Earl Ying

The Earl Ying

Not all sorcerers belong to the Sky-Toppling Observatory. After thousands of years of development, the sorcerer system has become relatively mature. Although it cannot compare to the Daoist Sect with its millennia of history, some smaller branches have developed independently.

Most of them are secretly cultivated by aristocratic families. They have the financial and material resources. They don't just cultivate sorcerers; they also cultivate cultivators from the Daoist Sect, referred to as Taoists.

And those they pass down in their own families are scholars, whose power system comes from the Academy.

Knowledge is power!

This saying is real in this fantasy world. Ever since the Sage of Literature from the Academy's academies proclaimed the Heavenly Edict and founded the [Word Spirit], written characters and language have become the most potent forces.

As Ming Shu entered the residence of Earl Ying, his entire body felt enveloped by some kind of power, completely different from when he was on the street. Was the entire Qing Shui County shrouded in a strange power?

Ming Shu was somewhat surprised, so he showed it. He sensitively turned his head to look back outside, only to see the tightly shut gate.

So, the door god paintings drawn on the outside of the gate truly possessed special power. At the same time, the back of the door was covered in patterns, the purpose of which was unknown.

The entire mansion was enveloped by a grand formation. Those living inside would not be affected by the strange power.

Ming Shu and Old Zhao were led to the reception room by the butler.

Earl Ying worked here. The room was not luxuriously decorated, but it was filled with nobility. Both the furniture and the decorations were valuable antiques.

In the main hall, there was an Eight Immortals table and a Grand Tutor's chair, but it seemed they didn't plan to have Ming Shu sit there.

A bamboo curtain hung on the side of the reception room. As they approached, the scent of incense wafted over.

Behind the bamboo curtain was a large desk, on which several piles of documents were neatly arranged.

Some of the styles were uniform, while others varied in length.

There were two types of uniform styles. One was commonly used by the Immortal Dynasty, similar to memorials to the throne, with hard covers and backing, and paper in the middle that could be written on.

They were the same size as memorials, just inferior in color and quality.

The other type was simpler, with only a uniform size and folded paper. However, each cover had a differently colored piece of paper pasted on it.

Perhaps it was to distinguish importance, or perhaps to differentiate regions.

This method of classification was enough to show that Earl Ying was someone who truly worked.

Someone who genuinely wanted to climb the ladder.

However, he had chosen to back the King Chu, who had been defeated at the palace gates, rather than betting on the new emperor. This was rather awkward.

What he was most worried about was when the emperor would settle scores with him.

He needed to act quickly, to strike first before being purged or implicated.

Ming Shu and Old Zhao stood quietly in the middle of the living room, waiting for Earl Ying to finish reading the documents in his hands.

He pondered for a long time, wrote something on them, and then sorted them to another side. At the same time, he whispered instructions to the attendant beside him, and wrote a few sentences on another piece of paper, instructing him to deliver it.

It was estimated that Earl Ying would be working through the night. Several attendants behind him were either going in and out to deliver documents, letters, or the latest intelligence.

Some were responsible for organizing things on the desk, or going to look up certain materials.

It was evident that they were subordinates Earl Ying had used for many years and were skilled and reliable.

It was no wonder he wanted to make a move, being such a distinguished figure in this awkward position.

While Ming Shu was carefully observing Earl Ying, Earl Ying also glanced at him a few times.

"Our family has declined, from Duke to Earl, and it seems that by my generation, even the title of Earl is not guaranteed. I have nothing much to introduce to you. What about you? Do you have a new identity?"

"Zhang Ming Shu!" the young man simply stated his name.

Earl Ying nodded.

"I have many years of friendship with your maternal uncle's family. They used to transport goods frequently in this area and visited me many times, helping me quite a bit."

Earl Ying flipped open a new document and continued to review it.

He was not a local official. Taxes, legal cases, agriculture, water conservancy, and public security were the responsibilities of local officials. As someone with a noble title like him, he was a step above gentry.

At the same time, he possessed some supervisory authority, could directly submit memorials to the Immortal Dynasty, and also had some authority over the allocation of taxes.

A large portion of the land taxes in some nearby towns and villages actually belonged to these local nobles.

They held these rights not only because of their ancestors' distinguished merits but also because they currently possessed considerable combat power.

Because of the existence of extraordinary powers, not only were there local garrisons, but these aristocratic families and local nobles also possessed strong forces.

Status, position, and power were all interconnected.

Sometimes, they could secretly use their power to disrupt the local area, or conversely, help the Immortal Dynasty pacify restless elements.

The noble ranks of the Immortal Dynasty were as follows: First Rank Prince, Successor Prince, Commandery Prince;

Duke, Commandery Duke, County Duke;

Marquis, Earl, Viscount, Baron.

Without special merits, each generation would generally inherit one rank lower.

Therefore, it was not that the descendants of the Duke of England were not capable, but the requirements were too harsh.

Even the emperor's own sons had to be periodically purged and reduced to commoners, let alone these nobles.

But they were all unwilling.

So, many people came up with a way to change the times. They would place their bets in advance. If the prince they supported ascended the throne and became the final victor, they would not only retain their noble rank but even be promoted.

It was the merit of supporting the dragon's ascent.

Although Earl Ying didn't say much at first, focusing on his own matters, he had already taught Ming Shu a lot during this period.

And this unusually composed young man opposite him also piqued Earl Ying's interest, making him decide to put aside his own affairs and converse with him.

Old Zhao was invited out. The attendants also withdrew.

Only Earl Ying and Ming Shu remained.

"I only know the general situation of your circumstances. I can only say that you are incredibly lucky. You must be very confused, not knowing what the point of going east is."

"Tonight, here, I will tell you my understanding. You don't need to worry about external affairs for now. The gunpowder keg was placed by the people in the north, but the fuse is in my hand. I still want to live a few more days."

Earl Ying gave Ming Shu a small town. Theoretically, Ming Shu would need to rely on the land and population of this place to find a way to survive.

Either exploitation or plunder, but these were not long-term solutions.

And Ming Shu himself currently had no capital, so developing any industry was unrealistic.

There was also a prerequisite: natural and man-made disasters were constant, and the chaotic times were slowly beginning. Hiding would not guarantee one's safety. Therefore, hard power, that is, military strength, still needed to be taken very seriously.

Without capital, Earl Ying could provide venture capital. A thousand taels of silver was a small matter; take it and risk it.

In fact, this money was just a tiny fraction of the assets Earl Ying had taken over from the Zhang family in this area.

What Ming Shu didn't know was that his maternal uncle's family had actually been betrayed and killed by their teammates.

Before the former emperor confiscated the Zhang family's property, their assets in various regions had already been hollowed out by these partners. It was just that there was no proof now.

Earl Ying looked at the young man before him, casually making a small investment. Perhaps in the future, it would bring him a huge surprise in return.

Moreover, he would soon be leaving this place. His current identity and assets would all need to be abandoned. There was nothing he was reluctant to part with.

Surviving was the most important thing.

King Chu had already suffered a defeat. Next, King Chu needed to hold on in the south until the situation reversed. These few years would not be easy for anyone.

There would be no opportunity to place bets in the north again in the future.

Earl Ying had invested in many young people before. For example, the Ximen family in Qing Shui County had recently given him a huge surprise.

It also forced him to make plans to escape and leave this place in advance.