Protect Our Patriarch

……

Just as Emperor Longchang was lost in his own thoughts, Zhuge Liangcai, standing nearby, turned around and angrily rebuked his distant relative, "Auntie Guihua, what nonsense are you spouting? Our patrol team never bullies others. Apologize to these two elderly gentlemen immediately!"

"Liangcai, you ungrateful wretch," Auntie Guihua cursed, "I'm speaking up for you, aren't I? They're just two old men, what trouble could they cause?"

"Shut up!" Zhuge Liangcai was thoroughly enraged, "You're tarnishing the reputation of our Wang's Clan. We despise bullying the weak. Whether it's these two elderly gentlemen or a beggar on the street, as long as they abide by the law, we will show them respect and help."

"Zhuge Liangcai, how dare you speak to me like that? Don't forget, our family helped take care of your ancestors' graves," Auntie Guihua sneered, "Your family has become prosperous and now looks down on poor relatives, is that it?"

"If our ancestors saw you tarnishing the family's reputation like this, they'd probably crawl out of their graves to scold us," Zhuge Liangcai retorted coldly, "If it weren't for the Wang's Clan's efforts to save tens of thousands of refugees and help us rebuild our homes, our ancestors would have perished long ago. Auntie Guihua, if you don't apologize, you can go back to Lingbei."

"I will convene a Zhuge family meeting to move our ancestors' graves to Xinping Town."

Although Zhuge Liangcai was young, he was an elite graduate of the Wang's Clan School with a promising future, and his words carried significant weight within the Zhuge family in Xinping.

"You, you, you, for the sake of two old men..." Auntie Guihua was about to argue further when Zhuge Laoliu, who had been silent, pulled her back and said sternly, "Guihua, apologize."

Though he didn't speak much and was usually timid, he realized at this critical moment that if they continued to be stubborn, Liangcai would surely turn against them.

The other distant relatives also began to criticize Auntie Guihua.

Under the pressure of the crowd.

Auntie Guihua's face turned red and white, and she had no choice but to weakly apologize to the two "old men," "I'm sorry, gentlemen, I spoke out of turn."

"Gentlemen, my apologies, my sister-in-law and some relatives just arrived from Lingbei and spoke out of turn," Zhuge Liangcai also bowed deeply in apology, "Let's not mention the table change earlier, I'll cover this table for you as an apology."

This series of events turned Emperor Longchang's face dark.

Where was the promised bullying?

How am I supposed to catch Wang Shouzhe's faults with this behavior?

"No harm, no harm," Jiang Zhencang said with a kind smile, cupping his hands, "Young man, it seems you are dedicated to maintaining the reputation of the Wang's Clan. Is this just you, or is everyone like this?"

"Sir, this must be your first time in Xinping Town?" Zhuge Liangcai replied with a smile, "Firstly, the Wang's Clan has strict rules with various prohibitions, and any violations are met with corresponding penalties. Secondly, the young masters and ladies of the Wang's Clan are well-behaved, having graduated from the clan school, they are cultured, idealistic, and ambitious. When even the young masters and ladies conduct themselves with humility and courtesy, how could we, the family guards and soldiers, dare to break the rules?"

"Thirdly, one must have a sense of gratitude. Without the Wang's Clan, where would we be? The Wang's Clan is so good to us, how could we betray them?"

"Well said, well said," Jiang Zhencang praised, "Clear rules and fair rewards and punishments, it seems Master Wang Shouzhe manages the family well."

"If you encounter any injustice or difficulties in Xinping Town, you can mention my name or find any patrol team member," Zhuge Liangcai said confidently, "I guarantee every patrol team member will do their best to help you."

"Thank you, young man," Jiang Zhencang thanked him and then looked at Emperor Longchang with a half-smile, as if to say, the Wang's Clan is doing just fine without your oversight.

Emperor Longchang rolled his eyes in displeasure, thinking it was all an act. Wang Shouzhe, that kid, loves to put on a righteous front.

"Go, go, take care of your distant relatives, don't disturb our drinking," Emperor Longchang waved impatiently, finding the Zhuge kid increasingly annoying. He couldn't catch Wang Shouzhe's faults and ended up with a headache instead.

"With that, I take my leave," Zhuge Liangcai said with a smile, instructing the waiter, "Bring these two gentlemen some specialty dishes and a good pot of wine, put it on my tab."

