Chapter 45

Li Xian held the invitation, feeling as if it were scalding hot; he wanted to throw it away, but he couldn't bear to part with it.

Accepting the invitation meant accepting the invitation from the Crown Prince; throwing it away meant missing the chance to truly meet that "Qing girl."

Moreover, the invitation was stamped with the Empress's seal, making Li Xian even more conflicted—backing out wasn't that simple.

Li Xian had no choice but to seek advice from Mr. Xu Ren, a man of great strategy.

This time, even Xu Ren was at a loss, "Young Master, if it were me, I would immediately return to Anyang and say that there are matters in Anyang that need attention. The recent trade with the sea clan had some issues that need to be addressed.

But if Young Master still wants to meet that 'Qing girl,' then you must go. I don't have any better suggestions."

"Tsk..." Li Xian held the light invitation, feeling extremely conflicted.

Go? Going would mean aligning with the Crown Prince, losing his neutral position, and greatly affecting his future development.

Not go? Thinking of that heart-stirring figure, Li Xian couldn't let it go.

Go?

Not go?

...

That day, Li Xian spent the entire time in such a dilemma. During this time, Li Xian also tried to get some information from Zhao Fei, but the young Zhao Fei, surprisingly mature, didn't say a word.

"Damn it, if I have to go, I'll go. I won't back down," Li Xian muttered.

On the third day, the exposition finally concluded at noon. All the fabrics, lamps, glassware, and textile machines were sold out, and even the 20,000 prepared bearings were snatched up; the carriage and horse business bought the most.

In the afternoon, Li Xian returned home, the Li residence, made some preparations, and then followed his father to the palace. They really walked, and it wasn't a direct route; they circled around the inner city. Along the way, they naturally encountered many officials, who all greeted them with smiles.

Li Xian looked at those fake smiles and felt quite disdainful. As they walked, they met the Wang family, specifically the group led by Wang Chuan, the Minister of Rites.

Li Yulong pulled Li Xian and smiled warmly, "Xian, come, greet Uncle Wang."

What? Li Xian was momentarily taken aback—Dad, shouldn't we walk past with our noses in the air? Unfortunately, Li Xian couldn't argue with his father and could only force a smile, like a stone statue, "Uncle Wang, Happy New Year."

"Good, very good. Ha, Little Third has grown so much, becoming more and more outstanding." Compared to Li Xian's marble-like expression, Wang Chuan smiled like a Buddha, extremely warmly.

Seeing such a smile, Li Xian shivered inwardly; what made him even angrier was that this old man actually called him "Little Third" and "outstanding"? It sounded so grating!

You're the "Little Third," and your whole family is "Little Third."

After the two families passed each other, they encountered Chancellor Ouyang Wubing and Ouyang Qing.

While Li Xian was considering whether to greet them again, Li Yulong chuckled, "Chancellor, I heard that a few days ago, dozens of people from the Chancellor's residence were buying cheap fabrics at the exposition. I wonder if this is a rumor or..."

"It's true!" Ouyang Wubing said stubbornly, "I am not like some people who sell official positions, form cliques, and seek private gains. I heard that the Li residence is as luxurious as the palace."

"Where, where, they are just the leftovers from the emperor's selection." Li Yulong directly filled in Ouyang Wubing's small trap.

Ouyang Wubing ignored Li Yulong and turned to Li Xian, "Good boy, you actually made the new textile machinery public. The fabric from this textile machine is excellent; my new clothes are made from this new fabric.

Nephew, after the New Year, if you have time, come visit me."

After the Chancellor left, Li Xian was left confused.

"Ha, let's go. We'll talk about it when we get home." Li Yulong led the bewildered Li Xian around; gradually, Li Xian understood that Li Yulong was imparting experience—speak humanly to humans, speak ghostly to ghosts, smile at villains, and be serious with upright officials. Li Xian already understood without needing to go home.

Then, Li Yulong pointed out various officials to Li Xian: this one was uneducated, that one was devoted to cultivation, and another was idle...

Li Xian's only feeling was that almost no officials were capable; everyone was most concerned about their own pockets and cultivation. Many people entered officialdom to manage certain items in their jurisdiction.

In this immortal realm, cultivation techniques were widespread, but the treasures of heaven and earth were becoming scarce, almost extinct—not just one or two, but almost all of them! On the contrary, the number of people cultivating was increasing.

Thus, being an official had a significant advantage—if there were good things in the area, the officials would get them first. This is why so many people became officials. This was the advantage of the state, which could allocate land and attract talent.

However, it was important to note that in this immortal realm, there was no strict division between civil and military officials—perhaps a seemingly insignificant minor official was a Golden Core expert. Therefore, Li Yulong strictly instructed Li Xian: try not to offend anyone if possible.

Under Li Yulong's guidance, Li Xian spent half a day understanding the political landscape of the Great Xia Kingdom. His only evaluation was that it was already rotten to the core, beyond saving, and the next step was to ferment into alcohol, which could be ignited with a single spark.

Additionally, Li Yulong pointed out a few capable and patriotic individuals, instructing Li Xian to remember these few talents.

They finally arrived at the palace, where the lanterns were already lit, and the colorful lights made the palace look like a celestial palace.

As Li Xian walked, he became increasingly proud; the important lanterns were all from his family.

Inside the palace, it was already bustling with palace maids and guards moving back and forth, and the servants were busy—using magic to move.

Occasionally, he could see a few familiar guards busy arranging seats. Li Xian couldn't help but sigh—why couldn't he see any eunuchs? Indeed, in this immortal realm, there seemed to be no such thing as eunuchs.

After walking a short distance, he saw the brightly lit hall; this was where the court was held, but today it was the place for the emperor and officials to celebrate. In the hall, the most prominent was the golden crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling; it was much larger than the one at the exposition and was resplendent. When Li Xian arrived, he could still hear people discussing it—how magnificent it was.

Li Xian naturally heard many people discussing him, the textile machine, and the exposition; of course, opinions were mixed, and many still called it "perverse and cunning techniques," and despised it. Their reasons were clear—having such talent and not cultivating, but doing these miscellaneous things, was a waste of talent.

After listening for a while, Li Xian understood the general view of "industry" among cultivators and left with a mocking smile.

Li Xian needed to report to the emperor before going to the Empress. The Empress's banquet was in the inner palace, which could not be entered casually; although the cultivation world was not as inhumane as the feudal dynasties on Earth, some things still needed to be observed.

The emperor was pleased with Li Xian's understanding and had a palace maid lead the way.

(Readers, if you like it, don't forget to recommend it.)

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