The downpour intensified.

The common people were squeezed together and jostling each other, but there seemed to be a vacuum-like space around Chu Jiubian that none of them could get near.

The surrounding civilians, and even the soldiers around Qin Xiao, seemed oblivious to this fact. As if controlled by some strange force, they instinctively ignored the strange phenomenon.

Only Qin Xiao noticed it.

Once again, he witnessed Chu Jiubian’s extraordinary, unique qualities.

He also noticed the other’s indifferent gaze.

This was Chu Jiubian’s usual demeanor. His light-hued eyes rarely revealed any emotional fluctuations, and he always carried a sense of aloofness, as if detached from the world.

Zhou Boshan’s screams grew fainter and fainter. Those tied to the other wooden stakes were officials from Huai County and Guangqing Prefecture. Some of them had fainted at this scene, and some wept, their apologies and cries for mercy rising and falling.

But their voices were almost entirely swallowed up by the sound of the rain, and couldn’t reach Qin Xiao’s ears.

A curtain of rain separated Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao. They were several hundred meters apart, but neither of them moved, nor did they look away.

After an unknown amount of time, the man’s screams finally subsided. Bright red blood flowed into a large pink puddle.

Lightning flashed through the clouds, followed by a muffled rumble of thunder.

Qin Xiao stood up and instructed the person next to him: “The disaster relief grain has arrived. Make preparations to distribute porridge.”

This man was the commandant of Hexi Prefecture. He had witnessed Qin Xiao’s methods before in Pu County, where he executed a fourth-ranked prefect at will, but this “death by a thousand cuts” punishment filled him with even more awe and fear.

He didn’t even dare look Qin Xiao in the face anymore, and replied with his eyes slightly lowered.

Qin Xiao lifted his feet and walked toward Chu Jiubian without taking an umbrella.

Most of the onlookers had already fled in fright when Zhou Boshan was no longer recognizably human. The remaining small group bolted into the city in a panic, their eyes filled with fear and dread when they looked at Qin Xiao.

Like they were looking at a ghost instead of a savior.

Qin Xiao stood in front of Chu Jiubian, completely soaked through. A few strands of hair hung down and clung to his face.

Chu Jiubian stared back at him for two breaths, then tilted the umbrella handle slightly to cover his head.

“Did you just arrive?” Qin Xiao asked.

“En.” Chu Jiubian glanced behind him. “What will be done with those people?”

He was inquiring about the other officials with Zhou Boshan.

“They will be executed,” Qin Xiao said in a neutral voice.

As if in sync with him, the remaining soldiers picked up their swords at the commandant’s order and, one by one, slit the officials’ throats.

Bright red liquid splattered, and the entire land seemed to be stained with blood. 

Chu Jiubian was watching from afar when he heard the man’s deep voice.

“Do you think I’m cruel?” Qin Xiao asked.

Chu Jiubian paused, then looked up to meet the man’s tired, bloodshot eyes.

“Why do you ask?” he asked with some surprise.

“That’s what everyone says.” Qin Xiao stared at him intently. “What about you?”

Chu Jiubian’s gaze shifted slightly and landed on the stubble that was beginning to appear on the man’s chin.

He suddenly wondered if Qin Xiao had experienced the same doubts and wavering resolve in the world where Chu Jiubian didn’t exist.

Had he asked others the same question back then?

Or did Qin Xiao silently suppress his emotions from beginning to end, being “a law unto himself,” and a “cruel and bloodthirsty” regent in the eyes of the public?

“You did the right thing.” Chu Jiubian looked up again to meet the man’s gaze, his eyes unwavering. “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.”

In the current situation, only by executing these people could he stabilize public sentiment and maintain the dignity of the Imperial Court and His Majesty.

Moreover, this swift and decisive approach was the third time Qin Xiao had intimidated everyone.

The first time was the massacre at Shenwu Gate, in order to suppress the rebellious intentions of the powerful nobles and princes.

The second time, he executed two scions of noble families in front of all of the officials. This demonstrated that he didn’t fear their power, thus instructing them to restrain their sons and daughters and prevent them from acting recklessly and defying the Imperial Court.

The third time was today.

Qin Xiao used the cruelest method of torture to serve as the most direct deterrent to all of the officials who relied on wealthy and poweful families.

Anyone could rely on a powerful family, and anyone could find opportunities to climb the social ladder, but Qin Xiao’s bottom line was the common people and morality.

The court could fight amongst itself however it pleased, but it must never use the common people as bargaining chips.

Qin Xiao had already shown everyone what the consequences were if they did otherwise.

