T/N: It was a hectic holiday season, but I’m back on track! Updates should be more regular from now on.

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Situ Zhaoling stared in shock at the huge phantom god, and only returned to her senses when the phoenix placed her on the ground and soared away.

There was pure white all around, with clouds and mist to the left and right, and tall, unreachable coiled dragon jade pillars hidden among them.

A few steps in front of her was a long white jade table and a wide chair made of the same material.

A dozen feet farther ahead, clouds and mist flowed slowly like a gauze curtain, and a gust of wind carried the scent of wintersweets.

Situ Zhaling felt her mind become much clearer.

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes to look at her.

When Jiang Shuoye entered the Divine Realm earlier, he’d worn the same clothes he was sleeping in. Due to this, Chu Jiubian was a little worried about what to do if the girl arrived wearing her sleeping clothes. Fortunately, the System said that it would automatically supply clothing for his Believers.

Whatever they wore during the day was what they would wear in the Divine Realm.

Presently, Situ Zhaoling was wearing the crimson-purple dress she’d been wearing during the day, which was very characteristic of Nanjiang. The top skirt was adorned with white tassels hanging at the hems, and a large silver collar hung around her neck, exquisitely crafted.

She had long, thick black hair, half of which was tied into a bun while the other half was left loose. Pale lavender pearls hung from the bun and her two silver hairpins, swaying slightly. 

When she realized that the huge godly image was looking down at her, Situ Zhaoling involuntarily clenched her fists. That gaze seemed to have substance, and the terrifying pressure caused her heart to tremble slightly.

A distant dragon let out a long, lingering roar.

She heard a cold male voice sound from the shadowy figure.

“Welcome to my Divine Realm.”

Divine Realm?

Countless thoughts flashed through Situ Zhaoling’s mind in an instant.

In ancient times, immortals appeared in dreams to instruct mortals. Could she have been chosen by a god?!

Her heart was beating like a drum.

She asked cautiously: “Are you a god?”

Her clear voice was full of awe.

Perhaps because she was aware from the start that she was dreaming and had been brought here by a mythical phoenix, or perhaps because the people of Nanjiang were more prone to believing in the supernatural, she was not as vigilant as Jiang Shuoye and very easily connected this situation to the gods.

This saved Chu Jiubian a lot of trouble. He was very satisfied with this believer.

“I know you’re in trouble, so I’ve come to help you.” His voice echoed all around.

Nanjiang was experiencing a severe drought, and it was fair to say that it was a disaster.

Situ Zhaoling instantly thought of the matter that had been bothering her for several days, and quickly straightened out her expression. 

She knelt right down on the ground, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and performed the salute of the Nanjiang people.

“This one is indeed in trouble right now.” Situ Zhaoling said sincerely, “There has been no rain in Nanjiang for many days, and the rivers are drying up. There is fear of a drought.”

“It’s just that the Imperial Court is doing nothing. My parents are honest people and haven’t been collecting much grain tax, so we cannot afford to donate sufficient food for disaster relief. Please help the common people of Nanjiang!”

Ever since her mother and father married, her maternal grandmother, the Stronghold Chieftain, had become inseparable from the Nanjiang palace, along with her relatives. 

They never exploited the common people under their rule.

Because Nanjiang always had good weather and hadn’t experienced any disasters in the past hundred years, the village chiefs and Nanjiang-wang had only collected half of the annual taxes to be paid to the court, with the remaining half never collected in full. In fact, there was more food and money in the hands of the common people themselves. 

This also meant that there was not much surplus grain in Nanjiang’s granaries. If food was distributed on a large scale, it wouldn’t last more than a few days. This wasn’t nearly enough to withstand a large-scale drought.

The grain merchants in Nanjiang were all aware of the situation. Grain prices were rising slowly, and when the people had eaten up all the old grain, prices would definitely rise even more. 

Bai Lihao could naturally use his power to suppress those grain merchants and prevent them from raising prices. 

But merchants were profit-driven, and there were other regions near Nanjiang that were also suffering from drought. Grain prices were also high there, so these grain merchants would definitely go elsewhere.

At that time, there would be nowhere to buy grain in Nanjiang even if they wanted to.

Although her mother had been praying for rain for several days, the crops were basically dead due to the current situation, and even a few days of heavy rain wouldn’t be able to save them.

So Situ Zhaoling was not asking Chu Jiubian to bring rain, but to help them overcome the drought, whether it was giving advice, donating food, or anything else — anything that could save the common people.

“This one is willing to serve you, My Lord. I only ask you to bestow upon us your blessings.”

As a god, it would be too cheap to demand something without giving something in return.

If he didn’t lay a good foundation at the beginning, and then tried to use Situ Zhaoling to make money and expand his reputation, he might have to trade something else in order to make a deal.

This wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted Believers to volunteer to serve him, and work without asking for more in return.

The Faith Value from Nanjiang couldn’t be relied on for the time being, and the Faith Value in the capital wasn’t sufficient no matter how hard he tried, so the only place left was the Northern Desert.

Jiang Shuoye should also fulfill some of his obligations as a Believer, such as helping with “missionary work.”

With some plans in mind, Chu Jiubian said to Situ Zhaoling: “I will call upon you again in fifteen days to help you overcome this difficulty.”

Situ Zhaoling’s bright eyes flashed with pleasant surprise, and she quickly bowed: “Many thanks, My Lord!”

Then she hastened to ask: “What is your name?”

Her vision was suddenly flooded with white mist, and it felt like her body was floating slightly.

Bright moonlight streamed into her bedroom, illuminating the beautiful sleeping face of the young girl.

Her long eyelashes trembled, and she abruptly opened her eyes.

Situ Zhaoling jumped out of bed and cast her gaze around.

She was perfectly awake, her eyes bright and clear, without a trace of the usual sleepiness that came with waking.

The god’s deep voice echoed in her ears: “I am the High Priest.”

“High Priest.” She whispered the title, and her heart trembled for a long while.

Wait, she had to go find her mother!

She hurriedly dressed herself and, heedless of the fact that it was the middle of the night, ran straight to her parents’ courtyard.

The maid on night duty scrambled to catch up, but Situ Zhaoling stopped her: “Go and sleep. I’m going to find my mother.”

The princess had been having constant nightmares during this period, and after waking, she would go find her mother and stay in her courtyard.

The little maidservant was worried, so she followed the princess all the way until she saw that she had indeed entered the main courtyard. Only then did she feel at ease and go back.

Situ Anli and Bai Lihao couldn’t sleep well, so they simply gave up and snuggled at the head of the bed, talking in low voices.

They had previously thought that if the common people had more money and food, their lives would be more comfortable, but now they truly regretted not building larger public granaries and collecting more food from the people.

The people of Nanjiang were used to living good lives, and never treated themselves badly when it came to food. Because there hadn’t been any disasters in the past hundred years, they all relied on each season’s harvest and didn’t keep much old grain.

Now that they were watching the grain harvest fail, the common people only thought about saving money and food.

But even so, the surplus grain in their hands wouldn’t last long. They had now begun buying grain to eat, and the grain merchants had been slowly raising prices.

If this continued, they would soon have to open the granaries.

However, the grain in the granaries wouldn’t last long.

Bai Lihao had considered buying food from other places, but Guizhou, Sichuan, and Huguang, which were closest to them, were also suffering from the disaster.

If they wanted to have enough food, they would soon have to go to Henan or Jiangxi.

There were two or three regions in-between, and it was unknown how long the trip back and forth would take. The money and manpower spent would also be far more expensive than buying grain directly from the grain merchants.

“It would be great if the Imperial Court would send us food.” Situ Anli leaned against the headboard with a small emerald green snake coiled around her arm.

Frowning, she gently touched the little snake’s head.

Southern Zhili was under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Court. Not only had they not suffered any disasters this year, but it was even a rare year of bumper harvest. 

According to the news, their early rice harvest should have already started.

If the Imperial Court could transfer grain from Southern Zhili to Nanjiang, the grain prices would stabilize in just one month, thus solving their urgent needs.

Bai Lihao reached up to gently smooth away her frown, saying softly: “To send grain from Southern Zhili, it must pass through Huguang and Guizhou, only the latter of which is under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Court. Huguang-wang will never allow food to be transported safely from his territory to Jiangnan.”

Situ Anli said with a sneer: “His greed is insatiable.”

The region of Huguang had good harvests year after year, and the grain tax revenues were high, but the money was never enough when it was handed over to the court, and Huguang cried about being poor all day long.

Like this, the money and grain that should have been handed over to the Imperial Court went into Huguang-wang’s pockets. The local army was expanded again and again, and granaries were built one after another.

Everyone knew that he was extremely wealthy, his treasury overflowing.

Even if he gave out porridge every day, it would be easy for him to feed the common people in his territory for a year or two.

But everyone knew that with Bai Liyue’s personality, while he would give food to the soldiers without hesitation, he would be reluctant to give any to the ordinary commoners.

This was indeed the case.

When the drought began two months ago, Bai Liyue submitted a memorial to the court bemoaning his poverty, and requested money and food, as well as manpower to dig wells and dredge canals.

At that time, the late Emperor Yingzong was still in power. Apparently due to his fear of the more than 70,000-strong Huguang army, he actually sent over the requested money and food.

When he saw this, Bai Lihao also submitted a memorial. But the emperor had never been close to him, nor did he take this vassal king living in a remote region seriously, so he ignored it.

However, now that the new emperor had ascended the throne, the Imperial Court must be in a completely different situation.

Bai Lihao had been sent to Jiangnan by Emperor Chengzong before the late Emperor Yingzong came to power, so when the coup was launched in the capital, he was leisurely and comfortable far away in Nanjiang.

The Qin family had helped Emperor Yingzong ascend the throne. This family had been loyal for generations, and Bai Lihao had a good impression of them. He was just not very familiar with Qin Xiao.

He had only heard that the other party was the idle eldest son of the Qin family, but now, it seemed that Qin Xiao was definitely not a stupid person.

On the contrary, Qin Xiao was decisive and mighty, with ruthless methods. 

The fact that he was able to stand out amongst the twisted politics in the capital and push Bai Lihong, who carried Qin family blood, to the top was something that should not be underestimated.

Bai Lihao had sent a memorial just before, because he was unsure of the other party’s temperament. What if he actually sent them grain?

But this possibility was extremely low. Just as he had said, most of the grain from the Imperial Court would be stolen by the Huguang-wang on the way, and Nanjiang wouldn’t see even one grain of rice.

Bai Lihao did not have high expectations. He said: “The letter I sent to Fifth Brother should have arrived. I wonder if he will be able to provide the needed food.”

Pingxi-wang, Bai Lizheng, was the same age as Bai Lihao. The mothers of the two princes had similar backgrounds and personalities, so they had a good relationship in the palace and often visited one another, and the fifth and sixth princes grew up together.

Their relationship was much closer compared to the other brothers.

Afterward, they were separated to their fiefdoms, one in Nanjiang and the other in Sichuan, which were close in proximity. Therefore, although they didn’t see each other as often as they had in the palace, they still exchanged letters several times a year.

Now that Bai Lihao had taken the initiative to make the request, if Bai Lizheng had any surplus food, he would definitely share some with him.

It was only that Sichuan was also suffering from the disaster, and its population was much larger than that of Nanjiang. Bai Lihao could only ask for help as a last-ditch effort.

“I figure they’re also stretched to the limit over there.” Situ Anli let out a faint sigh and looked outside through the open window. The moonlight was like a gauzy veil.

“Madam, My Lord, the Princess is here,” a servant reported from outside the room.

“Ling’er?”

“Did she have a nightmare?”

The couple quickly got up, dressed themselves, and went out.

Their daughter rushed toward them as soon as they came out, and Situ Anli immediately embraced her.

The little snake coiled around her arm quickly slithered up to her shoulder, wrapping its tail around her neck. Its little head tilted, and its black, bean-like eyes peered at Situ Zhaoling curiously. Situ Zhaoling stepped back slightly, then took her mother’s warm hands and said excitedly: “Mom, I had a dream—”

Her throat suddenly seemed to be blocked, and she was unable to utter a single word that came to her lips.

She reached up and touched her throat in surprise: “What’s going on?”

Her voice returned.

“What’s wrong?” Situ Anli hurriedly inspected her daughter’s neck, asking anxiously, “Do you have a sore throat?”

“Call for the doctor.” Bai Lihao immediately ordered someone to fetch him.

“Dad, there’s no need. I’m fine,” Situ Zhaoling dissuaded him.

The servant glanced at Bai Lihao, who waved a hand for him to retreat.

Situ Zhaoling thought she had spoken too fast with a dry throat, so she slowed down as she continued: “I just dreamt that—”

Her voice caught in her throat again.

Situ Zhaoling realized that something was wrong.

She seemed to be unable to speak of the High Priest.

Was…..was this the work of the god?

Without his permission, she couldn’t even reveal his existence.

She had originally come to her mother for help performing a divination, but now she had skipped that step and directly confirmed the identity of the High Priest.

The other party must be a powerful god, and had come to help her through this difficult time!

In this case, the drought issue would be successfully resolved!

Bai Lihao watched his daughter’s strange reaction and shifting expression. He asked with a frown: “Ling-er, what did you dream about?”

He had only heard his daughter speak the word “dream.”

Situ Zhaoling had been having nightmares these days, and Bai Lihao was truly worried about her. It seemed his daughter had been dreaming again, but going by her excitement, it shouldn’t have been a nightmare.

This was a good thing.

But what kind of dream would warrant her coming here in the middle of the night specifically to tell them about it?

“I didn’t dream about anything.” Situ Zhaoling giggled. She looked at her parents with bright eyes and said in a light tone, “Dad, Mom, you go ahead and continue to rest. Ling’er will take her leave now.”

She reached out and gently stroked the little green snake’s head a couple of times. “See you later, Cuicui.”

The little snake flicked its tongue.

Smiling, Situ Zhaoling turned around and left the main courtyard like a gust of wind.

Bai Lihao chuckled: “That child. Did she have a sweet dream?”

“Perhaps.” Situ Anli watched her daughter hurry away, her eyes bright and her heart beating rapidly. Cuicui slowly slithered to the top of her head and curled into her hair.

The holy star she had divined just the day before had actually appeared in her daughter’s dream. 

Nanjiang was saved.

*

*

Situ Zhaoling was so excited that she couldn’t sleep. 

An immortal had appeared in her dream. She was the chosen one!

It was a pity that she had no way to show off and express her joy and pride. All she could do was excitedly pace around the room. 

This wasn’t working. Since she couldn’t sleep, she needed to find someone to talk to.

Chu Jiubian watched the card screen and saw his second Believer jump around like a rabbit, then speed off to another courtyard.

The moonlight in Nanjiang was very bright tonight.

Inside the courtyard, there was a grinding sound in the middle of the night, like a saw cutting through wood.

Following Situ Zhaoling’s figure, Chu Jiubian saw that there was indeed a young man in the courtyard who was sawing a block of wood with his sleeves rolled up.

“A-di,” Situ Zhaoling said with a smile. “You’re still awake.”

When her brother showed her the diagram of a waterwheel today, she knew he would definitely be unable to sleep and would stay up studying it.

“A-jie, why aren’t you asleep yet?” Situ Zhaoyao reached up to wipe his face.

Situ Zhaoling immediately handed him a handkerchief, saying: “There’s sawdust on your hands.”

Situ Zhaoyao took the handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

With the brother and sister standing together, it was obvious that the growing younger brother was now half a head taller. 

But when they sat down, Chu Jiubian noticed through the screen that the two of them really looked alike, as if they had been carved from the same mold.

But the boy’s bones were somewhat more robust, and the girl’s more delicate, although both were good-looking.

The brother and sister chatted for a while, and Situ Zhaoyao talked about the waterwheel he was making. He was distressed, because something wasn’t right – it felt like there was something missing.

Chu Jiubian could only glimpse some cut pieces of wood through the screen, but didn’t see a complete waterwheel. He also didn’t know if he was making a dragon-bone waterwheel, a barrel wheel, or something else.

But no matter what it was, anybody who could conceive of making a “waterwheel” was no ordinary talent.

Chu Jiubian opened the System Mall and searched inside, locating the books on agricultural tools.

There were dozens of books, with very different categories and contents.

And because they involved tool diagrams, the prices were very high.

Chu Jiubian’s heart hurt just looking at them. But he had never known how to make a waterwheel before, so he couldn’t even give Situ Zhaoyao any advice.

Chu Jiubian didn’t dare to spend his limited points recklessly, so he decided to wait until the next time he summoned Situ Zhaoling to buy one.

It was getting late, so he stopped eavesdropping on the siblings’ conversation, shut off the screen, and left the Divine Realm.

A pounding headache and a burning sensation instantly washed over him. 

He opened his eyes and raised a hand to touch his forehead.

His hands were also hot, so he couldn’t really feel anything, but it was obvious that he had a fever – and a serious one at that.

His body was still too fragile.

Chu Jiubian had no choice but to buy a box of fever-reducing medicine from the System Mall. Then he struggled to sit up.

He rubbed his dry, burning eyes to clear his mind a little, then put on his boots and slowly walked to the outer room.

Xiao Xiangzi, who was supposed to be guarding the outer room, was not there. He’d probably just happened to go to the toilet.

Chu Jiubian took two cold medicine tablets with water.

Just as he was about to go back to sleep, the door opened from outside.

A cool breeze blew in along with drizzle. Chu Jiubian’s collar was a little loose, and the cold significantly cleared up his mind.

The person outside put away his umbrella and was startled when he turned around and saw Chu Jiubian: “Young Master!”

“En.” Chu Jiubian glanced at the person’s wet clothes and said: “Go change clothes and go to bed. There’s no need for you to remain here.”

Xiao Xiangzi immediately became anxious and explained in a rush: “No, Young Master, please don’t misunderstand me. Someone from Yangxin Hall came and called for me. I didn’t go far, just beyond the pavilion. I wasn’t purposely being lazy.”

The young master didn’t have a habit of getting up at night, so Xiao Xiangzi had gone out for a while and came back after exchanging only a few words. Unexpectedly, he was caught by the young master.

Chu Jiubian felt a dull pain at the back of his head, but he was used to hiding such things. Apart from a slight flush to his cheeks, there was no sign of anything unusual on his face.

“I’m not blaming you,” he said. “I really don’t need anyone to tend to me. It’s too much trouble for you all to take turns standing watch.”

Xiao Xiangzi breathed a sigh of relief. Then he remembered something and said: “By the way, Young Master, the person from Yangxin Hall said that His Majesty has a high fever and won’t attend court tomorrow. His Lordship said that you can sleep in longer.”

“His Majesty has a high fever?” Chu Jiubian frowned.

“Yes, the Imperial Physician was called a shichen ago.” Xiao Xiangzi said with some concern, “But it’s said that since His Majesty is so young and his body is so precious, the medicines can’t be made too strong. His fever has yet to subside.”

As the male protagonist, there was no need to worry about minor illnesses and misfortunes.

But the child’s tender face seemed to appear before Chu Jiubian’s eyes, smiling with a mouthful of white teeth and obediently calling him “xiansheng.”

“I’ll go have a look.” Chu Jiubian walked out.

Xiao Xiangzi hurried into the inner room to fetch his coat. When he emerged again and saw that the young master had already left the house with an umbrella, he quickly chased after him and helped him put on his coat.

The strong smell of ancient medicine wafted from Yangxin Hall’s main room.

“My Lord, His Majesty spat out his medicine, this won’t work at all.” The Imperial Physician was sweating profusely with nerves. “His Majesty still must be forced to swallow it.”

Ancient Chinese medicine tasted bitter, and it was truly difficult for a three-year-old child who had been raised in a pampered environment to swallow it.

Moreover, the child had a fever and didn’t feel good. The grievance of losing his mother in recent days completely burst out, and he hugged Qin Xiao’s neck tightly, crying so hard that his voice grew hoarse.

Everyone in the hall had watched him grow up, and they all knew why he had lost his composure and refused to take the medicine.

He wanted his mother.

Everyone’s hearts hurt. Several palace maids and nannies were quietly wiping their tears, and Eunuch Hong’s eyes were also red.

Qin Xiao gently rubbed the child’s back as he carried him around the hall at a sedate pace. He didn’t attempt to comfort him, but simply let him cry.

On the day the late empress passed away, Bai Lihong had sobbed heart-wrenchingly. It had taken Qin Xiao an entire night to comfort him.

Since then, the child had often woken up crying at night, looking for his mother. But he had never cried so loudly before, and would only sniffle.

Today, he was finally crying again.

The child needed to vent, so Qin Xiao simply held his small form and slowly walked around.

He would feel better after crying.

Outside, rain continued to fall in a steady drizzle.

There was noise in the outer hall, and Qin Xiao looked through the bedroom door. In just two breaths, a light-clothed figure came into view.

Qin Xiao paused, looking at the new arrival with some surprise.

Chu Jiubian was very disheveled. His clothes were untidy, his robes and boots were wet, and there were even water stains on his shoulders and hair.

However, his usually pale cheeks now had some color to them, making his complexion look much better than usual.

Bai Lihong’s eyes were swollen from crying. Coupled with the fever and not getting enough air, his whole person was in pain.

He only wanted to cry and vent, with no idea what was wrong with him.

“Send them out first.” A hoarse male voice rang out. Choking on a sob, Bai Lihong turned to find that it was Xiansheng.

It was Xiansheng. Xiansheng was a god, and knew about his mother. An inexplicable feeling of intimacy made him want to get closer to this person, so in full view of everyone, the child finally unlatched his small arms from Qin Xiao and twisted to reach out in Chu Jiubian’s direction.

Chu Jiubian had already walked closer. When he saw the child’s outstretched hands, he looked dazed for a moment.

