When Gao Yiye heard the plan, her tiny face flushed a deep, unmistakable crimson.
Her eyes darted around the room, unable to settle on anything.
"Ah? Dao Xuan Tianzun's First Wife? This... this... I... how could a humble girl like me possess such virtue or merit?"
San Shier groaned, waving his hands frantically as if trying to swat away her embarrassment.
"Why are you blushing? Can you please focus on the mission here? I am asking you to play the role of 'Mrs. Li,' not literally the wife of the God in the Sky. The 'Master Li' of this estate is going to be a completely fictional character, a phantom I have cooked up to appease the bureaucracy. He does not actually exist."
Gao Yiye bit her lip, her voice barely a whisper.
"But... he is still an incarnation of Dao Xuan Tianzun, is he not?"
San Shier: "..."
He opened his mouth to retort, but quickly shut it. He did not dare roast her for that logic. Technically, she was not wrong, and he was not about to argue theology with a Saintess.
He just let out a helpless, dry laugh.
"Look, Miss Yiye, just do more watching and less talking. Leave the talking and the grandstanding to me. If Dao Xuan Tianzun has any specific instructions, you just whisper them to me, and I will adapt on the fly."
Gao Yiye hesitated, her heart hammering against her ribs.
She felt like a fraud. Without the Old Man's explicit permission, was this not... a bit shameless?
Her face, which had just started to cool, turned a vivid shade of scarlet once more.
Right then, a gentle, booming voice drifted down from the heavens, sounding remarkably amused.
"It sounds quite entertaining. Go ahead and give it a try."
"Ah!"
Gao Yiye jerked her head upward.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun! This... this sort of thing... You... You truly permit it?"
Li Dao Xuan's voice floated down like a warm breeze.
"I permit it."
Gao Yiye's face turned so red it looked like it might actually start dripping blood.
She bowed her head so low it almost touched her knees.
"This humble girl... obeys... Your command..."
Up in the real world, Li Dao Xuan promptly shut the lid of the Great Box so Gao Yiye could not see him grinning like a madman.
He was practically vibrating with laughter.
"The little girl is actually shy. This is great. This is way too much fun."
San Shier, hearing the divine approval, felt his spirits soar.
Ever since Cheng Xu had snooped around asking about the origins of Gao Village Family, he had been losing sleep over this problem. A fortress this size, with nine-meter walls taller than those of many county seats, was a giant neon sign for the government.
You could not just ignore the officials.
He had to explain where this place came from, and he had to do it with style.
Simply ignoring them? Or having the Giant in the Sky flatten anyone who came knocking?
Absolutely not.
That was the path of a demon, not a god. Dao Xuan Tianzun would never allow such mindless slaughter.
San Shier had spent a lot of time recently crafting a narrative, a backstory so ironclad it could withstand the scrutiny of a scholar.
Now was the moment to see if his script would hold up under fire.
He immediately hurried Gao Yiye along, making her change into the finest silks gifted to her by the Third Wife. He oversaw her makeup personally, ensuring she looked like the most dignified, high-status noblewoman in the province.
And honestly, as long as she kept her mouth shut and maintained that poised, ethereal expression, she really did look the part of a Great Lady.
Liang Shixian and his entourage arrived at the gates of the Gao Village Family stronghold in short order.
The ten bailiffs and thirty helpers were all new recruits. They had not yet been corrupted by the usual arrogance and brutality of the yamen. They were remarkably well-behaved, trailing behind the Magistrate with a sense of disciplined curiosity.
Liang Shixian, however, could not stop staring.
His eyes scanned the villagers who were walking about. Not one of them looked sallow or emaciated. Every single person he saw looked healthy, energetic, and, was he imagining things, several of them actually looked a bit plump.
What kind of sorcery was this?
I was just writing a tear-jerking memorial to the Emperor about how the people of Cheng County are literally eating each other.
And yet, in this village, I find people with actual body fat?
The secretary leaned in, whispering into his ear.
"Excellency... this village is extraordinarily wealthy."
Liang Shixian nodded slowly.
That was actually a good thing.
It gave him more confidence that they could find the help they needed here.
Just as he spoke, the massive gates of the stronghold groaned open.
San Shier stepped out, dressed in a sharp, elegant long robe. He wore a practiced, slightly arrogant smile that projected absolute confidence.
