News from Shouchun

Zhang Xuezhou was extremely satisfied with being on a journey while he was unconscious, as it saved him time from waiting.

As he rose from Jin Chang's private residence, Zhang Xuezhou quickly adjusted his mindset and memory.

His current situation is quite simple: firstly, it involves the excavation of the Huaihe River Water Palace, and secondly, it involves how to rescue Lady Yourong and others during the excavation.

The complex relationships and diverse characters involved require Zhang Xuezhou's attention.

As he climbs higher in the ranks, Zhang Xuezhou encounters more and more outstanding individuals, requiring him to be vigilant and prepared.

"My body seems to have almost fully recovered!"

Zhang Xuezhou couldn't figure out whether it was because he had previously taken many pills from Jin Chang to replenish his Yang Soul, or whether his return to reality during this period allowed his body to automatically repair itself, causing his Yang Soul to re-form.

Mao ripped out his heart with the first axe and chopped off his head with the second, but Yangpo was not beaten to death, but merely broken down.

At this moment, Yang Po took shape again, which also gave Zhang Xuezhou the ability to use Yang Po.

The good thing is that Yang Soul has almost recovered; the bad thing is that Yang Soul, even after being scattered, still entangles in his body. This Yang Soul, condensed by the Venerable One, cannot be rid of even if one were to die, and it is deeply rooted in Zhang Xuezhou's body.

"Once we find the Yin-Yang Secret Realm, I'll just pile it up!"

Having decided to revise the Yin-Yang School's cultivation technique that borrows from Human Pill, Zhang Xuezhou had no resistance to using the power of Yin-Yang fusion at an early stage; on the contrary, he was somewhat eager to try it out.

Regardless of which world he enters the Divine Ability Realm first, it will provide positive feedback to the other world and help Zhang Xuezhou avoid potential mistakes in his cultivation.

After checking his physical condition, Zhang Xuezhou released the passive fasting Grain Avoidance and asked his servant for food.

He remained calm and composed, even though the matter was urgent and pressing; Zhang Xuezhou needed to keep everything under control.

He inquired about some matters from his servants and carefully considered possible plans.

"Lord Dongfang, the King's construction of the Huai River waterway is a great benefit for generations to come, and the people all praise it. Many are now eagerly going to the Huai River to help. If it weren't for the busy farming season, and the place being quite far, even more people would be going!"

"Oh dear, managing the river is not as easy as it seems!"

"I heard the water is very deep over there, and six or seven people have already drowned. Your Majesty has now assigned people to persuade everyone to leave the matter to more professional people!"

"This is a huge project! It's like building the city wall in Shouchun. I heard the waterways they dug there are incredibly high and wide!"

The relationship between Zhang Xuezhou and Jin Chang is extremely complicated, but to outsiders, as long as Jin Chang calls him "Junior Nephew" and Zhang Xuezhou calls him "Uncle-Master," he is practically half the master of this house when Jin Chang is not around.

As long as Zhang Xuezhou didn't confiscate Jin Chang's assets, his servants were almost always obedient to him, answering any questions he asked.

Zhang Xuezhou asked some questions, and the servants revealed everything they knew.

"By the way, I heard that some horses went missing in Shouchun City. Have they been found?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.

"I've never heard of this," the servant said, scratching his head. "Should I go and ask around for you, sir?"

"No!"

Zhang Xuezhou waved his hand.

No news is good news.

If he were to receive news that Zhang Cigong had found the horse and brought it back, or that the horse guard had been beheaded for negligence, Zhang Xuezhou would become flustered.

At this time, there was no news regarding the horses, which reassured Zhang Xuezhou, who was fairly certain that Rong Tianding, Zhang Cigong, and the others' journey was going smoothly.

More than half a month has passed, and with the speed at which many people from Zhang Household Village are fleeing, they are very likely approaching the Chang'an City area.

If my estimation is correct, Rong Tianding will likely return to Shouchun City soon.

