"Big brother!"
Zhang Zhao's eyes were somewhat reserved, and his expression was full of reluctance.
Seeing his expression, Zhang Yi reached out and patted his head. He seemed wise beyond his years, and this scene dispelled the sorrow of parting!
On the Cyan Cloud Ship, two stewards in light moon-colored robes stepped down, slightly bowing when they saw Zhang Jian.
"Elder Zhang!"
Zhang Jian was not the Chief Disciple and had no intention of vying for the top position at Demon-slaying Peak. Upon advancing to become one of the Yin Spirit Venerables, he naturally became an inner elder of Demon-slaying Peak.
The position of an Inner Sect Elder was prestigious and influential.
The two Outer Sect Stewards from the Tongshan Dao Lineage naturally couldn't show negligence.
Zhang Jian nodded and said,
"Yi'er is entrusted to you!"
The two Outer Sect Stewards repeatedly said they dared not. They were only cultivators at the Divination Foundation Establishment stage, and in their eyes, a Golden Core Cultivator was already an ancestor-level existence, while Yin Spirit Venerables, such as the Inner Sect Elders, were above and beyond anything they could offend.
Zhang Jian then turned his gaze to Zhang Yi and said,
"Yi'er, everything I should have taught you has been passed on. You'll have to be self-reliant out there; face challenges with your own wisdom and perseverance. Relying on others is not as good as relying on yourself!"
Zhang Yi slightly cupped his hands.
"Yes, Father!"
With that, he stepped into the Cyan Cloud Ship.
The two stewards nodded and also returned to the Cyan Cloud Ship, which drifted away from the canal's surface like an ordinary large vessel.
Zhang Jian sighed slightly, seeing Qi Yuhua's worried expression, he couldn't help but smile and said,
"Darling, why this worry? The fledgling eagle spreads its wings; this is a good thing!"
Qi Yuhua glared at Zhang Jian slightly upon hearing this, albeit with a hint of reproach. Seeing this, Zhang Jian's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but lean closer and say,
"Darling, why not have another baby?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Yuhua's cheeks flushed slightly, and she responded with a trace of mock annoyance,
"The children are still around!"
Zhang Jian smiled faintly at this.
As the clan leader of the Zhang Family, apart from Bai Liying and Qi Yuhua, he had no other close female companions. The responsibility of expanding the Zhang Family naturally fell on Qi Yuhua's shoulders.
The couple laughed and joked like any ordinary couple, while Yu Yao and Qu Lian tactfully stood far away with Zhang Fu and others.
Rumble!!
At this moment, the sound of hooves like thunder was heard from the pier. A squad of heavily armored cavalry galloped from the distant official road, heading directly towards the city gates.
Zhang Jian pulled Qi Yuhua aside to make way, watching from a distance as a group of scouts rushed over, shouting simultaneously,
"Great victory, urgent military report! General An of the Divine Strategy Army utterly defeated the Beichu Wolf Division in Dingyuan County!"
"Urgent military report! The Divine Strategy Army crushed the Beichu Wolf Division, slaughtered three thousand enemies, and killed the commander Fu Hun. A complete victory!"
The scouts rode past swiftly, causing many citizens to discuss spiritedly, and a sense of pride was evident in their expressions.
"Husband, could General An truly achieve such feats?!"
Qi Yuhua was also a bit surprised. As Zhang Jian's wife, she often mingled with the ladies of Haojing City's nobility and had access to timely information.
The Beichu Wolf Division was renowned, a seasoned and elite force of Beichu that was decisively defeated by the Divine Strategy Army, along with the death of its chief commander Fu Hun.
The chief commander Fu Hun was an old Beichu general, even honored as the Wolf King.
Zhang Jian nodded.
An Ruming's Greedy Wolf Star Fate is in its explosive phase, with the stars favoring his expedition, ensuring success. It was no surprise that Fu Hun fell at his hands.
