Protect Our Patriarch

...

However, Wang Shouzhe was just venting his frustrations.

If he really dared to have such thoughts, Prince An would have a reason to ignore state affairs and come directly to fight Wang Shouzhe.

Moreover, if we really talk about blood relations, there is indeed a part of the Wu Clan's bloodline in the Wang Clan.

After all, during the peak of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, there were naturally many marriages with the royal family, and quite a few with the direct line. As a branch of a branch, the Changning Wang's Clan couldn't escape such connections.

If we really delve into it, it would be impossible to clarify.

Forget it!

Wang Shouzhe sighed deeply.

Serving such an emperor was truly exhausting.

No, now even Prince An was becoming more and more pretentious, complaining all day about being too tired. If it wasn't asking Wang Shouzhe to personally come out of retirement, it was asking to send more elite disciples of the Wang Clan to assist him.

Currently, his eldest son Wang Zong'an was still overseeing the Dala Great Desert development plan, while his eldest grandson Wang Shizhao and several outstanding young disciples were sent to Guilong City to assist.

That guy, could it be that he hasn't even ascended the throne yet and is already trying to emulate Emperor Longchang's laziness?

...

Around the same time.

Outside the Wang's Clan School.

Zhuhui Lake had undergone several expansions, and its water area had increased several times over. Now, as one of the foundations of the Wang's Clan's large Gathering Spirit Array, a high-grade water spirit vein was buried beneath it.

Nourished by the primordial water spiritual energy, the aquatic plants on the shore grew lush and vibrant, full of spiritual charm. Even the spiritual fish and frogs in the water were livelier and plumper than before.

A gentle breeze stirred, creating ripples on the water's surface, and occasionally a few flat boats would glide by, adding a poetic and picturesque charm to the already breathtaking scenery.

At this moment.

On the leisure platform by Zhuhui Lake, there was a new barbecue grill.

Emperor Longchang, who had been politely "invited" out by the Clan School's guard team, was sitting by the grill, happily roasting spiritual meat and fish.

The reason he wasn't arrested was that he was considered a distant "elder" of Wang's fifth son, Niu, and was merely invited out.

Because of this, Wang's fifth son, Niu, and Lixian got a brief respite and were allowed to accompany him for a while.

At this moment.

Five little wolves, including Wang Dalang, were squatting neatly by the barbecue grill, their noses twitching constantly, and drool almost dripping down.

As a small sapling, Wang Lixian was half-leaning on the platform, her long roots penetrating the gaps in the platform and drilling deep into the riverbank, absorbing the earth's nutrients.

As a tree, Wang Lixian did not refuse meat, especially delicious meat, to which she had little resistance.

"Wang Dalang... Niu, you guys, let me tell you something." Emperor Longchang skillfully roasted the meat, took out carefully prepared spices from his treasure ring, and sprinkled them on, speaking with the demeanor of an elder giving earnest advice, "Whether you're a wolf or a person, you must maintain a lifelong learning attitude."

"Now that you're grown up, you must learn to be independent. As for your studies, I will not spoil you. You must study hard and strive to become five useful wolves for the Wang Clan and the Great Qian. Come, come, eat the meat."

As Emperor Longchang distributed the meat, the five little wolves of the Wang Clan devoured it quickly, nodding their heads in admiration. They truly idolized the emperor grandpa, not only was his barbecue delicious, but his words were also full of wisdom.

Wang Lixian extended a few branches to wrap around the roasted meat and fish, her roots penetrating them, and the roasted meat and fish were absorbed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Xian'er, as a legendary Tree of Life, you should eat more." Emperor Longchang said kindly, "Come, come, eat slowly, your emperor grandpa has plenty more here."

Emperor Longchang never dreamed that Wang Shouzhe's life-bound spiritual plant would be a Tree of Life. He wondered how much luck that guy had accumulated over several lifetimes to obtain such a great opportunity.

It truly made him envious and jealous.

"Yiya~~ Thank you, emperor grandpa." Wang Lixian said gratefully.

"You're welcome, since you call me emperor grandpa, you're my granddaughter, my own granddaughter." Emperor Longchang said with a kind and amiable expression, "Your emperor grandpa has decided, to ensure that Xian'er has a healthy and safe growth environment, your emperor grandpa will stay in the Wang Clan to protect and teach you."

As he spoke, he casually divided more than half of the roasted meat and fish to Wang Lixian.

The five little wolves of the Wang Clan were suddenly dumbfounded.

The affection had shifted~~ suddenly, the meat in their mouths didn't taste as good.

"Yiya, emperor grandpa is really yiya." Wang Lixian said happily.

