The Two Kings Meet

To the common people, the excavation of the Huai River Water Palace was just a matter of repairing the river channel, but it could not be kept secret from high-level officials.

Not only did the imperial family members in Shouchun City know the situation, but many first- and second-class retainers also guessed the truth.

Huainan was practically a unified entity, so it wasn't a big deal that the imperial family and their retainers knew about it. But the real trouble came from outside Huainan.

At the camp by the Huai River, the King of Huainan was drinking tea with a smile, but he was also clearly having a headache.

Being welcomed by the King of Huainan clearly indicates a level of mutual respect between them.

"King of Jiangdu, please!" the King of Huainan invited, raising his cup in invitation.

"I've been drinking your tea for three days now, what's so great about this lousy tea? King of Huainan, why don't you get me some dragon liver and phoenix gall to eat!"

Opposite the King of Huainan stood a burly man wearing a crown.

The burly man was in his early thirties. His hair was disheveled and simply bound with a crown, making him look like a lion who didn't like to groom himself.

His hair was disheveled, and the royal robe covering him was only hastily applied, revealing large areas of his bronze, glossy skin.

With just one glance, anyone can feel the sharp, razor-sharp lines beneath the skin, as if they could unleash a breathtaking power at any moment.

He complained, and the golden goblet that the King of Huainan used to entertain guests was crushed and deformed by the strong man's grip.

By the time the tea was finished, the golden goblet had dented and could no longer hold tea or wine.

"Without the protection of the Immortal Court, the Dragon King of Huai River has long since fled. Where would I get dragon liver and phoenix gall for you?" the King of Huainan said with a headache.

"You are my elder, after all. They say that everyone who sees something should have a share. Don't be so stingy," King Jiangdu muttered.

"I'm not being stingy; I haven't even found the Water Palace myself yet," the King of Huainan explained.

"I don't believe it," said the King of Jiangdu. "You've already gone this far in digging up the Water Palace, so you must have received some benefits before you started digging. Either you know there are good things in the Water Palace, or you've already received benefits before continuing to dig."

"I didn't take anything," said the King of Huainan. "I've explained it thirty-three times already, I didn't take anything!"

"That's impossible! You wouldn't have driven thousands of people to do good deeds without taking any bribes. I don't believe it!"

King Jiangdu shook his head repeatedly, his head bobbing like a rattle drum.

"Don't treat me like a child anymore. The days when you could fool me with a pig's trotter are over," said the King of Jiangdu. "Now it has to be at least a dragon's trotter!"

"Dragons have no hooves," the King of Huainan corrected.

"You actually knew that dragons don't have hooves! You really caught a dragon!" King Jiangdu exclaimed with great joy.

"I don't..."

The King of Huainan looked like he had a headache.

He was a reasonable person, but the King of Jiangdu, who was opposite him, disliked reason the most.

Of course, one advantage of the King of Jiangdu is that he is easily satisfied.

If the King of Huainan truly possessed a dragon, he could simply cut off a leg and give it to the other party, who would then happily take the dragon leg and return to their own territory.

But the problem is that the King of Huainan really didn't have one.

Not only did he fail to find the dragon, he didn't even see the underwater palace.

If it weren't for the fear that the King of Jiangdu would use his divine power to cause trouble here, the King of Huainan felt he wouldn't even bother to come to the Huai River; he would only come to check on the situation after the excavation was successful.

"Erudite Dong, you are a learned man. Please help me explain to the King of Jiangdu that I truly haven't gained any benefit," the King of King of Huainan said with a headache. "Recently, not only have I not gained any benefit, but I've also lost face. A foreign monk from the Western Lands demanded three large medicines from me, and I'm still heartbroken about it!"

The man who had been seeking help from the King of Huainan was standing next to the King of Jiangdu; he was Dong Zhongshu, whom the King of Huainan had met twice before.