Of course, there was another important reason for his actions, which was to let all of those who depended on powerful and influential families see clearly whether the big tree behind them would actually protect them if something happened.

Qin Xiao understood the meaning behind Chu Jiubian’s resolute composure.

But even so, he wanted to get a clearer answer.

“But I used the punishment of lingchi,” he said.

This punishment had been established by the second emperor of the previous dynasty. Not only did the emperor who was given the posthumous title “Li”^[1] establish the punishment of lingchi, he also put in place practices such as branding, skinning, and dismemberment.

Due to the excessive cruelty of these punishments, subsequent emperors, for the sake of their so-called “benevolence,” never used them again.

Now that Qin Xiao had reestablished the punishment of lingchi, even if he himself believed he was in the right, he couldn’t help but waver for a moment at the sight of the fear in the eyes of the common people.

He wasn’t afraid of being misunderstood by the world, nor of his reputation for cruelty.

He even felt that such a fearsome reputation would act as a deterrent.

But now, facing Chu Jiubian, he truly wanted to know the other’s opinion.

“Punishments fluctuate in severity from generation to generation, and although they appear consistent, they are not truly unified. They must follow the proper order and essential principles.” Chu Jiubian said in a mild tone, “In times of chaos, harsh punishments are necessary. So what if it’s lingchi? There are some people who deserve to go to hell.”

“No matter how tragically they die, or how many times, the sins they have committed can never be atoned for.”

The damage had already been done. Any price they paid was still too little.

Even if Zhou Boshan were to die a hundred times, those innocent souls who lost their lives due to his momentary lapse in judgement would never return.

Qin Xiao stared at him in silence for a long moment.

Chu Jiubian was referring to Zhou Boshan, those corrupt officials, and all of the powerful elites who treated human life as worthless.

But that wasn’t all.

He seemed to have a more subtle, secondary meaning, about certain things and people only he knew about.

Qin Xiao lowered his eyes toward the young man’s left wrist next to the umbrella handle.

The marks there were already very faint, but as Chu Jiubian’s words implied, some injuries may be invisible on the surface, but the damage caused could never be erased.

Qin Xiao’s fingertips twitched slightly, and he immediately retracted them into a fist.

But in the next moment, he raised his hand and grabbed the handle of the umbrella.

Chu Jiubian released his grip.

With no further words on this matter, they walked side by side into the city.

Holding the umbrella, Qin Xiao tipped it mostly over Chu Jiubian’s head.

“Have all of the common people been settled?” Chu Jiubian asked.

“They are all in the northern part of the city.”

The relief funds and grain were being overseen by Chao Shun, that senior official in the Ministry of Revenue. He dared not make any mistakes, so Chu Jiubian felt at ease as he followed Qin Xiao along the city streets, heading north toward where the refugees were gathered.

Nearly 30,000 people in Huai County had been affected, with the three submerged villages having populations of 10,000 each.

These people were settled in batches in different villages and cities by Qin Xiao, and placed under the care of soldiers sent by the prefectural commandant in order to prevent riots and accidents.

And there were now more than a thousand refugees gathered in a dilapidated daoist temple in the north of the city.

As they walked, they encountered many townspeople wearing straw raincoats, as well as a few scattered refugees.

They should all be from the same group who had been watching the excitement outside the city.

These people’s expressions changed when they saw Qin Xiao, and they hurriedly ducked for cover.

Chu Jiubian glanced at Qin Xiao. His expression was tranquil, as if it didn’t bother him at all.

“What will be done with the corpses of those common people?” Chu Jiubian asked.

Qin Xiao: “They will be fished out and burned.” 

Floods were prone to spreading disease, so it was better to burn them just to be safe.

In addition to the common people from Pu County who were thrown into the water to block the dam, Qin Xiao also ordered Liu Junqi, the senior official from the Ministry of Works who was stationed in the area to repair the dam, to keep an eye on the situation and have all of the waste collected, burned, and disposed of properly.

However, this would cause those common people who witnessed the bodies of their friends and relatives being burned to harbor more complex feelings toward Qin Xiao in addition to their fear and gratitude.

In this era, people valued a peaceful burial and abhorred the idea of having their bones cremated and ashes scattered.

But this was the safest course of action. Qin Xiao had no other choice.

By the time the two traveled all the way to the north of the city, it was already dark.

The daoist temple housing the refugees had been quite popular in previous times. However, the Huai County magistrate later became a devout Buddhist and shunned Daoism. He drove away all of the daoist priests in the area, and the temple soon fell into disrepair.