Just as Emperor Longchang was personally roasting meat to entertain Wang Lixian and the five little wolves of the Wang Clan, a tall figure appeared by the leisure platform.

This person was dressed in a white long robe, exuding an air of elegance and grace.

This figure was naturally Wang Shouzhe.

He cupped his hands in salute towards the emperor on the leisure platform and said, "Your Majesty's visit to the Wang Clan, Shouzhe failed to welcome you from afar, I beg your pardon."

"Oh, Shouzhe is here." Emperor Longchang waved warmly, "Come, come, I've roasted another batch of spiritual meat, let's eat together."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Wang Shouzhe complied, but in his heart, he was muttering incessantly.

Your Majesty, truly worthy of being an emperor who has lived for over three thousand years, your face is as thick as a city wall, doing such things and still acting as if nothing happened.

"Shouzhe, try the spiritual meat I roasted. This grill was a gift from Liyao back in the day." Emperor Longchang acted as if he was at home, not treating himself as an outsider at all on the Wang Clan's territory.

Wang Shouzhe was speechless, symbolically eating a few bites of the roasted meat before saying, "Your Majesty's visit to the Wang Clan, Shouzhe failed to welcome you, truly anxious and uneasy."

The implication was naturally to ask the emperor, couldn't you have notified us in advance before visiting?

Emperor Longchang secretly rolled his eyes.

If I had notified you, wouldn't that have given you the chance to hide your tail? Then how could I catch your little tail and perform a shocking reversal, slapping your face?

Unfortunately, Wang Shouzhe had managed his territory so well that it was impregnable, not even water could get in. Before he could even start his actions, he was detected by the Wang Clan's minions.

If he hadn't run quickly, unless he used force to resist, he would have been caught in the Wang Clan's "private prison."

Hmph~

In this well-managed territory, he truly considered himself a "local emperor."

Emperor Longchang muttered in his heart but remained calm on the surface, changing the topic, "Shouzhe, your Wang Clan's main residence is truly magnificent. Once this Gathering Spirit Array is completed, over time, it will become a place of true spiritual beauty, ensuring the Wang Clan's foundation for thousands of years."

"Even I, as the emperor, am somewhat reluctant to leave this place."

As the Lingxu Emperor, his insight and vision were not something ordinary people could compare to. He almost immediately saw that the Gathering Spirit Array being prepared at the Wang Clan's main residence was extraordinary, not something an ordinary array master could set up.

Wang Shouzhe's expression froze for a moment, then he said politely, "If Your Majesty likes it, you can stay at the Wang Clan for a while, consider it a vacation."

In this world, there was no narrow concept of "all under heaven belongs to the king." The private land owned by the Wang Clan was officially registered and recorded, as long as they paid taxes according to the rules and didn't commit any particularly serious crimes, it naturally belonged to the Wang Clan for generations, and no one could arbitrarily take it away.

Just like when the Wang Clan defeated the Liu and Zhao Clans and pushed them out of Ping'an Town, they had no right to arbitrarily incorporate their land into the Wang Clan's name. They had to go through formal procedures, buying what needed to be bought, transferring what needed to be transferred.

Therefore, the Wang Clan's main residence (formerly Ping'an Town) naturally belonged to the Wang Clan's clan property. Even if the emperor came, he would only be a guest.

However, when Wang Shouzhe said this, it was just a polite gesture.

Compared to the environment of the palace, the Wang Clan's territory, although not without merit, was indeed far less luxurious.

Unexpectedly.

Emperor Longchang's eyes lit up, and then he stroked his beard and pretended to ponder, "Since Shouzhe invited me, I can't refuse your hospitality. Just in time, I just recognized Xian'er as my honorary granddaughter, so I'll stay to cultivate some feelings."

"What?" Wang Shouzhe broke into a cold sweat, "Your Majesty, when did this happen?"

"Just before you arrived, Shouzhe." Emperor Longchang waved his hand, "You don't need to worry about this. It's also in recognition of your great contributions to the Great Qian this time. You don't need to worry about any criticism from the court. At my age, recognizing an honorary granddaughter doesn't require looking at their faces."

These words made it seem as if recognizing Lixian as an honorary granddaughter was a great advantage for the Wang Clan.

Wang Shouzhe's facial muscles twitched uncontrollably, barely managing to control his expression.

Your Majesty, you're clearly trying to take advantage of the spiritual plant, why pretend?

Your Majesty's face... truly worthy of being an emperor, ordinary people can't compare.

But there was still one concern...

Wang Shouzhe was a bit conflicted, glancing at Emperor Longchang, he cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, if you want to take Xian'er as an honorary granddaughter, Shouzhe is naturally honored. But about our seniority..."