“Xiansheng hold.” The child’s choked voice brought him back to his senses.

Chu Jiubian glanced at Qin Xiao. Seeing that he wasn’t going to stop him, he reached out and took the child into his arms.

Piping hot, tender, and damp, with the distinct scent of a child.

Chu Jiubian’s throat bobbed slightly.

Qin Xiao knew that Chu Jiubian had special pills, so when he heard him ask the others to leave, he didn’t hesitate to send everyone out, leaving only the three of them in the room.

On the way here, Chu Jiubian had already bought an electronic thermometer and fever medicine for children from the System Mall.

“Turn around first,” Chu Jiubian said to Qin Xiao.

He could show off some miracles in front of Qin Xiao from time to time, but it was better to hide things that were too advanced, such as the electronic thermometer.

Qin Xiao gave him a deep look, then turned his back to him.

He softly rubbed the ring on his thumb with his fingertips, and suddenly heard a very soft beep behind him.

Chu Jiubian looked at the thermometer. 38.3 degrees Celsius. Not too high, but still too high for a child.

He put the thermometer back into his Space, and when he lowered his eyes, the child looked stunned.

From the moment he took the thermometer out of thin air, Bai Lihong forgot to cry, staring blankly with red and swollen eyes at the thing that had appeared out of nowhere.

The thing tapped against his forehead gently and made a beeping sound.

And then Xiansheng made the thing disappear again!

Amazing! He was indeed Immortal Xiansheng!

Having forgotten to cry, Bai Lihong blinked and looked at Chu Jiubian, his shock gradually turning into admiration.

Chu Jiubian looked into the child’s red eyes and felt his own burning as well, as if he was about to burst into tears.

“Shh.” He gave the child a gentle smile without realizing it, his voice soft and tender. “This is a secret between us.”

Bai Lihong glanced at Qin Xiao’s back and said: “No telling Jiujiu either?”

“No telling,” Chu Jiubian said.

Bai Lihong hesitated for a moment, but ultimately nodded: “No telling.”

Qin Xiao listened to the open conversation between the two of them, and his heart, which had been suspended all night, finally settled.

“Are you finished?” he asked.

Chu Jiubian hummed in response, then carried the young emperor to the bedside and lay him down.

Bai Lihong’s underlayers were already soaked with sweat. Qin Xiao came over and sat down beside the bed, stripped him clean, and wrapped him in the quilt, leaving only his round, tender little face exposed.

Chu Jiubian brought over the water cup and saw the child sitting in a daze on the bed, wrapped up like a dumpling.

The corners of his lips curved up unconsciously. When he sat down on the edge of the bed, his knee accidentally bumped against Qin Xiao’s.

Qin Xiao’s muscles instantly tensed, and he looked downward.

Chu Jiubian adjusted his sitting position and pressed his knee directly against Qin Xiao’s.

Qin Xiao withdrew his gaze and said nothing. He didn’t move his leg.

Chu Jiubian had already poured the children’s fever-reducing medicine into the cup, measuring out a little less for worry that a child in ancient times wouldn’t be able to handle the full dose.

Just as he was about to coax the child to drink it, his cup-bearing left wrist was grabbed.

Taken aback, Chu Jiubian turned his head to look at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao’s deep eyes gleamed in the light of the oil lamp, making him seem even more difficult to read than usual.

---

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Chapter 24 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 26

Chapter 55 – Misunderstanding

Only after raising the fan did Hao Chen realize that something was wrong. Although he looked put-together on the outside, without even a scratch on his clothes, his actual losses were far greater than Feng Ye’s.

Feng Ye’s daoist robes were made of the most common cotton and linen fabric in the world. In terms of value, they were probably not worth a spirit stone of the lowest quality.

But this folding fan of his was several grades higher than a priceless heaven-grade magic weapon. Feng Ye had ruined daoist robes, and Hao Chen had a half-broken fan. No matter how he looked at it, he had lost money in this deal.

And it was a huge loss.

Hao Chen calculated this clearly, but refused to acknowledge it. The loss was minor; admitting that he’d lost to Feng Ye was a bigger deal.

But since he’d already taken out the mini fan, it would look too conspicuous if he put it back. Hao Chen was momentarily in a dilemma, lacking a clever solution for this awkward situation.

Just as he was in a bind, he suddenly heard a chuckle in his ear.

Feng Ye smiled and shook his head. He could basically guess what Hao Chen was thinking, and looked at the smooth broken edge of the mini fan. It was likely that Hao Chen had used it to block his sword attack, which was why he was unharmed.

Although he didn’t know what sort of magic weapon the folding fan was, the fact that it was able to block his attack proved that it was extraordinary.

The loss was obviously much greater than his own, but Hao Chen had only realized this once he took it out. Feng Ye couldn’t help but laugh when he saw Hao Chen’s complicated expression as he held the mini fan between his fingertips.

His laughter interrupted Hao Chen’s musing. It seemed he didn’t have to worry anymore – because Feng Ye had already caught on to his embarrassment. Since this was the case, Hao Chen simply waved the mini fan as he usually would, pretending like nothing had happened.

In order to prevent Feng Ye from rubbing it in, Hao Chen was eager to bring up another topic. His gaze drifted to Fang Yang, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground with a vaguely familiar person laying across his knees.

Hao Chen couldn’t help but wonder: “This is…..?”

“Ah, this is Cao Zirui.” Fang Yang was reminded by this question, and introduced him to Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage. Hao Chen successfully diverted his attention, and the youth forgot to ask what had happened to their respective tattered robes and half-missing fan.

Cao Zirui’s name was well-known in Lingxiao Sword Sect, and many people privately envied or hated him. Even if someone didn’t remember his appearance, they would immediately know who this was once Fang Yang spoke his name.

If Feng Ye were the only one here, Fang Yang would have only needed to introduce him like this. Although Feng Ye had long known about him, he pretended to know nothing.

But there was an outsider here who didn’t belong to Lingxiao Sword Sect. Hao Chen was from Tiangong Pavilion, and wouldn’t know much about their sect, so Fang Yang kindly gave a detailed explanation: “He’s also a disciple of our Lingxiao Sword Sect, and a direct disciple of Sect Leader Ji. He was standing on the viewing platform during the competition.”

“Ah, yes. I remember now.” Hao Chen came to a sudden realization. No wonder he looked familiar – it turned out that he had seen him before. Although most of his attention had been on Feng Ye during the Qi Refining level competition, he had also spared time to glance at the viewing platform.

That brief glance didn’t allow him to recognize Cao Zirui, but it had left a small impression on him.

“What are you two……” With the question of his identity answered, Hao Chen had a new concern. He looked at Fang Yang and Cao Zirui. Unconscious and with his eyes closed, it was obvious that Cao Zirui was seriously injured. Although Fang Yang was still in good spirits, his body was covered in wounds, and his dusty daoist robes were full of holes.

He had originally thought that he and Feng Ye were in a miserable state, but compared to these two, he realized that the two adults had at least retained their dignity and suffered no wounds.

“You’re injured. What happened?” Although Feng Ye knew everything, he was different from Hao Chen, who lacked professionalism and often forgot his fake identity. He had to put on a good show, and asked this question with a look of astonishment on his face.

This question unleashed the chatterbox. Fang Yang sniffled, suppressing the sudden sourness that welled up in his heart. He hadn’t felt anything before he was asked, but now that his injuries had been addressed, all of the grievance and fear in his heart rushed out at once.

He rubbed the corners of his eyes, refusing to cry in front of the others as he recounted his experiences of the past half day in detail.

“That’s what happened. We were chased by Lu Chengye the whole way, but somehow the earthquake just now caused the golden arrow to break, and Cao Zirui and I were lucky enough to survive,” Fang Yang summarized.

Feng Ye listened in silence, and said after Fang Yang finished speaking: “I’m glad you’re okay.”

He was no good at comforting people, and after wracking his brains, he could only squeeze out these four words. Although four words was short, Fang Yang could identify the concern in them, and his nose felt sour again.

Seeing this, Feng Ye was silent for a moment before saying gently: “You can cry if you want to.”

Fang Yang shook his head vigorously. He raised a hand to cover his eyes, masking the rising tears, and said stubbornly: “I don’t want to cry. Men don’t shed tears easily. A man who stands tall and proud sheds blood, not tears.” He didn’t remember where he had read this sentence. Perhaps it was from some fictional book, but he firmly believed it.

It was embarrassing enough that he had cried a few days ago over the enormous drop in his cultivation level, and he’d told himself that it would never happen again.

However, Feng Ye gainsayed him with a chuckle: “That may be true, but tears don’t equal weakness. And whether or not one cries isn’t the standard by which a person’s capability is determined.”

Fang Yang was unconvinced, and refuted: “But the powerful people in my stories would never cry about such a minor thing.”

“How do you know that those powerful people never cried themselves hoarse before they became powerful, sobbing on a dark and rainy night?” Feng Ye asked softly.

Fang Yang was taken aback by the question, and didn’t respond right away.

Feng Ye’s eyes were vacant, staring unfocused at the ground as if he was recalling something: “No one is born powerful. Even the most powerful gods have experienced disasters you can’t even imagine before they became deities.”

He raised his eyes and looked directly at Fang Yang: “Fang Yang, only after a hundred rounds of forging can iron be made into steel, and only after a hundred rounds of hammering can a sword take shape. Only after you have shed all of your blood and tears will you truly be indestructible.”

Fang Yang was stunned by his words. He lowered his head in silence, mulling over the words in his heart.

Fang Yang’s account of the entire process was like an old lady’s foot-binding cloth, tedious and messy. He spoke of every little thing, even the emotional experience of discovering the Yuanling grass. Thus, it had taken more than an hour for him to finish his story.

The three of them had long since switched from standing together to sitting together.

Only after listening to Fang Yang’s account did Hao Chen realize that while the sea had been turbulent, so many things had happened on land as well.

He suddenly understood the so-called urgent matter Feng Ye had mentioned to him at that time. Filled with shame and anger at having his identity exposed, he hadn’t listened to Feng Ye at all, nor had he cared.

Feng Ye had likely been so anxious to leave because he wanted to go ashore and save this person, but he had been obstructed in every possible way. At this thought, Hao Chen couldn’t help but wave his mini fan again with a guilty conscience.

But very soon, he found an excuse for himself. In the end, all of this was Feng Ye’s fault. If Feng Ye hadn’t tricked him into the monsters’ lair, he wouldn’t have been angry enough to call a group of monsters to attack him.

Feng Ye had clearly just claimed that he would save him, but in the next moment, he turned into a floating daoist robe painted with array patterns inside the monster’s lair. He’d flipped even faster than turning the page of a book!

If he wasn’t a strong, powerful Kunpeng, he would have died here today facing those hundreds of monsters. Feng Ye’s move had clearly been a fatal one.

Hao Chen waved his mini fan faster and faster, reigniting the sputtering rage in his heart.

He was not actually angry at Feng Ye for tricking him into the monsters’ lair. Setting Feng Ye’s previous words aside, he really had to admire his methods. This series of deceptions had been brilliant.

But Feng Ye had spoken those words, and Hao Chen had believed them to be true. He was deeply moved, and had made an equally important promise in return – but what he got in return was deception. It was inevitable that this big fish, who wasn’t that big anymore, would be angry.

Due to this rekindled anger, Hao Chen ceased to listen to the conversation between Feng Ye and Fang Yang, and instead stared at Feng Ye, attempting to discern his expression. He wanted to see the difference on his face between when he lied and when he told the truth.

After watching for a long time, he came to the conclusion that there was no way to tell at all.

Feng Ye usually told him lies, and they were easy to distinguish. But at the bottom of the sea, he had clearly been speaking very seriously, and his expression was exactly the same as it was now.

What Feng Ye had said just now to Fang Yang shouldn’t be a lie, but what he’d said to Hao Chen likely was.

The same expression, but two results. Hao Chen couldn’t figure it out, and could only conclude that Feng Ye was a cunning and treacherous person with superb acting skills.

Fang Yang pondered for a long time, but before he could fully comprehend Feng Ye’s meaning, he suddenly realized that night was approaching. “Ah, it’s getting dark. I’ll go to the river to wash my face and pick up some firewood.”

He gently moved Cao Zirui from his lap to the ground, then stood up and prepared to leave.

Feng Ye looked at the dried mud all over Fang Yang’s clothes and face, and commented: “You should bathe.”

Fang Yang was also aware of how slovenly he looked, and scratched his head with a bit of embarrassment. In order to prevent Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage from misunderstanding him as an unhygienic person, he justified himself: “I wanted to bathe earlier, but he wouldn’t wake up. I was afraid that moving him would disturb his wound, so I just stayed here to make sure he wasn’t carried off by some monster.”

Fang Yang left after saying this, and only two people remained, not counting the unconscious Cao Zirui.

The word “monster” once again touched Hao Chen’s nerves. Gazing after Fang Yang’s departing figure, he said enigmatically: “Afraid he would be carried off by a monster? Your shixiong knows exactly where a monster lair is. Better than I do, even.”

Feng Ye had already set the fatal trap before Hao Chen realized the location of the monsters’ lair. It seemed his insight was far superior to Hao Chen’s own.

Fang Yang didn’t hear this as he walked away, but Feng Ye was sitting near him and heard it clearly.

He was puzzled: “What monster lair?”

Hao Chen scoffed and said accusingly: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, there’s no one else here, so don’t bother pretending anymore. One moment, you were sweet-talking me, and the next, you revealed your murderous intent and used an illusion to lure me into the lair of sea monsters. A man’s thoughts are like a needle at the bottom of the sea.”

Feng Ye: “……” What on earth was going on, ah!

He filtered out Hao Chen’s excessive adjectives and grasped the key point: “You think I used the illusion to trick you into a monster lair?”

It was Hao Chen’s turn to be confused: “What else?”

Their eyes met, filled with identical question marks.

After a long silence, both sides promptly came to their senses.

“The direction of the movement array was random?” Hao Chen got straight to the point with his question.

Feng Ye nodded.

Hao Chen: “……”

He stood in front of the other party, stiffly holding his mini fan. Who would have thought that the anger he held in his heart was all because of a misunderstanding?

Meanwhile, Feng Ye’s thinking was: Hao Chen had led that group of monsters to find him because he thought he had been deceived, and wanted to take revenge? And the result was that he was almost too late to save Fang Yang.

In the vast, open ocean, the daoist robe had actually led Hao Chen right into a monster lair, which in turn triggered the series of subsequent events.

Feng Ye didn’t know whether to say that Hao Chen was unlucky, or that he himself was.

---

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Chapter 54 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 56

Disi deliberately lowered his voice, but it sounded like muffled thunder as it exploded in Ling Yi’s eardrum.

After saying this, he retreated to his original position and relished the change in Ling Yi’s expression with amusement.

None of the guests chatting and drinking could have imagined that at this moment, someone at the banquet was thinking at lightning speed as he analyzed the feasibility of killing someone in front of the empire’s top elite troops.

Ling Yi suppressed the turmoil in his heart. Other than that initial moment, he seemed outwardly calm.

“How did you know?”

“Over the past few months, whether on the news or social media, your face has been everywhere I look. It would be difficult not to notice.”

“Do you expect me to believe that? Everyone here has seen me, so why haven’t they recognized me? Even people who spent time with me every day don’t recognize me as I am now.”

“It’s because they’re either too close to you or too far away. If they’re far away, they can’t see you clearly, and if they’re close, they’re blind.”

Lei Yue returned with a plate piled high with food. He noticed the person beside Ling Yi and the indescribable undercurrent between them, and was astonished.

“Sidi, you’re here too? How do you know each other?”

Disi smiled and replied: “I’m here to eat, do you mind? This friend and I hit it off at Grand Duke Sully’s ball. I never expected to run into him again here. What a coincidence.”

Then he explained to Ling Yi: “Lei Yue and I are classmates at the Royal Academy.”

Lei Yue placed the dishes on the table one by one. But when the table was nearly full, he realized that the most important main course was missing.

“Wait! I’ll go grab it and be right back!”

Even with this person’s new identity as a classmate of Li Yue, Ling Yi didn’t relax his guard.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone, including Lei Yue. We actually aren’t that close, and barely exchange a few words at school. He’s a big name on campus and I’m just a marginal figure.”

“What do you want?”

“I just want to be friends with you. Who wouldn’t want to be friends with the hero who fights for the common people?”

Disi gave him a friendly smile.

Lei Yue came back with the largest plate yet and placed it closest to Ling Yi.

Disi said with a laugh: “There are so many servants coming and going here, yet you’re still taking care of such a minor task yourself. It seems you care deeply about this distinguished guest.”

Lei Yue didn’t seem to hear him: “This is Wielan steak, my family chef’s specialty. Try it.”

Disi raised an eyebrow.

Ling Yi collected his thoughts and realized belatedly that Lei Yue had brought a wide variety of dishes, filling the entire table.

“You said you know your kitchen best, it turns out you brought the entire kitchen here?”

“I didn’t know what you would like, so I just grabbed a few more.”

Lei Yue felt that just bringing the dishes wasn’t enough, so he took a little bit of each and put it on the plate in front of Ling Yi.

In the end, he even helped slice Ling Yi’s steak into small portions so that he only had to focus on eating it, taking care of him in every way. 

Disi, also a guest, was completely left out.

Feeling a little unbalanced at the sight, Disi said: “Lei Yue, do you know who this is?”

Ling Yi’s hand shook, and the steak on his fork nearly fell.

He warned Disi with his eyes, but the other continued to speak: “He’s the little friend His Highness Oser values so much.”

He emphasized each word to make their weight clear.

“So what?” This was what Lei Yue least wanted to hear.

“You’re being so attentive. Aren’t you afraid His Highness Oser will get suspicious?”

“I’m a host taking care of his guest. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing’s wrong, you’ve been very considerate. His Highness Oser will thank you,” Disi said, hiding his sharpness behind a veneer of gentility.

Ling Yi attempted to change the subject: “What’s the Royal Academy like? Are only royals and nobles allowed to attend?”

When Lei Yue heard this, he immediately put aside Disi’s unpleasantness.

“That’s true in theory, but many children of nobles are spoiled and need to be served even when it comes to eating or dressing. Because of this, the school allows each student to bring one more person with them.”

Ling Yi: “Are these people also considered to be formal students?”

Lei Yue nodded: “These people are pretty much all commoners. They also receive an education while taking care of the nobles’ daily needs, and many of them become successful after graduation, achieving a higher class status. Some families borrow money, give gifts, and seek out connections just to send their children there.”

Ling Yi just found it ironic: “The poor give money and gifts to the nobles. No wonder the poor get poorer and the rich get richer.”

Lei Yue asked him: “You’re studying at Luban, so do you plan to join the army after graduation?”

Ling Yi slowly chewed a piece of mushroom. He really liked the unique flavor.

“Well, even if I did have such a goal, it seems it won’t be easy to attain.”

“Exactly! Life in the army is rough. I’ve seen the daily life of my father and his comrades. Especially……especially for someone like you with a special situation, there will be a lot of inconveniences if you go to the front lines.”

Lei Yue seized the opportunity and said: “How about you come to the Royal Academy for further study?”

“Further study?”

“I haven’t used my quota yet. I can be your referral.”

He realized that this statement might lead to a misunderstanding, and added: “Since I was young, my father has attached great importance to cultivating my ability to take care of myself, so I don’t need a servant. You won’t have to take care of me…..but I can still take care of you if you need me.”

“Well…..”

Seeing his hesitation, Lei Yue pulled Disi – who had just now been making insinuations – into his advocacy camp: “Sidi, you say a few words too.”

Disi said with a smile: “At the Royal Academy, you can choose any subjects you like and experience hundreds of clubs and organizations. The school holds a variety of large-scale events every year, including sports competitions and overseas study tours. There’s nothing you can’t accomplish at the Royal Academy, unless your imagination is limited.”

Compared to Luban Military Academy, which was known for its strict discipline, what he described sounded like heaven. 

“The two of you together are like a Royal Academy recruitment ad. You’ve really convinced me.”

Lei Yue’s eyes lit up: “You can join our motorcycle club, and we can go racing together after classes!”

Ling Yi interrupted his fantasy: “But even if I want to go, I’ll have to ask His Highness Oser’s opinion first.”

“Is His Highness restricting your freedom?” Lei Yue’s expression turned ugly again.

Disi casually added another piece of mushroom to his plate. Ling Yi didn’t notice that the person feeding him had changed, and picked up the mushroom, bringing it to his mouth: “That’s not how it is…..”

Suddenly, someone grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of his seat, causing him to drop his fork.

When Ling Yi saw who it was, his face was awash with confusion: “Your Highness?”

Oser had seen Ling Yi and Disi together and rushed over, attracting many curious gazes. He swallowed the angry words that had risen in his throat.

“I didn’t expect you to make new friends so quickly.”

“You mean these two? They’re not new friends. I met this one at Grand Duke Sully’s ball, and you’ve seen the other person.”

Oser instantly recalled the fox-masked man who had been chatting and laughing with Ling Yi at the ball. Sure enough, it was that little fox.

Presently, the fox stood from his seat and offered Oser a polite nod, but Oser could tell by the curve of his mouth that he had ulterior motives.

He put a demonstrative arm around Ling Yi’s waist: “I was worried you would be bored, but I’m relieved that you have so many old friends by your side.”

Oser emphasized the word “old,” and Ling Yi could tell that he was jealous again.

“I’m not as popular as Your Highness. People have been toasting you ever since you came in, and I couldn’t even squeeze through the crowd to find you. I’m the one who was left on the sidelines,” he deliberately scolded.

Oser was somewhat mollified: “It seems I haven’t been taking good care of you. I’ll take you to see the spoils the marshal brought back this time.”

“Why do you make it sound like they’re tourist souvenirs? If I like them, can I take them?” Ling Yi joked.

