Chapter 62 – Comfort

“Yue-xiong, what did you gain from this trip?” Cultivators gathered near the exit, chatting with their friends around them as they waited in boredom for it to open.

“Enough. I can just barely show my face in front of my master. Zhou-xiong prepared for so long before coming here, so I’m sure he gained a lot from this trip, right?” The friend being addressed tossed the question back.

“Don’t even bring it up. I found a good-looking spiritual plant, but the earthquake struck just when I was about to pick it. It caused a landslide, and the spiritual plant slid right into the sea along with the layer of rock under my feet. Fortunately, I reacted in time and didn’t fall into the trench.” The cultivator surnamed Zhou sighed.

“Speaking of the earthquake, it was so bizarre. In all the years the Floating Island Secret Realm has opened, I’ve never heard of such a terrifying earthquake. It actually split the floating island in two!”

Many other cultivators echoed this statement, gathering around the two cultivators who had brought up the topic to join in: “That’s right! I heard from a Foundation Establishment shixiong in our sect that when he flew into the air, he found that the rift between the two halves was very smooth, as if it had been split by a sharp weapon!”

“Smooth? That must just be hearsay. I happen to have a flying magic weapon, and when I was up in the air, I clearly saw that the fracture was full of cracks that had no regular pattern. It was definitely caused by an earthquake!” Someone retorted.

Displeased at being refuted, the person said back: “My shixiong saw it with his own eyes! The seemingly uneven cracks you saw were actually from a secondary collapse and sliding of the rock layer caused by the continuous shaking after the initial fissure. When the floating island first split in two, it was indeed very smooth.”

The initial naysayer wanted to refute again, but before the words could leave his mouth, he felt that they were somewhat untenable. Because when the floating island split in two, he hadn’t flown into the air, but instead found an open space to wait for the tremors to end. He didn’t actually know whether or not those ragged fractures were from the initial quake or if they happened afterward.

But it would be embarrassing to say nothing, so he found another way to argue: “Then tell me, what kind of weapon could split this huge floating island? What kind of person could have such enormous power?”

The person being questioned was speechless. The power to break mountains and split the seas exceeded the limits of his comprehension. Even the most respected teachers of his sect would be unable to do so.

The topic fell into silence.

Hao Chen, who was listening out of boredom while waiting for a certain person, heard this and couldn’t help but say to himself: “That heartless man does.”

He still couldn’t forget how Feng Ye had attacked his incarnation and turned it back into its original form.

But even as he silently complained, another idea popped into his mind.

Yinglong could have done it.

Hao Chen intermittently waved his mini fan. The situation at the bottom of the sea had been so pressing. When Feng Ye drew his sword and pointed it at him, he had no time to think and could only raise his fan to block it.

Then a lot of other things happened, and he didn’t have time to think about it. Now that he had some free time, he couldn’t help but recall that scene again when the matter was brought up.

The sharp sword he summoned to slice the earth, which illuminated the deep, dark sea, was actually similar to the sword named Fleeting Shadow, the sword Yinglong had wielded to cut down Jianmu as recorded on the jade slip.

Could it be that Feng Ye was Yinglong?

Hao Chen was uncertain. He felt that the swords in the two people’s hands were similar, but they might not be the same sword. He hadn’t gotten a clear glimpse at the sword – only the dazzling light that made up the sword’s edge.

Yinglong’s sword had also been shrouded in light, and its specific appearance was also unable to be seen.

He couldn’t assume that they were the same sword just because they both glowed, right?

Of course, he also couldn’t assume that they weren’t the same.

In terms of strength, although Hao Chen had certainly not given it his all, Feng Ye fought against his incarnation with ease and seemed to have a lot of strength to spare.

If he were Yinglong, such strength wouldn’t come as a surprise.

Breaking mountains and splitting the seas was a piece of cake for the great god known as the God of War.

Yinglong severed Jianmu, and Feng Ye was pursuing Jianmu. Even their goals were shockingly similar.

Everything seemed to fall into place, except for one thing.

Their personalities were completely incompatible.

All of his knowledge of Yinglong came from hearsay, as he had never actually met him.

But in all of the rumors that spread from afar to his North Sea, Yinglong was utterly cold and cruel.

Wherever this great god went, others would retreat – more out of fear than respect.

The heavy, mist-like murderous aura from the Endless Horizon was enough to make anyone who approached him tremble with absolute terror, not even daring to breathe loudly.

This evil qi was able to influence people’s minds. Although he was a god, his personality was not as moderate as most gods, which wasn’t surprising at all. It would only be surprising if he was soft-handed and lenient.

The events of a hundred years ago only confirmed Hao Chen’s impression of him. Yinglong hadn’t hesitated at all when he severed Jianmu, not even sparing the people climbing it a second glance.

The world was engulfed in flames, a scene as tragic as hell, but he maintained his indifference among the clouds.

Hao Chen himself was not a particularly gentle god. He did have some self-awareness. But Yinglong far exceeded his own ruthlessness. At least Hao Chen wouldn’t have killed those mortals who overestimated their abilities and dreamed of reaching the heavens.

But what about Feng Ye? He had been quite cold just now, but the rest of the time, he was incredibly soft-hearted. 

Not only had he allowed this uninvited stranger to get close to him and test him again and again, but he also repeatedly aided his fellow junior disciple whom he had only known for a month.

Would Yinglong do such a thing?

If he told anyone this, he feared they would laugh their head off. How could the God of War, infamous for his cruelty and brutality, risk exposing his identity just because he couldn’t bear to see one mortal die?

So Hao Chen still wasn’t quite convinced that Feng Ye was Yinglong. The more he thought about it, the more reliable this analysis seemed to him.

As for Feng Ye’s true identity, there were so many gods, major and minor. Hao Chen still couldn’t tell which one he was just based on an unclear glimpse of his sword.

But in short, it’s unlikely that he’s Yinglong! Hao Chen thought. Otherwise, he’d just slept with his head on Yinglong’s shoulder all night and ate his tofu openly and in secret. The mere thought made him shudder.

“Why hasn’t Shixiong come back yet?” As Hao Chen was strolling through the small theatre in his mind, Fang Yang turned back for the third time to look in the direction they had come from, anxiously waiting for the person who had promised to catch up with them.

The three of them hadn’t been moving fast to begin with. Even if he just walked, Useless Shixong should have been here already after such a long time. As more and more people gathered and the time until the exit opened dwindled, not even Feng Ye’s shadow could be seen. 

“Perhaps he was delayed by something. Let’s wait a little longer,” Cao Zirui consoled him.

Hao Chen listened to their conversation without comment.

What could possibly hold Feng Ye back? He had already killed that person, so he was probably trying to dispose of the body now.

Disposing of a corpse is indeed a physical job that takes some time, Hao Chen thought very considerately.

Sure enough, the three of them waited for a while, and about half an incense stick of time before the exit was to open, a familiar figure appeared in the distance.

Fang Yang noticed him in an instant. His eyes lit up and he stood in place, waving to him in greeting.

However, he didn’t receive the expected response. Feng Ye didn’t give him a smile or a wave as he usually would have.

He just looked up at Fang Yang, walking toward their position without saying a word. 

Hao Chen rested his chin on his mini fan, keenly sensing that something was wrong.

“Shixiong, you’re finally back! I was worried you would miss us!” Fang Yang watched as Feng Ye returned to their sides, letting go of his worries. 

Feng Ye’s lips rose in response.

It was a fleeting, perfunctory smile.

The simple Fang Yang didn’t notice anything. Seeing that his Useless Shixiong was safe and sound, he pulled Cao Zirui aside to discuss topics exclusive to young people.

Hao Chen remained in place. He said to Feng Ye, who seemed unwilling to pay attention to him: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye’s smile just now was a little unsightly.”

Naturally, a forced smile would always look ugly.

Feng Ye raised his eyes to give him a somewhat irritable look. He still didn’t say anything.

Both his eyes and his actions revealed that he was currently in a bad mood, and that it would be best if no one bothered him.

But Hao Chen shamelessly insisted on speaking to him, and the topic took an unexpected turn: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, judging by your expression, you seem to have wronged me.”

Feng Ye: “…..”

He was suddenly thrust out of his depressed mood and into one of speechless incredulity.

What had he done to offend Hao Chen?

No, the question should be: “Why should I care about wronging you?” Feng Ye asked rudely.

When he heard this, Hao Chen pressed his mini fan against his chest with an exaggerated expression of disbelief: “You did it but you don’t want to admit it?”

Feng Ye: “? ? ?” What did he do?!

Hao Chen patiently prompted him: “Under the sea.”

What about under the sea? Was this about their fight?

Hao Chen went on: “You caught me.”

That was indeed what he had said. What did this have to do with denying his guilt?

Hao Chen directly pointed out: “Since you caught me, shouldn’t you take responsibility for me?”

Feng Ye: “……”

After a stunned silence, Feng Ye realized that Hao Chen was referring to when he caught the fish with his giant claws made of water. Why should he be held responsible for catching a fish?

But according to Hao Chen’s words, the situation was completely different. He argued: “Didn’t Fellow Daoist Feng Ye touch me directly with his hand?”

His control of water could just barely be considered a physical touch. Thus, Feng Ye nodded.

“And wasn’t I naked?” Hao Chen asked again.

Feng Ye: “……” He realized something was wrong, but had no way to refute him.

Hao Chen directly concluded: “You and I have experienced physical intimacy. I’m not a frivolous person. If Fellow Daoist Feng Ye doesn’t take responsibility for me, I will have no choice but to hang myself from a tree branch.”

Feng Ye: “……” He stared in amazement at Hao Chen, this person who claimed he wasn’t frivolous but was actually the most frivolous person he had ever met.

How could the Lord of the North Sea, who was said to be dominating and tyrannical, be this kind of person? Hao Chen had lived for so long – had age given him nothing but increasingly thick skin?

He couldn’t help but retort: “Has Fellow Daoist Hao Chen considered if he’ll be able to find a tree branch thick enough to hang himself from?”

“This…..” This question truly stumped Hao Chen. His expression turned to one of frustration as he was unable to argue.

Feng Ye couldn’t help but smile, and it was no longer a forced or perfunctory one.

Seeing this, Hao Chen smiled as well.

Their eyes met, and it couldn’t be clearer.

“Thank you,” Feng Ye said softly.

Hao Chen waved his fan and said: “Saying thank you puts too much distance between us. I think it would be better if you pledge your heart to me.”

Feng Ye laughed out loud. Although Hao Chen’s method of comforting someone was rather unconventional, it was unexpectedly effective.

He was no longer immersed in the depression he fell into after dispersing the souls that had perished unjustly.

He’d had no other choice.

No matter how unwilling these vengeful spirits were, no matter how they wailed, there was no escaping one fact.

They were dead.

They should have dissipated together with their bodies a hundred years ago, but were captured by someone with ulterior motives and forced to be used as materials to suppress heavenly fire.

Their resentment grew stronger over that century, and their shared hatred of a common enemy  made them indistinguishable from one another, creating a strange, eerie monster.

It had no hands or feet – just thousands of twisted, hideous faces.

If someone else had been enveloped by such a monster, they likely would have fainted on the spot.

Even though they were innocent, there was no other way to deal with such resentful souls but to disperse them and set them free.

He absolutely couldn’t have let them go. They hadn’t attacked him, but simply wailed inside his mind – not because they didn’t want to, but because they knew they couldn’t defeat Feng Ye.

Were they to encounter someone weaker, these souls would tear the living person to pieces without sparing a single shred of flesh or blood.

Feng Ye couldn’t allow them to leave, and the inferno was growing increasingly fierce. If this stalemate dragged out any longer, these resentful souls would perish in the same heavenly fire that had taken their lives a hundred years ago.

But before that could happen, Feng Ye chose to take it into his own hands. Rather than let them suffer the pain of being burned by heavenly fire once more, it would be better for Feng Ye to do it.

But Feng Ye didn’t have an easy time of it. He still felt that….it was too cruel….

That was why he was in such a low mood. He hadn’t expected Hao Chen to notice and come up with such a method to comfort him.

He didn’t know whether to say it was ridiculous or ingenious…..

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Chapter 61 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 63

Neither the melodious music nor the dancers’ steps faltered, but the three people at their tables fell into an abrupt silence.

Chu Jiubian released Qin Xiao’s wrist and said: “The porridge tastes better.”

Qin Xiao lowered his eyes to study the dishes on the table. Then he put down his chopsticks and tasted a mouthful of the salty porridge. “It really is good.”

The atmosphere relaxed once more.

Xiao Yao’s gaze swept back and forth between them, then focused on the five dishes on his table.

He had already finished all of the soup, and had sampled the other dishes, but the porridge was the only one he felt tasted rather ordinary.

He poured himself a cup of wine, then raised it toward the two people opposite him with a smile: “I would like to offer a toast to you gentlemen.”

Having said this, he downed the cup of wine.

Qin Xiao glanced at Chu Jiubian out of the corner of his eye. When the other didn’t stop him, he poured himself half a cup and drank it in one gulp as if to give Xiao Yao face.

Xiao Yao wasn’t bothered that Chu Jiubian didn’t drink.

It was understandable for an immortal to be picky, and to disdain earthly wine.

He asked with his customary warm smile: “What do you two think of what I just said?”

If such a highly profitable business were to fall solely into the hands of the Xiao family, they would undoubtedly become a target of attack by other forces.

Whether in business or trade routes, they would inevitably encounter obstacles.

But compared to the enormous potential profits, these hardships and obstacles were insignificant.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao had discussed this matter previously, and Qin Xiao spoke up at this time: “His Majesty has already given his answer: the Xiao family must have a stake in this salt trade.”

This was Jiannan-wang’s reward, so it must be different from what was offered to others.

But Qin Xiao changed his tone, saying: “But the Imperial Court can only offer the Xiao family one-third. Any more would be inappropriate. Everyone should at least get a taste of the meat.”

No matter how many merchant caravans the Xiao family had or how extensive their trade routes were, they still couldn’t hold a candle to the Qiu family.

Moreover, these four great families originated from Langya, Lin’an, Wuwei, and Yanmen respectively, which were all distributed around the southeastern region of Great Ning.

Each of the four directions in the northeast also had their own market ranges.

Only by distributing the goods to everyone could the fine salt business quickly spread throughout the country and rake in money.

This was Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao’s primary objective at this moment in time.

They naturally weren’t in such urgent need of money that they would entrust the business to any one force in particular, especially the Xiao family.

The Xiao family already held great power. If they were allowed to grow even stronger, the current balance of power in Great Ning would be destroyed.

Xiao Yao opened his folding fan and waved it lightly.

One-third?

He understood their mindset, and supposed that one of the thirds had already been secured by the Qiu family, since their caravans sold goods outside the territory and could generate greater profits.

The remaining two-thirds would be divided among the other three families.

The fact that one of these portions was being directly handed over to the Xiao family was in consideration of Jiannan-wang’s merits from building the dams.

Xiao Yao did not undervalue the significance of this portion. With the preciousness of fine salt, this extra slice was enough for them to earn significantly more than the Wang and Lu families.

But by doing so, he would lose out on some money by giving thirty percent of the profits from the mandala trade to the Imperial Court.

“Then how will this profit sharing be calculated?” Xiao Yao decided to probe the court’s intentions first.

Qin Xiao stroked his thumb ring. After a moment of silence, he said: “We’ll forgo the share of mandala. But we’ll increase our share of the fine salt profits to fifty percent.”

He didn’t know what mandala was, but since Chu Jiubian had stopped him from eating it earlier, there must be something wrong with it.

If that was the case, then he wouldn’t touch the stuff, and would focus solely on the fine salt.

When he heard this, Xiao Yao subconsciously glanced at Chu Jiubian and noticed a faint smile on the other’s lips.

“What are the Xiao family’s intentions?” Qin Xiao asked, drawing his attention back.

Xiao Yao hesitated slightly: “We intend to sell this fine salt in the south. The losses incurred by the caravans on the way, the manpower and resources, and expenses for the associated arrangements upon arrival in the south are all considerable. If profits are split fifty-fifty, it will be difficult to carry out this business.”

Qin Xiao smiled and leaned back in his chair, his posture lazy yet elegant.

“The Ministry of Revenue will issue your salt permit. The Xiao family will be working on behalf of the Imperial Court, so no one will dare make things difficult for you.”

The subtext here was that the Xiao family’s sale of fine salt didn’t count as smuggling “private salt.” They could do it openly and honestly.

Even if the Imperial Court wanted to use this as leverage against the Xiao family in the future, it would have no way to do so.

It also contained a hidden threat: the court is giving you half its money openly and honestly, so you should be content with “embezzling by Imperial Decree.”

A faint light flashed in Xiao Yao’s eyes.

This condition was difficult to refuse.

He raised his cup and said with a smile: “Serving the Imperial Court is an honor for the Xiao family. It doesn’t matter if we lose a little bit of profit.”

There was only profit to be made in the salt business. How could there be any loss?

Xiao Yao was just pretending to be well-behaved after getting what he wanted.

But Qin Xiao still gave him face, saying: “The Imperial Court will certainly remember the Xiao family’s dedication to the country and its people.”

The deal was basically settled. As for the details, such as how much the Xiao family should pay up front and how many months’ share of profits should be submitted, there were dedicated personnel for verifying and signing the contract.

Since it was Imperial Court business, Qin Xiao would let the Ministry of Revenue handle it.

Although Minister of Revenue Su Sheng appeared to be a loyal subject, he also had his own family behind him, even if they were not as wealthy and powerful as the four great families.

In possession of his own power bloc, Su Sheng would definitely seek benefits for himself and his family, and would inevitably try to make some money from the salt trade.

But the National Treasury was depleted, and Qin Xiao currently didn’t want anyone else to earn a single penny, so he would still have to send his own people to the Ministry of Revenue to supervise the sale of fine salt.

Alternatively, a new bureau could be established to oversee the operation of various government departments, which would be directly managed by the Emperor.

Qin Chaoyang was still in the south and had yet to return, so the people he could currently use were…..

Qin Xiao mentally went through his options and quickly located the most suitable one.

Qin Xiao knew better than anyone how talented Hong Fu was, as he had been personally taught by his grandfather.

It would be a waste of his talents to keep him limited to the palace. He should be tasked with the matter of salt administration.

Of course, there was another reason: Hong Fu had been in the palace for a long time. Kind and gentle, he had taught many eunuchs, including Xiao Xiangzi, how to read and think critically in his spare time. As a result, many people were grateful to him for his kindness.

If Hong Fu were able to fully utilize his abilities, he would certainly have no shortage of people to serve him. He was much more suitable than a “commander without troops” like Qin Xiao.

However, from the previous dynasty to the present one, there had been no precedent for eunuchs participating in politics, so this matter required more consideration before it could be carried out.

The meal was quite enjoyable for both the host and his guests. After about half an hour, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao took their leave and departed the pleasure boat.

Xiao Yao personally escorted the two to the shore, and only after the two figures had gone quite a distance away did he turn to go back upstairs.

The dancers and musicians had all been dismissed, and the second floor was now empty but for the three tables and the food that had gone cold.

His low table was positioned slightly higher than the dance floor, and as Xiao Yao drew near, a servant immediately laid out cushions and positioned the table for him.

He sat down on the cushions and leaned against the low table.

“How did Qin Xiao get in?” he asked mildly.

The servant who had been standing with his head bowed immediately knelt down and said in a wavering voice: “Answering Master, our men attempted to stop him but were unable to.”

That was Lord Ning-wang, alright. They really couldn’t beat him in a straight contest.

And even if they won, they wouldn’t have been able to use their full strength to stop him.

Xiao Yao knew that they had acted based on their understanding of his intentions, which was why they didn’t dare use lethal force.

Fine, why make things difficult for these fools?

He raised his hand slightly, and another servant immediately presented him with a bronze wine vessel.

Xiao Yao accepted the drink and took a small sip, then asked: “Was there no mandala added to the porridge?”

The attendant, who had just relaxed somewhat, immediately tensed up again and said: “Answering Master, the cooks felt that adding it to the porridge would ruin the taste, so they left it out.”

Xiao Yao rubbed the etchings on the wine cup, his eyes dark and unfathomable.

After a long pause, he finally said: “Bring me a few people.”

The attendant withdrew at once, and shortly afterward, he brought over seven dancers.

The dancers were all slender and graceful, each with stunningly beautiful features, but none of them could compare to a daughter of the Xiao family.

Xiao Yao found them boring, so he summoned a servant and whispered a few instructions in his ear.

The servant left again, and when he returned, he was followed by several more attendants. Each of them held a tray laden with a bowl of steaming porridge.

“This is a gift from the family head. Eat it,” the servant said to the dancers.

The dancers harbored no suspicions, as they were often rewarded by noblemen. Thanking him in soft voices, they drank all of the porridge.

The servants carrying the trays withdrew, leaving only the seven dancers, Xiao Yao, and a few attendants in the large hall.

Xiao Yao ran his eyes over each of them from right to left.

The dancers all seemed normal until the sixth one, whose face turned deathly pale as she broke into a cold sweat. Her whole body shivered uncontrollably, the effect worsening. 

Thump. Something heavy fell to the floor.

Xiao Yao shifted his gaze to the seventh dancer standing on the far left. She was lying on her back in convulsions, a large amount of white foam bubbling from her mouth.

“Ahh—” 

One of the dancers screamed, and the sixth dancer who was still holding on suddenly fell to her knees.

She clutched her chest in pain, her cheeks turning purple from suffocation.

Her face contorted as she tried to call for help, but she was unable to utter a single word.

Very soon, the fourth and fifth dancers showed signs of being affected, both shivering and falling to their knees in a cold sweat.

The third dancer was so frightened that her legs went weak and she also fell to her knees, scooting away instinctively.

Suddenly, the second dancer fell to the floor as well, clutching her head and groaning in pain. On the contrary, the first dancer was laughing, and did so with increasing wildness.

The third dancer stared in horror at the sight before her, and suddenly felt dizzy. She felt as if she had become incredibly light, and everything in front of her began to spin and turn upside down.

She began to laugh wildly, and staggered to her feet to begin an unsteady dance.

But not long after, she collapsed and began to vomit. Even after she had nothing left, she continued to heave as if trying to expel her internal organs.

Xiao Yao coldly observed this absurd scene. The veins on the back of his hands bulged as he clenched his wine cup, and blood trickled down as a delicate relief carving pierced his palm.

The servants attending him were ashen-faced, and as they watched the dancers, their own bodies began to tremble uncontrollably.

How could this be?

They had only eaten porridge containing mandala. How could this happen……

The more of the substance that was added, the stronger the dancers’ reactions seemed to be. The seventh dancer was already dead, and the sixth dancer’s eyes had become unfocused as she mechanically expelled white foam.

Xiao Yao rose unhurriedly from his seat and casually tossed his wine cup aside: “Bring the antidote.”

The servants all obeyed.

*

*

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao walked side by side, gradually moving away from the lakeshore.

But with people coming and going on the street, it was really not a suitable place to talk, so the two of them maintained a tacit silence and continued on their way to Splendid Plaza.

Splendid Plaza was more lively than usual tonight, and the shops were closing later.

The doors of the Hundred Treasure House were wide open at present, with a multitude of people coming and going.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were truly too eye-catching, and many people had been observing them throughout their trek intentionally or otherwise. Upon their arrival at the entrance of the Hundred Treasure House, Qin Su spotted them and immediately trotted over to greet them.

“My Lord, Young Master.” Qin Su had never met Chu Jiubian before, but the only one who could accompany Qin Xiao like this and had such an unusual hairstyle was Jiu-gongzi, who was undergoing a love tribulation involving His Lordship.

When An Wuji occasionally patrolled the streets, he would stop at the Hundred Treasure House to ask for tea and food, chat with Qin Su for a while, and then resume his patrol.

Qin Su had learned about the matter between the two parties from him. The story went that the young master had descended to the mortal realm for the sake of His Lordship, wrote love poems for him, yearned for him every night, and was exceptionally kind to His Majesty.

In short, over the course of a month, not only Qin Su, but all of the Qin family members and even some well-informed commoners had heard about these two.

Seeing the two of them come in together, Qin Su couldn’t hide his excitement, and took several careful glances at Chu Jiubian.

He thought to himself, this young master and His Lordship are indeed a perfect match.

He led them both upstairs, saying enthusiastically: “Is My Lord planning to help the Young Master pick out some things? We’ve acquired some interesting little trinkets recently.”

“Later,” Qin Xiao said without stopping. “We will go to a private room first. There is something we need to discuss.”

When he heard this, Qin Su knew that something of importance was going on. He quickly composed his expression and led them to a room at the very back of the second floor.

This room should be a reception room or something similar. There was a table, chairs, and bookshelves, and everything was simple and clean.

Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian sat themselves on chairs side by side, with a tea table between them.

Qin Su ordered someone to guard the room, then quickly locked the door and busied himself with preparing tea for the two of them.

“No need,” said Qin Xiao. “Let’s talk business first.”

“Yes.” Qin Su went to the chair opposite them and sat down, but he didn’t dare sit firmly in his seat, and looked somewhat reserved.

However, much of his restraint stemmed from Chu Jiubian’s presence. He feared leaving a bad impression on the other party, which would affect the image of His Lordship in the young master’s eyes.

“Do you know what mandala is?” Qin Xiao got straight to the point.

“I do.” Qin Su nodded. Without waiting for Qin Xiao to inquire further, he told him everything he knew: “It is a strange spice from the far southeast, and was first brought to the Western Regions through caravans in its border kingdoms before spreading to Gansu.”

“Then a Gansu merchant caravan owned by surnamed Gu brought it to the Central Plains region. It was only about half a month ago that the news reached the capital.”

This stuff had been around for half a month?

Chu Jiubian frowned: “Has it been sold elsewhere?”

Qin Su hurriedly replied: “Young Master, this mandala is very expensive. Ten taels of it is worth one ingot of gold. Few people in Gansu could afford it, so since the Gu family caravan happened to be coming to the capital, they bought some and brought it with them without selling it along the way.”

Relief swept over Chu Jiubian.

It was good that it hadn’t spread to other places. There was still time.

Qin Su continued: “Boss Gu previously said that if it didn’t sell well in the capital, they could only head to the prosperous Jiangnan region. However, people in the capital were very interested and he sold all of his goods.”

“How much was sold?” Chu Jiubian asked.

Qin Su noticed his slight frown and knew that there must be something wrong with the mandala. A little unsettled, he was quick to say: “Not much was sold, only about one stone.”

Old Boss Gu hadn’t known whether the mandala would be profitable when he brought it back from the Western Regions, so he had only brought a small amount to test the waters.

“I bought a few taels from him yesterday, and it’s just sitting in the warehouse. I haven’t had time to try it out yet,” Qin Su said.

Chu Jiubian calculated that one stone in the Great Ning Dynasty was equivalent to about 120 kilograms.

For a traveling caravan, this amount may only represent the weight of one or two bags of goods, but since this was a drug, its quantity was quite large.

“Do you know who the goods were sold to?” Chu Jiubian asked.

“Most of it was sold to the Xiao family,” Qin Su said. “Old Boss Gu mainly deals in spices and fragrances. Since there are many women in the Xiao family, he has a regular business relationship with them. However, judging from what Old Boss Gu said, it seems he will no longer be in the mandala business and will hand it over to the Xiao family.”

For a medium-sized caravan that regularly traveled to the capital for business, there were various concerns related to safety on the road, and one ingot of gold for ten taels of spice was really not worthwhile.

Of course, the most important aspect was that the Xiao family had their eye on the business, so there was no chance for anyone else to have it.

Old Boss Gu was a shrewd man. After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to do the Xiao family a favor, and handed over the identities and contact information of the wealthy merchants in the Western Regions to the Xiao family’s purchasing manager.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on things, and managed to identify those wealthy merchants. In order to seize this business opportunity in advance, I sent people to the Western Regions yesterday,” said Qin Su.

He had originally intended to make more money through this venture and help replenish the National Treasury, which was why he’d gone to such trouble to inquire about it.

In retrospect, it seemed that he had indeed accomplished something valuable.

He just didn’t know what was wrong with the mandala. 

Qin Su wanted to ask, but hesitated due to his status.

Chu Jiubian, on the other hand, felt completely relieved.

It seemed that the substance hadn’t spread widely yet, and it wasn’t too late to stop it.

It was just that they didn’t know who the Xiao family sold the remaining goods to. Perhaps they simply kept it for themselves.

Chu Jiubian recalled Xiao Yao’s appearance earlier and knew that he had grown addicted.

And with Xiao Yao’s intelligence, he must have realized long before that there was something wrong with the mandala, but since he had just started using it and hadn’t suffered any negative effects as of yet, he wasn’t very concerned.

Of course, drug addiction affected the human brain, and Xiao Yao’s unthinking consumption of the drug might be due to his altered cognitive function.

If that was the case, then this “fine and upstanding” man was destined to be ruined by the stuff.

But Chu Jiubian wouldn’t mind this at all.

The Xiao family toyed with and schemed against people’s hearts, regarding human life as worthless.

Being such a liability, their own lives weren’t necessarily much more valuable.

“Send people to investigate and see who has been exposed to the mandala,” Qin Xiao said.

Qin Su agreed and immediately went to make the arrangements.

When only the two of them remained in the room, Qin Xiao sent Chu Jiubian a look.

Before he could inquire, Chu Jiubian said: “This substance is addictive. Once consumed, it creates an insatiable craving, and not taking it feels like a thousand ants gnawing at one’s heart.”