Emperor Longchang rolled his eyes at this, crossing his arms with a proud expression, "Shouzhe, don't overthink it, I have no such intentions. We'll each have our own roles~~ in the future, we'll maintain a purely monarch-subject relationship, don't have any improper thoughts."

His words and expression seemed to be full of disdain for Wang Shouzhe.

"Phew!"

Wang Shouzhe also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It's better if there's no such intention, otherwise, he really wouldn't be able to serve this capricious emperor.

However, seeing Wang Shouzhe's relieved expression, Emperor Longchang instead became angry, his face darkening, "Wang Shouzhe, what kind of expression is that? Are you looking down on me?"

"Your subject has no such intention."

Wang Shouzhe cupped his hands, but in his heart, it felt like ten thousand horses were galloping through.

This was truly "only the state official is allowed to set fires, not the common people to light lamps," did he really think he couldn't see the emperor's disdain just now?

"It's best if you have no such intention." Emperor Longchang finally smiled with satisfaction, waving his hand, "I'll stay at the Wang Clan for a while, and teach Xian'er. I'm not a pretentious person, you don't need to serve me closely, just go about your business."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Wang Shouzhe cupped his hands in agreement, appearing very respectful and obedient, but in reality, he was mentally exhausted.

Ah~ but what can he do, he's the Lingxu Emperor, with big fists and strong arms, he can only go along with him.

Fortunately, it's just a short stay.

...

At the same time.

Xinping Town.

Compared to the original Ping'an Town, Xinping Town was located closer to the eastern sea.

Its land area was also very vast, four to five times larger than Ping'an Town. Within its borders, there were both mountains and hills, as well as lakes and rivers, even the largest lake within the Wang Clan's territory—Deep Tai Lake—was within Xinping Town's range.

The Wang Clan placed great importance on water conservancy projects, and the overall design and planning were completed at the beginning of the development of Xinping Town.

According to the original plan, the crisscrossing rivers and lakes were connected, with excavation where needed, and riverbanks repaired where needed, with numerous sluice gates, creating a dense waterway network.

Don't underestimate this waterway network.

It's important to know that in the current situation where aerial transport capacity is still relatively limited and land transport is not fast enough, the role of rivers and inland lakes is very significant.

Transportation, irrigation, flood storage, drainage... all these functions related to waterways are crucial to the overall development of people's livelihoods.

If it weren't for the Wang Clan's consideration of their clan members' nostalgia and attachment to the "ancestral land," making Xinping Town the main residence of the Wang Clan would be more suitable and cost-effective.

Near the mouth of the An River, there was a small delta, with a wide river channel leading into Xinping Town. At the point where the river channel narrowed slightly, the Wang Clan built a large sluice gate, named "Xinping Sluice Gate."

This "Xinping Sluice Gate" had many functions.

But the most important one was—the Kun Dao Sluice Gate.

As Wang Zongkun grew larger, his appetite also became more astonishing, and the expenses for feeding him were increasing day by day, even the wealthy Wang Clan found it difficult to sustain such a large expenditure. Naturally, the way of raising Wang Zongkun changed to a "half-feeding, half-grazing" method.

Every once in a while, a powerful elder from the clan would take Wang Zongkun to the ocean, relying on the abundant "reserves" of aquatic fierce beasts in the ocean to satisfy Wang Zongkun's growing appetite.

Of course, for some well-known reasons, elders usually took Wang Anye with them when they went out to graze.

However, as Wang Anye and Wang Zongkun's strength grew rapidly, the two of them together now had enough self-preservation ability in the deep sea, so the "grazing" task was completely handed over to Wang Anye.

On this day.

Anye, after a full meal, led Wang Zongkun into the river channel from the estuary, slowly swimming towards the Xinping Sluice Gate.

This trip to the sea, both Anye and Wang Zongkun had "harvested" a lot. Even though Wang Zongkun had a separate space in his stomach specifically for storing food, he still felt a bit stuffed, and even his swimming posture became a bit lazy, as if he was taking a leisurely walk to digest.

At this time, Wang Zongkun's strength had already reached the sixth stage, although he was still not an adult, his body had become very large. Even though the river channel outside the Xinping Sluice Gate was quite wide, it still seemed a bit cramped for a single fish to swim in, unable to move freely.

In the sunlight, his streamlined body was like a moving fortress, exuding a strong sense of oppression, already possessing some of the majesty of a deep-sea "Dragon Whale."

Wang Anye sat cross-legged on Wang Zongkun's back, counting the harvest from this trip to the sea, planning which ones to give to the elders at home, and which ones to leave for his younger siblings, nephews, nieces, and grandnephews.

