In the sixth year of Yuanying, the year 215 of Chen, Emperor Ying suddenly fell ill and passed away on Ping Mountain.

In June of the same year, the five-year-old Crown Prince ascended the throne, changing the era name to Yuanping, and thus became Emperor Ping of Chen.

With Emperor Ping being young and unable to shoulder great responsibilities, his mother, of the Li Clan, oversaw affairs behind the curtain, ruling jointly with the four Ministers of the Imperial Decree: Li, Cui, Luu, and Zheng. Her brother, Li Jii, served as the Upper Pillar of the State and Grand General, wielding power independently.

In the seventh year of Yuanping, Emperor Ping grew and became dissatisfied with the Li Clan’s monopoly on power, secretly criticizing Li Jii’s arrogance. This was discovered by Li Jii, who harbored great hatred.

In the tenth year of Yuanping, Li Jii attempted to poison Emperor Ping, but the plot was exposed. The Emperor, furious, conspired with Imperial Eunuch Tang Heng and five eunuchs to eliminate Jii.

In July of the same year, Emperor Ping feigned illness to lure Li Jii into the palace, whereupon the five eunuchs worked together to execute him, retrieve the Grand General Seal, and exterminate the three Li Clans.

From then on, Emperor Ping governed personally. Tang Heng and the five eunuchs were all ennobled as marquises, and the people referred to them as the Five Marquis, also known as the Five Imperial Eunuchs.

In the fifteenth year of Yuanping, the Five Marquis grew progressively more arrogant. Grand Commandant Cui Bo filed a memorial detailing their ten major crimes, leading to Emperor Ping’s dissatisfaction and Cui’s dismissal to his hometown. The Five Imperial Eunuchs further agitated matters, capturing and killing Cui Bo and his followers, implicating more than ten thousand people, resulting in the event known as the Party Prohibition.

In the twentieth year of Yuanping, Emperor Ping gradually fell ill and neglected state affairs. The five eunuchs seized power, manipulated the court, and harmed loyal officials. The people’s grievances and indignation named them the Five Traitors.

In the twenty-second year of Yuanping, a severe drought struck the nation, leaving thousands of miles of red earth desolate. The people were famished, resorting to cannibalism. The Crown Prince, enraged, submitted a mass petition denouncing the Ten Crimes of the Five Traitors.

Emperor Ping was infuriated, demoting the Crown Prince to King Liang, ordering him to take his post in Yangzhou, never to return to the capital.

...

In the twenty-fifth year of Yuanping, the court was mired in intrigue, and the realm was seething with undercurrents.

On the Weishui River, the grand canal flowed turbulently, with hundreds of boats competing to advance.

The world was vast—across the Nine States and four directions, spanning tens of thousands of miles of territory. Travel by land was slow, much less convenient than water transport. Hence throughout the ages, successive dynasties have built canals to connect the Nine States.

Yangzhou, being one of the Nine States, was naturally included. The canal constructed with Weishui as the main channel had tributaries reaching the Jinling, Jinyang, and Jinhua Prefectures, facilitating traffic and boosting trade.

An official ship sailed rapidly with the wind and water.

A young man stood on the official ship, hands behind his back, gazing at the scenery on both banks and the numerous boats on the river, his heart filled with emotions: "The land of Jiangnan truly is prosperous. No wonder the Grand Ancestor Emperor initially established Jinling as an auxiliary capital."

Behind him, a well-mannered young servant and several guards stood respectfully, not daring to speak much.

The great drought three years ago heavily afflicted the Northern Lands, turning thousands of miles into barren land devoid of mankind. Countless commoners were displaced, families shattered, and even the Capital Region, the dragon’s residence, showed signs of instability.

Were it not for such circumstances, His Highness the Crown Prince would not have angrily submitted a petition lamenting the Ten Crimes of the Five Traitors.

The talk of the Five Traitors, in reality, referred to his father, who had reigned for twenty-five years as Emperor Ping of Chen, leading to the eventual stripping of the Crown Prince’s title and his banishment from the capital.

Since the founding of Great Chen, over two hundred years had passed. Though it can’t be said that the troubles were insurmountable, the dynasty was indeed in decline.

Such challenges compounded by the drought delivered another severe blow to the lifeline of Great Chen. Though the dynasty did not collapse, its Primordial Qi was gravely damaged, unhealed even after three years.

