I have Immortality In The Cultivation World

Chapter 556: Chapter 311: The Governor’s Adopted Son_2

The crowd repeatedly kowtowed, not daring to show any disagreement.

The foster son who had just died was well-favored by Zhou Yi in ordinary days, yet unexpectedly, when it came to killing, he showed no mercy. What was even more terrifying was that no one could hide anything from the supervising duke within the household.

“Call the troops to muster; we head north in three days.”

Zhou Yi said with a somber expression, “Our household needs to see exactly by what means they managed to wipe out the entire Inspectorate at the Northern Border!”

Zhou Yi didn’t care about refugees or natural disasters, as he had almost starved to death himself once upon a time and had seen no one come to the rescue.

“As you command.”

...

The officials of the Inspectorate unanimously pledged their obedience and dispersed to mobilize their elite forces.

…

Daqing Capital.

The Eastern City.@@novelbin@@

Chongren District.

The place was inhabited by nobles of the National Dynasty, so valuable that a single brick falling could at least hit a lord.

The Zhou residence was located in the southeast of Chongren District, covering an expansive area of more than ten acres, with pavilions, towers, artificial mountains, and lakes. It could truly be said that every step revealed a scene as beautiful as a painting.

This estate originally belonged to the Duke of Xingguo. Accused of treason and collusion with enemies during the former dynasty, his entire family was exiled to mine the Northern Border.

The Orthodox Emperor, acknowledging Zhou Yi’s contributions, bestowed the Duke of Xingguo’s residence to the Zhou family as a sign of imperial favor.

Now, the entrance to the estate boasted a “Zhou Residence” plaque, and the official position of the Inspectorate was recognized by the Imperial Court, denoting them as external officials, not inner eunuchs.

In the evening.

A procession of foreigners arrived at the Zhou residence to take over the duty of protectors, standing guard at the entrance and along the corridors.

Eight palanquin bearers carried an official sedan to the entrance, where a young attendant bowed to lift the curtain.

“Godfather, we’ve arrived at home.”

Zhou Yi closed the National Dynasty’s official records. Since taking on the case in the North, he had borrowed history books about the Northern Border from the Interior Ministry, starting his investigation from the former dynasty.

Before Daqing was the Zhou Dynasty, which had fallen more than three hundred years ago.

Both the predecessor and successor dynasties fought repeatedly with the ethnic groups on the Northern Border. In the early days of the state, there were more victories than defeats, thereafter alternating wins and losses, and later, they simply allowed the ethnic groups to invade, achieving only defensive success.

“The late emperor might have been obsessed with immortality and seeking the path of the immortals, yet extinguishing the Wolf King’s Golden Tent alone merits the title of a rejuvenating ruler!”

Zhou Yi stepped out of the sedan and, seeing his parents and elder brother waiting respectfully at the entrance, moved forward a few steps and bowed.

“Father, Mother, my respects to you!”

“Supervisor, please come inside,” said Father Zhou, a twinge of pity in his heart when he saw Zhou Yi’s prematurely aged appearance.

After the Zhou family’s rise to fortune, Father Zhou, in a desire to cultivate a refined taste, had hired many scholars to teach reading and writing, far removed from his past as an uneducated farmer.

He knew that the Zhou family’s prosperity today was entirely founded on the sacrifices of Zhou Yi, who faced the Imperial Court’s conspiracies and schemes alone, bearing immense pressure, to the point of aging prematurely.

“My son, your mother has prepared a feast for you with her own hands,” said Mother Zhou, who had grown increasingly plump, her voice as loud and rough as it had always been, as if she feared others might not know that Zhou Yi was indeed her biological son.

Zhou Yi smiled and said, “Mother has gone to great lengths.”

Hearing the praise, Mother Zhou cast a triumphant glance at the dozen or so young women.

No matter how proud you are in your daily lives, using your beauty to seduce the master, now, in front of the Zhou family’s decision-maker, not one of you even has the qualification to speak, obediently attending by the side.

Zhou Yi observed every change in their expressions.

Father Zhou was lecherous, Mother Zhou gluttonous, and his elder brother was infatuated with his official position…

The remaining relatives within the five degrees of kinship of the Zhou family each had at least a petty official job arranged for them, suddenly transformed into recipients of imperial grain, no longer needing to toil in the fields.

According to investigations by the Inspectorate’s foreigners, each relative had their vices, none of them showing integrity.

It is rare for those who become rich overnight to maintain their original intentions!

Zhou Yi had initially thought of supporting his clan members, but seeing this state of affairs, he decided to simply treat them like pigs being fattened, putting on a show for the emperor, without an ounce of reluctance in the event of a true family annihilation.

While talking, they arrived at the main hall, where over twenty children knelt at the door, bowing their heads in salute.

All the children of suitable age in the Zhou family were brought before Zhou Yi for his inspection; if he truly took a fancy to one, the child’s parents could revel in wealth and honor.

Zhou Yi skimmed over them, his gaze landing on a six- or seven-year-old child.

The other children were anxious and uneasy, but this one had a calm demeanor, his actions orderly, not at all like someone raised in a humble home.

“Whose child is this?”

