Dao Xuan Tianzun once again arrived in Wenshui County alongside the transport ships.
After several days of nonstop labor, the battered county town had finally begun to regain its shape.
Brand-new districts rose block by block. Many of the buildings were constructed with cement—neat, clean, and astonishingly sturdy.
That said, the people of the Great Ming had never been fond of stark, bare cement walls. Quite a few residents, eager to show off their woodworking skills, added an outer layer of timber to their cement homes. Upon these wooden facades, they carved intricate patterns—flowers, clouds, beasts, and auspicious motifs—transforming cold gray structures into lively works of art.
It was craftsmanship worthy of a celestial empire.
As Li Daoxuan led the transport convoy through the city gates, Fan Shangzheng, Governor of Henan, hurried over with a smile. It turned out that the Governor, having little urgent business on hand, had been casually strolling near the gate when he happened to encounter Li Daoxuan.
"Hero Xiao," Fan Shangzheng greeted warmly, "your injuries—are they fully healed?"
"They're fine," Li Daoxuan replied. "All healed."
Fan Shangzheng let out a long sigh. "For the sake of the common people, you have provided funds, contributed effort, personally entered battle, and even suffered injuries. Truly… I scarcely know how to express my gratitude."
"It's nothing, really nothing," Li Daoxuan waved it off. "But tell me—what has happened in Huaiqing Prefecture since I left?"
At this, Fan Shangzheng's expression brightened considerably.
"The siege of Huaiqing Prefecture has finally been lifted!" he announced.
"Supreme Commander Zhang Zongheng of Xuanfu and Datong, Zhang Fengyi leading the Sichuan White Pole Soldiers, You Shilu of Shanxi, and Vice Commander Zuo Liangyu—multiple armies converged to relieve the city. The rebels did not dare resist and fled east into the Taihang Mountains."
"They escaped again," Li Daoxuan murmured.
Privately, he reflected: My interference altered some details. The rebels never crossed the Yellow River to ravage Henan… but in the end, they still retreated into the Taihang Mountains.
The shape of history had bent—but it had not broken.
Once entrenched in the Taihang Mountains, some rebel bands would inevitably slip through into Hebei Province.
And Hebei lay dangerously close to the capital.
If rebels appeared there, the shock would ripple straight into Beijing. The Ming court would respond with even harsher measures.
Measures that, in the end, would still fail.
No matter how ferocious the court became, the rebels would only grow fiercer in return.
Ultimately, the task of truly dealing with them would still fall upon Gao Family Village.
Just then, a troop of horsemen thundered into the county town.
The leader wore an embroidered flying-fish robe—unmistakably a Jinyiwei officer. Upon spotting Fan Shangzheng at the city gate, he dismounted swiftly and cupped his fists.
"Governor," he announced, "I bear an imperial verbal decree, by His Majesty's command."
Fan Shangzheng was startled.
A verbal decree delivered by Jinyiwei? That was highly unusual.
"Let us speak somewhere private," he said at once.
The two entered a nearby building.
Li Daoxuan raised an eyebrow. He quietly moved aside and released a palm-sized reconnaissance avatar of Dao Xuan Tianzun, instructing it to follow them inside.
"What are His Majesty's commands?" Fan Shangzheng asked.
The Jinyiwei replied, "The Prince of Fu has submitted a letter to His Majesty, lamenting the situation at Xiaolangdi."
"Xiaolangdi again?" Fan Shangzheng blurted out.
"The Emperor said," the Jinyiwei continued, "'Such trivial matters would normally not be worth mentioning. However, since this concerns the dignity of the imperial family, it cannot be ignored. No formal edict will be issued. Instead, I am to verbally instruct the Governor to reclaim Xiaolangdi and return it to the Prince of Fu's estate, so as to silence further lamentations.'"
Fan Shangzheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"The Prince of Fu… lamenting?" he muttered.
The Jinyiwei sighed. "His Majesty is also… quite troubled."
Listening in, the tiny Dao Xuan Tianzun avatar nearly laughed out loud.
This felt exactly like a street thug losing territory and immediately running to complain to his boss.
Fan Shangzheng exhaled deeply. "Please convey this to His Majesty," he said slowly. "Xiaolangdi is simply beyond my ability to reclaim."
"And why is that?" the Jinyiwei asked.
"Since the time of the Yellow Turban Rebellion," Fan Shangzheng explained, "Xiaolangdi has been plagued by river bandits. For over a thousand years, it has never truly been pacified. Only recently did Bai Yuan arrive—exterminate the bandits, resettle the populace, and restore order."
He paused, then added frankly, "If Xiaolangdi were handed back to the Prince of Fu's estate… forgive my bluntness, but what ability does that estate have to govern it?"
The Jinyiwei fell silent.
"The Prince of Fu's estate is notorious for extortion," Fan Shangzheng continued. "The common people would flee. Xiaolangdi would once again become a den of bandits. This would benefit neither the court nor the people."
The Jinyiwei sighed, half amused, half helpless. "Your reasoning is sound. But what, then, are we to do about the Prince of Fu's complaints? Governor, you must share some of His Majesty's burdens."
Fan Shangzheng, as a literati official, nearly blurted out Let that fool cry himself hoarse!—but such words could never be spoken aloud.
He could only reply, "Very well. I will consider another form of compensation for the Prince of Fu's estate."
"I will report this to His Majesty," the Jinyiwei said.
He came swiftly—and left just as swiftly.
Fan Shangzheng stepped out of the building and stared at the drifting clouds above.
"A thorny matter indeed," he sighed.
Li Daoxuan emerged nearby, feigning ignorance. "Governor, what troubles you so?"
"Nothing, nothing at all," Fan Shangzheng waved it off.
Then he changed the subject. "Hero Xiao, you and Mister Bai Yuan seem to be quite close?"
"Yes," Li Daoxuan replied. "We're on very good terms."
"Then… I have an impertinent request," Fan Shangzheng said carefully.
Li Daoxuan already knew what was coming.
"Regarding Xiaolangdi," Fan Shangzheng continued, "would it be possible to invite Mister Bai Yuan for a discussion? A proper meeting. I have no intention of forcing him to return Xiaolangdi to the Prince of Fu's estate. Nor do I believe the estate deserves even a few hundred taels of rent."
He sighed. "But imperial dignity cannot be ignored entirely. This matter must be resolved, one way or another."
He wasn't wrong.
A place as vast and strategically vital as Xiaolangdi could not simply belong to whoever held it by force—no dynasty could tolerate that forever.
Gao Family Village needed a legitimate justification to remain there.
Li Daoxuan smiled. "Very well. I'll agree on my brother Bai Yuan's behalf. Let us arrange a meeting—some tea, calm discussion, and clear terms."
Fan Shangzheng immediately sent servants to contact representatives of the Prince of Fu's estate.
As for Li Daoxuan?
With a simple co-sensing leap, his consciousness transferred to the golden-threaded Dao Xuan Tianzun avatar resting on Bai Yuan's chest. A few words later, the matter was settled.
Three days later.
A warm winter sun shone brightly, lifting spirits.
Li Daoxuan strolled leisurely into Luoyang, the so-called Heart of the World.
Puzhou had once been hailed as the "Center of the World," and Luoyang now claimed the title of its "Heart." Similar names—yet each represented a different age, a different glory, a different turn of history.
At Luoyang's largest tavern, Fan Shangzheng had arranged a banquet.
The stage was set.
The three-way talks were about to begin.