Protect Our Patriarch
Book 5: Chapter 128: Make a fortune! Xian'er, the great filial daughter

...

As they spoke, Wang Lixian and the Yuanping Emperor were already at each other's throats.

"Thirty percent? Are you treating us like beggars?" Wang Lixian retorted angrily, hands on her hips, her delicate and cute face stern, showing a stance of "not yielding an inch." "If it weren't for our Wang Clan this time, who knows if Northern Zhou would have had to change its royal family. We saved the country, so taking eighty percent isn't too much~"

"You little girl, you sure have a big mouth," Yuanping Emperor was also unyielding, with an air of seniority. "I admit your Wang Clan did a great job this time, but we in Northern Zhou have three Lingxu Realm and nine Divine Realm cultivators. By that calculation, taking thirty percent isn't low."

"Yuanping old man, don't bully people too much!" Wang Lixian rolled her eyes at him in anger. "You're useless at everything except stealing credit! Just like that prince of yours, who immediately stole my monster. It's all because of your influence!"

The Northern Zhou prince, who had "stolen the monster," shrank his neck at her words.

Why is this little ancestor bringing this up again? Didn't he already return the person?

"You little girl, negotiations are negotiations. Who doesn't want to negotiate more spoils for their family?" Yuanping Emperor was so angry his beard bristled. "But you can't make personal attacks like this."

"Is this a personal attack? I'm stating facts! As an emperor, you should have a broad mind, a grand vision, and a long-term perspective. You should think more about cultivating powerful teammates and allies. Jealousy and envy are absolutely unacceptable." Wang Lixian lectured Yuanping Emperor in an old-fashioned manner. "With your pettiness and stinginess, if I were the King of Wei, I would have rebelled against you long ago."

Yuanping Emperor almost fainted from anger.

This girl looks like a little porcelain doll, seemingly harmless, but her words are so venomous? She's infuriating, truly infuriating!

Beside them, the King of Wei, bound by the Soul Lock and in a sorry state, saw the two dividing the spoils right in front of him. Already on the verge of being angered to death, he couldn't help but chime in, "Yuanping is indeed not a good person. If he were a capable emperor, would I have ended up like this?"

"Shut up! You're just the second brother laughing at the first. How dare you say that?" Wang Lixian glanced at him and scolded mercilessly, "As a prince, even if you can't stand the current royal family's actions and want to split, why can't you confront them openly?"

"With the strength, status, and past achievements of your Wei Clan, if you dared to make a big deal out of it, the Immortal Dynasty would surely intervene to mediate. If handled properly, getting three commanderies out of the ten in Northern Zhou wouldn't be a problem. Then, your Wei Clan could use that as a foundation to gradually grow stronger."

"The reason your Wei Clan chose to rely on the Demon Dynasty was clearly out of greed, wanting to take a shortcut, to usurp the Ji Clan's existing assets. No matter how innocent or helpless you claim to be, in committing such acts against your kin, it's your Wei Clan that's in the wrong!"

Her father, Wang Shouzhe, often lamented that people in this world always want shortcuts, usually for two reasons: either they lack ability, or they are insatiably greedy, or sometimes both.

Wei Bo Yu was a prime example of both.

She couldn't help but think of her Grandpa Long Chang.

Though also an emperor, Grandpa Long Chang, despite having countless minor faults like being petty and vengeful, and often opposing her father, never lost sight of the bigger picture in major matters.

If not for this, the Great Qian wouldn't be what it is today.

Especially after he stayed with the Wang Clan, knowing about the existence of her and Wang Zongkun, two Immortal Seeds, he never thought of taking them by force. Instead, he secretly protected the Wang Clan, helping them extract various top-grade spiritual veins, and even supported them by secretly losing in card games.

This vision and breadth of mind were incomparable to Yuanping Emperor's.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but glance again at Yuanping Emperor and Wei Bo Yu, sighing, "Sigh~ Northern Zhou was originally a powerful nation. Having one 'Sleeping Dragon' was bad enough, and now with a 'Phoenix Chick,' it's no wonder the country is declining."

Wang Lixian's series of sharp retorts left both Yuanping Emperor and the King of Wei speechless and pale.