The look in Qin Xiao’s eyes chilled slightly.

It seemed that it was precisely this characteristic that caused people to enjoy it, and also made Xiao Yao feel that it could be compared with the value of fine salt.

“An overdose of the substance can cause instant death,” Chu Jiubian said in a heavy voice. “Even if only a little bit is consumed each time, it will gradually damage the body, and within a few years, a person may be rendered completely useless.”

Qin Xiao’s expression turned grave.

He had never possessed the power to deal with the minor kingdoms in the Western Regions, but now that they were spreading such a thing to Great Ning, was it that they were truly ignorant of the possible harm or that they were knowingly committing the offense?

Chu Jiubian looked at him and said: “All of this substance must be confiscated.”

The drug was addictive. The more people who came in contact with it, the greater the demand would become.

Due to its rarity, it was only in the hands of high-ranking officials and nobility at present, all of whom possessed considerable influence and resources.

Even if the government issued a crackdown, they would still find ways to obtain some.

In Chu Jiubian’s era, such drugs were universally abhorred, but they were impossible to eliminate entirely due to the existing market demand. 

Now that Chu Jiubian held power in his hands, the people of Great Ning must not be allowed access to this substance. The most ruthless means must be utilized to strictly control and suppress it.

Qin Xiao stood up and said: “Let’s return to the palace.”

That very night, guards carrying an Imperial Decree went to the residences of various powerful figures in the capital to confiscate their mandala.

This naturally included the four great families.

Wang Qichen had just returned from a pleasure boat, and hadn’t yet entered the manor when he glimpsed two squads of Imperial Guards standing outside the main courtyard.

He raised an eyebrow and, showing no hint of worry or surprise, walked with great interest to the manor gates.

The Imperial Guards simply pretended they didn’t notice him.

Wang Qichen took the initiative to strike up a conversation, but when none of them paid him any heed, he went inside and walked until he reached a magnificent courtyard.

Several Imperial Guards were standing at the courtyard gate, while their commander, An Wuji, spoke with Wang Huanzhi inside.

Wang Huanzhi remained expressionless, maintaining his aloof and superior demeanor.

An Wuji was carrying a cloth bag the size of a human head. After saying something to Wang Huanzhi, he turned and walked out of the courtyard.

He didn’t stop when he passed Wang Qichen, simply proceeding onward.

Wang Qichen watched his departing figure until he was far away, then turned his gaze back and peered into the courtyard.

Inside, his half-brother Wang Wenfu was being berated by Wang Huanzhi.

His dear aunt Yuan Yu, who was now the madam of the family, was shielding Wang Wenfu and tearfully pleading with Wang Huanzhi.

Wang Wenfu was very much unresigned, and raised his voice: “Father, don’t listen to their nonsense. Mandala is just a delicious spice, how could it be poisonous? I’ve been eating it for so many days, and I haven’t died from it, ah.”

“Do you even know who issued this decree?!” Wang Huanzhi roared, furious at his son’s lack of self-awareness. “It bears His Majesty’s seal, yet you’re still hiding that stuff and refusing to hand it over. Do you intend to disobey an Imperial Decree?!”

“My Lord!” Yuan Yu exclaimed, interrupting him.

Wang Huanzhi’s anger had caused him to speak recklessly, and now he could say nothing further. All he could do was glare at his son and turn to leave the courtyard.

Wang Qichen didn’t try to avoid him, and they met face to face outside the courtyard gate.

“Where have you been gallivanting off to again?” Wang Huanzhi regarded him with a frown. “Can’t you learn from your second brother? You are a grown man, and should act with more maturity and composure!”

Wang Qichen leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and said with a smile: “Father, what are you saying? Wang Wenfu and Wang Wenyao were born from the same mother, yet they’re worlds apart. A son like me born to the first wife cannot be compared to my outstanding second brother, who was born to a concubine.”

Wang Huanzhi knew that he couldn’t control his rebellious son, but in the end, he didn’t intend to let him amount to anything.

His second son Wang Wenyao was proficient in both civil and martial pursuits, and was chosen by the Wang family to be the next family head. As for the current Young Master Wang Qichen, he would naturally be forced to make way for him in the future.

Wang Huanzhi scoffed coldly and left with a flick of his sleeves.

Inside the courtyard, now that his father had left, Wang Wenfu raised his voice even more: “I think Ning-wang wants to monopolize the mandala business. That’s why he said it’s poisonous – he just wants to snatch it from me. Despicable! Shameless!”

“Be quiet!” Yuan Yu was also quite angry, but she couldn’t bear to scold her son, and could only pat him on the shoulder.

The maids coaxed and persuaded Wang Wenfu to return to his room, and the young man’s cursing eventually subsided.

A gentle breeze blew through the courtyard, causing Wang Qichen’s hair to sway slightly.

He lowered his eyes and looked at a small pebble near his feet.

Wang Wenfu had always been a bit willful, but he wasn’t too much of an idiot; he knew that some things could be said and some things could not.

Wang Wenfu would never have slandered and insulted Ning-wang like this before.

Today, he seemed a little overly agitated. 

Mandala…..

Wang Qichen strode out of the manor.

Meanwhile, An Wuji had already led the Imperial Guards to search the homes of the wealthy and powerful, and found nearly thirty catties of mandala powder.

After leaving the Wang family, he recovered an additional forty catties from the Lu, Qiu, and Xiao families.

All of this, he took back to Yangxin Hall.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao sat in the council hall, which was illuminated by a dim yellow light.

Upon entering, An Wuji found the two of them sitting opposite each other amid a slightly strange atmosphere.

But he was slow on the uptake, so even though he noticed it, he didn’t pay it much attention.

He now considered Chu Jiubian to be firmly one of their own, so he simply set the bag of spice on the ground and sat in a chair to begin his report: “I searched everyone on the list provided by Qin Su, but even including the amount that was kept at the Hundred Treasure House, there is less than seven hundred taels in total.”

Seven hundred taels was about seventy catties.

Out of the 120 kilograms of goods, 50 kilograms were still missing.

It was unknown if it had all been consumed, or if people were hiding it.

The investigation warrant in An Wuji’s hands only granted him the authority to freely enter and exit the homes of noble families, but it definitely didn’t allow him to search them thoroughly.

“If they’re hiding it, then we won’t be able to find it,” Chu Jiubian gazed at the bag on the floor, his eyes darkening.

He had already given them a chance. If they failed to take advantage of it and insisted on ruining themselves, they would make their own fates.

“But is this stuff really so formidable?” An Wuji asked curiously.

Chu Jiubian said: “You can give it a try.”

An Wuji immediately shook his head: “Forget it, it’s best to heed the Young Master’s decision. But what do we do next?”

Chu Jiubian looked toward Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao had his legs crossed, his posture somewhat indolent.

He lifted his eyes to meet Chu Jiubian’s gaze, then paused for a moment before saying: “Have someone draw up an Imperial Decree.”

There was no morning court session the next day, as it happened to be a day off.

But even the officials who weren’t on duty received a message from the palace.

His Majesty had issued an Imperial Decree that morning, which stated: [The highly-poisonous mandala, also known as opium poppy, is strictly forbidden from consumption by any citizen of Great Ning. Violators will be executed immediately! This decree must be passed down and remembered by future generations!]

Upon receiving the decree, the Imperial Guards relayed it not only to all of the various levels of government offices, but also ordered their subordinates to shout it door-to-door. They even thoughtfully drew several variations of mandala, from the flower to the powder, and from the fragrance to the reaction after accidental ingestion. It was imperative to inform all of the citizens of its danger, including the potential for death if consumed improperly.

Moreover, it was conveyed to local government offices of all levels by dedicated personnel that if anyone under their jurisdiction were to consume this substance, the local officials would also be punished.

This was the most stringent decree issued by Bai Lihong since his ascension to the throne, and nearly everyone understood how dire it was.

Of course, there were also those who didn’t fear death, or those who simply couldn’t resist the temptation and consumed it at home.

These types were restrained by fear, but there were also those who were not restrained at all and acted contrary to the repeated warnings.

For example, on the eighth day of the seventh month, the very day the Imperial Decree was issued.

In the Free Spirit Parlor, the most bustling brothel in the Western Market, two young men openly consumed mandala by drinking it with wine.

Whether they drank too much or were under the influence of the drug, the two of them became somewhat deranged.

Arm in arm with girls from the brothel, they stumbled out of their private room while spouting nonsense.

“That Qin Xiao, what kind of lousy regent is he? This young master has disliked him for a long time.”

“And he even banned mandala, with death as the penalty for disobedience. Laozi will still eat it!” The young man in blue thumped his chest. “Laozi is Wang Wenfu of the Langya Wang family. Let’s see if Qin Xiao dares to cut me down!”

The other young man burst into laughter: “This young master is Lu Xingwen of the Wuwei Lu family! Let’s see if Qin Xiao dares to cut me down!”

The two of them appeared to be out of their minds. The women in the building were terrified, trembling and pale-faced.

Who was Lord Ning-wang?

The scene of the massacre at Shenwu Gate a month ago was still fresh in their minds. These two were courting death!

Of course, Qin Xiao might not touch them, seeing as they were from powerful families. But unimportant people like them were very likely to become scapegoats and suffer the brunt of his anger.

Other scholars, officials, and members of the military who were drinking and making merry in the establishment were also alarmed, and fled for fear of being implicated.

*

*

The Imperial Palace.

Today was a rare sunny day.

After a meal, Bai Lihong, along with Eunuch Hong and several palace servants, took a stroll through the palace gardens while Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao lagged behind them.

“Eunuch Hong will be quite busy in the coming days,” Chu Jiubian said.

The previous night, Qin Xiao had mentioned to Chu Jiubian that he wanted Hong Fu to handle the salt administration, and even intended to create a dedicated bureau for him.

Chu Jiubian’s first reaction was to reject the idea.

With the bloody knowledge of corrupt eunuchs causing chaos in the government, Chu Jiubian naturally held some preconceived notions.

However, he was in the Great Ning Dynasty now. The previous two dynasties had no precedent for allowing eunuchs to wield power, and there was naturally none of that so-called political chaos.

Even the concept of “disorder caused by Imperial relatives” had been used by civil officials to criticize Qin Xiao after he came to power.

Therefore, with no precedent to follow, Chu Jiubian’s hasty and direct negative answer would be seen as an attempt to sabotage Hong Fu.

Chu Jiubian was well-aware of the position he held in Qin Xiao’s heart. He was just a business partner, unlike Hong Fu, who had known Qin Xiao for a long time and had a relationship with him built on trust.

Moreover, Hong Fu was genuinely loyal to Bai Lihong and was indeed very capable.

It would be a waste of his talents to keep him as Head Eunuch.

Qin Xiao’s mindset was simple: he had no people in his hands, but Hong Fu was very useful and had a great many eunuchs willing to follow him.

And as eunuchs, none of them had offspring, and were less likely to seek benefits for their families. It was also more difficult for them to form cliques for personal gain.

In addition, because their power was granted to them by the emperor, who could take it back at any time, they could only be utterly loyal officials.

But everyone had selfish motives.

No matter what the force or power, once it grew and changed, it would become uncontrollable.

Chu Jiubian was considering these factors and didn’t respond to Qin Xiao’s question for a while, but the man didn’t rush him.

This was exactly why An Wuji felt that the atmosphere between them was strange when he walked in.

However, Chu Jiubian quickly realized that every system would reveal its drawbacks in the later stages.

Therefore, specific problems required specific analysis. Given the current situation in the capital, both he and Qin Xiao were short of manpower – so it wasn’t unreasonable to temporarily allow Hong Fu, the loyal Head Eunuch, to take charge of the salt administration work.

Once more talents passed the Imperial Examinations and the power of those influential officials in court was weakened, they could talk about it again.

Qin Xiao watched Hong Fu’s retreating figure and suddenly said: “He entered the palace for my elder sister’s sake.”

Chu Jiubian froze.

He looked up into the man’s deep eyes, sensing that he had a lot he wanted to say.

But in the end, Qin Xiao only gave a light chuckle: “What I mean to say is that he’s very trustworthy.”

“En.” Chu Jiubian responded, turning away.

He naturally knew that Hong Fu was trustworthy, and that to Qin Xiao, even Xiao Xiangzi was more trustworthy than an outsider like Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao gazed at his side profile before restraining himself and looking away.

A gentle breeze slowly swept across the young man’s long, loose hair, the ends of which brushed lightly against the hand resting by his side.

Qin Xiao lowered his eyes, and his fingertips curled briefly.

The two walked in silence side by side, the two palm-widths of space between their shoulders amplifying the subtle sense of estrangement.

It was only when Xiao Xiangzi, who was walking behind, received a note from a guard and quickly caught up with them that the atmosphere between the two seemed to shift.

Qin Xiao opened the note and glanced at it, then smoothly handed it to Chu Jiubian.

Chu Jiubian read the names on the note, one surnamed Wang and one surnamed Lu, and knew what this was about.

The man beside him called over a guard and casually ordered: “Inform An Wuji to arrest the men and execute them at Shenwu Gate before the morning court session tomorrow. If they resist, kill them on the spot.”

The guard accepted the order and left.

Xiao Xiangzi also accepted the note handed to him by Chu Jiubian, and gradually fell behind the two of them. Only when he was standing shoulder to shoulder with Shui Qing and Shui Yun did he take out a tinderbox and burn the note to ashes.

Looking at the backs of her two masters standing side by side, Shui Qing couldn’t help whispering to Shui Yun: “Jiejie, when will the masters embrace each other? I really want to see it.”

Shui Yun’s brow twitched, and she hurriedly shot a look toward Qin Xiao’s receding figure. Seeing no reaction from him, she glared reproachfully at the younger girl and said in a low voice: “Are you out of your mind? His Lordship has excellent hearing!”

Shui Qing pouted, feeling wronged. She really wanted to see it, ah.

Up ahead, Qin Xiao was silent for a while longer before saying at last: “Does the Young Master find this lord cruel?”

“What?” Chu Jiubian stared at him with some surprise.

Only then did Qin Xiao turn his gaze to the other’s face.

Chu Jiubian had to take a moment to process his words, then realized that he was talking about the execution of the two scions of noble families.

A formidable villain who once killed people for three days and three nights in front of Shenwu Gate was now calling himself “cruel?”

“It’s not like I just met you yesterday.” Chu Jiubian chuckled softly, saying in an exceptionally calm tone, “The profits from mandala are enormous; simply issuing a decree won’t be enough to deter those people, and they need to be made an example of. Since these two were so eager to stick their necks out, then just kill them.”

Qin Xiao stared at him in silence for two breaths. Then he said: “That Wang Wenfu is Wang Huanzhi’s biological son.”

This person’s status was not on the same level as that of the direct descendant of the collateral branch of the Lu family.

“Are you afraid?” Chu Jiubian asked.

Qin Xiao laughed: “Afraid of what? I have an immortal protecting me.”

Chu Jiubian: “……”

There it was again. When would this person finally believe him?

*

*

The ninth day of the seventh month.

A light drizzle began early in the morning.

The officials gathered at the gate were unusually silent today, and their seemingly casual gazes often drifted toward Wang Zhiyuan and Lu Youwei at the front.

The outrageous remarks made by members of the Lu and Wang families at Free Spirit Parlor the previous night were known to almost everyone.

The fact that the Imperial Guards arrested the men on the spot had shocked them all.

However, everyone harbored their own judgements. The situation in the capital had not yet descended into chaos, and in fact, Qin Xiao still needed the power of the noble families in order to replenish the National Treasury, so he couldn’t afford to offend them completely.

He had presumably arrested those two people last night in order to make deals with the two families and incidentally take this opportunity to intimidate everyone, warning them not to underestimate Qin Xiao’s ruthless methods.

It seemed there would be quite a spectacle at today’s morning court session.

Although Lu Youwei didn’t care for this good-for-nothing junior in his family, it would be shameful for him not to rescue him from Qin Xiao after the man arrested him like that.

It would have been better if Qin Xiao had just chopped that useless bastard down in a single stroke last night; that way, he wouldn’t have to go to the trouble of saving him.

Wang Zhiyuan shared similar thoughts.

The only difference was that Wang Wenfu was the family head’s eldest son, and given his valuable status, Wang Huanzhi had repeatedly urged him to help save the child.

For this reason, Wang Huanzhi was able to utter the childish sentence: “The Wang family is willing to pay any price.”

The thought of being manipulated by Qin Xiao during the morning court session caused Wang Zhiyuan’s face to darken.

But there was nothing to be done.

The Wang and Lu families hadn’t received offers for the fine salt trade yet, but the Qiu and Xiao families already had theirs.

If they offended Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian over the matter of Wang Wenfu, they would gain far fewer benefits and fall behind the Qiu and Xiao families.

This absolutely could not be borne.

So even if Qin Xiao embarrassed him today, or even killed Wang Wenfu in front of him, he would have to praise the other party for killing him well.

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. When he opened them again, his expression had recovered its tranquility.

Xiao Huaiguan had been in much better spirits lately, and his hunched back seemed to have straightened considerably.

He glanced at Wang Zhiyuan’s expression, and the fake smile that always hung on his lips seemed a little more genuine.

Qiu Xuanzheng had just signed an agreement with the Ministry of Revenue and Hong Fu the previous day for the sale of fine salt, and he would receive the first batch of goods later today.

Now that he was in the same camp as Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, he was happy to see the Lu and Wang families make fools of themselves.

Of course, if these families were to completely break with Qin Xiao in order to protect those two fools, the Qiu family could absorb their shares of the salt trade as well.

Everyone had their own considerations.

At that moment, the palace gates slowly began to open.

Before the six ministers could take a step, they froze in place.

Just a dozen meters inside the palace gate, two disheveled young men were kneeling on the ground, bound hand and foot with coarse cloth stuffed into their mouths.

It was Wang Wenfu and Lu Xingwen, who had made those outrageous remarks yesterday.

Behind them stood two Imperial Guards, both holding longswords.

After confirming that everyone could see the scene in front of them, without giving anyone time to react, the Imperial Guards swung their swords down.

---

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Chapter 37 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 39

Chu Jiubian proceeded all the way to the palace gates.

From afar, a magnificent two-horse carriage could be seen parked outside. Upon closer inspection, one could pick out auspicious cloud patterns on its frame, and a large “Xiao” displayed on the curtain.

Two figures stood silently beside the carriage: a servant and a coachman.

Upon seeing Chu Jiubian, the servant hurried over and bowed in greeting: “Greetings, Lord Chu. This servant is here on the family head’s orders to escort you to the banquet.”

It seemed Xiao Yao wasn’t here.

A mocking glint flashed through Chu Jiubian’s eyes. He gave a curt reply and walked to the carriage.

The coachman lifted the curtain, keeping his eyes down during the process. He dared not offend Chu Jiubian with even a single glance.

The servant extended his hand and invited Chu Jiubian to enter the carriage.

Chu Jiubian got in, and as soon as he entered the cabin, he smelled a light, elegant fragrance.

Looking around, he couldn’t help but admire Xiao Yao’s ability to enjoy life.

The two-horse carriage boasted twice the space of the usual single-horse carriage, and was also larger than the one he and Qin Xiao had ridden together before.

Furthermore, the carriage had seats on three sides, covered with soft, thick cushions. A square table was fixed in the middle, with various-sized indentations on it where an oil lamp, teapot, teacups, and snack plates were placed.

Chu Jiubian sat on a seat to the right. Seeing that the servant was about to come in and serve him, he said: “No need to serve me.”

The servant acquiesced and lowered the curtain.

After receiving Chu Jiubian’s assent, the servant and coachman sat down on either side of the outer carriage and steadily steered the horses toward the Western Market.

The only sound on the quiet street was the clop, clop, clop of the horses’ hooves. The flickering light of the oil lamp cast Chu Jiubian’s swaying shadow against the carriage wall.

Chu Jiubian lifted the curtain to look outside, but when all that met his eyes were the continuous walls of the palace, he lowered it again.

After traveling for some time, he suddenly heard voices.

The light outside gradually brightened, indicating that they had arrived on the main street.

The noise of the crowd grew louder, but rather than slowing down, the carriage maintained a steady pace.

Ordinary people would give way to the carriages of the wealthy and powerful.

For their own convenience, they occupied the resources that ordinary people used to survive, causing them unnecessary trouble. This was typical of the elite.

Chu Jiubian was sitting in the carriage – this symbol of power and wealth – and for the next period of time, would be working with these powerful figures to sell salt.

Although his goal was the Imperial Examinations and the starting point was to have more officials who did practical things for the common people, he had inevitably become a member of the wealthy and powerful elite.

Becoming part of the whole was the safest and most efficient way to cooperate.

For their own benefit, they could be at loggerheads one moment, then shake hands and make peace the next.

This was officialdom.

The carriage reached almost to the center of the main street before turning to enter the Western Market.

Before long, the noise level rose instead of falling, and the light outside the carriage grew even brighter.

Chu Jiubian lifted a corner of the curtain slightly and saw that the route seemed to pass through Splendid Plaza.

Sure enough, not long after, he caught sight of the two-story Hundred Treasure House.

The carriage continued forward until it reached the end of the long street, where it turned again.

The voices nearby were noticeably quieter than before, but the sound of traditional instruments increased. He could hear different songs and instruments every few steps.

This was the shore of Changning Lake, where the sounds of traditional string and wind instruments sounded from the pleasure boats and painted barges on the water.

The carriage gradually slowed down, and Chu Jiubian dropped the curtain.

They were almost there.

Sure enough, after traveling only two or three hundred more meters, the carriage came to a complete stop.

The servant outside announced: “My Lord, we have arrived at the pleasure boat.”

Chu Jiubian acknowledged him, and the servant lifted the curtain, respectfully inviting him down from the carriage.

It would have taken Chu Jiubian forty-five minutes to walk here from the palace.

He looked up at the vast lake in front of him, shimmering with lights. Dozens of exquisitely-decorated pleasure boats floated there leisurely. Through the gauze curtains and drapes, he could faintly glimpse a multitude of graceful dancers, as well as academics and scholars drinking wine, composing poems, and engaging in lively conversation.

Candles were not yet available in the Great Ning Dynasty, and oil lamps were the most commonly-used light source.

Even so, people’s knowledge and ideas could also motivate them to make various attempts in pursuit of “beauty.”

Colorful halos refracted through different objects and gave the flickering light of the oil lamps a dreamlike quality.

Chu Jiubian swept his gaze lightly over everything before him, ultimately settling on a huge pleasure boat right next to the shore.

This pleasure boat was the largest and most luxurious one on the entire lake.

Whether it was the use of mahogany throughout, the flowing brocade and silk decorations, or the various shapes and colors of porcelain and jade, it all displayed the preciousness and extravagance of the painted boat.

And on the shore, at the “pier” closest to the painted boat, stood quite a large group of people.

The vast majority of them were servants, however, other than the tall, elegant man standing at the center.

Dressed in dark blue brocade robes, he gently waved a folding fan. With just a slight smile on his lips, he was able to make everyone around him pale in comparison. 

The Xiao family truly lives up to their reputation as “beauties,” thought Chu Jiubian.

The man he had praised as a beauty noticed him at that moment.

Even in the simplest black and white robes, lacking any ornate decorations, Chu Jiubian’s ethereal and otherworldly nature was undeniable.

His long silver hair was ruffled by the breeze, revealing a breathtaking divine quality under the light and shadows.

Xiao Yao stared for a moment before stepping forward to bow: “Jiu-gongzi.”

Today’s banquet was a private affair, so addressing him as “my lord” would be inappropriate, but calling him “Chu-xiong” would also be strange. Therefore, Xiao Yao proceeded with this form of address. 

Chu Jiubian nodded: “Family Head Xiao.”

When he attended court as an official, his concurrent titles were Grand Tutor and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and he would return such greetings by bowing to his colleagues.

But he wasn’t on duty at this time. He was Chu Jiubian, a “god,” and naturally must continue to maintain his aloof and divine persona.

Chu Jiubian had been just like this the first time they met, so Xiao Yao wasn’t surprised. In fact, he felt that a celestial being should be just like the person in front of him.

“I am truly flattered that the Young Master accepted my invitation.” After the niceties, he gestured for him to proceed and said, “I have prepared some wine. Young Master, please come on board.”

When Chu Jiubian took a step, the other man followed after him.

Once on the pleasure boat, Xiao Yao was worried that Chu Jiubian might lose his balance, and offered perfunctory support. But Chu Jiubian stood firm, giving him no chance to put on a performance.

“This way, Young Master.” Xiao Yao personally led the way, taking Chu Jiubian to the boat’s main hall.

He seemed to be showing deference to Chu Jiubian in every way, going through every possible gesture.

But Chu Jiubian didn’t take it to heart at all.

For a normal person, chartering an entire pleasure boat on a day like the Qixi Festival to cater to one person would be a truly sincere high-level reception.

But for a powerful figure like Xiao Yao, this expense was like a delicacy he could casually enjoy – just a part of his daily life.

If he was truly sincere, he would have gone in person to pick Chu Jiubian up.

As they saying went, have respect for the wise. Even Zhuge Liang had to be visited at the thatched-roof cottage three times,^[1] but Xiao Yao only sent one of his servants to pick him up.

These noble families were so accustomed to their own arrogance and superiority that they didn’t take other people seriously.

So in actuality, Xiao Yao intended to befriend Chu Jiubian but was not inclined to humble himself.

He was unlike Qin Xiao, who could readily lower himself and beg without hesitation, and allow Chu Jiubian to stab him to mollify his anger.

Although a bit radical, his sincerity was obvious.

Compared to Xiao Yao, Chu Jiubian felt that Qin Xiao was pure and unpretentious.

The pleasure boat had two floors, and was somewhat similar to the Qiu family’s Treasure Pavilion, but more beautiful and magnificent.

Xiao Yao had booked this pleasure boat for the day, and all of the singers and dancers were at his beck and call.

They had also prepared an array of fruits, snacks, fine wines, and delicacies.

All of them were ready to take their positions when Xiao Yao gave the order.

As Chu Jiubian and Xiao Yao walked to the second floor, a cool, damp and refreshing breeze blew in.

Chu Jiubian took a casual glance around and found that in the very large space, there were no doors or windows on any of the four sides, only carved pillars and gauze curtains that moved with the wind.

The large area in the middle could have been filled with many tables and chairs, enough to seat hundreds of people. But at this moment, there were only two low tables and cushions facing each other.

The people of the Great Ning Dynasty were accustomed to using tables and chairs, and would sit around a table to eat with a small gathering of friends. However, when a banquet was held, everyone would sit at separate tables.

And according to ancient customs, when people sat at separate tables, they sat directly on the ground. At most, there were a couple of soft cushions, and the low dining tables only reached knee height.

When women sat, they would always keep their knees together in a borderline kneeling position.

And when men sat, they would usually do so cross-legged.

This was the first time since his arrival that Chu Jiubian had seen such a dining layout in Great Ning. But he had acted out such a scene before, so when Xiao Yao invited him to take a seat, he sat down smoothly.

Every move he made was a delight to behold.

The Xiao family loved beautiful people, and Xiao Yao was no exception. 

When Chu Jiubian glanced at him, he smiled slightly and sat down opposite him. The two were about five or six meters apart, neither too far nor too close.

Xiao Yao shot a look to his right, and soft music began to play. Then dozens of women in red and white dresses emerged from behind a screen and danced gracefully to the music.

Chu Jiubian also looked in that direction.

The women were more than ten meters away from them, and because they were seated at a higher elevation than where the women were dancing, they had an excellent view.

“What does the young master think?” Xiao Yao asked with a smile.

Chu Jiubian replied mildly: “Pretty good.”

This was hardly a “pretty good” performance. It seemed that this Jiu-gongzi was used to watching fairies dance, and naturally looked down on the women of the mortal world.

Xiao Yao then stopped trying to impress the unimpressible, saying: “Please try these dishes, Young Master.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a line of maidservants carrying trays filed up the stairs.

Dishes were placed on the table one by one.

Chu Jiubian knew at a glance that these dishes were made with fine salt. It must have come from Bai Lihai.

“Please, Young Master,” Xiao Yao said with a warm smile.

Chu Jiubian stared at him intently, a cryptic smile playing at the corners of his lips.

In his mind, the System was flashing chaotic red lights: [Alert, alert! This System has detected that the food in front of Host is poisoned. Please consume with caution!]

*

*

Nong’an Village, Yunlu County, Hexi Prefecture.

During the Qixi Festival, the young men and women of the village had their own routines. They changed into their most presentable clothing and put on brand-new cloth shoes. The girls did their hair in meticulous braids, and those who were skilled would also style them into beautiful buns, adding eye-catching silk flowers that they wouldn’t normally wear.

They would travel to Yunlu County, the closest county seat to their village, and under the guise of admiring the lanterns, chat with their sweethearts with whom they wouldn’t normally exchange more than a few words.

Dong Sanzhuang walked amongst the vividly-colored crowd, feeling somewhat out of place.

He looked to be no more than eighteen or nineteen years old. His patched-up day clothes were not very clean, and it was even possible to smell sweat mixed with dirt while in close proximity to him.

But he wore an undisguised smile on his face, and would occasionally glance back at his basket.

He was walking in the opposite direction of almost everyone else, his steps light and quick as he headed toward Nong’an Village.

After walking for most of the day, he finally entered the village.

