Protect Our Patriarch

……

Changning Garrison, Xinping Town River.

On Patrol Boat No. 003.

Wang Anye and his team returned to the patrol boat. He was distributing money, handing out a stack of ten small denomination gold notes to the ten Qi Refining Realm soldiers of the patrol team: "Everyone has worked hard."

Each note had a face value of twenty top gold.

"It's not hard at all, we strive for the rise of the Wang's Clan."

"Thank you, Seventh Young Master."

"Seventh Young Master is becoming more and more heroic and handsome, like a True Immortal descending to the mortal world."

A series of grateful and flattering words flowed continuously, each one sounding pleasant.

These patrol teams were clan soldiers carefully selected and trained by the Wang's Clan from a young age. Their ancestors had lived under the protection of the Wang's Clan for generations, and their loyalty was beyond question.

Of course, the Wang's Clan's investment in them was not small either. A single "Enlightenment Pill" could elevate their originally "waste-grade" bloodline aptitude to the lower-grade Ding level, granting them the qualification to cultivate Basalt techniques.

Moreover, the Clan School's affiliated Clan Soldiers Academy not only taught Basalt Battle Techniques but also emphasized cultural lessons. Each year, they ranked students based on their academic and martial performance, providing additional resources to those who excelled.

The most outstanding ones even had the opportunity to enter the Wang's Clan School for more elite education, paving a broader path for their future.

Such layers of selection and incentives made every clan soldier strive hard, resulting in excellent overall quality.

After graduating at eighteen, they would enter various departments and positions within the Wang's Clan, receiving annual basic stipends, housing subsidies, spiritual food subsidies, pill subsidies, and more, with very generous compensation and benefits.

An excellent clan soldier at about the fifth level of the Qi Refining Realm could receive a total annual compensation of about sixty top gold, and with additional merits, it could even exceed a hundred.

This treatment was already better than most direct descendants of eighth or ninth-grade clans in the Great Qian.

Yet, even so, Wang Anye's twenty top gold note reward was considered a substantial income for them.

As for the captain of Patrol Team No. 003, Shentu Hongyi, a usually stern middle-aged man in the eyes of his subordinates and civilians, was now beaming with a bright smile, full of flattery: "My admiration for the Seventh Young Master is as vast and surging as the An River, and you are like the blazing sun in the sky, always guiding me... You've given too much."

His demeanor suggested that if the Seventh Young Master gave the order, he would charge at the Emperor with a knife in hand.

After all, who didn't know that the Seventh Young Master of the Wang's Clan's "An" generation was a walking God of Wealth? Who wouldn't like the God of Wealth?

"Uncle Shentu, take it. You're different from those young ones; you have a big family to support." Wang Anye said with a smile, "This time when I went out to sea to fish, I accidentally picked up some treasures and a pile of spiritual stones. Since we met here by chance, it's only natural that everyone gets a share."

Shentu Hongyi, being part of the Lingtai Realm household guards, actually had a decent income, with an annual total exceeding two thousand top gold (including various resources). However, he married an outstanding woman from the Wang's Clan's collateral line, and after having several promising children, he even had grandchildren now, so the annual expenses were naturally high.

As an elder, he always had to subsidize his excellent children, right? Who wouldn't want their children to reach greater heights?

The two thousand top gold note Wang Anye gave naturally alleviated the financial pressure on Shentu Hongyi's small family.

"Seventh Sister-in-law, I apologize for An Song's previous offense."

Wang Ansong, being a direct descendant of the Wang's Clan, cleverly flattered Wu Xue'ning, pouring tea and water while addressing her as "Seventh Sister-in-law," which made Wu Xue'ning so happy that she forgave An Song from the bottom of her heart.

"An Song, what nonsense are you talking about? Anye and I haven't even taken the first step yet." Wu Xue'ning glanced at Wang Anye with a smile and rewarded Wang Ansong with a gold note, "Your Seventh Sister-in-law came in a hurry and didn't bring any gifts. Buy yourself something you like."

A purple gold note!

"An Song thanks Seventh Sister-in-law for her support."

After shouting excitedly, Wang Ansong, in his excitement, fell into a daze. Even as a direct descendant of the Wang's Clan, it wasn't easy to see a purple gold note.