The Holy Masters of the Golden Light Sacred Land and the Eastern Martial Sacred Land couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Both Yuanping and the King of Wei were troublesome, and working with them was truly not easy. On this point, no one had more authority to speak than they did.

"Alright, alright, since things have come to this, as an emperor, I indeed have a duty to support potential human clans," Yuanping Emperor, with a thick skin, quickly changed his tune, "Forty percent, I'll give your Wang Clan forty percent. That's the most I can concede. If too many assets are lost, it would weaken Northern Zhou's national power."

"Emperor Grandpa, you're mistaken. We of the Immortal Dynasty are a community of shared destiny. The internal flow of treasures and assets actually promotes the rational distribution of resources. Take our Wang Clan, for example. With our good values and social responsibility, once we grow strong, we will surely contribute greatly to humanity," Wang Lixian spoke eloquently, "Whether it's resisting the Red Moon Demon Dynasty or the outer region demons, our Wang Clan will not shirk its duty."

In the Clan School, although Wang Lixian was a mediocre student, she still graduated from a middle-level Clan School, with a solid theoretical foundation.

Moreover, influenced by her father from a young age and having interacted with various bigwigs, she naturally had a way with words.

Even the Holy Masters of the Golden Light and Eastern Martial Sacred Lands nodded frequently.

It made sense. Everyone was contributing to humanity, so why should Yuanping Emperor take more? Moreover, resources in Yuanping's hands might not be maximized.

"Yuanping, that's enough," the Eastern Martial Holy Master frowned and advised, "If it weren't for the Wang Clan's vigilance and help, your Ji Clan would have been in big trouble."

"Exactly," the beautiful Golden Light Holy Master, who had previously thrown bricks, also chimed in, "Look at Xian'er, so young yet so understanding of the big picture. Aren't you ashamed to haggle over their spoils?"

Yuanping Emperor was so angry his beard stood up.

Why are you two siding with outsiders? It's like "selling your grandfather's land without a care"! It's not like the things being divided are yours, right?!

But now, Yuanping Emperor was already the "target of public criticism." Helpless, he had to grit his teeth and employ a delaying tactic: "We've just captured the people and haven't had time to inventory the King of Wei's resources. It's too early to discuss this now. Let's sort out the accounts when we return and then divide them slowly."

"Don't worry, Grandpa Yuanping, I've already prepared for this," Wang Lixian said, pulling out a thick stack of lists with a "swish." "From my preliminary understanding, the Wei Clan has a Lingxu Codex, a Six Suns Treasure Lamp, eleven Divine Realm inheritance grounds, twenty-six Divine Spirit Artifacts, thirty acres of Holy-grade Spiritual Farmland, five hundred acres of top-grade spiritual farmland, a tenth-level spiritual plant, family spiritual beasts... estates... industries..."

Wang Lixian read through the list until her mouth was dry, then simply closed it and looked up at Yuanping Emperor: "There's too much to list. In short, for the specific distribution of assets, our Wang Clan will have a professional financial team come to audit. For now, let's discuss the distribution of treasures."

Everyone around was dumbfounded.

The Wang Clan's preparation was too thorough, even having a detailed list of the King of Wei's assets?

Especially Wei Bo Yu, who, in his despondency, was speechless.

The other party's understanding of the King of Wei's assets was more comprehensive and detailed than his own. How long had they been investigating? No wonder the King of Wei's Mansion lost so thoroughly this time.

After Wang Lixian reported a series of figures, she boldly said, "We'll take a codex..."

"No way!" Yuanping Emperor exploded upon hearing this, firmly refusing, "We can discuss other things, but not the codex! Without a codex, Northern Zhou would be short of a Lingxu Realm in the future."

As they argued, the old and the young were ready to roll up their sleeves and start a fight.

Seeing the situation deteriorate, Princess Luojia and Wang Shouye quickly stepped in, each holding back Yuanping Emperor and Wang Lixian.

"Let's talk it over slowly, no need to fight. Ancestor, she's just a child."

"Xian'er, remember that His Majesty is a senior, so mind your attitude."

After much persuasion, they finally calmed down. In the end, they decided to "value peace" and even shared the same flying carriage back.

Throughout the journey, Princess Luojia and Wang Shouye were on edge, fearing the two would start fighting again.