“No need. Whatever you like, I’ll have Lei Cheng send it to the palace.”

He nodded haughtily to Disi and the other man and left with Ling Yi in his arms.

The two people left behind gazed after their departing backs, each with their own emotions.

Lei Yue was feeling down. Ling Yi had left his glass of wine without taking a sip, so he simply raised it up and drank it all in one gulp.

Oser pulled Ling Yi into a corner and dropped his enigmatic guise: “Don’t spend any more time with that guy just now. He doesn’t look like a good person.”

Ling Yi was amused: “There were two people just now. Which one are you referring to?”

“Then both of them.”

Ling Yi reached up to straighten Oser’s collar, which wasn’t even messy, and his knuckles brushed against his Adam’s apple.

“Your Highness, you should make a blacklist of all the people you take issue with, including Alphas, Omegas, Xi Lan…..”

“I’m afraid the paper won’t be big enough to hold them all.”

“Then make it into a book. Is a dictionary thick enough?”

Ling Yi was joking with Oser when he suddenly heard a scream from the banquet table.

Looking toward the source of the sound, Lei Yue, who had been fine half a minute ago, was lying motionless on the floor.

Ling Yi rushed over unthinkingly and found that Lei Yue’s eyes were closed and his lips were purple.

“He’s been poisoned! What did he eat just now?”

The person who’d screamed pointed at the shattered glass on the floor: “He drank that and then collapsed.”

When they heard he’d been poisoned, the crowd erupted.

They had consumed a lot of the drinks and food here. If it was a large-scale poisoning, they were in grave trouble. 

A man dressed as a military doctor arrived with a first aid kit. After examining Lei Yue’s condition, he injected him with a golden liquid.

“The toxin is under control for now. He needs to be sent to the hospital for gastric lavage immediately.”

Everyone immediately gathered around to send him to the hospital, and Ling Yi suddenly became vigilant: “No one move!”

Everyone was taken aback, and someone shouted at him: “He’s the Marshal’s son, will you take responsibility if you delay his treatment?”

Ling Yi remained calm and unmoved as he pointed out four people in the crowd one by one. Aside from the doctor, they were all soldiers who had arrived in the wake of the incident.

“You four take him to the hospital. The rest of you stay where you are.”

“Who are you, ah? Do you know who these people are? Why should they listen to your orders?”

“If you ignore his orders, will you ignore mine as well?” Oser’s commanding voice sounded, and the voices questioning him disappeared in an instant.

Oser said to the people Ling Yi had pointed out: “You leave first.”

The unconscious Lei Yue was quickly carried away.

Oser glanced at the people present one by one: “Who was here just now?”

Everyone looked at each other and pointed fingers randomly.

“I remember that he seemed to be here.”

“No I wasn’t! I ran over when I heard the shouting!”

Ling Yi crouched down and observed the liquid remaining in the glass fragments.

— The white wine produced on Croston’s own estate is refreshing and mellow, but be careful when drinking it. 

The belated arrival of Lei Cheng and his entourage added a greater sense of oppression to the scene. These backbones of the military were intimidating even when they weren’t angry, but when they did get angry, the people around felt like the ground they were walking on was a battlefield.

“Where is Lei Yue?”

“Reporting to the Marshal! He’s been sent to the Royal Medical College for emergency treatment!”

“First Legion, listen to my orders!”

“Yes, Sir!” In a uniform response, soldiers in all different locations stood at attention and answered in unison.

Lei Cheng strode out with haste: “While I’m away, all of you will obey His Highness Oser’s orders.”

“Yes!”

Lei Cheng departed in a gust of wind, and the highest-ranking officer left behind marched over to Oser and saluted.

“Your Highness Oser, please relay your instructions!”

“Someone poisoned the Marshal’s beloved son in his own home. This is a grave matter. In order to find the killer as soon as possible, I have no choice but to offend all of the guests present and trouble you to stay for questioning. Body searches are permitted if necessary. No one may leave until they have been completely cleared of suspicion.”

He took a step forward and whispered in the officer’s ear so that only the two of them could hear: “Screen the staff, particularly those with access to the food and drinks, as well as anyone associated with the Prime Minister.”

Upon hearing that those associated with Lu Hulun were to be investigated, the officer’s eyes flashed with confusion for a fraction of a second, but his military identity forced him to obey without question.

“As you command!”

“Have your men keep a close eye on them. Don’t give anyone a chance to commit suicide.”

Oser’s words signified that the poisoner might be someone ordered to take their own life before being interrogated, so the officer dared not take it lightly. “Understood!”

When His Highness Oser was the first to be searched, the rest of the crowd had no choice but to cooperate, no matter how reluctant they were.

After searching Oser, the officer said cautiously: “Your Highness, this is a matter of great importance, so your friend may also need to go through the necessary procedures.”

Ling Yi spoke up before Oser could: “No problem, I want to clear myself of suspicion as soon as possible. Please have one of your Omega subordinates search me.”

His statement was equivalent to publicly admitting his identity as an Omega. Before everyone could recover from the shock of Lei Yue’s poisoning, they were shocked by the news that the object of His Highness Oser’s affections was an Omega. Their pupils quivered.

“He’s an Omega? This person’s identity is unknown. An Omega in a romantic affair with His Highness Oser, who’s an Omega repellant? Doesn’t anyone think he’s suspicious?”

“From beginning to end, I saw only him with the Marshal’s son. He’s the most likely suspect in the poisoning.”

Ling Yi’s belongings were few, consisting of only his cell phone and the Omega pheromone suppression cuff, which further confirmed his identity.

He pretended not to hear what the others were saying about him, and whispered to Oser: “Your Highness, I suspect that I was the target of the poisoning. They must still be at the scene. I’d like to borrow your gun for self-defense.”

Oser gave him a deadpan look and said: “Guns are not child’s play.”

“Neither is my life. It’s not that I don’t trust your guards, but rather than entrusting my fate to others, I prefer to take control of it myself.”

After brief consideration, Ling Yi felt a hard metal object in his palm.

“Be careful. Don’t mess around.”

Ling Yi quickly concealed the gun and feigned casualness, distancing himself from Oser.

The guests left one by one after being cleared of suspicion. When it was the turn of “Sidi,” an 18th-tier noble, to be questioned, there were almost no guards left in the banquet hall.

There was nothing suspicious about him, so the officer recorded his detailed statement and allowed him to leave.

As Disi stepped out of the main hall, he felt something strange against his waist.

“Be silent. Go left, and then head straight.”

Disi paused for a moment, and after confirming that the thing pressed against him must be a gun, he followed the speaker’s instructions without a word.

The two walked one after another into the depths of the garden before the hostage-taker spoke: “You can turn around now.”

Disi turned around slowly, lowering his eyes toward the gun in Ling Yi’s hand.

“I don’t understand.”

He was calmer than an ordinary person should be. Ling Yi raised the gun and aimed the muzzle at his forehead.

“Tell me, who are you? What is your purpose? Why did you approach me?”

---

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Chapter 33 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 35

The Ministry of Personnel was responsible for the appointment and evaluation of officials. Chu Jiubian, being both the Deputy Minister of Personnel and the first-rank Grand Tutor of the Imperial Court, held positions of considerable prestige, so it would be perfectly understandable for him to be in charge of the Imperial Examinations.

In his previous world, the Imperial Examination system had afforded an opportunity to all scholars.

However, if Chu Jiubian were to hold the Imperial Examinations, he would not focus solely on literary skills, nor would he recruit only literary scholars.

He was determined to add several more subjects, including engineering, agriculture, mathematics, medicine, and subjects that women in particular were skilled at, such as embroidery and handicrafts.

The assessment criteria should also not be limited to educational background. Professional skills, comprehension ability, and natural talent were even more important.

The System Mall offered many career books for purchase. He would first cultivate a few experts in the relevant fields, and then have them train the students who passed the Imperial Examinations.

He rapidly organized these plans in his mind. A clear outline was already beginning to form.

These individuals who were trained in advance would have to be relatively loyal to Chu Jiubian, and it would be even better if they were his followers.

This way, when those students passed the exams later, they would be influenced by these teachers and lean toward Chu Jiubian’s viewpoint. 

It would be a shame if all of his hard work and effort in training these people ended up benefitting someone else.

Chu Jiubian unconsciously fiddled with his pen.

If things really did develop according to plan, he would be able to recruit talents from various fields to work for him.

Replacing officials in the capital may be difficult, but it would be much easier in the counties and prefectures.

Local officials, who typically rose to power through bribing merchants or leveraging their relationships with certain forces, had little to no involvement with the influential figures at the center of power. 

They were like insignificant screws in a massive, complex engineering project, going unnoticed under normal circumstances.

Therefore, Chu Jiubian intended to gradually replace them with his own people, and there was ample room to maneuver.

In this era where the common people had absolutely no understanding of politics, they didn’t recognize the emperor, nor did they recognize the ministers of the Six Ministries. The only people they could rely on were their direct superiors – the prefects, magistrates, and other local officials.

If all of these local officials were loyal to Chu Jiubian, more than half the entire population of the Great Ning Dynasty would fall under his control.

The common people were particularly easy to incite. At that time, whether they lived peacefully and cultivated their land in a prosperous and stable country, or rose up in rebellion, leading to widespread suffering and disaster, it would all depend on Chu Jiubian’s decision.

The emotions in Chu Jiubian’s eyes gradually grew more complex.

The fragile nerves in his brain seemed to tremble, and he experienced an intermittent ringing in his ears.

Suddenly, with a soft sound, Chu Jiubian leaned back in his chair as his chin was lifted by a warm hand.

Looking down at him, Qin Xiao watched as the wild expression slowly faded from his eyes.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

Chu Jiubian stared up at him fixedly.

After a few moments, he smiled brightly: “Did I scare you?”

When he saw that Qin Xiao was still examining him with a scrutinizing gaze, Chu Jiubian’s smile deepened.

He grasped Qin Xiao’s warm palm in his cold hand and said meaningfully: “We’re the same. You should understand.”

In that moment, Qin Xiao felt as if he had returned to the ninth day of the lunar month.

This person had appeared out of nowhere, and if he had used just a little more force when his hand was around the other’s throat, he could have killed him.

Back then, Chu Jiubian had held his wrist in a similar manner, without a trace of fear. He had even smiled as he spoke his mysterious words.

And now, what did he mean by “the same?”

What was he meant to understand?

Qin Xiao released the other’s chin, then grasped his wrist with the other hand: “Qin Lie, bring me medicine.”

Qin Chaoyang immediately stepped forward and procured a bottle of medicine from his pocket, then handed it to Qin Xiao. He also conveniently gave him a brand new strip of clean white cloth, which he likely kept on hand for emergencies. Frequent injuries were probably commonplace in his line of work. 

After delivering these items, he faded back into the shadows.

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes, and only then did he notice that there was a cut that went from his right thumb to his palm. His skin was torn open and half of his palm was soaked with blood. Even the back of Qin Xiao’s hand was marred by a large swathe of crimson.

He glanced sideways at the desk and, sure enough, the shaft of his brush was broken into two pieces.

Qin Xiao sprinkled some medicinal powder on the wound, and a burning sensation immediately spread throughout his entire arm, causing Chu Jiubian’s hand to tremble in reaction.

Qin Xiao glanced at his face, but didn’t find a trace of pain there.

“The writing utensils in the mortal world aren’t as good as in our immortal realm,” said Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao released a light scoff as he bandaged the wound.

“Thank you,” said Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao gave a hum of acknowledgement and called for someone to bring another brush. Then he said: “Can you write with your left hand?”

Many of the official documents were simply marked with a circle to signify that they had been read. Chu Jiubian nodded: “I can.”

He glanced at his bandaged hand, then looked up again toward the opposite side of the aisle.

Qin Xiao had already sat back down. Without even wiping the bloodstain from the back of his left hand, he resumed his work.

He was truly a go-getter.

Chu Jiubian also picked up a new memorial.

The Imperial Examination system touched upon the interests of the noble families, and any hasty proposal to make changes would certainly be met with widespread opposition. A long-term plan was necessary, and he would need Qin Xiao’s assistance.

Chu Jiubian currently had only one Believer, Jiang Shuoye, and he hadn’t officially met the twins yet. He had no suitable candidates to be trained as “teachers,” and Qin Xiao likely didn’t have any under his command either.

Therefore, he would need to take advantage of this period of time to make his selection carefully.

The reason he needed Qin Xiao’s help was because his influence had not yet extended to the local level, and he wasn’t known to the common people. Therefore, it was necessary to hold the Imperial Examinations in the name of the Imperial Court to ensure a wider impact.

He also lacked subordinates, so even if there were talented individuals with clean backgrounds who wanted to participate in the Imperial Examinations, he would be unable to guarantee their safety. If they were to be attacked by other forces, the consequences would be disastrous.

However, Qin Xiao had many secret guards under his command who could be utilized to protect the students.

The problem with this kind of collaboration was that the students might be more inclined to favor Qin Xiao rather than a “nobody” like Chu Jiubian.

Thus, the most important thing for Chu Jiubian at the moment was to quickly expand his influence so that “Jiu-gongzi” was not solely active within the circles of the scholarly and the elite.

He intended to make those ignorant, rustic people believe in him. 

The common people were numerous, and their lives were difficult.

They didn’t trust the Imperial Court, and would seek out other sources of solace – such as gods and spirituality.

What Chu Jiubian needed to do was to become the “god” in these people’s hearts, the one who could truly help them. 

This was the turning point.

He just needed the right opportunity.

And that opportunity might just arrive in the near future, during the severe drought in the south.

Naturally, the drought would not only help him spread his name, but would also become a bargaining chip in his negotiations with Qin Xiao.

He intended to use “solving the drought” to persuade Qin Xiao to establish the Imperial Examinations with him, as well as to allow Chu Jiubian complete control over the endeavor. 

Suppressing his restless thoughts, Chu Jiubian continued to review memorials.

Many of these memorials were trivial matters, and quite a few simply flattered the emperor and Qin Xiao. He marked each with a circle to indicate that he’d read them.

He opened another, and his hand paused in the middle of drawing a circle.

This one had actually been sent by Nanjiang-wang Bai Lihao. Wasn’t he the father of the Situ siblings?

Chu Jiubian was frozen in surprise.

Wait a minute, he had been overlooking something this whole time – Nanjiang-wang, the sixth uncle of the young emperor, was surnamed Bai, but the young prince and princess were surnamed Situ.

“Qin Xiao.” He looked up at the person opposite him.

Qin Xiao was taken aback, and looked over with some surprise.

Qin Chaoyang, who was sharpening his dagger in the shadows, also glanced toward Chu Jiubian in bewilderment.

Ever since he had become “Ning-wang,” no one ever called Qin Xiao by his given name, so Qin Chaoyang was somewhat unaccustomed to hearing it. 

Previously, Chu Jiubian had only addressed him as “My Lord” or “Lord Ning-wang,” but it was in a slightly teasing way, much like how Qin Xiao always addressed him as “Jiu-gongzi.”

But behind his back, Chu Jiubian always referred to him by his given name.

When he said it out loud just now, the words just slipped out of his mouth, and he only realized what he had said after the fact.

But since the words were already out, he wouldn’t overthink it. He asked directly: “Doesn’t Nanjiang-wang have children?”

“He has a pair of dragon and phoenix twins,” Qin Xiao said.

“Then why didn’t they take his surname?”

Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow: “How do you know about that?”

“I’m a god,” Chu Jiubian said matter-of-factly.

Qin Xiao: “Then why don’t you already know the answer?”

“My divine power is limited, and I don’t want to waste it on such a thing.” Chu Jiubian spoke without hesitation. He had now completely integrated into the experience of “descending to the mortal world to undergo tribulation.”

That sounded completely reasonable, and Qin Xiao had no way to refute it. He chuckled softly and said: “The Nanjiang region was under foreign control for nearly one hundred years. Even after Emperor Wuzong reclaimed it, the local people remained fiercely independent, showing little allegiance to the Imperial Court even as they recognized their local village chieftains.”

“Is Situ the name of a village chieftain?” Chu Jiu immediately had a guess in mind. “Could it be that this Nanjiang-wang married one?”

“You’re not far off. He married the current Saintess, next in line to be the Stronghold Chieftain.”

The Old Stronghold Chieftain still lived, but after her death, Situ Anli would be the next to fill the position.

“I see.”

This sort of relationship was equivalent to a man marrying into a woman’s family, where the children would take the woman’s surname.

Woman could become powerful leaders in Nanjiang, which showed that they were not bound by so-called societal norms.

Since that was the case, Situ Zhaoling would be able to accomplish even more.

Chu Jiubian felt incredibly lucky that he was able to draw her as a Believer.

“What does Nanjiang-wang have to say?” Qin Xiao asked.

“There is a severe drought in Nanjiang. He requests that the Imperial Court allocate funds toward it and send grain,” said Chu Jiubian.

He actually hadn’t expected Nanjiang-wang to send a memorial to the emperor.

The vassal kings governed their own territories, acting as local rulers with their own government offices and troops. Each year, they would first collect a portion of the grain and tax revenue from the common people in their fiefdoms, and the remaining portion would be handed over to the Imperial Court.

In other words, the vast majority of matters within their territory were the responsibility of the vassal kings themselves.

Given the current drought, they should, by all rights, be more concerned about the livelihoods of the common people. The Imperial Court wouldn’t have to concern themselves – after all, any unrest or suffering among the common people in the fiefdoms would affect the vassal kings themselves first and foremost. 

But now, the situation had reversed: the Imperial Court was the entity worrying about the common people in these fiefdoms, while these local rulers were only concerned about demanding things from the court.

The Believers selected by the System were all people of competence and good character, so he had instinctively assumed that the father of the Situ siblings wouldn’t be a greedy or unscrupulous person.

Naturally, Pixi-wang Bai Lizheng, who controlled the region of Sichuan, shouldn’t be acting like a hands-off manager either.

Chu Jiubian pondered for a moment, then came to realization and looked toward Qin Xiao.

Bai Lihong had just recently ascended the throne, and his claim to power was not entirely orthodox. Therefore, all of the powerful factions in the capital, as well as those vassal kings, were watching intently, waiting for an opportunity to criticize the emperor and Qin Xiao.

If the current drought truly led to widespread unrest, these powerful figures would undoubtedly join forces with the vassal kings and place all of the blame on their common enemies – the young emperor and Qin Xiao.

Perhaps they would say that the young emperor was immoral and unworthy, having seized the throne illegitimately, and would be punished by the heavens.

Or perhaps Qin Xiao had seized and mismanaged power as an Imperial relative, and the heavens would send down some sort of divine revelation.

The common people were easily incited; they would readily believe these claims, and at that point, the emperor might have to issue a decree of self-reproach. Qin Xiao would almost certainly be forced to atone for his sins with death, or abdicate and hand over power to someone else. 

If Qin Xiao didn’t sacrifice himself, he would have truly become a treacherous official who brought disaster upon the country and its people. 

He was walking on thin ice while surrounded by a pack of wolves.

Chu Jiubian was very much aware of the situation Qin Xiao was facing.

And Qin Xiao himself also had a clear understanding of it. 

His eyes darkened.

The drought in Sichuan and Huguang prefectures was already giving him a huge headache, and now Nanjiang was also demanding supplies. Where was he supposed to find so much money and grain?

He couldn’t help but glance at Chu Jiubian.

During the morning court session, he had considered striking up a partnership with him. 

Their eyes met, and Chu Jiubian smiled: “Do you want my help?”

“Do you have a solution?”

“I do.”

A weight was lifted from Qin Xiao’s shoulders: “What do you want in return?”

This was another transaction. Both parties were familiar with the process, so much so that no extraneous words were necessary. 

Chu Jiubian felt that this sort of cooperative relationship was fantastic. It involved an exchange of benefits, so that each party could obtain what they wanted.

“Let’s put that on hold for now,” he said. “I’ll tell you what I want when I need it.”

This wasn’t a good time to discuss the matter of the Imperial Examinations, as Qin Xiao would definitely not agree.

But Chu Jiubian’s reputation would spread after this disaster was resolved. He would accumulate more points, which would perhaps allow him to find suitable Believers to participate in the Imperial Examinations.

At that time, using the fact that Qin Xiao owed him, he would propose helping Qin Xiao recruit candidates for the Imperial Examinations, on the condition that he would be given complete authority over the entire process. 

Qin Xiao would definitely agree.

In this way, it would be easy for him to cultivate a group of loyal scholars and place his own people in official positions through the Imperial Examinations system.

Before, Chu Jiubian would always state his conditions directly, and the fact that he was being evasive this time suggested that it was likely a difficult matter. 

It would be strange if Qin Xiao couldn’t see through such obvious ulterior motives.

But he still agreed without much hesitation, saying: “Would you like me to draw up a written agreement for you? If I go back on my word later, you can use it to threaten me.”

Chu Jiubian said speechlessly: “Wouldn’t it be better to just not go back on your word?”

Qin Xiao smiled, took a new piece of paper, and neatly wrote out a written agreement.

The highly observant Qin Chaoyang walked over and handed the written agreement to Chu Jiubian.

In strong, powerful writing, the document consisted of only a few lines: 

As of today, Qin Xiao owes Chu Jiubian a favor. May he be struck by lightning if he fails to fulfill it. 

The sixteenth day of the sixth month, in the first year of Jingrui.

It was indeed a solemn oath.

Chu Jiubian accepted it with a smile.

He placed the document into his sleeve pocket, then transferred it into System Storage.

“You swore an oath in the presence of a god.” Chu Jiubian said, looking at Qin Xiao with interest. “It will be truly binding.”

If Qin Xiao goes back on his word, I’ll use a stun gun to shock him a few times, Chu Jiubian thought maliciously.

