Chapter Seven: The true Jiaodong Commandery
“Have I gone mad?”
The Qi emperor looked at the shocked Marquis Tianyang and said emotionally, “If not for the Twelve Shaman G.o.ds and the Grave Seal Mountain, would I work with Zheng Xiu to steal from the Chu?”
Marquis Tianyang was still shocked speechless. After a long time, he refocused and said in a trembling voice, “Zheng Xiu is really willing to return the Twelve Shamans to our dynasty?”
The Qi emperor’s lips curved and he gave a faint smile. “The Twelve Shamans are already in our dynasty.”
Marquis Tianyang’s body suddenly froze. “Already here?”
“The Grave Seal Workshop has taken possession and inspected, they have been sent to the Peace Temple.” Even though the Qi emperor was just describing, he could not help but become excited. “The Sacrifice ceremony has been arranged, and just waiting for the Twelve Shamans to return to be activated.”
Marquis Tianyang calmed down after a long time. “The Grave Seal Weapon will be returned to our dynasty?” he looked at the Qi emperor and solemnly asked.
The other nodded. “This was the condition for the Grave Seal Workshop to do this.”
Marquis Tianyang was speechless, thinking of something.
The Qi emperor’s gaze warmed. He said, “Uncle, do you think it is worthwhile to do this?”
Marquis Tianyang slowly nodded and then he took a deep breath. “Of course it is worthwhile, the return of the Twelve Shamans, the Grave Seal Mountain, even if we have to pay with our lives, it is worthwhile. But….”
The Qi emperor frowned and looked at Marquis Tianyang who was hesitant to speak. “What is it?”
The Marquis shook his head and said, “But there is one thing you have forgotten. You have failed Teacher Yan.”
The Qi emperor was silent.
“If he is alive, he would not have the Grave Seal Workshop and Zheng Xiu work together to fight the Chu. So no matter if you were deliberate or not during the Deer Mountain Conference, he died. Your plan could only be carried out if he is dead.”
Marquis Tianyang felt some pain himself when he started to speak. “Teacher Yan is a person many of the cultivators of our dynasty respect and look up to, and he has an heir. When the news that the Chu capital has fallen, if I can think of this, then his heir and many of the cultivators of our dynasty will think of this. They will not forgive you.”
The Qi emperor was silent for a long time. Then his expression grew determined and grave. “Just like you said, even if these people hate, they will hate me, and not the Qi. As long as our dynasty can go back to being a tiger, even if I pay with my life, it is worth it. So, Uncle, please support me.” He stood up from the throne and bowed to Marquis Tianyang.
Marquis Tianyang felt that this was natural. However, when he looked at the Qi emperor, other than the shock he felt at the news, he was not very moved because he thought of Teacher Yan.
In the past, the Qi emperor had respected and relied on Teacher Yan more than anyone.
The fires of the Chu capital burned half the sky and did not fade, merging with the sun set. The river moved east. Through the Chu and Qi, when it came to the easternmost part, it curved and entered the Qi. Then it met the rivers from the Qin and merged into the East Sea.
At the east, Jiaodong Commandery was like a long hooked fang, one end stabbing into the Qin lands and the other into the sea. Other than spirit medicines, beasts, rare treasures, spices, and other stung resources, the most important produce of the Jiaodong Commandery was food. After large amounts of fish were dried, they could even satisfy a third of the meat needs of the Qin.
In a fish drying farm, there were many small sea fish the thickness of a thumb being boiled, laid out on flat stone ground, and giving off steam and a stench into the air. After being dried for many years, these dried fish would create delicious tastes when they were simply cooked. They could make the worst food in the army delicious.
One old woman dressed in yellow robes sat on a bamboo chair and watched this process.
There were many workers who carried out the work every day in her sight. When a middle-aged man entered the farm at sunset, it did not attract any attention.
So it still came.
This woman thought emotionally. She still sat and looked at the man until this man who was very short, stout and dark skinned stood in front of her. Then she said softly with great pride, “Zhang Shiwu?”
The middle-aged man smiled and said, “Lady Biyu?”
The woman smiled, an unspoken agreement.
“Who would have thought that Zheng Xiu’s adoptive mother would be in a place like this.” The man sniffed and said, “It does not smell very good.”
“When you have smelled it since childhood, you get used to smelling and eating it.” Some wrinkles appeared at the corners of the woman’s eyes. “Also, she tried to avoid you Ba Mountain Sword Field people from finding me. I did not expect you would be so bored to find this place.”
“Killing other people’s relatives, or using people to threaten others is one of the methods she likes to use the most. But such methods are useless against her.”
The woman looked at Zhang Shiwu and said, “Even if you kill me, she will not feel much pain. I am just an adoptive mother to her. You people of Ba Mountain Sword Field took the chance to enter Jiaodong Commandery, you will not do more meaningful things?”
“Everyone knows that she is ruthless and heartless, you do not have to remind me.” Zhang Shiwu laughed. He looked at the woman and said, “Compared to destroying Jiaodong Commandery, it is more useful to use Jiaodong Commandery. We know that “Old Woman Huang Temple” is not an island.”
The saying was very strange, and it was very abrupt to say at this time.
Hearing the words, the calmly smiling woman suddenly changed expression, and her ruddy face turned pale.
“There is no point in threatening her, but what about you?” Zhang Shiwu looked at the woman. “She is only your adopted daughter, you only raised her for a time, but that is all?”
“Only you know the position of the ‘Old Woman Huang Temple,’ you have its trajectory map. That is the true Jiaodong Commandery, and the riches of the Zheng Family are in there.” After a pause, Zhang Shiwu looked at her and said, “You have a son, have a beloved granddaughter. If we take their lives to trade for this map, are you willing?”
The old woman’s lips trembled. Her gaze landed on Zhang Shiwu’s hand.
He held a small fish shaped white jade in his hand. That was her granddaughter’s favorite accessory.
“You really will not kill them and will spare them?” the old woman said in a trembling voice.
“We will spare you,” Zhang Shiwu said with slight scorn. “Coming to Jiaodong Commandery to kill some people to make her angry and sad is really a boring thing to do. What will make her hurt is to lose the help of all of Jiaodong Commandery.”