A group of aunties and grandmothers were gathered at the village entrance, chatting idly. When they caught sight of him returning, one of the loudest aunties greeted him with a cheerful smile: “Hey, Sanzhuang’s back from work.”

“Yes, Auntie.” Dong Sanzhuang replied with a smile. He didn’t stop.

“Go back quickly, your wife has been missing you since noon,” an auntie teased.

The crowd immediately burst into laughter.

Dong Sanzhuang blushed and quickened his pace. In no time at all, he disappeared into the night.

“These newlyweds are really enjoying themselves.”

“That’s true. But Sanzhuang’s basket looked heavy – he probably brought back a lot of good stuff.”

“That’s a strong, hardworking man. He just finished repairing one of the dams for the Imperial Court and then rushed back to work in the country. It’s only right and proper for him to use any spare money to buy food and necessities.”

“It’s not just him. His young wife Dan Niang is also capable and hardworking. Now that she’s pregnant again, the young couple’s lives are getting better and better.”

“It’s a good thing they separated from that family early. Otherwise, those two honest kids would definitely have been treated like livestock by that Old Lady Dong.”

“Who can blame them when the first son is a county accountant, the second son married the village head’s daughter, and only the third son is reliable…..”

Dong Sanzhuang was unaware of the gossip circulating in the village.

He rushed back to his small home on the outskirts. It was a small courtyard with two dilapidated mud houses, but everything was kept meticulously clean. Inside, an oil lamp provided dim illumination.

“Wife! I’m back!” he shouted from afar.

Hearing the commotion, the person inside immediately came out to greet him, quickly moving to unlock the gate.

Dong Sanzhuang had already arrived at the door, and as soon as it opened, his eyes fell on a girl in coarse linen clothes.

The girl was eighteen or nineteen years old. Her long, glossy black hair was styled into a woman’s bun, and her features were gentle and shy, aside from a red birthmark the size of a copper coin on her left cheek.

This was Dan Niang.

Village girls married young; half of them had their marriage agreements arranged at eleven or twelve, and then got married at thirteen or fourteen.

Some fathers who doted on their daughters might keep them for a couple more years, but generally, they must marry by fifteen or sixteen. It would be extremely difficult to find a spouse after that age.

Women like Dan Niang, who hadn’t married until she was eighteen, were known as old maids in the surrounding villages.

And the reason she wasn’t married, other than the birthmark on her face, was because she was down-to-earth and capable. Her family didn’t want to lose this free labor, so they never bothered to find her a suitable matchmaker.

It was during the previous year’s Qixi Festival that Dan Niang accompanied her younger sister to the county town on a shopping trip, and that was where she met Dong Sanzhuang.

She and Dong Sanzhuang were basically in the same boat, both of them neglected children, yet also down-to-earth, capable, and guileless. Once they met, their relationship blossomed into true mutual affection.

Thus, after Dong Sanzhuang returned home, he informed his parents of his marriage proposal. When she heard that Dan Niang’s family wasn’t asking for much, out of fear that the villagers would gossip about her, Old Lady Dong reluctantly accepted this daughter-in-law.

Not long after marrying, Dan Niang became pregnant.

But she had no relevant experience, and Old Lady Dong didn’t care about her and continued to make her handle difficult tasks. This caused her pregnancy to go wrong, and it wasn’t until her belly was quite large that she and Dong Sanzhuang realized the problem.

In order to provide a better life for his wife and children, Dong Sanzhuang had gone to the county town to find work and labored tirelessly. He would often send money and food home, hoping that his family would take better care of Dan Niang.

But Old Lady Dong paid no attention to her at all. She spent Dong Sanzhuang’s money while continuing to force his wife to work, which caused the miscarriage of Dan Niang’s first child.

Dong Sanzhuang was still a teenager and hadn’t paid attention to such things before, feeling that it was normal to suffer a few hardships at home.

But with this event, he could no longer bear it, and took the matter to the family head.

For the sake of reputation, the family head agreed to allow them to separate from the family and leave.

When the two youngsters left, they were given nothing but two meager acres of land, along with a courtyard and two dilapidated houses.

But after just one year apart from the family, they were already making a good living.

Dan Niang was now pregnant again, and was almost five months along. This time, the two were taking extra precautions for the baby.

“Wife, slow down a little.” Dong Sanzhuang supported her by the arm the moment he laid eyes on her, then turned to lock the gate before guiding his wife back into the house.

Dan Niang smiled and said: “I’m fine. But why did you come back so late today? You made me worry.”

“It’s my fault. I’ll try to come back earlier next time.” Dong Sanzhuang helped her into the house and sat her on the heated kang bed. Then he said while unloading the basket on his back, “Since today is the Qixi Festival, Boss had a lot more orders to deliver, so I worked a little longer.”

“But Boss Wang didn’t make me work for free; he even gave me an extra ten coins.”

“Don’t overwork yourself,” Dan Niang said in concern. “You just finished the dam repairs a few days ago, and you haven’t recovered yet. Plus, you still have a considerable amount of wages left from His Highness Jiannan-wang, so it won’t hurt for you to rest a few more days.”

“It’s fine, I’m not tired.”

Dong Sanzhuang set the basket on the floor and crouched beside it. He looked up at Dan Niang with a smile: “Wife, guess what I bought today?”

Seeing him in such a state, Dan Niang laughed and asked him: “What is it?”

Dong Sanzhuang reached into the basket and pulled out two small sacks of refined rice flour.

“Aiya, why did you buy all of this?” Dan Niang took the sacks with great surprise and quickly took a look inside.

“Didn’t you say yesterday that you wanted to eat white flour steamed buns? Let’s make them here tomorrow.”

Dan Niang grinned from ear to ear.

“And these too.” Dong Sanzhuang pulled one item after another from his basket as if by magic.

Peanuts, malt sugar, and a piece of pork belly the size of a palm.

Dan Niang was delighted, and didn’t lecture him for spending the money. On the contrary, she was genuinely happy with everything he had brought her.

“Let’s render some oil from this pork belly tomorrow and use it for cooking later. We can chop the remaining meat with some scallions and make a filling – we’ll have meat buns tomorrow night!”

As he watched her talk so excitedly, Dong Sanzhuang’s smile never faded.

He took the last item from the basket, put it behind his back, and sat down next to Dan Niang.

She continued to talk spiritedly for a while, then opened the malt sugar so that they could both have a taste.

Dong Sanzhuang tasted sweetness on his tongue.

Then, Dan Niang wrapped up the malt sugar again to preserve it for later.

“Oh, look at this!” She picked a piece of red linen off the kang and unfolded it. The simple fabric had been made into a small round-necked tunic.

“Is this for our child?” Dong Sanzhuang asked in pleasant surprise. “Wife, your craftsmanship is truly excellent.”

“I saved up more than a dozen eggs to exchange them for this cloth at my second aunt’s house. Our child will definitely love wearing it.”

Dong Sanzhuang said: “Then starting tomorrow, don’t save up any eggs. Eat one every day and take good care of your health.”

“Okay, let’s each have one so we can both get some nourishment.”

Dong Sanzhuang just smiled. Then, he hesitated for a moment before awkwardly pulling something out from behind him: “Wife, this is for you.”

Dan Niang looked over, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears.

“Is…..is this a pearl flower?”

The day they met at the Qixi Festival, Dong Sanzhuang had used the little money he had to buy a pearl flower, giving it to Dan Niang as a token of their love.

He also promised to buy her one for the Qixi Festival every year. Dan Niang had almost forgotten about it, and hadn’t expected him to remember.

Dong Sanzhuang put the pearl flower in her hair, then gently wiped away her tears and said: “Wife, I will never allow you or our child to suffer again. I will work hard to earn money and build a big brick house for my family, and we’ll be able to eat meat and sweets every day.”

Dan Niang cried and laughed at the same time: “We believe you, both me and the child.”

*

*

Chu Jiubian looked at the five dishes in front of him.

There were two stewed dishes, a bowl of porridge, a bowl of soup, and a bowl of minced meat.

The System had detected that all of the dishes aside from the porridge contained poison.

Many people knew that Xiao Yao had invited him to a banquet today.

And the fact that he had invited him to such a grand event, and even used so much fine salt in so many dishes, suggested that he wished to discuss the salt business with Chu Jiubian.

Therefore, he would never take this opportunity to harm him, and for a long time to come, even without the gun incident, Xiao Yao would have avoided harming him for the sake of the salt trade.

So why poison the food?

Was someone trying to use Xiao Yao’s hand to kill him?

But that wasn’t quite right either.

Xiao Yao wasn’t an idiot, and would have kept the business he intended to discuss with Chu Jiubian secret from those other powerful figures. Therefore, anyone on this pleasure boat today must belong to him.

Outsiders wouldn’t have much of a chance to interfere.

Chu Jiubian picked up the bowl of porridge, scooped out a spoonful, and ate it.

It had a slightly salty taste, and it could be seen that the emergence of fine salt would spur on the development of savory porridge.

If there were preserved eggs in the future, they could have preserved egg and lean pork porridge.

“Not bad,” Chu Jiubian commented, setting the bowl back down on the table.

Xiao Yao had already taken a couple sips of soup. Upon hearing this, he nodded and said: “The soup is even better. I’ve been favoring it lately, and crave it if I miss a day. The Young Master must try it.”

Even those noble families that weren’t related to royalty paid great attention to etiquette and manners.

But Xiao Yao was drinking the soup one spoonful after another, as if he couldn’t get enough.

And once he finished the entire bowl, he let out a long sigh as his eyes momentarily glazed over.

Chu Jiubian’s mind stirred.

He thought: “System, what kind of poison is in the food?”

[Three points.]

“Deal.”

The System immediately replied: [Opium poppy, an addictive toxin, has been added to the dish.]

As expected!

Chu Jiubian’s scalp immediately tingled, and his heart sank.

When had this stuff reached Great Ning?

How long had it been spreading?

How many people had been exposed to it?

“Why isn’t the Young Master eating?” Xiao Yao regarded Chu Jiubian with a slightly dazed expression. “Is it not to your liking?”

Chu Jiubian could tell from the look of him that he had developed somewhat of a dependence on the thing.

With his fingernails digging into his skin, Chu Jiubian said in an exceptionally calm tone: “This dish smells delicious. Aside from the fine salt, something else must have been added as well.”

Xiao Yao smiled and said: “To be honest, Young Master, we also added a spice brought back from the southeast, called mandala.”

“Mandala?”

“That’s right. It is a fine powder with a unique flavor. Adding it to any dish will completely change its taste.” Xiao Yao felt that he was very clear-headed. “Just like your fine salt.”

“What is like fine salt?”

A familiar voice suddenly rang out, and both Chu Jiubian and Xiao Yao looked toward its source.

Out of nowhere, dressed in black, Qin Xiao had appeared in the hall behind Chu Jiubian.

He then sat down right next to Chu Jiubian as if he was in his own home.

Xiao Yao was only astonished for a moment before regaining his smile. He said warmly: “I apologize for not welcoming Lord Ning-wang properly.”

“It’s nothing.” Qin Xiao magnanimously didn’t hold it against him. He then asked: “What were you saying earlier about fine salt? Is it something this lord can hear?”

Xiao Yao glanced at Chu Jiubian. Seeing that he had no response to give, he said: “Of course.”

Then he ordered that another table and set of dishes be brought out.

Looking at these dishes, Qin Xiao could tell that they had been made using fine salt. There were none of the impurities left behind by cooking with coarse salt.

“Neither My Lord nor the Young Master are outsiders, so I won’t hold back,” Xiao Yao said. “My Xiao family possesses mandala, and the two of you manage the fine salt trade. My Xiao family is willing to give thirty percent of the profits from both the mandala and fine salt to the Imperial Court – on the condition that the fine salt trade be limited to only my Xiao family.”

He was quite arrogant, wasn’t he?

However…..

“What is mandala?” Qin Xiao asked.

Xiao Yao said with a smile: “My Lord will know after he tastes these dishes.”

Qin Xiao softly rubbed his ring, then grabbed his chopsticks. Just as he was about to pick up some minced meat, his wrist was grasped tightly.

Startled, he turned to stare at Chu Jiubian.

---

[1] In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei had to humbly visit the strategist Zhuge Liang at his cottage three times in order to recruit him. ⮐

---

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Chapter 36 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 38

You Lin continued to speak, not giving Ling Yi a chance to deny it.

“I carefully inspected the scene, and the fire was caused by a short circuit in the electrical wiring. There were clear signs of human intervention at the fire’s ignition point.”

“At first, I thought it was a traitor in the court who wanted to destroy the evidence by any means necessary, but looking back, all of the court staff were under supervision at the time, and they wouldn’t have had the opportunity. In the entire building, aside from His Highness Oser, Captain Tang De, and the guards carrying documents, the only person with the ability to move freely was you.”

Ling Yi lowered his eyes, accepting his interrogation with a strange docility.

“Since you’ve figured it out, why did you come to confront me instead of reporting it to His Highness Oser?”

You Lin’s expression was cold: “When you saw His Highness rush into the fire, you were more anxious than anyone else. Your concern must have touched His Highness. I don’t object to you being together. As a subordinate, I also want to do my best to maintain my boss’s emotional relationship and not cause any cracks to form.”

“Now that you are His Highness’s partner, please be loyal to him. If he knew that your anxiousness was out of guilt rather than worry, how do you think he’ll feel?”

When Ling Yi finally raised his eyes, they were full of confusion.

“Where’s the person who broke into my room at night to force me to leave His Highness? What made you change your mind so drastically in such a short time?”

“Back then, I had just heard that His Highness had used his power of pardon, and in the heat of the moment, I forgot about the pardon’s supplementary clauses.”

“What do you mean? What supplementary clauses?” Ling Yi asked.

“Article 4 of the supplementary clauses in the power of pardon states that if the death sentence of the pardoned is invalidated within thirty days of exercising the power of pardon, the pardon will become invalid.”

Ling Yi was stunned.

His expression said it all.

“It seems you were indeed unaware. His Highness is working hard to overturn your case not only to clear your name, but also because he shoulders a more important mission, which is to eradicate evil and govern the country to ensure the safety of the common people.”

“You don’t actually believe that His Highness would abandon the country and his people for an Omega, do you? The wise leader I follow is certainly not a mediocre person who indulges in selfish desires. His Highness is not just your person – he’s the future emperor.”

Ling Yi was still reeling from shock over the invalidation of the pardon. You Lin’s voice was like stones flying from all directions, hitting the bronze bells surrounding him and making his ears buzz. He was unable to hear every word clearly.

The words “Invalidated death sentence” and “the pardon becomes invalid” revolved around him like a tangible spell. The scene of Oser rushing into the fire was still vivid in his mind, and his sigh of regret still lingered in his ears.

— It’s a pity that the evidence couldn’t be salvaged.

The naked truth woke Ling Yi from his guilt. He left You Lin, who was still speaking, and rushed out of the room.

“Where are you going?” You Lin shouted behind him.

Tang De was startled when Ling Yi swept by him in a gust of wind.

“Your Highness Ling Yi, can I help you?”

The room was a temporary office converted from a ward. Ling Yi saw the whole area at a glance, but the person he was looking for wasn’t there. 

“Where is His Highness Oser?” he asked in a temper.

Tang De had a hunch that something was wrong. The thing he was worried about seemed to have happened.

“His Highness just went out. Do you have something important to tell him? I can help you convey it to him.”

Ling Yi roared at him: “I asked you, where is he?!”

Tang De panicked, and could only tell him the truth: “He went to the first floor ward, where the Chief Justice woke up just now. Maybe he felt guilty after His Highness saved him, because he offered to hand evidence over to His Highness……”

Ling Yi blew away in another gust of wind, leaving Tang De as a solitary figure far behind him.

“Your Highness Ling Yi, please wait! I’m coming with you!”

The Chief Justice, who was well-known for his dignified manner, was now in an unprecedented state of disarray. Not only was a large swath of his face blackened, but even a patch of his hair was burned bald.

Who among those who saw him now could still associate him with the awe-inspiring Chief Justice in court?

Although the Chief Justice was high in status, he was naturally inferior to the orthodox royal family.

He had seemed to shrink in presence when he was handcuffed to a chair and awaiting investigation.

Then he was in a fire and was so scared that he peed his pants, and his dignity took another hit when he screamed for help.

The Chief Justice now felt so inferior to his savior that he could only speak humbly when conversing with him.

“Thank you, Your Highness, for putting aside past grudges and saving my life. In fact, the Prime Minister had already ordered the destruction of important evidence. Even if you examine the burned items, you won’t find anything…..however, I was afraid that the Prime Minister would go back on his word in the future and I would have no way to protect myself, so I made a backup of all the content.”

Oser sneered: “It seems you’re not a fool. Where is it?”

The trembling Chief Justice handed over a USB flash drive.

“It’s all here. I carry it with me at all times and dare not leave it anywhere. I rely on it to save my life at a critical moment.”

Oser knew he didn’t dare to lie, and leaned forward to take it. But a hand suddenly appeared out of nowhere, snatched the flash drive, and threw it to the floor, where it was crushed beneath a shoe.

The Chief Justice was startled by this sudden development, and when he glimpsed the face of the newcomer, he was so frightened that he fell to the floor.

“You, y-you…..a ghost, ah!”

Oser was also taken aback: “There are so many people standing guard. How did you get up here like this?”

He tried to help cover up Ling Yi’s face, but was violently shoved away.

“What’s wrong with you?” Oser asked in confusion.

“Your Highness, why do you insist on overturning my verdict? Is it for my sake, or is it for the throne?” Ling Yi asked bluntly.

Oser frowned. The hot-tempered Ling Yi before him was the complete opposite of the Ling Yi who had been afraid to hurt him when applying medicine.

“Are these two things in conflict?”

“I really thought Your Highness rushed into the fire for me, but it turns out you were reluctant to give up your damn inheritance rights!”

Tang De had caught up, and heard Ling Yi’s words clearly.

“Let me say one more thing. His Highness can get back his inheritance rights and also clear your name, so it’s a win-win situation. Why are you so opposed to it?”

“I know why.”

A voice cut in, drawing everyone’s attention.

Tang De: “You Lin? What do you know?”

You Lin walked to the center of the crowd at a leisurely pace. He picked up the broken flash drive on the floor and held it in front of Ling Yi.

“Because you didn’t kill anyone.”

Everyone present, save Ling Yi, was shocked.

Ling Yi alone glared at You Lin with a murderous expression.

“I figured it out just now. At first, I didn’t understand why you would want to set a fire to prevent His Highness Oser from overturning your verdict—”

Tang De interrupted: “Are you certain? How could the arsonist be…..?”

The Chief Justice muttered to himself: “I thought the fire was set by the Prime Minister to silence me…..”

You Lin fixed his eyes on Ling Yi and continued: “But when I saw your violent reaction just now, I finally figured it out. You don’t want to destroy evidence that you killed someone – you want to destroy evidence that you didn’t.”

The look in Ling Yi’s eyes left You Lin with no doubt that if there were no witnesses at the scene, he would have attacked him without mercy.

But the presence of His Highness Oser gave him the confidence to continue.

“Let me guess what was in that missing video. Lu Dawa lay motionlessly on the ground as you stabbed his gland repeatedly with the murder weapon. During the trial, you claimed that you did it because you were angered out of your mind, but in fact, you were extremely calm—”

Ling Yi: “Enough!”

“Because you knew that children and adults have different movements and strength when holding a knife, and it would be easy for a forensic doctor to identify this. You had to mutilate the body into a bloody mess in order to cover up the fatal wound – the stab wound that Xi Lan inflicted!”

“I told you, that’s enough!” Ling Yi clenched his fists. If the anger in his eyes was to take shape, the Royal Medical College would already be a sea of flames.

You Lin remained unmoved.

“When you found out there was a video, you got nervous, fearing that someone would find something suspicious in it. But when the video disappeared, you were even more anxious. You were afraid that someone had noticed that suspicious element and removed it from the chain of evidence.”

He turned to the Chief Justice and asked: “Am I right?”

The Chief Justice nodded timidly: “After I discovered it, I went to inform the Prime Minister. If the defendant’s lawyer put forward the hypothesis that the wound was concealed and the murderer was actually a minor, even if he did receive a sentence, it wouldn’t be a long one. The Prime Minister said that they had both murdered his son, and that he would deal with the older one first before dealing with the younger…..”

Having obtained witness testimony, You Lin turned back to Ling Yi: “You knew that if the case went on, doubts would begin to surface again; you knew that if the case was overturned, the real murderer would have to be put on the docket. So you deliberately destroyed the evidence at all costs, because you wanted to protect the real killer!”

The scene fell into an abnormal silence. Only Ling Yi’s uncontrolled, angry breathing could be heard.

A faint voice called from the doorway:

“Everything he just said…..is it true?”

Ling Yi turned his head sharply to find that Xi Lei had appeared at some point.

The medical stand closest to Ling Yi was overturned, and the IV drip attached to the Chief Justice’s hand smashed to the floor and shattered, splashing transparent liquid everywhere.

Ling Yi flew into a rage.

“Why must the truth be revealed, why must it be spoken out loud? Who doesn’t know that admitting to this crime means death, and that Lu Hulun is cruel and ruthless? I could still find a way to escape the death sentence – at worst, I could go to bed with the Crown Prince. But how could a minor protect himself and avoid being hunted down?”

“I’m still alive, the case is closed, and Xi Lan doesn’t remember anything. Is there any better outcome than this? Why do you have to dig it up and force Xi Lan to go through everything I went through, forcing him to relive the pain over and over again? Is this the justice you seek?”

As his anger soared, the concentration of Omega pheromones around him also increased. But the Alphas around him seemed to be in a trance, and no one noticed anything unusual.

Ling Yi’s anger spread to Oser.

“And you! You never intended to fulfill your deal from the beginning. Nothing is more important than your shitty throne, you just picked up an Omega for nothing on the way! There are no free things in this world!”

The eyes of the Alphas gradually locked onto him, and Oser, who matched him to the highest degree, was the most affected. His eyes were bloodshot, and his breathing grew heavier.

If Ling Yi were calmer, he would have realized that something was wrong, but he had already lost his rationality to anger and was unaware of the peril he was in.

He pointed at the other party’s nose and cursed: “Fengdi Oser, you slept with me, so you’re fucking responsible for me. Do what you promised me! You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Why should you get all of the good things for yourself? You want to sit on the throne with an Omega in your arms and live your dream life!”

“What’s wrong, what’s wrong?” Pat ran over in a panic. “Why are all of you crowded here? What happened?”

In the next second, he covered his nose in horror: “Your Highness Ling Yi, please use your words instead. Don’t release your pheromones!”

He felt a pain in his jaw, as if he had received a hard punch, and fell to the floor. Xi Lei had attacked him.

This was a familiar scene. Pat immediately understood that the irrational Alpha regarded him as a competitor, but he wasn’t the one in danger. All of the Alphas other than His Highness Oser were.

“Calm down! Calm down, he’s not somebody else, he’s Ling Yi, ah! Have you forgotten your fear of being dominated by His Highness Oser’s pheromones?!”

Xi Lei’s body suddenly trembled, and he fell limply in front of Pat.

Pat: …..It’s not that scary.

The fallen Xi Lei revealed Lan Ze behind him. He was wearing the portable mask from last time as he calmly pointed to the Chief Justice and Tang De in turn.

“Knock this one out too, and this one.”

Following his instructions, a man with impeccable facial features attacked them one after another, knocking them out with one palm, simply and neatly.

He wasn’t wearing a mask, and appeared to be an Alpha, but he wasn’t affected by Ling Yi’s pheromones at all.

Pat’s eyes widened to the size of bells: “He….he can’t be that……”

Lan Ze’s gaze drifted toward him. But before he could say “knock him out,” Pat scrambled to his feet: “Not me, I’m still in my right mind. Quick, let’s carry these people out of here.”

“I think the culprit should be the one taken out.” Lan Ze glanced at Oser, not knowing how much sanity he had left. “Why don’t you hurry up and get him out of here. Are you planning to create another biohazard in the building?”

The floor beneath Ling Yi’s feet disappeared, and he was roughly thrown over somebody’s shoulder.

He was adversely affected by Oser’s rising pheromones, and his breathing and heartbeat accelerated. He punched and kicked, struggling desperately while suspended in the air.

“Put me down! I don’t want you to touch me, let me go!”

Oser didn’t let go. Ling Yi bit his shoulder. His kicking legs hit Oser’s left hand, which he had bandaged himself, and red blood seeped out under the pure white bandages. 

Oser didn’t seem to feel the pain. He carried Ling Yi downstairs, threw him onto the bed, and began to unwrap the bandages around his left hand.

Ling Yi’s fury was no less than his, and even driven by physiological instinct, his anger still prevailed. 

“You went back on your word! You broke your promise! I won’t be fooled by you, you dog emperor!

The bloodstained bandages fell to the floor in circles. The beast awakened by Ling Yi pounced on him, and his shouts and curses became muffled whimpers. His struggles were no match for the other party’s iron grip. Two sets of perfectly matched pheromones tangled together and seduced each other, neither of them willing to lose.

Very soon, only gasps filled the air.

---

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Chapter 36 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 38

Chapter 61 – Crying

Feng Ye stood in place for a while. Then, once the gushing blood subsided a bit, he approached the fallen body.

Crouching down, he picked up two things from the corpse, a storage bag and the Burning Sky Bow.

With the death of its owner, the spiritual consciousness attached to the storage bag had crumbled to ashes, and Feng Ye was able to open it smoothly. All that was left inside were some sundries and a few pills that were barely worth a handful of spirit stones.

Since it didn’t contain the evidence he needed in order to incriminate Xue Ren, Feng Ye tossed the storage bag away. As for the other things inside, regardless of their worth, Feng Ye had no interest in them.

He turned his gaze to the Burning Sky Bow in his hand, shaking it with some disgust to remove the blood staining it. If this heaven-grade magic weapon didn’t look so incredibly strange to him, he actually would have spurned it and not bothered to pick it up.

Forging a magic weapon with heavenly fire as the core was nothing more than an attempt to use the power of heaven to burn everything. According to common sense, materials with sufficient fire resistance should have been selected in its creation. Why use wood that ignited at the slightest touch as the backbone of the magic weapon?

He had simply raised this question, but Lu Chengye hadn’t answered it, and Feng Ye hadn’t pressed further. He could see that Lu Chengye likely knew nothing about the true origins of this weapon. Otherwise, with his boastful personality, he would have revealed everything long ago.

When looking at it from a distance, he had only felt that the structure of the weapon made no sense logically. But now that he actually had it in his grip, Feng Ye was even more puzzled.

Not long after Lu Chengye shot the arrow, the dark red totem that ignited the flames was extinguished. And when he drew the bow, the temperature was several degrees cooler than body temperature.

Even someone as knowledgeable as Feng Ye couldn’t imagine anything so cold and yin that it could suppress heavenly fire to the point that it couldn’t even release heat.

He carefully studied the dark red lines on the bow, attempting to infer the totem’s function, and was stunned to see that the bow was clean.

When he’d picked up the bow, it was covered in blood that he deliberately shook off.

But the permeability of the wood was not low, and some of the blood had seeped in through the gaps.

But now, those indelible blood stains had vanished without a trace.

He had only ever heard of evil swords drinking blood, but never a wooden bow doing the same.

Feng Ye stared at the bow in his hand with a silent frown, standing there motionless.

He could restrain himself and remain still, but the crow in the treetops behind him could not.

Hao Chen didn’t dare get close without risking Feng Ye discovering him. He simply stood on the highest branch and stretched his neck to watch the proceedings, dozens of meters away from Feng Ye.

Although birds generally had good eyesight, at such a long distance, Hao Chen couldn’t get a clear look at what was in Feng Ye’s hand.

He could see the wooden bow and the totem inscribed on it, but couldn’t see small details like the vanishing blood.

He just watched as Feng Ye bowed his head in silence, wondering what he was thinking as he held that bow.

He was so curious!

In order to see what was so strange about the bow in Feng Ye’s hand, he couldn’t help but move closer. And after getting closer, he felt that it wasn’t enough, so he drew closer again.

Thus, atop the tall tree behind Feng Ye, a black-feathered crow started from the treetop and used the horizontal branches as fulcrums, jumping between branches to spiral all the way down.

He deliberately refrained from flying, as the flapping of wings would be a bit obvious. Although he made some noise jumping back and forth among the branches, it was unnoticeable amongst the rustling sound of wind blowing through the trees.

Thinking himself very clever, the crow moved forward stealthily and came to the branch closest to the ground, just three meters behind Feng Ye.

The crow looked around with satisfaction, gripping the branch under his feet with his talons to arrange his seat for the show.

Although he hadn’t bought a ticket – from beginning to end, he was a citizen without a household registration.

Just as he was arranging his seat, Feng Ye moved again.

Holding the bow with his left hand, he placed his right hand on the bowstring. His fingers clenched, and the muscles exposed under his tattered robes tensed up.

Lu Chengye had lost half his cultivation, and was forced to use a forbidden technique in order to pull the bowstring, but Feng Ye only needed to exert a small amount of force to draw it with ease.

Once more, a crimson arrow appeared out of thin air. It wasn’t pointing at anything in particular. It seems Feng Ye just wants to shoot the arrow to test its power, Hao Chen thought.

But in the next moment, he realized exactly how wrong he was.

Because when the arrow formed and the bow bent into the shape of a moon, Feng Ye suddenly spun around. The bow in his hand went from horizontal to upright, with the tip of the crimson arrow pointed directly at the crow on the branch.

