The moment Wu Shen received the imperial appointment decree, he almost thought his eyes were deceiving him.
He rubbed them hard, then read it again.
It was real.
He had been appointed Governor of Shanxi.
From an Imperial Censor to a provincial governor—this leap was so large it felt unreal.
A wave of guilt immediately welled up in his chest.
The Emperor must have read his memorial. That memorial had led directly to Dai Jun'en's dismissal—and to his own promotion.
In other words, he had personally pushed Dai Jun'en off the cliff.
Lord Dai was already sixty-five this year. Being dismissed at such an age was no light blow. Whether that old man could withstand it… Wu Shen truly didn't know.
After the guilt came fear.
Deep, heavy fear.
Shanxi was no ordinary province. It was the very heartland of the Central Plains.
To the north, the Jianzhou tribes pressed relentlessly.
To the south, roving bandits ran wild.
Inside the province, local brigands infested every corner.
It was a place where chaos piled on chaos.
And he?
He was going there practically empty-handed. Barely any personal guards. Barely any trusted subordinates.
Could he really govern Shanxi better than Dai Jun'en?
…Probably not.
Turning the matter over and over in his mind, Wu Shen came to an honest conclusion:
His abilities alone were insufficient.
At that moment—
Snap.
It was as if a light ignited in his mind.
He remembered someone.
Steward Li.
No—more precisely, Dao Xuan Tianzun himself.
If Dao Xuan Tianzun was willing to help him, then governing Shanxi would no longer be an impossible task.
He made up his mind.
Begging a man was humiliating.
But begging a god?
That was called wisdom.
Wu Shen went straight to the Xi'an Fertilizer Merchant House and knocked.
The door creaked open.
Wang Tang stepped out, smiling calmly.
"Steward Li said you would come. He's been waiting for quite some time."
Wu Shen was instantly delighted.
If those words had been said, it meant there was already a solution waiting for him.
He quickly straightened his official robes, adjusted his hat respectfully, and entered the inner hall.
Li Daoxuan sat at a table.
Beside him hung a birdcage.
Inside, a black mynah tilted its head, staring at Wu Shen with unsettling intelligence.
Wu Shen bowed to Li Daoxuan, then turned his head and said solemnly to the bird:
"Make money."
The mynah immediately squawked,
"What's the point of making money? It won't get hard anyway!"
Wu Shen smiled knowingly.
"I'm not like Zhu Cunji. I know exactly which phrases trigger your instant comebacks. You won't be able to roast me."
The mynah froze.
After a moment, it seemed to sigh internally.
"…Alright. I've met my match."
Only then did Wu Shen sit opposite Li Daoxuan. He sighed softly.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun—cough—Steward Li, I presume you already know I've been appointed Governor of Shanxi."
Li Daoxuan smiled faintly.
"Congratulations, Lord Wu. Now you can finally realize your political ambitions. Take a hundred thousand taels of silver to Shanxi, relieve the people, and your name will surely be remembered for generations."
Wu Shen gave a helpless, bitter smile.
"Steward Li, you jest again. No one understands my situation better than you. When you once manifested as Living Buddha Ji Gong, the words you taught me are still vivid in my heart. A hundred thousand taels sounds like much, but spread across the common people, it becomes pitifully little. Economics is a deep and complex matter, and my knowledge is shallow. I truly lack ability in this area. I humbly ask Steward Li for guidance."
Li Daoxuan replied calmly,
"I can help you. But first, I must hear your plan."
Wu Shen's spirit lifted.
This was a test.
A test no less serious than the imperial examinations of old.
He steadied himself and answered earnestly:
"Shanxi currently faces many hardships. I have four proposals: troops, generals, provisions, and personnel."
"First—troops," Wu Shen said.
"The garrison troops in Shanxi are weak and ineffective. I plan to follow the example of the Gao Family Village militia and vigorously organize local militias throughout Shanxi to compensate for the shortcomings of the regular forces. Funds will be used to repair northern border cities, while militias will be stationed along the Yellow River to prevent bandits from Henan crossing over."
Li Daoxuan nodded.
"Hmm. Feasible."
"Second—generals," Wu Shen continued.
"The former military officials in Shanxi murdered innocents to claim merit, embezzled military funds, accepted bribes, and trafficked weapons. They are utterly unusable. In my view, only three generals are truly worth relying on: Xing Honglang of Hedong, Lao Nanfeng of Puzhou, and Wang Xiaohua of Pingyang. If these three are empowered, the bandit problem in Shanxi can be resolved."
Li Daoxuan smiled.
"Hmm. Very feasible."
"Third—provisions…" Wu Shen coughed awkwardly.
"Well… cough…"
Li Daoxuan already understood.
This was a problem no one in the Great Ming could solve.
Wu Shen's cough, and his embarrassed glance, were simply asking for help.
Li Daoxuan smiled.
"All the factories you've seen in Xi'an, and all the systems used in Gao Family Village—move them to Shanxi. Let industry flourish across the province. Would that not solve the problem of provisions?"
Wu Shen nodded deeply.
"I know well that this cannot be accomplished with my abilities alone."
Li Daoxuan replied casually,
"Very well. I'll fund the construction of factories."
Wu Shen was ecstatic.
"Finally—personnel," Wu Shen sighed deeply.
"Shanxi is dangerous and chaotic. Court officials are unwilling to accept posts there. Therefore, we must rely heavily on capable individuals from the common people. The court previously implemented a recommendation system for talented civilians. Chen Yuanbo of Wenshui County was recommended this way. Later, I learned he was cultivated by the Gao Family Village School. Only Gao Family Village produces such people… Even my good friend Shi Kefa has gone there to study."
Li Daoxuan smiled.
"What, still asking me for people?"
Wu Shen immediately bowed.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun—cough—Steward Li, please see this through to the end. Extend your benevolence once more. Lend me some of your talented people."
Li Daoxuan squinted at him.
"Aren't you afraid that if Shanxi's politics, economy, and military are all filled with my people, then if I chose to rebel, you'd be sidelined completely?"
Wu Shen laughed bitterly.
"You jest again. How could your people sideline me? I, too, am a devout follower of Dao Xuan Tianzun. Besides… rebellion is a matter of mortals. You are… cough… would you even concern yourself with such things? How could any earthly emperor compare to the celestial realms?"
Indeed.
The idea of a deity rebelling was beyond mortal imagination.
If someone told Emperor Chongzhen that the Grand Pure One had raised an army to overthrow him, he would first slap the messenger, then order their immediate execution.
As for the White Lotus Society's so-called Unborn Venerable Mother?
That deity didn't even exist—nothing more than a fabricated evil god invented by schemers.
How could that compare to a true immortal?
This was precisely Wu Shen's logic.
Li Daoxuan waved his hand.
"Very well. Governing a province involves endless affairs. I'll have Gao Family Village's chief strategist, San Shier, personally accompany you to Shanxi for a time. With him there, all Gao Family Village resources will be open to you."
Wu Shen was overjoyed.
"Chief Steward San himself is coming with me? This… this is truly wonderful!"