After handling the situation, Zhuge Liangcai and his distant relatives found a nearby table to sit.

"What a nuisance," Emperor Longchang grumbled, feeling disgruntled that his plan didn't work out.

"You, you're becoming more like a child as you age," Jiang Zhencang chuckled, sending a voice transmission, "These are idle problems, you'd be better off guarding the front lines."

"Guard the front lines?" Emperor Longchang rolled his eyes and sent a voice transmission, "Wang Shouzhe, that kid, has everything arranged. He wants me to stay with the Wang's Clan and not go anywhere. Listen to that, I'm an emperor, yet I have to follow his arrangements?"

"If it weren't for Ruolan and money, I wouldn't even bother with that kid. If it were in my younger days, I'd have beaten him to a pulp."

Jiang Zhencang shook his head, too lazy to deal with this old man, enjoying his rare leisure with a "cheap little wine," listening to the discussions at the surrounding tables.

Some people talked about business, others discussed education, mentioning whose child got into the town school, or even the Wang's Clan School.

Longchang had a point; the voices of the common people are the most genuine.

Jiang Zhencang had spent his life selflessly protecting the Great Qian, bearing the responsibility of safeguarding humanity, all to make the Great Qian strong and prosperous.

And though Xinping Town was small, it had achieved economic prosperity, with ordinary people living well-fed and courteous lives. The Wang's Clan alone was no worse than most places in the Immortal Dynasty.

The only thing lacking was that the Immortal Dynasty had been established for tens of thousands of years, achieving a world where everyone was at the Qi Refining Realm.

"I heard Shouzhe also wants to achieve universal Qi Refining Realm?" Jiang Zhencang chatted, "Last time at the Holy Land, he consulted me about collaborating with the Alchemy Peak to develop a mass production model for the Enlightenment Pill."

"Universal Qi Refining Realm," Emperor Longchang pursed his lips, "Easier said than done. The advancement of everyone's bloodline isn't something that happens overnight. Even the Immortal Dynasty took tens of thousands of years to achieve this."

Universal Qi Refining Realm is a massive system engineering project, involving cultural, economic, and comprehensive productivity improvements. The biggest issue is time; without a large accumulation of time, it's impossible for everyone's bloodline to reach even the lowest grade.

It's not just about the Enlightenment Pill.

"Shouzhe is just feeling his way across the river," Jiang Zhencang supported, "He's already achieved universal education in his jurisdiction. Even young outsiders are re-educated through literacy classes."

"From what I've seen on this trip, the ordinary people of Xinping Town have a completely different spirit. They've mostly completed basic education, their eyes are bright and intelligent, and they exude confidence in their movements. Their overall quality surpasses that of the commoners in Guilong City."

"Wang Shouzhe's handling of the economy and education is indeed commendable," even Emperor Longchang couldn't find fault with this and had to admit sourly, "But with a smaller population, it's naturally easier to manage. Guilong City is vast and inevitably mixed with all sorts."

"Shouzhe is indeed a talent focused on construction, we should support him more," Jiang Zhencang sighed, "He's created so many miracles, I have a premonition that if Shouzhe remains true to his original intention, our Great Qian might become the next Immortal Dynasty."

"Support, of course, I've always supported him," Emperor Longchang said firmly, "I nitpick him a lot, which is also a form of support."

As they spoke, Emperor Longchang's eyes lit up, "Another opportunity has come."

At this moment.

Another group of guests entered the restaurant, their attire exuding the aura of those accustomed to high positions, walking with a dragon-like demeanor, their blood and energy vigorous, clearly possessing high cultivation.

It's no wonder, among the group, besides a young girl with a delicate appearance, the other middle-aged men were all at the Celestial Realm, and the leading elder wore a purple crown, his expression stern, his aura unfathomable, a Purple Mansion Master.

This group had impressive cultivation, clearly belonging to a family.

With a Purple Mansion Realm family, they could be conferred as a fifth-grade Purple Mansion Clan if their achievements were not lacking.

However, their expressions were heavy and gloomy, as if plagued by some misfortune.