What background does this new Seventh Sister-in-law have? Not only is she young and incredibly powerful, seemingly not much weaker than Seventh Brother, but she also has such a rich background?

No wonder, Wu Xue'ning herself came from Commandery Prince Rong's household.

Although Commandery Prince Rong's martial prowess wasn't outstanding among the royal commandery princes, he was still a commandery prince with a legitimate background and wasn't one to squander wealth, so his family was naturally very wealthy.

Moreover, Wu Xue'ning's maternal family was the rising and talented third-grade Chen's Clan.

With the favor of both families, Wu Xue'ning naturally had a full purse.

Furthermore, Wu Xue'ning was also a Divine Realm seed of the royal family, receiving substantial subsidies from both the Emperor and the Ancestral House.

"You brat..."

Wang Anye was speechless at his twelfth brother's "shamelessness." This kid certainly didn't inherit the "honesty" of their third grandfather Zongsheng.

"Seventh Brother, didn't you pick up a lot of spiritual stones this time?" Wang Ansong shamelessly approached Wang Anye, "Can you spare a few for your poor twelfth brother to cultivate?"

"No, your Seventh Brother worked hard to pick up those spiritual stones, bending over and standing up each time, sometimes using profound energy to attract them, and occasionally kicking stones with his foot."

"Seventh Brother..." Wang Ansong was almost in tears.

I can help you pick them up~~ I'm not afraid of hard work.

If there are spiritual stones to pick up, he would be willing to kick mountains, let alone stones.

……

Around the same time.

Stay Immortal Valley.

Stay Immortal Residence.

At some point, Emperor Longchang had already set up a chess stall, enthusiastically playing a game of black and white with Wang Shouzhe.

It made sense.

Emperor Longchang, who had failed to catch Wang Shouzhe's weakness after much effort, was now holding a grudge and found it difficult to make up for it in other ways. The best way to educate Shouzhe was naturally through chess.

"Shouzhe, it's been thirty years, and your chess skills are still so lacking. I'm deeply gratified." Emperor Longchang held a teapot in one hand, sipping spiritual tea, while the other hand placed chess pieces, becoming more radiant and energetic as the game progressed.

Wang Shouzhe, however, didn't feel ashamed for losing at chess. Instead, he casually asked for meal subsidies while playing: "Your Majesty, your stay at the Wang's Clan is naturally welcomed by Shouzhe. However, the Wang's Clan's financial resources are limited and can't afford to support an Emperor."

Some things should naturally be requested.

The physical strength of a Lingxu Realm Basalt cultivator was incredibly formidable, and even maintaining his daily consumption required astronomical sums. If the Emperor ate freely, even the current Wang's Clan couldn't afford it.

This was just the consumption of an early Lingxu Realm Emperor.

If it were a Lingxu Realm cultivator aiming to ascend to higher levels, the resources consumed would be even more massive, requiring the entire nation to tighten its belt.

In other words, with the current size of the Great Qian, it couldn't support a True Immortal Realm, nor could it afford to.

"Shouzhe, look at you, losing a game and then changing the subject." Emperor Longchang rolled his eyes and said, "Rest assured, my pension will be supplied by the Ancestral House and the Great Qian treasury, not freeloading off your Wang's Clan."

Though the Emperor had thick skin, he knew how astonishing his consumption was. Even a third-grade family like the Chen's Clan or the Daqian Wang's Clan might not be able to support him, let alone the Wang's Clan.

He wasn't shameless enough to bankrupt the Wang's Clan.

"In that case, Shouzhe is relieved." Wang Shouzhe continued to play chess with the Emperor with peace of mind.

Losing at chess was nothing; he didn't lose face or money, so he didn't mind how many times it happened.

"Petty." Emperor Longchang muttered, continuing to play chess while saying, "By the way, are you still planning to fight the Southern Barbarian Gu Clan? When will you fight, can you give me a definite answer?"

Conquering the Southern Border was the last thorn in Emperor Longchang's heart, and he didn't want to leave this life with regrets.

