Yangxin Hall, in the eastern courtyard.

There was a connecting corridor along the courtyard wall. From the gate, it passed through the east side room, the main council chamber, the west side room, and then returned to the courtyard gate.

One side of the corridor was lined with benches against the wall, while the other side featured a waist-height mahogany railing.

On that railing, pots of jasmine flowers bloomed like snow.

When seated on a bench, one could take in the entire view from among the flowers.

Large raindrops pattered against the roof of the covered walkway and dripped down the eaves to pool beneath them. The water surged toward lower ground, flowing out through open drains and eventually making its way through underground channels to enter the pond in the Imperial Gardens.

Today was a rest day, and Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao had just spent some time reviewing memorials in the council hall.

Seeing the torrential rain outside, the two strolled two laps around the covered walkway in the fresh air, their clothes picking up the faint fragrance of jasmine.

Chu Jiubian stopped when he got tired and extended a hand to feel the rain.

Standing beside him, Qin Xiao fixed his gaze on the inside of the other’s wrist, where he could see those faded, almost invisible criss-crossing scars.

Chu Jiubian withdrew his hand, fingertips wet with rain, and a handkerchief was handed to him from the side.

He took the handkerchief and wiped his hands, then went and sat down on a bench.

Qin Xiao followed him and sat down two fist-widths away, gazing with deep eyes at the pounding rain.

“They’re getting fainter,” Qin Xiao said.

Chu Jiubian glanced down at the scars on his wrist and said: “With my divine power gradually returning, the scars left from my days as a mortal will naturally fade.”

This indicated that these injuries had been inflicted when he was “human,” and that since his descent to the mortal realm, his divine power had not yet fully returned and his scars were still visible.

Now that his divine power was slowly recovering, these scars would heal.

He had been using the scar-removal cream for half a month, and the shallower scars on his body had all vanished, making his skin as smooth as before.

He figured that if he used it for another half month, the scars would be gone entirely.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t possibly take off his clothes for Qin Xiao to see. Wouldn’t that be strange?

So he could only show him the scars on his wrist. But these injuries were quite heavy and deep, and it would take another half month for them to completely disappear.

He couldn’t wait any longer, which was why he had deliberately shown off the changes to his wrist now.

He figured that if Qin Xiao noticed, he would take the opportunity to boast again. If not, he would just find another chance to show off.

Fortunately, the keen-eyed Qin Xiao noticed immediately.

After casually finishing his act, Chu Jiubian placed the handkerchief in his lap.

And as soon as he put it down, Qin Xiao took it back.

Chu Jiubian knew that Qin Xiao wasn’t a germaphobe, since he’d drunk out of Chu Jiubian’s teacup before.

So this handkerchief was the same. Let alone a handkerchief that was used to wipe away rain, even if it was covered in mud, the other party could have it washed and then continue using it.

He just probably wouldn’t use it to wipe his mouth anymore.

So Chu Jiubian thought nothing of it, and didn’t even glance at the handkerchief again.

Qin Xiao didn’t look at it either. He simply held it in his hand, occasionally stroking it with his fingertips.

Besides the two of them, there were only a few palace servants sweeping and cleaning in the eastern courtyard. Since it was raining outside and the two masters weren’t in need of their services, the palace servants remained inside.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were alone in the courtyard.

The curtains of rain became an ideal screen, separating this corridor into its own small, independent space. The sound of the rain and the occasional rumbles of thunder drowned out all other noise.

Qin Xiao didn’t press for details about his so-called “divine power,” and Chu Jiubian didn’t offer them.

They sat there in silence for a long stretch of time.

It seemed that since the very beginning of their acquaintance, there had always been a pervasive silence between them.

But the initial silence had contained vigilance and defensiveness. Later, as their cooperative relationship grew more stable, that defensiveness was replaced by tacit understanding. But there was always this subtly awkward, suffocating feeling.

Nowadays, they had grown accustomed to these occasional silences and found them rather comfortable.

Chu Jiubian’s mind drifted a bit until Qin Xiao handed him a piece of paper.

“I’ve found all of the people you asked me to find,” said Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian had previously written a list of all of the skilled craftsmen he wanted Qin Xiao to find, and in just a few days, he had already found them all.

He took the paper, upon which were clear notes on the people’s identities.

There were twenty people in total, including those skilled in agriculture, law, mathematics, medicine, carpentry, blacksmithing, textiles, and embroidery.