Qin Xiao nodded, but it was unclear if he had taken his words to heart.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.” One after another, respectful greetings sounded from outside the hall.

Chu Jiubian glanced outside, and soon after, he spotted a small form walking toward them from afar.

The child stopped upon reaching the doorway, then grasped the hem of his robes and carefully lifted his short legs, struggling somewhat to step over the threshold that came up to his knees.

Chu Jiubian kind of wanted to laugh.

Qin Xiao remained seated, and Chu Jiubian didn’t move either, but both of their gazes were fixed on that small figure.

Hong Fu silently held his arms out behind Bai Lihong, ready to support him out of fear that the young emperor would fall and hurt himself.

He smiled and said: “Your Majesty is truly impressive.”

Bai Lihong giggled, then called out in his childish voice as he entered the hall: “Jiujiu, I can cross the threshold by myself now!”

He then noticed that there was someone other than Qin Xiao in the room.

When he recognized Chu Jiubian, his eyes lit up.

This was the immortal Chu Jiubian!

However, his Jiujiu had told him that morning that he shouldn’t call Chu Jiubian by his given name anymore, but should address him as “Xiansheng.”

Jiujiu said that a teacher was an elder, someone he should respect just like he respected his uncle.

The child quickly composed his expression. He bowed toward Chu Jiubian and said in a clear voice: “Hello, Xiansheng.”

Chu Jiubian was somewhat taken aback.

He stood up and bowed back to the child: “Hello, Your Majesty.”

Bai Lihong then turned and bowed again to his uncle: “Hello, Jiujiu.”

Qin Xiao: “……”

He reluctantly stood up and returned the bow.

Bai Lihong was happy.

However, he soon noticed the bandage wrapped around Chu Jiubian’s hand and hurried over, asking in concern: “Did Xiansheng injure his hand?”

Chu Jiubian crouched down to meet his gaze and said: “I accidentally cut myself.”

“Does it hurt a lot?” The child’s face was all scrunched up. “Have Jiujiu blow on it for you.”

Chu Jiubian: “ ? ”

Bai Lihong said seriously: “When I burned my hand eating porridge once, Jiujiu blew on it for a long time and it felt better.”

“Your Majesty,” Qin Xiao said, “Have you finished writing your characters for today?”

“I’ll write them now.” Bai Lihong cleverly winked at Chu Jiubian, then immediately went to the table and extended his short arms up toward Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao lifted him up and placed him on a chair, making sure he was seated properly.

The cushion on the chair was quite thick, allowing Bai Lihong to sit comfortably as he wrote at the desk.

Bai Lihong touched Qin Xiao’s hand, which was covered in dried blood. Surmising that it must be Chu Jiubian’s blood, he directed another concerned glance toward the man.

Qin Chaoyang approached and unfolded some paper for him, then ground the ink, conveniently blocking his view.

The child looked up at Qin Chaoyang, and when the other looked back at him, Bai Lihong smiled with his little white teeth.

Even the most stoic man wouldn’t have been able to keep a straight face. A smile appeared in Qin Chaoyang’s eyes.

Chu Jiubian sat back down in his seat and watched as the boy composed himself and began to write very seriously, stroke by stroke, exhibiting no impatience at all. 

As expected of the male protagonist – he was diligent even in childhood.

He directed his attention toward Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao had already resumed reviewing memorials, and only looked up when he noticed his gaze.

Chu Jiubian lifted his injured left hand to brush aside a lock of hair, then gently blew on his palm with his eyes remaining fixed on Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao gave him a silent smile, then lowered his eyes and continued to work.

Chu Jiubian was in a good mood after teasing him, and began drawing circles again.

Throughout the afternoon, the three of them each attended to their own business.

It wasn’t until dinnertime, when the sky gradually became overcast and the light began to fade, that they finished their work.

Bai Lihong invited Chu Jiubian to have dinner with them in the main hall, and since Qin Xiao didn’t object, Chu Jiubian didn’t refuse.

On the dining table were the usual stewed dishes.

The young emperor probably didn’t have a particular liking for these foods. He was only reluctantly drinking the porridge, but there was a hint of joy to his expression.

It was unknown what the child was smiling so foolishly about.

Chu Jiubian glanced at Qin Xiao again and found that he was eating the braised cabbage dish while barely touching anything else.

It seemed that both uncle and nephew were somewhat picky eaters.

Of course, Chu Jiubian himself didn’t like to eat these things either. He couldn’t help but think of iron woks and stir-fried dishes again.

Previously, due to the preciousness of iron and the poor smelting technology, he hadn’t proceeded with his plan for iron cookware.

But there were actually iron woks in the System Mall, and because they counted as daily necessities, they were cheap – only two points.

He couldn’t neglect his stomach any longer. Plus, the young emperor was such a picky eater; what if he became malnourished and never grew tall?

Perhaps he should buy two iron woks, one for himself and one for use in Yangxin Hall.

He would do it tomorrow, and let these ancient people experience what “real food” was like.

From tonight to tomorrow night, there would be a continuous light drizzle. The sky was already looking rather gloomy, and a damp wind was blowing into the room, making Bai Lihong shiver.

Qin Xiao noticed this, but before he could issue a command, Hong Fu had already hurried over to shut the window.

The group rinsed their mouths after quickly finishing their meal.

Chu Jiubian stood and walked to the door, then looked outside.

The System indicated that it would rain in twenty minutes.

“It’s going to rain,” said Qin Xiao, coming up to his side. “I’ll send you home.’

Why would he send him home?

He was a grown man and had so many bodyguards protecting him. Why did he need to be accompanied?

Chu Jiubian felt that something was off about this.

But he declined without giving it much more thought, saying: “I can get back on my own.”

Qin Xiao didn’t insist, and Chu Jiubian left after saying farewell to the young emperor.

Qin Xiao followed him to the entrance of Yangxin Hall’s courtyard.

The sky was dark and gloomy. Rumbling thunder and brief flashes of lightning emitted from the thick clouds, and the damp, cool breeze made their robes flap in the wind.

Qin Xiao watched the young man’s slender figure walk down the long palace corridor. The deep red walls on either side made his form seem even thinner.

The cool breeze ruffled his hair, and as his long silver-white locks were blown over his shoulders, Chu Jiubian held them in place with his bandage-wrapped hand.

He carried with him a profound sense of solitude.

Qin Xiao suddenly understood the meaning of Chu Jiubian’s words during lunch.

We are the same.

*
*

The rain came abruptly, and the weather became much cooler at night. Qin Xiao even switched to a thicker blanket when he went to sleep.

The pattering of rain masked the sound of footsteps.

But Qin Xiao, who should have been fast asleep, suddenly opened his eyes and drew the longsword from beneath his pillow. His sharp gaze pierced through the darkness outside the bedchamber.

“My Lord!” Qin Chaoyang’s voice sounded from outside with an unusual tint of anxiousness.

Qin Xiao’s heart sank, and he immediately made his way over.

The two met at the entrance to the Emperor’s bedchambers, and Qin Chaoyang said urgently: “His Majesty has a high fever!”

*

*

Thunder crashed, and Chu Jiubian glanced outside.

He felt dizzy, and there was a throbbing pain in his temples and the back of his head.

On his way back, he had impulsively decided to walk in the rain for a while on the palace grounds, and took a bath when he returned.

As a result, he was a bit dizzy and lightheaded now, and he likely had a fever.

Rubbing his temples, he lay down in bed.

Xiao Xiangzi was standing vigil outside tonight. With thick blankets and a cup of ginger tea, he shouldn’t be cold. 

Chu Jiubian closed his eyes and composed himself before opening the System interface and entering the Divine Realm.

Perhaps because only his consciousness entered this place, he felt none of the previous discomfort. 

Sitting atop the elevated platform, he cast his gaze down toward the long table, where there was still just a single chair. He didn’t intend to summon two Believers at the same time in the first place, so there was no need for another. 

“Summon Situ Zhaoling,” he said.

[Believer Situ Zhaoling has been detected to be in a sleeping state. Summoning in progress.]

[Summoning successful.]

As the mechanical voice faded, Chu Jiubian caught sight of a figure clad in a dark purple dress falling out of the clouds in the distance.

At the same time, a cry of astonishment echoed throughout the entire realm.

Situ Zhaoling had been dragged by her younger brother to his courtyard that afternoon. He had said he wanted to build some sort of “waterwheel” for irrigation.

He had also drawn some messy, incomprehensible diagrams, which she didn’t really understand – but she had long become accustomed to this sort of thing.

Her younger brother was always creating strange and wonderful things, like a flying bamboo propeller, a rotating fan that could blow air by itself, a wooden chair that could be adjusted up and down…..

In hindsight, it was due to the severe drought in Nanjiang that her younger brother thought of building a waterwheel.

But at present, the rivers were practically dry. What they lacked was not tools, but water.

Their mother, who was the Saintess of Nanjiang, had been praying every day recently, but it hadn’t done much good.

Her father, the vassal king of Nanjiang, was so worried each day that his hair was turning white.

Situ Zhaoling was worried as well, which had caused her to have nightmares for many days. She dreamed of parched fields, failed harvests, and widespread suffering and misery among the common people.

The common people led the Saintess to the altar with the intention of sacrificing her.

They also stormed the royal palace, burning, killing, and looting.

She would often wake up in tears.

Tonight, she had closed her eyes wearily, afraid of having more nightmares. And sure enough, it happened again.

She dreamed that she was standing beside a dried-up river, and as far as the eye could see, there were only yellow, withered crops.

Her head spun and her vision blurred as she suddenly felt the ground give way beneath her feet, sending her plummeting downward.

She couldn’t help but let out a scream of terror.

It stemmed from fear, but was also a form of catharsis.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her vision became a blurred field of mist.

Suddenly, an ethereal cry reached her ears, and in the next moment, a brilliant golden bird swooped down from the clouds, its long tail feathers trailing a shower of golden light.

Situ Zhaoling blinked.

Was that a phoenix?

She watched in disbelief as the golden phoenix swooped down in front of her, and the dazzling light made her eyes water even more.

It winged past her side, and then she felt herself enveloped in a mass of soft feathers. 

The feeling of weightlessness vanished, and she was carried upward with the ethereal cry of a phoenix.

Situ Zhaoling felt as if she was in an illusion. When she straightened up, she found herself sitting on the back of the phoenix, soaring through clouds and mist.

She was confused, yet pleasantly surprised.

Finally, something other than a nightmare.

She reached out and touched the phoenix’s feathers; they were soft and warm to the touch, like they belonged to a living creature.

Before long, she suddenly noticed that the mist ahead of her was thinning. Dimly, she seemed to spy the hazy, upturned eaves of a building in the sky, as well as a colossal figure seated amidst the obscuring clouds, like a magnificent statue in a temple. 

When she finally passed through the clouds and mist, the view suddenly opened up before her.

Situ Zhaoling finally caught a clear glimpse of the statue. It looked like a man sitting on a white jade chair!

---

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Chapter 23 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 25

Chapter 54 – Like Stepping Back in Time

The earth shook for several breaths, and once the floating island split in two, the tremors slowly came to a stop.

Tranquility returned to the island, as if nothing had happened.

However, for the cultivators, and for all monsters big and small, it was impossible to pretend like nothing had happened.

The intact island had been broken into two halves, separated by a trench many meters wide and deep. Some cultivators who had been walking together only a few steps apart were now left standing on opposite sides of the island, staring at each other across the sea.

The earth was marred by a great ravine. Although the fracture in the island was smooth, the tremors caused a secondary collapse of the layers beneath, leaving a sea of cracks along the island’s edges. From time to time, loose debris would slide into the trench.

People had no time to talk or think during the tremors, and could only desperately seek a safe place to evade this natural disaster.

Yes, a natural disaster. To most people, it was just an unfortunate accident that they had encountered a once-in-a-century earthquake.

Because they had not seen the fleeting light. And even if someone did see it, they wouldn’t recognize the light that split the island as a sword glare. After all, how could that be possible?

Breaking mountains and splitting seas was something that cultivators at Nascent Soul stage were incapable of, and even the powerhouse who broke through to Hedao stage a hundred years ago might not be able to accomplish it.

Such awe-inspiring power must be only achievable by the gods in heaven.

The land returned to calm, and the waves were no longer turbulent, either on the surface or below it.

Hao Chen stared at the half-broken fan in his hand with shock and doubt. Thanks to the fact that he’d been holding it horizontally, it was still just barely intact.

It had just shrunk in length.

It had originally been the size of a normal folding fan, two palms long, and could completely cover the face when unfolded.

But now…..Hao Chen pinched the bottom of the handle with his fingers and raised it in front of his face. This mini folding fan, which was only half the length it was originally, could barely cover his mouth and nose.

He placed it in his palm for comparison. The mini fan was now only the size of his palm, not even big enough for him to hold in his hand, so he could only hold it gingerly between his fingertips.

This had been created from his tail feathers, which only fell off every thousand years, ah!

Although he had lived for so long and made many more folding fans from his fallen tail feathers, he was still heartbroken.

But aside from the heartache, his shock was even greater. What kind of sword did Feng Ye possess? How could it cut his folding fan in half, which was several levels higher than a heaven-grade weapon, with just a sword glare from three kilometers away?

No wonder Feng Ye, a proficient swordsman, never carried a sword with him. It turned out that it had been there all along, no matter where he was. Even in the deep sea where there was no sunlight, this peerless blade that had the power to split mountains and carve through the seas came when summoned.

“Haha.” Hao Chen suddenly chuckled. The broken fan didn’t prevent him from fanning himself with it gripped between his fingers. Instead of being angry, he was happy that the magic weapon had been destroyed.

He was not frightened by this astonishing sword, but instead became even more eager to fight.

This was an opponent worthy of battling him!

It seemed that all of his previous reservations were actually an affront. For a strong opponent like Feng Ye, giving his all was the only proper respect.

Hao Chen placed the palm-sized fan into his sleeve. So what if his magic weapon was sliced off? After all, it was just a material possession, and he didn’t require anything else to complement his strength.

He raised a hand in front of him, toward Feng Ye’s direction.

The previously calm sea water began to stir again. A dense layer of ice spread out around him, condensing into thousands upon thousands of arrows.

And each of their tips was aimed at Feng Ye.

There was no need for a bowstring. Hao Chen’s spiritual power, as vast as the ocean abyss, was the most powerful method of propulsion.

The number of ice arrows continued to increase. Hao Chen raised his hand with his five fingers clenched, waiting until all of the arrows were prepared to release them all at once.

Three kilometers away in the sea, Feng Ye floated in the water. This place was no longer dark and dim. When he split the floating island, the layer of rock covering the water’s surface was also severed by his sword.

Faint light fell from the sky, illuminating the deep sea.

The sword in his hand shone with light, under which surged a black mist. The two were intertwined, indistinguishable from each other.

He stared into the distance with a slight frown.

There was killing intent there. This battle was far from over.

The corners of Feng Ye’s lips suddenly curved upward. He had been hiding until now simply because he didn’t want to expose himself. But now that it had come to this point, why not fight with everything he had?

He also raised his right hand forward, pointing the tip of his sword into the distance.

Some people named the sword a ‘gentleman among soldiers,’ but no matter how one tried to beautify it, one fact was undeniable.

The sword as a weapon meant for killing.

This was a weapon born to take lives. Who among those who wielded a sword were not eager to fight?

Feng Ye was no exception. He just never revealed this in front of Fang Yang, and instead came across as a bit nonchalant. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been treated as a soft persimmon by Lu Chengye.

Because when it came to fighting, both sides must be equally matched. Otherwise, if the power was one-sided, it would be called a massacre. Feng Ye may be warlike, but he didn’t enjoy bullying the weak.

Whether it was Fang Yang or Lu Chengye, or the rest of Lingxiao Sword Sect, they were far, far from being able to match his strength.

Like a sheathed sword, Feng Ye was usually in a suppressed state. But now, he watched as the water gently parted before him. Just by raising the sword in his hand, and without using any force at all, the water parted in front of him following the movement of the sword.

His prowess was displayed to the fullest extent, so why should he be afraid to fight?

Even deep down in his heart, he had secretly been looking forward to having a strong opponent who could challenge him. For thousands of years, he hadn’t had a good enough fight.

As for whether or not Hao Chen was qualified, they would have to fight to find out!

If fighting spirit could become tangible for the sake of comparison, then the two people at two ends of the seabed would be equally matched.

They attacked simultaneously. Feng Ye moved the tip of the sword back slightly, and the muscles in his right arm tensed as he prepared to swing it a second time.

And Hao Chen’s bent index finger slowly straightened. He was like a general commanding thousands of troops, with the ice arrows floating around him as his army.

His pointed index finger was a military horn, and the soldiers marched as it sounded.

As Hao Chen straightened his finger, the ice arrows trembled slightly, like warhorses stamping their hooves anxiously in place. The arrows were on the string, ready to be launched!

However, just before the two of them were about to engage in a real, all-out fight, the floating island began to shake once more.

The tremors were not limited to the island itself. The seawater was also affected.

Feng Ye and Hao Chen paused at the same time and looked up at the sky, the boundary of this small world. A faint crack had appeared in it, and behind that crack was a vast and endless void.

Why did the heavens have gods, but the other three thousand worlds, big and small, had none?

Because a small world was not sufficient to bear the power of a god. The small worlds themselves possessed the ability to maintain their own stability, which restrained divine power to a certain extent.

Therefore, even if a god traveled to a lower world, it would not have any impact on the stability of that world.

But this did not include the already precarious Floating Island Secret Realm. The situation was already dangerous, and two god-level figures were about to engage in an all-out battle.

Before they even took action, their ambient power alone had already caused a shock to the secret realm. If they began to fight in earnest, the Floating Island Secret Realm would collapse before they had time to determine the winner.

Causing the collapse of a world and affecting ten thousand lives would be a great sin.

Therefore, even though Hao Chen held no sympathy for mortals, he was still forced to stay his hand. The ice arrows melted and once again turned into water.

Feng Ye also withdrew his hand. The sword broke into fractured light and shadow, and slowly dissipated.

Directly above Feng Ye, Fang Yang saw the ground shake again and figured it was just an aftershock. He quickly half-dragged, half-carried the unconscious Cao Zirui to an open area to avoid being hit by falling trees.

He had roughly bandaged Cao Zirui’s wounded shoulder just now, and the bleeding had finally stopped.

The external injuries were actually not too serious, but Fang Yang didn’t know about the internal ones.

After all, Cao Zirui had directly faced every arrow shot by Lu Chengye while holding the Water Soul Bead.

In any case, the injuries couldn’t be light, or else Cao Zirui wouldn’t still be unconscious. But Fang Yang had no healing abilities, and there were only medicines for external injuries in his storage bag. He couldn’t afford elixirs for internal injuries.

But even if he couldn’t afford it, Cao Zirui, who had a treasure trove in his pocket, definitely could. However, Fang Yang couldn’t open Cao Zirui’s storage bag, so he could only wait for him to wake up.

But for now, Cao Zirui showed no signs of waking.

The ground was shaking so violently, and he didn’t even blink. Fang Yang held Cao Zirui on his knees to prevent him from being struck by the shaking stones on the ground.

The tremors stopped abruptly, and the aftershock went as swiftly as it had come.

Fang Yang gazed at the unconscious Cao Zirui’s face for a while, feeling that it was very boring to watch a man sleep. He couldn’t help but take out the bisected golden arrow to study it.

This was the golden arrow that had been chasing them all the way, demanding their lives.

The flowing flames were gone now, as the spiritual power stored in the body of the arrow had dissipated when it broke.

It had become worthless scrap metal.

But Fang Yang still studied it intently. He peered at the broken ends of the arrow, which were flat and smooth.

This cut was made by a sharp weapon, Fang Yang thought.

He had closed his eyes as he fell to the ground, and hadn’t looked behind him, so he naturally didn’t see the flash of the sword glare.

He didn’t know what had cut the golden arrow, nor did he know what had suddenly caused the fissure in the ground.

But he knew that it must be the work of the Mysterious Big Brother in the bamboo slip. As expected, he was very powerful!

Fang Yang clutched the bamboo slip hanging around his neck and thought, I won the gamble!

He didn’t know who this big brother was, or if he was nearby. But who else could have saved him?

Could it be like in the storybooks, and he had ascended beyond the mortal world?

Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard someone call out to him from behind.

“Fang Yang.”

Fang Yang turned his head toward the voice and saw his Useless Shixiong, whom he hadn’t seen in half a day.

Upon seeing Feng Ye, Fang Yang’s eyes widened in excitement. He subconsciously wanted to stand up and run to him, but just as he was about to move, he remembered that Cao Zirui was still sleeping on his lap and held himself back.

But he still offered Feng Ye a smile. It was great to see his Useless Shixiong again. He must be unaware of what Fang Yang had gone through today, and that they had almost been separated forever.

In the face of Fang Yang’s smile, Feng Ye couldn’t help but smile back softly. Regardless of whether or not his identity had been exposed, it had been worth it.

Fang Yang had a lot to say, but when the words came to his lips, he noticed Feng Ye’s tattered, ripped daoist robes and changed the subject: “What happened to your clothes?”

He solely asked after his clothing, not his injuries – because Feng Ye wasn’t injured at all. Revealed beneath the fabric of his clothes was toned muscle, not open wounds.

Feng Ye averted his eyes, and was just about to make up an excuse when he heard footsteps approaching from afar.

A man in white daoist robes approached them, revealing a look of surprise: “I didn’t expect to meet you here, Fellow Daoist Feng Ye. We are truly fated.” Hao Chen chuckled.

What fate? Feng Ye griped to himself, but he didn’t expose Hao Chen. The two of them tacitly agreed not to mention what had happened under the sea.