Hao Chen: “……”

Discovered.

Just as a bad premonition came to Hao Chen’s mind, Feng Ye’s hand holding the tail of the arrow suddenly loosened. The crow immediately started to flap his wings to escape, but Feng Ye calculated his escape route and still managed to hit him.

Crimson flames engulfed the black crow. Hao Chen paused for a moment where he had fallen behind Cao Zirui and Fang Yang, but swiftly recovered.

The two walking in front of him were engaged in casual chatter, and didn’t notice Hao Chen’s abnormal behavior.

Hao Chen continued to follow them as if nothing had happened, contemplating the scene he had just witnessed.

He had originally bet that the soft-hearted Feng Ye wouldn’t attack Lu Chengye, but the result was surprising and unexpected. Not only had Feng Ye taken action, but he had done so without hesitation. From beginning to end, he did not waver in the face of Lu Chengye’s pleas for mercy.

From the moment Lu Chengye confessed to all of the crimes he had committed, Feng Ye likely had no intention of letting him go.

He may indeed be very soft-hearted, but that did not apply once his bottom line was crossed.

Once he decided to kill, no amount of begging or pleading could shake his rock-solid heart.

However, Hao Chen’s favor toward Feng Ye did not decrease because of this. On the contrary, his heart was moved even more.

If Feng Ye had really let Lu Chengye go, Hao Chen would have been disappointed. His indecision would have only led to chaos. It was obvious that Lu Chengye was not at all repentant. No matter how sincerely he cried, he was only afraid of dying.

But Feng Ye hadn’t done that. He was decisive and unyielding in his execution. The cold expression on Feng Ye’s face when he took action had caused the heart of the crow on the branch to flutter.

Damn, he was attractive!

However, he inevitably harbored double standards. When Feng Ye’s coldness was directed toward others, he was charmed. But when it was directed at him, Hao Chen couldn’t help but complain to himself: “What a cruel man.”

He was only taking a peek!

Although the crow was merely a construct made from one of his feathers, his fan had shrunk, and the severed feathers could no longer transform into external incarnations. 

The feather that turned into a crow had actually been plucked directly from him. Although he had a lot of hair, it had still hurt.

Never mind, never mind. Just consider it the cost of sneaking into the show, Hao Chen thought with a sigh.

He didn’t attempt to peek again. He honestly followed Fang Yang and company toward the exit this time, ready to meet up with Feng Ye once he had dealt with everything.

On the other side, Feng Ye looked up into the air at a dark object falling down. 

When Lu Chengye had pulled the bowstring to its full potential, he had used every bit of his strength. But Feng Ye was different, and was able to use this magic weapon freely.

Although he had stretched the string into a full moon, he hadn’t actually used much strength. The flame wasn’t strong – just enough to drive away this intrusive peeper.

Feng Ye had actually noticed him a while ago. This crow was just like the one he had seen in the sect before. No, it was the exact same one.

There was no need to think about it. The strange feeling he got at that time had not been an illusion. There really was something wrong with this seemingly ordinary crow.

He had also guessed that it was probably Hao Chen’s incarnation, just like the fish at the bottom of the sea, so he’d been fairly casual in allowing the crow to follow him.

But Hao Chen was really pushing his luck. If Feng Ye took one step back, he would take two steps forward.

The crow was practically standing on his shoulder to watch the show.

Although Feng Ye had his back to the crow, he could sense it jumping up and down restlessly in the trees, and each sound of a shaking branch interrupted his thoughts.

When he finally couldn’t stand it anymore, he turned and drove the uninvited guest away.

Now that it was finally quiet, Feng Ye lifted his hand and caught a falling feather.

The black feather had a sort of radiant beauty under the sunlight.

Feng Ye’s eyes narrowed as he inspected it. A fish and a bird. Hao Chen’s true identity was about to be revealed.

There was no other answer in this world, but it was an answer that Feng Ye really didn’t want to know.

How could he be so unlucky as to run into the Lord of the North Sea, who was supposed to be taking a long nap?

They could fight. It wasn’t that Feng Ye couldn’t defeat him, but it would be really troublesome to face the Kunpeng, who had lived for tens of thousands of years.

Especially because he still didn’t know the identity of the mastermind behind the scenes, and whether or not the Kunpeng had anything to do with this matter. Were Hao Chen and the mastermind allies? Was getting close to him just a coincidence, or part of a deliberate plan?

These weren’t huge problems in and of themselves, because when it came to absolute strength, whether there was a deliberate plan or not, Feng Ye was confident that he could handle them. 

But now that he knew Hao Chen’s true identity, he couldn’t help but re-evaluate the danger he presented.

If Hao Chen was really in cahoots with the mastermind, then this time, he was in more trouble than he’d ever been. 

But this was just the worst possible outcome. Perhaps this Kunpeng had slept too much and came out to stretch his legs, and just happened to meet him.

Feng Ye sighed and put the matter aside for the time being.

Come to think of it, he had been away from the group for a long time. He needed to hurry and meet up with Fang Yang and the others, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to leave the Floating Island Secret Realm in time.

Just as he was about to set off, Feng Ye remembered the Burning Sky Bow in his hand and hesitated.

The bow must never be seen by Fang Yang and the others. Cao Zirui and Fang Yang had both laid eyes on it, and knew that it belonged to Lu Chengye.

If he didn’t want to reveal what he had done on this trip, there were no excuses he could make to explain it, and his storage bag was completely unable to hold such a large bow.

Feng Ye’s eyes shifted. If he couldn’t take the bow back anyway, he might as well take it apart to see what material it was made of.

He didn’t feel sorry at all. He had exchanged an earth-grade magic weapon with someone so casually, and this priceless heaven-grade weapon wasn’t much better in his eyes. He had always been indifferent to such material possessions.

Thus, he proceeded at once. Holding both ends of the wooden bow in his hands, he exerted force and directly snapped the indestructible bow in half.

When the bow broke, Ling Yun paused as he was rushing through the forest toward the exit. He looked vacantly into space with some confusion: “God?”

“Hehe.” A man’s low laugh sounded in his ears. In a rare good mood, he explained to Ling Yun: “The little toy I made was destroyed.”

Although Ling Yun didn’t know what this toy was, it was really inconceivable that he sounded so happy despite his own creation being destroyed.

But people sometimes had strange tastes, and Ling Yun didn’t actually want to know why he was so pleased. He had no interest in anything but the goal they had agreed to achieve together.

But the man had no listeners other than him, and continued to speak whether or not Ling Yun wanted to know: “But the toy isn’t just something to play with; the real surprise lies in opening it…..”

His voice dipped lower and lower, and he finally couldn’t hold back another laugh.

This laughter echoed through the air, fading into the distance.

Far away from the laughter’s reach, Feng Ye’s eyes widened in astonishment.

When he broke the wooden bow, the material lost its casing and spilled out uncontrollably.

It was a ball of strangely-shaped dark mist, covered in dense black spots. Those spots crowded and twisted together, forming the shapes of human faces. 

Each face was lifelike and distorted with resentment.

Their facial features were savage, eyes and mouths open wide in silent screams.

The sound was indiscernible to the ears, but each scream was like a dull hammer hitting his soul.

Feng Ye instantly dropped the bow and took a couple of steps back, but he was still unable to evade in time. How could those spirits who had been imprisoned for untold years after dying tragic deaths spare the first living person they saw after seeing the light of day again?

There was no way to tell how many faces were hidden in the mist, but in perfect harmony, they launched toward Feng Ye one after another.

In a flash, the bright sunlight vanished from his field of vision. Looking around, all he could see were distorted faces. Each one had its mouth open, full of hatred and despair.

Nobody wanted to die. But these souls had.

Trapped in the bow for untold years, the souls suffered day and night, unable to escape. No matter how they wailed or cursed, their locust wood prison prevented their voices from reaching the outside world.

Feng Ye finally understood why this bow with heavenly fire as a core was so oddly made with flammable wood – it was because this locust wood was suitable for raising ghosts.

He also understood what sort of cold yin material could suppress the fierce heavenly fire…..

Countless resentful souls who had died in tragic circumstances.

He was enveloped in the black mist as it grew stronger, pouring continuously from the broken Burning Sky Bow.

Those silent roars stirred his soul, causing it to tremble without end.

Feng Ye experienced a splitting headache. He covered his forehead with his hands, but didn’t drive these souls away immediately.

Because he felt like these wide-eyed, wide-mouthed faces were trying to tell him something.

But he couldn’t hear them clearly. Too many voices mixed together, turning into a sharp wail that pierced his eardrums.

Just when Feng Ye couldn’t bear the noise shaking his soul and decided to directly disperse these souls, in the next moment, he was completely unable to act.

Because he saw firelight.

The same firelight from a hundred years ago.

Black mist no longer seeped from the broken bow, as all of the souls sealed within the locust wood had fled their prison. Thus, the burning heavenly fire hidden beneath these resentful souls was revealed.

Without the resentful souls suppressing it, the heavenly fire immediately ignited the surrounding grass and trees with overwhelming force.

Dazzling flames penetrated the dark mist blocking Feng Ye’s sight. Countless faces distorted in terror, fleeing from the firelight. It was as if the past was happening all over again.

Feng Ye stared vacantly at the scene. In a trance, he finally heard what these faces were trying to tell him.

They were talking about…..the fire that took their lives a hundred years ago…..

Yinglong had cut down Jianmu in the Eastern Sea, and the enormous tree collapsed. Fire fell from the sky to the ground, spreading for three thousand li and lasting for three days…..

In the aftermath of this raging inferno, countless casualties had been recorded.

They were likely in the tens of thousands…..

The fear brought on by the flames extinguished the hatred and malice in these resentful souls. Terrified, they cried bitterly in front of that which had killed them.

Feng Ye stood in place. The unsuppressed heavenly fire burned with increasing ferocity, trapping him in a sea of flames. 

But he was like a wooden stake nailed into the ground, unmoving.

He continued to listen to the mournful cries in his ears. And when the wails reached their most miserable crescendo, he closed his eyes.

---

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Chapter 60 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 62

Although Great Ning emphasized agriculture and restrained commerce, it did not restrict people from engaging in business. Therefore, many farmers liked to take advantage of the off-season to do some minor business in order to supplement their household income.

City dwellers loved to eat fresh food, so farmers would bring eggs and wild vegetables they’d saved up at home for a period of time, or wild rabbits hunted in the mountains and fish caught from the rivers.

But there were many nobles in the capital city, and the farther into the city one went, the richer and more powerful those nobles were.

Fearing to offend these powerful people, farmers dared not go into the city proper to sell their goods, and only set up their stalls near the city gate.

The rulers didn’t care, and nobody shooed them away.

The people in the eastern part of the city were not as wealthy as those in the west, and knowing that these farmers sold cheap goods, they would often come to the city gate to try their luck.

Over time, the section of Shenwu Street near the city gate grew bustling with people coming to buy and sell things each day.

During the reign of Emperor Chengzong, an official submitted a memorial proposing that stalls be erected on both sides of the main street specifically for farmers, as a way of showing appreciation for the common people.

Chengzong readily agreed to anything that would bolster his reputation.

Today, this section of Shenwu Street near the city gate had become known as “Convenience Street” among the locals. Every day from the time the city gate opened to the time it closed in the evening, this street was packed with people.

When soldiers in armor suddenly rushed in at that moment, the merchants and commoners on both sides of the street quickly retreated a distance before kneeling down, not daring to raise their heads.

They were well-accustomed to this.

Many powerful people lived in the capital, and would venture down here from time to time.

If they met one of the good-tempered ones, it was a quick and easy process. The bad-tempered ones, however, would take their time strolling around leisurely. But if anyone was careless and bumped into one of them, disaster was inevitable.

Jiannan-wang was one of the leisurely ones.

Shortly after the soldiers lined up on both sides of the street, a procession of carriages and horses passed through the city gate and stepped onto Shenwu street.

The procession moved forward slowly, with a carriage at the front that exuded wealth and splendor.

A hand slowly lifted the window curtain, and a somewhat effeminate-looking youth turned his head to look outside. 

The common people, dressed in their coarse linen clothes, knelt by the roadside with their heads bowed. The soldiers were much the same way, eyes lowered and not daring to look directly at the carriage. 

Bai Lihai watched on coldly, completely uninterested. Just as he was about to lower the window curtain, he suddenly saw a young boy raise his head and look at the carriage with bright, curious eyes.

In the Great Ning Dynasty, men could tie their hair up in a guan after their coming-of-age ceremony at twenty years old. But before that, since it wasn’t convenient to leave their hair loose, boys would put their hair up in high ponytails or tie it into a long braid like many girls did.

The boy currently had his hair in a ponytail. But his skin was darker than that of most noble young masters, and his young age gave him a touch of rustic charm, making him look like a mischievous little devil.

Their eyes met, and the boy’s face immediately paled. He quickly lowered his head like a frightened deer.

Bai Lihai lowered the curtain.

In the next moment, a eunuch’s voice sounded outside: “Stop the carriage.”

The guard driving the carriage pulled back the reins and brought the horses to a stop.

He climbed off the carriage, placed down a small stool, and then lifted the carriage curtain.

A young eunuch dressed in dark palace attire disembarked first, then turned around and reached a hand into the carriage.

His wrist was grasped by a hand with distinct knuckles, and the eunuch caught a glimpse of the golden hem of a robe from the corner of his eye. His wrist was quickly released. He lowered his eyes, following the hem of those robes as their owner walked forward unhurriedly, then stopped at a small roadside stall.

Bai Lihai reached out and picked up a handmade silk flower. It was an exquisite red begonia.

His gaze shifted from the silk flower to the two people kneeling beside the stall.

The woman, dressed in dark garb, was around thirty years old. And kneeling beside her was the boy from earlier, who looked to be around ten years old.

Bai Lihai stroked the silk flower. Then, after a few breaths, he turned around and got back into the carriage.

The young eunuch took a purse from his waist and placed a silver ingot on the stall before leaving.

The carriage and horses started forward again.

After an unknown amount of time, all of the guards who had been standing on the street finally left, and the common people, whose legs had gone numb from kneeling, slowly began to stir.

“That must have been His Highness Jiannan-wang. He indeed possesses an extraordinary bearing.”

“You speak as if you saw him yourself.”

“His Highness got out of the carriage, how could I not have seen him?”

“That’s right, I remember that His Highness went to the Liu’s silk flower stall just now.”

“Look, it’s silver!” Someone with sharp eyes spotted the silver ingot on the silk flower stall. “His Highness actually gave her silver!”

Surnamed Liu was so frightened that her legs went weak and her young son had to support her to keep her from collapsing.

Her face was deathly pale as she clutched her chest, muttering: “Gods bless, gods bless. At least we didn’t offend someone important.”

“Mom!” The young boy holding her up saw the silver and exclaimed, “Mom, look! It’s silver!”

Surnamed Liu finally recovered somewhat, and a kindly old lady from a nearby stall helped steady her.

She reached out and took the silver from the stall. It was heavy and shaped like a small boat, weighing at least five taels. Her family couldn’t save up this much money in an entire year.

Filled with wariness and doubt, she quickly glanced at the table and found that the last remaining silk begonia was gone.

“That nobleman bought my silk flower!” Surnamed Liu nearly cried with joy.

She immediately pulled her son to kneel down with her, kowtowing in the direction the carriage had gone: “Many thanks for Your Highness’s generosity! Your Highness is kind-hearted!”

The vendors and common people watching were filled with envy and sourness. Why hadn’t they had such good fortune?

Many people were focused on the silver ingot surnamed Liu tucked into her bosom, but they didn’t dare have any ideas about it. Even if they managed to steal the money bestowed by the nobleman, they couldn’t risk spending it.

Surnamed Liu knew that nobody would dare to covet it, but carrying so much money made her uneasy, so she packed up the stall and left the city with her son.

They needed to hurry home; it would be better to leave the money to her in-laws to manage.

Her husband was the second oldest son in his family. With an older brother and a younger brother, he had become the least valued one, and it was only because of surnamed Liu’s skill in making silk flowers to supplement the family income that her mother-in-law treated her well.

When she took this silver ingot home today, she would likely be able to hold her head high from here on out.

Seeing her delighted expression, the boy opened his mouth, but ultimately didn’t dare to mention that he’d made eye contact with that nobleman today.

But wasn’t everything fine?

Everyone said that Jiannan-wang was a good person. He had even helped the people of Hexi Prefecture repair the dams.

And besides, he’d offended the other party today, but he’d done nothing to him. On the contrary, he spent so much money on that silk flower. It seemed he was genuinely a good person.

“Xiao Tian, let’s hurry back so we can have a hot dinner.” Surnamed Liu pulled him along, urging him to walk faster and faster.

Xiao Tian gradually relaxed, a smile spreading across his face.

When they had returned late in the past, Granny wouldn’t leave them any food except some cold porridge. But when they returned with the silver ingot today, Granny wouldn’t dare look down on them anymore.

The mother and son lived in Jing’an County, a few li from the capital. The county had six villages, and their Jingnan village was the closest to the city.

It was closer for them to go to the capital rather than the county seat, and they could earn more money there, which was why they had made the journey a few days ago.

There was an official road leading to Jingnan village, but because it required a detour, the common people had created their own path.

The path was shorter, but it led through a dense forest.

The mother and son had walked this route several times before, but usually with other villagers, since many people would go to Convenience Street to buy and sell wares, and a group of people could keep each other company on the way.

But since they’d left the city early today, there was no one else on the road.

However, the sun was just slightly lower on the horizon, and under the blue sky and bright sun, they were unafraid.

“I wonder if Granny would agree if I ask her to cook me an egg tonight.” Xiao Tian licked his lips.

Surnamed Liu said with a smile: “If she doesn’t agree, I won’t give her the silver ingot. Tonight, it won’t just be you eating one – your two older sisters and Mom and Dad will all be eating eggs tonight!”

Xiao Tian happily clapped his hands: “I’m going to eat eggs every day from now on.”

“Then your granny will be frustrated to death.”

The mother and son walked all the way in high spirits. When they reached the woods, Xiao Tian suddenly heard a noise behind them. Just as he started to turn around, someone suddenly covered his mouth from behind.

A strange fragrance wafted into his nostrils, and he immediately collapsed.

When she saw a man dressed entirely in black knock her son unconscious, surnamed Liu screamed and tried to pounce on him: “Hero, have mercy! Please let my son go!”

But how could a woman without enough strength to even kill a chicken be a match for a man?

The man struck her on the back of the neck with one hand, knocking her out as well. Then he took out a contract from his bosom, smeared cinnabar on the woman’s fingertip, and pressed it to the paper.

The man carefully stowed away the contract, then casually hoisted Xiao Tian over his shoulder and vanished into the woods.

News of Jiannan-wang’s return to the capital spread in no time at all.

Everyone in the capital had their own plans in mind, and were awaiting the morning court session the next day.

That night, Chu Jiubian met Situ Zhaoling again in the Divine Realm and gave her a new batch of grain.

With these two batches of grain in Nanjiang, plus half the grain contributed by those villages, there was no more fear of starvation.

The officials from the Water Conservancy Bureau dispatched by the Imperial Court had also arrived in Nanjiang a few days ago, and had already selected locations to begin digging wells so that no one would lack drinking water.

“Light rain will begin on the fifteenth day of this month and continue for about fourteen days.” With a single, casual remark from his divine throne, Chu Jiubian rendered Situ Zhaoling below speechless.

Rain.

The High Priest was predicting celestial phenomena?!

Although Situ Zhaoling was shocked, she didn’t doubt the truth of his words.

How wonderful, it was finally going to rain!

With rain, everything would move in a positive direction.

She was overjoyed, but quickly composed herself and bowed to Chu Jiubian in the manner of the Nanjiang people, saying: “On behalf of the common people of Nanjiang, this subordinate thanks the High Priest.”

“And my younger brother.” She gazed at the god’s illusory image, her eyes clear and bright. “He asked me to thank you for the waterwheel diagrams you gave him. He has already made the dragonbone waterwheel and is currently working on the other one. These waterwheels will surely come in handy after the rain….”

Situ Zhaoling spoke one sentence after another, telling the god everything that had happened over the past few days.

This included how grateful their family was to the High Priest, how happy the common people of Nanjiang were to finally have normal meals, and how those village chieftains who had planned to sell their grain at double the price were afraid of being stuck with it, so they had no choice but to lower the price. Now, they were in a terrible predicament.

After talking for around fifteen minutes, she finally realized that she had been running her mouth.

Would the High Priest think she was too noisy?

To be honest, Chu Jiubian did think that she talked quite a lot, but it was rather amusing.

It was normal for children this age to be lively and cheerful.

Situ Zhaoling knew she had said too much, so she patted her mouth to tell herself to shut up, her expression chagrined.

Chu Jiubian caught her reaction and was a little entertained.

It seemed she had nothing more to say.

He had to attend the morning court session the next day, so he said: “If there is nothing else, you may leave.”

“Yes.” Situ Zhaoling bowed, and the System sent her out of the Divine Realm.

The next day was another gloomy, rainy day. A fine drizzle had been falling since the night before.

Before dawn, officials had already gathered outside the palace gates.

Holding up umbrellas, they chatted and exchanged pleasantries in small groups, their faces radiating tranquility.

Xiao Wendao, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Works, and Wang Pengyi, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, stood side by side.

Xiao Wendao glanced over and smiled: “Is Deputy Minister Wang wearing new official robes today?”

“Deputy Minister Xiao is indeed observant.” Wang Pengyi smiled back.

Holding his umbrella in one hand, Xiao Wendao reached out with the other to feel the touch of cool raindrops on his palm. He said: “It’s just a pity that it’s raining today, and Deputy Minister Wang’s robes are a bit stained.”

Members of the Wang family valued etiquette and rules, and naturally paid attention to appropriate and elegant dress.

Deputy Minister Wang was surely not happy that the hem of his new robes was already dirty, but Xiao Wendao was.

“External possessions may be tainted, but the inner self remains clean,” Wang Pengyi told him with a smile. “No matter how clean the outside is, if something is dirty on the inside, rot will set in sooner or later.”

He was no longer referring to clothing, but to reputation.

Jiannan-wang was now very well-known, and the fact that he had spent a fortune to buy a silk flower at the city gates yesterday had also been spread by the common people, all of them praising him for his benevolence.

But it wasn’t as if this was their first time encountering Jiannan-wang. They all knew very well whether he was genuinely kind or just putting on a show.

If a person’s heart was filthy and corrupt, no matter how good their reputation was, they would eventually fall from grace.

As the saying went, “The higher you climb, the harder you fall.” It was possible that the greater Jiannan-wang’s fame, the more severe the backlash would be if something happened later on.

“I didn’t know that Deputy Minister Wang possessed the ability to see through external things to their essence.” Xiao Wendao shook the water off his hand, most of it landing on Wang Pengyi. “Why don’t you look and see what I’m like inside?”

Wang Pengyi inwardly gritted his teeth, then turned to look at the slowly opening vermillion palace gates ahead and said: “Deputy Minister Xiao possesses a vast and profound mind, and is naturally able to care for all of the people under heaven.”

“You flatter me.” Xiao Wendao’s tone softened. “Our emperor is the one who truly cares for all of the people under heaven. I am but a lowly deputy minister, only able to dedicate my heart to the Ministry of Works.”

The palace gates opened wide, and the six ministers led the other officials to walk into the palace in a stately procession.

Wang Pengyi strode forward. His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for the minister walking ahead to hear: “No wonder Minister Jian looks so young. With such a capable subordinate as Deputy Minister Xiao, he must not have to worry about anything.”

His meaning was that Xiao Wendao, by taking advantage of the Xiao family’s influence, was using his position as deputy minister to undermine the power of Minister Jian Hongzhuo.

As a loyal subject just like Su Sheng, Jian Hongzhuo was naturally a thorn in the sides of the four great families.

However, he had a clean private life. Each day, he either went to work or went home, and no one was able to find fault with him.

And apart from the lawfully-wedded male wife in his household, this man seemed to have no other interests or hobbies. Many people had previously attempted to recruit him and bring him into their camp.

Some even tried to be clever by sending him a few handsome young men, but this only provoked his disgust, and he directly impeached them in court.

Since then, everyone considered Jian Hongzhuo a tough nut to crack.

Some had indeed attempted to kill him, but Jian Hongzhuo was a descendent of meritorious officials and possessed considerable martial arts skills. Over the years, he had killed countless waves of assassins.

So eventually, everyone gave up on the idea.

Furthermore, Jian Hongzhuo was not greedy for power. He spent his days at the Ministry of Works drawing blueprints – for bridges, palaces, pavilions, all sorts of random things – leaving all of the work to Xiao Wendao, the deputy minister.

Xiao Wendao accepted this with satisfaction.

So over the years, everyone in court treated Jian Hongzhuo as if he didn’t exist. Xiao Wendao was the one who always took the lead in the ministry’s work, and thus was the one everyone recognized as the person in charge of the Ministry of Works.

But even so, Xiao Wendao was extremely averse to being accused of being greedy for merit and power.

When he heard Wang Pengyi’s words, he naturally couldn’t tolerate them, and said sarcastically: “Minister Jian is extremely busy with state affairs, and I am merely a handyman. But by the sound of Deputy Minister Wang’s words, it sounds like he really wants to be the one  in charge.”

Wang Pengyi, the Deputy Minister of Revenue, was walking behind Minister of Revenue Su Sheng.

Su Sheng was different from Jian Hongzhuo, who was a hands-off manager. He cared very much for the power he held.

Unwilling to bear the stigma of working against a superior, Wang Pengyi began to explain. But Su Sheng in front of him turned his head slightly and said: “Let’s all keep quiet and take care that we don’t stumble.”

This was both a warning and a reminder.

The two fell silent, reflexively looking ahead.

Everyone else also went silent at the sight that awaited them.

Upon the long steps outside Fengtian Hall stood a figure in gleaming gold.

That person was tall and slender, with a servant standing beside him holding an umbrella, eyes lowered in silence.

It was none other than Jiannan-wang Bai Lihai, who had just rushed back the day before.

When he heard the approaching officials, he turned and looked down from his high vantage point.

As the officials proceeded to the foot of the long staircase, Minister of Personnel Xiao Huaiguan, despite his advanced age, was the first to fold his umbrella and bow deeply, intoning: “This subject pays respects to Your Highness Jiannan-wang. May Your Highness live a thousand years.”

The others also closed their umbrellas and followed suit, shouting: “Long live!”

Bai Lihai gazed down at the crowd.

Officials in crimson-purple, scarlet, and dark blue robes formed a long line, all bowing in unison.

This scene was likely a similar sight to when Bai Lihong ascended the throne.

The drizzle seemed to intensify, and the raindrops fell onto his umbrella with a muffled sound.

A soft smile appeared on Bai Lihai’s face as he said: “Gentlemen, please rise. The rain seems to be getting heavier; let’s hurry into the palace.”

After thanking him, everyone climbed the staircase one by one.

Bai Lihai dismissed the servant and walked down a few steps to assist Xiao Huaiguan, who was walking with some difficulty.

Xiao Huaiguan immediately thanked him in a fluster, while Bai Lihai smiled gently, creating a very amiable scene.

Wang Zhiyuan shot a glance at Xiao Huaiguan.

That old bastard was practically in his grave, yet he still clung to power. It was truly laughable.

Wang Pengyi paid no attention to the act being put on by the Xiao family, and only looked toward Wang Zhiyuan from time to time.

His grandfather was getting old, and his knees ached whenever it rained. He imagined they must be hurting today too.

But despite the pain causing his legs to tremble, Wang Zhiyuan, a member of the Wang family, showed no signs of distress as he walked upright and steady.

For some reason, Wang Pengyi suddenly thought of Wang Qichen.

His family all said that the young master was unreliable, but Wang Pengyi thought that the other’s carefree and easygoing nature was the best thing about him. Rather than being obsessed with saving face in everything he did, he was the rare sort of person who was straightforward and spoke their mind.

If, in the future, Wang Qichen took over the Wang family, it would certainly experience a vastly different era.

However…..

Well, Wang Pengyi would protect him after the old lady passed away.

Losing his position as the heir was better than losing his life.

Lost in their respective thoughts, the procession finally stepped into Fengtian Hall.

It was a cloudy day, and the palace was dim inside, so the servants had lit a few oil lamps.

In the dim, yellowish light, the vermillion, gleaming gold, and jet-black hues of the hall, along with the various decorations and paintings, exuded an aura of sanctity. Even the giant dragons twined around the vermillion pillars seemed to sway, lifelike under the light.

Bai Lihai released his grip on Xiao Huaiguan’s hand and wiped the rain from his face.

Then he looked up and saw this scene:

Under this play of light and shadow, a tall, slender figure stood inside the hall.

He was dressed in crimson-purple official robes, with short black hair that shifted into a strange shock of long silver hair that held a silk-light luster under the firelight.

When he heard everyone entering the hall, that person turned around and looked over.

For a fleeting moment, Bai Lihai felt as if he was beholding a heavenly immortal.

Pure and aloof, unapproachable, yet possessing a fatal attraction.

Bai Lihai was jolted back to his senses by a tap on his arm and turned his head to meet Xiao Wendao’s gaze. The man gave him a meaningful look and signaled for him to keep walking.

Bai Lihai lowered his eyes to conceal his emotions, but his throat bobbed reflexively.

He knew who that person was.

