Shennong Dao Master
Chapter 493 - 57: The Arrival of Grotto Heaven’s Spiritual Beauty (6K)_3

Chapter 493: Chapter 57: The Arrival of Grotto Heaven’s Spiritual Beauty (6K)_3

With so many grassman avatars, there was plenty of time to check messages.

Indeed, it didn’t take long before Liu Tianning replied.

Still, it was a very short sentence:

[Understood, from now on you shall accept favors based on this standard.]

Upon seeing the reply, Zhao Xing also couldn’t help feeling emotional.

"Thirty spots, and Lao Liu and I took two, deducting the ten that Lao Liu requested to reserve, aside from Lao Chen, Long Xiao, Xia Jing, and Ji Ziyun. That leaves me with fourteen spots to decide on."

"Each spot will be counted as a favor based on the standard of a commandery prince. Even without seeking for Spiritual Beauty, my gains have already exceeded expectations."

Zhao Xing had never anticipated that becoming Liu Tianning’s disciple would bring such great benefits.

Who would have thought that the future cold and ruthless Liu Banfeng would show such favoritism towards his disciple?

Given Liu Tianning’s connections, he must now be aware of the significance of the scouting team Zhao Xing had established!

Nevertheless, he still hadn’t revoked Zhao Xing’s authority, evidently wanting to let his disciple build some connections.

The standards were not low either, at the very least, at the level of a commandery prince, or powerful like the Marquis from the Xiahou family.

"There will certainly be those who trouble Liu Tianning, but he shoulders the pressure, while leaving the favors for me, his disciple, to collect."

Zhao Xing marveled at the wonders of fate: in his past life, he had been beheaded by Liu Tianning, casting a shadow over his psyche, yet in this life, he became Liu Tianning’s favored disciple.

...

On the eighth day of the third month, during the Mao Hour.

Xia Jing visited again, but this time there was a fair-skinned young man in Chinese clothing by his side.

"Zhao Xing, this is my cousin, the Princely Heir Ji Ziyun of Prince Pingyang."

"Cousin, this is my good brother Zhao Xing whom I met in the military. He earned a million merits in the great battle and was granted the title of Marquis Yuan Rang. He’s now a Sixth-rank Guard Captain in the Divine Might Army."

Ji Ziyun smiled and greeted with clasped hands, "I’ve long heard from my cousin about Marquis Yuan Rang’s exceptional talents. In just over two years, you rose from clerk to Sixth-rank; in the great pacification campaign, you ingeniously captured Fire Dragon Pass and Sacrificial Soul Pass. You truly are a role model for our generation. It’s my good fortune to meet you today."

Before coming, Ji Ziyun had clearly done his homework, even knowing that Zhao Xing started as a clerk.

His speech was exceedingly polite, betraying none of the airs one might expect from a Princely Heir.

"The Princely Heir flatters me, I dare not accept such praise," Zhao Xing said as he stepped aside in return courtesy, "Please, join me inside the courtyard for a seat."

"Please," Ji Ziyun extended his hand, stepping half a pace behind Zhao Xing as they walked through the courtyard to the main hall.

Once seated in the main hall, with the connection of Xia Jing, and as they were all young men, they quickly became acquainted.

Xia Jing said, "Cousin, you’ve also been in the military, if I recall correctly you enlisted in the 13th year of the Jingxin Calendar, right?"

Ji Ziyun nodded, "I joined the Yingtian Army in the second month of the 13th year of the Jingxin Calendar, but since there were no battles at the time, I transferred to a civilian post in September and served for two years in the Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion. I also passed through Nanyang County during that time but didn’t stop by Gucheng."

"At the beginning of the 15th year of the Jingxin Calendar, my grandmother passed away, and I left my post at Yingyuan Prefecture to attend the funeral in Jingzhao Prefecture, then went to Yuanling to observe three years of mourning. I only returned to Yuanpin State last month."

Zhao Xing offered his respects, "The Princely Heir is benevolent and filial."

Ji Ziyun’s grandmother, by seniority, was Emperor Jing’s great-aunt, but she was younger than Emperor Jing and not qualified to be buried in the imperial tombs, only in the royal Yuanling.

Strictly speaking, there was no need to observe three years of mourning, but the Zhou Ritual held the royal family to higher standards.

Emperor Jing was particularly strict with the royal family, killing many of them (mostly at the hands of Prince Liang) during the Dingxin reforms. So, Emperor Jing’s relatives were also very disciplined.

Ji Ziyun said, "Marquis Yuan Rang need not address me as Princely Heir, if you don’t mind, just call me Mr. Ji, just like Qilin’er."

"Cousin, why would you mention my nickname so casually," Xia Jing was a little embarrassed.

His courtesy name was Lin Yun; qilin is a mythical auspicious creature, with the proverbial expression ’joy at the birth of a qilin child.’ The character ’yun’ means sunlight. The overall meaning implied in Xia Jing’s courtesy name was auspicious radiance and a bright future.

When Xia Jing was born, his father was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Today I have the joy of a qilin child!" Consequently, his nickname became Qilin, and relatives like Ji Ziyun affectionately called him Qilin’er.

Zhao Xing chuckled, "In that case, I shall boldly address you as Mr. Ji. No need to call me Marquis either. Since I have not been given a courtesy name, you can just call me by my name."

Ji Ziyun looked faintly surprised, and Xia Jing explained, "Zhao Xing is only twenty-two years old. He left home to join the military before he was twenty, and his elders have yet to choose a courtesy name for him."

"Only twenty-two?" Ji Ziyun grew even more astonished, "Even younger than Qilin’er by three years?"

Zhao Xing, of commoner birth, was already a Sixth-rank Guard Captain, and to be just twenty-two was indeed surprising.

Advancing from a clerk to a Secondary Sixth-rank in a little over two years, reaching such a position without any background was considered remarkable by anyone.

"It’s just some luck," Zhao Xing modestly replied.

"Cousin," Xia Jing said, feeling helpless, "please stop calling me by my nickname!"

"It’s an old habit; I can’t change it just like that. Besides, what’s wrong with the nickname Qilin’er? You are indeed the qilin child of the Xia family!"

"How would you like it if I called you ’Little Badger’?"

"..."

"Hahaha," Zhao Xing couldn’t help laughing at the brotherly banter.

...

After seeing off Ji Ziyun and Xia Jing, they agreed to set off on the tenth of March, planning to secure their territories in advance.

Long Xiao and Chen Shijie had also made their preparations and, upon receiving the notice, simply moved directly into Eighteen locust and willow courtyard.

On the ninth of March, before dawn,

"Tatatatatata~"

The long-missed sound of the bamboo horse resonated, faintly accompanied by the clamor of gongs and drums.