“Hao-dage!” Fang Yang’s eyes lit up once more when he saw Hao Chen. It seemed that the saying was true – those who survive great disaster will receive future blessings. After surviving a near-death experience, his only two friends immediately appeared before him.

Hao Chen nodded at Fang Yang, then directed all of his attention to Feng Ye.

The first thing that met his eye was the tattered robes hanging on his body. He feigned astonishment and said: “What happened, Fellow Daoist Feng Ye? What sort of ferocious monster did you encounter? How are you such a mess?”

His words conveyed concern, but his tone was anything but. When he said the word “mess,” it was with a joking smile. After all, this was his own handiwork.

“It seems Fellow Daoist Hao Chen experienced a smooth half day?” Feng Ye responded.

Hao Chen deliberately lowered his head to look at his intact sleeves. His meaning was self-evident. Although he hadn’t won the fight with Feng Ye, judging from his appearance, he had come out on top.

Thus, he couldn’t help but say in a proud tone: “It wasn’t bad. Likely smoother than Fellow Daoist Feng Ye’s.”

Habits could not be changed in a short period of time. Without realizing it, Hao Chen reached into his sleeve and took out his mini folding fan, fanning himself in front of the others.

Fang Yang: “……”

Fang Yang stared at the folding fan that now had to be held between pinched fingers, and thought, It seems you fared no better than Useless Shixiong!

---

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Chapter 53 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 55

Yellow plumes of sand covered the sky as the neighing of warhorses and the roars of soldiers resounded throughout the Northern Desert.

Jiang Shuoye’s attention was originally on the “High Priest,” but when the column of cavalry burst out, he could no longer think of anything else.

The cold gleam of their weapons reflected in his clear black pupils. The horses raised their front legs high, and the soldier’s spears clanged.

His heart pulsated violently. The scene Jiang Shuoye had rehearsed countless times in his mind was actually playing out at this exact moment.

The cavalry phalanx before him was still a little disorganized, but it was much stronger then before.

Jiang Shuoye felt that even if the current Mobei cavalry were to fight against the Tatar army, they would not be defeated. If they were trained well in the future, the Mobei Army may even be able to launch a counterattack. 

–You only need to protect the people of the Northern Desert.

This was the High Priest’s expectation for Jiang Shuoye. But now, there seemed to be a fire burning in his eyes.

He felt that with such an army, not only could he protect the people of the Northern Desert, but he could even push the border of Great Ning out hundreds of li.

If only they could be bolder…..

Jiang Shuoye looked toward the far north, which contained lush grasslands, Tatar tribes with their strong horses and soldiers, and the vaster world beyond.

The cavalry formation had already galloped a great distance. The commander stood up straight with the help of his stirrups and waved the fluttering Mobei Army flag in his hands.

At the command, the cavalrymen turned their horses around and rushed back toward the military camp. 

The team now seemed to be running with the momentum of thousands of troops. Watching them rush toward them from afar, the blacksmiths and other soldiers standing in place felt their blood boil.

This was the new cavalry, the new Mobei Army!

The blacksmiths’ eyes welled up.

They had lived in this town on the desert border for generations, and it went without saying how deep their feelings were for the army guarding this place.

The army stationed here had always protected the common people diligently, never allowing them to see a glimpse of Tatar swords.

This was the case with the Qin Family Army after Emperor Wuzong, as well as with the Mobei Army that had arrived here several years ago.

Unlike the blacksmiths, the soldiers who had yet to receive the equipment were eager to try it out. If they could also be equipped with saddles and stirrups, they would certainly be as valiant as these soldiers before them.

Chu Jiubian was also quite satisfied.

Although these soldiers didn’t seem very strong now, they were being trained by the outstanding General Jiang Shuoye, who also had modern training methods in his possession. In time, the Mobei Army would definitely be a super powerful force.

It was just that 80,000 soldiers might not be enough. They were still too few.

The armies of the two vassal kings who appeared in [Alternative Believer Cards] were 50,000 and 80,000 respectively. The Qin Family Army was divided into smaller sections such as the Imperial Guard and the City Defense Force, but there were still 50,000 people total.

Qin Xiao also had 10,000 private soldiers that were unknown to the public.

Compared with these numbers, the border army of 80,000 soldiers was really not sufficient.

Jiang Shuoye would definitely need to recruit more soldiers later. Right now, the other party was so poor that they had to patch their pillows, and recruiting soldiers was too difficult.

Plus, the Mobei Army was not “unknown.” Everyone in the Imperial Court was watching them. If Jiang Shuoye recruited soldiers, he certainly wouldn’t be able to hide it from them, which might bring some trouble to his doorstep.

Even things like the stirrups and saddles would likely become known to the powerful and influential people in the court in short order.

But Chu Jiubian had considered this when he handed those things out. Improving yourself and making others fear you was far more effective than hiding your abilities.

What’s more, neither the Mobei Army nor Chu Jiubian himself possessed the capital to play the pig to eat the tiger. They would be under the spotlight from the very beginning.

Therefore, they all had to become stronger so that when others wanted to take action against them, they would have to weigh the cards in their hands.

“A silver saddle shines on the white horse, which gallops like a shooting star.”

The corners of Chu Jiubian’s lips twitched. When the news that the Mobei Army possessed stirrups and saddles was passed back to the capital, those powerful people would know what this “silver saddle” was.

He had just finished reciting this verse at the auction when the soldiers far away in the Northern Desert had already equipped themselves with saddles.

It would be difficult for these intelligent people in the capital not to connect the two things.

After realizing that Chu Jiubian might have a connection with the Mobei Army, there was no telling what those people would come up with.

Would they think that this “god” had contacted Jiang Shuoye right under their noses, that it was an unknown source behind him, or that he had already become socially involved with the wider world?

One could imagine the shock that would be brought on by this omnipresent, mysterious thing that left no traces.

That said, improving the Mobei Army was completely different from recruiting soldiers.

Those people in court, including Qin Xiao, could tolerate improving the strength of the soldiers because it would help maintain stability on the border.

But they would not allow Jiang Shuoye to recruit soldiers and expand the army.

Once such signs emerged, all parties would raise their vigilance and attempt to stop them.

Therefore, the issue of recruitment could only be put on hold for the time being. When the business in Nanjiang developed and Chu Jiubian had money, he would have a more stable position in court.

Then he wouldn’t have to be overly cautious about doing what he wanted to do.

Chu Jiubian gazed at Jiang Shuoye onscreen.

The other party was discussing the production of more equipment with the blacksmiths. This included horseshoes, which he wanted to see if they could create.

He was so busy that it was no wonder he didn’t have time for a nap.

Chu Jiubian felt relieved after seeing the progress, and put calling anyone else into the Divine Realm out of his mind.

He turned off the screen and opened the System interface again.

The total Faith Value was over 100, and the cumulative value was almost 300.

He didn’t know if it was all in his head, but Chu Jiubian felt that the speed of collecting faith points seemed to have slowed down, and wasn’t as easy as in the beginning.

[Host, as your reputation grows, the conditions for collecting faith points will become more stringent. This is a measure to ensure Host’s enthusiasm. Thank you for your understanding.]

Chu Jiubian’s reputation had spread. As his poems spread more and more widely, more people would know about him, and an increasing amount of people would believe in this “godly” deity. His Faith Value would increase even if he didn’t put on a performance.

The System was afraid that he would slack off, so the collection requirements would become increasingly rigorous.

It was understandable.

But this was not good news for Chu Jiubian.

He opened the System Mall again and took a look at the food column.

This column contained mostly basic necessities, so the prices were very cheap. Only one point was needed for one kilogram of refined grains such as rice and wheat, or 200 kilograms of brown rice.

Chu Jiubian frowned slightly.

It was currently time to harvest the early rice in the south, and many people were waiting to harvest the grain to fill their stomachs.

There had been no rain in the south during this time, and the common people would definitely suffer from poor harvests or no harvests at all. Drought was inevitable.

If that time really came, Chu Jiubian might be able to buy some food directly from the System and hand it over to Situ Zhaoling.

Nanjiang was also a drought-stricken area. If Nanjiang-wang had such a batch of grain, the grain prices in the region would remain stable and wouldn’t rise too much.

As a result, grain merchants would go to Sichuan, Huguang, and other places where prices were high to sell their grain.

But when they were gone, there would be more food in these places and the prices would go down.

At that time, those with extra money would be able to buy food.

The Imperial Court could also purchase more grain from these grain merchants and open the granaries to release grain. By around October, the grain in the north could be harvested, the Imperial Court could collect the grain tax and send it to the south, and the drought would basically be over.

It was only that to accomplish this, Chu Jiubian needed more points. His current total of around 100 points wasn’t nearly enough.

It seemed that he still needed to find a way to expand his influence.

With this, he would also be helping Qin Xiao and the young emperor.

When the time came, he would do business with Qin Xiao and let him do the work of expanding his influence.

Thinking about it this way, Chu Jiubian felt that the drought wasn’t a very difficult matter to solve, and could feel at ease.

Then he looked at the weapons column.

From the simplest knives and stun batons, to pistols and other heavy weaponry that he didn’t even have the authority to click on, the required Faith Points were very high.

After looking around, he set his sights on a K19 pistol.

When he was filming a police drama, he went to the army for two months to train to use this gun.

It had low recoil and could hold 15 rounds of ammunition, making it suitable for the use of an ordinary person.

Chu Jiubian had good accuracy, and could hit at least nine rings with this weapon.

Although he had not explicitly rejected the other forces, due to his identity as the Grand Tutor, he was basically standing with Qin Xiao on the surface.

He wasn’t as safe as before.

Who knew if someone would lose their patience and try to kill him if they couldn’t secure him for themselves, saving them the trouble of cozying up to him?

Thus, he needed to prepare some means of self-defense.

The pistol seemed a bit like overkill. Not to mention the lethality, even the sound of a gunshot would be enough to terrify these ancient people. After all, this was an era that even lacked fireworks.

But he was a “god,” so it was completely understandable that he had some supernatural means.

And if he could use a bullet to scare those people hiding in the dark into being too afraid to attack him again, it would be worth it.

Chu Jiubian looked at the price column and saw that he could buy it for 99 faith points.

A while later, he closed the System interface.

He would buy it when he needed it.

After emerging from the Divine Realm, Chu Jiubian opened his eyes.

He stood up from bed and was so dizzy that he held onto the bedframe to keep from falling.

He relaxed, exhaling slowly after the dizziness passed.

He really envied those who could astral project. The kind of time and space travel he had now caused him to suffer from low blood pressure.

There was a light burning sensation in his stomach. He rubbed his temples, picked up his robes and put them on, and walked out of the bedroom.

Just as he was about to ask Xiao Xiangzi to prepare lunch, he saw someone sitting at the desk in the outer room.

Qin Xiao had been resting with his eyes closed. When he heard a noise, he opened them and looked toward the bedroom door.

Their eyes met.

Qin Xiao’s gaze moved down to Chu Jiubian’s chest.

Spots of crimson were splashed across his pure white tunic, like plum blossoms fallen on snow.

It was blood.

Chu Jiubian followed his gaze and noticed the bloodstains. His eyelashes trembled slightly. “I’ll change my clothes.”

As he said this, he gathered his outer layer, turned around, and went back into the bedroom.

The collar of his inner layer lifted briefly as he moved, and Qin Xiao saw that there appeared to be several thin, shallow marks on the young man’s chest.

Like scratches.

Qin Xiao glanced outside, and Xiao Xiangzi, who had been standing guard in the corridor, immediately ran over.

“Serve the food,” Qin Xiao said.

It seemed the young master had awakened.

Xiao Xiangzi responded at once and turned to give the order.

Chu Jiubian heard the noise outside. When he changed his clothes and went out, Shui Qing and Shui Yun happened to have brought the food over.

The two of them silently placed the dishes on the table, then left the room with their heads lowered.

Chu Jiubian took a seat on a stool. Seeing that Qin Xiao had a bowl and chopsticks in front of him, he asked: “You haven’t eaten yet?”

“I’ve eaten.” Qin Xiao picked up his chopsticks. “I’ll eat some more with you.”

Chu Jiubian chuckled.

Qin Xiao looked up at him.

There was no emotion in Chiu Jiubian’s light-colored eyes, but they seemed to contain hooks that made it impossible to look away.

“Do you know why I fell into your arms?” His voice was very soft, with a slight rising tone. This sentence was abrupt, and even a bit out of nowhere.

Qin Xiao looked at him in silence, as if he was trying to see through his appearance to something deeper.

“Why?” he asked.

“Because…..”

Chu Jiubian deliberately prolonged his tone, staring at the man for a few breaths before saying with a smile: “Because you’re strong.”

Qin Xiao smiled as well.

“Eat.” He poured a bowl of soup for Chu Jiubian and placed it next to him. “Be careful, it’s hot.”

“Is this how you usually take care of His Majesty?” Outsiders probably didn’t know that this overwhelmingly powerful Regent was actually so good at taking care of others.

Qin Xiao gave a hum.

Chu Jiubian didn’t hesitate, and began eating.

“How was your shift today?” Qin Xiao asked casually.

“Not bad. Very leisurely.”

“Leisurely?” Qin Xiao raised his eyebrows and said, “If you have nothing to do this afternoon, come with me to Yangxin Hall to review memorials.”

Chu Jiubian paused as he was picking up food. His inquiring gaze fell on Qin Xiao’s face.

Did this person have the ability to read minds?

Otherwise, why had Qin Xiao brought it up himself this afternoon when Chu Jiubian had just thought about it that morning?

Chu Jiubian had originally thought that he might need to give something in exchange, but now it seemed that wasn’t necessary.

But that was Yangxin Hall, the most heavily-guarded place in the Imperial Palace

How did Qin Xiao dare bring an outsider like him in?

He hadn’t thought Qin Xiao trusted him.

“Another bowl?” Qin Xiao asked.

Chu Jiubian finished the last mouthful of soup and said: “No need.”

He rinsed his mouth and wiped it with a handkerchief.

Then, like a magic trick, he produced two white pills out of thin air and handed them to Qin Xiao.

Seeing the two pills suddenly appear with his own eyes, Qin Xiao’s heart was shaken slightly.

Was it magic?

He tilted his head back, swallowed the pills, and took a sip of tea.

These pills were indeed unusual. Qin Xiao had suffered many injuries before, many of which were actually less serious than the two cuts on his shoulders, but the pain that followed had been more severe than this injury.

He was certain that it was the medicine.

After taking it, the pain from his wounds would subside.

The Imperial Physician had also said that the wounds were healing well, and there was no sign of deterioration even on such a hot day. It couldn’t be that Qin Xiao’s body was different than that of a normal person. It could only be the effectiveness of the pills.

If such medicine could be used on soldiers, perhaps there would be fewer casualties.

“Is it really impossible to make these?” Qin Xiao couldn’t help but ask.

“Didn’t I tell you? If you treat me well, I have plenty of pills.”

Qin Xiao tapped the table with his fingertips, looking thoughtful.

“Let me teach you a second use for saltpeter,” Chu Jiubian said abruptly.

Qin Xiao stared blankly for a moment, then said: “What should I prepare?”

“Saltpeter, rushes, sulfur, rosin…..”

The process for making tinderboxes was more complicated than that of making ice. Chu Jiubian told Qin Xiao the necessary things to prepare, such as drying and beating the rushes, and asked him to order someone to do it.

In fact, it would be better to use sweet potato vines or cotton wool, but Great Ning didn’t have these two things yet, so they could only make do with other materials instead.

He must grow sweet potatoes and cotton later, which were the two most useful things to make sure that the common people had sufficient food and clothing.

The current preparations would take at least one or two days. Besides, there would be a little rain tomorrow, so the work of drying the rushes would have to be put on hold. It would likely be a few more days before it was all finished.

Qin Xiao was in no hurry. After all, Chu Jiubian wouldn’t go back on his word, so it would be fine to wait a few more days.

To him, Chu Jiubian possessed a high amount of credibility.

Qin Xiao didn’t have a habit of napping, and Chu Jiubian had just “slept” before, so the two of them went to Yangxin Hall together after their meal.

Qin Xiao walked leisurely along the way, and even dragged Chu Jiubian to the Imperial Gardens in the name of “digesting their food.”

Countless scrutinizing and inquiring gazes came from all directions.

It likely wouldn’t be long before the news that Chu Jiubian had come to Yangxin Hall would spread throughout the capital, and by then, there would be more people who wanted to get in touch with Chu Jiubian.

After all, he was able to enter Yangxin Hall, even though, like other high officials, he only entered the meeting hall through the eastern courtyard. There were also secret guards watching him at all times.

But what if?

What if Chu Jiubian, the “Grand Tutor,” was different and had access to the main hall where the emperor resided, or even the western courtyard where Qin Xiao lived?

Everyone knew that the secrets that truly concerned Qin Xiao’s trump cards were located in the western courtyard.

Since Qin Xiao even allowed Chu Jiubian to stab him twice, it wasn’t out of the question that he might take him there.

But this also proved how much he trusted Chu Jiubian. Many people probably thought that the two of them had reached some sort of tacit understanding and had a cooperative relationship.

And this cooperative relationship was stable – so stable that Qin Xiao had brought Chu Jiubian into Yangxin Hall.

This being the case, if those allied with other forces were to rashly approach Chu Jiubian with conditions for cooperation, wouldn’t they just be giving Qin Xiao their information in return?

They could naturally try to recruit Chu Jiubian with conditions that didn’t reveal the extent of their power, but this would make impressing him difficult.

Should they take a gamble, or should they proceed with caution?

This choice had become a difficult one.

Chu Jiubian looked at Qin Xiao, having pretty much guessed the other party’s purpose in bringing him here.

It was to completely cut off the possibility of him allying with other forces.

He had pretended to be magnanimous during the auction, giving him the opportunity to get to know others, but now he was attempting to exert his sovereignty.

Qin Xiao’s clumsy performance might have been useless at a different point in time, and others would still seek Chu Jiubian out. But it was just a gamble. If he succeeded, the rewards would far outweigh the disappointment. 

But during this “ambiguous” time, Qin Xiao’s trick was very useful.

At present, the capital was at a critical juncture where chaos was imminent but not yet at full throttle; it was the calm before the storm.

So everyone was on edge, and thought twice before committing to any action.

Because they had no way of knowing if their words and actions would become a sword in the hands of others and come back to stab them.

This had led to all parties becoming risk-averse and favoring a slow, steady approach.

What Xiao Huaiguan pulled off at the auction was a test, and everyone had seen the results.

It was likely that before long, the conflicts within the Imperial Court would all come to light. By then, there must be a clear result as to whether Chu Jiubian would remain with Qin Xiao or join someone else.

Originally, Chu Jiubian had thought to make a name for himself and collect more Faith Points before completely falling out with the other forces.

But now it had all gone to waste.

It could be presumed that the leaders of several major families harbored murderous intentions toward him at this very moment.

He needed to spend those 99 points.

Chu Jiubian unobtrusively gritted his teeth. He was going to make Qin Xiao compensate him for all those points!

After entering Yangxin Hall, the two went straight to the meeting hall in the eastern courtyard.

Two rows of wooden chairs faced each other on both sides of the hall, with an aisle in the middle. There was a side table beside each wooden chair.

At the end of the aisle, facing the door, was a desk. And behind it was a mahogany chair with a high, soft cushion.

Chu Jiubian took a seat on the chair closest to the desk, and Qin Xiao sat down opposite him.

Very soon, Qin Chaoyang led in a handful of young eunuchs, who carried in two tables and placed them in front of Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao respectively.

Qin Xiao would usually sit directly behind the desk. Only when he brought in other ministers to discuss state affairs would he sit below, and the seat behind the desk would be given to Bai Lihong.

But after today, he would likely continue sitting in this spot.

The young eunuchs prepared writing brushes and ink on the tables before departing.

Qin Chaoyang divided the memorials piled up on the table into two stacks, then handed them to both Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian. Then he vanished into the darkness, as if having popped out of existence.

Chu Jiubian really wanted to peer up toward the ceiling beams to see if secret guards were hiding there like they had in the novel.

But that would make him look too ignorant, so he held himself back.

Chu Jiubian selected a memorial and opened it.

Memorials had prescribed formats and requirements, and were all in paper form, which was much more convenient.

However, with so many memorials each day, and with many people submitting them repeatedly, they must have spent a lot of money to buy paper. He wondered if it was all money embezzled from the court.

Chu Jiubian carefully read through the memorial’s contents.

This one had been submitted by Lu Yuan, the prefect of Hexi Prefecture. It began by asking about the well-being of the emperor and Ning-wang, and then brought up the construction of the dams.

Throughout the entire article, there was praise for Jiannan-wang.

He was praised for his gentle character and decisiveness in handling matters, for how smoothly the construction of the dams went under his guidance, and how happy the common people were.

This was the beginning of a secret effort to help Bai Lihai make a name for himself.

But starting to properly repair the dams was a good thing. Heavy rain would begin soon, and the repairs needed to be finished before that.

Thinking of this, Chu Jiubian looked up at Qin Xiao and said: “Heavy rain will begin in Northern Zhili on the twelfth day of the sixth month, and will last for at least four days.”

His weather forecast currently only showed heavy rain for four out of the next thirty days, and there was none to be seen after that, but he thought the rain would probably last longer.

Qin Xiao looked away from the memorial, his brow furrowed.

“It would be best if the dam construction in Hexi Prefecture is completed before then,” Chu Jiubian said.

“En.”

Qin Xiao had no doubts as to this forecast’s authenticity: “Send that in your reply.”

Chu Jiubian picked up a brush and wrote a reply on the first page of the memorial.

Replies were written on the first page of each memorial, and Qin Chaoyang would later take the eunuchs of Yangxin Hall to copy them onto new sheets of paper before sending them back to the original sender.

