Getting Close to the King of Jiangdu

The King of Jiangdu had a unique personality and hobbies, the details of which were beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

It would be extremely difficult to get the King of Jiangdu to develop an interest in new things.

Perhaps it was the Huai River Water Palace that stimulated the King of Jiangdu, who also wanted to explore the water palaces near Jiangdu.

Not to mention "Strange Tales of Jiangdu", as long as Zhang Xuezhou and others can help find another underwater palace, all the books in Jiangdu can be accessed and all the manpower can be mobilized.

"Liu An is so stingy; the gifts he gives are nothing special," the King of Jiangdu said. "I am far more generous than him. If you can help me find a water palace, I will reward you with 100,000 gold coins. If you want a beautiful woman, I can even give you my most beloved concubine!"

Zhang Xuezhou did indeed refuse.

He had a need in Huainan, which involved rescuing the people of Zhang Household Village, so he repeatedly sought opportunities.

But Zhang Xuezhou had no need for Jiangdu.

The Water Palace wasn't something he could just find whenever he wanted, and the King of Jiangdu's reward wasn't easy to obtain.

Of course, he had no interest in the most beloved concubine of the King of Jiangdu.

Zhang Xuezhou politely declined, but Dong Zhongshu coughed repeatedly, clearly urging him to accept the invitation from the King of Jiangdu.

"Does Jiangdu also have a water palace?" Zhang Xuezhou asked after a moment's thought.

"There are many," said the King of Jiangdu. "Our Jiangdu not only has the Yangtze River, but it also connects to the East Sea. The Jiangdu Chronicles record many legends about the Dragon Palace of the East Sea!"

"East Sea!"

Cough cough cough!

Zhang Xuezhou was content to play around on the great rivers and lakes, but when the King of Jiangdu mentioned the East China Sea, he couldn't help but back down.

Dong Zhongshu's repeated coughing forced him to reconsider his decision.

If finding Li Shaojun and Yao Yuanguang as quickly as possible isn't a priority, Zhang Xuezhou's schedule isn't that rushed.

The purpose of seeking out Li Shaojun was to complete official duties for the imperial court, while finding Yao Yuanguang would allow them to befriend the King of Huainan, and even cooperate with Yao Yuanguang to potentially rescue some of the people from Zhang Household Village.

The world is vast, and finding these two people was mostly due to luck; Zhang Xuezhou couldn't rush things.

Although he preferred to find the two in the Northern Border, Zhang Xuezhou even considered going to Fengxize again, but it was also possible that the two had run to the south.

Whether Zhang Xuezhou travels to the Northern Border or the south, he is likely to encounter these two elusive individuals.

His schedule conflicted with Dong Zhongshu's, but as long as he changed his mindset, the conflict wasn't too obvious.

What made Zhang Xuezhou hesitate was that he had never considered going to the sea area at the moment.

"Your Majesty's 'Jiangdu Chronicles' is certainly excellent; perhaps a careful investigation might lead to the discovery of the Water Palace," Zhang Xuezhou said after pondering.

"I knew Liu An could unearth a water palace there, so there's no way I couldn't," King Jiangdu said happily. "And you know what? The water palaces I've recorded are far superior to those on the Huai River. The legendary East Sea Dragon Palace is made entirely of crystal, far better than those broken stones on the Huai River!"

"That's true," Zhang Xuezhou nodded, "But the Water Palace and the Dragon Palace only exist in legends. We'll need the help of knowledgeable people to find such rare places."

"Oh? Do you perhaps have someone recommending you?" King Jiangdu asked curiously.

"Why doesn't Your Majesty look ahead?" Zhang Xuezhou said with a smile. "I've heard that Master Dong Zhongshu is exceptionally learned and has a wide range of research. He must be knowledgeable about these matters. If Your Majesty could get Master Dong's help, finding the Dragon Palace and the Water Mansion might be much easier."

"You're right!"

Queen Jiangdu belatedly slapped her forehead, as if she had suddenly realized something.

However, he did not immediately disturb Dong Zhongshu's lecture. Instead, he chatted with Zhang Xuezhou to pass the time until Dong Zhongshu stopped lecturing after a while, at which point he rode up to him.

Compared to his casual manner in speaking to Zhang Xuezhou and his use of money and women to entice him, the King of Jiangdu was very polite when seeking Dong Zhongshu's help and allowed Dong Zhongshu to set his conditions.

It must be said that the King of Jiangdu had a bad temper, but he was also extremely generous and forthright.