"Your Majesty, that's Prince An's preparation work." Wang Shouzhe said, "As the clan leader of a small sixth-grade family, how can I give Your Majesty a definite answer?"

"Don't give me that." Emperor Longchang said irritably, "The frequency of your correspondence with Prince An is almost like young lovers in a passionate relationship. Wasn't it your suggestion to him to postpone the Southern Border campaign?"

"Your Majesty, Prince An did discuss this matter with me. However, the strategic plan proposed by the deposed Commandery Prince Kang, although generally feasible, still has many shortcomings. Acting rashly would put the Great Qian at a disadvantage." Wang Shouzhe's expression became serious when discussing the matter.

"I think that plan is pretty good. Conquering the Southern Barbarian Gu Clan should be feasible. You two can't be worse than the deposed Commandery Prince Kang, right?" Emperor Longchang said disdainfully, "Don't just focus on farming and developing internal affairs. With that time, you might as well conquer the Southern Border and digest it, which would immediately increase the national strength of the Great Qian."

"Your Majesty, you also mentioned that after conquering, it needs to be 'digested.' Wang Shouzhe said helplessly while placing a piece, "The difficulty lies in the word 'digest.' The customs and culture of the Southern Barbarian Gu Clan are vastly different from the Great Qian, and they have a strong belief in witchcraft, with a strong sense of rejection and hostility towards outsiders, especially towards us. Rashly starting a war would result in 'easy to conquer, hard to digest.'"

"However, rest assured, Your Majesty, Prince An already has a specific plan for digestion and is preparing for it. It won't be long before a full-scale attack on the Southern Border is launched."

"Good, then I will wait and see." Emperor Longchang's mood brightened, "Shouzhe, you and Prince An are both known for your steadiness. With such careful planning, conquering the Southern Border should not be a problem. I congratulate you in advance on your victory."

As the Emperor was in a great mood, Old Yao, Wu Xue'ning, and Wang Anye arrived at Stay Immortal Valley.

Initially.

Emperor Longchang felt a bit awkward, after all, at the most critical moment, he "abandoned" Old Yao and the girl Xue'ning, tearing through space to retreat first.

But half an hour later.

The Stay Immortal Valley echoed with the furious roars of Emperor Longchang: "No! I absolutely forbid this. You are to marry into the Immortal Dynasty."

"Great-grandfather, but I've already... with Anye... how can I marry into the Immortal Dynasty now? With this reputation, they wouldn't want me."

"What a disaster~~ Wang Shouzhe, look at the mess you've caused! What did my Wu's Clan do to offend your Wang's Clan that you would do this to me?"

"I shouldn't have come here! I shouldn't have come!"

"……"

Wang Shouzhe was speechless. How did this end up being blamed on him?

However, this was indeed another headache. Not to mention the Emperor was furious, he was actually a bit annoyed too.

He immediately gave Wang Anye a stern look. You brat, wasn't it enough to get involved with one little commandery princess? Now you've entangled another one. This is truly difficult to resolve.

What can be done?

Beat him! Beat him to death~~

Immediately, Wang Shouzhe rolled up his sleeves, grabbed his tools, and personally dragged Anye over for a beating.

No choice, Anye's father Shizhao was currently in the capital assisting Prince An with state affairs, and his grandfather Zong'an was digging canals at Anbei Garrison, neither of them were in Ping'an Town, so as the great-grandfather, he had to take matters into his own hands.

He had to beat him until Emperor Longchang softened, otherwise, this matter would be difficult to resolve~

……

Leaving aside the internal chaos and disorder within the Wang's Clan.

Around the same time, in the suburbs of Guilong City.

In this vast, almost endless area, countless estates were scattered. Most of them belonged to the royal family, either under the Ancestral House or under the name of a certain prince or commandery prince.

This was one of the benefits of founding a country.

The royal family established the initial capital here, naturally occupying the best land. It was through the support of such large royal estates that the royal family became as strong as it is today.

At this moment, it was raining in the suburbs.

A royal estate stood in the rain, as if brewing something.

It was an enormous royal estate. Within it were countless rare spiritual plants and trees, some particularly ornamental, while others were extremely practical.

In addition, the estate had many high-grade spiritual farmlands and spiritual springs, producing various economically valuable grains and spiritual fish.

