Chapter 2362 2088: The Mandate of Heaven Made Manifest (Part 2)

"With this kind of injury, as long as it's Inner Qi Manifestation, Physician Hua can fix it in an instant and you'll be recovered in three days. But why are you still wrapped up in bandages?" Ma Chao remembered how he himself had been treated back then; it had been ridiculously effective.

"Because some Heaven and Earth Essence with a very strong Will is wreaking havoc inside my body." Zhang Xiu said helplessly. "I don't even know why there's Heaven and Earth Essence carrying such strong Will. I clearly absorbed it myself."

"Oh, that I get. You use your own belief to stain the Heaven and Earth Essence. Once it reaches a certain degree, the Heaven and Earth Essence becomes a part of you. Then that portion of Heaven and Earth Essence blows itself up, the Will gets bleached clean, but if the cohesion is high, it can form a weird state." Guan Ping explained. He'd played with this for years and was therefore extremely proficient.

"An Immortal's remnant Will state." Huang Zhong and Tong Yuan reacted almost at the same time.

"Speaking of which, Master, did you come to attend your disciple's wedding?" Zhao Yun wasn't very interested in this stuff and quietly changed the subject.

"Mm, I came to have a look. I've fully recovered over these past two years." Tong Yuan smiled. "After losing and regaining it several times, my insights have deepened a bit. Speaking of which, Grand Commandant Liu's command really is packed with talent; they're almost all walking their own exclusive paths."

Zhao Yun smiled as he introduced everyone present to his master, and the others had all heard of Zhao Yun's master, so they were quite respectful.

"Oh, right, Master, how about you just stay in Ye City from now on?" Zhao Yun thought for a moment. His master was actually in some little hill in Jizhou; he used to go visit him now and then, but after his body recovered Tong Yuan was always roaming mountains and rivers and never showed up, so Zhao Yun couldn't find him when he went.

"Your Think Tank wrote dozens of invitations—paper ones, silk manuscripts, wooden ones, bamboo slips, tortoise shells, jade. I felt that if I still didn't come, it would really be a bit too disrespectful." Tong Yuan wore an expression caught between laughter and tears.

Just imagine Tong Yuan coming back from his roaming, only to find a big mailbox at his door stuffed full of invitations made from all sorts of materials—what kind of feeling would that be.

"Then, welcome, Master!" Zhao Yun said, full of respect.

"However, I don't have much Talent for commanding troops in battle, but teaching some battlefield killing techniques is still fine." Tong Yuan gave a prophylactic disclaimer up front; after all, he really didn't understand troop Command, his greatest strength was teaching according to aptitude.

The others didn't press this point either. Whether Tong Yuan was strong in other aspects no longer mattered; being able to teach three disciples with Inner Qi Manifestation was already an extremely impressive teacher from any angle. And judging from the current situation, among the three disciples there might very well be two Breakthrough Level experts in the future—that's far beyond the level of "just good at teaching."

With the arrival of Zhang Xiu and the others, Zhao Yun's wedding ceremony drew closer by the day, and the atmosphere in Ye City gradually reached a peak.

There were a lot more visiting Aristocratic Families and Feudal Lords, and quite a few people, due to their status, needed Liu Bei and Chen Xi at that First Level to personally receive them to show due honor.

"So this is Ye City?" After building a port in Jiaozhou, taking a ship to Donglai, then traveling by carriage all the way to Ye City, Shixie had only one feeling: prosperous.

When he reached Qingzhou, Shixie had been incredibly interested even in Qingzhou's roads, and downright fascinated by the big ships in Donglai. These things were, in his eyes, simply too shocking.

Those neat roads, the clean and tidy city, the endless stream of carriages all made Shixie clearly realize where someone from Jiaozhou like him stood—basically at the bumpkin level. Aside from having money and grain, it seemed like they really didn't have much else.

"I wonder why this section of Ye City's wall hasn't been repaired." Shocked all the way until he got used to it, Shixie's first reaction upon reaching Ye City was why that breach in the wall hadn't been fixed.

"Regional Inspector, it's said that this city wall of Ye City was cleaved open by a single slash from Guan Yunchang back in the day, so it has never been repaired." Yuan Hui replied with a smile. He knew Shixie had already been shocked to the point of numbness along the way and definitely wouldn't ask too many more questions, so as not to make himself look too much like a country bumpkin.