Dong Zhongshu was not a very good official, and his individual strength was not among the top in the court. However, Dong Zhongshu was an eloquent person who was generous with his knowledge of Confucian School. He would teach and impart knowledge to anyone who was qualified, which made Dong Zhongshu extremely famous and almost renowned throughout the world.

Such people have high reputations and are perfect for acting as intermediaries.

Moreover, Dong Zhongshu did not belong to Huainan State or Jiangdu State, but was an official of the court faction, so he would not be biased towards either side.

"Your Majesty, it's quite normal for the King of Huainan to know that dragons don't have hooves; there's no need to capture a dragon!"

"How will you know a dragon doesn't have hooves if you don't catch it!"

"There are paintings of dragons, but none of them have hooves. Only creatures like pigs, cows, and sheep have hooves; dragons have claws!"

"Now I understand, Mr. Dong. It seems the King of Huainan wasn't hiding anything!"

The King of Jiangdu did not trust the King of Huainan, but his opinion changed quickly.

Dressed in a blue robe, Dong Zhongshu sat two meters below the King of Jiangdu, also drinking the bitter tea that the King of Huainan had served to his guests.

His brows furrowed slightly, but as he sipped his tea, he seemed to be drinking some kind of treasure, occasionally letting out a sigh of relief.

Only after the Prince of King of Huainan asked for help did Dong Zhongshu calmly offer a few words of explanation.

"Mr. Dong, since the King of Huainan has nothing to hide, why is he coming here to restrict me? The treasures of heaven and earth are meant for those who are destined to find them, and those who witness them have a share. Why won't he let me go and dig up the underwater palace...?"

King Jiangdu didn't want to drink tea; he kept muttering about things he couldn't understand.

These questions were not only a headache for the King of Huainan, but even Dong Zhongshu would find them difficult to explain.

Before the truth was fully revealed, Dong Zhongshu couldn't speak recklessly.

He couldn't very well say that the King of Huainan was making this show of force because he was afraid the King of Jiangdu would cause trouble.

The King of Jiangdu has the means to act recklessly. His opponent possesses unique cultivation techniques and unfathomable brute strength, capable of lifting heavy objects with ease. Many in Jiangdu compare him to the former Hegemon-King of Western Chu. Moreover, the King of Jiangdu served as a general on the battlefield at the age of fifteen, demonstrating bravery far exceeding that of ordinary people.

The weakness of those who are exceptionally brave lies mostly in their wisdom, and the King of Jiangdu was no exception to this rule.

If it weren't for the King of Huainan constantly pulling him back, Dong Zhongshu felt that the Prince of Jiangdu would have already gone off to do something reckless.

The longer it goes on, the harder it will be for the King of Jiangdu to hold on. He might suddenly dive into the water and then dig his way into the underwater palace.

As for whether the Huai River channel would collapse, or whether the accumulated river sand and stones above would cave in, those were not within the scope of King Jiangdu's consideration.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived with Lord Dongfang, the one who discovered the underwater palace. They say they've found a treasure and want to take it inside to have a look!"

The King of Huainan was in a state of great distress, and when his son started causing trouble again, he was even more worried.

"Lord Dongfang's treasure can first be placed in the underwater palace. Ah, I also want to try out Lord Dongfang's treasure!"

When the King of Jiangdu stood up excitedly, the King of Huainan felt that these people couldn't wait even a moment longer.

They've been digging for almost half a month now, and in another ten days or so, they should be able to reach the distance they're supposed to measure. But the people are getting impatient.

Seeing that words couldn't hold back the King of Jiangdu, let alone brute force, even Mao Bei, who cultivated the path of killing, didn't utter a single word.

The King of Huainan had no choice but to put down his golden goblet and stand up, and many of his retainers also rose and followed suit.

Then Dong Zhongshu rose with the King of Jiangdu, his eyes flickering slightly.

There are very few people in the world with the surname Dongfang, and even fewer who hold official positions. If he wasn't mistaken, this incident involving the Huai River Water Mansion was orchestrated by his friend far away in Chang'an City.