The Roles of the Court and the Liu Family

"You're overthinking it. This kind of event is definitely for the big shots!" someone scoffed.

"Yes, the stronger the player, the easier it is for them to gain points and snatch treasures."

"That's right, didn't you guys notice? This treasure hunt is connected to the previous physique enhancement."

"This ranking system is very well designed. It lets us become stronger first, and then it introduces events that require strength."

"Besides, we Ordinary Player can't afford to exchange for Revival Stone. We only have one life. If something happens, we're finished!"

"We're just running alongside the marathon runners; we might as well just be cheerleaders."

Upon hearing this analysis, everyone felt immediately disappointed.

Everyone was initially very excited about the event.

Upon hearing that it was just a runner-up for the big shots, many people's enthusiasm was immediately dampened.

Then someone else said, "However, this also has its advantages for us."

"If we get lucky and manage to snatch the treasure in one go, we'll be set for life!"

"That's right, making it into the top 100 and getting 2 Free Attribute Points is quite impressive."

"Yes, don't be fooled by the fact that these top players have thousands of physique points and millions of points. Even a 1-point increase in physique is a huge boost in reality."

"It's a pity the company has strict offline controls and doesn't allow us to participate in competitive sports, otherwise we would have been rich long ago."

"Ridiculous! Do you dare to participate? If you're exposed immediately, you'll be in for a world of trouble!"

"That's true. Once you participate, you'll have a bounty on your head."

"Actually, it seems safer to stay in Xu City, where the Canxue master is. At least there, no one dares to put a bounty on a rogue."

"That's right, I've already moved there. I just rented a place; I haven't bought one yet, since I don't know when the house might be demolished."

"Stop talking, the game's been updated! Let's check the update content!"

As some players have pointed out, the treasure hunt event has been updated.

It still uses hot updates, meaning it updates in real time.

"The first phase of the game activity has begun."

"Gather intelligence."

"The initial information about the Longevity Water came from the Imperial Observatory and the Prefectural Governor's Office."

"A few prefectural governorates are very enthusiastic about this water."

"Imperial Observatory: The agency of the Sky Wolf Dynasty responsible for mysterious phenomena, strange occurrences, and extraordinary energies."

"Severely corrupt internally, it consisted of one supervisor, three deputy supervisors, and three subordinate departments: the executive department, the experimental department, and the liaison department. It was a bizarre organization that was half feudal and half modern."

"The game will now provide a detailed strategy guide."

"Dear players, please follow the walkthrough step by step, which will greatly reduce the difficulty."

Players in different regions will receive different strategies.

Overall Strategy:

"The first step is to go to Prefectural Island to gather information."

"The Prefect is an important unit in the Sky Wolf Dynasty, responsible for the management of ten to one hundred islands."

"The ambitious prefect is very interested in the Longevity Water."

"Every ambitious prefect is eager to obtain the Longevity Water."

"In their view, obtaining the Longevity Water means that they have received the Mandate of Heaven and will be able to overthrow the Sky Wolf Dynasty and become royalty."

"Yes, one who doesn't want to be emperor can't be a prefect."

"Because the emperor is far away and there are strange obstacles, the position and power of the prefect have been expanded a hundredfold, making him essentially the emperor."

"A prefect who can live for 500 years will certainly have more followers than a prefect who can only live for 30 years."

Everyone agreed after seeing the game guide.

If the eldest brother can live for 500 years, as long as you are honest and loyal to him, you can enjoy 500 years of wealth and honor.

How can one pledge allegiance to a short-lived prefect?

Wouldn't it be embarrassing if he died halfway through?

This is why it is difficult for a leader to gain the loyalty of others if he has no heir or son.

After reading the guide, the players immediately got to work.

Of course, those with the drive to act are few and far between.

After all, most people don't have Revival Stone, so going to the Prefectural Island is obviously a high-risk activity. If they die, that would be terrible.

They didn't want to die.

The more daring players, on the other hand, went to find the Prefectural Island.

It's much more convenient for Gao Linzhi.

He didn't need to ask around at all.

They summoned several elders and asked them directly.

Which Prefectural Island administers Wolf Snake Island?

The Second Elder was speechless for a moment.

He is busy helping villagers solve their housing problems.

Are I just summoned here and asked to answer questions like this?