Having witnessed the Northern disaster and now seeing the Southern prosperity, the young man’s heart was filled with conflicting emotions.

"The Prince’s departure from the capital may not necessarily be all bad!"

"His Majesty is gravely ill, neglecting state affairs. The political situation is controlled by those five traitors and their faction, leaving the Prince little room for action in the capital. Now exiled from the capital to govern in Yangzhou, he may just have the opportunity to make a mark, leveraging the Southern prosperity to strengthen himself, and if necessary, even transforming this auxiliary capital into... hmm!?"

"Could it be that His Majesty’s demotion of the Prince harbors another intent?"

"The prolonged drought in the Northern Lands, unresolved for three years, spread rumors amongst the people, attributing it to His Majesty’s favoring of the wicked and neglect of the wise, angering heaven and bringing calamity to man. Who, exactly, is orchestrating all this behind the scenes?"

"..."

The young man’s eyes flickered as myriad thoughts raced through his mind, each more startling than the last.

But quickly, he pressed these thoughts down, turning his sharp gaze forward: "Regardless, the urgent task at hand is to assist the Prince in gaining control over the lands of Yangzhou’s three prefectures to prepare for any unforeseen events!"

"Great Chen has been established for over two hundred years. Local forces, noble families, and clans are deeply entrenched, becoming land-bound tigers, uncrowned kings. Add to that the Three Religions, the Hundred Schools, Yin Department Deities, and Demons and Monsters..."

"Although not as dangerous as the capital, conducting affairs here is fraught with considerable challenges."

"Now that the Prince is stationed in Jinling with orders for me to come to Jinyang, the intent must be..."

"My lord!"

His thoughts were interrupted as a guard approached: "Ahead is Qinghe Port."

"Qinghe Port?"

Cui Shao’s gaze shifted slightly before he nodded gently, offering no further words.

Qinghe Port, Qinghe County.

From Weishui into Qinghe, and from Qinghe to Jinyang, this route was the most convenient.

This world is vast—even a single prefecture spans tens of thousands of miles, not to mention several states and prefectures, with the realm of the Nine States stretching millions of miles. Such vastness renders the Court’s reach difficult, making local governance extremely challenging.

Yet it’s fortunate that this world is extraordinary, with Deities offering aid from above. Particularly in terms of waterways, the Water God can assist with waves and winds, speeding the vessels—alongside other methods—to barely ensure the Court’s control over the regions.

But this is barely so.

In reality... it’s better left unspoken!

The official ship continued along the current, soon turning into Qinghe Port, heading directly toward Qinghe County.

"Qinghe County, Little Yellow Mountain."

"Song Clan, Li Clan..."

Observing the scenery along the banks, Cui Shao sorted through the relevant information in his mind.

Quickly, the official ship docked precisely at Qinghe Pier.

Cui Shao disembarked, transferred to a carriage, and headed straight for Jinyang Prefecture.

"A hundred years ago, Qinghe and Huangshan, the two counties were governed well, with a population of millions."

"Although in recent years there has been decline, with a large population shifting to other counties, there are still hundreds of thousands of people remaining, which form the foundation of the Song Clan."

"On the other side, under Li Mubai’s leadership, the Li Clan has transformed Anping County and its surrounding areas into Li Clan’s stronghold, with deep-rooted connections to Jinyang."

"To truly control Jinyang, Your Highness must suppress the Song and Li families."

"These two families, leveraging the influence of the Divine Judgment Temple, have been rampant in Jinyang Prefecture these years. Many noble families hold grievances; crushing them would win their hearts, allowing control over local authority, and placing Jinyang Prefecture in Your Highness’s hands."

"However, behind these two families, there is the Divine Judgment Temple supporting them. Their faith is deeply entrenched, and Your Highness currently holds no authority to directly remove the deity. To achieve this, borrowing the power of the Buddhist Sect is the only way."

"Nevertheless, this works well. When two tigers fight, one is bound to be injured; let them weaken each other, allowing Your Highness to reap the benefits and take control of Jinyang Prefecture."

"First, let’s go to the Divine Judgment Temple to assess its depths!"

Cui Shao made up his mind and the carriage hurried on its way, finally entering Anping County after several days.

"Sir, we’ve arrived!"

The guard driving the carriage spoke, and Cui Shao lifted the curtain, only to see a looming ancient temple standing majestically before them, the former Red Lotus Temple, now the Divine Judgment Temple.

