"The Treasure dicine, consider it a gift of thanks to Marquis Zhang from !"
"That won’t do, if you don’t take the Treasure dicine, how can I ask you for wine next ti!" Marquis Zhang refused without even thinking.
To give the Treasure dicine is to make a trade, to not would be to demand it.
Marquis Zhang, too, had his pride, he could bring himself to ask Yang Zhenshan once, but what about after?
"Then I will give Marquis Zhang two more jars of Peach Blossom Brew!" Yang Zhenshan was also speechless.
He had never thought about selling wine, but now it seed he had no choice but to sell.
In fact, the effects of Hundred Herbs Brew and Peach Blossom Brew were the sa, all his wines were made with Spiritual Spring Water, so their effects all ca from the Spiritual Spring Water.
It’s just that Hundred Herbs Brew had a stronger taste of wine, more favored by the real wine enthusiasts.
"Haha, then I shall not refuse your offer!" Marquis Zhang laughed.
As the two were speaking, Chen Zhongshu walked out from the Taiji Palace.
"Marquises, please co inside!" Chen Zhongshu was still wearing that smile.
"Thank you, Chen!"
Both of them gave Chen Zhongshu a fist-and-palm salute, then entered the Taiji Palace through a side door, and turned into the Imperial Study Room.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
The two n saluted, and Emperor Yanping sat behind the desk, his expression sowhat solemn.
"Rise."
"Have you heard about the Star Origin Fruit Tree?"
Marquis Zhang and Yang Zhenshan exchanged a glance, and Marquis Zhang spoke up: "This humble servant has heard of it, but surely it must be false!"
Such rumors had circulated in the worldly society before, but this ti it seed to have spread more widely, yet Marquis Zhang did not take it seriously.
"No, it is true!" Emperor Yanping said in a grave voice.
"Really!" Marquis Zhang exclaid in surprise.
"Indeed, the Secret Martial Guards have found the Star Origin Fruit Tree in Cui Xia Valley!" declared Emperor Yanping.
Yang Zhenshan’s heart skipped a beat; the Star Origin Fruit Tree had already been found!
What would the court do if it found the Star Origin Fruit Tree?
The example was right before their eyes; the court would surely enclose it just like the Three Yellow Plums, not allowing anyone to touch it.
It was not hard to understand why the court would act this way; a Spirit Plant was like a gold mine, capable of providing the court with a continuous supply of Spirit Fruits, allowing them to cultivate Innate Martial Artists without cease.
So as soon as a Spirit Plant appeared, the court would surely take control of it, gaining ownership and distribution rights over the Spirit Fruits.
"That newly-grown Star Origin Fruit Tree has borne fruit for the first ti this year, yielding three hundred and eighty-three Star Origin Fruits, expected to mature in another month!" Emperor Yanping declared.
The faces of Yang Zhenshan and Marquis Zhang imdiately turned serious.
Emperor Yanping continued, "Just now, I ordered soone to find the Elixir Recipe for the True Essence Pill in the Imperial Hospital. The Imperial Physician Sun Wanzhen said that with the Star Origin Fruit, he could assure the production of the True Essence Pill!"
This news hit Yang Zhenshan and Marquis Zhang like a bomb.
What did this an?
It ant that as long as the court could control the Star Origin Fruit Tree, Da Rong could have a non-stop supply of True Essence Pills.
If only Star Origin Fruit was involved, it wouldn’t an much to Innate Martial Artists, for whom the pursuit lies in reaching higher realms and higher cultivation.
True Essence Pill was exactly what Innate Martial Artists needed, even more important than Three Yellow Plums.
A single True Essence Pill could increase an Innate Martial Artist’s accumulation of True Qi by three years, while a Three Yellow Plum could at most add three months’ worth of True Qi.
Of course, the main effect of the Three Yellow Plum wasn’t to enhance the accumulation of True Qi for Innate Martial Artists but to calm the mind, condense the qi, and clear the ridians. Its main effect was to allow Postnatal Martial Artists to condense Innate True Qi, helping Half-step Innate practitioners advance to the Innate Realm.
For the court, Three Yellow Plums were as important as True Essence Pills, but for Innate Martial Artists, the value of the True Essence Pill far surpassed that of Three Yellow Plums.
"Your Majesty, the Star Origin Fruit Tree must be under the control of the court!" Marquis Zhang stated forthrightly.
Yang Zhenshan was also very excited; as long as the court could control the Star Origin Fruit Tree, he too would be able to obtain one or two True Essence Pills.
He might even cultivate the Star Origin Fruit Tree within his own Spiritual Spring Space, and if he could obtain the Elixir Recipe for the True Essence Pill and once the Star Origin Fruit Tree in the Spiritual Spring Space matured, he could even refine True Essence Pills himself.
Thinking this, Yang Zhenshan couldn’t help but get excited.
Emperor Yanping nodded slightly, "You’re right, but the matter of the Star Origin Fruit Tree has already been leaked. Probably many have their eyes on the existence of the Star Origin Fruit!"