"In the East Sea lies a treasure known as the 'Dragon Pearl of the East Sea,' whose value is immeasurable..."

Dong Zhongshu spoke eloquently, displaying an extremely broad and extensive knowledge. His conversation covered many aspects of the East Sea Dragon Palace, including its 'Jewel Treasury,' 'Dragon Palace,' 'Dragon Prison,' and 'Dragon Sleeping Palace.' He also mentioned powerful aquatic cultivators such as the 'Golden Crab General,' 'Sea Yaksha,' 'Turtle Prime Minister,' 'Dragon King,' and 'Dragon Prince.'

Even Zhang Xuezhou listened for quite a while, while the King of Jiangdu and the others were completely captivated and mesmerized.

However, after listening for a while, Zhang Xuezhou realized that what Dong Zhongshu said was empty and without substance. These were all rumors and did not involve how to find the Dragon Palace of the East Sea or search for the underwater palace.

If Dong Zhongshu wasn't confident, Zhang Xuezhou felt he wouldn't accept the King of Jiangdu's invitation.

This prompted Zhang Xuezhou to cough twice as a reminder.

He didn't mind delaying his trip, but Zhang Xuezhou was unwilling to do something fruitless. If Dong Zhongshu couldn't produce any substantial results, they would part ways at the next crossroads.

"Speaking of which, I have an old friend named Gongsun Hong. He spent over ten years in the East Sea and is extremely familiar with it. He can definitely help us eliminate many areas, and he might even be able to determine the location of the Water Palace by combining his knowledge with the Jiangdu Yizhi!"

Hearing Zhang Xuezhou cough, Dong Zhongshu, who had been spouting a lot of empty talk, couldn't help but blush slightly.

Zhang Xuezhou had different plans and didn't want to get involved, while Dong Zhongshu Dong Zhongshu fine with just talking, but he lacked the ability to actually find the Water Palace and Dragon Palace.

In this matter, if Dong Zhongshu wanted to get closer to the King of Jiangdu, he really needed outside help.

Dong Zhongshu needed talents like Zhang Xuezhou, who had discovered the Water Mansion, and also needed the help of Gongsun Hong, a great cultivator who had been in the East Sea for a long time.

"Gongsun Hong has been sent as Xiong State," Zhang Xuezhou reminded him from behind.

"Gongsun Hong has already returned," Dong Zhongshu corrected. "Not long after he left Yumen Pass to the west, his caravan fell into disarray, and he was forced to return to Chang'an City!"

"So fast?" Zhang Xuezhou asked in surprise, "Does that mean he has completed the mission?"

"He failed in his mission and has been dismissed from his post by His Majesty," Dong Zhongshu said. "He should now be living in seclusion at his home in Xue County, Zichuan State. If Your Majesty could send someone to invite him, he should be able to lend a hand!"

The image of Gongsun Hong leading his group out of Chang'an City was still fresh in Zhang Xuezhou's mind. Zhang Xuezhou never expected that Gongsun Hong would not only escape but also return, and even be dismissed from his post.

This inevitably made Zhang Xuezhou think of his former friend Zhang Qian, and then of his senior brother Wu Chao, wondering how their missions were progressing.

However, Gongsun Hong's dismissal from office and subsequent return to his hometown in disgrace made him able to help Dong Zhongshu.

Zhang Xuezhou exchanged a few words with Dong Zhongshu, and then Dong Zhongshu spoke a few more words with the King of Jiangdu, who was very interested in the Water Palace.

"No problem, I'll take care of inviting Gongsun Hong. Whatever you want, I'll give you," King Jiangdu assured him, patting his chest. "Once I've slaughtered a few dragons, we can even eat dragon meat and drink dragon blood together!"

Haha~

Dong Zhongshu gave a dry laugh.

Getting close to the King of Jiangdu is a troublesome matter, and finding the Dragon Palace in the Water Palace is also a troublesome matter.

However, satisfying the King of Jiangdu without involving the troubles brought by the Dragon Palace was an even more difficult task.

But even the most difficult things must be solved.

Only by catering to someone's preferences can one gain their favor, and exploring the Water Palace was the only way Dong Zhongshu could find to get close to the King of Jiangdu at that time.

Before the Huaihe River Water Mansion Incident, the King of Jiangdu had no concept of such matters.

The King of Jiangdu's interest was fleeting, and Dong Zhongshu felt he needed to seize the opportunity quickly.