Two of these people were members of the Qin family, but most of them were unknown.

These ordinary people perfectly fit Chu Jiubian’s requirements: a clean family background, the ability to learn quickly, and most importantly, obedience.

Chu Jiubian was confident in these peoples’ obedience, because they all had families.

Qin Xiao had thoroughly investigated their backgrounds, and would provide secret protection for their family members.

Of course, said protection could also become a constraint on these people if it came to that point.

Chu Jiubian wanted to pass on many inventions and skills from the future to these people. And such things could not be spread for the time being, so he required their absolute loyalty.

But human nature was unpredictable, so there was a failsafe in place as well.

After carefully reading through it, Chu Jiubian put the paper in his sleeve, where he actually put it into his spatial storage.

“These people were all found in the capital and the surrounding counties. If you need, I can send people to even more distant places,” Qin Xiao said.

“No need, these are enough.”

Chu Jiubian’s goal wasn’t to cultivate geniuses. Rather, he wanted to quickly train a group of lecturers, who would teach students, who would later go on to pass the Imperial Examinations.

Students capable of passing the Imperial Examinations must be absolutely outstanding.

But as long as they came into contact with the knowledge and experience Chu Jiubian wanted them to have access to, those students who specialized in specific areas would be able to apply what they learned in other situations, and achieve greater success in their areas of expertise.

It was fine if these students’ achievements surpassed those of their lecturers.

Because the most important role of these lecturers was to act as Chu Jiubian’s “mouth,” helping him spread this knowledge and experience so that he didn’t have to teach batches of students himself.

And this saved Qin Xiao the trouble of having to expend money and manpower to find more capable people, achieving twice the result with half the effort.

“Aren’t you going to ask me why I want these people?” Chu Jiubian turned his head to glance at Qin Xiao.

From this angle, the man’s profile was remarkably well-defined, especially his striking brow and high, straight nose. Even someone like Chu Jiubian, who had worked in the entertainment industry, had to give him praise.

Qin Xiao said: “This is something I promised you.” Therefore, Qin Xiao didn’t care what Chu Jiubian did with these people.

Chu Jiubian smiled and said: “Your credibility with me has increased a little bit.”

Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow: “Was it very low before?”

“What do you think?”

Qin Xiao thought back carefully and realized that, apart from that first bet with Chu Jiubian, which he had reneged on, it seemed he hadn’t deceived the other party again. So why did Chu Jiubian think he was untrustworthy?

Chu Jiubian didn’t continue the topic: “I never intended to hide this from you.”

Qin Xiao turned to look at him.

“Do you remember that you still owe me a favor?” Chu Jiubian raised his eyes slightly to meet his gaze.

Having signed a letter of guarantee, he naturally hadn’t forgotten the terms.

“I remember,” Qin Xiao said. “What do you need me to do?”

Thunder rumbled.

A burning passion flickered across the young man’s picturesque features, and there was even a glimmer of light in those pale, inorganic eyes.

Like lightning flashing through the clouds, it left Qin Xiao momentarily stunned.

When Chu Jiubian spoke, his tone revealed a fiery ambition: “Qin Xiao, have you ever thought about changing the selection system for officials?”

Qin Xiao’s heart skipped a beat, and his eyes darkened.

He had thought about it.

He thought about it all the time.

The selection system for officials in Great Ning was destined to result in deep entanglements among them.

The recommendation system was actually the most effective tool for powerful families to form cliques, pursue private interests, and control the court.

Qin Xiao had naturally considered abolishing the system, but that was easier said than done.

Leaving aside how those court officials would oppose it, just figuring out what kind of system to replace the ‘recommendation system’ with was already a difficult problem.

Regardless of the system, it was inevitable that there would be entanglement between superiors and subordinates, and that officials would engage in bribery and form cliques.

But Great Ning needed the Imperial Court, and the Imperial court needed officials. The selection of officials could not be stopped.

Therefore, if they wanted to break down the entrenchments of the recommendation system, they needed a more advanced system to replace it.

This system also could not harm the interests of these court officials from the outset, or implementing it would be very difficult.

Qin Xiao stared at Chu Jiubian and said in a slightly deep voice: “You intend to change the recommendation system.”

“That’s right.” Chu Jiubian loved the feeling of someone being able to guess his thoughts after just one opening remark.