"The Central Plains really are a place of outstanding people and auspicious Spirit. To think there's even a hero who can cleave city walls with his blade." Shixie sighed in admiration, then said no more unnecessary words. "It truly is unbelievably prosperous."

"Indeed. After Grand Commandant Liu entered the Central Plains, the region underwent earthshaking changes. Though we haven't seen the military parade yet, just looking at the situation makes clear Grand Commandant Liu's boldness." Yuan Hui's evaluation of Liu Bei had always been astoundingly high, so he didn't mind praising him in front of Shixie.

Of course, along the way Shixie had also personally seen the Fertile Land of the Central Plains. Compared to his own impoverished backwater corner, it left that place dozens of streets behind, so he naturally nodded repeatedly.

On the other side, Liu Zhang was toasting Liu Bei. When he'd gone to Chang'an that one time, he hadn't felt much—after all, the prosperity of Sichuan and Shu was no joke either. But this time, traveling north all the way through Liu Bei's territories, Liu Zhang finally understood what "prosperity" really meant.

"The prosperity under Brother Xuande's governance truly exceeds imagination, especially the smoothness of these roads; it really makes me extremely envious. I wonder if Brother Xuande could give his younger brother a few pointers in this regard." Liu Zhang said with a smile as he toasted Liu Bei.

"These roads are mostly managed by Zichuan and Sunx Gongyou; I'm not all that familiar. If Jir Yu is interested, you can ask Zichuan about it." Liu Bei had no intention of hiding anything, nor did he mind Liu Zhang fishing for benefits. After all, sooner or later those places in Sichuan and Shu would have to be built up as well. Now Liu Bei was considering matters from the perspective of a single grand enterprise across the whole realm.

"Then I'll thank Brother Xuande." Liu Zhang said with a smile, then turned his head to look at Yuan Shu beside him. "Gonglu, aren't you going to say something?"

"Say what?" Yuan Shu raised an eyebrow. "Oh, right, there is something. Liu Xuande, can the price of lime from the lime kilns be lowered any further? In that Northeast region, Sunx Gongyou and I are both building roads from two ends. Before the road is completed, the cost of shipping a single boatload of lime over is way too high."

"You could actually discuss it with Zichuan and see if you can buy the Technique. Strictly speaking, you're actually qualified to obtain the Technique." Liu Bei thought for a moment and said.

"And you didn't say so earlier? That Northeast place is killing us with road construction. I've got twenty work crews out there, and the mortar keeps failing." Yuan Shu said with deep resentment. "As for your parade, I'm honestly not that interested. Over there the roads just won't get built; transportation is a huge problem. Coming by ship, the ship even capsized on me. I'm taking the land route from now on."

"Heh…" Liu Bei said, slightly embarrassed. "Gonglu, you really don't have to be like this. There are many things you actually don't have to do."

Yuan Shu gave Liu Bei a sidelong glance. "There are always some things worth doing. Before, I wanted to restore the glory of the aristocratic family. Now I've seen a bit of hope. And in my view, connecting all places with roads and linking everyone together has immense significance for us Prefects and shepherds of the realm."

"In my eyes, Gonglu is of immense significance to us in leading the common people forward, in expanding our territories, in surpassing our sage predecessors. And I take that as my guiding character. As for the so‑called shining Mandate of Heaven, it's nothing more than this!" Yuan Shu said wildly.

Liu Bei and Liu Zhang lowered their heads to drink, communicating with their eyes.

"Has Yuan Gonglu always been like this? Speaking so utterly without restraint?" Liu Zhang asked with his eyes. "And sometimes he looks like he's got wind evil going to his head."

"This guy has always been like this, just ignore him. He just wants to prove how righteous he is. Besides, once he enters this state, the way he works is terrifying." Liu Bei replied to Liu Zhang with his eyes. After many exchanges with Yuan Shu in this mode, Liu Bei had long since noticed it.

"Drink, drink." Liu Zhang, full of respect, toasted Yuan Shu. This time he really conceded to Yuan Shu; this way of talking was simply too swaggering.

Yuan Shu didn't stand on ceremony either, handing his cup to Liu Zhang, and Liu Zhang picked up the wine pot and filled it to the brim for Yuan Shu.

"Since your Mandate of Heaven is shining so brightly, Gonglu, no problem then—the roads in Yizhou will be left to you!" Liu Zhang, being a man with no shame and no bottom line, clapped Yuan Shu on the shoulder, his face full of admiration.