Gao Wu: You have science, and I have magic!

In Yuyang County, the news that Prefect Shen Huaimin was going to marry off his daughter quickly spread, and was talked about with great relish by the people in the city on the streets.

Shen Huaimin is an upright official and has been sent to Youzhou by the court for five years.

Over the years, he recruited refugees, reclaimed wasteland, restrained the powerful in the county, and rectified the administration of the government offices, so that the people could barely get by. Therefore, he was highly respected and had a good reputation among the people.

In the taverns in the city, many people were talking about the mysterious groom.

"It is said that Lord Shen's daughter is extremely beautiful and charming. I wonder who is so lucky to have such a beautiful bride."

"Lucky? Haha, I don't think so."

"Why do you say that, brother?"

"I heard that Sun Xiangwen from the Sun family had proposed marriage to the Shen family several times before but was rejected. This time, I'm afraid there will be something interesting to watch."

Ye Qingzhou ate fried broad beans and drank wine quietly, listening to gossip about himself. He successfully collected a lot of useful information: "The Sun family is a local tyrant in Yuyang. They had previously tried to form an alliance with the Shen family to win over Shen Huaimin, but failed."

In the past two days, Ye Qingzhou only came to the tavern to sit for half a day every day, and relying on various hearsay information, he had a clear understanding of the situation in Yuyang County and even the entire Youzhou.

The country he is currently in is called "Liang". It has a history of 223 years and has reached the end of its dynasty.

In the court of Daliang State, official positions were almost monopolized by aristocratic families, so that there were no common people in the upper ranks and no gentry in the lower ranks, and the path for class advancement was completely blocked.

At the local level, the prefectures and counties of Daliang were also full of contradictions. Powerful forces ruled one side and engaged in large-scale land annexation, leaving the rich with fields stretching for miles while the poor had no place to stand.

A large number of farmers who lost their land became refugees, without clothes or food, which exacerbated the emergence of social unrest.

The entire Daliang State is now like a huge powder keg. The people at the bottom of society have long been unable to bear exploitation and are full of complaints. With their dissatisfaction and resentment accumulating, it only takes a spark to start a prairie fire and detonate the entire Daliang State at once.

In fact, the Xuantian Sect rebellion three years ago had already exploded once.

The Xuantian Sect, which mobilized millions of refugees, launched a simultaneous rebellion in eleven of the fourteen states in Daliang, and even occupied half of the Central Plains at one point, dealing a heavy blow to the Daliang court and destroying the authority of the government.

The rapid spread of the Xuantian Sect even forced the imperial court to relax military control and allow local areas to recruit strong men to assist the government troops in quelling the religious rebellion.

Although this move resolved the religious unrest, it also allowed the local tyrants, who were already difficult to suppress, to become even more powerful and continue to erode the foundations of the imperial court.

You know, once the balance of military power between the central and local governments is broken, power turbulence is inevitable.

The earth is filled with murderous intent, dragons and snakes emerge from the land!

Today, Daliang has shown some signs of the rise of many heroes.

Ye Qingzhou was drinking by himself, but his mind was full of thoughts: "The Sun family is a powerful family that grew up during the religious turmoil, and the two brothers of the Sun family are ambitious. They have been hoarding food and privately amassing weapons in the past few years. It is obvious what they want to do."

Although Daliang quelled the religious turmoil caused by the Xuantian Sect, it was unable to calm the already restless people.

Seeing that troubled times were approaching, it was inevitable that some people would want to take risks, either to raise an army and establish their own regime, or to establish their own kingdom, and the Sun brothers obviously had such plans.

Not only did they think so themselves, they also planned to bring Shen Huaimin along with them.

But Shen Huaimin was obviously unhappy. It was not because he was loyal to the royal family of Daliang, but mainly because he did not think that the Sun brothers could accomplish anything.

"So, you're using me as a shield?"

Ye Qingzhou's thoughts flashed through his mind, and he immediately understood Shen Huaimin's thoughts and plans: "I come from a humble background, and I don't have any complicated power or background behind me, so I can be easily controlled. At the same time, I am also very good at fighting, so I can become a sharp knife in the hands of the Shen family, cutting through thorns and brambles for the Shen family, and fighting bloody battles..."

I have to say that Shen Huaimin's plan to marry off his daughter was really shrewd.

Ye Qingzhou didn't mind this at all.

In the adult world, it is normal for people to take advantage of each other.

