The Calamity of Wealth

More than a decade later, Zhang Xuezhou still cannot look at the former King Liang as an equal.

In terms of cultivation, the Prince of Liang is a cut above him; in terms of technique, he might be able to defeat the Prince of Liang, but his physical strength is indeed inferior to the Prince of Liang's.

As for wealth, even with his Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag overflowing, Zhang Xuezhou wasn't entirely confident.

In the second and third rooms, Li Su struggled to use magic to retrieve the items, and seven rare treasures had appeared on the table where the food was placed.

King Liang was fond of rare and precious things, and even on his deathbed, he was not short of people presenting him with rare and precious items.

The defining characteristic of a rare treasure is its 'rare' nature; it is not necessarily something extremely rare or precious, but rather something that may be quite common.

For example, cows with four legs are common, but cows with six legs are rare.

The first item Li Su took was a wine pot.

Wine jugs are common, but wine jugs that shimmer in the dark are rare.

Of course, such a luminous wine pot is very rare in this world, but Zhang Xuezhou understands the principle very well and doesn't think it's anything special. He also doesn't think that such a rare wine pot is of any use in nurturing wine.

He wasn't just being polite with Li Su; he simply didn't like what Li Su had taken out.

As Li Su retrieved the items one by one, Zhang Xuezhou's expression gradually turned solemn.

He looked down on some rare treasures, but there were some that did catch Zhang Xuezhou's eye.

"This compass carriage is quite interesting!"

The compass and the south-pointing chariot are not unusual; if a good lodestone could be found, Zhang Xuezhou could also make a compass.

But having this ability is one thing; whether he can find the right materials to successfully create it is another; and whether it will be easy to use is difficult to determine.

Like the Law Artifact 'Heng' he made in his early years, he understood the theory, but when he tried to make it himself, due to his own and the craftsmen's inadequate skills, he could not produce it with fine detail.

The compass chariot is an object that requires meticulous craftsmanship; the compass chariot that Li Su placed on the table was so exquisite that it resembled a modern instrument.

No matter how it's placed, this palm-sized compass cart will always point steadily south.

Pointing is a simple matter, but it becomes difficult within an array. Zhang Xuezhou had just emerged from the Immortal Court's grand array, and the lingering shock in his heart had not completely subsided. He truly wanted to be prepared for such an object.

But the cost of a single compass chariot was clearly far from sufficient.

What do you want to ask me?

Zhang Xuezhou asked Li Su, wanting to hear her request and see if he could meet it, and what price would be required to reach an agreement.

"I will soon enter a state of cultivation, and after that I will leave. Please do not try to hide it, lest your wishes come to nothing," Zhang Xuezhou reminded him.

"I want to understand how His Majesty will deal with our State of Liang," Li Su said through gritted teeth. "Just how chaotic will things get here before he stops!"

"Oh?"

"The late king had five sons. The King of Shanyang and the King of Jiyin died suddenly a year or two after inheriting the kingdom. The King of Jichuan was driven to madness by the Grand Tutor. The King of Jidong was paranoid. My son succeeded as King of Liang, but he also became embroiled in court intrigues and passed away a few years later. Now, only my grandson Liu Xiang can inherit the kingdom. He is young and naive, and I fear he may suffer a terrible misfortune!"

Li Su was the empress of Liu Wu, the Prince of Liang. She knew too many secrets and was also very clear about the conflict between Emperor Jing and the Prince of Liang.

In her view, everything in the State of Liang was the consequence of the Liang King's defeat, and when this chaos would end was unknown.

Seeing her once-powerful Lineage gradually crumble, Liang Garden deserted and the renowned figures of the world leaving State of Liang for Chang'an City, Li Su felt a deep sense of unease and had no other desires but peace.

In Li Su's view, the chaos in State of Liang was related to Chang'an City, and she hoped that the new emperor could loosen his grip and let them off the hook.

"The Empress Dowager's most beloved child is Prince Liang," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"This..."

"As long as the Empress Dowager is on the throne, no one in Chang'an City dares to touch the State of Liang!"

"Can..."

"Although the Empress Dowager has passed away, the calamity in State of Liang did not occur recently and has nothing to do with Your Majesty. Do you understand?"

The new emperor in Chang'an City has never truly grasped real power in recent years. He has to outlive the Grand Empress Dowager and then the Empress Dowager. He cannot avoid the ethical principles involved. The new emperor, who has relatively weak power, has never targeted the State of Liang. He even suffered a surprise attack from Gongsun Gui and almost lost his life.

"Then what exactly is going on here?" Li Su asked incredulously.

"Did the Prince of Liang come into contact with any people in his early years? Did he intend to use their power to take control of Chang'an City?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.

"This..."

"You must understand that these people gathered in Suiyang City for their own interests, and even assisted the Prince of Liang in resisting the Rebellion of the Seven States. They suffered many casualties, and it's impossible that they wouldn't seek something in return," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Now they're just demanding back what they gave you in the past!"

"We hope that Human Sect us how to avoid disaster!"

Li Su had previously placed more suspicion on Chang'an City, but she was also well aware that her own city was embroiled in internal strife.

Without the ability and courage of the King of Liang, none of the successors were able to secure their positions.

After Zhang Xuezhou explained things to her repeatedly, she had no choice but to put aside her thoughts and seek solutions to the problem.

The court was rife with infighting, making it difficult for Li Su to discern who was truly loyal to the court. Meanwhile, Liangyuan was sparsely populated, with many wise and capable individuals leaving. Finding a Liangyuan guest with a relatively impartial stance was extremely difficult.

Li Su took advantage of the rare opportunity to seek advice from Liangyuan Guest who had finally returned.

She knew Zhang Xuezhou and that Zhang Xuezhou was a favorite minister of the new emperor, so she felt no resistance towards him.

She will indeed adopt any suggestion that is suitable.

"State of Liang is so rich!"

Zhang Xuezhou picked up the compass cart and turned it around, then looked at Li Su.

Are we too rich?

"Too rich!"

Zhang Xuezhou nodded.

The King of Liang possessed the status, power, and network of connections to match his wealth, while his son and grandson lacked these. As for Empress Dowager Li Su of State of Liang, she had not even reached the Divine Ability Realm, so she couldn't possibly maintain the status quo.

"How can we be poorer?" Li Su asked.

Money isn't something that can be given away simply by throwing it away; some abrupt actions will only make people more greedy, making them think that the State of Liang is hiding even greater wealth.

Knowing how to be appropriately poor requires the right approach and that the effort put in is worthwhile.

"If we can ensure peace for three to five years, we will pay tribute to the Empress Dowager; if we can ensure lasting peace, we will pay tribute to His Majesty," Zhang Xuezhou replied.

"Do you mean that His Majesty still hasn't been able to control the power of the Great Han, and that everything is currently decided by the Empress Dowager?"

Li Su's political acumen was clearly exceptional; with just a few words, she quickly grasped the power dynamics within the Weiyang Palace in Chang'an City.

How to invest in the present and how to invest in the future are questions she needs to study carefully.

Gifts could not be given casually; they could only be given on occasions such as when tribute was being paid to Chang'an City, and one could not make a show of it too much and embarrass other feudal lords.

How to give gifts, to whom to give gifts, what gifts to give, and how much gifts to give were indeed quite difficult for Li Su, especially since State of Liang and Chang'an City were far apart, and it would take at least half a month for a carriage to travel there.

After Zhang Xuezhou reassured her again, Li Su felt a great sense of relief.