But he still honestly replied, "Great Elder, our Wolf Snake Island belongs to Sea Sky Island."

"However, people are rarely seen on the Prefectural Island."

"They usually only come here once every two years during a period of calm."

"They will also be accompanied by people from the imperial court."

"So, the prefect and the imperial court are two separate institutions?" Gao Linzhi keenly realized the oddity of the situation.

"It can be said that the imperial court dispatches officials to various regions, but some important islands are often occupied by powerful clans."

"They are familiar with the local oddities and the local sea routes; even an outside prefect would die if he came."

"As a result, the imperial court had no choice but to appoint them as prefects and send some assistants to keep them in check."

"The imperial court would directly send personnel to small islands like ours, and of course, the prefect would also send people."

I understand, this is a typical dual command system.

Just like the chieftains of the Great Ming Dynasty.

In order to win over and control the local wild tribes, the most powerful tribal chief was appointed as Tusi, who was to guard a certain place for generations.

These chieftains, for various reasons, included those who remained loyal and those who frequently rebelled.

Some chieftains would rebel whenever they had free time, for a simple reason: they demanded too much, and the imperial court wouldn't give them what they wanted.

Only a few cases involved excessive exploitation by local officials.

Clearly, in this strange world, the imperial court finds it difficult to exploit the local prefects too much.

Because strange things exist.

The bizarre is like a mushroom.

With mushrooms came peace.

"However, you'd better ask that Clerk He; he knows the ins and outs best."

"He was sent by the imperial court."

"Understood, you may leave."

Gao Linzhi then called Clerk He over.

It must be said, this Clerk He is quite capable.

He said with a fawning expression, "Great Elder, the truth is, the relationship between the imperial court and the prefect is one of struggle without outright conflict."

"The imperial court needs prefects to stabilize their regions, and prefects also need the court's technology and manpower to handle matters they cannot resolve themselves."

"That's good. How about the prefect in our vicinity?" Gao Linzhi nodded.

"The prefect near us is a member of the Liu family from Sea Sky Island."

"That island is located 500 li west of our island."

"It's called Sea Sky Island because it boasts a seamless blend of sea and sky."

"The Liu family is a large clan, occupying the island and numbering over 30,000."

"They have their own clan villages and fortresses, and they are very powerful."

"Even the imperial court gives them some leeway."

"Our main mission in being sent here is to monitor them closely."

Upon hearing this, Gao Linzhi nodded slightly.

It seems the Liu family is indeed quite capable.

It has to be said, this feudal dynasty was rotten.

Control over the powerful families below is very loose.

Ironically, they themselves are cruel, inhumane, and have no bottom line when it comes to the people.

Therefore, the common people could only resist through their clans.

Clan relationships have both advantages and disadvantages.

The advantage is that they can collectively resist the imperial court, but the disadvantage is that they themselves will also be exploited by the clan chief, which is like having another middleman to extort them.

There's nothing we can do about it.

At this moment, Gao Linzhi asked, "What is the relationship between this prefect and the imperial court?"

"Why wasn't the prefect appointed by the imperial court?"

He was asking a question he already knew the answer to, wanting to see Clerk He was being honest.

"This prefectural governorship is usually recommended by a prominent local family, and then approved by the imperial court."

"The imperial court will send over some more specialized assistants, such as a registrar to keep records, Azure Bird Messenger to handle communications, and Wind Patrol Envoy to collect strange news..."

"These assistants, having received professional training from the imperial court, are more skilled in many specialized areas than the local powerful families. Therefore, the prefect has to rely on them and cannot completely exclude the existence of the imperial court."

Gao Linzhi nodded.

The two sides are interdependent, yet also mutually restrictive and antagonistic.

Logically, they should have killed all the officials sent by the imperial court and replaced them with their own people.

Unfortunately, the area also needs professionals, especially in communications and dealing with strange people.

Communication is essential for connecting with the outside world, understanding global trends, and making timely and correct decisions.

Otherwise, if something strange were to break out in some place, and the imperial court said it was going to spread to their area, and they were completely unaware of anything, wouldn't that be like waiting to die?

Therefore, these professionals with irreplaceable skills are worth recruiting in the eyes of powerful families.

