The Villain's Counterattack

As one of the few foresighted Jin officials, Wanyan Honglie had toiled immensely over the past few years. Without the support of his devoted son, who provided him with a steady stream of supplies and money, his life would have been even harder. The rise of Mongolia was inevitable, and despite his meticulous efforts to divide the various tribes, he ultimately lost to Temujin, who unified the desert and transformed it into a truly formidable force capable of threatening the Jin.

He had a huge map, on which were Jin, Song, Mongolia, Western Xia, Tubo, Dali, Goryeo and even Japan. The Jin Dynasty was still so vast and rich in resources, stretching from north to south, but there were Mongolia in the north, Western Xia in the west, and Song Dynasty in the south. Not only were there enemies on all sides, but each one of them was not easy to deal with.

Mongolia has become a serious threat, while the Jin Dynasty is obsessed with power struggle. I sent Kang'er out to do great things, but he was almost snatched away by a group of uneducated people. If I hadn't fought back firmly, and if Kang'er hadn't been really hardworking and tough enough, I'm afraid his title of King of Jiaodong would have been changed to King of Liaodong. That place is cold, vast and sparsely populated, which is not what I want to see.

Jiaodong is so great. It is close to the sea and rich in resources. Relying on large ships and rivers, a round trip usually only takes half a month. There are so many things to give to yourself every year.

The Zhao Palace was now the wealthiest palace in all of Zhongdu. Princess Zhao had also become more restrained, no longer constantly striving to seize power within the family. She gradually gained Wanyan Honglie's approval, which led to the birth of a precious daughter. Wanyan Honglie didn't care. If they truly had no children in the future, the worst that could happen was for Kang'er to have more children, and he would simply pass the throne to his grandson.

Kang'er is already eighteen years old, and it's time for him to find a wife. The child is also a stubborn person. I don't know what kind of wife he wants to find. Wanyan Honglie looked at the painting in the study and murmured to himself: "Xiruo, you have been gone for six years. Kang'er has grown up. He is really outstanding. No one in the entire Great Jin Kingdom can do better than him. He looks like you, a standard handsome man, but his temperament is very similar to mine, just as majestic and domineering."

This is what Wanyan Honglie is most proud of. Yang Kang has been in a high position for a long time, and his demeanor is really similar to Wanyan Honglie. When the father and son stand together, their aura is actually comparable. They don't look like father and son at all, but more like a pair of brothers. Many high-ranking officials of the Jin Dynasty visited Jiaodong to gain benefits, but when they met Yang Kang for the first time, they couldn't even speak because his aura was too oppressive.

Outside the gate of Zhongdu, Yang Tiexin couldn't believe his eyes. The young Taoist priest with a long sword on his back who stopped him revealed his identity as a Quanzhen Sect and took him to a courtyard. His old friend Changchunzi Qiu Chuji rushed over after hearing the news and told him a shocking news.

"Master, you said Xiruo is now living in seclusion in Zhongnan Mountain, and she is not dead?" Yang Tiexin was so excited that he couldn't control himself.

Qiu Chuji smiled and nodded, saying, "Your Madam has lived in seclusion in Mount Zhongnan for many years, and she has always been concerned about you. I have been searching for you for many years, and today I have finally found you. By the way, you also have a son, Yang Kang. Kang'er has long been accepted as my disciple, and his martial arts skills are now comparable to mine."

If Yang Kang heard this, he would definitely pull him over for a sparring match. At the age of eighteen, Yang Kang had further improved his Vajra Indestructible Divine Art and had reached the sixth level of his Dragon Elephant Prajna Sutra. His Quanzhen internal energy might be slightly worse than the Five Greatest Masters, but it was definitely better than the Seven Great Masters. The memories of his previous two lives were still there, and he had gradually picked up his martial arts skills. If they really came to a fight, he would not be inferior to the Five Greatest Masters within two or three hundred moves.

"Kang'er, where is Kang'er now?" Yang Tiexin was overjoyed. His wife and children were there, and his son had even become Qiu Chuji's disciple. What else could he ask for?

Qiu Chuji paused for a moment and shook his head gently, saying, "This is a long story. I hope you can listen to me calmly. Kang'er has accomplished a great cause now, but it was all for the Han people. He has sacrificed a lot."

Qiu Chuji first endorsed Yang Kang, and then had Wanyan Honglie rescue Bao Xiruo and take her as his concubine. After finding them, he took Yang Kang as his apprentice. After Yang Kang learned about his life story, he begged him to search the world for his father and pointed out some feasible methods.