Chu Jiubian.

That renowned Jiu-gongzi was a first-ranked official of the current dynasty, as well as……a celestial being who had fallen to the mortal realm.

Chu Jiubian’s gaze swept over the officials before focusing on the person dressed in golden royal robes.

This was Jiannan-wang?

He looked somewhat sickly, but also possessed the delicate features and feminine temperament characteristic of the Xiao family. 

The other party was only sixteen years old, yet already possessed a cheerless temperament. He was simply a different species from the lively Situ siblings.

Chu Jiubian calmly looked away, and after everyone had taken their positions, he went to stand behind Xiao Huaiguan.

And Jiannan-wang passed by him unhurriedly, walking straight to the front of the group, where he stood ahead of even the six ministers.

But given his status, that was indeed where he should be.

Chu Jiubian subconsciously glanced toward Qin Xiao’s seat, but found that Bai Lihai was standing directly in his line of sight, his ponytail inconveniently blocking his view.

He was quite tall – probably 1.8 meters.

Perhaps Bai Lihong would grow that tall in the future. But looking at his chubby little arms and legs, it didn’t seem like he would grow very tall at all.

Should he give the child some calcium supplements?

Chu Jiubian’s mind drifted slightly.

The others in the hall were rather surprised that rather than coming from the back hall this time, Qin Xiao had been in the hall the whole time.

He sat silently in his seat, firelight reflecting in his eyes. It was unknown how long he had been watching them all. 

The hazy light and shadows would blur the outlines of most people, but it hit him just right and made his features look even deeper and three-dimentional. 

It also added an element of sharpness to his temperament, as well as an unfathomable, sinister aura.

Standing at the very front, Bai Lihai was the closest to Qin Xiao.

He met the man’s gaze, then lowered his eyes.

In his peripheral vision, he could just make out Chu Jiubian standing a few steps behind him.

Were these two alone in the hall before the officials entered?

What were they doing?

He had only glanced at Chu Jiubian once, but the image still lingered in his mind. How long had Qin Xiao been sitting there watching?

Eunuch Hong’s voice resounded throughout the hall, and the morning court session commenced.

Bai Lihai suppressed his chaotic thoughts for the time being and bowed to the three-year-old child on the throne along with the other officials.

“Rise.” A sweet, childish voice rang out, and the officials shouted their thanks.

“If you have something to report, speak now. Otherwise, court will be adjourned!”

“This subject has something to report,” said Xiao Wendao.

Chu Jiubian turned his head to look at him.

After attending court for almost a month now, Chu Jiubian had discovered that Xiao Wendao was indeed one of the most active people during court sessions, including several officials from the censorate, namely Qi Zhili.

In contrast, other ministers never spoke up unless absolutely necessary, just waiting for their subordinates to charge into battle.

Starting with Xiao Wendao today, he imagined that these subordinates would be the first to start arguing.

“What does Minister Xiao have to report?” Bai Lihong asked.

Xiao Wendao bowed deeply before speaking: “Answering Your Majesty, the dams in Hexi Prefecture had been damaged for years. This year, His Highness Jiannan-wang personally went to the area to supervise construction, working tirelessly day and night. He also provided the common people with two meals a day and wages, for which they all praised his benevolence and achievements.”

“Since he supervised the work day and night, local officials dared not cut corners, and the dams were built securely. This achievement will benefit citizens for years to come, especially the common people. Considering His Highness Jiannan-wang’s merits and ability, the Ministry of Works hereby requests that Your Majesty grant His Highness Jiannan-wang early entry into officialdom.”

He didn’t speak a single unnecessary word.

First, he praised Bai Lihai’s impeccable work, then directly made the request and left it to others to decide how to respond.

Wang Pengyi slowly stepped out of the queue. Standing beside Xiao Wendao, he bowed to the throne: “This subject has an objection.”

Chu Jiubian understood.

It seemed that these two were the main players in today’s game between the two sides.

And as for Jiannan-wang, the star of the show, his best course of action was to stand by and wait until the end to collect his reward.

Bai Lihong nodded: “Speak.”

Wang Pengyi then said: “Your Majesty, His Highness Jiannan-wang has rendered meritorious service by building the dams. However, the flooding in Hexi Prefecture has not yet arrived, and the durability of the dams is as of yet unknown. In this subject’s opinion, it is inappropriate for Deputy Minister Xiao to so prematurely praise His Highness Jiannan-wang.”

“How is it inappropriate? Everyone knows about His Highness Jiannan-wang’s achievements. Not to mention the poems written by scholars praising him, even the common people recognize His Highness’s kindness.”

Xiao Wendao took a piece of paper from his sleeve and presented it to the Emperor with both hands: “Your Majesty, this is a petition jointly signed by the common people of various counties within Hexi Prefecture in hopes that Your Majesty will recognize His Highness Jiannan-wang’s meritorious service and approve his appointment to officialdom, so that he may do more practical things for the people and the nation.”

Eunuch Hong jogged down the steps, took the paper, and presented it to Bai Lihong.

After the Emperor had glanced over it, he took it down to Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao unfolded the paper; it indeed contained the signatures and fingerprints of many common people. Those who signed this document must have come from wealthy families in various counties, while the fingerprints were from common people who couldn’t even write their own names.

But who could say whether any of this was real or forged?

The same idea naturally occurred to Wang Pengyi, who said: “This subject requests that people be sent to Hexi Prefecture to verify whether these fingerprints were made voluntarily by the common people.”

“Does Deputy Minister Wang mean to say that people in our Ministry of Works fabricated evidence?” Xiao Wendao glared at him with burning eyes. “If you wish to investigate, then by all means, investigate. It will also be a good opportunity for you to hear how the common people praise His Highness, and to learn not to judge a noble person by the standards of a petty one.”

“Naturally, I hope it is genuine. It is a great thing for a member of the royal family to win the hearts of the people. The money used to build the dams was from His Majesty, the common people belong to His Majesty, and His Majesty is the one with the nation in his heart. Yet now, the people of Hexi Prefecture only remember Jiannan-wang rather than acknowledging His Majesty.” Wang Pengyi smiled. “Do you not find this a bit inappropriate?”

He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world. His words practically accused Jiannan-wang of plotting a rebellion.

“He who desires to find fault will always come up with a pretext. Deputy Minister Wang’s words are truly unconscionable.”

Xiao Wendao could not allow the stigma of “rebellion” to fall on Jiannan-wang’s head. “His Highness Jiannan-wang acted in service of His Majesty. If the common people remember his kindness, they naturally remember His Majesty’s kindness even more.”

He then looked at Wang Pengyi and said: “Furthermore, according to Deputy Minister Wang’s words, when an official of Great Ning does great things for His Majesty and the people, should he not ask for any rewards? Ask yourself honestly, would you do the same?”

How could Wang Pengyi dare say he would do so?

If he did, then no matter what he did going forward, Xiao Wendao would find ways to ensure he would never benefit from it.

“In this subject’s opinion, His Highness Jiannan-wang deserves a reward for his meritorious service,” said Lu Qiaobo, Deputy Minister of Rites, as he stepped forward. “However, there has never been a precedent in our dynasty for a prince not to take up his fiefdom by the age of fourteen. An exception has already been made for His Highness to remain in the capital. If we were to make further exceptions and allow him to enter officialdom four years ahead of schedule, not to mention anything else, the seven vassal kings stationed in their fiefdoms would not agree.”

When they heard this, the court fell silent.

Although they were fighting to the death in court, they were all equally wary of the seven vassal kings.

Lu Qiaobo’s words were reasonable and well-founded. If Bai Lihai were to enter the court in this way, those vassal kings would definitely have objections.

The Xiao family had taken this into consideration, but although they would have liked to persuade everyone, if that wasn’t possible, they would settle for the next best thing.

Jiannan-wang, who had remained silent until now, finally made his move. He bowed to the throne before speaking in a gentle voice: “Your Majesty, my oversight of the dams was solely to alleviate your burdens and bring benefits to the common people. This subject has never sought anything in return.”

Staring at his older brother, whom he was unfamiliar with, Bai Lihong didn’t know what to say.

He couldn’t parse the veiled meaning in his words, so he looked toward his uncle.

Qin Xiao’s gaze fell on Jiannan-wang, and he gave a soft chuckle.

The court fell silent. Chu Jiubian looked up, but could only see Qin Xiao’s hair ornament. The rest of his head was entirely obscured by Bai Lihai.

Bai Lihai looked back at Qin Xiao.

He liked good-looking men, but Qin Xiao was an exception.

He felt nothing but disdain for Qin Xiao and the Qin family. 

The flickering firelight danced in Qin Xiao’s eyes as he spoke in a slightly indolent voice: “Jiannan-wang is indeed a righteous and selfless person. In that case, there is no need to discuss the matter further.”

He’d already said he didn’t want anything, so why bother discussing it?

Xiao Wendao’s eye twitched. This felt very familiar. The last time Qin Xiao dealt such a blow it was he himself who suffered it.

This was not the first time Qin Xiao had gone along with something too easily, and it would not be the last.

This former dandy didn’t know the meaning of humbleness.

Many officials lowered their heads even further, smiles playing on their lips that they barely managed to suppress.

Chu Jiubian also felt a little like smiling.

However, he maintained his “aloof” persona in front of these people and tamped it down.

Jiannan-wang clearly hadn’t expected Qin Xiao to say such a thing, and his face immediately darkened.

“Cough, cough, cough…..”

A familiar cough sounded at just the right moment, and Chu Jiubian knew that the Xiao family minister was about to put on an act again.

It happened as expected.

Xiao Huaiguan gave the same excuse, first apologizing for his lack of composure, then alluding to his age and using his seniority to smooth things over, successfully bringing the topic back to that of the “reward.”

“Even if he cannot become an official, to remain idle like this would not leave a good impression on outsiders.” Xiao Huaiguan coughed twice more before saying faintly, “Perhaps His Majesty could find employment for His Highness Jiannan-wang to learn from, so that when he goes to his fiefdom in the future, he won’t be completely out of his depth.”

Xiao Wendao understood the other’s underlying meaning, and quickly went along with it: “Your Majesty, Qian Jing, an official of the Ministry of Works, told this subject the other day that he wishes to return to his ancestral home. How about we ask the Ministry of Personnel to arrange for Qian Jing to serve as magistrate in his hometown? His Highness Jiannan-wang can then temporarily assume his official role in the Ministry of Works.”

“It is a good place to go.” Xiao Huaiguan nodded. “Your Majesty, Lord Ning-wang, what say you?”

Chu Jiubian thought to himself, the Xiao family really has one trick after another up their sleeves.

The Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Personnel were recognized as the most lucrative government departments, and the Xiao family occupied one of them.

Chu Jiubian was currently acting as the Deputy Minister of Personnel. If Jiannan-wang were sent there, he would definitely be hampered by Chu Jiubian, but if he was sent to the Ministry of Works, that was Xiao Wendao’s domain.

Jiannan-wang would be a nominal junior official at that time, but in reality, he may be able to perform the work of the Minister of Works.

He couldn’t help but take a look at Minister Jian. He was in his forties, with an average appearance, but he had a gentle countenance and a special air about him that came from being a highly-intelligent man with a background in science and engineering.

Even now that others were affecting his vital interests, he still seemed indifferent to it all.

“Where is the Deputy Minister of Personnel?” Qin Xiao asked.

Chu Jiubian: “ ? ”

He stepped out of the queue and finally got a look at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao then asked: “What does the Grand Tutor think of Minister Xiao’s suggestion?”

In an instant, many gazes fell on Chu Jiubian.

Jiannan-wang also turned to look at him, the weight of his gaze almost tangible.

“This subject finds it inappropriate,” Chu Jiubian said.

“Speak your thoughts.”

Chu Jiubian stated bluntly: “As Deputy Minister Lu just said, His Highness Jiannan-wang entering the court as an official would displease the vassal kings, and whether his official rank is high or low would make no difference.”

“Then does the Grand Tutor mean to say that His Highness should receive no reward?” Xiao Wendao’s tone was softer than when he had been speaking to Wang Pengyi.

“He naturally deserves a reward,” Chu Jiubian said. “His Majesty has already made preparations.”

Upon receiving the signal, Bai Lihong said: “Correct, this Emperor has made preparations.”

Chu Jiubian was too unpredictable; whenever he became involved in a matter, there were always unforeseen developments.

So everyone fell momentarily silent, waiting to hear what the reward would be.

If it was just ordinary, silk, gold, and silver, the Xiao family would definitely renew their arguments.

Chu Jiubian had given the small bottle of fine salt to Bai Lihong that morning, instructing him to take it out at this time.

The officials heard rustling sounds coming from above, and then Eunuch Hong came down carrying a palm-sized, pure white porcelain jar.

He presented the object directly to Bai Lihai, offering it respectfully along with a small spoon.

Bai Lihai was somewhat curious what this reward could be if it was equivalent to an official position.

After handing off the item, Eunuch Hong returned to the dragon throne.

The officials were all curious about the contents of the jar, but due to their status and etiquette, they didn’t make any significant moves.

“May this subject open it and take a look?” Bai Lihai asked Bai Lihong, and only opened it after receiving an affirmative answer.

He looked down.

It was as white as snow, and as dense as fine sand. He couldn’t make out what it was.

“Your Highness can give it a try.”  A clear, pleasant voice sounded beside him, and Bai Lihai’s ears tingled. He subconsciously turned his head to look. 

A young man who looked like a banished immortal stood a step away from him. Light-hued eyes reflected the flickering firelight, and his long eyelashes cast shadows beneath them, making it impossible to discern the emotions in his gaze.

Bai Lihai stared at him for two breaths before turning his gaze back to the object in his hand.

Then, just as Chu Jiubian had said, Bai Lihai scooped up half a spoonful of the fine salt.

A spoonful like that would be incredibly salty, but Chu Jiubian deliberately didn’t warn him.

Bai Lihai put the spoonful of salt in his mouth. His pupils abruptly contracted, and he forced himself to swallow it without losing his composure.

The young man had remarkable self-control.

Even Chu Jiubian felt a pang of sympathy for him.

“Your Highness, what is it?” Xiao Huaiguan asked from nearby.

Bai Lihai handed him the porcelain jar: “Please try it yourself, My Lord.”

Xiao Huaiguan said, “Pardon me,” then scooped some out with the spoon. But instead of putting it directly into his mouth, he sprinkled some in his palm and tilted his head back to eat it.

He was getting on in years, and before he knew it, he began to cough.

Xiao Wendao’s expression shifted: “What exactly is that substance?”

Chu Jiubian regarded them all and said: “This is the fine salt used in my immortal realm.”

“Fine salt?”

Xiao Wendao took the porcelain jar from Xiao Huaiguan’s hand and examined it carefully, then tasted a few grains. His expression changed: “It really is salt!”

The lower-ranking officials dared not make a move, but high-ranking officials of the first and second ranks couldn’t help but want to try it. Before long, almost every one of them had gotten a taste.

And after tasting it, their faces universally portrayed their astonishment.

When they looked back at Chu Jiubian again, their expressions were even more complex and indescribable.

Salt.

Where had they ever seen such fine salt?

And this salt had no bitter taste to it at all, so one could imagine what it would taste like when used in cooking.

Of course, these people weren’t just thinking about food; they were thinking about much more, and much farther into the future.

“This fine salt…..” someone said, seemingly with a question on their tongue.

Chu Jiubian cut in to say: “I was in a hurry when I descended to the mortal realm, and only had time to bring this much with me. I gave it all to His Majesty. His Majesty, however, said that such a rare item should be bestowed upon His Highness Jiannan-wang, as it would be worthy of his achievement in overseeing the construction of the dams.”

Qin Xiao asked mildly: “Does everyone think that this divine artifact is a worthy reward?”

A hush fell over the court.

They were all weighing their own opinions.

Chu Jiubian claimed that he only brought this one jar, but everyone had witnessed him falling from the sky, and he hadn’t seemed to have brought anything with him, so he could have only made this thing recently.

He could make ice, and he could make tinderboxes, so of course he could make this fine salt.

If he could get one jar today, he could get a bag, a cartload, or even several cartloads tomorrow!

He took this thing out now not to sell it to the common people, but to sell it to the wealthy and powerful, and to merchants and nobles all over the country.

With the National Treasury now depleted, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao must be after the profits from selling the fine salt.

Then this fine salt would be “private salt” permitted by the Imperial Court!

These powerful and influential figures in the capital would be among the first to gain access to the source of the goods.

They would be able to get their hands on such a good thing, and then resell it elsewhere at several times the price.

This was an exorbitant profit!

Qiu Heng, however, had even more to consider.

The Qiu family’s caravans were not limited to the confines of Great Ning – if they could sell this fine salt to outer tribes…..

His heart pounded like a drum.

For Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao to bring out this fine salt today, their target could only be the Qiu family.

The Qiu family possessed caravans and connections, which would save Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao from having to procure their own caravans.

They wouldn’t need to wait for the caravans to sell and receive goods in a cycle; they could simply sell the salt directly to the Qiu family. Negotiating profit-sharing and a bottom price with the Qiu family would allow the original manufacturer to earn a huge share without lifting a finger.

What they wanted right now was quick money. With money, they could hold the Imperial Examinations and do even more.

The salt was ultimately in their hands, and if they said they had run out, the Qiu family’s salt business would be over.

Moreover, this fine salt trade might become a “time bomb.”

If they ever decided to target the Qiu family, the crime of “smuggling salt” would be enough to give them a hard time.

Now, it all depended on if the Qiu family had the courage to move forward with this.

But Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao had no worries in this regard. The Qiu family could never have built such a large enterprise by being overly-conservative.

Moreover, the salt would not be given solely to the Qiu family; the other families would naturally receive a share within the Great Ning market.

If one person selling salt was considered illicit, when everyone was involved, they could act with impunity.

These powerful families had stood at the pinnacle of power for too long, and had become too arrogant.

They were accustomed to sticking together and supporting each other in times of need.

So every one of them knew how to handle this salt business.

Chu Jiubian didn’t care how much they would profit from selling it. After all, they would be making money off of foreigners and local nobles, since the common people couldn’t even afford it.

He only cared about how much money he could make.

He wanted to make a quick profit and use that money to hold the Imperial Examinations!

He was certain that the Qiu family, along with other powerful families, would seek him out in the next couple of days.

All he needed to do was sound them out case by case, find the most suitable bottom price, and then discuss profit-sharing. After that, he could sit back and wait to collect the money.

While everyone thought it over, Jiannan-wang spoke first: “This subject thanks His Majesty for his great favor.”

This fine jar of salt represented a quota of commercial investments.

Chu Jiubian planned to hand over the salt-selling rights first, and the right to sell more of it would be given to the Xiao family.

Bai Lihai wasn’t a fool, and there was also Minister Xiao in the court. With just a glance and a nod from him, Bai Lihai accepted this so-called reward.

As for entering the court as an official, he was still young and Bai Lihong was still a child, so it wasn’t impossible to enact their plans more slowly.

Chu Jiubian’s jar of fine salt had completely destroyed everyone’s interest in debating.

All they wanted was to return to their residences at once and discuss the feasibility of this matter with their respective family heads and advisors, as well as how to immediately seize and divide up the market shares.

As for what everyone discussed after the morning court session, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao had no idea.

All they needed to do was wait for these people to come to them.

*

*

The Great Ning Dynasty had a curfew, but it was only in effect from 10pm until a few hours before the next morning court session, so people were accustomed to going out on the streets at night.

But today was the Qixi Festival, one of the very few times each year that young men and women could openly spend time with each other on the streets.

Therefore, as soon as dawn came that morning, lanterns and stalls were already being hung and set up everywhere on the streets.

On the busiest streets in the Eastern and Western Markets, there were lively scenes of scholars composing poems and dancers and singers putting on performances. On Changning Lake in the western city, there were cruising flower boats and performances by courtesans, creating a scene of extravagance and debauchery.

While the powerful and influential were busy discussing important matters, Chu Jiubian had changed into black and white robes and was preparing to go out for a stroll with Qin Xiao.

As for the young emperor, going out wasn’t safe for him, so he would remain in the palace and study with Eunuch Hong and others.

But Chu Jiubian still left two candies with Eunuch Hong, which could be used to coax the child.

Once he changed his clothes, Chu Jiubian looked in the mirror and found that his hair had grown a bit. His bangs were partially obscuring his eyebrows and eyes.

His long, silver-white hair had also turned black at the roots, but this wasn’t noticeable under the cover of the black hair above.

It seemed he would need to find an opportunity to re-dye his hair.

[Host, this hair dye doesn’t require bleaching, allows for multiple applications, and costs only 9 points.]

Chu Jiubian: “…..I’ll buy it for six points.”

[7.5 points. It’s a bargain.]

Chu Jiubian had figured out the System’s haggling rules. As long as it was within the other party’s acceptable range, it would choose the median value to complete the transaction.

When he finished haggling and walked out the door, he found Qin Xiao standing in the courtyard waiting for him.

The other was also dressed in black, which extended to the exposed collar of his inner garment and his sleeves. The only difference between them was that Chu Jiubian was wearing white trousers.

And because they were made by the palace embroiderers, the auspicious cloud patterns on their clothes were nearly identical.

If someone didn’t know better, they would think they were wearing matching outfits.

Qin Xiao was reading a note in his hand when he heard a noise and turned around. He was visibly taken aback at the sight of Chu Jiubian, perhaps not expecting that they would be dressed so similarly today.

Chu Jiubian didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. After all, they usually wore the same crimson-purple official robes, so there should be no problem with wearing similar casual clothes today.

“What are you looking at?” He approached Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao handed him the note and said: “This is for you.”

Chu Jiubian could roughly guess what it was about. When he took the note, he saw that indeed, it had been sent by Xiao Yao. He said that his carriage would be waiting by the palace gates, and once again cordially invited Chu Jiubian to join him for a lake tour and lantern-viewing.

He knew that the other party would bring up the matter of salt, so he must keep this appointment.

Chu Jiubian put away the note and asked Qin Xiao: “Together?”

Since the topic of fine salt would certainly come up, Qin Xiao could keep an eye on him to prevent him from reaching a private agreement with Xiao Yao.

There was no trust between him and Qin Xiao, so involving the other party would directly reduce his suspicion.

Qin Xiao replied: “No, you go ahead.”

Chu Jiubian raised an eyebrow: “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll reach some kind of private agreement with him?”

“What could this lord fear?” Qin Xiao regarded him with a half-smile. “Your love tribulation is with me, not with Xiao Zimei.”

Chu Jiubian chuckled and patted the note in his pocket: “Then I’ll go.”

Having said this, he turned and left Yaotai Residence in the direction of the palace gates.

He hadn’t expected Qin Xiao to trust him so much.

As for his personal safety, Chu Jiubian dared to say that he was now seen as a “god of wealth” by these powerful and influential people. They wouldn’t be foolish enough to offend him, and besides, he had bodyguards and a gun. He was perfectly safe.

Inside Yaotai Residence.

Xiao Xiangzi and the others watched Qin Xiao’s figure cautiously, not daring to breathe.

Qin Xiao stood there for a long time. Then, with a scoff, he stepped out the door.

---

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Chapter 35 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 37

Xiao Yao?

What did he want with Chu Jiubian?

Qin Xiao flipped the note over and scanned it. Seeing that there was nothing else written, he asked: “Do you need to keep this?”

“No.”

Qin Xiao crumpled the note into a ball and tossed it into the trash bin next to the table.

The contents of the bins were disposed of by designated personnel, so it was perfectly fine to directly throw things away without worrying that they would be seen by others.

Qin Xiao would naturally still burn the truly important messages, such as those sent by Qin Chaoyang.

Chu Jiubian blinked at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao picked up his teacup and took a sip, asking casually: “Will you accept the appointment tomorrow?”

“……” Chu Jiubian looked at the teacup in his hand, and then back up at him.

Qin Xiao met his gaze, and after a pause, realized that his own teacup was still on the other side of the table, and the one in his hand was…..

“Someone bring the Young Master a fresh cup of tea,” he called.

Not long after, a palace servant brought out another teacup and refilled the one next to Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao couldn’t be bothered to change it out, so he had them take away the cup he had initially drunk from and leave Chu Jiubian’s former cup behind.

Chu Jiubian was somewhat surprised.

In this era, scions of prominent families should pay great attention to such things. Let alone sharing a cup of tea with someone, even when eating at a banquet, food was served separately. Only family banquets involved sharing food around the table.

And even at family banquets, there were provisions such as “if you share your food, you’ll never eat your fill,” emphasizing the importance of etiquette.

He’d thought Qin Xiao would feel uncomfortable after drinking from his teacup, but he didn’t seem to react at all.

But then he realized.

Qin Xiao came from a military family and had spent his childhood years in military camps, so he was naturally more carefree than those scholars.

Chu Jiubian didn’t take the minor incident seriously, and replied to the other party’s previous question: “Since the Xiao family head invited me, of course I’ll go.”

He had met Xiao Yao once before, and had even chatted with him at the auction.

His impression of the man at that time was that he was “cunning.” And that like Minister Xiao, he was good at acting and putting on a performance, habitually presenting a kind, genial appearance to others.

But in reality, all of the Xiao family members were quite treacherous.

“He didn’t say where to meet,” Qin Xiao noted.

“I suppose someone will come pick me up after my shift tomorrow. You and His Majesty won’t need to wait on me for dinner.” Then Chu Jiubian asked nonchalantly: “Would you like to come along?”

Qin Xiao chuckled and said: “He only invited you. What would it look like if I came along?”

“That’s true.” After asking this question, Chu Jiubian also felt that it would be a little odd.

Qin Xiao lowered his eyes to the teacup in his hand, gently stroking the rim with his fingertip.

Chu Jiubian stared at his finger for a moment. When he came back to his senses, he felt that the atmosphere in the room was a little strange.

“Isn’t Jiannan-wang arriving tomorrow?” he asked as a conversation starter.

Qin Xiao’s finger paused. He looked up and said: “The day after tomorrow is a routine day off. He’s eager to claim credit, so he’ll likely get back before morning court tomorrow.”

When morning court began, the city gates would have just opened.

If Bai Lihai returned then, he would have to first go back to the palace to see the Empress Dowager, then wash up and change his clothes. It would be too much of a rush to attend morning court.

Why not risk being a little tired today to get back before the city gates closed, then have a good night’s rest?

That evening, the Empress Dowager and the Xiao family could also take the opportunity to speak with Bai Lihai about the next day’s court session, so that he could perform better for his first appearance.

“Then many people won’t be able to sleep tonight,” Chu Jiubian said.

In Hexi Prefecture, the praises for Jiannan-wang were many and varied. Many scholars and writers wrote poems and prose to applaud him, and the common people also spread word of his kindness. News such as this reached the capital daily, and also spread to more distant prefectures.

Before long, the reputation of Jiannan-wang Bai Lihai was no longer limited to just the capital city.

Under these circumstances, the Xiao family would definitely use tomorrow’s morning court session to grant Jiannan-wang special privileges, ensuring that he could attend court and participate in politics in the future.

When Deputy Minister of Works Xiao Wendao previously brought this matter up in court, few people spoke up. Everyone was waiting to see how Qin Xiao would respond.

It had been Chu Jiubian who pushed back.

Times had changed. The reason all of the major powers had remained silent during the court session was because Jiannan-wang had not yet returned. His reputation and achievements had not yet been realized, and even the Xiao family themselves were unsure. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been rendered speechless by Chu Jiubian’s rebuttal.

But now he had indeed built the dams and gained much fame and popular support.

In this situation, if the Xiao family talked up his merits again, Qin Xiao would have to consider public opinion, and wouldn’t be able to unilaterally refuse Jiannan-wang’s request to serve as an official in court.

Other forces naturally didn’t want to see this outcome, so they would definitely try their best to put a stop to it.

In this chess game, all of the power groups aside from the Xiao family would stand with Qin Xiao.

Even Su Sheng, the loyal and upright Minister of Revenue, would not tolerate the Xiao family’s rise to power.

Not for any other reason than his young daughter, Su Xi’er, who had almost died unjustly.

Those in court had initially failed to realize that Xiao Huaiguan had instructed Zhao Qianhe to kidnap Su Xi’er, but they would figure it out eventually.

With Su Sheng’s intelligence, he must have known long ago that the Xiao family was behind it.

He and the Xiao family were practically mortal enemies, so how could he just stand by and watch their power grow?

For this reason, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian could rest easy at tomorrow’s court session. They could simply observe the debate between the others, and ultimately let the matter drop without making a bigger deal of it.

The request for Jiannan-wang to serve in court would be rejected on the grounds of it “not being in accordance with etiquette,” and with the supplement of a different reward, no one would be able to find fault with the Emperor or Qin Xiao.

“But this reward can’t be too ordinary,” Chu Jiubian said.

Qin Xiao sent him a sideways glance.

Chu Jiubian said meaningfully: “It must live up to the achievements and status of Jiannan-wang.”

Ideally, it would also make others envious.

In the Imperial Court, what people envied apart from power and wealth was something that was unique and irreplaceable.

But the National Treasury was depleted, and Qin Xiao didn’t necessarily have anything good in his possession. 

With so many places suffering disasters this year, the Imperial Court should also reduce or exempt taxes for the victims for one, or even two or three years, so that the common people could have the chance to recuperate and restore their livelihoods.

But this would mean that the court would lose nearly half its revenue. 

Chu Jiubian did the math.