But the temple occupied a considerable amount of area, and wasn’t too crowded even while accommodating more than a thousand refugees.

The two didn’t approach, but instead stood at a distance and observed.

The grain brought by Chu Jiubian had arrived. The daoist temple gates were wide open, and many local Huai County officials were helping the relief troops unload the grain.

Some strong and able-bodied people among the refugees were assisting them, and the physically weaker ones also tried to help in any way they could. Some of them even clasped their hands to their chests and kowtowed to heaven and earth.

The porridge distribution wasn’t able to commence tonight, which caused some unrest among the common people. But upon hearing that Qin Xiao had executed the corrupt officials outside the city by cutting them into a thousand pieces, even if they had grievances, these law-abiding citizens didn’t dare to voice them.

Now that the grain had arrived, their initial dissatisfaction had vanished entirely, to be replaced by gratitude.

They were grateful for this moment of kindness, grateful for the slightest trace of compassion from the officials, and grateful to the gods above.

These were refugees, unlearned common people.

They didn’t understand many profound Confucian principles, and couldn’t even distinguish truth from falsehood. They could barely make ends meet, so how could they possibly linger on who treated them well and who treated them badly?

Anyone who provided them with food and drink, and ensured that they wouldn’t starve or freeze to death, was a good person and a good official.

But those who didn’t give them food and drink were corrupt, evil officials.

Before the disaster relief supplies arrived, Qin Xiao had seemed like one of those corrupt, evil officials. But now that the grain was here, they came to see that Qin Xiao was a good official who cared about them and rooted out corruption.

But they couldn’t be blamed for this – because both the previous dynasty and the past rulers of Great Ning had maintained a policy of keeping the common people ignorant.

The common people didn’t need to be sensible; they were merely tools of production and war, and useful for attacking political enemies. They were as insignificant as ants…..

They were many things, but they could not be people of sound thinking…..

Even if a few common people did get an education, they would become dependent on various forces, large and small, for the sake of their so-called futures and securing a better life.

Instead of tools, they became easily-discarded pawns.

Even among those scholars and writers who consciously read books and sought to understand Confucian principles, how many of them truly comprehended those principles?

Chu Jiubian stood there in silence. The umbrella shielded his head, but his robes, shoes, and socks were already soaked through.

A faint commotion sounded from the distant daoist temple, and then a figure rushed out the door, laughing and hollering.

It was a woman.

The sky was dark, but judging by her silhouette, one could see that her abdomen was significantly distended.

She was pregnant!

Chu Jiubian’s expression immediately shifted. He quickly paced toward her, and Qin Xiao moved almost at the same time.

Several people chased after her from inside the daoist temple – all of them elderly women.

The woman hopped and skipped in the rain. Then she suddenly stopped and shyly caressed a pearl flower stuck in her crooked hair bun, speaking into the empty air as if asking someone their opinion on how it looked.

Upon their approach, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao saw that her messy hair was sticking to her face, where a birthmark the size of a copper coin could be faintly seen.

The woman tilted her head when she caught sight of Chu Jiubian.

Then, as if she had thought of something, she ran toward him. Qin Xiao almost instinctively stepped forward to shield him.

The woman reached out and clutched Qin Xiao’s arm, her eyes empty and unfocused.

“You’re back.” The woman said, then hurriedly withdrew her hand.

She smoothed her hair, then took out a small, wet garment from her bosom. The red linen had faded to a dull gray.

“This was made for our child, isn’t it beautiful?” The woman’s gaze grew increasingly unfocused. She held the small garment close to her chest, smiling gently. “Beautiful. Our child will look good in anything.”

The older women caught up to her and seemed to recognize Qin Xiao. Their expressions changed, and they knelt down fearfully to kowtow.

“Get up,” Qin Xiao called to them, then regarded the crazed woman.

A woman who was a bit bolder spoke up in a trembling voice: “My Lord, she is a madwoman. Did she offend you?”

“It’s fine. Take her back first,” said Qin Xiao.

The other women immediately supported her, forming a ring around her as they gently led her back to the daoist temple.

Chu Jiubian stopped the bold woman and asked: “What’s wrong with her?”

“Replying to My Lord’s question…..” The woman dared not lie, and quickly told him everything she knew.

As it turned out, Qin Xiao had ordered people to summon doctors from nearby counties and assign them to these disaster-stricken areas to treat the common people. An old doctor from Yunlu County had been assigned to this daoist temple.

The old doctor was accompanied by a young apprentice, as well as this madwoman.