After several days of tension, the group finally arrived at Muxian City.

Unexpectedly, when Yuanping Emperor and Wang Lixian got off the carriage, their attitudes toward each other had completely reversed, looking harmonious.

"Xian'er, you're right. As an emperor, I should support promising human clans like your Wang Clan," Yuanping Emperor said with a kind and amiable expression.

"Grandpa Yuanping, you're too kind," Wang Lixian smiled sweetly and innocently, like a pure and lovely girl next door. "I also understand the difficulties and challenges of being an emperor. I was too harsh earlier."

"No worries, no worries. As they say, children speak without restraint. How could I hold it against you? Besides, many of your words were enlightening," Yuanping Emperor replied.

Instead of bickering, they started complimenting each other, with each sentence more flattering than the last, making those around them get goosebumps.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, they finally "reluctantly parted ways."

Before leaving, Yuanping Emperor couldn't help but remind Wang Lixian, "Xian'er, don't forget what you promised me."

"Don't worry, Grandpa Yuanping. Once I make a promise, I never go back on my word," Wang Lixian assured, patting her chest.

After they left, everyone returned to Princess Luojia's mansion.

With no outsiders present, Wang Shouye couldn't help but grab Lixian, questioning, "Xian'er, what kind of spell did you cast on His Majesty?"

Princess Luojia was also very curious.

What exactly did Wang Lixian do to appease her stingy ancestor?

Wang Lixian looked at Shouye, then at Princess Luojia, and chuckled, "I suggested to Grandpa Yuanping that he choose Sister Lingxiao as the empress and have Seventh Uncle marry into the Northern Zhou royal family, and Grandpa Yuanping agreed."

"This... this..." Princess Luojia blushed and scolded, "Xian'er, you're too young to be spouting nonsense!"

"You little rascal, even daring to tease your Seventh Uncle," Wang Shouye laughed and scolded, twisting her ear, "If you dare sell me out, your father will break your legs when we get back. I bet you didn't have any good tricks, probably just promised Yuanping Emperor some healing for old injuries or longevity benefits."

"Seventh Uncle, it hurts, it hurts~ You're no fun, can't take a joke, even more serious than my father," Wang Lixian wailed, then reluctantly confessed, "Yes, I promised to help the old man nourish his body and replenish his longevity. It's all for the development of our Wang Clan."

Even the Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor was intrigued, asking, "You little rascal, how many benefits did you secure for our Wang Clan?"

Proudly, Wang Lixian replied, "Not much, not much. Besides not getting the Lingxu Codex, we secured a Dao Artifact, seven Divine Realm inheritance grounds, and eighteen Divine Spirit Artifacts, three of which are spoils of war and fifteen are from the Wei Clan's treasury."

"In addition, we get fifty percent of all fixed and liquid assets from the King of Wei's Mansion, as well as ransom from captives! This time, we've hit the jackpot!!" Wang Lixian's eyes sparkled with excitement, "I calculated that after this, our Wang Clan will be stronger than an ordinary first-grade clan in terms of Dao Artifacts and Divine Realm inheritance grounds."

Indeed, the King of Wei's Mansion was considered wealthy among first-grade clans, and the Wang Clan had taken nearly half of its assets, significantly boosting its foundation and accumulation.

Especially those high-end treasures like Dao Artifacts and Divine Realm inheritance grounds, which are the backbone of a clan, tightly held and often unavailable even with money. If not for this fortuitous opportunity, the Wang Clan couldn't have acquired so much at once.

Wang Shouye did some quick mental calculations and was momentarily dazed.

He considered himself an outstanding alchemist with a very high income, but compared to this windfall, his earnings were just a drop in the bucket.

The Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor, after being stunned, also showed a complex and indescribable expression in her dazzling fox eyes.

Previously, Wang Shouzhe had offered her a hefty price to assist and protect Shouye, and she had wondered if he was just foolishly rich.

But now, it was clear that the fool was her.

The price Wang Shouzhe offered, which she couldn't refuse, was nothing compared to the Wang Clan's gains this time, truly insignificant.

"What about the Wei Clan? Are they really going to be completely wiped out?" Wang Shouye, after recovering, felt some sympathy, "The Wei Clan has been around for so many years, with at least thousands in the main line alone, not to mention countless direct and collateral branches. Surely there are many innocents among them."

