In fact, the current situation, including the situation in Japan, is no longer something that Xu Zhengyang can control.
Instead, it was several powerful nations, including China, that were forcefully suppressing the deterioration of the situation there.
Key figures from various political parties within Japan have also realized this.
Fortunately, Xu Zhengyang stopped, otherwise things would have really gotten completely out of control.
Then he, the only god in the three realms now, will become a sinner in the eyes of the people of the whole world.
After a moment of silence in the meeting room, the top leader finally smiled and said, "The situation is no longer deteriorating, that's good, very good..."
It's really good.
It resolved all the threats from a hostile neighbor that the country had faced for over a decade in one fell swoop.
At the same time, wasn't it also a chance for the entire nation, the entire country, and all the people to vent their anger?
If Xu Zhengyang occasionally sends his subordinates to cause trouble in Japan, then from now on, there will be no need to worry about any threats from there.
Soft whispers arose again in the room.
"So..." Xu Zhengyang shook his head and sighed with a touch of emotion, "It's alright, just don't mess with me."
The meeting room fell silent once again.
—In the eighth year of the Shenli era, Xu Zhengyang went to the Zhouhuang Temple and sat quietly for several days, deeply reflecting on himself.
Volume Six, Chapter 351: Seclusion and Negotiation
After returning from the capital, Xu Zhengyang greeted his family and the officials of the prefectural capital, gave them some brief instructions, and then went to the courtyard house between Xiaowang Mountain and Qinghe River in the western suburbs of Fuhe City.
They euphemistically called it "seclusion."
No one dared to disturb him, and no one raised any objections.
As for how long he would be gone from this seclusion, Xu Zhengyang himself did not say, and it was not appropriate for others to ask further.
Ghost messenger Wang Yonggan led more than twenty ghost messengers, guarding the courtyard day and night, but none dared to enter the room where Xu Zhengyang was in seclusion. In addition to these unknown beings, there were also more than a dozen guards specially dispatched by Li Chengzong upon request from his superiors.
Li Chengzong and Zhu Jun also personally stayed in the courtyard house, and did not allow guards to enter or leave Xu Zhengyang's room at will.
Originally, Li Bingjie was determined to move to the courtyard house to stay with her husband, so she could bathe him and feed him. She still remembered that when Xu Zhengyang went to Heaven for two and a half years, Chen Chaojiang took care of him. Li Bingjie believed that he still needed someone to take care of him, but now that Xu Xiaotian was by her side, she found it difficult to leave, and she couldn't bring the little one to live with her husband in seclusion.
Heaven knows what Xu Xiaotian might do, and Li Bingjie can't stay by his side all the time.
Even though Li Bingjie now possesses the status of a deity, she is merely an outsider. She cannot be considered a true deity at all, so how could she possibly be like Xu Zhengyang, who doesn't need to sleep?
If the child disturbs Xu Zhengyang, it's no joke.
Left with no other choice, Li Bingjie could only bring her child here during the day and leave with the child at night.
Moreover, she would never raise the child alone, because she was afraid she wouldn't be able to manage the child and would feel a lot of pressure.
The first month of the lunar calendar has just ended, and there is no sign of the weather warming up.
The courtyard was thoroughly cleaned on the first day Xu Zhengyang moved in. The grayish-blue stone slabs, the cold platform, the somber roof tiles and eaves, the bare pomegranate trees... The courtyard was quiet. If it weren't for the guards standing at the gate and the billowing smoke from the heating boiler in the backyard, no one would have thought that anyone lived there.
Outside the courtyard, the path leading to the highway is covered with withered grass, and the Qinghe River flows slowly in the distance; behind it, the trees on Xiaowang Mountain are bare, dressed in gray-yellow clothes, like an old man.
Xu Zhengyang has been in seclusion for a week.
No one has fed him or washed him yet.
As Xu Zhengyang had instructed, there was no need to disturb his physical body for the next ten days to half a month.
Just past noon, a white Audi A4 slowly pulled into the courtyard. Li Bingjie led her child out of the car and went directly into the south-facing room in the east wing. After exchanging a few words with Li Chengzong and Qingling, she told them to leave first. Only after Li Chengzong and Qingling left could Li Bingjie and her son chat and laugh freely with Ouyang Ying without too many worries.
Ever since Xu Zhengyang went into seclusion, Li Bingjie has found it increasingly difficult to manage raising this strange son on her own.