It was only July now, and the grain tax to be collected in October would be only half the normal amount. By the end of the year, they would collect some money from the salt and iron industries, and the money from the official porcelain and silk manufacturing bureaus could be quite substantial.

But after so many rounds of embezzlement, by the time it reached the court, at least a third of it would be lost.

Therefore, the Imperial Examination system was still needed in order to replace those deeply-entrenched corrupt officials.

But organizing it would cost a lot of money, and the Imperial Court’s expenditures included military preparations, officials’ salaries, and various construction expenditures inside and outside the palace.

Furthermore, this year marked the ascension of a new emperor, and according to the laws of the Great Ning Dynasty, all vassal kings were required to come to the palace to offer New Year’s greetings. The palace repairs, as well as the food, clothing, and other necessities required to accommodate these people would incur a considerable expense.

After this ordeal, it was uncertain whether or not the National Treasury’s silver would even last until the New Year, much less fund the Imperial Examinations.

So they needed to make more money.

And they needed to do it openly and honestly.

The ice business wouldn’t last much longer, and the tinderbox business only yielded a pittance, negligible compared to the expenses.

Chu Jiubian needed to give Qin Xiao another way to make money.

He had actually wanted to try a certain method for a long time, but hadn’t said anything because his alliance with Qin Xiao was unstable.

Currently, he and Qin Xiao were in the same boat. And at least until the powerful families and vassal kings were eliminated, they wouldn’t separate.

So giving a new business to Qin Xiao wouldn’t be a big issue.

As for why he wasn’t giving the task to Situ Zhaoling, only the Imperial Court could do this type of business, and he didn’t want to harm Nanjiang because of his own selfish desires.

Qin Xiao simply looked into his eyes and was able to make a guess. He couldn’t help but ask: “What reward do you plan to bestow upon Jiannan-wang?”

“What do you mean me?” Chu Jiubian raised his eyebrows, deliberately ignoring the question.

Qin Xiao smiled and said: “Asking the Young Master to help me again.”

This guy was really shameless. The Regent was getting increasingly adept at asking for favors.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but admire the man’s mindset.

But he wasn’t willing to be taken advantage of, so he said: “Does My Lord intend to owe me another favor?”

“What does the Young Master want?” Qin Xiao asked.

The drought was of paramount importance, so even before Chu Jiubian stated his condition, Qin Xiao agreed.

However, giving this reward to Jiannan-wang wouldn’t have any impact on their own business transaction…..unless it also served a different purpose.

Chu Jiubian said: “What if I said that Jiannan-wang’s reward would shake up the court and the public and fill the National Treasury?”

Fill the National Treasury?

Lord Ning-wang, who was almost penniless again, suddenly felt the sense that “the more debts I have, the less they weigh on me.” He said decisively: “I’ll write you a letter of guarantee, Young Master.”

Chu Jiubian laughed.

It was a radiant, joyful laugh devoid of pretense or restraint.

Like the dawn breaking through the clouds, the rosy glow of sunset, the breeze stirring a tranquil blue lake.

Qin Xiao stared at him intently, and just as their eyes were about to meet, he subtly lowered his gaze.

“No need,” Chu Jiubian said with a smile. “This time, I need you to help me find a few experts.”

Qin Xiao: “Do you want them now?”

He had no shortage of skilled men under his command.

“The experts I’m referring to aren’t people with exceptional martial arts skills,” Chu Jiubian said. “I’ll write you a list tomorrow, and you can find them for me.”

The talents needed for the Imperial Examinations included teachers. He had previously thought of using more Believers to serve that role, but he only had a few slots available and it would be increasingly difficult to increase them later, so he couldn’t afford to waste them.

So asking Qin Xiao to help him was the simplest solution.

Ultimately, what he wanted weren’t exceptionally talented scholars or Confucian masters. What he needed were professionals who understood carpentry, agriculture, weaving, mathematics, and so on. They only needed to be trained for a month or two before they could teach newly-admitted students.

Afterward, those students could build workshops or be sent to places like the Ministry of Works for internships.

And these pre-trained teachers and scholars could then become the heads of various workshops, helping the court to make money and carry out construction.

As for the students who passed the exams purely through academic ability, they would be trained in a different way; they would be sent to local areas or various government offices to become officials.

Chu Jiubian intended to instruct these people himself, so there was no need for Qin Xiao to help him find candidates.

“Alright.” Qin Xiao agreed without hesitation.

He was aware of his own situation. He had few capable civil officials under his command, so the “experts” Chu Jiubian wanted him to find definitely wouldn’t be of that variety.

As long as it wasn’t that, he could find anyone for Chu Jiubian.

With his terms agreed to, Chu Jiubian dropped the element of mystery and said: “Didn’t you ask me before what I put in my stir-fry?”

Qin Xiao’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Chu Jiubian conjure up a porcelain jar the size of a palm.

The jar wasn’t large, resembling a rouge box used by women.

It was impossible to tell what was inside the unremarkable white jar.

Chu Jiubian placed it on the table and said: “Open it and take a look.”

Qin Xiao reached out and gingerly lifted the lid.

The contents were revealed: it was a jar of…..pure white sand the size of needlepoints?

But this was something used for stir-frying.

Chu Jiubian’s dishes lacked the bitter saltiness of coarse salt, but they still retained a salty taste.

So this stuff, could it be…..

Qin Xiao felt his heart pounding wildly.

If this was truly such a thing, then the revenue it could bring to the Imperial Court would be immeasurable!

Sitting right next to him, Chu Jiubian could see his reaction clearly.

His gaze slowly shifted from the raised veins on the backs of the other’s hands to his taut, handsome face.

This was a much stronger reaction than when he’d seen the ice.

As expected, a person like Qin Xiao had an eye for what held greater value.

Chu Jiubian smiled and said: “Taste it.”

Qin Xiao’s fingertips trembled slightly, but he didn’t move.

Chu Jiubian’s smile deepened, and he extended his hand.

Qin Xiao watched as the young man’s finger, which was almost porcelain-white, lightly touched the tiny grains.

When he turned his finger over, some white grains were stuck to his slightly pink fingertip.

Chu Jiubian raised his hand and slowly brought his finger to the man’s lips, softly pressing it against them.

It was warm and soft, quite different from the impression this man usually gave him.

Qin Xiao’s hand suddenly clenched around the porcelain lid, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

His throat bobbed as he looked up to meet the other’s smiling eyes.

The porcelain lid fell onto the table with a soft, crisp sound, and he grabbed Chu Jiubian’s wrist.

His palm was burning hot, but his grip was loose.

Chu Jiubian’s fingertip twitched slightly, nearly slipping between the man’s lips.

His scalding breath made his fingers tremble. Chu Jiubian abruptly clenched his fist, and Qin Xiao released his grip at the same time, allowing the young man to withdraw his hand.

Chu Jiubian glanced down at his fingertips.

Wait, why did he chicken out? He was completely baffled.

He turned his head to look at Qin Xiao and saw that his lips were pursed.

When Qin Xiao tasted a hint of saltiness on his tongue, his pupils contracted sharply.

It was salt! 

It was really salt!

His heart began to beat faster and harder, each beat slamming against his chest as if it wanted everyone to hear it.

It was just unknown what portion of his heart was beating because of this fine salt.

“How is it?” Chu Jiubian’s clear, cool voice rang out.

Qin Xiao turned his head to look at him.

Their eyes met, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

But neither did they look away.

After a long pause, Qin Xiao asked in a weighty voice: “How much do you have?”

“I have the method to refine it,” Chu Jiubian said.

Qin Xiao stood and bowed deeply in Chu Jiubian’s direction: “Qin Xiao thanks the Young Master.”

“I told you, as long as you treat me well, I’ll give you everything.”

After speaking these words, Chu Jiubian felt that they sounded a bit strange.

Qin Xiao straightened up, fixing his unfathomable gaze on him.

“What?” Chu Jiubian asked.

“It’s nothing.” Qin Xiao smiled, as if he had already adjusted his mindset.

He leaned back in his chair and closely examined the small jar of fine salt in his palm.

Chu Jiubian asked curiously: “Having second thoughts about giving this to Bai Lihai?”

Qin Xiao chuckled: “No, not really.”

The salt and iron trades were nominally controlled by the Imperial Court, but in reality, those powerful and wealthy families also profited handsomely from them.

But with fine salt available now, the market for coarse salt would be much more difficult.

The method for refining salt would be known only to Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao. They could use such excuses as “the method is difficult to learn” and send their own people to take over salt fields in various places and thoroughly clean up the ones that had been taken over by various forces.

Then, the departments responsible for transporting, selling, and monitoring salt could gradually be infiltrated by their own people.

Although embezzlement was inevitable and the profits had to be shared with the local nobles, they were nowhere near as greedy as the great families.

And being able to get the hands of those great families off the “official salt” trade was already the greatest benefit.

With this operation, fine salt would gradually replace coarse salt in the future, and Qin Xiao would truly have a firm grip on the official salt business.

The powerful families may have rich heritages, but losing a large sum of embezzled funds would be a considerable loss for them.

The idea was wonderful, but Qin Xiao didn’t actually have a large amount of people he could use.

Qin Xiao frowned, and his aura became somewhat fierce.

Chu Jiu felt that he seemed more like he was when they first met.

However, it didn’t take long for Qin Xiao’s brow to relax.

He closed the lid of the porcelain jar and placed it on the table, then said to Chu Jiubian: “You do it.”

“What?” Chu Jiubian was taken aback.

Qin Xiao slid the jar in front of him and said warmly: “Whether you need people or something else, I will give it all to you. Do as you please.”

Chu Jiubian certainly had his own thoughts on the matter of producing fine salt.

He and Qin Xiao didn’t have that many people at their disposal, so he didn’t plan to seize any salt fields right away.

His plan was to first purchase a batch of fine salt from the System Mall, then sell it at a high price to these wealthy individuals, as well as merchants and nobles from prosperous areas, and use that income to cultivate talents and hold the Imperial Examinations.

They had so many things to do, and each one required specialized talent, so the Imperial Examinations had to be the next thing on their list.

Once they had the manpower, whether it was occupying salt fields to control the salt trade, gradually assuming control of local areas, or even extending into the Six Ministries, it could all be done a little at a time.

However, Chu Jiubian had no intention of getting involved in the salt sales. Once he got involved with salt, he would be inextricably connected with the state.

He’d thought it would be good enough if Qin Xiao let him take charge of the Imperial Examinations, and really hadn’t expected him to pull this stunt.

Wasn’t Qin Xiao worried that with control of the salt trade, Chu Jiubian would become the next “wealthy and powerful noble?”

“Are you testing me?” he asked Qin Xiao suspiciously.

Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow: “What would I test you for?”

“Naturally to see how big my appetite is.”

Qin Xiao just smiled: “Even if you were to swallow up the entirety of Great Ning, this lord would accept it.”

Chu Jiubian: “……”

“Don’t worry,” Qin Xiao said solemnly, “I understand the concept of ‘if you doubt someone, don’t use them, and if you use someone, don’t doubt them.”

Nonsense.

He still vividly remembered the times Qin Xiao had doubted him before.

Chu Jiubian took out a piece of fruit candy and handed it to him: “If you eat this, I will…..”

Before he could even finish speaking, Qin Xiao grabbed the candy and put it in his mouth. He tasted it and asked: “What is this flavor?”

Chu Jiubian also put one in his mouth and mumbled: “Grape.”

“Grape?”

“It’s a fruit that should be found in the Western Regions.” Chu Jiubian turned his head to look at him. “I love eating them.”

Qin Xiao nodded: “Then we’ll conquer the Western Regions so that Grand Tutor Chu can eat his fill.”

Chu Jiubian gave a light scoff: “Will you use the meager sum in your National Treasury to wage war?”

Qin Xiao: “Then I’ll have to trouble you with this, Young Master.”

Suddenly, the sound of the palace servants paying their respects rang out. It was Bai Lihong.

The study door was already open. Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao looked over to see the young boy walk in with a piece of paper in his hand and a troubled look on his face.

Eunuch Hong followed behind him, holding a brush and inkstone.

There was a crunch, and then another.

Chu Jiubian glanced at Qin Xiao and saw him quickly chew the candy in his mouth and swallow it.

He didn’t want the child to see.

Chu Jiubian then crunch-crunched his own candy and put the jar of salt away, intending to give it to Jiannan-wang at court the next day.

Since they were already quite familiar with each other, the three of them didn’t exchange formalities in private.

As soon as Bai Lihong came in, he ran between the two adults on his short legs, then got on his tiptoes to spread the paper in his hand on the table between them.

The two moved their teacups aside to make room.

“Jiujiu, I can’t figure this out.” Bai Lihong didn’t notice that the two adults had been eating candy behind his back. He clung to the edge of the table with his two little hands and looked at Qin Xiao with pleading eyes, as pitiful as could be.

Qin Xiao looked down to see that the paper contained a math problem, one that many students were unable to solve: “The monks of the ancient temple eat steamed buns.”

He glanced at Hong Fu, who smiled and placed the brush down on the table.

Hong Fu’s smile remained unchanged.

Clearly, he had been the one to give Bai Lihong this problem.

Chu Jiubian also looked over to read the problem.

It was a very simple one. There were one hundred monks in the temple, including both senior and junior monks, and a total of one hundred steamed buns. If one senior monk ate three buns and three junior monks each shared one bun between them, how many senior and junior monks were there in the temple?

Wasn’t this just a variation of the “chickens and rabbits in the same cage” problem?

And it looked even simpler than that.

However, arithmetic in this era was still only at the stage where multiplication tables had been created, and more variations had yet to be developed.

Many adults would have to do some writing to solve these problems, much less a young kid.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but send Eunuch Hong a look.

Although he was the Grand Tutor, it was actually Qin Xiao and Eunuch Hong who taught the young emperor on a daily basis.

Chu Jiubian had witnessed Hong Fu’s talents firsthand. And when the System drew Hong Fu’s card before, it had said that he was both civil and martial, so he should be much more proficient than Chu Jiubian when it came to academic subjects.

It seemed the other party was quite adept at “tiger parenting.”

For a child as young as Bai Lihong, it was already quite impressive that he could write large characters legibly. However, because he had a photographic memory and had already memorized the entire Analects of Confucius, Hong Fu had begun teaching him to interpret the text these days.

Chu Jiubian found this pace of progress absurd.

In his opinion, for a three-year-old who hadn’t even attended kindergarten yet, being able to recite a couple of ancient poems already made him a smart kid.

It seemed that today, Hong Fu intended to teach him mathematics as well.

Qin Xiao glanced at the problem and asked Bai Lihong: “How did you calculate it?”

As soon as he opened his mouth, a sweet aroma wafted out.

The child sniffed: “What’s that smell?”

Qin Xiao reached up and covered his mouth: “How did you calculate it?”

The child’s attention was drawn back, and he answered obediently: “First I assumed there were ten senior monks and ten junior monks, which was wrong, and then I assumed there were twenty of each, but it was still wrong.”

So he was just guessing.

Chu Jiubian sipped his tea, trying to mask the taste in his mouth.

“You know how to use the assumption method. Very good.” Qin Xiao’s words of encouragement caused the child’s eyes to light up. Then he continued, “However, you are making the wrong assumptions. You should start by assuming that there are one hundred monks…..”

He picked up a brush and wrote down the solution process as he explained it.

The child listened intently, and quickly understood it.

In the end, he calculated the result himself: “So there are twenty-five senior monks and seventy-five junior monks!”

“Correct.”

Even though he understood, Bai Lihong frowned and said: “But this is such a hassle, Jiujiu! Instead of calculating the number of people, why not just call all of the monks out and count them one by one?”

The three adults in the room laughed.

Qin Xiao explained: “The problem you solved just now only included one hundred monks, so counting them seems easy. But what if there were a thousand, ten thousand, or even a million? How would you count them then?”

The child blinked, looking pensive.

“You are now the emperor, Your Majesty, and you must keep the millions of people in Great Ning in your heart.” Qin Xiao looked at the child’s innocent face and said gently, “Your Majesty’s concerns involve millions of people – whether they can eat steamed buns, and how many they can eat, is something that Your Majesty needs to know.”

“So what you need to learn is not the problem itself, but the method of solving it.”

Chu Jiubian’s heart stirred, and he involuntarily looked up at Qin Xiao.

Bai Lihong asked in confusion: “But I have Jiujiu, and Xiansheng, and Hong-gonggong, and lots and lots of other people. Everyone will help me calculate the accounts.”

Qin Xiao didn’t want to teach the child to be too pragmatic, so he didn’t say something like “anyone could deceive you.” He said instead: “No matter who calculates the accounts, they may make mistakes, and a small mistake may cost countless lives. So Your Majesty must also make calculations as a last resort for the common people.”

“But Jiujiu, I’ve never even met those people. Why should they rely on me?” Bai Lihong said a bit dejectedly, “Besides, I’m still young, and I have to rely on Jiujiu and lots of other people…..”

He felt very useless.

Everyone said that the emperor was very powerful, but he couldn’t do anything right now and had to rely on others for everything.

Qin Xiao: “Right now, you have many people helping you and protecting you, but there will come a day where we won’t be able to. At that time, it will be Your Majesty who protects us.”

Bai Lihong’s eyes widened in surprise, and he exclaimed: “I can protect you too?”

“Of course.”

“Then I have to become super powerful!” The child clenched his little fists. “I’ll protect Jiujiu too!”

Then he looked at Chu Jiubian: “And Xiansheng too.”

Then he turned to Hong Fu: “And Hong-gonggong too.”

“And I need to protect Granny too…..” He then started to walk out, as if intending to make this declaration to everyone he cared about.

Chu Jiubian was charmed.

Qin Xiao grabbed the child’s arm and pulled him back, saying: “No need to tell them one by one. Just remember them in your heart.”

Bai Lihong nodded obediently.

“Did you understand the problem just now?” Qin Xiao asked.

The child nodded emphatically: “I did.”

“Then I’ll give you another one.” Qin Xiao picked up the brush and turned the paper over to write a new one on the back.

This problem was a bit more complicated than the previous one; it was a true case of the “chickens and rabbits in the same cage.”

There were chickens and rabbits in the same cage. If there were 35 heads and 94 feet, how many chickens and rabbits were there?

The child frowned and calculated for a while using the method Qin Xiao had taught him. But the more he calculated, the more confused he became, and his initially confident expression crumbled.

“Jiujiu, I can’t do it.” His big, limpid eyes filled with tears.

Qin Xiao took his sleeve and wiped them away, though his technique was very rough and crude.

Chu Jiubian felt a pang of embarrassment at the sight, so he quickly cut in and wiped the child’s face with a handkerchief, saying: “Xiansheng has a solution to this problem. Would Your Majesty like to learn it?”

“En.” The child nodded, his eyes red.

Since everyone around was a confidant, Chu Jiubian simply picked him up and let him sit on his lap.

Eunuch Hong was taken aback. But seeing as Qin Xiao showed no reaction, he composed himself and listened to Chu Jiubian’s solution.

The methods of immortals were no different from those of ordinary mortals.

“Let’s assume there are ‘A’ rabbits. Then there are thirty-five minus ‘A’ chickens…..”

He taught him the equation directly. It may seem complicated to someone who had never encountered this kind of formula before, but once he understood it, he would find it easier than other methods.

Qin Xiao and Hong Fu were increasingly impressed as they listened to his explanation.

Qin Xiao then applied this method to the previous problem involving junior and senior monks, and it worked immediately.

The reason Bai Lihong was unable to solve it was because after making his initial assumptions, he went astray when calculating the differences later. But the method taught by Chu Jiubian could be used universally, without having to think about what to subtract or what not to subtract.

“Xiansheng, I think I’ve got it!” The little boy happily hugged Chu Jiubian’s arm.

Then Qin Xiao said: “I’ll give you another one.”

“Okay!”

Just as a math class was progressing inside the palace, a group of soldiers suddenly rushed in from outside the Imperial City gates.

Clad in armor with swords at their waists, they ran all the way to the busy Shenwu Street, loudly warning the people and vendors on both sides: “His Highness Jiannan-wang has returned to the city. All unauthorized persons must leave!”

---

T/N: I tried the math problems myself and found out that I’m dumber than a three-year-old. Math has always been my worst subject…..

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Chapter 34 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 36

Making tinderboxes was not as easy as making ice. After several rounds of drying, it took three days for the first batch of tinderboxes to be made.

Inside the Hundred Treasure House on Splendid Plaza, shopkeeper Qin Su placed two tinderboxes on the counter.

The sky was a bit overcast today, but it wasn’t raining. He imagined that Qiu Baisan would come over soon.

The Qiu family had been merchants for many years, and they possessed many more novelties than the Hundred Treasure House.

However, since the Hundred Treasure House belonged to the Emperor, other powerful and wealthy families would come to patronize their business from time to time. Therefore, the Qiu family often sent over Qiu Baisan, their purchasing manager.

Qin Su had become acquainted with the man over the years, and when he received the tinderboxes today, he first thought of the Qiu family.

As long-time wealthy merchants, the Qiu family were the ones who had the most need and ability to buy tinderboxes in bulk.

The palace had already sent four boxes containing five hundred tubes, and the Qiu family would likely take them all.

It was already the seventh month, and in two more months it would be autumn, at which time the use of ice would decrease and the business wouldn’t last long. But although the price per unit of these tinderboxes was much lower than ice, the usage rate would be higher.

Those wealthy families certainly wouldn’t be stingy about a few coins, and this business could continue for a long time.

It was said that the south had recently suffered a disaster and need the court to provide disaster relief, which required both money and grain. If the income from ice was cut off, the pressure on the National Treasury would be unimaginable.

They still needed to find ways to broaden their sources, ah.

Qin Su frowned, fiddling with the abacus.

He’d recently heard that a certain spice had come from the Sai Kingdom in the Western Regions. When added to food, it would enhance its flavor and keep people coming back for more.

Whether it was true or not, he didn’t know. If it was, he would definitely try to bring the spice business to the Hundred Treasure House, so as to alleviate the pressure on His Majesty and the officials.

“Boss, Manager Qiu is here,” a worker notified him.

Qin Su snapped out of his daze and walked around the counter to approach Qiu Baisan with a respectful bow: “I am truly sorry that Manager Qiu had to make this trip personally on such a sweltering day.”

“Shopkeeper Qin is too kind,” Qiu Baisan replied with a smile and a bow.

This person was thin and dark-skinned, but had exceptionally bright eyes.

Just by hearing his name, one could tell that he was a servant born into the Qiu family and given the Qiu family surname.

His ability to become the purchasing manager spoke for itself; one glance was enough to tell a person that he possessed the shrewdness of a businessman.

Qin Su laughed heartily, and Qiu Baisan was not to be undone. The two exchanged a few more pleasantries.

Qiu Baisan finally inquired: “I wonder if Shopkeeper Qin sent someone to summon me here today because he has something good to offer?”

Previously, when the Hundred Treasure House started selling ice, it was the Lu family who got the first batch.

Shopkeeper Qin had personally invited him over this time, so perhaps he really had some kind of rare item.

“You guessed correctly.” Qin Su led him over the counter and picked up a tinderbox, saying, “Take a look at this!”

Qiu Baisan took it and studied it. It was just a bamboo tube.

In the Great Ning Dynasty, many commoners often carried water or food in bamboo tubes when they went out. But what could such a small tube possibly hold?

He carefully opened the lid, fearing that the water or food inside might spill on him.

But when the lid came off, he found that rather than water or food, it contained something he couldn’t identify.

“This…..” He sent Qin Su a confused look.

Qin Su smiled and said: “Please blow on it.”

Qiu Baisan didn’t understand, but he did as instructed.

With a single breath, the dark thing inside the tube suddenly burst into flames!

His hand shook, and he almost dropped the bamboo tube, but Qin Su had fortunately anticipated this and grabbed his hand to prevent him from letting go.

Qiu Baisan had seen a lot out in the world, and quickly collected himself.

Nothing showed outwardly, but only he himself knew how hard his heart was beating at this moment.

“This thing can actually hold fire?” Despite his attempt to suppress his emotions, some of his disquiet still crept through.

Qin Su nodded, explaining in detail: “This thing is called a tinderbox, and it came from the palace. It can keep a fire burning for up to three hours.”

He then picked up the other tinderbox on the counter and opened it. The wick inside wasn’t black, but looked like some crushed up weeds.

“This is what it looks like before it’s been lit. Before the one in your hand goes out, you can light the new one with it to keep the flame going.”

Qiu Baisan took the brand-new tinderbox and examined it closely, but couldn’t identify what was inside.

But since this thing had come from the palace, it must be the work of Grand Tutor Chu.

Another divine object, ah.

Qiu Baisan covered the lit tinderbox, waited a while, and opened it again.

There didn’t seem to be a fire inside, but when he blew on it, the flames suddenly reignited.

This was truly a rare, magical item.

For a merchant caravan like the Qiu family’s that traveled the world year-round, lighting a fire outside was always a laborious task.

There was flint available, and straw for starting a fire was easy to find, but each time they wanted to start a fire, they had to strike the flint many times to even get a few sparks out.

And if they blew on it too much or a gust of wind came along, the newly emerged sparks might go out. It was truly inconvenient.

This tinderbox would be much more portable and easy to use.

“Shopkeeper Qin has truly come to the right person,” Qiu Baisan said. “How long can an unlit tinderbox be preserved?”

“At least one month.”

“And the price?”

Shopkeeper Qin displayed a number on his hand. Qiu Baisan thought for a moment before saying: “Alright. How much do you have in stock?”

“About five hundred,” Qin Su said.

“Our Qiu family will take them all,” said Qiu Baisan. “I’ll trouble shopkeeper Qin to deliver these tinderboxes to the Qiu family, and then I’ll settle the bill with you.”

Qin Su said with a smile: “Then thank you, Manger Qiu.”

“My Qiu family would like to order another five hundred units. I wonder if they can be produced within three days?”

The Qiu family had two caravans that would be setting off for the Fujian and Zhejiang regions in a few days. If some tinderboxes could be prepared beforehand, it would be worthwhile to use them themselves or sell them at a high price in those regions.

“Don’t worry, Manager Qiu. I will urge them to complete your order soon as possible.”

“That’s settled, then.” Qiu Baisan glanced at the two tinderboxes in his hands again, and Qin Su immediately said, “These two items are Manager Qiu’s to enjoy.”

Qiu Baisan didn’t refuse: “Then thank you, Shopkeeper Qin.”

Not long after, Qiu Baisan returned to the Qiu family manor with people from the Hundred Treasure House. After instructing them where to properly store the tinderboxes, he settled the bill with the store.

After everyone left, Qiu Baisan went straight to find Elder Qiu Hongkuo.

At this time, family head Qiu Ren should be training the soldiers at his villa on the outskirts of the capital, and since the minister was still at the government office, the safest course of action was to consult the senior elder.

When he was announced by an attendant, Qiu Baisan entered the courtyard, then went through two gates before entering the back property.

A man in his fifties sat in a chair. His hair was streaked with white, and his straight back looked thin and frail. Holding a book in his hand, he slowly turned the pages while occasionally covering his lips and coughing lightly.

He truly appeared frail and sickly.

“Purchasing Manager Qiu Baisan greets the Senior Elder.” He kept his voice low, afraid of startling the man.

Qiu Hongkuo set down his book, regarding him with deep eyes. His voice was slightly hoarse, but still warm: “What good thing did you bring?”

Qiu Baisan immediately took the two tinderboxes from his pocket and raised them up with both hands.

The servant beside Qiu Hongkuo walked over and took them, then presented them to his master.

“These are tinderboxes, and seem to have been created by that Grand Tutor Chu in the palace…..” Qiu Baisan told the elder everything he had learned from Qin Su.

Qiu Hongkuo picked up one of the tinderboxes and opened it.

It happened to be the one that had already been lit.

He gently blew on the opening, and sure enough, a spark appeared which then burst into flames.

The firelight reflected in his eyes, flickering and swaying.

Truly miraculous.

How many of these items did that Grand Tutor Chu actually possess?

Qiu Hongkuo had never met that person, but after listening to all sorts of true and false rumors, he had a general understanding of that “immortal.”

What abilities that person had shown so far were just the tip of the iceberg.

What was truly formidable about this opponent was not the blocks of ice or the tinderboxes, but the weapon that killed three assassins on the official road that day.

And perhaps things even stronger and more precious than that weapon.

Such a person must either be eliminated or collaborated with.

Eliminating him was not an option for the time being, and collaboration was also difficult.

It was better to align themselves with him through shared interests rather than to become enemies.

The Qiu family owned caravans, and Chu Jiubian possessed countless valuable items capable of accumulating wealth.

If the two parties worked together, they would truly become wealthy beyond measure. At that time, they would hold the economic lifeline of all of Great Ning in their hands, able to turn the world upside down with a flick of the wrist. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

However, the means and intelligence of that Grand Tutor Chu were no less than those powerful nobles who had been immersed in power for many years. Relying on Qiu Heng’s trickery and scheming would likely not be enough to win him over.

He should meet that Grand Tutor Chu in person.

“What day is it today?” Qiu Hongkuo closed the tinderbox.

The servant replied: “It is the second day of the seventh month.”

The Great Ning Dynasty was more accustomed to calculating the days based on the lunar calendar, which also made it easier for the uneducated to calculate the four solar terms, unlike later generations who were accustomed to using the Gregorian calendar.

“The Qixi Festival is in a few days.” Qiu Honkuo instructed, “Once the minister has finished his duties, have him report to me.”