Anyway, he also needs to rely on the "power" of the Shen family. As long as Shen Huaimin doesn't stand in his way, other things don't matter at all.

Ye Qingzhou was about to get up and leave when he suddenly heard someone mention the words "Xuan-Yuan Sword". He immediately sat back down, pricked up his ears and listened carefully.

"Hey, have you heard? The divine fortune teller Lu Gongming of Louguan Dao said that there is the aura of an emperor in Youzhou. It is said that when he was observing the stars two nights ago, he saw a thousand-foot-high glow in the sky, and the aura became the image of a dragon and a tiger, supreme and noble. Could it be that the Xuanyuan Sword will appear again?"

Ye Qingzhou was stunned when he heard this. Wasn’t that the time when he came to this world two days ago?

The brilliant rays of light must have been the ripples in space and time caused by his soul when it left the spiritual world. He did not expect that someone could actually observe it.

Afterwards, Ye Qingzhou continued to listen attentively.

"That's impossible. Doesn't this mean that Daliang will have to change dynasties?"

"Hey, that's hard to say. The magic weapon appears once every three hundred years. Every time it appears, there will be a hero who stands out, holding the Xuanyuan Sword and sweeping across the world, unifying the Central Plains and ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity."

"That's great! I've had enough of these hard times."

"Stop, this is not allowed!"

"That's right, let's drink and not talk about state affairs."

Then laughter and chatter were heard again in the tavern, and people started talking about women, especially the erotic stories related to important people, which made people's blood boil and their faces blush.

Ye Qingzhou listened critically for a while before he stood up and left the tavern: "It seems that the Xuanyuan Sword is a sacred weapon that dominates the change of dynasties in this world... Wait, doesn't this mean that in order to obtain this sword, I have to become an emperor first?"

Trouble.

Ye Qingzhou got a headache just thinking about it.

He is not good at military and political strategies, and he doesn't know anything about governing a country. The only thing he is good at is killing people. He can't just take a sword and kill all the princes alone and unify the world, right?

…………

At this time, in the Shen family mansion.

Nephew Shen Peng came to the study: "Uncle, I have checked what you asked me to check."

In front of the desk, Shen Huaimin put down the bamboo slips in his hand and said, "Speak."

"I asked someone to check the files in the Northern Territory Protectorate, and there is no such person as Ye Qingzhou."

"Oh."

Shen Huaimin's reaction was very cold.

This made Shen Peng a little puzzled, and he quickly reminded: "Uncle, I suspect there is something wrong with this person's identity and origin."

"so what?"

Shen Huaimin still had an expression of disapproval. Seeing that his nephew still didn't understand, he sighed and asked him, "Is Wu Wei's head fake?"

Shen Peng shook his head: "That's true. The Owl Feather Tribe of Donghu has confirmed the death of Wu Wei."

"Isn't that the conclusion? Ye Qingzhou's name may be fake, and his identity may be fake, but as long as his ability is real, that's all."

Shen Huaimin's words awakened Shen Peng.

The latter finally understood: "My uncle taught me that for our Shen family, whether the identity is real or fake is not important at all, as long as the person is useful."

"Ruzi can be taught."

"Uncle, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave now."

"Wait, take 200,000 yuan from the government, go to Jicheng, and ask Deputy Protector Liu to help you write Ye Qingzhou's name on the list."

"Two hundred thousand dollars just to write a name?"

"I want this identity to withstand the inspection of the court, understand?"

Shen Peng was shocked: "Uncle, are you planning to recommend Ye Qingzhou?"

"Ah."

"Is this... not praising him too much?"

Shen Peng couldn't help but be surprised.

There was no imperial examination system in Daliang State. The proper way for officials to be promoted was through the method of recommending filial and honest officials, where local officials from various counties recommended talents to the imperial court.

Therefore, many famous officials and ministers in the court were basically from filial and honest families and had great influence in politics.

The Daliang State's Xiaolian was an annual selection, meaning that each county could recommend talents to the imperial court every year, but there was a limit on the number of candidates, so basically everyone had to fight for it. If you were not from an aristocratic family, you could forget about it.

Even though Shen Huaimin was the prefect of Yuyang County, there were many children of aristocratic families and wealthy families in the county who needed his "care", and there were only so many places available every year.

The status of filial and honest official given to Ye Qingzhou this time was squeezed out by Shen Huaimin from other places.

Shen Huaimin was willing to offend others in order to do this, which shows how much he values ​​Ye Qingzhou.