Actually, Xu Zhengyang hadn't helped her take care of the children much before, and whenever Xu Zhengyang looked after the children, he would either scold them or beat them... But back then, no matter how naughty or difficult the children were to take care of, Li Bingjie always felt that she had a pillar of support, so she didn't feel that it was too tiring or difficult.
In fact, Xu Xiaotian has no shortage of people looking after him; Yuan Suqin would love to hold her grandson in her arms all the time.
The problem is that this kid can travel with his spirit, so Li Bingjie will have to keep a closer eye on him.
Left with no other choice, Li Bingjie had to discuss the matter with Xu Rouyue and Ouyang Ying, asking Ouyang Ying to temporarily stop helping Xu Rouyue with company matters and instead help her take care of the child.
Ouyang Ying certainly wouldn't object. Firstly, she liked the child, and secondly, she and Li Bingjie did indeed have some little-known secrets.
Currently, no one knows why Xu Zhengyang suddenly went into seclusion.
While they were chatting, Wang Yonggan suddenly reported from outside: "Madam, Inspector Chen Chaojiang has arrived."
"Oh," Li Bingjie hummed softly.
Wang Yonggan then said nothing more.
Li Bingjie got up, walked to the door, opened it, and then said to the guards outside, "Chen Chaojiang is here. Just let him in."
"Yes," the guard replied.
Li Bingjie wondered if Ye Wan was about to give birth.
Judging by the timeline, it should be within the next few days. If there were any developments, they should have called me already.
Why is Chen Chaojiang not with Ye Wan at this time, but has come all this way here?
A moment later, there was a knock on the door.
Li Bingjie said, "Come in."
Chen Chaojiang walked in with a cold expression. He bowed slightly when he saw Li Bingjie and said, "Hello, sister-in-law."
"Chaojiang, please sit down, it's cold outside." Li Bingjie smiled and invited Chen Chaojiang to sit down.
Xu Xiaotian, who was laughing and joking with Ouyang Ying, turned around and ran to Chen Chaojiang, calling out in a childish voice, "Uncle Chaojiang, Uncle Chaojiang, hug me..."
A kind smile appeared on Chen Chaojiang's pale face. He picked up Xu Xiaotian and tossed him around a couple of times, then held him on his arm and said, "Good lad, you've gotten fatter again."
"When is my little thing coming out?" Xu Xiaotian asked, pinching Chen Chaojiang's chin.
"Soon, soon, hehe," Chen Chaojiang laughed.
"Xiaotian, come down quickly and let your uncle sit down." Li Bingjie smiled and scolded her son a couple of times, then asked, "Chaojiang, Xiaowan is due to give birth in the next few days, and you're not by her side. These things... can happen in an instant, so you can't be careless."
Chen Chaojiang nodded with an awkward smile, picked up Xu Xiaotian, and sat down on the sofa next to him, saying, "Zhengyang hasn't... hasn't come out, right?"
"Hmm." Li Bingjie nodded, then asked疑惑地问道, "Is something wrong?"
"Oh, no, nothing..."
Li Bingjie laughed and scolded, "Just tell me what's wrong. Why are you stammering like that? What's wrong?"
"Actually, it's really nothing serious." Chen Chaojiang looked embarrassed and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Sister-in-law, yes, it's like this... As you know, I have a position in Zhengyang Prefecture, and I have a lot of work to do every day."
"Yes, I know." Li Bingjie nodded. "Are you having problems at work?" Li Bingjie thought to herself, "I can't help you with that."
Chen Chaojiang shook his head and said, "Sister-in-law, wait. After Zhengyang comes out, I will apologize to him, and you can say a few words for me... I was thinking, isn't Xiaowan about to give birth? I wanted to ask for leave so I could spend a few more days with her after she gives birth. But right now, Zhengyang is in seclusion, and I don't want to disturb him. And if I ask someone else for leave, no one can make that decision."
"Is that all?" Li Bingjie laughed. She said, "Look how troubled you are. You know what kind of person Zhengyang is. Do you really need to ask him for leave? Alright, alright, Grandpa and Su Peng are still handling things at the manor. It's not like we're particularly busy."
"That's true, but without rules, nothing can be accomplished..." Chen Chaojiang said, somewhat stubbornly.
