How About We Go Again?

An hour later, Miaocheng Tian slowly let out a long breath, her strength and spirit both utterly spent.

At that moment, she felt the qi within her surging like floodwaters. Afraid her Innate Severed Meridians might flare up again, she sat cross-legged where she was and regulated her breathing.

But what Miaocheng Tian feared never happened. She smoothly made the inner power she had gained through dual cultivation her own.

Then she opened her eyes, her face alight with joy.

"Your Highness, this technique really can ease the problem with my Innate Severed Meridians."

Zhu Youning lay on the bed. "This prince always keeps his word. Since I said I could treat your meridians, of course I wouldn't lie to you."

"Your Highness truly is wise and mighty!"

Miaocheng Tian really hadn't expected this yin-yang dual-cultivation method to work on her Innate Severed Meridians. She was overjoyed.

Though she had practiced the Inverted Dragon and Phoenix Art for less than an hour, Miaocheng Tian could already feel a warm current flowing through her meridians. Her body and mind felt even more at ease than they had during their lovemaking.

As if savoring the experience, she thought for a while, then asked, "With this method of cultivation, both people's progress should be the same. But what happens if one person's power far surpasses the other's?"

Zhu Youning first let Miaocheng Tian slowly wipe the stains from his body, then answered casually, "When practicing the Inverted Dragon and Phoenix Art, the stronger party can, if they wish, seize the other's power while exchanging qi. Of course, they can also give the other more of their own qi."

In other words, during dual cultivation, the stronger party always held the upper hand.

Take Black and White Impermanence, for example. During their dual cultivation, Chang Haoling usually gave most of the inner power he cultivated to Chang Xuanling.

Just now, Zhu Youning had likewise given Miaocheng Tian most of the inner power they had gained through dual cultivation.

That alone showed Zhu Youning was indeed far stronger than Miaocheng Tian, which left her feeling somewhat relieved.

Thank goodness she hadn't fallen out with him earlier.

Miaocheng Tian felt a little afraid in retrospect, but her face remained all smiles.

"Your Highness, you gave most of your power to me. How could I possibly accept it?"

"You can accept it. It's not much. How about we go again?"

The next morning.

The sky outside the window was only just beginning to brighten when Zhu Youning reluctantly got out of bed.

Miaocheng Tian had, of course, woken up too.

They said the day's work began at dawn.

Not wanting to waste the fine morning hours, Zhu Youning got up and treated Miaocheng Tian's Innate Severed Meridians once more before heading to work.

As soon as he arrived at the government office, Li Zhen came to see him.

"Your Highness has braved hardship to come to this land of Ziqing and defend our Great Liang's borders. You truly are a pillar of the nation."

"It's my duty and my responsibility. You flatter me, Lord Li. Let's talk about the refugees." Zhu Youning was brief, getting straight to the point.

Li Zhen looked at Zhu Youning in surprise. He truly hadn't expected him to be so straightforward. He cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, this way."

By all rights, given the current borders of Great Liang, Pinglu was a fine place.

Its resources and location both held great promise. Most importantly, it lay in the lands of Qi and Lu, away from interference by powerful warlords like Qi and Jin to the west, allowing it to shut its gates and develop on its own.

There was, however, one very real problem troubling Zhu Youning.

The endless stream of refugees before him.

"Mountains and seas enfold Qingzhou." Since ancient times, Qingzhou had been a relatively fertile land. And now that the fighting in Ziqing had ceased, it was only natural that refugees would come there.

But there were far too many of them—over forty or fifty thousand!

After Wang Shifan surrendered, Zhu Wen had sent Li Zhen to govern Pinglu.

Faced with so many refugees, Li Zhen didn't dare let them all into the city. With no other choice, he gathered the forty or fifty thousand people at a makeshift camp outside Qingzhou.

When Zhu Youning arrived at the temporary camp, he saw that the refugees were all sallow and weak, with barely any strength left. Many were so emaciated that their skin clung to their bones, yet their bellies bulged grotesquely—clear signs they had eaten Guanyin clay.

The scene was like a hell of slaughter, terrifying beyond words.

"Lord Li, is there any grain left in Pinglu?"

Li Zhen cupped his hands. "Your Highness, after years of warfare, the prefectural granaries throughout Pinglu are empty."

"Not a single grain?"

Zhu Youning frowned.

Everyone said Pinglu's soil was fertile and suited to growing crops. How could there be no grain at all?

But Li Zhen nodded all the same.

"There is grain, but it's in the hands of a few. Zhang He, head of Qingzhou's most prominent Zhang Clan, controls no less than a hundred thousand shi."

At that, Zhu Youning asked instinctively, "Zhang He? Shouldn't Wang Shifan be the most powerful man in Qingzhou?"

Li Zhen smiled. "Your Highness may not know, but Wang Shifan suffered a defeat, and after surrendering, he was transferred to Bian Prefecture, Luoyang, and other places. His control here has long since weakened. These days, the local power in Qingzhou belongs to the Zhang Clan, led by Zhang He."

"What's Zhang He's background? What sort of man is he?"

"Zhang He is said to have some connection to Zhang Chan, the rebel general who served under Wang Jingwu. After Wang Shifan left Pinglu, he quickly swallowed up Wang Shifan's former forces. Unlike the scholarly Wang Shifan, this man is ruthless and unscrupulous, throwing his weight around locally. The Pinglu military governors once had a hundred thousand surrendered troops, most of them gathered in Zi and Qing. In Qingzhou, three or four out of every ten officers come from Zhang He's Zhang Clan."

"A family of hereditary generals." Zhu Youning had hit the nail on the head. "If left unchecked, he'll become the next Wang Shifan. Didn't Lord Wang rein him in?"

Li Zhen shook his head. "That man is hopelessly pedantic and foolish, yet thinks himself clever. He'll never amount to much. Wang Shifan once commanded a hundred thousand troops. At most, Zhang He could probably muster a few thousand Qingzhou Soldiers. It would be easy for me to deal with him."

With that, Li Zhen looked embarrassed. "Still, Zhang He is rather tactful. He knows how to cultivate ties in official circles, and besides, even a mighty dragon cannot crush a local snake."

Zhu Youning smiled without a word. So Li Zhen had taken a bribe from him. No wonder he'd turned a blind eye.

Li Zhen continued, "Zhang He has plenty of grain. If Your Highness discusses it with him, he'll surely give up some."

"Discuss my ass!"

Zhu Youning scoffed, then turned and asked, "Liu Xun, what do you think?"

Liu Xun's expression remained calm, but his tone was just as dismissive. "The Zhang Clan's officers are a pack of straw dogs. When it comes to fighting, they only know how to skulk in the rear."

Only then did Li Zhen turn his attention to the general who had spoken. "Is this the Liu Xun known as the fiercest general in Ziqing?"

"That's right. He's Liu Xun, nicknamed Ten Strategies Per Step. Few can breach a city he defends!"

After introducing Liu Xun to Li Zhen, Zhu Youning said, "Liu Xun, I have a task for you. Within half a month, gather the hundred thousand garrison troops of Pinglu and win them all over. Can you do it?"

Liu Xun immediately cupped his fists. "This general will not fail Your Highness!"

Zhu Youning nodded with satisfaction, then turned to Li Zhen. "One more thing, Lord Li. Now that I've arrived in Qingzhou, you should hurry back to Bian Prefecture and report for duty. I'm going to move against Zhang He. If you're here, it might put you in an awkward position."

"Yes, Your Highness."