“Yes.”

*

*

Four more days passed.

As evening approached, the Ministry of Personnel continued its daily routine.

Chu Jiubian glanced at the latest memorial that had been delivered. He simply circled all of the tedious and unimportant memorials so that they wouldn’t be sent to the palace.

Since he was the one who would be approving them anyway when they were sent to the palace, it was better to finish approving them here.

Of course, aside from those useless memorials, there were those that were important or had a clear purpose.

Take this one for example.

Lu Yuan, the governor of Hexi Prefecture, reported that the construction of the dams had been completed without issue, and the common people were very grateful to His Majesty and to Jiannan-wang.

He then went on to praise the achievements of Jiannan-wang, praise himself, and commend some of his subordinates who had performed well on the construction fortifications.

He had promoted three subordinates in total, likely juniors he intended to mentor.

Among them, Prefect Zhou Boshan acted as the supervisor of this construction project, and had accompanied Jiannan-wang throughout the entire process. His contributions were actually greater than Lu Yuan’s, but the latter didn’t try to take over from him, as if he genuinely wanted to promote this person.

Chu Jiubian knew why this was the case – because Zhou Boshan’s wife was from the Xiao family.

He was probably the son-in-law of some marginal branch of the Xiao family, and wanted to gain merit by taking advantage of Jiannan-wang’s influence.

Besides Zhou Boshan, Lu Yuan also mentioned two others: Sun Chang, the warehouse clerk in charge of dam construction materials and logistics, and Meng Tian, the household clerk in charge of conscripting laborers.

These two officials held very low ranks. Chu Jiubian only knew that one of them came from Lixiang County, located on the border of the Shanxi and Henan provinces, and one of them was a local from Hexi Prefecture. They had both obtained their official positions through the same channels used by Zhao Qianhe, the former Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

Presumably, the reason Lu Yuan spoke so well of them was because they were very filial, or because they had already sided with him.

But it would be understandable for them to seek refuge with their superior.

The official system in the Great Ning Dynasty was unlike that of the Imperial Examination system, with no rules about transferring officials every three years. Nor did it prohibit officials from serving in their own hometowns, and many officials were actually appointed to positions in their hometowns or nearby prefectures.

Aside from promotions and demotions, most officials remained in their positions for their entire lives.

Because clan consciousness was so prevalent in this era, if officials from other locations were sent to local areas, they wouldn’t be able to suppress the power of the local families. Therefore, the emperors of previous dynasties simply allowed officials to govern their own local people.

However, the drawbacks of such a system were obvious: local forces and officials formed cliques, making the central government’s control over these areas very weak.

Chu Jiubian blew out a breath.

Then the Imperial Examination system was still necessary, ah.

It also seemed that both civil and military exams should be conducted together. When sending officials selected through the Imperial Examinations to local areas, it would also be necessary to send a military officer to protect them, or it would indeed be troublesome to deal with the local forces and clans.

Alternatively, instead of holding military examinations, Qin Xiao could simply send his own soldiers to accompany the officials, thus giving him more control over the regions.

But this was contingent on Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao continuing their cooperation.

If they really did end up on opposite sides later on, then these local military officers would be the biggest threat to Chu Jiubian.

Chu Jiubian closed this memorial along with two other important ones, then left the Ministry of Personnel.

The more he got involved in Great Ning’s affairs, the more he realized that the situation was much more complicated than he had imagined.

His notion of using officials who passed the Imperial Examinations to control local areas was somewhat naive. 

This wasn’t something that could be accomplished overnight; it may take several years, or even a decade.

Ultimately, his goal was to help Bai Lihong bring Great Ning into a golden era, ideally with long-term cooperation with Qin Xiao.

But Qin Xiao was the main villain, and was destined to be Bai Lihong’s enemy later on. How would he deal with him then?

He would just have to take it one step at a time. At least for now, he and Qin Xiao had the same goals.

The powerful families and vassal kings, these malignant tumors and parasites, had devoured Great Ning to the point of ravaging it. They must be pried out one by one so that healthy flesh and blood could grow.

The sedan chair moved steadily toward the palace.

Inside Yangxin Hall, Qin Xiao had received the latest news from Qin Chaoyang.

The distance between Huguang and the capital was vast, and even with the fastest horse, it would take seven or eight days to travel there.

However, Qin Chaoyang’s messages arrived every three days, which was due to the messengers used to deliver them. They were all qinggong masters who had been trained by the Qin family for generations, and when they moved with speed, they were even faster than a horse.

Human strength had its limits, but Qin Xiao had plenty of martial artists under his command, so it would be no problem at all to replace one every half day.

Qin Xiao unfolded the confidential letter.

Qin Chaoyang had already sent a letter three days ago, recounting his initial observations and experiences upon entering the area.

He had brought more than fifty top martial artists to Huguang. Several people subsequently went to the disaster-stricken provinces, while those who remained in Huguang transformed into refugees and mingled with the victim groups in different counties.

The refugees had reached the point where they were forced to eat tree bark to pad their stomachs. Even though Huguang-wang was reluctant, he had no choice but to open the granaries and distribute grain in order to prevent the common people from rebelling.

But the local officials were a mirror image of Huguang-wang, constantly bemoaning their poverty to the refugees. The amount of porridge distributed each day was just enough to keep the people from starving, but the commoners were too weak to resist and were barely hanging on by a thread.

Furthermore, some guiding opinions had already emerged amongst the refugees, such as the idea that the cruelty of the world was a sign of the officials’ lack of virtue.

It was also said that the emperor’s ascension to the throne was illegitimate, bringing divine retribution upon them and causing the common people to suffer a complete crop failure.

Public resentment was slowly growing, even among some scholars and Confucianists in the regions. They had already written some cryptic essays, using treasonous words like “the wild sparrow occupies the phoenix nest,” and “vines intertwine to steal the spring sun.” 

They actually portrayed the emperor and Qin Xiao as villains who stole the throne to seek personal gain for the Qin family.

However, Bai Lihong’s Crown Prince Edict was genuine, and the inscription bore Emperor Yingzong’s name and seal. Apart from there not being a chance to hold the investiture ceremony, Bai Lihong was genuinely the Crown Prince.

When the father died, the son succeeded him; it was only right and proper for him to take over.

A person as intelligent as Qin Feng, having decided to face her death, would have naturally made every preparation for her son.

When he heard these comments from the common people, Qin Chaoyang ordered his men to secretly spread alternative messages.

The common people had no knowledge of political maneuvering. They had never met the emperor or Ning-wang, and their resentment toward them was simply the result of needing an outlet for their pent-up anger.

So Qin Chaoyang and the others redirected their resentment toward the most urgent matter at hand – food.

“Have you heard? It’s said that the magistrate of Quanchun County just took a third concubine the other day, and even held a banquet with 108 dishes – how lavish!”

“I heard that too. It’s said that the merchants and officials who attended the banquet that day ate until their mouths were dripping with oil.”

“And then there’s the magistrate of Dayang County. Half a month ago, his youngest son married the third daughter of the magistrate of Hubei. The betrothal gifts practically took up the entire street.”

“Right, and it’s well-known that the magistrate of Nanxiang County held a full-month celebration for his grandson.”

“We can’t even afford to eat, yet these lords have the money and food to feast so lavishly?”

“This is an insult. In the eyes of those bigshots, the lives of us small people are as insignificant as ants. When you walk down the street, do you pay attention to whether you step on an ant?”

“Are you saying that those lords can put on such grand displays because they tread on the flesh and blood of ‘ants’ like me?”

“I didn’t say that. But I have a cousin who used to guard the granaries in Huaiping County, and he said that the grain inside was piled up to the brim, enough to feed us refugees for one or two years.”

“What?! Didn’t they tell us there was no food? Aren’t they just waiting for the Imperial Court to transfer grain from Southern Zhili?”

“You idiot, ah. That grain is meant for the lords. If they gave it to us, how would they continue their extravagant lifestyles?”

“Besides, with grain prices so high right now, who knows if the lords intend to sell that grain to merchants in the cities?”

“That’s outrageous!” A burly-looking refugee slammed his fist on the ground. “I know why those officials always have oily faces – it’s because us common folk are the only ones who have nothing to eat.”

“We really thought it was that one’s fault.” A man pointed at the sky, referring to the emperor. He then added angrily: “But it’s actually those corrupt Huguang officials harming us.”

“That’s right, I heard before that…..” Someone spoke in a low voice, “…..when that person ascended the throne, auspicious omens descended from heaven, and an immortal even came down to bestow blessings on him.”

“An immortal?” Everyone gasped.

“Yes, an immortal. Many people have seen him.”

“Goodness, then His Majesty has truly been acknowledged by heaven.”

“I went to Northern Zhili with a caravan a while ago, and the news has spread far and wide that His Majesty and Lord Ning-wang personally went to sell ice to those wealthy nobles so that they could use the profits to buy grain for us.”

“Yeah, but before the grain even reached our mouths, it was swallowed up by those corrupt officials above!”

“Corrupt officials! Corrupt officials!” The burly man glared with hateful, bloodshot eyes at the Huaiping County city gate not far away.

Many others reacted similarly.

Such rumors were spread by Qin Chaoyang and more than fifty of his brothers throughout most of Huguang. As a result, the refugees no longer cared about divine punishment; they only cared about these corrupt officials who had grain but wouldn’t give it to common people like them.

Public resentment grew and accumulated.

Qin Chaoyang planned to wait a few days until public resentment boiled over, then lead his men to storm the county granaries, at which point the entire Huguang region would descend into chaos.

But just then, news came from Guizhou.

A large number of grain merchants from Nanjiang had arrived in the three neighboring regions of Guizhou, Guangxi, and Sichuan, where grain prices were already fluctuating.

Qin Chaoyang then decided to observe the situation further and not take action for the time being.

This was all in the first letter he sent to Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao had known at the time that the sudden appearance of the grain merchants from Nanjiang might be the “solution to the drought” that Chu Jiubian had alluded to.

And after reading that news, he could already guess what would happen next.

Just to be safe, he sent someone to send Qin Chaoyang a token representing the emperor’s edict, which Qin Chaoyang would know how to use when the specific time came.

In today’s letter, Qin Chaoyang briefly explained the subsequent events.

The emergence of the Nanjiang grain merchants was an unexpected variable, causing grain prices in Sichuan, Guizhou, and other places to plummet.

In fact, the refugees in the south all had some money to spare, but the exorbitant price of food had relegated them to their current status.

However, if grain prices really came down, coupled with the grain transported from Southern Zhili, the crisis in Guizhou and Guangxi would surely be resolved.

And as for Sichuan —

When the multitude of Nanjiang grain merchants flooded the area, Pingxi-wang Bai Lizheng received the news.

And at the same time, he received a confidential letter from Nanjiang-wang.

After reading the letter, Bai Lizheng’s brow, which had been furrowed for over a month, finally smoothed out. He immediately summoned his subordinates and said: “Pass down the order that from today onward, the porridge should be cooked thicker, and palm-sized flatbreads should be made to distribute among the refugees each day.”

A subordinate said anxiously: “Your Highness, if we do this, I fear our grain reserves won’t last much longer.”

“It will be fine, just do as I say.”

“Yes.”

Nanjiang grain merchants had already entered the heart of Sichuan, the region most affected by the disaster. At this point, it wouldn’t be worthwhile for them to turn back and go elsewhere.

They could only sell their grain to the people of Sichuan.

Furthermore, according to Bai Lihao’s letter, these Nanjiang grain merchants had already been outmaneuvered once, so they certainly wouldn’t dare to gamble on how much surplus grain the Sichuan granaries actually had. Fearing that they would be stuck with unsold grain, they would definitely lower their prices in order to sell it.

Even if the price of grain didn’t drop to the level it was before the drought, Bai Lizheng could still buy back grain and give it to the refugees.

After that, all they needed to do was wait for more rain, and the drought would be over.

But just in case the rain didn’t come, he planned to secretly buy more grain from these merchants and store it as a precaution.

Qin Chaoyang back in Huguang naturally understood Pingxi-wang’s intentions after receiving the news from his subordinates in Sichuan, and immediately put a stop to his plan to rush the granaries.

Then, he turned around and told the Huguang refugees about Pingxi-wang and Nanjiang-wang’s great deed of “distributing grain to relieve refugees.”

They were all living in fiefdoms, and the common people of Huguang had always felt that they lived more prosperous and comfortable lives than the people in those two places, so why were they worse off during the famine this year?

Naturally, this was because of Huguang-wang’s incompetence and immorality. Since he didn’t value the common people of his fiefdom, how could the people respect and trust him in turn?

As this public opinion spread, the resentment of the refugees toward Huguang-wang reached its peak.

Upon hearing the news, Bai Liyue was so furious that he smashed an entire set of white jade tableware.

“Very good! Bai Lizheng, Bai Liahao, you two are truly my good brothers!” Bai Liyue gritted his teeth. “Someone come over here!”

“This subordinate is here.”

“Give this order: all counties and prefectures must open their granaries and distribute grain for this king. Make the porridge thick and rich, and the flatbreads large and substantial, so that all of my people may be well-fed and healthy!”

The common people of Huguang were overjoyed to suddenly find their meals improved, and most of their previous resentment dissipated.

Under the deliberate guidance of secret actors, many common people even began to feel grateful for Huguang-wang’s kindness.

Qin Chaoyang and others secretly spread rumors such as, “We should thank Pingxi-wang. If he hadn’t been good to his people, Huguang-wang wouldn’t have been good to us.”

This would both infuriate Huguang-wang and sow discord between him and Pingxi-wang, achieving two goals at once.

After doing all of this, Qin Chaoyang led his men to the grain convoy from Southern Zhili and accompanied it to Guizhou and Guangxi.

The magistrates of these two places, under instructions from the Xiao and Lu families, had deliberately delayed their reports of the disaster situation. Now they were watching the refugees loudly voice their complaints, but yet still refused to release grain.

Even when the group of Nanjiang grain merchants arrived and prices dropped slightly, they couldn’t tolerate it, and instead created the illusion of a grain shortage and drove up grain prices again.

Not to mention the common people, even small business owners with some spare funds were beginning to struggle financially.

The Imperial Court was unjust, and His Majesty was without virtue.

With the deliberate guidance of those working in the shadows, this notion gradually took root and sprouted in people’s hearts.

At this particular moment, they also received news that the refugees in areas controlled by those vassal kings were able to eat their fill. At once, some of them began to flock to the territories of those three vassal kings.

In this era, which commoners would be willing to leave their ancestral lands?

But if they stayed here, they would starve to death. They could only go elsewhere to find food.

At least for Pingxi-wang and Huguang-wang, their territories were vast and sparsely-populated.

A large amount of uncultivated land required people to work it, and the expansion of the army also required more manpower. Therefore, population was a necessary condition for the development of power.

With refugees from Guizhou and Guangxi now flocking there, both of them were ecstatic.

There was enough food now, and they could afford to feed more people.

After the drought subsided, the wastelands would be cleared and new crops would be grown, and they would be able to collect more grain taxes. This tax money, if used for infrastructure development or military training, could significantly strengthen their power.

In the end, the vassal kings lost nothing; on the contrary, they gained renown and a higher population, as well as a series of related benefits.

Only the Imperial Court gained nothing but resentment, and also lost the support of the common people.

When they received the news, the reactions of the assorted parties in the capital naturally varied. On the one hand, they felt that it was a good thing to dig a pit for Qin Xiao and Bai Lihong, but on the other hand, they didn’t want to see the vassal kings grow in power. But a vassal king was still a vassal king, and couldn’t enter the capital without being summoned.

Therefore, they didn’t pose as much of a threat as Qin Xiao and Bai Lihong.

If incidents like the one in Guizhou and Guangxi occurred again, and the Imperial Court repeatedly let down the common people, then they would naturally blame all of their misfortune on Bai Lihong.

And with a little guidance, the focus could be shifted from Bai Lihong to Qin Xiao.

Once Qin Xiao fell from power, Bai Lihong would become a true puppet emperor, and whoever gained the upper hand in the court would become the next regent, second only to the emperor.

Of course, they knew that Qin Xiao wouldn’t be so easy to deal with, and the grain from Southern Zhili had already been transported to Guizhou and Guangxi.

But public resentment was currently boiling over. Even if the grain was delivered, the seeds of resentment had already been sown in the hearts of the common people, and would easily fester there in the future.

After reading Qin Chaoyang’s letter, Qin Xiao realized that although the descriptions were simple and it was only a few paragraphs long, it had thoroughly explained the twists and turns of the situation at that time.

And all of these changes had begun when Chu Jiubian had assured him that “news would come from Nanjiang.”

First, Nanjiang-wang obtained grain, then the Nanjiang grain merchants went to various other regions. Pingxi-wang seized the opportunity to cooperate, which forced Huguang-wang to release grain as well.

Now that the grain convoy from Southern Zhili had traveled to Guizhou and Guangxi respectively, with Qin Chaoyang holding the token Qin Xiao had given him, he could lay all of the blame for “the court not releasing grain” at the feet of those corrupt officials.

It was the corrupt officials who had caused this crisis, and it was only due to His Majesty’s benevolence toward the common people that the disaster relief grain was sent.

His Majesty also detested corrupt officials, so he would directly issue an Imperial Edict ordering the immediate execution of the corrupt officials in both regions, including the magistrates, in order to appease the common people.

Even if the two magistrates had prepared in advance and blamed the embezzlement on their subordinates, they would still be guilty of dereliction of duty, and there would certainly be suspicions that they had participated in the embezzlement.

Qin Chaoyang could then “escort” the two back to the capital so that they could explain themselves to His Majesty.

After this group of corrupt officials were killed, the common people of Guizhou and Guangxi would hate not the Imperial Court, but the corrupt officials who had exploited them.

The same principle applied: the common people had never met His Majesty or Ning-wang. They only knew the local officials closest to them.

Instead of hating those faraway people, it was better to hate those corrupt officials that were visible to them.

In this way, the plans of the Xiao and Lu families were all for naught, and they also lost two powerful local officials.

Once the two were escorted back to the capital, they would be spared the punishment of execution, but would never be able to return to officialdom.

All of this had begun with the sudden surplus of grain in Nanjiang.

And that grain must have something to do with Chu Jiubian.

How exactly had he managed it?

Where had that grain come from? And how had it been transported to Nanjiang?

When had Chu Jiubian made contact with that region?

And what about the so-called High Priest of the Northern Desert? Who was he, and what was his relationship with Chu Jiubian?

These countless questions needed answers, and the answers seemed to point to only one possibility – that Chu Jiubian was truly a god.

The look in Qin Xiao’s eyes was dark and unfathomable.

After a long while, he picked up his brush and wrote a few words down, then folded up the paper.

A person dressed in black appeared in the study and bowed.

“Send this to Qin Lie.” Qin Xiao handed the folded paper to the guard, who responded with a low “yes” and disappeared.

Qin Xiao opened the tinderbox beside him, then proceeded to burn Qin Chaoyang’s letter to ash and throw it in the nearby trash bin.

He’d learned of trash bins from Chu Jiubian. There were several in the other party’s residence, placed by the table, the bed, and even in the courtyard.

They were very useful.

“My Lord, the Young Master is almost here,” a palace attendant announced from outside.

Qin Xiao was currently in Yangxin Hall’s western courtyard, in his own study.

Upon hearing this, he said: “Invite him over.”

“Yes.”

He ordered cups of tea to be served, and Chu Jiubian arrived just as they were being placed.

This was Chu Jiubian’s second visit to the western courtyard. However, he had fainted last time and departed quickly upon waking up, so he hadn’t had a chance to look around.

Now, he saw everything clearly.

There was one main room and two side rooms.

The study was located in the outer area of the main room, separated from the dining table by a screen. The layout was the same as his Yaotai Residence.

The design of the study was also similar to the one in Yaotai Residence, with a chair behind the desk and two wide chairs facing each other with a tea table between them.

When he saw him enter, Qin Xiao stood and paced to the side, where he sat in the chair closest to the desk. He gestured to the chair opposite him and said: “Please have a seat.”

Chu Jiubian didn’t stand on ceremony, and simply went over to sit down.

He picked up the cup of tea from the table and mentally notified the System: “No need to test it.”

[Okay.]

The System’s tone remained unchanged, but Chu Jiubian inexplicably sensed that it was regretful.

It really wanted to deduct points, didn’t it?

Luckily, he had the foresight to anticipate this.

“Has something good happened?” Qin Xiao asked.

Chu Jiubian glanced up at him.

“You seem to be in a good mood.” 

Qin Xiao, also in a good mood, drank his tea.

Chu Jiubian smiled and said: “I’m so-so. But you seem to be in high spirits. Did Qin Chaoyang send you a letter?”

“En.” Qin Xiao was looking at him with an expression he had never seen before.

Chu Jiubian didn’t understand, but he didn’t ask.

After a moment of silence, Qin Xiao spoke again: “Did you have something to do with the extra grain in Nanjiang?”

Chu Jiubian smiled and took a small sip of his tea.

Qin Xiao smiled as well, and didn’t press the matter.

In short, the drought was resolved, and he owed Chu Jiubian a large favor.

“Tomorrow is the Qixi Festival. Would you like to go for a stroll?” he asked.

Chu Jiubian set down his teacup and gave him a meaningful smile: “What a coincidence. Someone just invited me to celebrate the holiday together.”

Qin Xiao paused, then saw the young man take a letter from his sleeve and unfold it.

He got up and moved next to Chu Jiubian’s seat, taking the letter.

Three lines of text were written in a gentle, warm script: 

I cordially invite the Young Master to join me for a lakeside stroll and lantern-viewing on the night of the Qixi Festival. Your presence would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Xiao Zimei.

---

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Chapter 33 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 35

Qin Xiao stared at those restless hands for a few seconds, as if attempting to accept reality, before looking up at Chu Jiubian again.

The room was silent.

Bai Lihong blinked his big, round eyes, stared at his uncle and then at Xiansheng, and turned around to run outside.

Right after, a sweet, childish voice sounded from the other room: “Xiao Hong, Xiansheng has woken up. Please serve a meal now.”

From the child’s perspective, it seemed that Xiansheng was sleeping soundly and his uncle had woken him up.

Xiansheng had looked a little angry and grabbed his uncle’s collar.

He feared a fight might break out!

Bai Lihong knew that some people could get a temper when they weren’t fully awake – for example, his mother. If she didn’t get enough sleep, she would be unhappy all day and wouldn’t give anyone face. Only when she ate her favorite pastries would her mood improve.

So good food should be prepared quickly for Xiansheng, and he wouldn’t be angry with Jiujiu any longer.

Even if a fight did break out, he knew that his uncle would give way to Xiansheng.

Xiansheng was frail and was always getting injured, while his uncle was highly-skilled in martial arts and wouldn’t get hurt even if Xiansheng hit him a couple of times.

Of course, it would be better if the two of them didn’t fight. Bai Lihong would try his best to get the meal served quickly.

Inside the room, the stagnant atmosphere was somewhat dispelled by the child’s voice.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao stared deeply into each other’s eyes. Seeing that the other party hadn’t given much of a reaction, Chu Jiubian’s competitive spirit was aroused.

The wicked tendencies hidden within his personality stirred, and his hands resting over the other’s pectorals slowly slid down.

As soon as his fingertips touched firm abdominal muscles, he could clearly feel the man’s body tense up even more.

Chu Jiubian chuckled, only to see Qin Xiao smile as well.

Qin Xiao released his grip on Chu Jiubian’s nose, then grasped his slender wrists to stop them from continuing on their path.

Chu Jiubian could easily pull his wrists out of that gentle grip, but he didn’t move. Instead, his smile deepened, and a hint of delight appeared in his usually indifferent eyes.

“What’s wrong with touching?” he asked. “Are you shy?”

With light force, Qin Xiao pressed the young man’s arms down on his pillow.

Then he pressed one knee down between the other’s legs and leaned over him. In an instant, the gap between them was shortened to an ambiguous, yet non-offensive distance.

“What is your identity now, Young Master?” the man asked in a deep voice.

Chu Jiubian retorted: “What do you think?”

“In short, not a god.”

“You still don’t believe me?” Chu Jiubian asked, somewhat surprised.

He’d thought that once he took out the iron wok, the other party was already 80% convinced. And with those few gunshots that shocked the entire capital, he’d thought he believed him completely.

But now it looked like Qin Xiao still didn’t believe him.

Qin Xiao softly stroked the skin on the insides of his wrists with his fingertips, saying meaningfully: “Under such circumstances, how can this lord believe you?”

Chu Jiubian turned his head to look at his left wrist, and his fingertips trembled slightly.

“Believe me or don’t.” He pushed Qin Xiao away and sat up, walking out without looking back.

The young man’s tall, slender figure vanished behind the screen.

Qin Xiao gazed at the ink wash landscape painting on the screen, rubbing his fingertips together.

The sensation against his hand didn’t lie. He had clearly felt several rough scars on the inside of the young man’s left wrist.

Qin Xiao was not a scholar. He naturally knew which parts of the body could be fatally injured.

Besides the heart, throat, and other well-known organs, there were also the thighs and wrists.

He recalled what he’d seen last time –  the bloodstains on Chu Jiubian’s inner garments and the fleeting glimpse of intersecting scars.

If he was a god, why would he have so many scars?

Had he sustained those injuries before becoming a god?

What had Chu Jiubian experienced before that?

Chu Jiubian went to the outer room, a hint of solemnity in his light-hued eyes.

These injuries had been with him for so many years, new ones covering the old, that he had gotten used to them.

He even instinctively felt that this was a very normal thing, and to avoid picking at the scars, he always deliberately ignored them.

His agent had suggested surgery multiple times, but he refused each time, preferring to add a requirement that he not be forced to show skin rather than capitulating.

It wasn’t until just now, when Qin Xiao questioned his divine status due to the scars on his wrist, that he suddenly recognized them as a huge vulnerability.

No one could dictate what gods should be like, but in the eyes of the public, gods should be noble and aloof, looking down on all living beings from on high.

That was why Chu Jiubian’s identity as a “god” was previously so hard to accept in the capital.

Because people felt that a god shouldn’t descend to earth, or rather, shouldn’t appear amongst them as a tangible “person.”

Of course, immortals could have experiences before becoming gods and leave behind works such as “The Hard Road.” But after ascending, they should no longer have such lamentations and reflections, and certainly should not have scars all over their bodies.

Chu Jiubian habitually picked at the scars on his wrist a couple of times before stopping abruptly.

“System, is there any medicine that can remove scars?” he asked inwardly.

[Thirteen scar removal remedies have been located for Host. Given the large amount of scarring on Host’s body and their varied ages, it is recommended to use the third scar removal cream. It works the fastest, and will make all of the scars on Host’s body disappear within a month, as if he has been reborn. Only 13 Faith Points are required.]

Chu Jiubian didn’t even blink: “I’ll buy it.” This was a necessary investment.

The medicine was placed into the System’s inventory, and Chu Jiubian’s tense nerves relaxed.

Wasn’t Qin Xiao concerned about his scars?

Then once the scars were gone, he would show Qin Xiao smooth skin worthy of a god!

“Xiansheng.” Bai Lihong peeked into the outer room and said cutely: “It’s time to eat.”

Chu Jiubian raised his eyebrows.

He felt that the child was acting a little timid, and seemed even more well-behaved than before.

Just as he walked over, intending to ask if something had happened, the child seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and become spirited again.

Chu Jiubian: “ ? ”

Bai Lihong had initially worried that Xiansheng would be angry, and was relieved that he wasn’t.

When his mother got angry before, he didn’t dare speak much and had to behave even more obediently.

Then his mother, amused by his cautiousness, would hug and kiss him affectionately.

At the thought of this, the child’s expression turned lost.

But it only lasted a moment before he collected himself again.

His mother said he should be brave and strong. He could do it!

Seeing the child’s expression alternate between happy and sad, Chu Jiubian guessed that he was probably missing his mother again.

He bought a bag of fruit candies suitable for children from the System. Then he chose an apple-flavored one, removed the wrapper, and magically produced it before placing it in the child’s palm: “Xiansheng brought this candy from the immortal realm. Have a taste, Your Majesty.”

Bai Lihong raised his little hand to sniff the round candy in his palm, and his eyes lit up: “It smells good, ah. Sweet.”

No child disliked sweets. Not even an emperor.

The child glanced behind Chu Jiubian and said: “Jiujiu, the candy Xiansheng gave me smells so good! Can I eat it?”

Qin Xiao kept a close eye on him, and didn’t let him eat many sweets.

Chu Jiubian turned and saw that the man had come out, so he reached out and took the candy from the child’s hand.

It was a hard candy. He took out a clean handkerchief, wrapped the candy in it, then went to the table and smashed the candy with a vase.

Bai Lihong clasped his little hands to his chest, staring blankly as his Xiansheng performed this series of actions. The candy was then returned to his palm.

Unlike before, the candy was now spread across the handkerchief in many small pieces, one of which Xiansheng ate.

Xiansheng also wanted candy?

Bai Lihong blinked his clear, innocent eyes, looking curiously at him, and then at his uncle.

When Qin Xiao witnessed this scene the moment he came to the outer room, he immediately knew what Chu Jiubian was doing.

He was telling Qin Xiao that the candy wasn’t poisoned.

“You can eat the candy after finishing your meal,” Qin Xiao told Bai Lihong.

Bai Lihong readily agreed, and carefully stowed the handkerchief in his pocket.