"Alright, alright, go and be with Xiao Wan. Remember to call me when she's about to give birth." Li Bingjie's tone was slightly reproachful with a smile, but at the same time, she was happy for her husband to have such a good brother and a good subordinate.
Chen Chaojiang nodded with an embarrassed smile and said, "Alright, I'll go first. Thank you, sister-in-law."
"Don't be so polite, go on ahead." Li Bingjie waved with a smile, and said to her son, "Xiaotian, come down quickly, don't let your uncle carry you."
Xu Xiaotian tilted his head, showing no intention of getting down. Instead, he cupped Chen Chaojiang's face in his hands and asked, "Uncle Chaojiang, why are you so afraid of my dad?"
Chen Chaojiang chuckled.
"Xiaotian, stop talking nonsense and come here," Li Bingjie quickly scolded.
Unfortunately, this boy feared no one except Xu Zhengyang. At this moment, he looked righteous and said, "Uncle Chaojiang, how about I do your job for you? When my dad comes back, let's not tell him that you haven't lost your job, right?"
Li Bingjie and Chen Chaojiang were both at a loss for words, neither laughing nor crying.
Li Bingjie quickly stepped forward and pulled Xu Xiaotian away from Chen Chaojiang's arms, scolded him twice, and urged Chen Chaojiang to go back and be with Ye Wan.
Chen Chaojiang said nothing more, teased Xu Xiaotian a couple of times, and then got up and left.
Watching Chen Chaojiang's departing figure, Li Bingjie shook her head with a wry smile.
"Sister-in-law, aren't you afraid that when Brother Zhengyang comes back..." Ouyang Ying joked with a grin, "you're going to be suspected of interfering in politics with the harem."
"Go away, you brat," Li Bingjie scolded playfully.
“That’s true, hehe.” Ouyang Ying said cheerfully.
Li Bingjie smiled and said, "Although Zhengyang isn't here, I know his personality. Even if he were here, he would probably have already made Chen Chaojiang put down all his work and focus on spending time with Xiaowan."
“I think so too.” Ouyang Ying nodded, then pouted and said, “But Zheng Yang is like that now. I guess no one is afraid of him except you, sister-in-law. Sigh.”
Xu Xiaotian interjected, "Why is everyone afraid of him? I'm not afraid!"
"Go away, what do you know, you little kid?" Ouyang Ying teased with a grin.
"Hmph!" Xu Xiaotian pouted in dissatisfaction, looking disdainful. But in his heart, he was thinking, "So it's not just me who's afraid of Dad. They're all afraid of him... Sigh, why am I so unlucky to have such a devilish father? It's terrifying."
At this moment, Xu Xiaotian suddenly recalled a night when his father bullied his mother in bed... and he became even more convinced that his father was a big devil.
If Li Bingjie knew what this little guy was thinking, what would she think?
Oh dear, this is not suitable for children, or rather, infants and toddlers!
This was the most serious oversight Xu Zhengyang and Li Bingjie ever made. They were so focused on their love and intimacy that at that crucial moment, they were blinded by lust and forgot that this child was the son of a god, half-god and half-human.
Li Bingjie smiled and shook her head, saying, "Zhengyang didn't actually want it to be like this either."
"Yeah, I guess so. I think he's quite lonely sometimes." Ouyang Ying nodded, agreeing with Li Bingjie's words.
Xu Xiaotian interjected again, "Aunt Yingying, are you afraid of my dad?"
“Me? I’m just like Xiaotian. I’m not afraid of him,” Ouyang Ying said with a grin.
Xu Xiaotian leaned closer to Ouyang Ying and whispered, "Actually, you were wrong just now. My mom is also afraid of my dad."
"Hmm? Really?" Ouyang Ying teased the little one with a grin, asking, "How did you know?"
“One night, they were fighting, thinking I was asleep and didn’t know,” Xu Xiaotian said seriously. “Actually, I knew everything… My dad first pinned my mom down, then my mom resisted and climbed on top of him, but she couldn’t beat him and was flipped over again, and finally…”
"Xiaotian—!"
Li Bingjie let out a rare scream! Completely interrupting Xu Xiaotian's childish yet somewhat old-fashioned and serious words.
Xu Xiaotian froze, looking at his mother in surprise. He wasn't scared, but he found it strange that his mother had never spoken to him so loudly before, and judging from her expression now... she looked just like that devilish father.