Qin Xiao quickly swept his gaze over Chu Jiubian. He couldn’t spot any injuries, but the smell of blood went straight to his nostrils.

“It’s nothing,” said Chu Jiubian. “My legs are just chafed from riding.”

Qin Xiao relaxed and subconsciously glanced down at his legs.

Although the sky was overcast today, rain had yet to fall, so nothing was visible through Chu Jiubian’s dry clothes.

Chu Jiubian followed his gaze toward his legs, then looked back up.

“Should I lift my outer robes and show you?”

The young man spoke in a smiling tone, with an almost imperceptible lilt toward the end.

Qin Xiao just smiled and said: “I wouldn’t mind.”

Chu Jiubian’s eyebrows rose. Then he actually lifted his outer robe to reveal his pure white trousers.

Visible bloodstains ran from his crotch to his calves, and the thin silk fabric stuck to his thighs, outlining their smooth contours.

Qin Xiao looked down, paused for a moment, and then stepped forward to take the hem of the garments from his hands and lay them back down.

“Did you get a good look?” Chu Jiubian asked with a smile.

Qin Xiao said speechlessly: “Do you think it’s appropriate to do that in public?”

Chu Jiubian looked around and said: “How are we in public? You’re the only other person here.”

The secret guards, who had already concealed themselves, lowered their sense of presence even more.

“Besides,” Chu Jiubian leaned slightly closer to him and lowered his voice, “It’s just my trousers, it’s not like I took them off…..”

Qin Xiao covered Chu Jiubian’s mouth. His hand enveloped most of his face, leaving only his slightly surprised eyes uncovered.

“You’re too young to speak such nonsense,” Qin Xiao said.

Chu Jiubian was caught off guard.

He was indeed four years younger than Qin Xiao, but when had he ever mentioned his own age?

Qin Xiao lowered his hand and took a half step back, saying: “Go take care of it. I will wait for you in the main room.”

With that said, he turned and went back to the inner courtyard.

Chu Jiubian stood there for some time touching his face, then headed toward his rooms.

Qin Xiao entered the main room and went to the table.

There were two teacups and a teapot sitting on there, and he poured himself a cup and drank it.

Chu Jiubian reached his bedroom, and while taking off his trousers, he asked the System: “Is Wang Qichen still asleep?”

He had arrived early in the morning, around 8 a.m.

Most people would be getting up at this time, but not Wang Qichen. He usually went to bed late and woke up late as well.

Sure enough, the System replied: [Host, this System has detected that Believer Situ Zhaoling is awake and dancing in the rain, while Believers Wang Qichen and Jiang Shuoye are asleep.]

Chu Jiubian: “Dancing?”

[Yes. It has been raining in Jiangnan for the past few days, and the rivers and lakes have filled up again. Believer Situ Zhaoling, brimming with energy and with nowhere to vent it, has begun to learn the Saintess’s dance.]

How great to be young, ah.

Chu Jiubian lamented briefly, then asked: “Why is Jiang Shuoye getting up so late today?”

[Yesterday, Tatar scouts came to gather intelligence. Jiang Shuoye captured them and interrogated them for most of the night.]

The Tatars dared to return?

Last time, Jiang Shuoye had chopped off the arm of that Tatar deputy general named Mir Khan, and the Mobei cavalry had given them a taste of their own medicine. Yet unexpectedly, the Tatars returned only after a few days?

But what were these scouts there to gather information about?

Chu Jiubian said with a frown: “Bring both of them into the Divine Realm.”

As he spoke, he leaned back on the bed.

When he took off his trousers, his injuries were quite shocking to behold.

He wiped the bloodstains with a damp rag and applied iodine, then closed his eyes and entered the Divine Realm.

This was a good opportunity to let the wounds air dry. They could be bandaged as soon as he came back out.

Inside the Divine Realm, Chu Jiubian opened his eyes directly atop his divine throne and saw that Jiang Shuoye and Wang Qichen had already arrived below.

One of them wore silver-white armor while the other wore dark green lightweight robes. Standing on either side of the long table, they seemed like two completely different people in every way.

