Seeking Alms

Fengxi County, at the city gates

A long line had formed here early in the morning. Ever since word spread that several major households of Fengxi County were paying people to repair the riverbanks and roads as work relief, more and more able-bodied young men had come to inquire.

Even the local people, busy with the farming season, could not help carving out time from their hectic schedules to ask about it.

"Master, Fengxi County truly has many devout believers. For those great households to contribute money and effort at such a time, their merits are boundless!"

At that moment, several figures in bamboo hats stood amid the crowd, watching the scene from afar.

"Exactly. If not for the compassion of those great households led by the Zhang family, who knew how many refugees would have starved to death? They even hired several physicians outside the city to provide free consultations."

A well-dressed young man beside them, clad in cool silk robes, casually joined the conversation, his eyes brimming with pride.

The figures in bamboo hats glanced sideways at his words.

"Master, should we go and have a look at the doors of those great households?"

One of the younger figures was clearly eager to try, his eyes gleaming.

"If they are willing to give alms, the silver needed to prepare our Patriarch's golden body will have a source!"

At those words, the others all turned their gazes toward the middle-aged man at their head. He wore a bamboo hat, yet was dressed in a Daoist robe, a Pure Yang headscarf upon his head and a treasured sword strapped to his back.

"Since they are devout believers, they will naturally perform good deeds. Let us give it a try!"

The leading figure gave a slight nod, though an odd smile showed in his eyes.

"Good, Master. I shall go ahead and scout things out!"

One of the plump figures smiled warmly.

Zhang family

It was dusk, and the lanterns had just begun to glow.

Zhang Yi was negotiating with an envoy from the Gu family.

Not long after Gu Xiu'er sent her letter, someone from the Gu family had personally come calling. This time, it was Gu Zhen, the younger brother of the Gu family head. He was a shrewd and capable middle-aged man, with a handsome beard beneath his chin, a longsword in hand, and an imposing air.

As Zhang Yi and Gu Zhen haggled back and forth, Zhang Jian sat beside them as a precaution against unforeseen trouble. Yet throughout it all, he merely wore a faint smile while sizing Gu Zhen up.

Zhang Jian reckoned that the Gu family had come this time to negotiate peace. It seemed they were no longer prepared to continue fighting the Zhang family.

The Gu family had suffered a loss at the Zhang family's hands last time, and they still could not see through the Zhang family's true depth. Making peace now indeed better served the Gu family's interests.

Such noble families were always the most cautious. If they could not discern the other side's foundations, they would never rashly forge a blood feud.

Especially after learning that the Zhang family had at least two "mystic adepts."

The Gu family ceded a portion of their interests, agreeing not to interfere in Fengxi County's overall affairs any longer. However, negotiations over the other terms of compensation had reached a deadlock.

The Zhang family was clearly not satisfied with such meager gains. This time, the Gu family had broken the rules by sending people to damage the Zhang family's treasured imperial plaque. Once Zhang Yi learned that the plaque could ward off evil and intimidate mystic adepts, his heart had ached terribly.

On the other hand, the Gu family believed that the Zhang family had already gained an enormous advantage. Fengxi County had originally been within the Gu family's sphere of influence, and Yang Qing had been their representative in Fengxi County. The Gu family had paid no small price to place Yang Qing there in the first place, yet now the Zhang family had taken advantage of the situation. That alone was already an immense concession.

Zhang Jian sat in his chair with a leisurely expression. Once the Zhang family's influence fully spread into every corner of Fengxi County, his own influence would rise accordingly. At the next ancestral sacrifice, he should reap quite a harvest.

Yet with the Zhang family now controlling Fengxi County, taking another step forward would not be easy.

Every place in Fengyang already had an owner. But now, refugees were rioting and bandits were rising everywhere. It was an opportunity.

Especially now, when those great families in the commandery seat are busy resisting the pressure from that Commandery Governor...

Light flickered in Zhang Jian's eyes.

Commandery Governor Yu Tongguang—though Zhang Jian had never met him, he had heard of him. This governor was a ruthless figure, a high official entrusted with the defense of a region and valued by the imperial court. Sent to Fengyang Commandery, he was said to intend to sweep away the entrenched local magnates and restore the court's prestige.

Not long after arriving in Fengyang, he had successively brought down several local great clans, confiscating their homes and exterminating their families, opening the grain stores, and winning over the people's hearts.