Chu Jiubian hadn’t used a brush in a long time, and the combination of brush, ink, and paper was not easy to handle. The process of writing was very rough, and his handwriting deteriorated somewhat.

When he was finished, he set the memorial aside to let the ink dry.

This series of movements flowed smoothly and naturally.

After doing this, he raised his eyes and unsurprisingly met Qin Xiao’s gaze.

Starting moments ago, Qin Xiao’s attention had never left him.

“What, having second thoughts about bringing me here?” he asked.

“No.” Qin Xiao smiled. “I just want to apologize.”

An apology?

Chu Jiubian was a little surprised.

“I’m sorry for taking advantage of you again.” Qin Xiao still had a slightly awkward smile on his face, but his eyes were sincere, just like the time he asked Chu Jiubian to stab him.

Chu Jiubian understood.

This was about him taking Chu Jiubian for a stroll through the gardens before going to Yangxin Hall.

Qin Xiao continued: “Rest at ease, I have prepared twenty secret guards to protect you at all times.”

Chu Jiubian was surely the target of many people by now. Everyone wanted to go all out, but then there was him, the new variable.

As the instigator, Qin Xiao naturally bore responsibility.

What was the point of apologizing now when he already got what he wanted?

Chu Jiubian inwardly cursed him as a hypocrite, but he wasn’t too angry.

He and Qin Xiao had originally been engaged in a relationship of mutual exploitation. He was able to use Qin Xiao’s connections to enter the court, and the other party naturally found a way to secure this “talent” for himself.

This sort of interest-bound relationship could be strong, but it could also fall apart at the slightest touch.

But at least for now, they were both on the same boat.

If they fell out in the future, they would definitely not have mercy on one another.

This was good.

Meeting Qin Xiao’s gaze, Chu Jiubian smiled and said: “Twenty people at the outset. Ning-wang is generous.”

Qin Xiao said: “I believe you have the means to protect yourself, but if you feel this isn’t enough manpower, I will give you another two hundred people.”

“No need.” Chu Jiubian would have to be crazy to want two hundred people staring at him day and night.

But Qin Xiao was indeed very generous, and Chu Jiubian fully believed that he was capable of sending two hundred men to protect him.

It could be seen that the other didn’t lack capable fighters, but lacked those who could get things done.

Otherwise, for matters such as writing reply letters to officials, Qin Chaoyang and the palace eunuchs wouldn’t have to bother with copying the replies off the memorials. They could just have some Imperial secretaries do it.

The more insignificant memorials also wouldn’t have to be addressed by Qin Xiao himself. 

Of course, these memorials were sent to the Six Ministries first. After the ministries selected a batch of memorials for approval, they would send over the ones that needed approval from the emperor or Qin Xiao.

But there was currently almost no one within the Six Ministries who supported Qin Xiao. These officials seemed to hold a grudge against him, and were willing to use such matters to annoy him.

In any case, it wasn’t a big deal. At most, they could explain it away with a simple statement such as “this subordinate didn’t review it strictly enough” or that they “really couldn’t make such a decision themselves.” Qin Xiao was unable to do anything to these people. 

So in the end, he still lacked manpower.

It would be great if the Great Ning Dynasty had an Imperial Academy. A secretariat that served the emperor with full authority would be much more efficient than Qin Chaoyang alone.

But where could he find so many capable, obedient people who weren’t part of the ruling class?

The Great Ning Dynasty didn’t have an Imperial Examination system…..

Chu Jiubian experienced an abrupt shock, and his heartbeat quickened.

He was now the Deputy Minister of Personnel, the one responsible for this very sort of thing, ah.

---

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Chapter 22 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 24

Northwest of the capital lay the renowned Croston Manor, home to Imperial Army Martial Lei Cheng and his family.

The manor was bustling with activity tonight. The First Legion, led by the Marshal, had concluded its six-month expedition, and the Marshal was holding a banquet at his own manor to welcome back the soldiers who had worked hard and made great contributions.

Ling Yi rubbed his aching waist, a look of displeasure crossing his face.

“I told you to rest, but you insisted on coming,” Oser accused in his ear.

Ling Yi glared at him in rebuke: “If you’d told me there was going to be a welcoming banquet for Marshal Lei Cheng today, I would’ve never let you into the bedroom last night.”

A triumphant smile appeared on Oser’s lips: “How did I not know you have an idol complex for the Marshal?”

“Which military academy student doesn’t admire the highest-ranking commander of the Imperial Army? The last time the Marshal visited Luban, the students crowded around to watch but didn’t even get to see him. Now that I finally have a chance to see him up close and personal, I would crawl over here if I had to. I’m going to tell Bo Rui and the others about it when I get back. They’re going to die of jealousy.”

Oser shook his head helplessly at the idol worship and competitiveness among children.

“If you had chosen the same idol as your brother, you would have saved yourself a lot of trouble.”

Ling Yi said boldly and confidently: “What can I do? I’m just a rebel and don’t like the same person as him. I even used to collect negative information about you and send it to Xi Lei whenever we had a fight. He always flew into a rage.”

Under the pretense of hugging his waist, Oser pinched a sore spot to teach him a lesson, then rubbed it to assuage the pain.

“There will be opportunities like this in the future. It’s no big deal to have the Marshal treat you to a banquet between just the two of you.”

When Lei Cheng heard that Oser had arrived at the manor, he personally led several trusted subordinates to greet him.

The group’s eyes were piercing, their bodies straight, and their steps full of vigor.

“Your Highness Oser, I haven’t seen you for six months, and you look even better than when I left. Do you have some unexpected news you haven’t told me?”

He only greeted Oser, pretending not to notice Ling Yi standing beside him.

“With the Marshal out there guarding the peace, I sat comfortably in the palace, eating well and sleeping soundly. Naturally, my complexion has improved.”

“Defending the country is a soldier’s duty, but why do your words make me envious? Your Highness’s ability to speak unpleasant words has not diminished in the slightest.”

The group of officers laughed heartily.

Oser took his words as a compliment and accepted them as his due.

“I’m just stopping by today to welcome you. My family’s little friend heard you were throwing a party and insisted that I bring him over.”

Only then did Lei Cheng turn his attention to Ling Yi: “I heard that the distinguished guest of His Highness Oser gave Grand Duke Sully a great honor a few days ago. I was very disappointed that I didn’t see you with my own eyes, but Croston has received an unexpected blessing today.”

Oser: “The Marshal didn’t miss a single shred of gossip from home while away at war.”

Lei Cheng laughed heartily: “The battlefield is both dangerous and boring. How could I get through it without entertainment from you royals and nobles?”

Ling Yi observed Lei Cheng closely and found him to be even more imposing than he had imagined, with every gesture and movement carrying a soldier’s heroic spirit.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Marshal. Many of my friends and I admire you. We even study your classic battles at school.”

Lei Cheng smiled meaningfully: “To be able to learn combat strategies in the classroom, it seems that His Highness’s little friend doesn’t attend an ordinary school.”

Ling Yi felt that he had said too much, and went quiet. Lei Cheng was also smart enough not to delve deeper, and simply invited the two of them inside.

“Your Highness has come at the perfect time. I brought a few distinguished guests back with me, and I’d like to introduce them to Your Highness.”

Lei Cheng deliberately lowered his voice when he said this, and Oser understood that he had confidential information to report.

He instructed Ling Yi: “Just wander around for now. I’ll come over once I greet these people.”

Ling Yi nodded in agreement and glanced around at the layout of the Marshal’s manor, collecting topics to brag about when he returned.

Unlike the magnificent decoration style of Grand Duke Sully’s home, Croston was decorated in the likeness of its owner, with simple, sharp lines and plain colors. The most eye-catching aspect was a wall full of military medals and trophies collected from all over the world.

Most of the guests coming in and out wore military uniforms. Starkly different from the refined and soft-spoken nobles at the ball, they spoke with vigor and never savored the wine while drinking. They looked at him with open curiosity about his identity, and weren’t embarrassed when he met their eyes.

Due to his special status, Ling Yi was the focus of attention wherever he went. He was used to being stared at, but there was one gaze that differed from the others, and Ling Yi could feel its presence no matter where he went.

He pretended to head to the bathroom, but hid in a corner and caught the stalker who quickly chased after him.

“It’s you.”

Ling Yi looked his stalker over from head to toe.

“Why are you here?”

Lei Yue wore a complicated expression, and spoke after a long pause: “This is my home.”

Ling Yi looked into the distance, then back at him, and suddenly realized: “The Marshal’s surname is Lei, and so is yours. Why didn’t I think of it?”

Lei Yue looked disappointed: “You didn’t know who I was before?”

Ling Yi was very glad to meet a familiar face in a room full of strangers.

“I never thought I’d be able to race the Marshal’s son.”

Lei Yue had read some of the rumors.

“I saw someone say online that you’re the Omega His Highness Oser found from abroad. Is it true?”

“You looked me up online?”

“N-no! I just stumbled across it!”

Coincidentally, Ling Yi had also seen those unreliable speculations.

“Some people online say I’m an alien or an artificial human. Did you believe them too? Instead of worrying about gossip, it’s better to hone your riding skills.”

“My riding skills aren’t bad. I’ve only lost to two people so far.”

Ling Yi’s playful mood arose again, and his eyes shifted slyly.

“So who do you think is the better rider – me or that guy?”

“Why compare yourself to the dead?”

“Out of curiosity. In the end, you were the one defeated by us, so you have the final say.”

Lei Yue thought for a long time, his face gloomy: “You two are of an equal level, but your motorcycle is better than his.”

“You mean he was able to beat you even on a shitty bike, and I only beat you because of my hardware advantage?”

“That’s not what I said!”

Ling Yi had his fill of the other’s embarrassed anger, and decided to quit while he was ahead.

“Actually, your bike seemed pretty good when I rode on it last time. Can I take another look?”

His request landed perfectly on Lei Yue’s point of pride. It would be better to say that Lei Yue had been looking for an opportunity to invite him to see his collection.

“Come with me.”

There were more than a dozen top-quality motorcycles neatly parked in the underground garage, some of which were out of production or limited editions. Anyone who loved motorcycles would shout “paradise” upon coming here.

Ling Yi was dazzled by the sight. Almost every one of them could be called his dream machine.

“This is so cool…..”

Lei Yue was extremely proud when talking about his collection: “This is my private collection. I’ve never brought anyone to see it before.”

“The Marshal’s son has so many nice machines. He wouldn’t have secretly embezzled military funds to buy them, right?”

Lei Yue’s face flushed with anxiety: “No! I bought them all with my own money!”

Ling Yi smiled brightly: “I was only joking, but you took it seriously.”

Lei Yue was dazed by his smile for a few seconds, then quickly shook his head to rid himself of inappropriate thoughts.

“I’m not sure who’s better at riding between you and Ling Yi, but you both have the same terrible personality.”

Ling Yi’s attention was drawn back to a black heavyweight motorcycle. He replied casually: “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

This motorcycle had a very imposing appearance, and even reminded Ling Yi of a tank.

He couldn’t help but touch the gas cap. “What kind of bike is this? I’ve never seen one before.”

“It’s the AstraX10000. It weighs 1.5 times more than an ordinary motorcycle, and its exterior design also highlights its weight, making it look really intimidating. But it’s not bulky at all, and even reaches speeds of up to 600 kilometers per hour.”

Ling Yi’s eyes lit up: “If you race on this one, I’ll have no choice but to breathe in your exhaust fumes.”

“That would be a truly unfair victory,” Lei Yue said seriously.

Ling Yi nodded, pointing to the eye-catching model next to it.

“What about the red one?”

“The Crimson Flame Eye. It’s equipped with a Red Flame engine, with superior horsepower and an impressive suspension system, which ensures its stability at high speeds. I replaced its tires with specialty ones that prevent it from slipping even in the worst rainy and snowy conditions, because I enjoy riding brightly-colored bikes in the snow.”

Lei Yue’s excitement kicked in, and he introduced Ling Yi to his collection one by one. When talking about his pride and joys, he could speak endlessly, and knew them all like the back of his hand.

“This is the Star Patrol model XH-7. It has a built-in STELLAR third-generation engine, and is especially good for racing on mountain roads. Even if the terrain is rugged, it’s like riding on flat ground. Its most striking feature is that when racing at the highest speed, the engine exhaust will spew out starlight flames. There are only three of them in the world, and even I had to ask someone to buy it for me.”

“Wow,” Ling Yi exclaimed from the bottom of his heart.

Lei Yue seized the opportunity and said: “If you’re interested, you can try it out.”

“Really?”

Lei Yue loved motorcycles as much as he loved his life. He never let anyone touch his collection, and even insisted on doing the daily cleaning and maintenance himself. But at this moment, he felt as if he had found a true friend.

He patted the seat of a silver motorcycle and said: “Come and try the Aurora.”

Ling Yi straddled the seat and held the handlebars. Even without starting the machine, he could imagine the roar of the engine, and his heart filled with excitement.

“I feel like this one’s main focus is its lightness and agility. Am I right?”

Lei Yue watched Ling Yi as he focused on trying out the motorcycle, but for some reason, he kept thinking back to the silver hair blowing into his face with the wind that night, and the alluring scent that lingered on the tip of his nose.

His thoughts drifted away, and he snapped back to the present when he heard Ling Yi ask: “…..Am I right?”

Lei Yue hadn’t heard what Ling Yi asked him at all, and was briefly confused.

“Are you hot?” Ling Yi asked, peering at his flushed face.

Lei Yue quickly turned his head away. “I’m not.”

“This bike has a good feel to it. I wonder how it’ll drive.”

Ling Yi reluctantly dismounted.

“Do you like it? I’ll give it to you,” Lei Yue said impulsively.

Ling Yi was shocked.

“I lost the wager, and since you refused to take my helmet, you can take this as my stake.”

“Isn’t it inappropriate to bet such a valuable thing?”

“Why not? I think it suits you perfectly. Its frame matches your silver hair.”

Ling Yi: ?

Lei Yue felt he had spoken out of turn, and desperately attempted to justify his statement.

“No, I mean, it’s not as heavy as other models, it’s agile, and it suits your style. Its full performance can only be reached in your hands.”

Ling Yi looked around to find that every motorcycle was kept spotless, evidence of their owner’s love.

“Forget it, I can’t take away something you love.”

Lei Yue didn’t understand his train of thought, and said sourly: “That’s right. You’re His Highness Oser’s friend, and he can afford to give you everything you want. Of course you wouldn’t be interested in what I have.”

Ling Yi found him amusing: “According to you, not wanting your bike means I’m looking down on you. If I accept it, you can’t have any regrets.”

Lei Yue’s spirits lifted and his face lit up, as if Ling Yi’s willingness to accept his gift was a great joy.

“Where do you live? I’ll give it a thorough maintenance inspection soon and send it to you.”

Ling Yi couldn’t just tell him to send it to the medical college: “Do you know where His Highness Oser lives?”

Lei Yue’s expression froze. “So you’re living together now. According to tradition, shouldn’t a royal wedding be announced first, followed by an engagement ceremony, a wedding ceremony, and then official cohabitation?”

“Since when has His Highness Oser been someone who abides by royal traditions?”

Despite being in high spirits just now, Lei Yue suddenly became depressed: “You’re not wrong.”

Ling Yi glanced at the guards who had been posted at the parking lot entrance the entire time: “Come on, we’ve stayed here too long. If His Highness Oser can’t find me, he’ll turn Croston upside down.”

“His Highness is too cautious. This is the home of a military marshal, there’s no need for him to protect you so closely.”

Ling Yi smiled and said nothing.

Back in the banquet hall, Oser was still surrounded by a group of people. He met Ling Yi’s eyes through the crowd, warning him not to run around.

Ling Yi donned a well-behaved expression and found somewhere to sit that was still within Oser’s line of sight while not being too conspicuous.

Lei Yue volunteered to get him some food. 

“I know which dishes are the best in the kitchen. Wait just a minute, I’ll be back soon.”

Ling Yi sat and waited, “eavesdropping” on the loud private conversations around him until a figure blocked his line of sight.

Ling Yi adjusted his focus, and what came into view was the face of an unfamiliar young man.

“Sorry to bother you. I saw you sitting alone and worried you might be bored.”

Ling Yi had never seen this face before, but he recognized the voice.

“Are you Sidi?”

The young man named “Sidi” smiled happily.

“I didn’t expect you to still remember me. After all, on that day—” He made a mask-like gesture with his hands. “We met like this.”

“You recognized me too?”

Disi lowered his eyes in embarrassment: “To be honest, when those two reckless guys did that, I was shocked by your beauty at first sight. Your face has been on my mind these days, so I recognized you at the door.”

He added cautiously: “I hope I haven’t offended you by speaking frankly.”

“You can’t offend me more than those two idiots did. I thought people in high society liked to speak in roundabout ways, and I didn’t expect to have to adapt to your straight-shooting style.”

Disi couldn’t help but laugh: “I’m so sorry for giving you a bad first impression of high society. Do you mind if I sit next to you?”

Ling Yi symbolically moved aside for him. Disi took two glasses of wine from a passing servant’s tray and handed one to Ling Yi.

“The white wine produced on Croston’s own estate is refreshing and mellow, but be careful when drinking it. Soldiers can drink a lot, so the alcohol content of the wine is naturally higher.”

“Are you here to eat for free today too?” Ling Yi asked.

“The Wielan steak at Croston is the best in the world. You have to try it.”

“There probably aren’t many people who can eat at the homes of both Grand Duke Sully and Marshal Lei Cheng.”

“You’re making fun of me again. Before Viscount Qiao Wen’s family fell into decline, it was also a prestigious family.”

He toasted Ling Yi, who raised his glass to him as well. The glasses tapped together with a crisp sound.

Disi didn’t drink, but instead held his glass and pondered: “Come to think of it, although I said the other day that I didn’t care about your identity, it’s a little inconvenient not having a name to call you.”

Ling Yi thought about finding a pseudonym for himself, like “Daddy,” when he heard the other party say:

“I wonder if I could call you—”

Disi leaned over and whispered in his ear: “Ling Yi?”

---

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Chapter 32 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 34

Down the long steps outside Fengtian Hall, officials gradually departed.

Chu Jiubian looked at Xiao Hauiguan and couldn’t see any emotion in his cloudy eyes.

“Isn’t Minister Xiao leaving?” he asked.

The gentle smile on Xiao Huaiguan’s face didn’t change at all. He took another step and caught up with Chu Jiubian, saying: “My legs and feet aren’t good at my age. I’m embarrassed to be laughed at by the Grand Tutor.”

In just a few words, his address to Chu Jiubian changed from “Jiu-gongzi” to “Grand Tutor.”

If he had still been acting like a kind, tolerant elder just previously, he had now put himself completely on equal footing with Chu Jiubian.

They were not high-ranking officials or retainers who could be recruited. They were both powerful ministers of the first rank who played important roles in the Imperial Court.

Sensing the change in the other party’s attitude, Chu Jiubian smiled faintly and said: “My Lord is not old. He is experienced, and has a deep understanding of human nature. I still have a lot of advice to ask from you.”

“Chu-daren is a young genius who sees things clearly. It is I, an old man with dim eyesight, who should seek advice from you.”

Chu Jiubian: “My Lord is too polite.”

The two of them spoke with hidden meanings, looking relaxed and familiar. To outsiders, it seemed as if they were having a pleasant conversation.

But only they themselves knew what was truly going on.

Chu Jiubian walked slowly in accordance with Xiao Huaiguan’s pace, his eyes slightly lowered.

It seemed that his guess was correct. The mastermind behind yesterday’s incident was this Minister Xiao.

The other party was the Minister of Personnel, Zhao Qianhe’s immediate superior and the person who had most contact with him.

Chu Jiubian only exchanged these few sentences with him and knew that he was a master of disguise.

He was very adept at using his age to make others relax their vigilance, and then using his kind, gentle appearance to confuse them. Supplemented by some superficial so-called care for the younger generation, he would eventually guide and use the other party to seek benefits for his own family.

Zhao Qianhe was not an overly intelligent or cautious person, otherwise he wouldn’t have given this man so many handles on him.

So as he grew older, he feared that he would be crushed to dust in the power struggle and began to think about joining a stronger force.

Xiao Huaiguan’s Xiao family obviously became his best choice.

He may have done a lot for the Xiao family, hoping to gain their protection, but this was just asking the tiger for its skin, and he only ended up hurting himself.

As he was thinking, he and Xiao Huaiguan had already arrived at Shenwu Gate.

Chu Jiubian looked through the wide-open palace gate and glimpsed several sedan chairs outside. The servants and chair-bearers were standing quietly on one side with their heads lowered.

Not far away, several officials in crimson or dark blue robes were discussing something.

One of them, Chu Jiubian recognized as Qi Zhili, the Imperial Censor who had angrily rebuked Huguang-wang and Pingxi-wang in court.

“This Minister Qi is a great man,” Xiao Huaiguan said.

Chu Jiubain turned his head toward him: “What do you mean?”

“Chu-daren, you may not know that the Qi family was the wealthiest family in Jiangnan under the reign of Emperor Wuzong. When he was conquering the world, it was the Qi family who provided money and food behind the scenes, allowing the emperor to conquer such a vast empire.”

Chu Jiubian had heard Xiao Xiangzi talk about the reign of Emperor Wuzong two days ago. It went without saying that an emperor with the title “Wu” was very capable.^[1]

It was said that Nanjiang and Sichuan were compensated to several Tatar tribes during the previous dynasty, and after the founding emperor overthrew the tyrannical rule of the previous dynasty, he wanted to recover the lost territory.

It was not until Emperor Wuzong came to power that he regained those territories with his outstanding military capabilities, and the territory of Great Ning expanded by one third.

