Chapter 224: Calamity

After being transferred to Earth Province, Zhang Rongling abandoned his old habits and took the initiative to manage provincial affairs.

Drawing upon his foundation and wisdom, Zhang Rongling swiftly grasped the provincial situation. Leveraging his experience from the central administration, he quickly subdued the local aristocrats. This led to a booming economy in the province, with the imperial treasury receiving its full share of taxes.

Such achievement was exceedingly rare in the declining empire.

Many other provinces struggled to meet their tax obligations and had to apply for financial aid from the court to overcome crises. Naturally, Zhang Rongling’s capabilities soon caught the attention of the highest echelons once again.

No one can resist money.

Especially someone like Lord Si, a staunch conservative.

By the pondside,

Zhang Rongling wore a vivid blue robe made from the finest silk. He reclined in a chair, a fishing rod in hand. Chen Luo sat beside him, also holding a fishing rod.

“The entire world is full of fish,” Zhang Rongling mused. “With sufficient bait, there’s no fish that can’t be caught.”

Zhang Rongling’s fishing hook was straight; he wasn’t truly fishing, just resting.

Only when fishing with his second uncle did he adopt a similar mindset. Seven years had passed since arriving at Earth Province. In these seven years, Zhang Rongling had become the indisputable governor of the province. The primary reason for this was his astute understanding of interests. He had masterfully intertwined everyone with his own through financial incentives!

The only losses were numbers on paper—some of the lowest commoners.

With the gentry well-fed, naturally, Zhang Rongling’s administrative duties became a comfortable affair.

Seven years of taxes brought Zhang Rongling’s name back to the imperial court, and even onto the jade tablets of the aristocracy. This achievement wasn’t solely due to tax revenues; over the years, Zhang Rongling had secretly sent vast sums of silver to the capital and cultivated numerous connections. To climb higher, he would stop at nothing, even accumulating incriminating information on several high-ranking officials to ensure their support.

Chen Luo remained silent, simply observing Zhang Rongling with steady eyes.

The tribulation aura around Zhang Rongling grew increasingly dense. Consumed by his obsession with ‘rank, reputation, and wealth,’ he couldn’t let go, entrenching himself deeper in these pursuits. His heart was entirely consumed by such desires, long since losing touch with his true self.

Sever the tribulation!

Exterminate the heart’s demons.

Zhang Rongling could accomplish neither. Chen Luo could already foresee the fate of Elder FusionSpirit.

“Second Uncle, before long, we’ll return to the capital and reclaim everything we’ve lost,” Zhang Rongling declared. With a practiced flick of his wrist, he cast out the fishing line, and to everyone’s amazement, a writhing fish was indeed hauled from the water.

“Truly impressive, sir!” the young man exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with admiration. Zhang Rongling’s charisma was undeniable, effortlessly spreading like a gentle breeze, captivating all who crossed his path.

“This fish is truly blessed to be caught by such an esteemed master,” one of the maidservants remarked.

Noticing this, another two servants swiftly approached and began fawning over Zhang Rongling with sickeningly sweet words. His laughter boomed as he casually tossed a few pieces of silver onto the ground.

“For your efforts.”

“Thank you, Master!” The two servants promptly knelt to retrieve the silver pieces, their faces brimming with excitement. These meager scraps of silver could fuel their labors for several months.

As they scrambled for the coins, a portly figure in a yellow robe with gold trim—a wealthy landowner’s attire—strode in from outside. His eyes lit up upon seeing Zhang Rongling, and he immediately exclaimed:

“My lord! I’ve finally found you!”

Zhang Rongling cast a quick glance at the man before resuming his fishing, giving the portly interloper the cold shoulder.

The newcomer, sensing the chill, hastily continued with palpable urgency, “I went to the county office this morning to fetch my son, but those insolent servants refused to let him go.”