“When wealthy and powerful families hold the power of recommendation and selection, countless people will rush to serve them. If we simply return the power to select officials to the Imperial Court, countless people will rush to serve it.”

Qin Xiao naturally understood this principle.

But even if this power was returned to the Imperial Court, someone still needed to be responsible for implementing the relevant matters.

And he had no one at his disposal.

Plus, even if he had capable people under his command, there weren’t enough vacant official positions for him to fill.

The factions within the government were deeply intertwined, inseparable from one another, and no matter who was moved, it could have far-reaching consequences.

The Imperial Court still needed people in order to accomplish things, and Qin Xiao couldn’t just keep killing them one after another.

Moreover, among these officials who were dependent on powerful families, many of them were also working diligently for the common people, and Qin Xiao couldn’t possibly cut them out as well.

This was the crux of the problem that prevented him from breaking ties with the noble families for the time being.

Chu Jiubian knew his concerns, and didn’t intend to take drastic measures right from the outset.

He didn’t intend to send people to the provinces to steal the jobs of others the moment the Imperial Examinations ended. What he wanted was to proceed gradually, like boiling a frog, silently completing each step of the plan.

“I understand,” he said. “So what I want to do is open a school.”

“A school?” Qin Xiao frowned.

Nowadays, families with even minor financial standing would establish clan schools, where elders taught the younger generations to read and write. Then they would select those with talent, help them gain renown, and cultivate relationships with them.

Then, when these children reached adulthood, they would smoothly enter the court as officials.

Thinking of this, Qin Xiao realized what Chu Jiubian wanted to do with those talents from all walks of life.

He wanted those people to teach students various skills.

This wasn’t unusual. Even among noble families, there were younger members who were not suited for officialdom. In such cases, there were other ways to cultivate them, perhaps by having them manage the family business or by refining certain skills, such as embroidery.

But Chu Jiubian was only one person, so what resources did he have to start a school?

Who would he choose as his students?

Even including the younger generation of the Qin family, there weren’t many available.

Unless…..

A possibility suddenly occurred to Qin Xiao, and his breath hitched.

Unless the students of this school would come from other families, or even from among the common people of Great Ning!

Lightning flashed, followed by a deafening clap of thunder.

Chu Jiubian met the man’s gaze without flinching.

He knew that if he just revealed a hint of his thoughts, Qin Xiao would be able to figure it out.

From the very beginning, Chu Jiubian had never intended to establish an Imperial Examination system like those of later generations. He intended to select a group of people to be trained at the “Imperial Academy” and then help them gain fame.

When the whole world knew how outstanding the students from the Imperial Academy were, when the common people felt longing when they heard the name of the school, when the reputations and talent of the students of the Imperial Academy surpassed that of most officials in court…..

Then, the time would come.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao could remove the thorns in their sides from the court one by one, and then have the students from the Imperial Academy replace these people in various official positions.

This would be the will of the people, and the logical course of action.

The advantage of doing it this way was that initially, it wouldn’t cause too much tension among the noble families.

These powerful families had been unbridled for too many years. Their arrogance and conceit had been ingrained into their very beings, and they looked down on the common people and weaker families.

Therefore, even if they knew that Chu Jiubian intended to select outstanding students from among these people, they wouldn’t take it seriously.

In their minds, truly capable scholars, writers, and craftsmen could only be the product of established families.

But Chu Jiubian didn’t share that mindset.

In such a vast territory as Great Ning, there were bound to be areas beyond the reach of the noble families, and there were always capable people who disdained the noble families but wanted to do truly practical things for the country and its people.

These were Chu Jiubian’s initial targets.

He would exploit the arrogance of those powerful noble families.

Qin Xiao withdrew his gaze and turned his head to watch the increasingly heavy downpour outside the corridor.

He softly stroked the handkerchief in his palm with his fingertips, and remained silent for a long while..

Time ticked by.

Chu Jiubian admired the curtains of rain, completely unperturbed.

He was confident that his plan would sway Qin Xiao.

After a while, the downpour subsided somewhat, and Qin Xiao spoke again.

“Once the government order is issued, it will need to be publicized,” he said.

Wang Huanzhi had previously ordered people to distort the truth, to say that Qin Xiao was a madman who killed without hesitation – but Wang Qichen had easily reversed the narrative.

