Immortal Travel of Longevity

The taxes were heavy, but truth be told, there was simply no other choice.

If the Prince of Yan wanted to hold on to his slice of territory, he needed silver no matter what. Yet in today's world, the Southern Domain Land was arguably the wealthiest region of all, but also the most impoverished.

The advantage lay in its rugged terrain. With its endless overlapping mountains, the region naturally deterred many ambitious outsiders. Furthermore, the climate was exceptionally well-suited for growing grain.

But the disadvantages were just as numerous.

In the early years, the divide between the Jing People and the Xiang People had forged distinct differences between the north and the south.

The Grand Ancestor was of the Xiang People by birth, and the empire's center of power rested in the Northern Territory. He had initially intended to balance the north and south, but the later rebellions in the Southern Domain completely severed that path. Afterward, the imperial court scarcely spared any effort on the revitalization and education of the south.

It lacked talent!

Looking across the region, capable individuals were few and far between.

Furthermore, the endless overlapping mountains of the Southern Domain Land made travel overwhelmingly long and difficult. This barrier deterred merchants. Thus, despite sitting on an abundant granary, the region could never build a thriving economy.

Watching his military supplies dwindle toward the bottom, he had no choice but to hike taxes, shifting the entire burden onto the commoners.

It was an act of sheer desperation.

Until the Prince of Yan found another way, these taxes would remain this heavy.

"The Southern Domain Land has endured some suffering," Chen Changsheng said.

Yunxiang paused, a bitter feeling rising in her heart. She let out a soft sigh. "The great era has descended, and all five factions are at war. It is difficult for us to change such a chaotic world. Even with Immortal Arts, it cannot be altered."

It wasn't because of the karma or hardship they would have to endure, but rather the sheer impossibility of it. A cultivator followed the will of heaven, while these princes bore the mandate of heaven's intent. If a cultivator were to interfere, their every word and deed would draw the gaze of the heavens. Any such attempt would likely end before it even began.

But there were exceptions.

"This Chen did see one person pull it off..." Chen Changsheng said.

Yunxiang paused. "Someone succeeded?"

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment before bringing up the matter of King Yu.

Yunxiang was astonished to hear of it. Toward King Yu's actions, she couldn't help but sigh in admiration, yet on second thought, something felt off to her.

She looked at the Mister and asked, "Mister, do you truly believe that King Yu's actions managed to deceive the will of heaven?"

Chen Changsheng suddenly froze at those words.

He couldn't help but look at Yunxiang, his expression growing dazed for a fleeting moment.

Yunxiang paused, offering a faint smile. "I was only speaking casually."

Chen Changsheng snapped back to his senses. He shook his head and said, "This Chen feels that what you say makes a great deal of sense."

He had always assumed that Mister Zhulan faking his death to escape the Dharma Eye of the Heavenly Dao was the fundamental reason the endeavor had succeeded. But thinking deeper, he realized those subtle details were still lacking.

Perhaps... and it was merely a perhaps...

The will of heaven had known of the matter all along, yet simply had not intervened.

But bringing it up now could only amount to a sigh.

Whatever the truth was, bringing it up again would change nothing about the past.

"It's getting late. You should rest early, Mister," Yunxiang said. "Oh, by the way, I need to visit the Yan Prince's Manor tomorrow. Would you like to come along, Mister?"

"The Yan Prince's Manor?"

"Yes. The trade routes of Yan Land were opened long ago. Since we are already here, we should pay them a visit as guests."

"Because of that group from earlier."

"Not entirely. I merely wish to see what has been happening along this trade route over the years. In his letters, Young Master Tang frequently mentioned that the Yan Territory Trading Firm was facing blockades. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I thought I would check the ledgers and see exactly where the problem lies with the businesses in Yan Land."

Chen Changsheng nodded. "Then we shall go together tomorrow."

Night fell.

The oil lamp in the second-floor inn room was snuffed out.

Chen Changsheng lay on the bed, with Lihua sleeping beside his pillow.

It had certainly picked up some bad habits. Despite being a Mao'er, it insisted on sleeping flat on its back like a human, all four limbs splayed out. It looked utterly comical.

Whenever asked why it did this, it would just give a foolish reply: "Don't all humans sleep like this?"

The Mao'er understood nothing and didn't see anything wrong with it.

...

The Yan Prince's Manor was not far from here.

The Prince of Yan had no choice but to give face to the Tang Family Trading Firm.

Upon receiving the news, he ordered his people to welcome them into the manor.

"Miss Yun's visit truly brings radiant glory to my humble Prince's Manor."

It was their first time meeting the Prince of Yan.

The Prince of Yan appeared frail and gaunt, though a sharp, severe glint flashed in his eyes. His eyebrows were as thin as willow leaves, as if deliberately groomed, and he wore powder on his face, making for a rather jarring sight. Furthermore, as they drew closer, they could smell a wave of fragrance wafting off him, which made it even more uncomfortable.

"You praise me too highly, Your Highness," Yunxiang replied. "I am merely a merchant; I am hardly worthy of entering Your Highness's Dharma Eye."

Chen Changsheng stared at the Prince of Yan, slightly taken aback.

He could tell at a single glance.

This Prince of Yan had no fondness for women.

Taking in his appearance and powdered face again, he suddenly understood.

"And this is...?"

The Prince of Yan looked toward Chen Changsheng.

Chen Changsheng cupped his hands. "This Chen is merely the accompanying coachman."

"Is that so?" The Prince of Yan smiled, pressing the issue no further. He had likely guessed that Chen Changsheng's identity was out of the ordinary, but since the man had no intention of mentioning it, he wasn't going to pry.

Yunxiang chatted with the Prince of Yan for a short while before bringing up the matters of the trading firm.

"In the past, our trading firm cooperated extensively with Your Highness. However, over the years, many discrepancies have appeared in our accounts. It is possible that the shopkeepers working under us have grown greedy. On this visit, I would like to review the ledgers from the Yan Prince's Manor. I know it is somewhat presumptuous, but it is a necessary measure."

The Prince of Yan understood immediately. He smiled and said, "So it is regarding this matter. That is fine, a mere trifle. I shall have someone fetch the ledgers immediately."

With that, the Prince of Yan ordered someone to retrieve them.

A short while later, a steward stepped forward.

"Your Highness, there is a matter..."

"What is it?"

The Prince of Yan asked. The steward cupped a hand over his mouth and murmured something in a hushed voice.

Immediately afterward, the Prince of Yan stood up. He cupped his hands to Chen Changsheng and Yunxiang in apology. "Please excuse me for a moment."

He followed the steward out.

The moment he stepped past the entryway, the Prince of Yan's expression darkened.

"I knew this woman came with ill intent!"

The Prince of Yan scoffed coldly.

He was perfectly clear about the problems in those ledgers. The missing silver taels, of course, had fallen right into his own pockets.

However, he had absolutely no desire to return those silver taels. He wanted to keep the trade routes open while brazenly stashing those silver taels into his own pockets.

"Longfu, where are the ledgers we prepared earlier?" the Prince of Yan asked.

Fortunately, he had kept an ace up his sleeve.

The steward pulled a ledger from his robes and offered it up. "Please take a look, Your Highness."

"Are there going to be any flaws?"

"You may rest easy, Your Highness. I sought out an expert to forge this ledger. They will absolutely not spot any problems."

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