Qin Xiao glanced at Chu Jiubian’s expression again, but could glean nothing from it, leaving him a little unsure.

Chu Jiubian really didn’t have any other thoughts on the matter. He felt that it was right for Qin Xiao to be cautious.

If someone else suddenly appeared and offered Bai Lihong food or drink, Chu Jiubian would be suspicious too.

However, he wouldn’t behave like Qin Xiao – he would just have the System scan it.

He treated all of this as a matter of course, not noticing the unnatural expression on Qin Xiao’s face.

The three of them sat down at the dining table.

Today’s meal had been prepared by Matron Zhong and her apprentices in the Imperial Kitchens. Knowing that Qin Xiao and Bai Lihong would be dining at Yaotai Residence, they’d had it delivered here.

The cooks in Yaotai Residence’s small kitchen were also using iron woks for cooking now, and although they weren’t as skilled as Matron Zhong, they could still make quite a few dishes.

Chu Jiubian had been eating at Yangxin Hall recently, so the cooks’ skills had been used more to feed Xiao Xiangzi and the others.

The three of them usually chatted during meals, creating a very pleasant atmosphere.

But today, nobody spoke.

Bai Lihong just proceeded to eat his food in silence with no need for someone to wait on him. This was a kid who loved to eat.

However, his mind was entirely set on that sweet candy, and even the stir-fry in his mouth was unable to distract him.

Chu Jiubian felt that he had lost his composure in front of Qin Xiao just now.

That phrase “believe me or don’t” made it sound like he was angry out of embarrassment.

He needed to calm down right now, adopt his usual persona of having everything under control, and try to make Qin Xiao forget what had happened in the inner room as soon as possible.

Qin Xiao remained silent, but his gaze swept continuously over Chu Jiubian’s face.

He couldn’t tell what was on his mind.

After finishing half a bowl of food, Bai Lihong rinsed his mouth and asked Eunuch Hong to help clean his face and hands, then looked at Qin Xiao with beseeching eyes.

“Eat up,” Qin Xiao said.

At once, Bai Lihong beamed with joy and took the handkerchief from his bosom. He spread it out, then picked up a smaller fragment and placed it in his mouth.

The rich flavor of green apples flowed over his taste buds, and his face brightened in delight.

Such a little kid making such a face was as cute as a furry little animal.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but smile, and Qin Xiao was also amused.

“Is it really that tasty?” he asked.

Bai Lihong nodded repeatedly and handed the handkerchief to him, saying: “Jiujiu, have some. It’s so sweet!”

Qin Xiao actually reached out and took the biggest piece, then put it in his mouth.

Bai Lihong: “ ? ! ”

He stared at his uncle in disbelief, then at the small fragments of candy left in his hand, unable to accept reality.

That was the biggest piece!

He couldn’t bear to eat it, but Jiujiu did!

Qin Xiao swirled the candy around in his mouth with the tip of his tongue, savoring its rich sweetness. “It is indeed very sweet,” he said.

Bai Lihong gave a heavy “hmph,” then wrapped the handkerchief up and stuffed it in his pocket. His little mouth was pursed in a pout, and he muttered something indistinctly that sounded like: “Jiujiu is so greedy.”

Chu Jiubian’s expression turned strange.

Could it be that this uncle and nephew would have a falling-out over something so trivial?

But it also couldn’t be called a trivial matter.

At this point, Qin Xiao snatching the child’s candy might seem insignificant, but as he continued to snatch more and more things, the conflict would naturally escalate.

He loved this child.

Chu Jiubian could tell that Qin Xiao was genuinely concerned for him and worried about him eating too much candy and getting tooth decay.

It was also true that this child was all he had left of his sister. How could he not cherish him?

Even if the child grew up and was no longer in his camp in the future, Qin Xiao might not necessarily do anything to him.

Bai Lihong didn’t seem like an ungrateful child, and there were no treacherous servants around him. With Hong Fu’s abilities and emotional intelligence, he would never want to see the two turn against each other, and would definitely attempt to mediate in any way he could.

And even without Hong Fu stepping in, Bai Lihong depended on and admired Qin Xiao, and he probably wouldn’t consider his uncle an enemy.

So why had these two fought so fiercely in the original story?

Was it really true that power could completely distort a person?

The thought suddenly occurred to Chu Jiubian that he was bound to this world for the rest of his life. So when the young emperor grew up, would Chu Jiubian also become someone he feared?

And what about Qin Xiao? Would he also turn against him for power and profit?

If they were destined to have a falling-out in the future, shouldn’t he adjust his attitude now and return to a “cooperative” state of estrangement between them?

It seemed that they had all crossed certain lines.

“Xiansheng, are you okay?”

Chu Jiubian looked down and met the child’s worried eyes. A small hand clutched his fingers.

He smiled faintly and squeezed the child’s chubby little hand: “Good child. Xiansheng still has plenty of candy here, enough for you to eat until you’re seventy or eighty.”

“Wow!” Bai Lihong exclaimed. “Then I can keep asking Xiansheng for candy?”

“Of course you can.”

“Thank you, Xiansheng! Xiansheng is so kind to Miaomiao!”

Qin Xiao nudged the child’s shoulder and said: “Be careful not to rot your teeth.”

He’d eaten the biggest piece for fear that eating so much candy at once would give the boy the confidence to eat candy for the rest of his life.

“I know, I won’t eat it every day.” The child smiled sweetly.

Eunuch Hong, who had been observing with a smile, said when he heard this: “Rest assured, My Lord. This servant will keep a close eye on His Majesty.”

Bai Lihong quickly nodded: “Yes, Hong-gonggong will hold me accountable.”

“Then this lord can rest assured.” Qin Xiao stood up and patted Hong Fu on the shoulder.

Hong Fu and Bai Lihong left Yaotai Residence first, intending to walk a little farther so that the child could digest his food and take a nap when they returned to Yangxin Hall.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao didn’t go out, but instead went to the pavilion in the courtyard.

It had been raining the past few days, and the surroundings were damp. The rush pith that Chu Jiubian had ordered the servants to dry was not drying properly, so the tinderboxes he wanted to make had not been completed.

But today, all of the materials were finally ready.

Chu Jiubian had bought the method for making tinderboxes from the System and mastered it with ease.

The materials had been processed almost completely. The most important part, the “wick,” had been pre-soaked in a mixture of saltpeter, sulfur, and other substances. All that was left now was the simple assembly.

Xiao Jinzi took some kindling and placed it on the table, then stepped back to stand with the others and watch Chu Jiubian’s technique from a distance.

Qin Xiao sat opposite Chu Jiubian and watched the young man’s slender fingers move deftly, rolling the already unrecognizable rush into a strip and then wrapping it in oilpaper.

Then, he grasped a bamboo tube about the thickness of a thumb and slowly placed the oilpaper-wrapped rush into the tube.

Qin Xiao’s gaze moved downward, from the other’s slightly pink fingertips to the protruding bones of his wrist.

As if on purpose, Chu Jiubian didn’t allow him a glimpse of the scarred underside of his wrist.

Qin Xiao raised his eyes again to meet Chu Jiubian’s seemingly amused gaze.

“Are you looking for this?” Surprisingly, Chu Jiubian openly displayed his wrist.

Qin Xiao was taken aback, and when he looked down, he saw the messy, crisscrossing old scars.

One layered overtop the next, there were at least five or six of them.

And looking at the trajectory of the cuts, it even seemed like…..

Qin Xiao frowned slightly.

Chu Jiubian had inflicted these injuries on himself.

Chu Jiubian flipped his wrist back over and used the bamboo tube filled with rush pith to collect some fire from the charcoal brazier beside him.

Once it was lit, he put a lid on the bamboo tube.

“The path to godhood is never smooth sailing.” Chu Jiubian looked up at Qin Xiao, his expression nonchalant. “One must die before they have a chance to become a god.”

Qin Xiao gave him a deep look, but didn’t reply. Instead, he looked down at the bamboo tube in the other’s hand and asked: “What is this called?”

“A tinderbox.”

“What is it used for?”

Chu Jiubian removed the cap from the bamboo tube and raised it to his lips: “Blow on it.”

Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow and blew into the bamboo tube.

Then, he saw a fire flare up inside it.

He was startled.

Xiao Xiangzi and the others on the sidelines were so shocked that they were unable to close their mouths. If Qin Xiao hadn’t been there, they would have definitely crowded around Chu Jiubian and made a big commotion, asking how it worked.

But presently, they all stood there wide-eyed and dared not say a word.

Chu Jiubian put the lid back on and handed the tinderbox to Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao took it. He expected it to be hot due to the fire contained inside, but it wasn’t.

He opened the lid to find faint, flickering flames in the middle of the tube. He blew on them, and flames suddenly flared.

This thing could actually preserve fire!

Qin Xiao’s heart began to race. This feeling was similar to when he first saw the blocks of ice.

He tried twice more, and each time, the tinderbox lit up easily and promptly.

Compared to using a flint to start a fire, this tinderbox was clearly more convenient.

Indeed, it was another good thing.

“How long can the fire be preserved?” He looked at Chu Jiubian with a deep gaze.

If it could be preserved for a longer period of time, its uses could be vast. The palace servants standing nearby were taken aback.

Ah?

Could this tinderbox work indefinitely?

Chu Jiubian knew Qin Xiao was intelligent, so he wasn’t surprised that he would ask such a crucial question. He replied: “From the first lighting, it will last about three hours at minimum. If stored without being ignited, it will last for a month without any problems.”

Their product was made with high-quality materials, and after ignition, it could actually last five to six hours, or even longer.

It would actually be better to use sweet potato vines, but Great Ning didn’t have sweet potatoes yet.

However, the usefulness of a tinderbox was calculated from the first time it was lit by an external object.

If it wasn’t ignited, it could be stored for a month or even several months without any problems.

In other words, if a person carried two tinderboxes and ignited the other before the first one went out, they could keep the fire burning for over ten hours.

The tinderbox was so portable that you could easily carry eight to ten of them while traveling.

In situations like field warfare and burning down enemy camps, this thing could serve a purpose far exceeding its intrinsic value.

The flickering firelight reflected in Qin Xiao’s eyes.

A few breaths later, he closed the lid and turned his head to look at Xiao Xiangzi and the others. Xiao Xiangzi immediately stepped forward to take the tinderbox.

“Have you learned how to make it?” Qin Xiao asked.

“Answering My Lord, this servant has.”

“Go and have some people make more. There is no need to light them.”

The tinderbox was consumed once it was lit, so the safest and most appropriate way to preserve them was to keep them unlit.

“You may all leave,” Qin Xiao said.

“Yes.” Xiao Xiangzi immediately led the palace servants away from the main courtyard.

Once they were out of sight, the group couldn’t wait any longer and urged Xiao Xiangzi to light the tinderbox.

Upon opening the lid, the tinder was indeed extinguished.

Xiao Xiangzi blew a nervous breath, and a flame instantly appeared.

“Good heavens! It actually caught fire!”

“This tinderbox truly lives up to its reputation as a divine artifact, it’s much easier to use than flint!”

“Right, if we all carry these on us from now on, it’ll be much more convenient for us to light lamps for our Young Master when he gets up in the middle of the night.”

“That’s right, our Young Master is the best!”

Xiao Yinzi gave a thumbs up.

“Our Young Master is an immortal, of course he’s amazing.” Xiao Xiangzi raised his chin high. “Alright, let’s hurry up and send a message to tell everyone to prepare materials and make more as soon as possible.”

“Yes.”

The crowd dispersed.

Inside the courtyard, only Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao remained.

There were still some leftover materials on the table, so Qin Xiao picked them up and started to create a tinderbox himself.

Chu Jiubian, having nothing else to do, joined him.

It hadn’t rained today, but the sky was a bit overcast, and an intermittent breeze made it cooler than the day before.

“News just came from Nanjiang. Their food supplies are nearly depleted,” Qin Xiao said casually. “And news from Guizhou and Guangxi arrived a couple of days ago. Their granaries are almost empty, and they’ve requested that the court provide them with emergency relief.”

Before he even received any memorials from Guizhou and Guangxi, he had already sent a letter to Wei Yi, the governor-general of Southern Zhili, wherein he instructed him to send some grain to those regions. He also instructed him to send trusted confidants to keep an eye on the situation in order to prevent the prefectural governments from exploiting the common people again and cutting off their livelihoods.

He could temporarily ignore the fiefdoms of the other princes, as they all had some grain reserves. Especially Huguang-wang, whose multitude of granaries could not possibly be empty.

Pingxi-wang was in no hurry to submit a memorial. He would likely only submit his memorial after seeing Huguang-wang submit his own, and also to test Qin Xiao’s attitude toward the different vassal kings.

Qin Xiao wasn’t entirely clear on the situation in Nanjiang, but he surmised that they shared similar thoughts to Pingxi-wang. He could set aside these three vassal kings for the time being.

However, Guizhou and Guangxi were under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Court. If they didn’t take action, the common people of those two places would have no way to survive.

Chu Jiubian gave Qin Xiao a look.

The other party was urging him to find a solution to the drought.

Judging from the current situation, Qin Xiao should have also ordered Northern Zhili to send grain to those two areas in the original novel, but with so many people and refugees there, the grain from Northern Zhili was probably just a drop in the bucket.

Moreover, the journey from Northern Zhili would inevitably pass through the Huguang region, and Huguang-wang Bai Liyue, who constantly bewailed his poverty, would surely try his best to take some grain for himself, which would only make matters worse.

“If I don’t have a method, what do you plan to do next?” Chu Jiubian asked curiously.

Qin Xiao lit the tinderbox he had made and put on the lid.

Then he turned to Chu Jiubian and said leisurely: “How many days has it been since you last saw Qin Lei?”

Chu Jiubian was taken aback.

Only then did he realize that he hadn’t seen Qin Chaoyang in three to four days.

He understood at once, saying: “You sent him to Huguang.”

The Huguang region was also suffering from the disaster. Even without Huguang-wang sending people to spread the news, the common people along the way would definitely have their eyes on the grain convoy with such a large amount of grain entering the territory.

As the number of refugees increased, even with soldiers guarding the grain convoy, trouble was bound to arise.

Qin Chaoyang had gone to Huguang, and he certainly hadn’t gone alone.

Moreover, he hadn’t just gone to meet the delivery team; he must have spread other rumors before the grain arrived, or perhaps directly infiltrated the refugees and set people up as their leaders, then led them to other granaries in various regions of Hubei and Hunan to collect grain.

The granaries in Hubei and Hunan were all full.

If one granary was successfully opened, the refugees would swarm in and break through the other granaries as well.

It was a brilliant plan.

But it required someone like Qin Chaoyang to carry it out.

Qin Xiao didn’t even need to mention the details. He only mentioned that Qin Chaoyang wasn’t here, and Chu Jiubian immediately understood everything.

Qin Xiao chuckled softly as he watched the thoughtful expression on the other’s face: “It seems I also enjoy talking to intelligent people.”

Chu Jiubian raised an eyebrow: “Then congratulations. The person you like talking to stands over the entire Imperial Court.”

“…..I don’t like it anymore,” Qin Xiao said.

Chu Jiubian just smiled.

He paused for a moment before continuing: “After all this turmoil, the people of Huguang will likely have suffered considerable losses.”

Qin Xiao looked him directly in the eye and asked: “So, Young Master, can these people be saved?”

“There should be new information coming from Nanjiang soon.” Chu Jiubian’s gaze didn’t waver.

Qin Xiao’s eyes flickered slightly: “Then I will await the good news.”

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Chapter 32 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 34

The news that the Marshal’s only son had been poisoned spread throughout the country, and everyone bore witness to the military’s swift, decisive action.

In just two days, the military blockaded two different locations in the name of their investigation. Even the Public Security Bureau didn’t dare intervene in the military’s overstepping of authority, only hoping to avoid being affected by Lei Cheng’s wrath.

Gradually, attentive media outlets noticed that all of the blockaded areas were connected to the Prime Minister, and a new round of speculation started from the grassroots media. Various versions of these speculations ran rampant.

Faced with overwhelming public opinion, official media did not report on, clarify, or refute the rumors, but instead seemed to tacitly approve of everyone’s speculations.

Due to the Ling Yi incident, Lu Hulun was already at the center of a hurricane of public outrage, and many people took the opportunity to anonymously report him.

Under Lei Cheng’s orders, regardless of whether the reports were true or false, all of the people who were reported and had connections to the Prime Minister were to be detained pending trial.

Under such a series of blows, Lu Hulun was ultimately unable to refrain from taking action.

You Lin reported to Tang De, who then reported to Oser, that the court was planning to destroy evidence, including some of the evidence in Ling Yi’s case.

When Ling Yi heard that Oser was planning to raid the court, he insisted on going with him. Oser thought that he was concerned about his own case, and acquiesced.

This was destined to be an unusual day. Oser’s guards took control of the court, and all staff were forced to remain at their workstations. The guards piled all of the suspicious documents they collected in one place and waited to take them away after the search was complete.

Chief Justice Bisi was handcuffed to a chair for interrogation. The person whom he had personally sentenced to death was right in front of him, but he was unable to recognize him. He only knew that the beauty brought by His Highness Oser was staring at him with a cold smile that made his hair stand on end.

“Would you please stop staring at me and smiling?” the Chief Justice pleaded humbly. “If you keep doing that, I’m going to wet my pants.”

He wasn’t even lying. He had been cuffed for over two hours, and his bladder was protesting his morning coffee.

Ling Yi gave a few sinister chuckles and even started to whistle.

The Chief Justice: “……”

The whistling cut off abruptly, and Ling Yi frowned.

“What is it?” Oser asked.

Ling Yi was like a child who had made a mistake “…..I need to go to the restroom.”

Oser shook his derisively. It didn’t seem to surprise him that Ling Yi would act this way.

“Turn left when you go out. Don’t go the wrong way.”

Ling Yi scurried off with a high degree of urinary urgency.

The Chief Justice observed this: “Your Highness Oser, I, I…..”

“What?”

“I need to pee too…..”

“Hold it.”

“……”

After a long wait, Ling Yi still hadn’t returned.

Oser was about to send someone to check on him when the Chief Justice spoke up again restlessly: “Your Highness—”

“Didn’t I tell you to hold it? Why are you asking again?”

“That’s not it.” He scrunched his nose. “Why do I smell smoke inside the building?”

Oser took a couple of sniffs. It seemed he wasn’t making things up.

At that moment, the fire alarm blared deafeningly, further confirming his statement.

“Ling Yi!” Oser rushed out of the Chief Justice’s office and received a faceful of smoke. 

He waved his hand, and the smoke dispersed slightly. Not far away, a figure was running toward him.

“Your Highness!” Ling Yi looked panicked. “There’s a fire in the building!”

Oser grabbed his wrist and rushed out, ordering Tang De: “Notify the fire department and evacuate everyone!”

Fortunately, the fire wasn’t large, and everyone only inhaled a little bit of smoke during evacuation.

After most people were safely evacuated, the fire intensified, and thick smoke billowed from the windows on the second floor.

Ling Yi’s gaze flitted over the people around him and he asked: “Where is Captain Tang De?”

Speak of the devil, and he would arrive. Tang De half-carried, half-dragged You Lin through the main gate. You Lin tried to rush back in as soon as his feet touched the ground, but Tang De restrained him with an arm tight around his waist.

“There’s a fire, you can’t go inside!”

“The evidence! The evidence is still in there!”

“What’s more important, the evidence or your life?” Tang De shouted at him.

“They set a fire to destroy the evidence! I have to go get it!”

“Be quiet!” Oser shouted forcefully as he hurried over.

You Lin was extremely anxious: “Your Highness, the evidence inside is our only chance!”

Oser glanced at the burning courthouse and said: “Tang De, keep an eye on him.”

“Yes!”

“And Ling Yi.”

“Ah?”

Before anyone could react, he left Ling Yi and rushed through the courthouse gate.

Tang De was horrified, and was about to follow when he spotted someone running faster than him. A quarter of his soul was frightened out of him by Oser’s actions, and the remaining three fourths were lost when he turned his head. 

“Your Highness Ling Yi! His Highness Oser told me to keep an eye on you. You can’t go in!”

Ling Yi was visibly anxious: “His Highness is in danger!”

“It’s enough for him to be in danger by himself, you can’t risk yourself again!”

Tang De tried to stand in front of him, but then another person rushed past him – You Lin.

If there was a darkest hour in Tang De’s life, this must be it.

“Hold him down!” The experienced captain of the guard couldn’t do all of the work himself.

Guards rushed over and asked: “Which one?”

Tang De pointed at You Lin: “That one, of course!”

The guards transformed into rugby players, ruthlessly pinning You Lin down.

“You two go after His Highness. Make sure he’s safe, no matter what!”

The guards obeyed his order and rushed toward the fire without looking back.

Ling Yi was the only one left, and was still looking for an opportunity. Tang De could use neither violence nor persuasion, and itched to kowtow to him.

“I beg of you to wait for His Highness to come out. If he finds out that I couldn’t stop you, my life will be in your hands.”

“But His Highness—”

“His Highness is blessed with good fortune, nothing will happen to him. Besides, the firefighters will be here soon – there they are!”

Firetrucks arrived on the scene with lights flashing. Fully armed and equipped with professional firefighting tools, the firefighters skillfully entered the scene of the fire through several entrances.

The fire was extremely fierce at this time, and there were flames burning behind nearly every window.

The fire chief evacuated the crowd: “Back off! Everyone back away!”

Ling Yi grabbed onto him like a life-saving straw: “His Highness Oser is still inside, you have to save him!”

“We will rescue anyone who’s inside. Unrelated personnel should step back and not interfere with the rescue work!”

Ling Yi paused, then unexpectedly pushed him away and ran inside.

“Hey!” The fire chief didn’t react in time to stop him. Immediately afterwards, someone else passed by him.

Tang De followed without hesitation when he saw Ling Yi push the fire chief aside. Just as he was about to sprint over and tackle him, he suddenly saw two hazy figures appear at the main gate, backlit by the firelight.

He finally understood why Ling Yi was suddenly so agitated. Changing his target, he went to meet them: “Your Highness!”

Oser was holding a person who appeared to be unconscious. Ling Yi and Tang De escorted them out together, and two guards soon followed.

When they reached a safe area, Oser threw the man onto the lawn in disgust. Only then did everyone see that the person who had passed out from smoke inhalation was the Chief Justice who’d been handcuffed to a chair.

Ling Yi’s worry instantly transformed into anger: “The fire is so dangerous. Is this kind of person really worth risking your life to save?”

“Who said I wanted to save him? If he hadn’t begged me to save his life, I wouldn’t have bothered to pay him any attention.”

Oser glanced regretfully at the burning courthouse: “It’s a pity that the evidence couldn’t be salvaged.”

Ling Yi’s entire body trembled, perhaps due to fear, or perhaps due to excessive worry. This kind of complex mood was unable to be hidden.

Tang De had recovered half his soul, and couldn’t wait to describe Ling Yi’s reaction to Oser.

“Your Highness, did you see how Ling Yi rushed in to find you just now? I did everything I could to stop him. To be honest, I’ve never had to try so hard even to stop an assassin.”

Although he was exaggerating the matter, Ling Yi didn’t refute it. He seemed to be lingering in the aftermath of his fear.

Oser was moved, and wrapped one of his arms around the man.

“You were worried about me?”

Ling Yi stood there in a daze for a moment, then wrapped an arm around Oser in return.

Although he remained silent, his trembling hands revealed what he was feeling.

Tang De thought to himself that this was some kind of world-famous painting, and secretly took out his cell phone for a photo.

You Lin stared at the burning fire, his face awash with resentment. And when he caught a glimpse of what Tang De was doing, he became even more furious.

“Taking photos while the courthouse is on fire, how leisurely and tasteful!”

Tang De, having just experienced extreme stress, was particularly relaxed at this moment.

“Brother, what’s the point of being upset when the evidence is already gone?”

He showed the photo to You Lin: “See? The light and shadow is purely natural, without any special effects. This is the most beautiful love that can be recorded by the human lens.”

You Lin turned his head away in a temper.

The firefighters put out the fire. The good news was that only a few people had minor injuries, but the bad news was that all of the evidence had been burned.

When rescuing the Chief Justice, Oser had dismantled the chair with his bare hands. His left hand was the most seriously injured, with blisters forming where they had been burned.

Luo Li picked the blisters one by one and applied medicine. The treatment process looked painful, but Oser’s expression didn’t change.

When he was done with the complicated part, Luo Li handed the cotton swabs and ointment to Ling Yi, who had been watching from the side.

“Applying the medicine isn’t difficult. How about you give it a try?”

As Ling Yi took them hesitantly, Luo Li leaned in close to his ear and said: “Caring for the sick and injured is the best way to foster a relationship.”

He considerately left after saying this, creating the ideal environment for the two of them.

Ling Yi applied the medicine to Oser, being very careful not to hurt him.

“The repair fluid used on me was really effective. How about you use it, Your Highness?”

“You need to soak your whole body in that stuff. Why make a big deal out of a small injury?”

“How is a burn like this not a big deal? What’s even more infuriating is that you got this burn saving a scumbag,” Ling Yi griped.

Oser saw his worry and rubbed his head with the other hand: “Everyone says I’m fine. Why are you still so upset?”

“Why do you want You Lin to proceed with the investigation?” Ling Yi asked.

“If we can find evidence of self-defense, we can change your verdict to not guilty. Don’t you want your verdict overturned?”

“What’s the point?”

“Even with a pardon, you’ll still have a criminal record on your file.”

“So what? Does the consort still need to take his résumé and apply for jobs?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why should I care whether or not I have a criminal record? Killing is not a stain on me – it’s the medal I wear, an honor I earned with my own strength. Why should it be erased from my life résumé?”

Ling Yi gingerly lifted Oser’s hand: “I don’t care whether or not I’m found innocent or have a criminal record. I just hope Your Highness won’t take any more risks for me in the future.”

The sincerity in his eyes touched Oser. It was completely unexpected that Ling Yi would worry so much about him. He had always thought that Ling Yi was in this for business rather than affection, but now, it seemed that wasn’t the case. 

Oser, who remained perpetually unaffected whether he was doing good or bad things, felt guilty for the first time when facing Ling Yi.

Tang De was also touched by Ling Yi’s performance, but compared to his immediate boss, he was visibly more anxious than relieved.

Lan Ze had come to the lounge for some water, and met Tang De there smoking a cigarette.

Tang De took the initiative to show his goodwill: “Doctor Lan Ze, would you like one?”

“I don’t smoke.”

“These don’t have nicotine. They’re harmless.”

“The nature of them is to enhance pheromones to stimulate the secretion of dopamine in the substantia nigra cells of the brain. If you wish, I can help you implant a needle in the ventral tegmentum area of your brain, and as long as electricity is continuously applied, the same effect can be achieved.”

“……” Tang De awkwardly put out his cigarette and decided to put this man on the list of people he should never offend.

He watched Lan Ze pour a glass of distilled water and sit down to drink it.

“Does Doctor Lan Ze not drink coffee for the same reason?”

“Pretty much.”

Tang De simply couldn’t control his desire to complain: “But why are you so ritualistic about drinking water that you have to come all the way to the lounge to drink it?”

“I separate my work and rest areas so that my brain produces different amounts of cortisol in different environments.”

“……” Tang De nodded. “Meticulous. Truly meticulous.”

Lan Ze ingested a moderate amount of dihydrogen monoxide.

“People typically stimulate dopamine for two reasons: one is to elevate happiness, and the other is to relieve worries. Captain Tang De seems to fit the latter category.”

Tang De really needed someone to listen to him, and didn’t care if that person was Lan Ze.

“The story goes like this: His Highness risked his life to run into the fire and rescue the evidence, and His Highness Ling Yi is deeply moved because he believes that His Highness did so to clear his name.”

“What is the truth?”

“The truth…..of course, it was mainly for the purpose of overturning his verdict, which serves the subsequent purpose of revoking the pardon. His Highness Ling Yi is currently unaware of the other consequence of overturning his verdict.”

“I understand. You’re worried that Ling Yi won’t be so moved when he finds out that His Highness entered the fire to protect his throne.”

Tang De nervously leaned closer: “Do you think he will?”

Lan Ze took another unhurried drink of water: “How would I know? I’ve dissected over a hundred, but I still can’t understand what goes on in people’s hearts.”

“Don’t people use their brains to think?”

“I’ve dissected many more brains, hundreds of them, and I’ve also implanted tools such as steel needles and electromagnetic plates in different areas of living people’s brains. Unfortunately, research on changes in brain activity corresponding to different thoughts has made limited progress so far, as volunteers often withdraw from the experiments due to excessive pain.”

Tang De: “……”

Lan Ze turned his head and said: “My lab is still recruiting volunteers.”

Tang De silently put more space between him and Lan Ze.

Ling Yi finished applying the medicine, and when he went out, someone was waiting for him in the shadows of the corridor.

“Come with me,” You Lin said, and went into a rarely-used room next door.

Ling Yi didn’t look surprised at the man’s appearance. He followed him into the room and closed the door behind him.

“You’ve probably guessed why I came to see you.”

There was no emotion on You Lin’s face, but years of studying law had given him a fierce, oppressive aura when questioning someone. 

“I’ll get straight to the point. Why did you set the fire?”

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T/N: I lowkey want a Lan Ze romantic comedy spinoff. I can’t even imagine the weird shit he would come up with to try to woo someone.

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Chapter 35 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 37