Chapter 192: Chapter 95: Heaven’s Tides Fall, Earthly Incense Rises

Zuo Hong: ...

She quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, Prince Qing, for the guidance."

"Sister Zuo, hurry back," Li Xuan finished speaking, then suddenly asked, "Who is the current prefect of Hundred Flowers Mansion?"

Zuo Hong hurriedly replied, "It’s still Lord Liu, Prefect Liu."

Li Xuan narrowed his eyes.

The Grand General is now in the capital, holding significant power, so logically, Liu Baiqing should have been reassigned long ago. Therefore, the reason he remains is to have a spy close to him and the Prime Minister?

He shook his head, then quickly penned a letter and handed it to Zuo Hong, saying, "Send this to Prefect Liu."

In the letter, Li Xuan carefully detailed the horror of the demons, urging Liu Baiqing not to underestimate them.

Even if the factions of Great Yin were to clash internally, the real outbreak is still far off.

More concerning to Li Xuan is the possibility that the demons could destroy Great Yin before the internal conflict begins, or worse... keep it captive.

...

...

That day, Li Xuan did not go out.

Instead, he accompanied Tian Yuan to inspect the Li family’s tunnel.

The Li family tunnel is still rather crude, but the northern part near the Red Flower Mountain cave is quite well done.

A steel gate as thick as a forearm already stands at the cave exit; the surrounding area is not dirt but rock.

Tian Yuan, following the surveyors, said that they had reached the foot of Red Flower Mountain here, and in this place, either use the gate or destroy everything above and below the door, then maybe it would work.

Such a gate is indeed effective for disaster prevention.

Later, Li Xuan looked around to understand the situation at home.

Inside the cave, everything was normal, and thanks to "wish incense" and sufficient resources, Wei Yao was advancing swiftly in her cultivation. The other five children were also quickly getting started. Knowing this world is dangerous, and understanding Li Xuan’s expectations, the five children pushed themselves extremely hard without complaints.

The head of the Li family, Master Li, ran to Red Flower Mountain daily, leading a team to explore its depths, searching for a spice called "Firefly Fragrance." This spice must be delivered in the fall, bought for a hefty price by a big merchant from Yunmeng Province’s Pole Star Commerce Association. Additionally, this "Firefly Fragrance" became a signature product of the Li family’s business. So whether for regular sales or bulk shipments, finding more sources was crucial. Initially, Tian Yuan managed this, but being pregnant, she left it to Master Li to personally lead the efforts.

Li Xuan’s second brother, Li Zhili, now fourteen, passed the courtyard exam at Hundred Flowers Mansion last year and is now a Scholar. This year, he continues to study hard, preparing for the autumn provincial exam in Cyan Wood Province’s state city in September.

After finishing all this, dusk had fallen.

...

Spring’s chill, accompanied by light rain.

Entering the night, the air was both wet and cold.

Despite having a stove for warmth, Tian Yuan felt cold, wrapped in a blanket, chatting with Zhao Qingxue indoors.

The Little Princess sat beside her somewhat bored, boasting excitedly about her past in the capital, and then talking about "someday taking Sister Yuan to see the capital," and such words.

Tian Yuan listened with a smile to her boasting.

For a princess of noble lineage, those were beautiful memories.

Li Xuan, taking advantage of some remaining time, went to the Prime Minister’s Mansion to learn about its situation, hoping to see if his third brother had returned.

Unexpectedly, both Yan Fangbai and the Prime Minister were absent.

In the mansion, the young servant who usually served tea to the Prime Minister handed him a letter, saying, "The Prime Minister instructed that if Prince Qing comes, the letter should be handed over."

Li Xuan directly opened the letter.

The letter was long.

He scanned over each line under the vermilion lantern hanging from the eaves of the Prime Minister’s Mansion.

After a while, he set down the letter.

The young servant added, "The Prime Minister said all the words are in the letter, hoping Prince Qing will heed them."

"Do you know what’s written in the letter?" Li Xuan asked.

The young servant shook his head, saying, "Only the Prime Minister dictated."

Li Xuan casually pocketed the letter and turned to leave.

The Prime Minister truly lived up to his title, acting decisively to the extreme.

Having witnessed the storms yesterday, he set out today.

Without any procedure.

Downstream, fish have mutated, yet upstream at Hundred Flowers Mansion, the fish remain fine, indicating the demon resides downstream not upstream.

Combined with the tsunami of the previous year, the influx of marine fish in Qing River, and many other events...

The Prime Minister can fully deduce that "the demon likely dwells at Qing River’s estuary."

Therefore, the Prime Minister personally went to command the situation, believing that this time the demon might be significant.

How big, he’s unsure.

The letter left for Li Xuan mentioned these circumstances and urged Li Xuan not to come.

The letter stated: You are the nation’s future, its anchor in the storm, you must not easily venture into danger. All under heaven may die, but you must not. Your fate lies not within you but the nation, and all living beings.

Li Xuan exited the Prime Minister’s Mansion, boarded a carriage back home, and looked out the window...

The rain kept falling.

...

Continuously...

Continuously...

It did not stop the next day.

No one knows how much longer it will last.

At Prince Qing’s Mansion, the fish pond overflowed, and the "Crystal Blue" fish delivered yesterday surprisingly swam out from the edge, flicking its tail on the wet ground.

Li Xuan gazed at the fish, then prepared some attire, rode a horse out of Prince Qing’s Mansion, and skillfully traveled outside the city, lighting incense and igniting a winding golden path.

He stepped onto the path, transforming into a rainbow heading west.

Hurrying along, he finally appeared at Guangye Mountain in eastern Cyan Wood Province.

With a thought, not far away, an illusionary figure appeared.