The existence of Three Yellow Plums was no secret, but no one dared to go to Sanshan Valley to rob the Three Yellow Plums.
But the Star Origin Fruit is different; it grows deep within Wanshan Ridge, where there is no army to guard it, nor do many Innate Martial Artists station themselves.
The most crucial point is that the Star Origin Fruit will ripen in one month’s ti.
True Essence Pills are already enough to prompt Innate Martial Artists into action, and once the Star Origin Fruit ripens, it will undoubtedly attract a large number of Innate Martial Artists.
Thinking of this, Yang Zhenshan’s eyes slightly flickered.
A few questions arose in his mind.
Why has the Star Origin Fruit Tree been exposed to all?
It’s been said before that if soone discovers a Spirit Plant, the most likely response is to guard the place and wait for the Spirit Fruit to mature.
Yet now, the existence of the Star Origin Fruit Tree is widespread knowledge in the worldly society, even its exact location is known to all.
There’s only one possibility then—it must be soone’s deliberate doing to spread the news of the Star Origin Fruit Tree.
Who possesses such boldness to forsake a Star Origin Fruit Tree?
And what could the purpose of this person, or this force, be?
Yang Zhenshan’s mind raced as his gaze landed on Zhang Luan.
What’s the purpose?
If many Innate Martial Artists were to clash over the Star Origin Fruit, the one to bear the brunt would undoubtedly be the newly established Martial Arts Temple!
If the Innate Martial Artists from the Eight Great Sects also intervened, the Martial Arts Temple’s selection of the Eight Great Sects would beco a joke.
If even the Eight Great Sects would stand against the court, then how could the various forces in the worldly society obediently comply with the commands of the Martial Arts Temple?
By then, the Martial Order would beco worthless paper, and the Sect ranking evaluation would degenerate into a farce.
Thinking this, Yang Zhenshan’s expression grew extrely grim.
The Martial Order is a policy established by the court, and he had contributed many suggestions for it. If the Martial Order were to fail, the ultimate loss would be to the Imperial authority.
Naturally, he did not wish for the Martial Order to fail.
"Your Majesty, your servant believes this matter must be handled with great caution!" Yang Zhenshan spoke up.
"Oh? Does Marquis Jing’an have any other thoughts?" Emperor Yanping looked at Yang Zhenshan in surprise.
Yang Zhenshan voiced the possibilities he had just pondered.
Although these were re conjectures, they couldn’t be disregarded.
As he narrated, the expressions on both Emperor Yanping and Zhang Luan’s faces grew increasingly grave and stern.
Just now, their thoughts were only on how to control the Star Origin Fruit Tree, yet they overlooked the reasons why the tree had been exposed to the public eye in the first place.
After Yang Zhenshan finished speaking, both of them fell into deep thought.
What Yang Zhenshan said might not all be correct, but there’s no mistake in the concerns he raised.
Regardless of whether there’s soone behind this situation, if the Cui Xia Valley becos a battleground for Innate Martial Artists, it’s bound to impact the Imperial authority and disrupt the implentation of the Martial Order.
After a mont of silence, Emperor Yanping asked, "Does Marquis Jing’an have a strategy in mind?"
Yang Zhenshan pondered for a mont, "Your servant does have so ideas, although they may not be comprehensive!"
Ti was short, and he had not yet had the chance to fully consider the issue, but since Emperor Yanping had asked, he went ahead and put forward the strategies he had conceived.
"Your servant believes that the court could take advantage of the situation to bring all the Innate Martial Artists under the court’s control!"
"What do you an?" Emperor Yanping was a bit puzzled.
The corners of Yang Zhenshan’s mouth slightly lifted, his train of thought becoming clearer, "Provide all Innate Martial Artists with a salary, one Three Yellow Plum every year, one True Essence Pill every year!"
As the saying goes, he who takes the king’s money is loyal to the king, and he who eats the king’s food does not easily rebel against the king.
If you take the court’s salary and then rebel against it, it would be both dishonorable and disagreeable.
Why is it that the court now fears the rebellion of these Innate Martial Artists? Because the court has not granted them any benefits.
Although the Inborn Martial Artists within Da Rong are registered with the court, in reality, they have not received many benefits from it.
In layman’s terms, it’s an uneven distribution of spoils.
Take the Three Yellow Plums, for example; the Innate Martial Artists from Sanshan Valley get three every year, the nobilities’ Innate Martial Artists can get one every year, and the rest go straight into the Emperor’s treasury, to be bestowed by the Emperor on ritorious subjects.
For the Jianghu Martial Artists, not even a chance to sll the Plum is there, so naturally, they would harbor dissatisfaction towards the court.
Of course, this was inevitable before since with just one Three Yellow Plum Tree yielding only about fifty fruits a year, it was not possible to cater to every Innate Martial Artist.
But now things are different, the court has gained an additional Star Origin Fruit Tree, which can easily cater to every Innate Martial Artist.
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