Great Changes

The attempt to close Liang Qu failed.

The martial arts world is not just about fighting and killing; it's about human relationships and social interactions.

The invitation in my hand was heavy and thick, with gold foil patterns that showed its extraordinary nature. The logo of the Celestial Ship Merchant Guild was engraved in the lower right corner of the red book.

I have read the content.

The servant who delivered the visiting card prepared the ink, respectfully handed over the writing brush, and held the small inkstone in his hands.

Liang Qu took the brush, licked it with ink, wrote "Respectfully accompanying you at the end of the table" below the invitation, and then handed it back to the servant.

"We eagerly await Lord Liang's arrival."

The servant carefully put away the invitation and Ink Treasure, bowed, and retreated, led away from the hall by Fan Xinglai.

Liang Qu sighed as he looked at the empty courtyard.

"Ugh, I have to go out again."

Four days ago, the River Conservancy Office returned in triumph.

The next day, he received the invitation at home.

Jian Zhongyi, the magistrate of Ping Yang County, planned to hold a grand banquet on the third floor of Sky Vessel Tower to welcome the soldiers and boost morale.

Today is the day of the banquet, so Liang Qu received another invitation.

For a formal banquet, three invitations must be sent.

The first invitation was sent to the intended guest's home three days in advance. The second invitation was delivered on the day of the banquet. The third invitation was sent an hour before the banquet began.

After the invitations are sent, if you want to go, fill in "I know"; if you are polite, fill in "I respectfully accompany you"; if you don't want to go, fill in "Thank you" or "I respectfully decline." The errand boy will then collect the invitations and send them back.

This is the third invitation, an hour before the banquet begins, meaning Liang Qu is about to attend.

I originally planned to stay home and seclude myself, but I ended up soaking in water and collecting all 1,400 points of Marsh Essence in one go.

Things don't always go as planned.

So be it.

It would be a waste of two hours, but I might as well stop by the Celestial Ship Merchant Guild to see if they sell any underwater Treasure Plant. Maybe if I'm lucky, I won't have to hold back for the remaining seven days and can get all the way up in one go.

Liang Qu returned to his bedroom to change his clothes and tidy up his appearance.

He then pulled out a stack of Silver Note from the box. He wanted to count them, but after thinking about it, he simply put them all in his pocket.

The total sum was a huge amount of over five thousand taels! The bulk of it came from Xiang Fangsu buying his hot pot recipe, the smaller portion of over two hundred taels was the rent paid by the Great Beaver, and the smallest portion was the salary paid by the River Conservancy Office and the daily fishing income.

Unprecedented extravagance.

After changing his clothes, Liang Qu shouted out the window, "A Xing, prepare the horses!"

"Okay!"

Fan Xinglai put down the broom and ran to the stable, combed Red Mountain's hair, put on the horse harness, and led Red Mountain to the side gate.

Liang Qu took the reins and mounted his horse.

Celestial Ship Merchant Guild.

The horse's hooves trod on the stone slabs, moving slowly and casting long, slanted shadows.

It was already dusk, Sky Vessel Tower with lanterns and colorful streamers, with red silk fluttering in the air and the aroma of cooking wafting everywhere.

People in short shirts gathered at the door, lining up to receive celebratory rice. It wasn't much, only one pound per person, but it was still a pleasant surprise.

"Never forget the Emperor's kindness! Never forget the Emperor's kindness!"

The Steward of measuring decimeters, shouted at the top of his lungs.

Those in line nodded repeatedly, while those who received their turn didn't even turn their heads back, hurrying home to cook.

Liang Qu shook his head.

This operation involves two Martial Saint, so the higher-ups must have known about it beforehand, but the reward will not come so quickly.

He turned his head and saw a large red notice posted at the entrance of the Chamber of Commerce, with a celebratory inscription written in a flamboyant style.

The lower right corner of the document bears the seal of the Ping Yang County Magistrate and Jian Zhongyi's personal seal, proving who the author of this article is.

"Vast and boundless is the flat marshland, where no one can be seen."

Rivers meander, islands are entangled in disputes. Darkness and desolation prevail, the wind howls and the sun dims.

The reeds are broken, the grass withered, as cold as a frosty morning. Birds cannot fly down, beasts flee in terror...