This estate belonged to the lineage of Prince Dexin. It had once been investigated and penalized for tax evasion, but even when paying taxes according to regulations, it was still a highly profitable top-tier estate. If sold, it would be worth at least a Divine Spirit Artifact.

The rain continued to fall.

Prince Dexin, wearing a raincoat, was fishing in the spiritual lake within the estate.

Compared to thirty years ago, he seemed much older now, with his once partially black hair now completely white, and the wrinkles on his face deepened.

However, his mind seemed even more tranquil.

After all, if one fishes without pulling up the rod when a fish bites, they are either fishing for solitude or for the world's great trends, in any case, they are extraordinary.

Suddenly.

A trusted aide hurriedly arrived.

With a joyful expression, he reported: "Your Highness, Miss Luo Yuqing has sent back information, saying she has discovered intelligence. Prince An and Wang Shouzhe's Southern Border campaign plan has entered the final preparation stage and is about to launch a full-scale war on the Southern Border."

Previously, when Dawn was wanted, Luo Yuqing also became a wanted criminal. It was Prince Dexin who used all available means to secretly protect them, allowing Luo Yuqing and others to escape capture and being wanted.

Now that the situation had calmed, "Dawn" began to rise from the ashes.

Compared to its peak, the name "Dawn" was now even more fitting.

Breaking through the endless darkness, seeking that glimmer of light.

Isn't that exactly the case now?

Hearing the report from his subordinate, Prince Dexin's aged body trembled, and even the tip of his steady fishing rod quivered slightly.

His voice trembled: "Is the information reliable?"

"The information is reliable. Besides Luo Yuqing, we also used some connections to verify this information through other channels. Cross-referencing ensures the information is accurate." The trusted aide reported excitedly.

"Good, good, good!"

Prince Dexin pulled up a three-foot-long spiritual fish.

His once serene eyes now shone with a captivating light, and he said excitedly: "Thirty years! Thirty whole years! I thought Prince An and Wang Shouzhe had given up on the Southern Border campaign plan. Unexpectedly, fortune has turned, and an opportunity has come at this time."

"Truly, 'the clouds part to reveal the moon.' Indeed, as long as one can patiently wait, the fish will eventually bite."

"Wang Shouzhe, Prince An! Your move of 'deceiving the heavens and crossing the sea' and 'removing the firewood from under the cauldron' was truly skillful. But in the end, I, Dexin, have waited it out."

"Prince An, you brought this upon yourself, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"Notify everyone, prepare to act according to the plan!"

"Hahaha~"

A series of triumphant laughter echoed throughout the royal estate, even scaring the spiritual fish in the lake into a panicked escape.

……

In the blink of an eye, five years passed.

Still in Stay Immortal Valley, Stay Immortal Residence.

Compared to five years ago, the immortal aura in Stay Immortal Valley was even more abundant, and it was full of vitality.

It seemed that influenced by Wang Shouzhe's lifestyle, Emperor Longchang also opened a vegetable garden like Wang Shouzhe, planting spiritual vegetables and tending to exotic flowers and plants in his spare time, tutoring Wang Lixian in her studies.

This made him look very much like a retired old man, idle and leisurely.

Over the five years, not only did Emperor Longchang not age, but he was also rejuvenated, with a glowing complexion, as if the wrinkles on his face had smoothed out considerably.

It was evident that his retirement life at the Wang's Clan had nourished both his body and soul, making him feel much younger.

This was naturally thanks to Wang Lixian and Wang Shouzhe's methods. Wang Lixian, as the Tree of Life, had an astonishing life-extending effect, and under her gradual nourishment over these five years, Emperor Longchang's physical condition had significantly improved. Although it was hard to calculate exactly how much his lifespan had been extended, it was conservatively estimated that he could last another three or four hundred years without much problem.

Emperor Longchang was very satisfied with his current retirement life, except for two things that remained a thorn in his heart.

The first matter was naturally the royal family's precious little commandery princess Wu Xue'ning and Wang Anye's affair.

Wu Xue'ning seemed determined, insisting on marrying Wang Anye, which gave him a terrible headache.

