Chapter 607
Chapter 607
Shen Lang visited Jin Hui's home. He had come intending to meet Zheng Hongshan. She was Zheng Tuo's daughter, and Zheng Tuo had all but died at Shen Lang's hands.
“My lord…”
Jin Hui quickly stood up, and Shen Lang said to him with a smile.
“Were you eating? Oh, the food doesn't look very appetizing. Jianniang seems so virtuous, but is her cooking this bad?”
Jin Hui said hastily.
“No, no. This food is very delicious…”
*I'm doomed. Zheng Hongshan made this food.*
“You haven't tasted my cooking yet, have you, young master? Strike while the iron is hot, they say. Please, have a taste.”
Zheng Hongshan brought Shen Lang a pair of chopsticks. Shen Lang picked them up, chose the eggplant dish that looked the most decent, and took a bite. As expected, it was terrible.
*Jin Hui really has it tough.*
Shen Lang had no choice but to take a few more bites. Afterward, he was about to bring up the matter of Zheng Tuo, but Zheng Hongshan stopped him.
“There's no need for you to say anything, young master. Everything that happened was their own doing. You did nothing to weigh on your conscience.”
Shen Lang nodded and said no more, simply eating and drinking with Jin Hui. Fortunately, the alcohol content of wine had become quite low in recent years, so it was fine to drink without any side dishes.
“Young master, don't just drink. Have some food as well.”
Zheng Hongshan very kindly placed some food into Shen Lang's bowl. A lot of it, in fact. Shen Lang felt a pang of pity.
*Miss Zheng, is this how you plan to avenge your father? By trying to kill me with extremely sweet and salty food?*
Zheng Hongshan didn't blame Shen Lang. When she heard the news of Zheng Tuo's death, she had said one thing to Jin Hui: that she was no longer connected to that family, that she was only his wife, Jin Hui's wife. But that night, after pretending to be asleep, Jin Hui had clearly seen his wife crying all night long.
* * *
“Father-in-law, how many people are living on Leizhou Island now?”
“Over eighty thousand. Fifty thousand migrated from our domain, and the Heaven's Path Society has continuously brought over thirty thousand landless peasants from various regions. It's been over a year since they settled, so everything has finally fallen into place, and many villages and towns have been built.”
“Is our relationship with the Heaven's Path Society in Raging Tide City still normal?”
“It is normal, and very good.”
Soon, the father-in-law and son-in-law fell into silence. *Sigh!* The two of them were still the same. Aside from discussing important matters, they rarely had anything to say to each other. Yet, they held a deep affection for one another, like a father and son. Ning Yuanxian could actually maintain a conversation with Shen Lang, but this father-in-law of his was too solemn and serious, not the type for idle chatter. After a long while, his father-in-law, perhaps feeling frustrated, spoke up.
“Everything is ready on the secret island.”
“Yes. Thank you, Father-in-law!”
* * *
When Shen Lang went to see his mother-in-law, Su Peipei, he spoke with a face full of delight. He brought up all sorts of gossip, from the King's constipation and the Queen to stories from every corner of the capital. He also boasted and exaggerated about how he had eliminated Su Nan and how he had brought down a branch of the Hidden Yuan Society. Bing'er, who was beside them, could chime in with a few words, but Mulan, holding the baby, couldn't get a word in and had no choice but to listen to her husband ramble on.
“I've never met Queen Zhu, but I'm certain her skin must be terrible. That woman thinks she's all that, endlessly arrogant, and doesn't get along with the King, so how could her skin possibly be good? Besides, she's hostile toward our family, so she wouldn't use any of our Gold Mountain Pavilion's products. It's only natural her skin is bad. Serves her right, really. I even suspect she's going through menopause. How tragic, to be going through menopause at only forty-something.”
Su Peipei nodded her head frantically and said.
“Yes, that must be it. I'm still taking the prescription you gave me every day, you know. I also drink soy milk daily to supplement that… what did you call it? Female hormones? Oh, Lang'er, take a look at me. What kind of cream should I use now? A moisturizing one? Or one to reduce oiliness?”
The two of them went from gossip to beauty talk, then to wellness, and back to gossip again. Finally, Mulan, unable to bear it any longer, spoke up.
“Husband, the baby is getting sleepy.”
Shen Lang and his mother-in-law still had so much more to say.
*Sigh, I haven't even brought up all the other topics yet. But then again, sleeping with Mulan is pleasant too.*
After returning to their room, Mulan lay naked in Shen Lang's arms. This was the moment she had missed the most. Mulan spoke in her beautiful voice.
“Husband, you promised, right? Tonight, we'll just sleep soundly and do nothing else.”
“Alright!”
A moment later, Mulan said.
“Just kisses, nothing else.”
“Alright!”
After another moment, Mulan said.
“You can kiss other places, but nothing else.”
“Alright!”
After some more time had passed, Mulan said.
“Husband, let's do something else!”
* * *
The days of not being able to show off flew by like an arrow, and the happy days flew by just as quickly. For the past few days, Shen Lang felt as if he had fallen into a honey pot, sweetness filling every pore, and he was incredibly happy. Of course, his back was a little sore because Mulan wouldn't let him go. She didn't pounce on him with the same fierce momentum as before, but her tenderness could melt bones. In the end, out of concern for Shen Lang, his mother-in-law said a few words to Mulan indirectly.
“My lord wasn't born with a strong constitution, Mulan, so you should restrain yourself a little.”