Excellent writing.

Liang Qu wrote his own poems but did not produce any essays, yet he possessed basic appreciation skills.

The article begins by describing the hardships of war, mourning the fallen soldiers, and condemning the atrocities of the Ghost Mother."

He then changed the subject, elaborating on the Great Merit of the River Conservancy Office and how the people would surely live in peace and prosperity in the future.

Reading the whole thing is truly inspiring.

The last time the Ghost Mother Sect caused a huge disturbance, it caused panic in several surrounding counties and resulted in a large number of displaced people. This kind of strong stimulus is indeed needed.

Next to Qingwen, several new policy notices were also displayed.

The first one is about the issue of refugees.

The notice stated that as long as the refugees came before the autumn harvest in October this year and had not committed any serious crimes such as murder, robbery, or rape, their past transgressions would be forgiven, and they could be re-registered and start over.

When many refugees first came to Ping Yang County, most of them were resettled, but many others went to the mountains and forests and chose to Hidden Household.

Some even chose to become bandits, adding considerable burden to the trade routes.

This move was clearly intended to further expand the population, reduce instability, and enhance caravan circulation.

The next two points concern the second round of planting this year, including the option to borrow money from the government office if there are no seeds or tools, and repay the loan after the harvest.

The fourth point concerns the surrounding townships of Ping Yang County, outlining the plan to designate four major towns, located in the southeast, northwest, and southwest corners, as preparation for their future integration into the county.

Yi Xing Town, where Liang Qu is located, is part of the planned East Town, which will become the "East District".

The above four points are not closely related to Liang Qu, but the fifth point is quite interesting.

Ping Yang County is preparing to build a temple.

In Da Shun prefectures and counties, there were Confucian Temple, Martial Temple, and City God Temple. In places near Great Marsh or the sea, there were also often Water God Temple and sea god temples.

Previously, this only existed in Chao River County, not in Ping Yang Town. Even after Ping Yang Town was changed to Ping Yang County, it still didn't exist. Now, it's clear that this needs to be added to improve Ping Yang County's functions as a county.

The notice meant that people were encouraged to sign up, and that anyone who came would be given food and their work would be provided as a form of relief.

"Water God Temple..."

Liang Qu's thoughts were in turmoil. He wondered if the temple would receive more Favorability from his worshippers after it was built. "Well written! If I had this level of skill, my father wouldn't have had to beat me by the ear back then."

Ke Wenbin quietly stood beside Liang Qu, crossed his arms and sighed, clearly recalling some painful memories.

Xiang Fangsu had come along, nodded. "It's not easy for Magistrate Jian to get to where he is today."

Liang Qu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Magistrate Jian comes from a prominent Aristocratic Clan; how difficult is it for him to speak of such a thing?"

He remembered clearly that Jian Zhongyi was the direct descendant of the Jian Family of Qingzhou.

How could someone of such status be associated with something so unpleasant? Seeing that no one was around, Ke Wenbin whispered, "It's just gossip. Take it with a grain of salt, but don't take it seriously."

Liang Qu became curious. "Details."

"The Jian Family has three Grandmaster, you know that, right?"

Liang Qu nodded; he had heard about it at the auction.

"Magistrate Jian is a direct descendant of one of the Grandmaster. He was exceptionally talented from a young age and was very popular. However, behind closed doors, there are always some disagreements. Jian's birth mother and that Old Ancestor ..." Ke Wenbin gestured with his eyes.

Liang Qu lowered his voice. "Incestuous relationship?"

Upon hearing this, Liang Qu himself hesitated.

If it's separated by several generations, does that count as incest? "I never said that."

Ke Wenbin took a step forward and drew a line on the ground with his toes, indicating that he was severing ties with Liang Qu and drawing a clear line between them.

Xiang Fangsu patted Liang Qu on the shoulder. "Actually, it's just some rumors, don't take it seriously. It's just that back in the Imperial Examination, I heard my father say that the top scholar should have been Magistrate Jian, but the current emperor thought it would have a bad influence, so he changed it to the Second Place."

"Living too long, troubles easily arise in wealthy families. It's nothing new. We don't understand, we don't understand." Ke Wenbin said "we don't understand" twice, then put his arms around the two of them. "Come on, let's go upstairs to eat!"