"Have the King and His Highness the Crown Prince summoned me?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.

"No!"

"Where is Grandpa Lei Bei?"

"No!"

Has anyone come over these days?

"No, master, this house is usually not open to other people."

"Then I'll go out for a walk and bring my horse back!"

After Zhang Xuezhou finished eating, he got up and, after tidying himself up, mounted his horse.

As Zhang Xuezhou walked along the main street and onto the horse path, he could still hear the voices of some people.

Repairing the Huai River waterway is undoubtedly a hot topic of discussion in Shouchun City recently. After all, river engineering is a thankless and arduous task, and it is usually only done when there is a flood. The move by the King of Huainan is indeed highly praised.

Some people who drowned because of the construction of the river channel even received compensation.

In Shouchun City, the common people couldn't find a single bad word about the King of Huainan, even though King of Huainan modifications to the Huai River waterway were solely for the purpose of building a water empire.

Without sufficient status, the information gap between the upper and lower classes is completely unequal, leading to vastly different perspectives.

Zhang Xuezhou suddenly thought of the problem of information asymmetry that also exists in reality. He felt that the big news that Song Fengying made was very likely to be distorted, and ordinary people would have a different opinion after seeing it.

Just like the previous 'giant bird' videos and other messages, the general public reacts to this kind of information much slower, with a reaction time that can be years slower, and it can be very difficult to change their perceptions.

"The information should only be sent to those who need it, even if most people are just watching for fun!"

Zhang Xuezhou made a brief visit to Shouchun City and also had some impressions.

"That Dongfang Bubai, you really went out!"

As Zhang Xuezhou left the city, he heard a familiar voice coming from the city gate tower.

When he raised his head, he saw Crown Prince Liu Qian waving from the city tower.

The city walls of Shouchun seem to have been reinforced recently, and Crown Prince Liu Qian is personally overseeing the reinforcement process.

After Zhang Xuezhou left the city, he glanced around before descending the city wall with his guards Lei Bei and others.

"Your Highness, I just woke up from my illness today and am worried about the Huai River, so I thought I'd ride there to take a look," Zhang Xuezhou said, bowing respectfully.

"That riverbed is really difficult to dredge," said Crown Prince Liu Qian. "I've been monitoring the area for seven days, and I haven't seen a trace of the Water Palace!"

"The Huai River has accumulated sediment over the years, burying the water palace to a depth of at least fifteen zhang (approximately 15 meters)," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Only by digging to that depth can we possibly make contact!"

"That's still a long way off. We've only dug eight zhang so far," Liu Qian said. "The deeper we go, the harder it gets. How did you manage to crawl in? I remember you said there was a treasure there?"

"It is indeed a treasure that allows me to dive underground, and since I can hold my breath for a long time, I managed to squeeze in," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"What treasure?" Liu Qian asked with interest. "I can also hold my breath. Could I borrow your treasure for a moment? I'm very interested in the Water Palace!"

"It's just a small treasure. If Your Highness is interested, you can take it and give it a try," Zhang Xuezhou said. "But the Water Palace is dangerous. It's best to go in and explore it only if the King protects you!"

"My father is over there. If this treasure of yours is good, he will definitely send me down to take a look!"

The construction of the Huai River caused a great uproar, attracting a large number of onlookers and possibly even some powerful cultivators. Even the King of Huainan had to intervene.

Crown Prince Liu Qian was likely unable to control the situation, which is why he was sent back to the city walls to oversee construction.

Zhang Xuezhou also received information from Crown Prince Liu Qian that differed from what his servants had heard through hearsay.

He was not stingy in lending the feathers of the Peacock Great Wisdom King, and even if Prince Liu Qian was tempted by the offer, the other party might offer a good exchange.

With the help of Crown Prince Liu Qian, Zhang Xuezhou could easily enter the construction site of the Huai River waterway without any obstacles.

This is clearly much better than him going alone.