Not only An Ruming with the Greedy Wolf Star Fate, but Song Yingzhen's Po Jun Star Fate was also rapidly expanding under the diminishing Great Qian Dragon Qi!
Two years ago, he passed the preliminary civil exam successfully during the autumn examinations, and now, as an advanced scholar in the military, he was thriving.
Zhang Jian looked around. Many citizens recognized him and came forward to greet him, and Zhang Jian returned the greetings with a smile!
After resolving the drought two years ago, Daqian didn't resemble a dynasty in decline but was thriving like the rising sun.
However, Zhang Jian knew this was just an appearance.
With the Dragon Qi leaking from the Dragon Vein, these Hidden Dragons lurked in the shadows.
If anything unexpected emerged, Daqian could collapse in an instant.
...
Over these two years, Zhang Jian gradually climbed in the court, from the Junior Fourth Grade Grand Scholar of the Left Spring Pavilion to the Senior Fourth Grade Junior Grand Secretary of the Chamberlain's Mansion.
The title of Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture remained unchanged.
With his rank ascending by one grade, officially it was because Zhang Jian improved various crop seeds of Daqian, optimizing agriculture, which greatly pleased Emperor Jingwu, promoting him to the Senior Fourth Grade Junior Grand Secretary of the Chamberlain's Mansion. In reality, it was due to his participation in pacifying many Ancient Battlefields in the Nine Passes of Western Shu that year.
However, Zhang Jian didn't care about these.
He devoted himself entirely to lecturing while collaborating with some upright officials to establish academies, promoting education, and disseminating the "Zhang's School" philosophy.
In fact, the pure "Zhang's School" wasn't very appealing within the Daqian literary circles, just receiving a mediocre response among various schools.
Unexpectedly, it had a significant impact among the many cultivators of Dong Shen Temple.
Many cultivators resonated with this philosophy.
The philosophy of investigating things to attain knowledge traces the origin of all development, aligning silently with an era of significant conceptual changes in the cultivation realm.
Because of this, Zhang Jian had been invited multiple times to Dong Shen Temple to lecture to many disciples.
...
At this moment in Jingtai Hall, Emperor Jingwu was summoning Zhao Hu, the commander of the Black-clothed Guards.
Zhao Hu was reporting on the surveillance findings of the Black-clothed Guards during this time.
It mainly concerned the movements of numerous civil and military officials within and outside the court.
The Black-clothed Guards also had the responsibility of monitoring the officials.
However, in these two years, their focus was entirely on the various Vassal Kings, as ordered by the emperor.
The Daqian Royal Family was vast, and since the Grand Ancestor of Daqian, adult princes were typically conferred the title of Prince or even Vassal King, then dispatched to their territories to govern.
"How are King Zheng and King Han?"
At this moment, Emperor Jingwu was most concerned about these two princes, King Han Wei Yao and King Zheng Wei Chi.
These two had once missed the opportunity to ascend the throne, likely harboring some resentment in their hearts.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hu said, "The performance of the two princes... King Han has maintained a disciplined routine, visiting the Han Royal Palace in the morning and returning home in the evening, diligently handling affairs and being very self-disciplined!
King Zheng has spent most of this time indulging in drinking and revelry, hosting banquets, and indulging in pleasures between the sheets..."
Emperor Jingwu frowned upon hearing this, waving to dismiss Zhao Hu.
As Emperor Jingwu sat at the Imperial Desk, his gaze swept over the lengthy list of the royal family, a gloomy expression on his face.
"Who exactly is the Rebel Dragon?"
Before leaving, Chao Mu had mentioned that the Daqian Dragon Vein had been countered by the Former Shu Dragon Vein, causing Dragon Qi to leak and giving rise to many Hidden Dragons. However, a Rebel Dragon was also born within the Dragon Vein.
This Rebel Dragon could become a hidden threat to the Daqian Royal Family.
After observing for two years, he still couldn't pinpoint the target.
As time passed, the Rebel Dragon continued to grow and increase in strength.
Emperor Jingwu felt restless, as if on pins and needles.