Chapter 390: Chapter 240: Prince Yun’s Mansion

Yunzhou is the main source of Spirit Stones for the Jiuli Dynasty, crucial for the royal family’s cultivation, and Li Jizhou focused on understanding it last year.

However, the palace records are just cold, hard text, and it’s reassuring only to see it personally.

Yunzhou Governor Han Zhen is upright by nature, originating from Tianshu Daoist School, once a favored disciple of the former Right Chancellor.

Han Zhen possesses extraordinary natural talent, born with a Spirit Body of thick earth, once greatly regarded by the Right Chancellor as a successor, but after the Right Chancellor’s death, Han Zhen’s career faced many ups and downs.

If it weren’t for Saint Emperor Li Yuan’s strong support to keep Tianshu Daoist School, preserving the Right Chancellor’s posthumous reputation, Han Zhen might have been suppressed by the Dragon Aspect long ago.

Five hundred years ago, he had already reached the Late Stage of Nascent Soul, and normally, as long as he found a place with a Tier Five Spirit Vein to serve or stayed in the Imperial City, he would likely have had the hope to reach Divinity Transformation.

However, he ultimately could only come here to serve as Governor.

Five hundred years have passed, and still, he cannot breakthrough to Divinity Transformation.

It might be due to suppression by the Dragon Aspect or perhaps the Saint Emperor needs someone as upright as him to manage this cash cow.

Li Jizhou tends to believe the latter.

Palace records show that Han Zhen has almost annually impeached the Prince Yun’s Mansion located here for the past five hundred years.

Prince Yun’s Mansion is not within Yunzhou City but in Black Stone City, deeper in the mining area, the core region of the Black Stone Ore, considered a compensation from the former emperor for a son lacking talent but heavily favored.

Han Zhen’s yearly impeachments basically accuse Prince Yun’s Mansion of arrogance, breeding bandits, and bullying.

But Saint Emperor Li Yuan invariably excuses Prince Yun’s Mansion by citing it as kin descent of His Majesty’s own brother or the former emperor’s command to treat them well, using minor penalties as large warnings, demonstrating his benevolent virtue!

Black Stone City, being Prince Yun’s domain, requires no taxes, self-sufficient.

Within, its mines count among the top five mining areas in all of Yunzhou.

The shopkeeper at Qi Stone Pavilion’s gaze abruptly changed upon seeing the Cloud King’s Edict shown by the scarred face: "May I ask this master..."

Everyone doing business in Yunzhou knows Prince Yun and his three crown princes. This rough character with a scar isn’t them, but he possesses the Prince Yun’s Edict.

Only those from Prince Yun’s Mansion and their confidants would have this.

"Beng Lang, one of the Five Tiger Generals under His Highness the Crown Prince from Prince Yun’s Mansion!" The scarred face smiled mischievously at the shopkeeper of Qi Stone Pavilion, a hint of mockery in the corner of his mouth.

"Oh, it’s Lord Wolf himself, apologies, apologies." The shopkeeper bowed deeply, clenched his fists, and smiled in apology.

Although Prince Yun’s Mansion holds no power in Yunzhou, and Yunzhou Governor Han Zhen shows them no respect, they aren’t the ones regular people, especially merchants like them, dare provoke.

While speaking, the shopkeeper returned nearly 200,000 Middle Grade Spirit Stones that Beng Lang had previously lost.

Beng Lang didn’t even glance at them, closing his eyes with a cold sneer.

"I wonder what advice Lord Wolf might have. Could we speak privately?" The shopkeeper offered another 10,000 Middle Grade Spirit Stones.

Beng Lang raised his eyes slightly, collecting all the Spirit Stones: "Nothing much, just passing a message to your boss. If you continue to avoid our crown prince, you’ll need to hire more helpers for your mine!"

The shopkeeper’s eyes twitched: "Lord Wolf, you’ve misunderstood, His Highness the Crown Prince has misunderstood, our boss isn’t avoiding anyone, he’s genuinely in seclusion."