But now, they had one thing in common.

With a thought, Chu Jiubian transformed the one chair in front of the long table into six.

After Jiang Shuoye and Wang Qichen arrived, they had bowed to the divine silhouette left by Chu Jiubian in the Divine Realm and then stood there dumbfounded, at a loss for what to do.

Seeing the number of chairs suddenly increase to six, they immediately guessed that the High Priest must have six Believers who could enter the Divine Realm.

“Sit,” Chu Jiubian said.

The two obeyed and sat down with a chair between them.

Chu Jiubian raised an eyebrow and asked the System: “Did they just have a fight?”

[No.]

That meant they simply couldn’t connect in conversation.

Chu Jiubian wouldn’t force them to sit together. The seat between them was perfect for Situ Zhaoling, who would liven up the atmosphere.

“How have things been with you lately?” asked Chu Jiubian.

He had been such a deity from the very beginning. Though he carried himself with an air of aloofness, his speech and laughter exuded a vibrant liveliness.

Therefore, his informal speech patterns raised no eyebrows.

Wang Qichen spoke first: “Answering the High Priest, I’ve been trying to abstain from alcohol lately, but it’s been difficult. Do you have any good suggestions?”

Chu Jiubian almost laughed.

“You can quit if you are determined enough. Why bother the High Priest with this?” Jiang Shuoye said disapprovingly.

Wang Qichen sent him a look: “Can’t I even make a joke?”

Jiang Shuoye frowned slightly, but disregarded him and instead addressed Chu Jiubian: “High Priest, the steel mill under this subordinate’s command has begun operations, and some progress has already been made. Presumably, it won’t be long before we can forge even stronger ironware.”

“In addition, the Tatars sent scouts yesterday to gather intelligence on the Mobei Army. This subordinate discovered that their horses were also equipped with stirrups and saddles, exactly the same as those used by our soldiers. This subordinate interrogated them overnight, but they didn’t know who leaked the information to them.”

Chu Jiubian frowned slightly.

When the Mobei Army battled the Tatars before, they had covered their equipment with cloth, so the Tatar army wouldn’t have been able to get a good look at it.

But only a short time had passed, and the Tatar army was already equipped with the same gear. Someone must have given them this intelligence!

In other words, someone in the Northern Desert or the capital was colluding with the enemy!

Chu Jiubian suddenly remembered something that had happened a while ago.

When Su Sheng impeached Zhao Qianhe, he had accused him of “harming good and loyal people,” and at that moment, everyone had looked at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao’s parents had died on the battlefield in the Northern Desert.

What was the real story behind this?

Could it be related to the traitorous spy?

Wang Qichen wasn’t clear on the High Priest’s real identity. He only knew that he intended to “enlighten the populace” and protect the common people of Great Ning.

He hadn’t known what he should say to the High Priest, but now, after hearing Jiang Shuoye report on the affairs of the Northern Desert, he had figured out a few things.

The High Priest seemed to be paying attention to all of the factions in Great Ning.

In that case…..

“Understood,” Chu Jiubian replied.

“High Priest, this subordinate also has something to report,” Wang Qichen said at once. “This subordinate has already ordered the construction of a paper mill, and workers have been found. Production will begin soon. Furthermore, the recent flooding in Hexi Prefecture was all due to the corruption of Jiannan-wang and the Xiao family, and this subordinate had people write satirical and mocking articles about them. Is there anything unsuitable about this?”

“Well done. There is nothing unsuitable,” Chu Jiubian said.

Wang Qichen smiled, his sparkling peach blossom eyes exuding tenderness. He was truly a beauty.

Seeing that he was in high spirits, Chu Jiubian asked: “What is the relationship between you and the Ministry of Works official Liu Junqi?”

Knowing that Chu Jiubian was concerned about the situation in the capital, Wang Qichen wasn’t surprised to hear him ask such a question.