Shen Peng himself, as the nephew of Shen Huaimin, does not even have the status of a filial and honest official, and Ye Qingzhou is just a live-in son-in-law of the Shen family. Why?

At this moment, Shen Peng felt very sad, but he didn't know how to say it out loud.

Shen Huaimin naturally saw through his nephew's thoughts at a glance, and glared at him and scolded him: "Look at your lack of ambition... The current political situation is turbulent, even if you get the status of a filial and honest official, what can you do? It is better to bet on Ye Qingzhou. I think this boy is definitely not an ordinary person. Maybe he can lead our Shen family to overcome difficulties and even soar to the sky."

"Is he really that powerful?"

"One is worth a hundred, what do you think?"

Shen Huaimin is obviously much more knowledgeable than Shen Peng. He is well-versed in history books and knows how terrifying a fierce man like Ye Qingzhou would be on the battlefield. He is destined to achieve great things in the future.

Although the Shen family still retains the name of a noble family, its fortunes are already on the decline.

The reason is very simple. Aristocratic families like the Shen family have always followed the civil service route. In times of peace and prosperity, they can naturally rely on the imperial power and form cliques in the court through political struggles to get whatever they want.

But now Daliang's national strength is declining and it is in a precarious situation. The rebellion of Xuantian Sect three years ago has already pulled out the last fig leaf of the court, revealing its own weakness to the people of the world. Its majesty has been destroyed and it can no longer suppress the boiling public opinion.

The troubled times are coming, and heroes will surely rise up in the world. When the time comes, if you fight with them with words, they will directly fight you with fists. What use will it be even if you are eloquent and can turn black into white?
The other party can simply flip the table and turn you from alive to dead, forcing you to shut up.

On that night three years ago, if the Northern Territory Protectorate had not dispatched troops in time, Yuyang County would have almost fallen to the rebel army of the Xuantian Sect.

However, Anle City, which was only separated from Yuyang by a river, was not so lucky. Not only did the county town fall, but even the county magistrate and his entire family suffered. All the family members, including their three-year-old child, were killed.

It was after this near-death experience that Shen Huaimin finally woke up from the Shen family's former glory and realized that times had changed. If the Shen family did not change, they would probably be wiped out.

Just as Shen Huaimin was giving Shen Peng instructions, a servant from the mansion came running to report, "Master, the son-in-law is back."

"Please ask him to come over."

"Yes."

Soon, Ye Qingzhou walked into the study: "Father-in-law wants to see me?"

"Haha, my dear son-in-law, please take a seat. I asked you to come here today because I have something to discuss with you."

Then Shen Huaimin talked about recommending Ye Qingzhou as a filial and incorrupt official. For the people of Daliang, this was a ticket to enter the officialdom, something that many people would love but cannot obtain.

But for Ye Qingzhou, what’s the use of this thing?

The selection of filial and honest officials does not require any martial arts training, and he has no intention of entering the officialdom and getting involved with a bunch of people who are just sitting there doing nothing.

So his reaction was very cold, and only because of Shen Huaimin's good intentions did he open his mouth to thank him: "Thank you, father-in-law, for your cultivation."

"Very good, very good. You are calm and composed regardless of praise or criticism. Your son-in-law is indeed very generous."

Shen Huaimin was quite satisfied with Ye Qingzhou's reaction, and said to Shen Peng: "See, this is the person who can really do great things. You should watch carefully and learn well."

Shen Peng originally had some opinions about Ye Qingzhou, but now he is truly convinced: "My uncle has taught me many times that I must remain calm when encountering major events. I have never understood why, but today I finally understand."

Ye Qingzhou didn't understand what was going on, so he had to continue maintaining his cold expression.

Ten days later, Ye Qingzhou's status as a filial and incorrupt official was finally approved.

At the same time, the Shen family was also building up momentum for Ye Qingzhou, and the story of him fighting alone against hundreds of Donghu cavalry in the wilderness spread throughout the county.

On the streets and alleys, countless people were enthusiastically discussing Ye Qingzhou's bravery, which made him famous.

Yuyang County is located on the border of Youzhou and has long faced military threats from the Donghu. Almost every household has a blood feud with the Donghu people.

Therefore, when the story of Ye Qingzhou's heroic act of shooting Wu Wei spread, it was very inspiring.

Shen family mansion, west wing guest rooms.

The moment Ye Qingzhou took on the identity of a filial and honest official, he immediately noticed the changes in himself.