"The Magistrate graces us with his presence. Our humble home is truly honored by your light."
Since Liang Shixian was in full official regalia, it was not surprising he was recognized instantly.
He offered a polite cup-fist salute.
"And you are?"
San Shier beamed.
"This is Gao Village Family, and this great estate belongs to Master Li. I am the Chief Steward of the Li household. My name is San Shier."
Having only been in office a few days, Liang Shixian was not yet familiar with every gentry family in the district.
He did not doubt the steward's words, but he could not help but look up at the three-zhang-high walls.
He lowered his voice, impressed.
"This Master Li of yours... his foundations are quite deep."
San Shier let out a subtle, prideful chuckle.
"Of course. My Master Li is no ordinary man. Heh heh. The Li family has been established on this very soil for over a thousand years..."
Liang Shixian had already assumed the owner had a powerful background, but "a thousand years" hit him like a physical blow.
A thousand years?
If you traced that back, that was the Tang Dynasty.
A great clan that rose to power in the Tang. Surname Li. Located here in Shaanxi.
He connected the dots in his head, and a cold shiver ran down his spine.
Good heavens. What kind of sacred being is this?
Could they be descendants of the Tang Imperial Bloodline?
San Shier bowed slightly.
"Excellency, my master is currently away, traveling the lands in search of the Dao. Since he is not at home, I, the lowly steward, must welcome you. Please forgive any lack of proper hospitality."
Liang Shixian, thoroughly intimidated by the "Imperial" implication, was more than willing to forgive him.
However, he was not about to leave empty-handed.
"Is there anyone else in the manor who can make decisions?"
"The First Wife remains in the manor," San Shier replied smoothly. "She did not accompany the Master on his spiritual travels."
Liang Shixian thought for a moment.
Perfect.
Negotiating for disaster relief funds with the Lady of the house was a perfectly viable path.
"Then I must trouble Steward San to introduce us."
"Excellency, please follow me."
San Shier led the way, and the entourage filed into the fortress.
They walked the same path that Zheng Yanfu and Zhong Guangdao had taken during their ill-fated raid, a narrow, defensible corridor flanked by smooth, high walls.
Because of the recent rain, the air was cool and crisp, giving the stronghold a chilly, formidable atmosphere.
Walking through such a corridor felt strangely oppressive.
While Liang Shixian maintained his composure, the bailiffs and helpers behind him were terrified. They did not even dare to breathe too loudly, walking through this wealthy estate as if they were stepping on eggshells, afraid that one wrong word would get them executed on the spot.
After winding through several halls and courtyards, they arrived at the base of the watchtower.
Gao Yiye resided on the third floor.
The second floor was packed with various supplies, and the ground floor served as the ancestral hall.
In a normal gentry house, this would be filled with tablets for venerable ancestors, but since this was not actually a hereditary estate, they did not have any ancestors to worship.
San Shier had solved this by having the sculptors create a grand statue of Dao Xuan Tianzun to place in the center of the hall.
When the group entered, they saw the statue of Li Dao Xuan sitting in state.
A couplet was inscribed on either side.
The left read: "A thousand years of incense, the universe endures."
The right read: "Ten thousand generations of sacred smoke, the sun and moon shine long."
In the center was a plaque:
"The Divine Seat of Our Ancestral Master, Dao Xuan Tianzun."
Liang Shixian's eyes sharpened.
This was clearly an ancestral hall, but instead of a family lineage, they were worshipping a single divine entity.
A House God.
The name of this god was Dao Xuan, and the surname was Li.
Put them together.
Li Dao Xuan.
He needed to think.
Fast.
Liang Shixian activated his mental library again. Every history book he had ever memorized began to flip through his mind like a frantic slideshow.
Then, ding.
His thoughts froze on a specific entry.
Li Daoxuan. Member of the Tang Imperial Family. One of the Eight Pillar States of Western Wei and Northern Zhou. Cousin to Tang Gaozu, Li Yuan.
Liang Shixian felt his heart skip a beat.
Holy mother of... that is one hell of a pedigree.
San Shier saw the look of utter shock on the Magistrate's face and suppressed a smirk.
He knew the bait had been swallowed.
"Excellency, please follow me upstairs. The First Wife is waiting on the third floor."