Thirty years had passed, and Wang Anye had grown into a handsome young man.

Now, at the age of forty-two, he had already advanced to the Celestial Realm a few years ago, and his strength was incomparable to the past. Even compared to the talented royal family, his cultivation speed was definitely in the top tier.

Wu Yiluo and Wu Xue'ning, with the support of royal resources, were not as strong as him now.

Of course, in the Wang Clan, he could only be considered the second tier.

After all, the Wang Clan had too many geniuses.

However, this was only temporary. Once his strength increased a bit more, he could follow Ji Wuchen's guidance to the place where his master left his legacy for further inheritance. By then, both his strength and bloodline aptitude could improve again, and he might even enter the first tier of the Wang Clan.

As Wang Anye focused on counting the harvest, he and Wang Zongkun unknowingly got closer and closer to the Xinping Sluice Gate.

...

A medium-sized river patrol boat was slowly sailing in the wide river channel.

This type of patrol boat was specifically used to maintain law and order in the territory, capturing various individuals who posed a threat to the territory. It also served as a warning to those with ill intentions to behave in the Wang Clan's territory.

This patrol boat, numbered 003, was led by two Lingtai Realm cultivators as the captain and vice-captain, with the rest being ten Qi Refining Realm mid-level or higher soldiers. In addition to cold weapons, they were also equipped with new-style [shotguns], [thunder bombs], and other hot weapons.

Moreover, the captain and vice-captain were each equipped with a storage ring, containing important supplies such as ammunition, healing medicine, and some strange but useful plant seeds.

The captain was named Shentu Hongyi, a civilian from the Wang Clan's territory, who had received formal education from the Wang's Clan School and graduated with excellent grades, becoming a key training target for the Wang Clan.

Now, in his sixties or seventies, Shentu Hongyi had reached the third level of the Lingtai Realm, becoming a backbone of the Wang Clan. With keen intuition, steady and reliable nature, and a decent educational background, he married a girl from the Wang Clan's collateral line who also graduated from the Clan School.

Therefore, Shentu Hongyi had a promising future within the Wang Clan.

In the Great Qian, apart from places like Guilong City, known for cultural gatherings, or Lingyun Holy Land, where elites congregate, anyone with Lingtai Realm cultivation, regardless of status or strength, was considered an elite.

The vice-captain was named Wang Ansong, a direct descendant of the Wang Clan. His father was Wang Shibai, the second son of Wang Zongsheng, a core disciple of the Xuanbing Hall lineage at the Purple Mansion Academy.

Wang Zongsheng, at a young age, had joined the Purple Mansion Academy, and although not as dazzling as Wang Luojing or Wang Luo Qiu, he had achieved some success. However, his greatest achievement was getting involved with a senior sister named Zhou Wenfang at the academy.

Zhou Wenfang was a direct descendant of the Longzuo Zhou Clan, a girl with outstanding talent who joined the academy from a young age and was highly regarded by the Longzuo Zhou Clan.

The Longzuo Zhou Clan was an old sixth-grade family, with its core business being textiles and related industries, specializing in silkworm breeding and silk production. Among them, Zhou's Clothing Shop was the highest-end clothing store within Longzuo Commandery.

Some mid-to-high-end clothing in the shop could easily cost tens of thousands of top gold, with the highest-end items reaching hundreds of thousands.

The wedding attire for Wang Shouzhe's grand wedding was custom-made through the Qian Clan at the Longzuo Zhou Clan, costing a significant amount at the time.

Therefore, the Zhou Clan was considered a wealthy family among the sixth-grade families, with ambitions to advance to a fifth-grade Purple Mansion family.

After Wang Zongsheng and Zhou Wenfang got married, they mainly lived in the academy, leading a "fairy couple" life, going on missions and adventures together, living a carefree and leisurely life.

However, no matter how much of a fairy couple they were, they still had to have children. Under Wang Shouzhe's urging, they had two sons and a daughter, all raised within the family.

Among them, the second son, Wang Shibai, gave birth to Wang Ansong.

Time truly flies.

Now, Wang Ansong, at thirty-three years old, had become a promising young man.

That's how families are, one generation after another, growing more and more prosperous.

Wang Ansong, wearing a set of standard Basalt combat attire, appeared capable and heroic, different from his grandfather Wang Zongsheng's robust physique from practicing body cultivation techniques. His figure was well-proportioned and slender, and he was handsome and attractive.