This plump fellow was none other than Huang Danxiong, the region’s most notorious landlord. A scum of society through and through, he oppressed men and women alike, while his own son spared no effort in behaving like a depraved fiend. Just days ago, his son had galloped through the streets on horseback, trampling a vendor and causing a major uproar. In response, Zhang Rongling had immediately ordered his arrest.

The case should have ended there, but Zhang Rongling didn’t follow procedure and instead delivered a message to Lord Huang.

Everything that happened after was by the book. The sensible Lord Huang immediately sent some local specialties to Zhang Rongling, the county magistrate. He also arranged for someone to deliver a bit of silver to the victim’s family and scare them a little, finally managing to suppress the matter. He never expected the process for retrieving his son to be different. All his people sent to the county yamen were detained, and even going personally proved fruitless—he was chased right out.

“Lord Huang, this is a sticky situation. There’s a lot of resentment among the commoners. It might affect this official’s assessment,” Zhang Rongling said without turning, fully focused on his fishing line.

Chen Luo sat beside him, observing quietly. Over the years, Zhang Rongling’s appetite for corruption had grown, his embezzlement becoming increasingly audacious. It wasn’t enough that he only stole—he also sold out his country! In secret, he traded military equipment, amassing vast sums of silver. Then, using that money, he wove a web of relationships.

From top to bottom, every bit of his reputation had been bought with cash.

The imperial court was filled with people who sang his praises. As long as he could deliver money, he was their lord!

“I understand, I understand,” Chen Luo acknowledged silently.

Witnessing this, Lord Huang hastily produced two silver notes worth a hundred taels each from his sleeve.

The mere fact that he offered two hundred taels right away speaks volumes about Lord Huang’s status and wealth.

Zhang Rongling glanced at them, then spat into the lake. Rising from his chair, he cast aside his fishing rod and instructed the two servants behind him:

“These fish are truly stupid. Even after waiting so long, they still won’t take the bait. Go fetch some people and drain the pond for me.”

“At once, boss!”

The two servants promptly rushed forward to retrieve the fishing rod, casting a glance at Lord Huang along the way, their eyes filled with disdain for his lack of etiquette—daring to present such paltry sums as two hundred taels.

Lord Huang’s complexion shifted through a spectrum of emotions before he finally extracted five more silver notes from his sleeve. This time, each was worth five hundred taels, totaling two thousand seven hundred taels.

“Lord Huang, you truly live up to your reputation as a local gentry. It’s clear this incident is nothing more than a misunderstanding, undoubtedly orchestrated by those troublesome rabble. Rest assured, Lord Huang, I will certainly bring you a satisfactory resolution, ensuring the restoration of your son’s good name.”

“I must thank you for your efforts, sir.”

Lord Huang breathed a sigh of relief, engaged Zhang Rongling in some more perfunctory pleasantries, and then carefully made his exit.

“Are you prepared to release them?”

Standing to the side, Chen Luo asked a question.

“How could they possibly let go of such a prized catch so easily? The Liu family has set their eyes on the Huang family’s business ventures, and this incident is nothing more than a trap devised by the Lius,” Zhang Rongling casually explained.

Over the years, he had orchestrated countless schemes similar to this.

Bring down the county magistrate, annihilate the prefectural family.

These words were embodied to the fullest extent in Zhang Rongling’s actions.

After fishing, uncle and nephew parted ways. Zhang Rongling headed off to attend to his affairs, while Chen Luo returned to the small courtyard to continue practicing his health-generating techniques. His body was already sixty-seven years old, considered advanced age in this world.

“Second Brother, you’re back…” she managed with difficulty as she attempted to sit up. Yet try as she might, she couldn’t succeed. Her health had deteriorated even further. After reaching sixty, a woman’s physical condition precipitously declines, and all the ailments festering from her youth came roaring back with a vengeance.

Now, she spent most of her time lying in bed. Chen Luo could see the unmistakable signs of her waning vitality; her days were numbered, as they inevitably are for all ordinary people.

“I’ll get up and cook porridge for you…” she murmured, her voice carrying the same selfless concern of years past—even now, when she could no longer act on it.

