lifespan of up to eight hundred years!

In his previous life on Earth, this would have been akin to a Land Immortal level.

...