In order to better deter the covetous Jurchen tribes, Wuzong also moved the capital from Southern Zhili to the present day Northern Zhili, creating a situation similar to “the Son of Heaven guarding the country’s frontier.”

It was also at that time that the four great families rushed to the new capital from their places of origin in order to be closer to the center of power.

Xiao Huaiguan seemed to be in the mood to talk, and said a few more words: “Because of the Qi family’s meritorious service, Emperor Wuzong set a precedent for their descendants, allowing them to enter the government as merchants. After that, through the efforts of the Qi family, many of their children entered officialdom. But as for those who reached the center of power, there has only been one Qi Zhili in recent years.”

“Then this Minister Qi must be extremely capable.” Chu Jiubian looked toward Qi Zhili and saw that he had already bid farewell to his two colleagues and climbed into a sedan chair.

“He is indeed outstanding.” Xiao Huaiguan’s eyes darkened. “But he doesn’t just rely on his own talents and abilities. He also relies on his cousin.”

Cousin?

Chu Jiubian’s mind raced.

“Chu-daren.” Xiao Huaiguan dropped the subject and bowed. “I still have some things to take care of, so I won’t be going to the Ministry of Personnel for the moment. When you arrive, have Wang-langzhong show you around.”

Chu Jiubian bowed as well: “Xiao-daren, take care.”

Xiao Huaiguan turned around with a smile and walked through Shenwu Gate with a slightly hunched back.

Outside Shenwu Gate, the Xiao family’s sedan chair was already waiting. When the servants saw him, they immediately stepped forward to support him and carefully helped him into the chair.

Xiao Xiangzi, who had been waiting at the door, finally dared to rush over. He bowed to Chu Jiubian, smiling so hard that his teeth were showing: “Congratulations on getting another good job, Young Master.”

“You are well-informed.” Chu Jiubian was slightly amused.

“I just heard some other lords talking about it while I was standing here.” Xiao Xiangzi scratched his head in embarrassment and said, “Young Master, last night, His Lordship ordered me to prepare a sedan chair for you. The bearers were hired by Commander An, and are strong and skilled in martial arts. This will greatly help you remain safe while on duty in and outside the palace in the future.”

Chu Jiubian had just caught sight of the sedan chair.

It was made of solid wood with dark embroidered curtains edged with bright golden tassels, all of which exuded exquisiteness. It looked even better than the one Xiao Huaiguan had just gotten into.

The sedan bearers were, as Xiao Xiangzi had described, four sturdy young men.

As always, Qin Xiao was truly considerate in such matters.

It was waiting at the palace gate.

But this sedan chair had just been prepared yesterday. Qin Xiao must have known yesterday that Chu Jiubian would take the initiative to serve as Deputy Minister of Personnel.

…..Truly impressive.

Chu Jiubian boarded the sedan chair, but Xiao Xiangzi didn’t follow him out of the palace. He remained just inside Shenwu Gate and watched him from afar.

There were three streets outside Shenwu Gate. The one to the south was Shenwu Street, and going forward, one would pass the second and third ring roads. They were basically residential streets, and all of them were inhabited by high-ranking officials and dignitaries in the capital. 

The manors of the four great families were all located on this street, but were not adjacent to each other, and had a rather long distance between them. 

Going farther outside the third ring road, one could find the residences of ordinary people.

But these people were also divided into the rich and the poor. With Shenwu street as the center line, the people living on the west side were mostly wealthy families. The lively Western Market was located here. Splendid Plaza, where ice was sold, and Chaqing Street, where the Treasure Pavilion was located, could both be found in the Western Market.

Most of the people living to the east were commoners, and the goods sold in the Eastern Market shops and stalls were cheaper and simpler.

This was the southern extension of Shenwu Street. After exiting Shenwu Gate, there was also a long street stretching to the west and east.

The eastern street was called Chang’an Street, and was where the six ministries were located.

And the western street was called Zhangning Street. Except for the six ministries, all offices such as Dali Temple and the Censorate were located here.

The sedan bearers carried the chair toward Chang’an Street. Their steps were steady, and there were almost no bumps.

They walked quickly, and the sedan chair was soon carried to the gate of the Ministry of Personnel.

Chu Jiubian got down from the sedan chair. After greeting him, a servant of the government office led the sedan-bearers to a designated resting place so that they would be at Chu Jiubian’s beck and call whenever he needed the sedan chair.

“Where is Wang-langzhong?” Chu Jiubian asked another servant.

The servant hurriedly said: “Answering My Lord, we just received a letter from Xiao-daren and sent for Wang-daren. He should be here soon.”

Sure enough, not long after he finished speaking, a middle-aged man in crimson official robes paced in hurriedly from the inner courtyard. 

When he saw Chu Jiubian, his expression became even more anxious. But even so, he didn’t lose his composure, and continued to walk in a steady, proper manner.

This was the demeanor of a member of the Wang family. They always maintained good manners while outside.

Chu Jiubian walked to the other party. When he approached, Wang-langzhong immediately bowed and confessed his guilt: “This official rushed here as soon as he heard the news, but arrived late. Begging your pardon, My Lord.”

“No harm done.” 

It was the sedan-bearers’ fault for walking so fast.

“Many thanks, My Lord.” Wang-langzhong bowed again. “Please come inside.”

Chu Jiubian followed him into the courtyard where the government office was located. The courtyard had six entrances, and was much larger than his own Yaotai Residence.

“My Lord, our Ministry of Personnel is divided into four departments,” Wang-langzhong introduced. “These four courtyards house the Literary Department, the Examination Department, the Seal Verification Department, and the Meritorious Service Department. Each department has one langzhong, two secretaries, and other subordinate officials, totaling around twenty people in each department.”

Looking across the courtyard, one could see many officials both major and minor walking back and forth with bamboo slips in their hands.

Everyone knew who Wang-langzhong was, and when they saw him showing respect to Chu Jiubian, they knew that he must be a senior official. Therefore, when they met him face to face, they would bow in greeting.

After walking through the first four courtyards, they arrived at a fifth.

This one was much quieter than the previous courtyards, with only a few servants and officials scattered around.

“The innermost courtyard is the official residence of the Minister of Personnel, and nobody usually goes there,” Wang-langzhong said. This was referring to the sixth courtyard.

Chu Jiubian nodded.

Wang-langzhong led him through the fifth courtyard, giving him a detailed tour. This would be Chu Jiubian’s office from now on.

There was only one deputy minister for each ministry in the Great Ning Dynasty, so Chu Jiubian was the undisputed second-in-command of the Ministry of Personnel.

There were separate rooms for his office in the eastern hall of the courtyard.

This consisted of two rooms, the outer one a study, and the inner one a bedroom. If he worked late or was busy, he could simply sleep there.

In addition to these rooms, the main room in the courtyard housed the archives.

Inside were rows of wooden shelves piled with innumerable bamboo slips, and one could smell the unique scent of the bamboo when passing by the door.

The western hall was similar to a meeting room. Normally, when the Minister or Deputy Minister had something to discuss, they would call people here to speak with them.

Chu Jiubian took a look around, then went back to the archives.

“Most official documents are here in the archives, and are placed on shelves according to prefecture. From top to bottom, the newer the documents are, the lower they are placed.”

Chu Jiubian nodded. This was similar to the clean and concise layout of a library. It was just that these bamboo slips were really tiring to look at and took up space. It would be better to replace them with paper versions.

“Is there a list of officials?” Chu Jiubian asked.

“There is. This official will have someone send it to you shortly.”

Chu Jiubian had a good impression of Wang-langzhong. He was genuinely refined and courteous, the complete opposite of Wang Huanzhi, the head of the Wang family.

“Alright. Go ahead and attend to your duties.”

“Yes.” Wang-langzhong left without further ado.

Chu Jiubian returned to the left hall. It was stocked with items that looked newly-placed, without any signs of Zhao Qianhe having used them.

It could be assumed that as soon as the news of the other party’s downfall made it back here, the guards had cleaned the place out.

Chu Jiubian sat down on the chair and looked around the neat, tidy room.

After eleven years in office, it had only taken a quarter of an hour to erase all traces of his existence.

Not long after, someone brought Chu Jiubian a paper version of the list.

Only information that required the integration of a vast amount of content would be put down on paper. 

Chu Jiubian opened it and read through it one by one.

The booklet recorded all currently serving officials.

From those in the capital to local officials, and from first-rank ministers to ministers of the ninth rank.

Chu Jiubian skimmed over the section about capital officials, as he already had the power structure of the six ministries sketched out in his mind.

Aside from Minister of Revenue Su Sheng and Minister of Works Jian Hongzhuo, the remaining four minister positions for the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Justice were occupied by people from the four major families: the Lin’an Xiao family, the Langya Wang family, the Wuwei Lu family and the Yanmen Qiu family.

Including the deputy ministers and the langzhongs of various ministries, there were basically no power gaps between the major families.

But thinking about it carefully, one would find that with the Empress Dowager and Jiannan-wang in the palace, the Xiao family actually had more say.

There was also the very cunning Xiao family head, Xiao Yao. Chu Jiubian intuitively felt that he was more difficult to deal with than Xiao Huaiguan.

The four great families.

These people openly controlled the court, so Qin Xiao was not being modest when he said he had no one to use.

So in the original novel, how had he led Bai Lihong out from under their siege in such circumstances?

Chu Jiubian was becoming more and more curious about Qin Xiao’s abilities and methods.

He didn’t know if it was his illusion, but he felt that Qin Xiao’s methods were somewhat moderate, as if he was afraid of something. Such behavior made him overly cautious, and if this continued, he would always be led around by the nose.

Chu Jiubian wracked his brains but couldn’t figure it out, so he didn’t make things difficult for himself.

He continued to carefully look through the list, and soon verified his guess.

That Deputy Minister Qi was Jiang Shuoye’s cousin!

Jiang Shuoye commanded 80,000 troops in the north and was a top-notch military general. No wonder Qi Zhili had spoken so sharply in court. He really had someone backing him up.

At the thought of Jiang Shuoye, Chu Jiubian’s mind began to wander.

It had been a few days since he’d handed the diagrams of the stirrups and saddle to the other party. He wondered if they had been made.

The first time he contacted Jiang Shuoye had been when the other party was taking a nap. He probably had a habit of doing so.

After he returned to the palace at noon, he should summon him to the Divine Realm to inquire about the latest situation.

Chu Jiubian now had enough Faith Points to invite another Believer. He was planning to go back and draw cards at noon, and would contact Jiang Shuoye again while he was at it.

All government offices in the court were off duty around 11:30 and resumed work at 2:00 in the afternoon.

However, this only applied to ordinary officials. A first-rank official like Chu Jiubian, who was simultaneously the Grand Tutor and the interim Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was not required to report for duty each day.

For example, when Minister Xiao went elsewhere directly after leaving court, nobody said anything about it.

After all, there were plenty of people in the government office, and someone would report to him if there was actually a problem that required his attention. 

Chu Jiubian thought that after the morning court session, he would just take a look around the office and then return to the palace.

Qin Xiao and Bai Lihong were both there, and all of the important memorials were sent to Yangxin Palace. So instead of staying at the government office and twiddling his thumbs, it was better to accompany Bai Lihong as the Grand Tutor so that he could get faster access to important memorials and news.

There had been a lack of frequent transfers of officials recently, and it wasn’t time for the end-of-year reviews of all officials, so the Ministry of Personnel was not very busy.

There were even fewer documents that needed to be handled by Deputy Minister Chu Jiubian, and they could be finished in one morning.

The sun was now at its zenith. It was almost time for the shift to end.

Chu Jiubian put the list in a drawer, intending to continue perusing it the next day, and went out.

A servant went to call the sedan chair bearers in advance, and as soon as Chu Jiubian left the government office, he got on the sedan chair and went to the palace.

Not everyone could use a sedan chair in the palace, so not long after entering Shenwu Gate, Chu Jiubian disembarked and went to Yaotai Residence along the familiar route.

The weather was quite hot today, and Chu Jiubian worked up a light sweat during his walk.

The courtyard was bustling with activity.

Xiao Xiangzi said to everyone: “It is the Young Master’s first shift today, and he must eat something good to nourish himself when he returns at noon. You two jiejies, go and keep an eye on the kitchen. It’s also very hot today, so the Young Master will want to wash up. Xiao Yinzi and Xiao Jinzhi, go and prepare hot water, he’ll need it when he returns later.”

The group of people agreed.

After giving these instructions, Xiao Xiangzi left the courtyard. It was almost time for the young master to get off duty, so he headed toward the palace gate.

Much to his surprise, he ran into Chu Jiubian the moment he stepped through the door.

“Young Master?” Taken aback, he hastened forward to ask, “Why are you back so early? I was just about to go to the palace gate to pick you up.”

“I came back early because there was nothing to do,” Chu Jiubian said. “I’ll come back myself from now on, you don’t need to pick me up.”

“Yes,” Xiao Xiangzi replied. “Then would you like to wash up now, Young Master? Lunch is ready, your favorite egg drop soup and stew.”

It wasn’t that Chu Jiubian liked these two dishes, but compared to the minced meat and strange-tasting soup, these two were acceptable. 

“Please get me some hot water first,” Chu Jiubian said.

“Got it.”

Chu Jiubian entered the inner rooms, where Xiao Jinzhe and Xiao Yinzhe quickly came in with a wash basin and two large buckets of hot water. They also took out clean underclothes and placed them on the hanger before leaving the room.

Chu Jiubian took a look at the new robes.

Qin Xiao had had countless sets of inner and outer robes delivered to him over the past few days, each piece of excellent quality and workmanship.

It could be said that the other party had never treated him unfairly in terms of food, clothing, housing, and transportation. 

Was this what they called “humbling oneself before people of talent?”

Qin Xiao’s actions were truly impeccable.

Chu Jiubian removed his outer and inner layers, leaving him in only trousers.

He looked thin while wearing his robes, but after removing them, one could see that his body actually possessed a thin layer of muscle. 

He casually threw the official robes onto the chair beside him and went to the basin.

The waistband of his trousers hung loosely on his hips, and his mermaid line trailed down under the fabric, mysterious and alluring.

However, the most eye-catching detail was not this, but the scars of various sizes littering his body.

The scars criss-crossed, cutting through skin that should have been smooth and flawless.

Chu Jiubian wetted a cloth and wiped himself clean from head to toe.

When he went to the clothing rack to pick up his underclothes, he caught a glimpse of his blurry figure in the bronze mirror.

After a pause, he turned back to the mirror and examined himself carefully.

It took some time.

Raising his hand, he lightly pressed pale fingertips to the small marks on his chest.

*

*

Xiao Jinzhi and the others tidied up the room. Knowing that Chu Jiubian would not be on duty this afternoon, they took the official robes away to wash them.

“Young Master, the Clothing Bureau is sewing a second set of official robes. It will be more convenient to wash and change them out once they’re finished,” Xiao Xiangzhi said.

Chu Jiubian responded: “I’m not hungry right now, so I’m going to sleep. We can talk about it later.”

“Then I’ll bring you the ice.” Xiao Xiangzi fetched a large basin of ice from the outer room and placed it two or three meters away from the bed.

After Xiao Xiangzhi left, Chu Jiubian lay in bed clad in his pure white underrobes.

When he opened his eyes again, he had already arrived in the mist and cloud-shrouded Divine Realm, and was sitting on his wide, lofty white jade chair. His huge shadow emerged behind him.

The occasional draconic roars and surging black shadows amongst the white mist also added an air of mystery.

Were someone to accidentally step foot in this place, they would probably think it was the immortal realm.

Chu Jiubian got straight to the point: “System, I want to draw a card.”

[Okay, Host. This System has detected that your points are sufficient and has already prepared the cards for you. Please make your selection.]

Once again, six blank cards appeared before his eyes. The “Armed Forces” card he had drawn before was also mixed in.

In other words, he had a chance of drawing the armed forces card again. But he didn’t want that card for the time being. He just wanted a way to make a big profit. 

Chu Jiubian’s luck had never been very good, but without delay, he drew a card according to his intuition.

Once the other cards disappeared, one word appeared on this card – Wealth.

Act virtuously and you will succeed! Chu Jiubian was genuinely surprised. Judging from how Jiang Shuoye was behind the “armed forces” card, the person behind the “wealth” card must be someone with many assets, or perhaps possess a talent for business.

Chu Jiubian knew a lot of things that could be monetized, but he had no subordinates and couldn’t always cooperate with Qin Xiao.

After all, there was a chance that they would face off in the future, and he would suffer a great loss if his entire framework was exposed to the other side.

Chu Jiubian must develop his own forces. But in the future, whether it was to have Jiang Shuoye muster more soldiers or train civil and military officials, a certain amount of financial resources would be needed.

This “wealth” card had arrived just at the right time.

In high spirits, he urged the System to select available talents.

About half a minute later, the System said: [Suitable Believer cards have been selected for Host. Please choose one to summon.]

There were only three Believers, one less than last time.

Chu Jiubian glanced over, and his eyes fixed on a familiar card on the far right.

[Ning-wang Qin Xiao. Age 25. Average wealth, excellent earning power. (Not recommended!)]

Chu Jiubian: “…..”

Why was he here again?

And what was wrong with the System? He wasn’t recommended, yet Chu Jiubian had to pull him out every time. Was there a bug?

[Please rest assured, Host, this System is functioning optimally.]

This AI was getting smarter.

Chu Jiubian decisively passed over Qin Xiao and looked at the other two cards.

[Qi Zhili. Age 31. Deputy Censor and head of the Qi family. High wealth, low earning power.]

[Situ Zhaoling. Female, age 16. Princess of Nanjiang, daughter of Nanjiang-wang. Above-average wealth, above-average earning power. (Special surprise included)]

Chu Jiubian had just heard that morning how rich the Qi family was, and he had pulled this person out now.

However, Qi Zhili and Jiang Shuoye were cousins. It seemed that even if Chu Jiubian didn’t pull this person into his camp, he would still be able to benefit from the Qi family through their relationship with Jiang Shuoye in the future. 

Moreover, this person had average earning power, which didn’t fit with Chu Jiubian’s money-making plans.

Then there was only one option left — Princess Situ Zhaoling of Nanjiang.

“System, what is the special surprise?” Chu Jiubain asked.

[Host, are you sure you want to select this believer card?  YES/NO ]

Chu Jiubian considered for a moment, thinking that since it was a surprise, it must not be something bad. After all, the System had never played tricks on him from beginning to present.

So he said: “This one.”

[Okay.] After a brief festive background sound, the System’s voice returned to normal.

[Congratulations to Host for drawing a special card. Your Believer information has been updated.]

The original card had been updated, with two more paragraphs added to the original text.

[Nanjiang Princess Situ Zhaoling has a special status and comes with a follower.]

[Situ Zhaoyao. Age 16, Prince of Nanjiang. Legitimate son of Nanjiang-wang and twin brother of Situ Zhaoling. Special ability: invention.]

They were twins. No wonder they were buy one, get one free.

But for Chu Jiubian, this was a surprise as vast as the heavens.

It was difficult to find special talents who could invent and create in this era.

With him, Chu Jiubian wouldn’t have to think about so many things himself. He would just have to teach the other party the diagrams and principles, and he would be able to apply them to other situations.

Moreover, the earning power of this Princess of Nanjiang was top-notch. This was absolutely fantastic.

With the help of this brother and sister, Chu Jiubian seemed to see a steady stream of income before his eyes.

[Warm reminder: 200 faith points will be deducted from Host for the accompanying Believer to enter the Divine Realm. Would you like to activate this service?]

Chu Jiubian: “……” There it was.

“No,” he said decisively. 

Having Situ Zhaoling was enough. If there were any diagrams or needs, he could just hand them over to her and tell her to pass them on to her brother.

“Can you summon her here now?” Chu Jiubian asked.

He still wanted to meet his second Believer and instruct her in order to start accumulating wealth as soon as possible.

[Host, the Believer you chose is not in a sleeping state and cannot be summoned.]

Chu Jiubian wasn’t surprised. Not everyone would be napping at this time of day, so he would just wait until tonight.

“Summon Jiang Shuoye.”

[Host, this Believer is not asleep either.]

“Then let’s see what he’s up to.”

For Believers who had not yet entered the Divine Realm, unless they were preparing to go to sleep, the card’s visualization function could not be used. For example, Chu Jiubian was unable to see Situ Zhaoling.

But Jiang Shuoye had already been here, so Chu Jiubian could view him at any time.

Jiang Shuoye’s enlarged card appeared. The image moved, and the vast Northern Desert appeared.

Wind and sand gusted up, and Chu Jiubian caught sight of a ten-by-ten cavalry formation.

These cavalrymen were part of the group of soldiers who were scattered like sand before. The difference was that now, they were equipped with stirrups and saddles and sat high on their horses’ backs.

Each of them sat with their backs straight, holding the reins and a spear in their hands. Their powerful and imposing demeanor was completely different than before!

After Jiang Shuoye received the blueprints, he had told his assistant to help him find a dozen trusted blacksmiths overnight.

These blacksmiths had already been forging weapons for them, and could be depended on.

Experts knew the ins and outs of their trade. These blacksmiths only had to study the blueprints briefly before knowing how to proceed. They were also able to guess how much bolder and fiercer the cavalrymen would be when equipped with these.

They were instantly filled with excitement, and begged to witness the heroic appearance of the cavalrymen that day.

Jiang Shuoye naturally agreed to such a small matter.

The blacksmiths worked even harder, practically day and night, and finally finished one hundred sets of equipment that morning. The cavalrymen had all been equipped just now.

Jiang Shuoye had tried them himself and knew they were useful, but he didn’t know how the soldiers would react to them and was a little nervous. 

Seeing them sitting upright instead of tilting to the side, he felt relieved. 

Next up was to see how they worked at a run.