“Rest well, I’ve already eaten over at Rongling’s.”

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Chen Luo clasped the woman’s rough hands, reflecting on this foolish woman who had lost even her sense of self.

“I’m alright,” she insisted with a wry smile, sensing Chen Luo’s concern. “A good night’s sleep will make me feel better.”

She drifted off, never to wake up again, her hand still clutching Chen Luo’s as if clinging to life’s memories etched in those weathered palms.

Gently tucking her in, Chen Luo stepped out silently into the drizzle.

The air felt heavier, as if charged with impending calamity.

Her funeral was simple, attended only by Chen Luo and Zhang Rongling. Zhang Rongling personally came to pay respects, kneeling to touch his forehead to the ground—a gesture unnecessary for one of his standing but proof that in Zhang Rongling’s heart, his Second Uncle and Aunt would always hold a special place.

“Rongling, have you ever considered letting go?” Chen Luo urged once more on the occasion of the memorial ceremony.

After more than half a lifetime of companionship, no heart could be as unyielding as iron.

“I can’t let go, Second Uncle,” Zhang Rongling admitted, shaking his head. He tossed the last sheet of yellow paper into the brazier, gazing earnestly at his aged second uncle before him.

“I am not alone. If I surrender, what of those who follow me? What of Junru?”

Junru, he explained, was the Prime Minister’s daughter and his only wife in all these years.

Though he had once betrayed the Prime Minister for political gain, it remained a strategic move that did not diminish their marital bond. Perhaps influenced by Chen Luo or haunted by past wrongs, Zhang Rongling, too, chose monogamy. To him, a wife was more than just a partner; she embodied his unyielding attachment and unfinished business.

For their sake, he must press on, no matter the cost.

Even if, in the eyes of some, he’d become a monstrous traitor, a despicable seller of his own nation.

“Titles and riches fade like mist,” Chen Luo began, “Perhaps, on the other side, there’s another you waiting to awaken.”

Chen Luo paused. As a Heavenly Tribulation, there were some words he couldn’t speak, some truths Zhang Rongling couldn’t hear, even if they were uttered aloud.

“Then let my counterpart remain asleep forever,” Zhang Rongling replied with a smile, his eyes fixed with unwavering sincerity. “Here, there’s too much I cannot abandon.”

Chen Luo sighed and offered no further counsel.

Half a year later, Zhang Rongling, his years of governance polished to perfection, was summoned once more to the capital. This time, he returned to the Empire’s grand stage, reclaiming his lost authority with the appointment of Shangshu—a office of the highest echelon.

In the same year, the emperor passed away and a new emperor ascended to the throne.

With this shift in power, the New Faction once again seized control. Leveraging their relationship with the new emperor, they reclaimed their influence and expelled a large number of Old Faction members from the court. Zhang Rongling, aided by his former father-in-law’s lingering influence, switched allegiances once more, becoming a prominent figure within the New Faction.

“Prime Minister Zhou,” Zhang Rongling spoke with his usual crisp politeness, “I recall my late father-in-law often telling me how proud he was of you, his most distinguished pupil.”

New Prime Minister Zhou looked at this son-in-law of his former mentor, recalling the man’s reputation. Times had changed; Zhang Rongling was no longer a low-ranking official, but a leader with his own faction. Given this new dynamic, it was clear they needed to form an alliance to confront the Old Faction.

In the pursuit of power, personal preferences must be cast aside.

“As I’ve heard my mentor frequently speak of your talents too,” the prime minister said, his tone now genial. “Do come in and let’s discuss these matters.” In these few simple words, an informal pact was struck.

Zhang Rongling’s influence continued to grow as he began eyeing the imperial cabinet.

Over the following months, Zhang Rongling, allied with Prime Minister Zhou, set about eliminating their opponents with vigor. Within the imperial court, a new power bloc emerged, led by Zhang Rongling. While it couldn’t yet rival the New and Old Factions in size, it had become a force that could no longer be ignored.