However, everyone in the capital was aware that Liu Junqi was the protégé of Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan. As an elder in the Wang family, Wang Zhiyuan outwardly gravitated toward the family head, Wang Huanzhi, while remaining quite distant from Young Master Wang Qichen.

Therefore, no one would associate Liu Junqi with Wang Qichen.

But the fact that the High Priest had come to him with this question meant that he could see through secrets that others could not.

He was worthy of being a god, ah.

Wang Qichen’s respect for him deepened even further. He said: “To be honest, High Priest, Liu Junqi and I are very close friends.”

Liu Junqi was a few years older than him, but the two had compatible personalities. In addition, Wang Qichen was the one who helped him become Wang Zhiyuan’s protégé and climb up to the position of a senior official in the Ministry of Works.

There was no need to elaborate on their relationship.

Chu Jiubian understood. Liu Junqi was indeed useful and could be put in an important position.

[Host, someone is knocking on your door.]

Chu Jiubian knew beyond a doubt that it was Qin Xiao.

He had indeed been lingering in the Divine Realm for quite a while.

However, he suddenly thought of something: if he left now, would his Believers in the Divine Realm be able to remain here?

[They can, Host. Even when you’re not in the Divine Realm, you can still summon your Believers into it. This System can also save screen recordings for you if needed.]

That meant that in the future, if Chu Jiubian was busy and couldn’t enter the Divine Realm, his Believers could communicate amongst themselves here, and he would know the content of their conversations.

This was a good feature.

[Host, it only costs 15 points to unlock this feature.]

Chu Jiubian: “…..Unlock it.”

The System seemed pleased that he didn’t haggle, and said quickly: [Relevant function has been activated for Host. Your bedroom door has been opened.]

Startled, Chu Jiubian hurriedly said: “Send me out.”

He opened his eyes in bed and immediately turned to look toward the screen.

The bedroom was quite large, with a screen separating the bed from the other side, where there was a low couch and similar items.

Even through the screen, Chu Jiubian could see a tall and imposing figure approaching at a brisk pace.

“Wait!” he said, and the figure came to a stop.

“Are you alright?” Qin Xiao’s voice sounded from behind the screen.

Chu Jiubian glanced at his badly chafed legs and said: “I’m fine.”

Qin Xiao didn’t move.

He had been waiting for a while with no sign of the other party, so he’d come to look for him. And when nobody answered his knock on the door, he simply walked inside.

“It’s really nothing.” He glanced at the figure behind the screen. “Go wait for me in the main room.”

Qin Xiao could vaguely see a figure sitting on the bed through the screen.

The figure moved, raising one leg.

Qin Xiao’s eyelashes fluttered, and he turned and left the bedroom.

Walking along the corridor to the front of the main room, Qin Xiao stood under the eaves and enjoyed the breeze.

After some time, he finally entered the main room.

He glanced at the tea set on the table, then went over and poured himself another cup, which he drank in one gulp.

A soft couch had been placed by the window in the back of the room, along with a go table.

Qin Xiao carried the two tea sets and the teapot to the edge of the couch and sat down on one side of the go table.

The window beside him was open, and he could see a large patch of jasmine planted beside the house. Its fragrance wafted through the swaying leaves.

A damp, cool breeze swept by outside, stirring the wind chimes on the eaves, and a light rain began to fall.

He simply sat there and watched the misty drizzle outside the window.

After a while, he drank another cup of tea.

Setting down his teacup, he remained apathetic for a moment before picking up the go set beside him.

He took out the pieces and unhurriedly set up the board.

The door to the main room was open, and after a short while, Chu Jiubian finally came in.

Qin Xiao paused with his fingers on a game piece, but didn’t turn to look at him.

Chu Jiubian paced to the couch opposite Qin Xiao and sat down. Seeing a teacup nearby, he poured some tea for himself and filled Qin Xiao’s empty cup as well before lowering his gaze to the go board. 

Qin Xiao raised his eyes slightly, sweeping his gaze over the black trousers he had changed into. “Want to play?”

Chu Jiubian had learned a bit of everything, but he was really not good at go.

“Let me teach you a new way to play,” he said.