When this matter spread, it naturally caused a stir within the royal family.

Even Prince An was furious about it, ignoring Wang Shouzhe for three whole months, repeatedly writing letters to reprimand Wang Zong'an, and even Wang Shizhao, who stayed by Prince An's side to assist, was implicated, getting into trouble several times.

However, Commandery Prince Rong's household seemed invigorated, particularly supporting this matter. They even secretly spread the word that Little Commandery Princess Xue'ning and Wang Anye were childhood sweethearts.

Their intentions were clear.

They knew that the rise of the Wang's Clan was inevitable, and Prince Dexin's lineage had already thoroughly offended the Wang's Clan and Prince An. When Prince An ascended in the future, Commandery Prince Rong, as a commandery prince of Dexin's lineage, would find his position awkward, likely facing exclusion and suppression from other royal branches.

If there was a chance for Little Commandery Princess Xue'ning and Princess Yiluo to "serve one husband together," it would naturally ease relations with the Wang's Clan, greatly enhancing their future survival space.

Of course, all of this was based on Wu Xue'ning's own will. She was determined to marry Wang Anye, and only then did Commandery Prince Rong's household go along with it.

With Commandery Prince Rong's household's stance, Prince An also sensed a certain "crisis," immediately ending the cold war with Wang Shouzhe and quickly taking action.

Half a month later, Princess Yiluo appeared at the Wang's Clan, starting her studies at the Wang's Clan School.

In the same month, Little Commandery Princess Xue'ning also entered the Wang's Clan School, similarly studying there.

From then on, the two little commandery princesses began their "happy" life as guests at the Wang's Clan.

This matter naturally gave Emperor Longchang a headache as well.

Although he quite liked Wang Anye, having the two most outstanding little commandery princesses of the royal family in the same era marry one person, and that person being Wang Shouzhe's great-grandson, wasn't that too much of a benefit for Wang Shouzhe?

He was truly unwilling, and every time he thought about it, he felt a stabbing pain in his heart.

The other thorn in his heart was still the Southern Border campaign.

Emperor Longchang never expected that Wang Shouzhe's so-called "about to take action" would drag on for five years without any progress. Even Prince An hadn't issued orders for the army to prepare for war...

Is this what you call "soon"?

One day, Emperor Longchang finally couldn't hold back any longer. He caught Wang Shouzhe and used black and white pieces to teach him a lesson before asking, "Wang Shouzhe, when are you and Prince An planning to launch the Southern Border campaign?"

"Your Majesty, I recently discussed this matter with Prince An. It's soon~ soon~ just a little more preparation work left. Your Majesty only needs to wait patiently for a while to reap the fruits of victory."

"Hmph~~ If it weren't for the fact that you've extended my lifespan several times... forget it, forget it, you and Prince An hurry up." Emperor Longchang impatiently waved Wang Shouzhe away.

A month later.

In the royal estate on the outskirts of Guilong City.

Prince Dexin sat by the spiritual lake fishing, his aged face looking even more weathered.

More than five years ago, he heard that Prince An was preparing to start the Southern Border campaign, and he had everything ready, just waiting to strike Prince An at the critical moment.

But...

He waited for more than five years.

Prince Dexin's mental journey went from initial excitement to tension, then gradually to impatience, and now he was completely disappointed.

Currently, Wu Chengsi's situation in the cannon fodder camp was not good, having almost died at the hands of demons twice, and now he was injured. If he didn't act soon, Wu Chengsi might die in the cannon fodder camp, rendering everything meaningless.

"Your Highness."

At this moment, Dexin's trusted aide once again rushed in with joy.

"Action, action! We've received news that this time Prince An is finally starting the Southern Border campaign, and the border army has begun to change defenses!"

"Good!"

Prince Dexin stood up abruptly, his previous despondency and age seemed to vanish instantly, full of vigor: "As the saying goes, 'hard work pays off,' I've finally waited for this day! Chengsi, you must hold on."

"Give the order to prepare according to the plan. Prince An, this time you're definitely doomed!"

"Hahaha~" A series of laughter echoed in the royal estate once again.

……

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, Emperor Longchang had been "staying" at the Wang's Clan for ten years, and the time had come to the year 3258 of Longchang in Daqian.