However, it was too late. Yang Tiexin had already traveled the world with Mu Nianci. Qiu Chuji could only confirm that he was not dead, so he collaborated with Yang Kang in orchestrating Bao Xiruo's fake death and escape. To demonstrate his disinterest in wealth and fame, and his sole purpose in promoting the well-being of the Han people, Yang Kang wore plain clothes and observed a three-year mourning period, diligently studying literature and martial arts. Later, Yang Kang became the Marquis of Jiaodong. With the help of the Quanzhen Sect, he distributed land, developed industry, and began a methodical expansion and resettlement of the Han people.

"The famous King of Jiaodong is actually my son?" Yang Tiexin was a little unhappy at first about Bao Xiruo's devotion to her enemy, but later he heard that his wife knew she was not dead, so she faked her own death to escape, and his son was willing to bear the infamy for the welfare of the Han people. A twelve-year-old child observed mourning for three years in the wilderness. What determination and perseverance this showed.

"Not only that, your sworn brother Guo Xiaotian's son Guo Jingyuan has been studying in the Mongolian desert, and now he has returned and is ready to compete with Kang'er during the Mid-Autumn Festival. But in my opinion, the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan may not be able to teach a genius. Kang'er's martial arts are now first-class in the world, and few can match him. Especially his Yang family spear skills, which allows him to gallop freely with the unity of man and horse. He once beat the Korean barbarians to a pulp, which was really gratifying." Qiu Chuji couldn't help dancing with joy when he thought of the excitement. Yang Tiexin had heard of the deeds of the King of Jiaodong a long time ago, but he didn't know how many versions had been adapted. Now that he met someone who knew the truth, he would naturally not let him go. This was his own son's achievement.

Mu Nianci's eyes were full of water, and she was very happy to hear it. Yang Kang, a man she had never met before, slowly walked into her heart.

"Great, great! It's really refreshing. I wish father and son could go to the battlefield together! The Yang family's spear skills should be displayed on the battlefield. The Song Dynasty court actually sold my Yang family's unique skills for only 30,000 taels. This is really unreasonable." Yang Tiexin couldn't help but feel disheartened when he thought of the Southern Song Dynasty court.

Qiu Chuji curled his lips and said, "You're grieving over here, but you don't know what Kang'er said with such joy after reading all the information. He said that other families' martial arts are priced at a maximum of 20,000 taels, and the cheapest ones are 8,000 taels. The Yang family's spearmanship is priced at 30,000 taels, so it must be the most powerful. Yet, he's so smug about it."

Yang Tiexin seemed to agree with this, and his anger turned to joy. He had only been to big cities along the way, but had never been to Jiaodong, and was quite curious about the place. Qiu Chuji said, "Your wife's identity is somewhat special, and it cannot be exposed. Otherwise, with Wanyan Honglie's character, he will definitely pursue her relentlessly, and then it will ruin Kang'er's plan. Brother Yang, are you going to live in seclusion in Zhongnan Mountain, or accompany your wife to live on Jeju Island? Although I don't want to admit it, Jeju Island is indeed beautiful, and it is not inferior to my Zhongnan. It is now under the rule of my Han people. Those who can go out freely are Kang'er's confidants, and they will never reveal your identities."

"And if Brother Yang is willing, he may return to the battlefield. Kang'er is plotting to seize a silver mountain on the Japanese island, which produces five to six hundred thousand taels of silver annually. But now there are only thirty to twenty thousand Han people guarding it. Once the Japanese find out, there will be a war. Brother Yang's Yang family spear skills may be of some use." Qiu Chuji still hoped that they could get out. Only by taking action could Yang Tiexin feel more comfortable.

She and Bao Xiruo had originally believed Yang Tiexin was dead, which was why they had allowed Yang Kang to remain in Prince Zhao's mansion. They hadn't considered the feelings of a dead man. Now that Yang Tiexin was still alive, she felt somewhat sorry for him, having forced a cuckold on him and given their son away. However, Yang Kang's identity couldn't be exposed at this point, otherwise the vast Jiaodong estate would be divided up by the Jin Dynasty's high-ranking officials, and the hard-earned good life of millions of Han people would be wasted.

Although the Jin Dynasty had been sinicized, class differentiation was still very serious. Except for Jiaodong, the lives of the Han people in other parts of the Jin Dynasty were not satisfactory. It can even be said that the same was true for most of the Han people in the Song Dynasty. Therefore, Qiu Chuji attached great importance to Jiaodong, this special place, and would never allow anyone to destroy it, not even Yang Tiexin.