On the azure steps, the flow of devotees, though not a sea of people, was bustling, making the temple incense flourish. Even from the mountain base, wisps of blue smoke were visible, rising straight into the clouds.

"Wait here."

Cui Shao’s eyes sharpened, leaving a group of guards behind and only taking his personal attendant up the mountain.

Ascending the azure steps, arriving at the mountain front, he saw a high archway, with the plaque ’Divine Judgment Temple’ hanging prominently.

Underneath the archway, within the mountain gate, stood a deity statue portraying a red-faced, bearded divine being clad in golden armor and a red robe.

He held a golden seal in his left hand and raised a golden whip in his right, with a vertical eye on the forehead glaring. He stood menacingly at the mountain front, and every devotee ascending the mountain would bow and offer incense, placing it in the incense burner ahead.

Cui Shao locked eyes with the statue, seeing its lifelike presence akin to a real person, and was taken aback, hurriedly shifting his gaze, stopping a passing devotee: "Dare I ask, who is this deity..."

The old man gave him a glance: "You’re from outside, aren’t you? Don’t you recognize Martial Spirit Official?"

"Martial Spirit Official?"

Cui Shao’s eyes sharpened.

"Yes!"

The elder nodded, starting the introduction: "This Martial Spirit Official is the Divine Judge Lord’s guardian general. He possesses a third eye, observing human virtue and vice, and usually guards by Divine Judge Lord’s side, but sometimes ventures out, inspecting Yin and Yang, capturing evil ghosts and demons, ensuring peace in the four corners..."

"Martial Spirit Official?"

Cui Shao murmured softly, suddenly realizing: "Song Wu!?"

"How can you casually address Martial Spirit Official by name?"

The old man looked at him in astonishment.

"I acted rashly."

Cui Shao regained his composure and casually responded.

The old man said no more, giving him a glance, then entered the temple to offer incense.

Leaving Cui Shao there, standing in front of the mountain, looking at the statue, he hesitated before stepping up the mountain.

Song Wu!

His reputation is spoken of even in Jinling Prefecture.

The pillar and beam of the Song Clan, an eminent figure in Jiangnan Martial Arts, a Grandmaster who established a sect, revered and enshrined by Huangshan Academy as a Martial Dao sage, and also the guardian general of this Divine Judgment Temple.

In life, he was the martial head of the Song Clan, laying its foundation as Qinghe County Captain, and nearing a hundred years old heroically sacrificed at the Red Lotus Temple battle, vanquishing two Gang Qi Grandmasters, his name echoing through Jiangnan Martial Arts.

Cui Shao, a person of the court, cared not for Jianghu affairs, yet still had heard of Song Wu’s illustrious deeds, which spoke volumes of his legendary status.

With such prestige and faith gathered, posthumously he must have been deified, with a status comparable to a Great Confucian Scholar.

"Despite this, placing him at the mountain gate to first receive incense, even for a blood-related descendant, is a bit excessive, isn’t it?"

"Is it that Song Xiang’s excessive favoritism, or does he personally care little for this incense?"

"..."

Cui Shao pondered internally, yet displayed no emotion outwardly, continuing to ascend the temple steps with his attendant.

Inside the temple, incense grew even stronger, and Cui Shao’s gaze swept around, immediately fixing upon the Judge Hall.

Entering the hall, he saw a deity statue in the center, a middle-aged divine being with black gauze and red robe, with robust whiskers, surrounded by various civil and military attendants, strongmen, palace maidens, Golden Boy, and Jade Girl, gathered together, sharing incense.

"Jinyang Prefecture Punishment Department Assessor Magistrate——Song Xiang!"

Cui Shao’s eyes sharpened, staring at the statue, which exuded an aura of authority, restrained compared to the Martial Spirit Official at the mountain gate, yet carrying greater dignity, a nobility that overshadowed the numerous attendants around it, rather like stars encircling the moon, accentuating its majesty."

"Such composure..."

Cui Shao frowned, feeling an unusual unease, yet could not pinpoint its root.

Unconsciously, his gaze shifted again, noticing something strange.

Behind the deity statues, on the left and right stone walls, were numerous murals, presently with a bohemian-looking middle-aged scholar, carrying a pot in one hand and a brush in the other, scribbling a fresh mural on a corner wall.

Cui Shao watched for a while then found himself instinctively walking forward to the middle-aged scholar’s side.