This Commandery Governor had placed immense pressure upon the many aristocratic clans of the commandery seat. If not for that, the Gu family would not have lowered their heads so easily.

In the end, the Gu family still bled heavily. In addition to several chests of gold, silver, and valuables, they agreed to open several trade routes for the Zhang family's people to join.

They were also willing to help the Zhang family establish waterwheel workshops, blacksmithing workshops, and the like in several other counties of Fengyang Commandery.

Only after the negotiations were settled did Zhang Yi summon Gu Xiu'er and Duanmu Yan, returning them to Gu Zhen.

Before leaving, Gu Xiu'er clearly shot Zhang Jian a glare. She was still dwelling on his mention of a marriage alliance, though there was no small measure of relief in it as well.

Seeing this, Zhang Jian smiled faintly. "Miss Gu, you and I have spent half a month together day and night. Why must you be so heartless?"

"Young Master Zhang is so frivolous, ruining a woman's reputation. That is hardly the bearing of a gentleman!"

Gu Xiu'er gave a soft snort. Gu Zhen, meanwhile, glanced at Zhang Jian and Gu Xiu'er, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes.

After Gu Zhen left with Gu Xiu'er and Duanmu Yan, Zhang Yi shook his head and said,

"A-Yu, do you regret it?!"

"Why does Father say that?"

Zhang Jian looked somewhat surprised.

Gu Xiu'er was indeed beautiful, but he was not the sort who could not walk straight at the sight of a pretty woman. With his current status, finding a good marriage would not be difficult.

Of course, though he had now stepped through the gate of the Great Dao, Zhang Jian did not believe that meant he had to withdraw from the world and become a mystic detached from mortal dust.

The mortal world was a great furnace, the best place to forge the foundation of the Dao. If he could not live through an ordinary person's life and experience all the myriad affairs of the world, Zhang Jian would feel deeply regretful.

Cultivating immortality was not about severing one's emotions and extinguishing one's desires. On the contrary, one needed to draw upon the supreme principles of the Dao between Heaven and Earth and forge a heart of utmost sincerity.

If one did not enter the world, how could one transcend it?

Zhang Jian did not wish to cultivate himself into a simple fool. Rather, he wished to see through worldly affairs, holding all changes in creation within his heart.

Utmost sincerity, utmost truth.

This was also what the Nine Chapters of Paulownia Mountain Purity advocated.

One also needed to steal Heaven and Earth's hidden mysteries in order to attain the Dao.

Zhang Yi did not know what Zhang Jian was thinking. He merely said with regret,

"Have you ever heard such a legend?

"It is said that our Fengyang is blessed by Heaven and contains within its commandery an ancient geomantic formation: Twin Phoenix Arrival. They say that within the Twin Phoenix Mountain Range are two phoenix nests, one female and one male. Every so often, they nurture a phoenix maiden who gathers the spiritual beauty of mountains and rivers. Such a woman is extraordinarily intelligent and carries noble fortune. If she marries into a humble family, she can enrich it and easily forge it into a great and powerful clan!

"If she marries into a local great clan, she can help her husband's family rise another level and establish a family of dukes, ministers, kings, and marquises!

"And if she enters the palace, she may become Empress!

"Come to think of it, Fengyang truly has produced several imperial empresses over the past thousand years!"

Zhang Jian was speechless. Smiling, he looked at Zhang Yi. "So that is why Father disregarded Mother's objections and insisted that I approach Gu Xiu'er. Could it be that you believed Gu Xiu'er to be the phoenix maiden of legend?"

Zhang Yi nodded. "It is highly possible!"

Zhang Jian shook his head with a smile. "Since ancient times, the women of Fengyang have surpassed those of the surrounding four commanderies in spiritual grace. There is no shortage of virtuous young ladies, beautiful outside and wise within. Setting aside all else, Mother has always said that my two cousins are beautiful and quick-witted, young ladies one in a thousand!"

Zhang Jian's mother, the Zhang family's principal wife Qi, came from the Qi family, another great clan of the commandery seat.

The Qi family's influence was not weak, especially within the military.

Qi had often dropped hints before Zhang Jian. Both Zhang Jian and Zhang Yi naturally understood her intentions.

But Zhang Jian had always respectfully declined before, because he feared that they might end up bearing an intellectually disabled child. Now that he had stepped through the gate of the Great Dao, however, his attitude had changed somewhat...

"A general's daughter, forever waving sabers and staffs..."

Zhang Yi shook his head.