“What is it?”

“Gomoku.” Chu Jiubian reached out and pushed the prepared pieces on the board aside, leaving only five white pieces. “Whoever connects five pieces in a line first wins.”

Qin Xiao understood.

The rules were so simple and clear that a child could comprehend them.

Chu Jiubian then arranged the five pieces horizontally, vertically, and then diagonally before looking up to ask him: “Get it?”

Qin Xiao met his serene eyes and for some reason felt like smiling.

He lowered his eyes to hide the smile in them. “I do now.”

“Then you go first,” said Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao picked up a black piece and placed it in the center of the board. Chu Jiubian immediately placed a piece right next to it.

Qin Xiao then placed another black piece to the side of his white one.

The two black stones blocked the white one in the middle, one on the left and right. Chu Jiubian glanced at the other party and continued playing.

Chu Jiubian was skilled at Gomoku to the point that he didn’t even need to think. He only needed to consider for a maximum of two seconds before placing a piece.

Qin Xiao initially struggled to adapt to his pace, but he gradually caught up, and the speed of his placement increased.

In the game of gomoku, where two players chased and blocked each other, they filled up nearly the entire board.

At last, Chu Jiubian came out one step ahead and connected his pieces.

Qin Xiao just smiled and said, “I lost.”

“You did pretty good,” Chu Jiubian said as he put away the pieces.

He continued half-truthfully: “Back in the immortal realm, there were very few who could beat me.”

Qin Xiao slowly put away some of the pieces, asking: “Are you familiar with any of the gods of legend?”

“The titles of gods are different in the immortal realm than in the mortal world, so I’m not sure.” Chu Jiubian unhesitatingly fabricated a story.

Once one lie was told, countless more lies were needed to cover it up.

Therefore, it was necessary to add some loopholes from the very beginning.

Sure enough, Qin Xiao stopped inquiring after hearing this and asked instead: “Then are there any other gods you’re on good terms with?”

“Yes,” Chu Jiubian replied without hesitation.

His best friend was the High Priest, ah.

Qin Xiao paused, then looked up at him: “Who?”

Chu Jiubian naturally couldn’t tell him the truth. The High Priest couldn’t appear in public yet. The events in the Northern Desert were already quite conspicuous, so it was better to keep a low profile for now.

Plus, Qin Xiao seemed to be testing him today.

Chu Jiubian felt that he likely believed in his identity as a “god,” but was still somewhat hesitant, which was why he was asking him so many questions.

Thus, it was even more important not to discuss the High Priest.

“Is it inconvenient for you to tell me?” Qin Xiao picked up the last black piece and leaned back against the armrest.

Chu Jiubian glanced at his seemingly teasing expression and leaned back against his own armrest: “I can’t tell you right now.”

Qin Xiao toyed with the game piece between his fingers. He looked at him intently for a long moment before tossing the piece back into the box and turning his head to look out the window.

Chu Jiubian looked outside as well.

The outside world was shrouded in a fine mist of drizzle, making the jasmine flowers in the courtyard appear even more fresh and tender.

He abruptly recalled that day in the capital.

It was also a rainy day when he discussed the Imperial Examinations with Qin Xiao. At that time, the other party had stood under the covered walkway with his back to the rain and blooming jasmine, his figure as slender as pine or bamboo.

The mahogany corridor, blooming jasmine, and the person standing within it created a stunningly beautiful scene.

The faint scent of jasmine had clung to both of them, wafting to their noses.

Chu Jiubian shifted his gaze slightly to glance at the person opposite him, and was taken aback when he directly met the man’s eyes.

The crisp sound of the wind chimes and the accompanying gentle patter of rain seemed to stir their emotions.

The atmosphere was somewhat awkward, but neither of them moved or looked away, just letting everything unfold freely.

Then, the sound of a subordinate reporting came from outside: “Reporting to the two lords, Lord Jian has sent word that the dam has been completely blocked.”

“Understood,” Qin Xiao replied.

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes and picked up the tea on the table that had gone cold, taking a couple of sips.