Hearing this, Mulan's face turned beet red all the way to her ears for over three *shichen*, and she couldn't even bring herself to see her mother for two days. Fatty, having sworn to become the second Hamo, followed the diet plan Shen Lang created for him, ran twenty thousand meters a day, and dedicated himself to his martial arts training. Last time, Zhu Ying had truly struck a nerve. So recently, whenever the family gathered to enjoy a delicious meal, Fatty would just eat greens. When the family ate deliciously grilled meat, Fatty ate boiled chicken breast.
He was desperately trying to lose weight and had kept at it for over a month. Back then, Hamo had also dieted this desperately and lost over thirty *jin* in the first month. However, Fatty Jin Mucong had only lost five *jin* in his first month, a truly despairing result. Shen Lang and An Zaishi came to the unanimous conclusion that Jin Mucong had a special constitution that made it difficult for him to lose weight. Fatty was despondent, but since he had made a vow, he was determined to persevere until he became a lean, strong, and handsome man.
* * *
The fifth day since returning home!
Shen Lang could only stay at home for a mere five days. After five days, he, along with the Sword King Li Qianqiu's wife, Grandmaster Nandu, and Mute Tang Yan, set sail for a secret island. There were countless islands, large and small, in that sea region. The island was far from the usual shipping routes, so no ships ever came near it, ensuring absolute secrecy. Shen Lang named the island Nirvana Isle. Upon landing on the secret island, he was surrounded by a primeval jungle. Venturing deep into the undergrowth, he found a huge clearing in the center of the jungle, so orderly it looked like a training ground. Shen Lang had sent people to develop this secret island a long time ago.
“Attention! About-face!”
At the command, three thousand nine hundred people turned in unison to face Shen Lang. Their movements were as orderly as a single person. They were all pale and gaunt, yet they were all sensitive and good-natured people. These were the ones with the void bloodline, the second Nirvana Army that would be Shen Lang's lifeline when he defeated Prince Gong, the Crown Prince, and the Third Prince, Ying Qi. They had not yet transformed their bloodlines, but they were about to be reborn. Compared to them, the three thousand seven hundred that the Hidden Yuan Society, the Crown Prince, and the Third Prince had snatched away were true imbeciles.
Shen Lang looked at Nandu excitedly and said.
“Grandmaster, this is the army I asked you to train! They will carry your invincible archery skills to the extreme and will surely become the strongest army in this world!”
* * *
The day after Zhu Hongzhu entered the palace for an audience with the King, the King issued a royal decree.
Zhang Zixu kowtowed, expressing his gratitude for the King's grace, and wrote a memorial of several thousand characters asking for forgiveness. Afterward, the King issued a decree appointing Zhang Zixu as the Central Commander of Tianxi Province. With this, the immensely talented Zhang Zixu finally achieved his dream. However, he was quite displeased inwardly. He had expected to become a provincial chief minister at the age of thirty-nine, but after being tormented for half a year, he was now forty.
Now, the conflict between the King and the Crown Prince's faction had temporarily eased, entering a new state of equilibrium.
On the third day of the fourth month, a major figure returned to the capital: Count Wu'an, Xue Che. Shen Lang's greatest nemesis had finally appeared. This man was the King's true confidant. In the past, during the struggle for the throne, he had rendered great service to Ning Yuanxian. After Ning Yuanxian ascended the throne, he oversaw the Blackwater Terrace for more than a decade. Later, he went to Yanjing and stayed there for nearly ten years.
The position of the State of Yue's minister in Yanjing was not an easy one. Not only did he have to handle diplomacy and gather intelligence, but he also had to socialize extensively with the powerful figures of the Great Yan Empire. Furthermore, the King had sent him to Yanjing not only because he trusted him but also to give him experience for a step-by-step promotion. Although the Blackwater Terrace held astonishing power, it was ultimately just the King's hunting dog. To enter the Privy Council or the Grand Secretariat, one eventually had to leave the Blackwater Terrace. Now, this major figure had finally returned to the center of power in the State of Yue.
* * *
“This subject greets Your Majesty!”
Xue Che kowtowed. The man had a pleasant appearance, his hair and beard impeccably and delicately groomed. He was fifty-three this year but still looked remarkably young. He had a slender build and fair skin, and his hands, in particular, looked more delicate than a woman's. In some ways, he was a meticulous person, similar to Shen Lang. Of course, he exuded more of a scholarly air, making him appear more elegant, whereas Shen Lang was too unrestrained. This alone showed that the King had a preference for meticulous people.
Xue Che had known the King for over forty years. In his youth, when he was the heir to the Count of Wu'an's estate, he studied at the Imperial Academy. Later, when he showed outstanding promise, the previous King of Yue summoned him to the palace to study alongside Crown Prince Ning Yuanxian. He was not only the King's confidant but also a close friend. The current Governor of the Blackwater Terrace, Yan E, had also studied with the King and had even served as his guard. Yan E, Yan Nanfei, and Xue Che were like brothers.
The King asked him directly.
“Are you close with the Hidden Yuan Society?”
Xue Che replied.
“Yes. We were close. In the past, the Blackwater Terrace and the Hidden Yuan Society collaborated on many matters, and we worked very closely on the plot against the Jin Clan.”
Hearing the King's question, Xue Che felt greatly relieved inwardly. The fact that the King didn't feign ignorance or beat around the bush was proof that he still trusted him. Ning Yuanxian then asked him another question.