"Generally speaking, when these professional assistants come here, they are won over by powerful families, arranged marriages, and given gold, women, and houses."

"Few could refuse, and so after several generations, these professional assistants also became members of powerful and influential families."

"At the same time, they also lost the trust of the imperial court and had no choice but to resign. The court will then send a few more reliable people over."

"And so it goes, over and over again."

"The imperial court would also have prefects send hostages to their own Capital Island for training and education to ensure their loyalty to the court."

"Hmm, very good, please continue." Gao Linzhi was satisfied; what the other party said was correct.

"There's something I need to tell the Great Elder: Actually, a large ship came here before, and the chief clerk leading it was sent by the prefect," Clerk He quickly said.

"Very good."

"It seems that guy has been taken care of, because I noticed that he hasn't shown himself in public for a long time. When he does appear, it's only as a puppet. He doesn't dare to make decisions on many important matters and always listens to others," Clerk He analyzed.

His analysis was correct; that advisor was impersonating the registrar, enjoying wealth and luxury, including his own share.

The reason is simple: the registrar was too greedy, and in the end, he even tried to kill the advisor.

This is what caused the advisor to rebel.

Upon hearing this, Gao Linzhi nodded.

He knew, of course, that the registrar had been killed.

It now appears that even the experienced Clerk He has noticed this.

"Very good, continue telling me about the Liu family."

Gao Linzhi keenly realized that if he wanted to obtain the Longevity Water, he had to start here.

"The Liu family originally came from just a small village," Clerk He immediately began to speak fluently.

"At that time, their family had produced three generations of very outstanding individuals."

"They have cultivated to levels 30, 45, and 55 respectively."

"By the fourth generation, they even had a level 75 master."

"Under the guidance of this great master, they finally merged more than a dozen villages together."

"Then they began to multiply their population to ensure that the elite of the Liu family would not be killed by the monsters."

"And so they continued to reproduce, generation after generation."

"Moreover, all their measures are aimed at increasing the population."

"On their island, having many children is definitely a blessing."

"As soon as the males reach adulthood, they will be assigned wives immediately."

"And they provide a safety net there, meaning you won't starve at all."

"Before you finally have your first child, you'll be treated very poorly, paying the highest taxes and receiving the fewest benefits."

"And after giving birth to your first child, your treatment will immediately become very good."

Clerk He shook his head, clearly having also learned quite a few modern words.

"Having two children will result in better benefits, and the more children you have, the better the benefits will be."

"In theory, as long as a couple can successfully raise more than five children, they can enjoy lifelong food, drink, and housing expenses, all of which will be reimbursed by the Liu family."

At this moment, Gao Linzhi frowned and said:

"That would be a huge number."

"The money comes from the villagers; in the end, it will be squeezed out of the ordinary villagers. The Liu family can't generate wealth themselves."

Gao Linzhi nodded.

That makes sense.

Isn't this the most typical example of maternity subsidies in modern society?

In many places with welfare benefits, people don't want to have children.

At most, they can raise the child to adulthood.

"At this moment, I believe that the Liu family must also know about the Longevity Water and are definitely preparing to seize it."

"Yes. I understand their capabilities," Gao Linzhi nodded. "If we know, they must have known for a long time."

Clerk He, continued, "Well, in my opinion, they will likely mobilize the tenant farmers to help them find clues."

"Even the slightest clue about the Elixir of Longevity Water would be helpful."

"Yes, that's right." Gao Linzhi nodded. "We should also send people in to further infiltrate the Liu family."

"Please leave this to me. The Liu family has always wanted to have more members."

"As long as I handle it, the Liu family will definitely welcome anyone who comes, and might even hold a welcome banquet."

"Alright then, I trust you." Gao Linzhi nodded. "I'll leave this to you."

Clerk He looked excited.

He's finally going to make a name for himself again.

"I'll go find out about Sea Sky Island right away."

Soon after, the game updated its event guide.

"The imperial court allocated a portion of the Longevity Water to the prefect."

"Originally, this was intended to be distributed to the entire imperial court, including the prefects, but unfortunately, the court had ulterior motives and wanted to use it to incite conflict between the players and the aristocratic families."

"In this way, the imperial court can reap the benefits without lifting a finger."

"What a ruthless court!" Some people, after reading this, immediately backed down.