The Emperor seemed to have completely integrated into the life of the Wang's Clan, raising a flock of spiritual chickens and geese in addition to growing vegetables and flowers.

The children of the Wang's Clan also liked to visit Stay Immortal Valley because there was a particularly kind old grandpa who always liked to give gifts to the children.

On this day.

Emperor Longchang was enthusiastically telling a group of children a story about a talented young warrior who was invincible in the Immortal Dynasty and gained many beautiful confidantes. He even gave the story a name: "Wu Guanze's Invincible Youth in the Immortal Dynasty."

Undoubtedly, Wu Guanze was Emperor Longchang's name!

It was truly a clichéd book title, a story that would definitely flop on Qidian.

When Wang Shouzhe came to find him, he was speechless at the Emperor's storytelling. The family had repeatedly ordered that no one under eighteen should read YY Basalt novels, yet the Emperor was leading the way in violating this, and righteously claimed that it wasn't a YY novel, but a "historical book."

Historical book?

Wang Shouzhe muttered to himself, the Emperor's bragging was so real and absolute, with almost all his peers dead, wasn't he free to boast as he pleased?

"Your Majesty, I'm here to inform you." Wang Shouzhe cupped his hands, "The 'Southern Border Campaign Plan' that you've been thinking about is about to be launched."

"About to? Shouzhe, is your 'about to' a hundred years or three hundred years?" Emperor Longchang didn't even lift his eyelids, continuing to tell the children about his YY story of sweeping through the Immortal Court in his youth, replying impatiently, "Go, go, don't disturb me teaching the children historical knowledge, look how much they love listening."

Wang Shouzhe's mouth twitched. He couldn't control the Emperor, but he could control a group of kids, right? Immediately, he coughed twice and said, "I heard that there's a surprise exam at the Clan School tomorrow."

"What? The teacher didn't say anything?"

"How could this happen, it's a disaster."

"Ancestor, you're joking, right? It's not even midterm yet..."

Wang Shouzhe looked serious: "I'm not joking, I personally ordered the extra test. Whoever doesn't do well will have to stay with me for a while, and I'll personally tutor them."

In no time.

A dozen boys and girls disappeared in a flash.

"Wang Shouzhe, you're no fun." Emperor Longchang said displeased, "I was really telling an interesting story."

"Your Majesty, the Southern Border campaign plan is of great importance. Although Prince An is overseeing the country, he has not yet ascended the throne and cannot decide on the plan's launch. Please issue the decree yourself..." Wang Shouzhe said, taking out a formal memorial.

"Are you serious this time?" Emperor Longchang's eyes lit up.

"Naturally, it's true."

"When will it be launched?"

"Within six months at the latest."

"Good, good, good! I'll issue the decree right away, right away."

……

And so, another month passed.

In the royal estate on the outskirts of Guilong City.

Prince Dexin was still fishing in solitude.

As if history was repeating itself, his trusted aide once again rushed in with excitement: "Your Highness, great news, great news. Prince An has launched the Southern Border campaign plan."

This time.

Prince Dexin remained unmoved, as if he had already given up and become numb to this matter.

People are like this, once the heart is hurt repeatedly, it no longer trusts.

"Your Highness, this time it's true." The trusted aide said anxiously and confidently, "This time, I've thoroughly investigated."

Prince Dexin still didn't move. You said the same thing ten years ago and five years ago... and what happened? It was just being played again and again!

Alas~~ my poor Chengsi child, it's said that this time he's severely injured in the cannon fodder camp... who knows how long he can hold on."Your Highness, this time His Majesty has personally drafted the decree and mobilized the army. In three months, the entire army will launch an attack!" The trusted subordinate revealed their trump card.

Prince Dexin's body shook with a mixture of emotions, and finally, he was moved. Two lines of tears slid down his cheeks. "I, Dexin, have finally awaited this day once more. Inform everyone to prepare for the plan."

"Prince An, don't blame me, Dexin, for disregarding our shared bloodline. If you must blame someone, blame yourself for trying to seize the throne that belongs to the Dexin lineage."

"Prince An, you are doomed this time for sure!"