Yesterday, Qin Xiao had personally supervised Jian Hongzhuo’s ship-skuttling project, which had blocked most of the water flow. Shoveling material into it afterward would completely seal the breach.

Jian Hongzhuo then pressed on with his efforts, ordering his men to work through the night, and had finally managed to seal the breach today.

Now that there was no more overflowing floodwater, it was time to focus on drainage.

The floodwater that inundated the villages and farmland would need to be drained by dredging ditches.

However, Jian Hongzhuo and Liu Junqi in Pu County were skilled at such work, and would be able to finish making arrangements in ten days to half a month.

This wasn’t something that Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian needed to handle. What they needed to focus on now was restoring the common people’s livelihoods.

“Do you still have use for that agricultural official under your command?” Qin Xiao asked.

He was inquiring about Han Yuandao.

Chu Jiubian nodded: “The task of helping the common people resume crop production can be entrusted to him.”

Once the floodwaters receded, these people who were unwilling to leave their ancestral lands would surely return to their villages, rebuild their homes, and resume farming and living their lives.

However, it would take a lot of effort to plant on land that had been flooded, and the loss of nutrients was a major problem.

Although Qin Xiao was a high-ranking official, he had lived with his family in the Northern Desert region when he was young, and was very knowledgeable about farming.

He had evidently considered the difficulty of clearing the land after the flooding, and said in a serious tone: “It is unknown how long it will take for those previously fertile lands to regain their fertility. If the land is barren, it will be difficult to reap a good harvest even if crops are planted.”

“Then crops that can withstand poor soil should be planted,” said Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao: “You have an idea?”

“I know of a crop called the ‘sweet potato,’” Chu Jiubian said. “It can withstand drought and barren soil, and has an increased yield.”

“That sounds ideal,” Qin Xiao said. “How much is the yield?”

Chu Jiubian said quietly: “Several dozen shi per mu.”^[1]

In fact, sweet potatoes could generally yield 2,000 to 4,000 catties per mu, so Chu Jiubian’s claim of several dozen shi was somewhat lowballing it.

Nowadays, millet and wheat were grown in the northern regions of Great Ning with a yield of only about one shi per mu, but sweet potatoes could reach dozens of shi!

If the common people could all grow this crop, they would no longer suffer from hunger.

“Where should we search for it?” Qin Xiao fixed Chu Jiubian with an intent look.

Chu Jiubian just smiled and said: “No need to search. I’ll give the seedlings to Han Yuandao.”

Having said that, he immediately added: “No need for you to thank me on behalf of the common people. Since I’ve received their worship, it’s only right for me to help them in turn.”

Qin Xiao had heard about the extra grain and cloth in the granary yesterday. The common people all knew that it was the result of the reincarnated deity Chu Jiubian exerting his divine power, and not only did they go to worship him at shrines, but many even went to the magistrate’s residence to kowtow and express their gratitude.

They truly believed that Chu Jiubian was a god, and genuinely loved and revered him.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t figure out Qin Xiao’s thoughts on the matter, so he asked: “Do you still not believe I’m a god?”

He asked purely out of curiosity.

How could this person be so rational? He didn’t believe in the supernatural, so surely he believed in science?

But even in Chu Jiubian’s original era, everyone seemed to have their own little superstitions, and there were very few atheists as steadfast as Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao was naturally not an atheist. He had previously thought that Chu Jiubian and “gods” were entirely different species, but now he understood that there was even diversity among gods.

But he still refused to believe that Chu Jiubian was a “god.”

The gods were too far removed from him.

Worlds apart.

Instead of answering Chu Jiubian’s question, he said: “After the disaster, household registrations need to be verified and the land must be surveyed. Do you have any candidates to recommend?”

“That Lord Song Feng from the Ministry of Revenue is pretty good,” Chu Jiubian said.

Qin Xiao nodded: “Then he’s it.”

Although this man was a minor official and didn’t seem to have much ambition, he was conscientious in his work and had only his own small family to rely on, so he had no connections with other forces.