Xiao Xiangzi had been very animated while explaining this matter to Chu Jiubian. The gist of it was that, for some unknown reason, several renowned scholars and Confucian masters had suddenly begun to angrily denounce Wang Huanzhi for spoiling his son, which had led to his death.

They said that Qin Xiao had only killed Wang Wenfu for violating an Imperial Edict, and that he didn’t harm the rest of the family was already a sign of his leniency and benevolence.

Those who had previously slandered Qin Xiao also shut their mouths and didn’t even dare to refute – because what they said was true. Wang Wenfu was the one who deserved to die a thousand deaths.

After this, Chu Jiubian had a firm grasp on the other party’s strength.

With Wang Qichen, a master of public opinion, spreading the news about the “Imperial Examinations” throughout Great Ning would be a piece of cake.

“I have someone who will spread the word,” said Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao fell silent once again.

He got up and paced to the other side of the corridor, letting the cool breeze carry fine raindrops to his face.        

Chu Jiubian stayed where he was, eyes fixed on the man’s straight shoulders and back.

After some time, Qin Xiao turned around to look at him.

Against the mahogany corridor and pure white jasmine, he seemed to blend into the rain and become one with everything in Chu Jiubian’s field of vision.

“My people will protect the students who register,” Qin Xiao said.

This meant he agreed with Chu Jiubian’s idea – and he was even offering him absolute military support in order to prevent some cautious old foxes from nipping these students in the bud.

“I will take full responsibility for this matter,” said Chu Jiubian.

“Alright.” Qin Xiao didn’t hesitate for a second.

Chu Jiubian was actually somewhat surprised.

Qin Xiao must know how important the Imperial Examinations were, so why did he agree to let him take charge of them so easily?

As he got up and walked to Qin Xiao’s side, he heard him chuckle softly.

Turning his head, Chu Jiubian met the man’s smiling eyes.

“Using the money earned from selling fine salt to noble families to cultivate people to replace them…..the Young Master’s tactics are truly brilliant,” Qin Xiao said.

Chu Jiubian’s lips curved: “Same to you.”

Their eyes met, and Qin Xiao looked away first with another soft chuckle.

Chu Jiubian suddenly remembered something and said: “Has Zhao Qianhe already been exiled?”

“He left during Qixi Festival,” said Qin Xiao.

The previous Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel had left the capital quietly while no one was paying attention.

After serving as an official for so many years, in the end, he was left all alone. It was difficult to say if his whole family would make it to their place of exile.

Chu Jiubian had only asked casually, but he said worriedly after receiving this answer: “Are you sure everything is alright in Hexi Prefecture?”

“I had someone investigate. The dams are indeed structurally sound,” Qin Xiao said.

Bai Lihai wanted a good reputation, so he dared not cut corners. But just to be on the safe side, Qin Xiao had sent someone to examine the dams. As it turned out, the dams were of the highest quality, with top-notch materials and workmanship.

“That’s good.” Relieved, Chu Jiubian nodded.

*

*

The fourteenth.

Torrential rain fell for the third day in a row.

Cangzhu Medical Clinic, Yunlu County, Hexi Prefecture.

Early in the morning, Dong Sanzhuang brought the heavily-pregnant Dan Niang over despite the rain. He was soaked to the bone, but he shielded Dan Niang very well, and only her socks and shoes got a little wet.

But once they got inside, he disregarded the rainwater sticking to his body and carefully helped Dan Niang sit down on a chair, then hurriedly called for the doctor to come and examine her.

“Doctor, please take a look at my wife. She just fell in the yard, will she be alright?”

The doctor, an old man with a long beard, quickened his pace upon hearing this and took Dan Niang’s pulse.

Dan Niang anxiously gripped the man’s hand. Dong Sanzhuang was also nervous, but forced himself to remain calm and patted his wife’s hand to reassure her.

After a while, the doctor withdrew his hand and said: “Don’t worry, you’ve done well with this pregnancy. The baby is moving slightly, so there is no cause for alarm.”

The young couple’s anxiety instantly subsided, and smiles appeared on their faces at last.

“I’ll prescribe some medicine to help with the pregnancy. Take it at home for a few days, and I guarantee everything will be just fine,” the doctor said.

Dong Sanzhuang thanked him profusely, then followed him to retrieve the medicine.