They requested a private room and ordered a lavish meal, yet seemed to have no appetite. One of the Celestial Realm middle-aged men said gravely, "Ancestor, could it be that President Yinglei is deceiving us? Saying that Master Wang Shouzhe is not at home, this is clearly an excuse. I've heard that Wang Shouzhe prefers peace and rarely leaves home for ten or eight years."

"Mingtai, watch your words," another middle-aged man said sternly, "The full name of Master Wang Shouzhe is not something you can casually mention. Even if President Yinglei is making excuses, we can only wait!"

"Wait, we can't afford to wait," the man named Mingtai said anxiously, "That batch of iron pots has been seized, and we owe the Wang's Clan for the goods based on our family's reputation. If this drags on, won't our Tianfu Zhao's Clan end up with nothing?"

Meanwhile.

Jiang Zhencang frowned slightly and sent a voice transmission, "So it's the Tianfu Zhao's Clan, a branch of the Daqian Zhao's Clan. I've heard that the Duke of Dingguo's mansion and An Guogong's mansion have never been on good terms, yet this Tianfu Zhao's Clan has business dealings with the Changning Wang's Clan?"

"Old Jiang, you don't understand," Emperor Longchang said with a smile, "Wang Shouzhe, that kid, is always cunning, probably setting a trap. The Tianfu Zhao's Clan, affected by the Daqian Zhao's Clan, is having a hard time now, probably desperate and grasping at straws, falling right into Wang Shouzhe's trap."

"During the Imperial Heir Struggle tax supplement incident, we spent too much supporting the main family, selling almost all our assets," Zhao Mingtai sighed, "Now the family is struggling, and Minglei can't afford to delay his advancement to the Purple Mansion. We thought we could establish a long-term business relationship with the Wang's Clan, but we didn't expect this to happen. Sigh~~"

"Do we really have to send Jun'er to the Wang's Clan to seek a marriage alliance? Our Jun'er is a natural genius, with a bright future ahead."

Over there, Emperor Longchang slapped his thigh and sent a voice transmission, "Old Jiang, I get it, Wang Shouzhe must have set his eyes on the young girl, setting a trap to force them to send her, uh, no, to bring her to him..."

Jiang Zhencang almost spat out a mouthful of old blood. Shouzhe, such a gentleman, was being described so poorly by you. What grudge do you two have?

"Longchang, don't overthink it."

"I'm not overthinking it. Even if the Zhao's Clan is down and out, how many people in the world dare to seize their goods and make them feel aggrieved? Only the now-thriving Daqian Wang's Clan has such capability. As long as the current cabinet chief, Ancestor Yinda, casually hints, there are plenty of people willing to secretly deal with the Zhao's Clan."

Thinking he had caught Wang Shouzhe's weakness, Emperor Longchang stood up, striding like a dragon and tiger to the private room door, and knocked it open, "I heard you're being bullied by the Wang's Clan? Don't worry, tell me what happened, and someone will ensure justice for you."

"This..."

The Zhao's Clan group stared in shock at Emperor Longchang, wondering where this old man, no, these two old men, had come from...

"Gentlemen..." Zhuge Liangcai, who was dining with his distant relatives, hurried over, "What are you doing? Don't cause trouble and disturb their meal."

"Young man, you're of good character, I won't make things difficult for you," Emperor Longchang patted his shoulder, "This matter is beyond you, better go call your family head, Wang Shouzhe."

For a moment, the restaurant was in chaos, with diners gathering around, excitedly discussing the scene.

Just then, a commanding voice came from the restaurant entrance, "Who's causing trouble?"

As soon as this voice was heard, the surroundings fell silent.

A young man in a commanding officer's uniform entered the restaurant, flanked by a group of subordinates. He swept his stern gaze across the room, finally settling on Emperor Longchang and Jiang Zhencang.

"Commander Ansong!" Zhuge Liangcai hurriedly saluted, "There seems to be some misunderstanding with these two gentlemen, it's nothing serious."

This young man was Wang Ansong, ranked twelfth among the Wang's Clan's An generation. At eighty years old, he had long become a prodigy, his cultivation already at the second level of the Celestial Realm.

At such an age and cultivation, he was considered a renowned young talent even in Guilong City.

"You old...man? I feel like I've seen you somewhere," Wang Ansong said, frowning as he looked at Longchang, "Why are you avoiding me? Could it be you're an old troublemaker I've arrested before?"