“Liu Junqi can also be used,” Chu Jiubian said.

This official from the Ministry of Works was unexpected. Although he was the protégé of Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan, he was on good terms with Wang Qichen, and Chu Jiubian had realized during the past few days that this person was capable of great things.

Or perhaps he should say, Chu Jiubian should give him a promotion by virtue of his connection to Wang Qichen.

Although Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were now allies and generally didn’t work separately, it was still better to be on the safe side and have some of his own people in the court.

Chu Jiubian concealed his selfish motives very well, and Qin Xiao probably didn’t notice. After a moment’s thought, the man nodded and said: “Then have Liu Junqi take charge, with Han Yuandao to assist him.”

Once everything here was done, these two would have made great contributions, and a promotion was inevitable.

Han Yuandao had it easy; the position of Huai County Magistrate would be given to him directly.

If he performed even better, there would be no problem putting him in charge of Hexi Prefecture.

But Liu Junqi was a senior official in the Ministry of Works.

What positions were available for him above that?

A dark glint flashed in Qin Xiao’s eyes.

Chu Jiubian asked: “Do you have any ideas?”

Despite the vagueness of his question, Qin Xiao understood. He said: “Jiannan-wang conspired with Deputy Minister of Works Xiao Wendao to embezzle funds allocated for dam repairs in Hexi Prefecture. This resulted in the dams collapsing and flooding villages and fertile fields. Furthermore, he used his in-law, namely Zhou Boshan, to persecute the common people and commit heinous crimes.”

They both knew that the Xiao family was not at fault for the flooding. They had done many such things before, but at least this time, they were truly innocent victims.

However, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian currently lacked concrete evidence proving that it was Anhuai-wang’s doing, so the Xiao family must take the blame.

And Chu Jiubian felt that there was more to the story than met the eye. The fact that Anhuai-wang could be extracted by the System showed that he must not be a villain who was only interested in profit and disregarded the lives of the common people.

Therefore, the real mastermind must be someone else, and even Anhuai-wang himself was part of their scheme.

Qin Xiao wasn’t sure of the situation with Anhuai-wang, but chose not to take action against him. Besides the lack of evidence, there was one more crucial reason.

This matter presented the most opportune moment to suppress the Xiao family.

Of the various factions in the capital, they were the most powerful, so suppressing them first was the best result.

Everyone knew that this was a golden opportunity, so even if Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian did nothing, other forces would also try to crush the Xiao family to death.

The Wang family should have already ordered those great Confucian scholars to criticize the Xiao family for “harming the common people,” and under such instigation, the Xiao family’s reputation among the common people would surely plummet.

And that wasn’t all. As of now, they couldn’t even hold onto Hexi Prefecture.

The officials of Hexi Prefecture who had previously been demoted had now been given promotions. All of them were handpicked by Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, and were entirely loyal to them and to the Imperial Court.

In addition, these people were all fearful of Chu Jiubian’s divine status, and were unlikely to dare betray them.

Thus, Hexi Prefecture now truly belonged to the Imperial Court.

The Xiao family’s losses didn’t stop there. Their greatest advantage was Jiannan-wang, who remained in the capital and was eyeing the city with predatory intent. He had previously been proud of his achievements, but those same achievements had now become sharp blades aimed at his person.

The public support garnered from the matter of the dam would now backfire many times over.

Deputy Minister of Works Xiao Wendao, who was particularly active in court, would also be implicated in this mess. The Xiao family was certain to protect him at all costs, but a demotion and salary reduction was inevitable.

After such a grand show of force, given how Xiao Yao operated, he would surely keep the Xiao family silent for a long time to come.

As time passed, the common people’s memory of this event would fade. Then, if they were able to find something beneficial to do for the people, their reputation would be restored.

As for Xiao Wendao, with Minister of Personnel Xiao Huaiguan around, there would naturally be plenty of ways to promote him again.

However, as the Deputy Minister of Personnel, Chu Jiubian certainly wouldn’t make it easy for him.