"Innocents, of course, there are," Princess Luojia sighed, "But the family system is such that clan members share in the glory and the downfall. Collaborating with the Demon Dynasty to harm kin is a grave crime. When the nest is overturned, how can any eggs remain unbroken? Having enjoyed the benefits of the Wei Clan's power, they must also pay the corresponding price."

"Traditionally, most of the main and direct line of the Wei Clan will be sent to the cannon fodder camp on the outer region battlefield to atone with merit. The remaining elderly, women, children, and some major collateral branches will be branded as criminals and exiled to the frontier, engaging in reclamation and labor for generations, undergoing ideological education until they can cleanse their sins with merit and regain freedom."

"But Grandpa Yuanping said he would leave them some resources, hoping the Northern Zhou Wei Clan can survive the period of being a criminal clan and reflect on their issues," Wang Lixian also sighed, "Seeing the Wei Clan's fate, I now understand why Father values the Clan School and its ideological education so much."

"I've always admired Fourth Brother's foresight," Wang Shouye said solemnly, "He's been meticulous for our Wang Clan's survival, expending considerable effort."

"Yes, Father works very hard," Wang Lixian agreed, "So, I even secured that captive, the 'Nine Yin Demon Envoy,' who is quite pretty. I'm sure Father will like her."

"Uh, haha~" Wang Shouye chuckled awkwardly, "Xian'er, you're really filial."

"Of course, of course. When I visited the Myriad Demon Nation, they said capable demons always have a bunch of wives," Wang Lixian said matter-of-factly, "My father is so capable, he should have more wives, but he's too concerned about Mother and his pride, so I, as his daughter, have to help."

Wang Shouye looked up to the heavens in exasperation, "You really know your father too well..."

...

Almost simultaneously, on the Lingqu Continent.

Compared to the Muzhen Continent and the Frontier Continent, the Lingqu Continent is not very large, about half their size if you exclude territorial waters. Thus, there are only two countries here, one named Liang and the other Yan.

Of course, out of habit, they are usually called Southern Liang and Northern Yan.

The Southern Liang royal family, the Jiang Clan, is a branch of the Cold Moon Jiang Clan from the Immortal Dynasty, and the country they founded is naturally one of the Immortal Dynasty's allies.

In contrast, the Northern Yan royal family, the Qiu Clan, is a branch of the Demon Dynasty. Their main line, the Red Moon Qiu Clan, remains an upper-class family in the Red Moon Demon Dynasty to this day, with considerable depth.

Due to their stances and some historical reasons, the two countries have been in constant conflict since their founding, often erupting into wars.

In recent decades, the disputes between the two countries have reached a fever pitch, with a trend of fighting to the death to determine a winner.

They are engaged in large-scale confrontations, occupying the two major commanderies of Huaiyin and Huaiyang along the east-west winding Tianhuai River, and seizing opportunities to launch attacks.

Huaiyang Commandery and Huaiyin Commandery are major points of contention between Northern Yan and Southern Liang. Historically, the stronger country would occupy both commanderies.

But if the two countries are evenly matched, they would each occupy one commandery and confront each other.

Currently, the overall strength of Liang and Yan is comparable, so Southern Liang occupies Huaiyang Commandery, while Northern Yan occupies Huaiyin Commandery.

The Huai River is over several dozen miles wide.

Both commandery capitals are rare riverside cities, strategically located at key points for river passage. Some might say, crossing a river, what's the point of key points? Just find a spot along the shore and cross.

In reality, it's not that simple. Most large rivers have barren lands on both sides, with swamps, dense forests, and numerous lakes, and the banks often have steep mountains. In such environments, crossing a river is not a problem for small groups of experts, and Celestial Realm cultivators can easily fly over.

But moving an army is difficult, unless they cut through mountains and build bridges.

Even so, forcing an army across a river several dozen miles wide in harsh conditions could lead to devastating losses from enemy attacks.

Even if small groups manage to cross, they would be deep in enemy territory, vulnerable to encirclement.

Moreover, suitable locations on both sides of the Huaiyin and Huaiyang Commanderies have garrison towns, passes, and even fortified camps and other defensive facilities.