"Haha~ Does your boss intend to reach the Late Stage of Divinity Transformation? Don’t tell me such things, I’m leaving." Beng Lang finished, pocketed the Prince Yun’s Edict, and departed with an indifferent stride.

As Beng Lang left, the scene became noisy once more.

"Hey, Qi Stone Pavilion offended Prince Yun’s Mansion, they’re going to lose a lot!"

"With Qi Stone Pavilion’s strength, do they also have to bow to Prince Yun’s Mansion?"

"Ha~ Even the current Saint Emperor shields them repeatedly, no matter how strong Qi Stone Pavilion is, they’re just merchants, what’s the comparison?"

"When Prince Yun’s Mansion targets someone, things always end badly. They say Prince Yun has been in seclusion for thirty years now, perhaps they’re running out of Spirit Stones again!"

"Wonder if Governor Han can resist Prince Yun’s Mansion this time!"

The crowd discussed lively.

The shopkeeper’s face sank as he turned to head to the backyard.

At that moment, several figures stepped out from the backyard first.

A woman dressed in a moonlight white robe, followed by two cyan long skirt maids, walked directly to the center of the hall.

"Eldest Miss."

Qi Stone Pavilion’s eldest miss nodded slightly, then looked around.

"Gentlemen, our Qi Stone Pavilion’s reputation should be well known to you; it’s witnessed by everyone today as we were threatened at our doorstep. If we encounter retaliation in the future, please serve as our witnesses."

Fang Qingwei expresses her gratitude to everyone."

After she finished speaking, the maid behind her stepped forward and handed each person a raw stone.

"Thank you, Miss Fang, rest assured, if someone inquires, I will speak the truth."

"As cultivators, we must not betray our hearts, we should speak the truth, Miss Fang, you can rest assured."

...

It wasn’t until the maid handed raw stones to Li Jizhou and Hong Luan that Li Jizhou finally came to his senses from the earlier Beng Lang incident.

"Are my dragon-like grandchildren this arrogant? In Yunzhou City, where Governor Han Zhen resides, they dare to openly threaten the largest merchant!"

Han Zhen’s previous impeachments truly don’t seem to be false.

Can’t one Black Stone City mining area satisfy their appetite?

"Miss Fang, why not immediately report to the Governor?" Li Jizhou tentatively asked.

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Li Jizhou.

Originally ready to grumble, they saw Li Jizhou’s impressive demeanor, richly dressed, unlike ordinary people, and suppressed their thoughts, looking at Fang Qingwei.

Fang Qingwei observed Li Jizhou, sensed he was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and initially didn’t want to say much,

but considering his extraordinary aura, with an indescribably beautiful maid by his side whose cultivation couldn’t be discerned, she put aside her disdain, smiled softly, and explained: "Young master doesn’t seem like a local, probably unaware, Prince Yun is kin descent of the current Saint Emperor, and the emperor shows much indulgence, though Governor Han is willing to stand up for us, our mining area is closer to Prince Yun’s Mansion, which has... several powers, Governor Han can protect us for a while but not forever."

"Governor’s Mansion has many experts, but can’t protect the mining area?" Li Jizhou asked slightly puzzled.

Fang Qingwei’s smile slowly faded, her head shaking gently: "Compared to ordinary cultivators, the Governor’s Mansion is proficient in experts, but compared to Prince Yun’s Mansion... Young master doesn’t understand the local situation here, best to watch your words, beware that your mouth doesn’t invite trouble!"

Evidently unwilling to converse further with Li Jizhou.

From Li Jizhou’s two questions, Fang Qingwei clearly saw Li Jizhou wasn’t local or familiar with the local situation or aware of Prince Yun’s Mansion’s foundation in Yunzhou.

Speaking further would be useless. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Observing Li Jizhou, richly dressed, his words naive, he’s likely a gentleman traveling from one of the stable six provinces of the dynasty.

Fang Qingwei had encountered many of such gentlemen, mostly disappointed.

In her eyes, flowers growing in greenhouses can never compare to those of them who’ve grown amid the intrigue and turbulent conditions.