With his talent and bloodline reaching the small genius B level, his cultivation had already reached the second level of the Lingtai Realm. Among his peers in the Wang Clan, he wasn't the best, but he wasn't bad either. With more merit points, he still had a chance to move from the fourth sequence of the family to the third sequence.

At this moment, Wang Ansong was sitting boldly inside the patrol boat, with a serious expression, interrogating two suspects they had just captured.

Because the two suspects surrendered relatively easily, and one was an old man and the other a young girl, the patrol team only followed the rules and put handcuffs on them, without any special mistreatment.

However, Wang Ansong's gaze was very vigilant, and the soldiers directly aimed their shotguns at them, appearing somewhat tense.

"Both of you, it's better to confess honestly." Wang Ansong said sternly, "Who was the person who tore open space and fled earlier? What treasure did they use? Where are you from, and what is your purpose in coming to Xinping Town?"

Old Yao had lived for over a thousand years, but he had never been so embarrassed as he was today. If they really wanted to run, of course, they could escape, but what would be the point? It would just be a joke for Shouzhe, all because of the emperor...

Of course, equally embarrassed was Wu Xue'ning, but fortunately, the Wang Clan's patrol team was quite disciplined, as long as they didn't resist, there was no overstepping.

"Young man, I've already said many times, please let your Master Wang Shouzhe handle this matter." Old Yao said helplessly, "You don't need to be so nervous, we won't harm you."

"Ridiculous, our Fourth Elder isn't so easy to meet!" Wang Ansong said angrily, "We've already captured Dongfang Cangqiong, and he's confessed about you. I remind you, for suspects with obvious malicious intent like you, our patrol team has the right to use force."

"Twelfth Young Master, you're too kind-hearted. In my opinion, there's no need to waste words with them. Some criminals are like this, they won't cry until they see the coffin. It's better to follow the law and use force." A soldier suggested.

"You heard them?" Wang Ansong said seriously, "Given your current crimes, whether according to the Great Qian law or Xinping Town's local security regulations, we have the right to use force, so let's leave some face for each other."

At this point, Wu Xue'ning finally couldn't take it anymore and turned to say, "Grandpa Yao, this is too embarrassing. This matter is indeed our fault, why don't I reveal my identity?"

"We can only do that." Old Yao was also helpless, "Just reveal your identity."

To satisfy the emperor's desire to first create a dramatic reversal and then enjoy the satisfaction of a twist, they had indeed suffered a lot along the way.

With Old Yao's approval, Wu Xue'ning finally breathed a sigh of relief and said to Wang Ansong, "Are you from the An generation of the Wang Clan? Ranked twelfth in the family?"

"That's right, I am Wang Ansong." Wang Ansong, an outstanding graduate of the Clan School, naturally had a good demeanor, "If you confess honestly, I will apply for a reduction of your charges."

"Actually, this is a misunderstanding, we are on the same side." Wu Xue'ning, having let go of her worries, thought of someone and felt a bit shy.

"The same side?" Wang Ansong raised an eyebrow, seemingly not believing it.

"My name is Wu Xue'ning, a little princess of the royal family." Wu Xue'ning bit her lip, feeling a bit embarrassed, "I am friends with your seventh brother, Wang Anye."

"So, you're a friend of Seventh Brother? And a little princess of the royal family?" Wang Ansong's expression relaxed, and he stood up, walking over with a friendly smile, "Well, it seems like a case of the Dragon King Temple being flooded, family not recognizing family."

"Of course, I even know your family members, Lilong and Yingxuan." Wu Xue'ning smiled sweetly, "Ansong, we're all on the same side, you can now unlock..."

"Ridiculous!"

Wang Ansong shouted angrily, "A spy inciting rebellion, and you dare to joke with me? A little princess of the royal family, knowing my Seventh Brother..."

Pausing for a moment, Wang Ansong roared in anger, "Who is on the same side as you, you demoness? Why don't you pretend to be my Seventh Brother's fiancée? Pretend to be my Seventh Sister-in-law?"

Wu Xue'ning was taken aback, stepping back two steps, her eyes a bit dazed, what did he mean by pretending to be Anye's fiancée? I actually...

Oh no, no~

Just as Wu Xue'ning was feeling bewildered by the scolding, a low "Dragon Whale" cry came from outside the boat, awooo~~

At the same time, Wang Anye's gentle voice came from the returning fishing trip, "Isn't this the 003 patrol boat? Twelve, are you on duty today?"

"It's Seventh Brother." Wang Ansong's face lit up with joy.

But Wu Xue'ning's expression froze, her heart sinking with a "thud," thinking this was bad.

It's over, it's over, how could it be so coincidental to run into Anye? How will I handle being seen in such a sorry state?