Thus, with both sides having 250,000-strong large corps confronting each other, they are constantly conducting small-scale probing attacks, trying to find weaknesses in the other's defense to gain local advantages and accumulate them into overall superiority.

Clearly, this is destined to be a prolonged war of attrition.

This tests not only military and national strength but also the persistence and endurance of both sides in adversity. Victory may come suddenly when the other side can no longer hold on.

Southern Liang's Prince Zhenyang, Jiang Chengyang, is an outstanding member of the Jiang Clan's direct line. Both countries have a tradition of having direct descendants guard the borders. The current Prince Zhenyang is capable, strict in military discipline, and patient.

Originally, he was confident in his advantage, believing that in this confrontation with Northern Yan, he would eventually outlast the Demon Yan Kingdom and then take Huaiyin Commandery in one fell swoop, recovering Southern Liang's lost territory.

With Huaiyin Commandery, Southern Liang would have a dagger in Northern Yan's belly, able to advance or retreat.

But the stalemate suddenly changed.

A standard elite corps from the Demon Yan Kingdom somehow broke through Southern Liang's riverside fortifications, like a dagger piercing Southern Liang's belly.

Wherever they went, it was as if they were in uninhabited territory. The local garrison or militia couldn't withstand their assault and were defeated, allowing them to rampage and pillage.

Prince Zhenyang stood on the city wall, looking at the surging Huai River, his expression unusually grave. This enemy situation was quite tricky. That corps was mysterious and powerful, and to encircle them, he would need ten or eight corps.

But if he dispatched ten or eight corps to encircle the rear, the front line would surely erupt in a battle.

"Your Highness, bad news!" Another personal guard commander rushed to report.

Prince Zhenyang's face changed dramatically. Could it be more bad news?

"Your Highness! Luping City has fallen!"

"Luping City has fallen too?" Prince Zhenyang's face turned angry. "Didn't I use spirit hawks to notify Luping City's commander, Liu Zhentao, to organize family militias and civilian defenses, and if they discovered the enemy, to immediately notify me and defend Luping City with the city's defensive formations and militias?"

"In this way, as long as they held out for a few days, I could quickly lead the personal guard camp to support and quickly solve that rat before returning to defense!"

Prince Zhenyang not only used spirit hawks to notify Liu Zhentao in Luping City but also informed all the garrison towns he could reach, setting this tactic.

"Could it be? Did Liu Zhentao disregard military orders and get lured out by the enemy, leading to defeat?" Prince Zhenyang speculated, knowing that civilians couldn't all evacuate to the city in time, giving the enemy space to massacre civilians and lure them out.

"No, no, Your Highness," the personal guard commander, sweating profusely, reported, "According to the battle report from Liu Zhentao in Luping City, the enemy used a direct assault tactic and, in just one day..."

"They couldn't hold out for even a day?" Prince Zhenyang's face was disgraced. "Could it be that Northern Yan's Xuanshan Cavalry disguised themselves as an ordinary corps?"

The Xuanshan Cavalry is the royal guard of Northern Yan, the most powerful force in their military.

They could tear through defenses unexpectedly, attacking cities and territories within Southern Liang, and capturing Luping City, defended by family militias, in a day. Besides the Xuanshan Cavalry, he couldn't think of any other force capable of such feats.

No, no!

Prince Zhenyang's expression became strange. "It can't be the Xuanshan Cavalry. They're the royal guard of the Demon Yan Kingdom, primarily tasked with protecting the capital. They wouldn't move unless Emperor Yuanji personally led them, and our emperor is watching Emperor Yuanji. If their emperor moves, we'd naturally counteract!"

"Could it be?" Prince Zhenyang's expression sharpened. "Did the Demon Dynasty intervene?"

"Your Highness, that can't be, right?" The personal guard commander was incredulous. "That corps uses Northern Yan's numbers, uniforms, and flags. If the Demon Dynasty intervened, wouldn't it escalate the conflict?"

"Why not?" Prince Zhenyang sneered. "Maybe they want a quick resolution to create a fait accompli and let the Immortal and Demon Dynasties argue over it."

At that moment, a secret letter from the Emperor of Liang arrived, delivered by a personal guard. After dismissing everyone, Prince Zhenyang read it, and his expression turned strange...

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