But that was all in the future. Ultimately, the Xiao family was bound to be weakened by this disaster.

“Since Xiao Wendao’s position as Deputy Minister of Works will be vacant, let’s give it to someone capable,” said Qin Xiao.

That was exactly Chu Jiubian’s intention.

With Liu Junqi promoted to Deputy Minister of Works, coupled with Minister of Works Jian Hongzhuo, the entire Ministry of Works was practically in the hands of the Imperial Court.

The Xiao family had previously controlled both the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Works, but now that they had lost one, they only had the Ministry of Personnel in their hands.

Much to their misfortune, the Ministry of Personnel was hampered by Chu Jiubian, which greatly diminished the Xiao family’s influence in the court.

But at the same time, with Liu Junqi taking over, the Wang family might become slightly more powerful. However, Liu Junqi was not the type of person who would abuse his power for personal gain, so even if the Wang family did gain more power, it wouldn’t be a great amount.

Qin Xiao said abruptly: “When we get back, let’s spread the word about the upcoming Imperial Examinations.”

From the dissemination of information, to rounds of selection, and finally to recruiting, the process would take at least several months, so it was best to get started as soon as possible.

“Okay,” said Chu Jiubian.

He knew that Qin Xiao wanted to take advantage of the Xiao family’s suppression to propose the Imperial Examinations. This would make the court’s position more dominant and put greater pressure on those powerful families.

As matters stood, everything had been arranged in Hexi Prefecture.

And even after returning to the capital, they had a plan for what to do next.

There was no reason for them to stay here any longer. Qin Xiao ordered someone to pack their belongings and summon Han Yuandao, as he and Chu Jiubian would set off for the capital today.

The two of them left the couch and went outside.

They stood under the covered walkway and listened to the rain, and before long, Han Yuandao arrived.

Qin Xiao then explained to him everything that needed to be done.

Han Yuandao had never imagined that one day he would hold such power, but although he was nervous, he was not cowed by the prospect. He knelt down and kowtowed deferentially, saying: “This subordinate will meticulously register the households of all of the refugees and survey the land. What belongs to the common people will continue to belong to the common people.”

These words were quite profound, and both Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian were pleased with the other party’s intelligence.

After he left, Chu Jiubian looked at Qin Xiao and said: “You want to do something with the land.”

Qin Xiao just smiled: “This lord does enjoy talking to a certain intelligent person.”

Chu Jiubian smiled back at him, then let out a light sigh.

“This matter really needs careful planning.”

Qin Xiao intended to change the land system, which was something Chu Jiubian wanted as well.

The major assets that allowed the wealthy and powerful families to grow increasingly stronger were twofold: land and people.

They had a numerical advantage and many capable talents, but once the Imperial Examinations and the Imperial Academy were established, the advantage would shift to the Imperial Court.

Which had more people — a single family or all of Great Ning?

Wasn’t it obvious?

Next came the land.

The great families abused the power of local officials to open doors for themselves, annex land, conceal properties, and shift taxes to the citizens, which benefited neither the Imperial Court nor the common people – only themselves.

They were only able to do this because there were problems with the land and taxation systems in Great Ning.

Therefore, if they wanted to continue to suppress the great families at their roots, they needed to start with the land and taxation systems.

Qin Xiao had long harbored ideas for reform, but due to Emperor Yingzong’s vigilance against the Qin family’s power, he was unable to do anything drastic, and couldn’t even serve as an official in the court.

Now that he had come to power, these things could be done little by little.

As the subordinates packing their luggage bustled in and out, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian stood under the covered walkway, their two upright figures like pine trees or sharp, unsheathed blades, pointed toward the capital.

It was the 24th day of the seventh month, the first year of Jingrui.

That evening, Ning-wang Qin Xiao and Grand Tutor Chu Jiubian finished their disaster relief work and set off for the capital.

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[1] A mu (亩) is a unit of land that equals about 1/6 of an acre. A shi (石) or ‘stone’ varies according to dynasty, but we’ll go with the Song amount of 60 kg. ⮐

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Chapter 48 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 50