“Your Excellency, this is your own child.”

Father Zhou’s face lit up. Among the two dozen children, he picked out this one, which indeed showed the keenness of his own eyes: “He is Zhou Ping’an. He has been waiting for you to return so that he could kowtow and recognize his father.”

“Interesting, interesting!”

Zhou Yi said, “Come here and let our family take a look.”

Zhou Ping’an stepped forward upon hearing this and bowed deeply, saying, “Greetings to Your Excellency.”

Zhou Yi placed his hand on Zhou Ping’an’s shoulder and sent his True Qi into his body to inspect his sinews and meridians. They were indeed tougher than those of an ordinary person, and there was a strand of weak but pure True Qi within his Dantian.

“With such a physique, you must have been nurtured from the womb. Only families of nobility and sects possess such secret techniques. What is your background, boy?”

“Your Excellency,”

Zhou Ping’an said, “I am a descendant of the Tang family from Xuanfu, originally named Tang Yun. Now that the Tang family has been destroyed by barbarians, I was fortunate enough to escape with my life and ended up wandering to the Capital.”

Zhou Yi then asked, “Why did you come to the Zhou residence?”

By his side, Father Zhou, looking puzzled, said, “Your Excellency, it wasn’t him who wanted to come but rather I who took the initiative to take him in.”

Zhou Ping’an bowed deeply and said, “Please forgive me, Elder Master Zhou. I had heard of Your Excellency’s fearsome reputation and deliberately displayed my wit in your presence. My intention was to become a servant and seek your shelter.”

“I never expected to catch Elder Master Zhou’s eye and be adopted into Your Excellency’s household.”

“You little…”

Father Zhou’s eyes widened in disbelief. A man nearing fifty years old had been outwitted by a seven-year-old child, which would become the talk of the town if word got out.

“When our family was as big as you, we could only play with mud!”

Zhou Yi exclaimed in admiration. Offspring from great clans are cultivated from a young age, their bodies tempered and their meridians refined, while their minds are filled with literature and the classics.

Peasants could hardly compete with them.

It is usually only during times of great upheaval that a few individuals of humble origin can climb to the pinnacle from the heaps of dead bones!

“Come inside with me to talk.”

“Thank you, Your Excellency.”

Zhou Ping’an’s face showed a trace of joy; the fifty-year plan for revenge he had set might be achieved much earlier with the help of the powerful head of the Eastern Depot.

The main hall.

The table had already been set, and the principal seat was reserved for Zhou Yi.

“The National Dynasty governs the world with filial piety, and His Majesty leads by example, praying and reciting scriptures for the late emperor every day.”

Zhou Yi guided Father Zhou to the principal seat, saying, “Our family takes His Majesty as a role model, please take your seat, Father!”

No matter how indifferent he was to his family at heart, Zhou Yi’s surface actions were impeccable. Upon returning home, he put away the authority of the head of the Eastern Depot and became an obedient, filial son.

The Inspectorate’s spies were everywhere, whether they were the servants in the house or the guards at the gate, nothing could escape the Emperor’s eyes and ears.

Moreover, if the Zhou family continued to prosper, who could say that Zhou Yi’s decades of filial piety were anything but genuine?

“Ping’an, sit by our family’s side.”

Zhou Yi asked, “Our family entered the palace at the age of ten and it’s been twelve years now. We are in dire need of an heir to carry on the family incense. Would you be willing to join our family and send our family to the grave in the future?”

“Child pays respect to Father.”

Zhou Ping’an didn’t hesitate to kneel down, bowing three times and kowtowing nine times, then took the tea that the servant handed over and respectfully offered it to Zhou Yi.

“Hehehe!”

Zhou Yi drained the cup of tea in one gulp and asked, “My child, you hail from nobility, and our family is but a bumpkin. Do you feel wronged?”

Zhou Ping’an pondered for a moment before saying, “When the Tang family was annihilated, I still had my pride. However, the thousand-mile journey from Xuanfu to the Capital, through wind, frost, rain, and snow, as well as hunger and cold, has ground away my temperament!”

“Well said.”

Zhou Yi spoke with an insinuation, “Whether a rich man suddenly becomes poor, or a poor man suddenly becomes rich, both must alter their temperaments to succeed.”

Father Zhou certainly understood but had no intention of changing; he was planning to take in a new concubine in a few days.

The bride-price had been paid, how could it be taken back?

Mother Zhou had not stopped giggling since she saw Zhou Yi. She didn’t catch the nuances of the conversation but undoubtedly, she wholeheartedly adored her second son!

Only Zhou Xiong was restless, ever since taking up the post at the Inspectorate, he walked as if on air.

He now dared to take the silver he once feared to touch and dared to settle cases he previously wouldn’t have touched. Wearing the Inspectorate’s official robe and meeting any official three ranks higher, even the vice ministers of the six ministries had to give way to him.

Only Zhou Xiong was restless, ever since taking up the post at the Inspectorate, he walked as if on air.

He now dared to take the silver he once feared to touch and dared to settle cases he previously wouldn’t have touched. Wearing the Inspectorate’s official robe and meeting any official three ranks higher, even the vice ministers of the six ministries had to give way to him.