“It’s quite pitiful, really,” the woman sighed. “Dan Niang’s husband was unjustly killed by the Yunlu County Magistrate, and the news was such a shock to her that she alternates between lucidity and madness. The old doctor keeps her with him out of pity.”

Yunlu County Magistrate?

Chu Jiubian had previously heard Liu Junqi name the Yunlu County Magistrate as the one who had brought innocent civilians to the gates of the government office and had them executed. He was one of the officials who had just been tied up outside the city and had their throats slit.

That kind of death was far too lenient for him.

Chu Jiubian felt his head start to spin again. He closed his eyes and pushed through the dizziness, mentally asking the System: “Can she be cured?”

[Host, this System can provide a comprehensive treatment plan, which only costs 30 points. Are you sure you want to generate a treatment plan?]

He had just received over thirty points from the disaster relief team, and hadn’t expected to use them so soon. 

“I’m sure,” he said.

[Patient located. Scanning in progress.]

[Scanning complete.]

[This patient suffers from moderate psychological trauma and can be treated with specific medications. However, given her pregnancy, it is recommended that the dosage be reduced by half.]

Chu Jiubian’s heart settled.

[Because Host has reached the required spending amount, this System is gifting you one course of treatment medication.]

[If Host requires this System to provide testing on a wider range of individuals, please purchase the monthly subscription service for 300 points.]

Chu Jiubian slowly opened his eyes and saw that the woman who had just spoken had already turned around and ran back to the daoist temple.

The surroundings were dark, with only a faint light coming from the daoist temple in the distance.

The sound of the rain muffled the voices within the temple, but the pattering of raindrops on the umbrella grew increasingly clear.

Qin Xiao’s deep gaze followed the figures coming and going from the temple. The sensation of the woman’s grip on his arm was still vivid. The constricting feeling had gradually spread from his arm to his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe.

There was a sudden chill on the back of his hand holding the umbrella, and his arm muscles reflexively tensed.

Qin Xiao looked down to find the young man’s cold palm covering his hand.

The handle tilted down, and Chu Jiubian closed the umbrella completely.

Qin Xiao raised his eyes and observed Chu Jiubian under the extremely dim light.

With nothing above his head to shield him, he was completely exposed to the rain along with Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian reached up and swept back his wet bangs, revealing a smooth forehead that added to the delicateness of his face.

His eyes, which were usually devoid of emotion, seemed to have a spark gradually igniting within them. It was exceptionally clear under the hazy sky.

“In times of famine and chaos, taxes should be levied lightly and profits should be distributed,” Chu Jiubian said slowly. “Eliminate the thieves, and commune with the gods.”

In years of famine, relief supplies should be distributed to the common people, compulsory labor and taxes should be reduced, thieves should be eliminated, and gods should be worshipped for spiritual sustenance.

Qin Xiao had accomplished the first few, but as for the last one…..

“Do you know why I don’t believe in gods?” Qin Xiao’s voice was soft and even.

Chu Jiubian remained silent.

Qin Xiao seemed to give a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.

“If gods truly exist, then why can they not see this suffering?” he asked.

Chu Jiubian stared at the man’s faint outline in the darkness. His Adam’s apple bobbed.

In that moment, he finally came to a realization.

Why did he always feel that Qin Xiao was indecisive? Why did the other party always seem restrained by the fear of potential consequences?

Qin Xiao wasn’t being restrained by fear, nor was he truly indecisive. He simply cared.

He cared about these common people.

Chu Jiubian suddenly felt like he was very close to the person in front of him, and yet very far away.

The System sounded in his mind: [Monthly subscription feature failed to activate. Host is still short 130 points to activate it. Please keep trying.]

“I can see it,” Chu Jiubian said, his clear, cool voice devoid of any warmth or inflection.

Qin Xiao stared at him without saying a word.

“I need faith,” Chu Jiubian continued. “Give me this daoist temple, and I will help the common people get through this ordeal safely.”

Qin Xiao maintained his silence for a long time, as did Chu Jiubian.

The rain seemed to intensify, and Chu Jiubian could barely open his eyes.

Qin Xiao took the umbrella from his hand and put it over Chu Jiubian’s head again.

Chu Jiubian raised a hand to wipe his eyes, but Qin Xiao’s hand touched his eyelashes first.

His half-raised hand froze mid-air. Eyes closed, he felt the man’s rough fingertips brush gently against his eyelids.

Accompanied by the sound of rain, he heard the other say in a deep voice: “Okay.”

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[1] Li (厉) means severe or fierce. ⮐

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Chapter 45 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 47