The power of thought transformed into invisible threads, gathered from all directions, and finally fell on his body, nourishing his soul and body.

"My body is getting stronger... Fame and reputation are actually useful in this way?"

Ye Qingzhou's eyes lit up. He was surprised to find that the power of thought could actually be used to refine muscles and bones and strengthen the body, although the effect was far inferior to that of vital energy.

But in the Cang Yuan Realm, a world without vitality, being able to become stronger is already very good, so what else do you need?
Ye Qingzhou, who had found the path to practice martial arts, was so excited that he did not sleep the whole night. He worked hard in the yard, immersed in the joy of becoming stronger.

After Shen Huaimin learned about this, he was even more optimistic about Ye Qingzhou's future: "After obtaining the title of Xiaolian, he was able to calm down and study martial arts diligently. With such a character, he is truly a promising talent."

In the blink of an eye, dozens of days passed, winter went away and spring came, the ice and snow melted, and Ye Qingzhou's wedding date was approaching.

On the day of the great celebration, the court's appointment letter regarding Ye Qingzhou also happened to arrive, appointing him as the chief military officer, who could lead troops into battle and be under the control of the Northern Territory Protectorate.

In fact, this was just a nominal position because he was only given an official position but no food, salary, or soldiers.

The meaning is very clear. The court has no money, so you have to find a way to recruit soldiers yourself and bear your own profits and losses.

But this is exactly what Shen Huaimin meant. The Shen family is not short of money or food now, what they lack is just this kind of status.

Now that they have the status granted by the imperial court, the Shen family can recruit brave men and raise private soldiers without any scruples.

The beginning of spring is a joyous day.

The prefect's mansion was decorated with lights and colorful decorations, and a grand banquet was held for guests. Almost all the prominent families in the city came, except the Sun family.

Soon, the groom Ye Qingzhou appeared in everyone's sight.

He was tall and straight, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and his manners were calm. The guests around were all amazed when they saw him. They thought Ye Qingzhou was a burly man with broad shoulders and a thick beard.

After all, he was a warrior who could fight against a hundred enemies on the battlefield. But now, he seems to be too delicate.

He is well-mannered and gentle, and people would believe that he comes from a noble family.

It was not until the wedding ceremony that Ye Qingzhou saw the bride's face clearly. She was indeed as beautiful as a flower, with a beauty that could topple a country.

Due to etiquette, the two had never met each other even though they were engaged.

Afterwards, Ye Qingzhou discovered that Shen Jingyi was also peeking at him. The little girl's attitude of wanting to look but not daring to look any more was really hilarious.

Shen Jingyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Ye Qingzhou's handsome appearance and gentle temperament.

Women like her, although born in wealthy families, often have no say in their marriage decisions. They have to rely entirely on their parents' orders and matchmakers' words, and end up in blind marriages.

If you marry the wrong man, you have no choice but to accept it.

"Worship heaven and earth."

"Two thanks to the high hall."

"Husband and wife bow to each other."

"The ceremony is over..."

The emcee had a big smile on his face and the guests around him were also laughing and chatting happily. However, just when everyone was happy, someone came to spoil the fun.

The door of the Shen family was kicked open, and Sun Xiangwenming rushed in with his men in a rage. His eyes immediately fell on Shen Jingyi's plain and delicate face, revealing an undisguised greed.

"Sun Xiangwen, what do you mean by this!?"

Shen Huaimin was so angry that his face turned blue and his eyes were so angry that they almost spit fire.

Although Sun Xiangwen's name is "Xiangwen", he is a horizontal person. He is big and strong, with a face full of flesh. He opened his mouth to reveal two rows of yellow teeth, and smiled ferociously: "Lord Shen, you didn't invite me to your wedding day. You really don't take my Sun family seriously, do you?"

"This is the governor's mansion. Do you want to rebel?"

Shen Huaimin was filled with anger and his whole body was shaking slightly. He had realized that something was wrong.

As expected, Sun Xiangwen laughed wildly and said, "Three days ago, 4,000 Tianlang cavalrymen launched a surprise attack on Jicheng. Liu Qi, the governor of the Northern Territory, was killed in the battle, and the rest of the army was scattered. Now my brother has occupied Jicheng, has over 10,000 soldiers, and has the support of the Tianlang people. Great achievements are expected. Shen Huaimin, your Shen family rejected my proposal of marriage, so you deserve this fate today." (End of this chapter)