The doctor instructed his young apprentice to cook the prescription, and said to the couple: “It’s raining heavily outside, and there aren’t many people in the clinic. Why don’t you wait here for the rain to subside before leaving?”

The two immediately expressed their deepest gratitude.

Fifteen minutes later, the medicine in the back was almost ready and the rain showed no signs of letting up.

The apprentice brought out the medicine, and after thanking them, Dan Niang breathed a sigh of relief. She thought she should drink all the bitter medicine in one go.

But just as her lips touched the medicine bowl, a small group of soldiers in soft armor rushed into the clinic with swords on their hips.

Dan Niang’s hand jolted, causing some of the medicine to spill and scald her, which in turn made her tremble even more.

Dong Sanzhuang was also startled, and his first instinct was to shield his wife behind him.

They were an honest and law-abiding family who hadn’t offended anyone, so these soldiers shouldn’t attack them without reason.

But in the next moment, Dong Sanzhuang saw the soldiers walking toward him.

“Are you Dong Sanzhuang?” the leading officer asked.

The medicine bowl fell to the floor. Dan Niang reflectively stood forward and clutched her husband’s hand.

Dong Sanzhuang’s face paled, but he forcibly maintained his composure and said: “I am. May I ask this official…..”

But before he could finish his question, the leading officer said: “Take him away.”

The other soldiers quickly restrained Dong Sanzhuang with ropes and dragged him out, holding him from both sides.

“Husband!” Dan Niang, terrified and completely at a loss, hurriedly followed them out.

Dong Sanzhuang’s face was deathly pale, but upon hearing his wife’s cry, he immediately turned his head to shout back at her: “Don’t be afraid, Dan Niang! I haven’t done anything wrong or offended anybody. It must be a misunderstanding. Go home and wait for me!”

“Husband!” Dan Niang wouldn’t listen at all.

Tears streaming down her face, she staggered out of the clinic. Although she chased after the group, the soldiers were too fast for her to keep pace.

The old doctor and his apprentice caught up with her and held her back, pulling her back to the clinic as they coaxed her.

It would be a disaster if she were to trip and fall.

Dan Niang began to wail.

Both the doctor and his apprentice were soft-hearted, and the apprentice said: “Don’t cry, I’ll go see what’s going on. If it’s a misunderstanding, your man will definitely come back soon.”

Dan Niang had absolutely no idea what to do, so when she heard this, she immediately knelt on the floor and kowtowed repeatedly.

The doctor hastened to help her up, and the apprentice threw on a raincoat and dashed out the door, heading in the direction Dong Sanzhuang had been taken.

The apprentice was small and thin, but he managed to catch up with Dong Sanzhuang and the soldiers while concealing himself the whole way.

At the sight before him, his knees went weak and he collapsed to the ground.

In the distance, at the entrance of the government office, there stood many soldiers in neat rows – and there were two executioners with longswords standing in the middle!

Directly in front of them knelt dozens of simply-dressed farmers, Dong Sanzhuang among them.

He had ropes all over him, but he still stretched out his neck and roared “Injustice!” with veins bulging on the back of his neck.

The other men reacted in much the same way.

On the three steps leading up to the government office gate, the county magistrate, dressed in official robes, stood under the eaves without a single drop of water on his clothes.

“You unruly commoners stole dam construction materials, and even tried to fool your superiors by substituting inferior goods!” The magistrate seemed to be genuinely enraged, and shouted: “Behead them all!”

At his word, the two executioners strode forward.

Very soon, the long street in front of the government office was painted in blood.

*

*

That night, Chu Jiubian was awakened from his deep sleep by a muffled clap of thunder.

He sat up, breathing rapidly. His heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest.

A strange sense of unease crept over him, and he shivered all over.

There were no servants in his outer room, and other than the sound of the rain, there were currently no other sounds in the house.

But suddenly, he heard footsteps coming from outside.

It was Qin Xiao.

It was so late. Something must have happened if he was coming here in the heavy rain!

In a fluster, Chu Jiubian got up and went to the door without even taking the time to put on his shoes.

When he opened the door to the outer room, he almost ran into Qin Xiao in his straw raincoat.

Qin Xiao reached out and grabbed his arm, then immediately let go.

“What happened?” Chu Jiubian asked urgently.

Qin Xiao’s expression was grimmer than he had ever seen it, and he practically ground his teeth as he said: “The dams in Hexi Prefecture have been breached!”

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Chapter 40 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 42