Just as he was about to give the order, his body unobtrusively tensed up as he felt the vague sense of being watched.

He immediately looked in a certain direction, but all he saw was swirling yellow sand.

He hadn’t known what it was before, but he did now.

This was the High Priest’s work. The other party was a god, so he naturally had a way to see him in reality across mountains and rivers, lakes and seas, and even heaven and earth.

The High Priest hadn’t appeared in his dreams these last few days, and he hadn’t sensed that he was being watched.

But just as he equipped the cavalrymen, the High Priest had come to watch. The other party must have correctly calculated the time!

Although he was already aware of the High Priest’s abilities, Jiang Shuoye was still filled with excitement at this moment.

This was the shock that came from the bottom of a mortal’s heart when they witnessed a miracle, along with the awe of the unknown.

At the same time, he couldn’t help feeling a little nervous.

Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if his cavalry didn’t perform well?

He suppressed his roiling emotions and gave the commander a nod.

The commander immediately issued the order, and the roars of a hundred cavalrymen in formation shook the sky. One hundred horses galloped forward in a rush, hooves kicking up yellow sand amidst the howling wind, their momentum as grand and magnificent as a rainbow across the sky!

---

[1] “Wu” (武) means “martial” or “fierce.” ⮐

---

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Chapter 21 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 23

The officials stood in six long rows, divided into groups of three on both sides. They were headed by the six ministers, with a nine-foot-wide aisle in the middle.

Toward the front were the steps and the Dragon Throne at the top, behind which was the inner hall. The emperor would usually rest there first when he arrived and wait until all of the officials gathered. Then he would go directly up the back steps next to the Dragon Throne and take his seat upon it.

This not only avoided the awkwardness of climbing the steps in front of the officials, but also allowed him to sit on high and look down on everyone below.

Just after maoshi, the heavy wooden doors of the inner hall opened and approaching footsteps could be heard.

Everyone tidied their robes and stood up straight. 

Qin Xiao never tired of confirming Bai Lihong’s status, so although he would remain with Bai Lihong for a while in the inner hall, he would take the steps one by one when it was time for court and stand on the front middle step.

At the same time, Eunuch Hong would also walk through the door next to the Dragon Throne, and once Qin Xiao took his seat, he would call for court to begin.

All officials would shout “Long live the emperor” and bow with their hands clasped.

The young emperor would then sit on the throne and ask everyone to stand up.

When they heard the door to the inner hall open, everyone thought Qin Xiao had arrived. Only those military officers with good hearing could tell that there seemed to be two sets of footsteps in the hall.

As the footsteps grew closer, everyone soon looked past the huge dragon-shaped stone pillars and saw who had arrived.

Subsequently, many of them lost their composure, and surprise flashed in the eyes of even the six ministers.

Qin Xiao had indeed arrived, but he wasn’t alone.

Beside him was actually another person.

That person was wearing the same crimson-purple robes as Qin Xiao. He had short, fine black hair, with a long shock of silver-white hair at the back of his head that hung down to his waist.

It was none other than Chu Jiubian.

Dozens of eyes were staring at him, but Chu Jiubian seemed unaware as he walked slowly to the right side of the hall.

The subordinates in crimson official robes subconsciously moved aside, leaving an entire row of spots empty for Chu Jiubian just behind the six ministers.

Chu Jiubian paced to the empty row and stood near the middle of the aisle. In front of him was Zhao Qianhe, the Deputy Minister of Personnel.

Qin Xiao had also stepped up to his high position without announcing what sort of official status Chu Jiubian held.

The Great Ning Dynasty had adopted the system of recommendation to select officials, which were basically high-ranking office-holders and well-known scholars who were selected based on their filial natures and honesty. There were also many wealthy businessmen who would privately pass on official positions to their younger generations.

In this entire court, there was not one official who was of commoner origin.

Therefore, it was not surprising that Chu Jiubian had relied on his connection with Qin Xiao to secure a promotion.

And everyone was already prepared for the inevitability that he would become an official.

It was just that going by the crimson-purple robes he wore, he should be at least a second-rank official, but there seemed to be no such vacant positions in the court…..

No – there should be one coming soon.

Those who were more quick-witted seemed to understand something in an instant, and their gazes fell indirectly on the person in front of Chu Jiubian.

Zhao Qianhe had also come to a realization, and his face paled.

Standing beside the Dragon Throne, Eunuch Hong called out: “Court has begun!”

All of the officials promptly bowed, palm over fist. Chu Jiubian didn’t deliberately seek special treatment, and saluted alongside everyone else.

Standing up high, Qin Xiao saw Chu Jiubian bowing obediently along with the rest. Although he seemed to fit in, his unusual hair still made him stand out.

Although everyone was wearing the same style of official robes, Chu Jiubian looked different, like a cunning white fox mixed in with a pack of wolves.

Qin Xiao looked away and turned his gaze toward the stairs.

Bai Lihong was already familiar with this procedure. He walked through the side door, went to the Dragon Throne, and stretched his arms out toward Eunuch Hong.

Eunuch Hong picked him up and put him on the chair, then helped him straighten his clothes.

Bai Lihong was very small, and it felt like the wide chair could fit five or six of him.

After being seated, he habitually looked toward Qin Xiao. When he saw his uncle looking back at him, he immediately smiled with his small white teeth, which made his chubby face look even chubbier.

Qin Xiao gave him a nod, and Bai Lihong immediately frowned again and said in a crisp voice: “Please stand.”

All of the officials straightened up and looked forward.

When attending court, officials were not allowed to look directly at the emperor’s face without reason, so rather than looking up, the officials looked straight ahead.

Chu Jiubian knew this rule and looked forward just like everyone else. As a result, his gaze happened to land on Qin Xiao where he was sitting on his chair.

Their eyes met. Qin Xiao winked at him.

Chu Jiubian: “…..”

Eunuch Hong went through the formalities: “If you have something to report, do so. If not, please leave the court.”

As soon as his words fell, someone said: “This official has a memorial!”

The familiar voice sounded from the other side of the aisle. Chu Jiubian looked over and saw a man walk out from a row on the left side near the aisle. It was the Minister of Revenue, Su Sheng.

“What do you have to report?” Bai Lihong asked.

“This official wishes to impeach Zhao Qianhe, the Deputy Minister of Personnel.”

Nobody in the court was shocked when these words were spoken, other than Zhao Qianhe, who was as pale as death. He staggered as he stepped out of the row, knelt on the floor, and shouted: “I am unjustly accused!”

Su Sheng didn’t even turn his head. The others didn’t pay any attention to the other man’s fearful and accusing wails.

Because this person no longer had any value.

Anyone with a discerning eye was aware that it was Zhao Qianhe who had instructed his daughter Zhao Xi to carry out yesterday’s incident.

So even though Zhao Xi had “committed suicide out of fear of punishment” and taken all the blame, Su Sheng would not let Zhao Qianhe go.

This was the inevitable outcome after Su Xi identified Zhao Xi.

The fact that Su Sheng could firmly hold the position of Minister of Revenue in a court controlled by noble families with generations of succession was enough to show that this person was by no means simple. 

The amount of information he had in his hands was enough to send Zhao Qianhe into an eternal hell.

Zhao Qianhe also knew that his subordinates were not clean during his years as an official. The secrets yet to be revealed were enough to kill him a hundred times over.

That was why he had requested a three-year salary deduction the previous night, hoping to minimize the severity of the situation and keep his position.

But Qin Xiao didn’t give him that opportunity.

Moving the matter to today’s morning court session gave Su Sheng a period of time to collect evidence pertaining to the events of the previous night, and preferably, to remove Zhao Qianhe from his position.

Now that the position of Deputy Minister of Personnel had been delivered to him, there was absolutely no reason for Qin Xiao to refuse it.

Chu Jiubian’s gaze fell on Qin Xiao, and his eyes dimmed slightly.

He had figured it out yesterday. Zhao Qianhe was not the mastermind. He was just a knife used by the person behind the scenes to deal with Qin Xiao.

If yesterday’s events had developed in the predetermined direction, Su Xi’er would be dead, and there would have been no way to expose Zhao Xi’s kidnapping of her.

By then, there would be a rift between Qin Xiao and Su Sheng, and the purpose of the person behind the scenes would have been achieved.

However, that person’s plan was not limited to this. The other party had made more calculations, and had bigger ambitions.

Had Chu Jiubian not interfered yesterday, the Zhao family might not have fallen so quickly, but the person behind the scenes could bring the truth to Su Sheng as a favor to be repaid, and push Zhao Qianhe to the forefront.

With Su Sheng’s ability, he would definitely make Zhao Qianhe pay the corresponding price. Losing his job and being demoted would be the lightest punishment. He may even be sent to prison, have his property confiscated, and be sent into exile.

At that time, the position of Deputy Minister of Personnel would be vacant.

The Ministry of Personnel was in charge of dispatching officials. It could be said that the fate of local officials lay in its hands, and it was evident how much this position drew the envy of others.

If Zhao Qianhe were to step down, the position of Deputy Minister of Personnel would definitely become a target of fierce competition between various forces.

The person behind the scenes would also have the opportunity to push someone they trusted to the top.

Chu Jiubian had saved Su Xi’er and allowed her to expose what Zhao Xi and the Zhao family had done, disrupting this part of the plan, but the general direction was still optimal.

Although he could no longer secure Su Sheng’s loyalty through a favor and also deal with Zhao Qianhe, and had failed to alienate Qin Xiao and Su Sheng, Zhao Qianhe was still going to be moved out of the way.

Indeed.

Su Sheng wasn’t the only one who wanted to do away with Zhao Qianhe. Everyone did.

This was what Chu Jiubian found the most terrifying. The person hiding in the dark had precise control over people’s hearts.

The other party knew that the scheme he set up couldn’t be hidden from all of the intelligent people in the court, so he played his cards directly and told everyone that he had no intention of protecting Zhao Qianhe.

The position of Deputy Minister of Personnel was a slab of fresh meat that he laid before all of their eyes.

It was no surprise that such a piece of meat caused all of the other forces to bite at it like wolves.

And thus, they all became accomplices.

They were all political enemies, but at some point, an unspoken understanding had been reached.

Chu Jiubian could pretty much guess who was secretly cooperating with this plan – for example, the Qiu family.

The auction had been held for so many years without incident, but last night, not one of the numerous Qiu family guards had noticed that two powerless girls had sneaked out of the Treasure Pavilion right under their noses.

Was this with the realm of possibility?

Qiu family had long known that something would go wrong at the auction, and it was they who had allowed the plan to proceed.

And then there was Qin Xiao.

When he figured all of this out, he took advantage of the situation to decisively cut off Zhao Qianhe’s path to survival, cooperating with these people to push the matter to its current state.

He was also a participant in this chess game.

“Your Majesty, this is the evidence of guilt I have collected against Zhao Qianhe, the Deputy Minister of Personnel.” Su Sheng presented the documentary evidence he had compiled the night before.

Eunuch Hong quickly descended the stairs, took the evidence, and then raced back up to hand it to Bai Lihong.

Bai Lihong had no idea what he was reading, so he just flipped through it swiftly, then handed the evidence to Eunuch Hong and told him to deliver it to Qin Xiao.

At a time such as this, the young emperor still had to go through the necessary procedures. Everyone couldn’t help but sigh – Qin Xiao really had good intentions toward his nephew.

Qin Xiao accepted the evidence and flipped through it page by page.

At the same time, Su Sheng began his accusations: “Zhao Qianhe has committed three crimes.”

“Firstly, corruption, bribery, and the sale of official positions and titles. During his eleven years in office, he openly marked prices and sold official positions for great sums, and also accepted gold and silver treasures amounting to hundreds of thousands of silver taels.”

“Secondly, he compelled his daughter to do evil, and allowed clan members to bully men and women in the local area and commit murder and robbery!”

“Thirdly…..”

At this point, Su Sheng paused. He looked up at Qin Xiao and said in a deep voice: “He fabricated charges to frame the faithful and upright!”

Each word was pronounced with great force.

The entire court was silent, everyone wearing different expressions. Zhao Qianhe was speechless, and couldn’t even claim injustice.

Chu Jiubian frowned.

What was going on? Why did everyone look at Qin Xiao when he spoke of framing the loyal and upright?

Did the “loyal and upright” refer to the Qin family?

But hadn’t all of the Qin family members died on the battlefield and become heroes?

Chu Jiubian really wanted to know the whole story, but much to his disappointment, Su Sheng didn’t continue speaking, and Qin Xiao’s expression didn’t change.

Qin Xiao just slowly and methodically stacked the evidence in a neat pile, then cast his gaze upon the man who was already limp and trembling.

Zhao Qianhe had committed numerous crimes, including corruption and abuse of power. The evidence was irrefutable. Qin Xiao said indifferently: “Take him.”

Suddenly, two Imperial Guards came from the right and left sides of the hall and dragged Zhao Qianhe away without saying a word.

Zhao Qianhe said nothing to defend himself, and was powerless to resist.

His legs were weak, and one of his new shoes, which he had only worn twice, fell off as he was dragged. As he rolled down the long steps of Fengtian Hall, the hem of his official robes rubbed against the floor, scratching the cloud embroidery. 

The glory of the Zhao family ancestors had long since vanished, and even the position of Deputy Minister of Personnel had been obtained through their influence.

Zhao Qianhe had known that if he wanted to maintain his position and continue to protect his family, he could no longer be a so-called loyal minister. He needed to shelter beneath a big tree.

However, he had forgotten that big trees had tangled roots and lush leaves and branches, and didn’t require external support.

He stared at the towering palace for the last time as it receded farther and farther away, until the three characters “Fengtian Hall” blurred and could no longer be seen.

Qin Xiao called An Wuji over and said: “Search the Zhao family property and relocate all of the illicit funds to the national treasury.”

“Yes.” An Wuji accepted the order and departed.

The hall fell into silence.

Su Sheng returned to the ranks of civil servants without a trace of joy on his face.

If it was so easy to dispose of a subordinate, then wouldn’t it be equally easy to get rid of him?

Nobody could claim to be without fault, and nobody could walk alone amongst the waves of power. Only when forces joined together could they stand strong against the storm.

Chu Jiubian looked at the empty position in front of him, the position belonging to the Deputy Minister of Personnel, and stepped forward to fill it.

He looked up and saw the Minister of Personnel standing before him. His hair was graying, and his back was slightly hunched.

“Cough, cough…..”

A cough from Minister of Personnel Xiao Huaiguan broke the silent atmosphere.

He covered his mouth awkwardly and coughed twice more before speaking in a hoarse voice: “Your Majesty, I have lost my composure. I hope Your Majesty will not blame me for my advanced age.”

Bai Lihong looked at him and became a little worried, convinced that he might die at any moment. He suggested: “The minister is so old. If he is too tired, he shouldn’t come to court anymore.”

The young emperor spoke in a childish voice. His concern and worry were not feigned, and precisely because of this, the scene came off as a little amusing.

Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan laughed out loud and said: “Minister Xiao is lucky to receive such care from His Majesty. Perhaps he should thank him and return home to enjoy his remaining years?”

Chu Jiubian looked toward him and saw that this man was around the same age as Xiao Huaiguan, with the same greying hair, but he was energetic and possessed an extraordinary bearing.

As expected of a member of the Wang family, he had an outstanding temperament even in old age.

“Please don’t worry about this one, Your Majesty, this official is at fault.” Xiao Huaiguan ignored Wang Zhiyuan and proceeded to say to Bai Lihong, “The Great Ning Dynasty is in its heyday, and this official wishes to share Your Majesty’s worries for a few more years.”

These words sounded pleasant, but everyone knew that the Great Ning Dynasty was currently riddled with internal and external troubles.

He was nearly seventy years old, yet he still clung to his position. Wasn’t this due to his unwillingness to give up power?

“Although this official is willing, I am indeed old, and I sometimes get so busy that I can’t keep up.” Xiao Huaiguan sighed. “Now that the guilty minister Zhao Qianhe has been imprisoned, I implore Your Majesty to choose another deputy for me.”

And there it was.

After this early-morning court spectacle, they were finally getting down to business.

Now, it was a matter of which side was capable enough to come out on top.

In other words, everything depended on whose conditions could impress Qin Xiao and make him willingly give them this position.

And why did Qin Xiao not fill it with someone of his own?

Of course, it was because he really had no one under his command.

He couldn’t just pick an official from the military camp to serve as Deputy Minister of Personnel. Even if he did so, that person would be replaced in a matter of days.

Therefore, everyone had toiled the previous night to select the candidates they wanted to nominate, preparing conditions that would impress Qin Xiao.

But there was a new variable in court now, so no one was willing to be the first one to speak out.

Chu Jiubian looked forward and met Qin Xiao’s gaze.

In the next moment, Chu Jiubian walked out of the row. His cool voice echoed in the hall: “Your Majesty, this subject requests to temporarily take over the position of Deputy Minister.”

Several inquiring gazes were cast over, giving off a strong sense of oppression.

The new variable was this Jiu-gongzi.

When he was seen attending morning court clad in the crimson-purple robes that only officials of the first or second ranks could wear, everyone could roughly guess that he was the candidate Qin Xiao favored.

Now, it seemed that they weren’t wrong.

Bai Lihong saw Qin Xiao raise his hand and tap his ear three times with his fingertip.

“Zhen agrees,” the child said at once.

Bai Lihong remembered this secret code between he and his uncle. It had taken no more than three breaths from the time Chu Jiubian asked to temporarily take over to the emperor giving his approval, leaving no room for others to interrupt.

After realizing what had happened, they didn’t refute immediately, but weighed the pros and cons.

Had Qin Xiao wanted to put someone else in this position, they would have objected, but this was Chu Jiubian, the “god” they were trying to recruit.

During the poetry debate yesterday, the shocking and overwhelming amount of information Chu Jiubian had conveyed to them was so great that if possible, no one wanted to be his enemy.

As for whether Chu Jiubian already stood on the side of Qin Xiao, everyone had a sense of measure in their hearts. There was no privacy in the private rooms of the Treasure Pavilion, and they had all seen Chu Jiubian stab Qin Xiao twice.

This sort of relationship where one was able to stab the other didn’t look like an alliance at all. On the contrary, it could be seen just how much Qin Xiao desired to curry favor with Chu Jiubian. He didn’t say a word after being stabbed twice, which showed how far he was willing to go.

Today, Chu Jiubian requested the position of Deputy Minister of Personnel, and Qin Xiao fully supported it, so the others naturally weren’t willing to embarrass Chu Jiubian in public. After much thought, they even felt that allowing him to take the office was better than letting one of their political opponents have it.

Subsequently, not a single civil or military official spoke out.

Qin Xiao regarded Chu Jiubian with dark eyes: “Then thank you for your hard work, Grand Tutor.”

Chu Jiubian nodded mildly and returned to his row, leaving the others somewhat shocked.

Grand Tutor?

What was this person’s identity?

So it turned out that Qin Xiao had previously bestowed upon Chu Jiubian the title of first rank Grand Tutor. In the previous dynasty, the Grand Tutor, the Grand Commandant, and the Imperial Censor were the three highest officials. The Grand Tutor was of the same rank as the Prime Minister, and was part of the group that held real power.

After the founding ancestor conquered the country, he abolished this system and replaced it with one where power was divided between six ministers, with the real power in the hands of the emperor.

It was only after the emperor’s death that there were two successive incompetent emperors, which gave the heads of the six ministries the opportunity to expand their power.

By now, the emperor was practically sidelined. If it weren’t for Qin Xiao, the emperor would exist in name only.

Now that Qin Xiao had reinstated the position of Grand Tutor, was he just giving Chu Jiubian a high position in order to curry favor, or did he intend to give him authority equivalent to that of a Prime Minister?

Could this be the condition Qin Xiao agreed to in order to recruit him?

If Jiu-gongzi’s appetite was so large, then what were he and the forces behind him planning…..

Everyone’s minds were working overtime, but they all held back for the time being.

Things had already reached this point. What they were able to think of, Qin Xiao must have thought of as well. Since he dared to offer such a condition, he must have a way to suppress Chu Jiubian. They might as well wait and see.

“Does anyone else have something to say?” Qin Xiao’s gaze moved over the crowd.

A Ministry of Revenue official in dark blue robes walked into the aisle and bowed, saying: “This official has a memorial.”

“Speak.”

“Sichuan, Huguang, and other areas have not seen any rainfall recently, so crops are not growing well, river and lake levels are dropping, and drinking water is becoming scarce. Many prefectures have submitted memorials expressing concerns about drought, and pleading with the Ministry of Revenue to allocate funds for digging wells and dredging canals to prevent water scarcity.”

Chu Jiubian frowned and secretly called up the System.

The weather forecast could look back one month. When he checked it a few days ago, there was no rain in the south and only light rain in the north. He wasn’t sure what the forecast would be in the next few days.

Before this, he had been more worried about flooding than drought, because there had been flood disasters in the original novel, and people had even flocked to the county seat outside the capital. It was only after Qin Xiao spent the bulk of the Qin family wealth that he was able to pacify the refugees.

The floods had occurred due to several days of heavy rain, and Qin Xiao had failed to come up with the funds to repair the dams. When Jiannan-wang didn’t travel there to supervise, the people below him grew greedy and continuously cut corners. The dams were not reinforced, and crumbled when they came under pressure.

However, now that the funds were in place and Jainnan-wang had been sent to repair the dams, Hexi Prefecture, which was the most prone to flooding, should be safe.

With no more worries about flooding, the issue of drought became more prominent.

Chu Jiubian checked the weather, and his heart instantly skipped a beat.

In the few days since the last update, there was still no rain in the south, but there were several days of heavy rain in the north!

An official from the Ministry of Works stepped forward and said: “Your Majesty, Lord Ning-wang, this official requests that officials from the Water Resources Department be dispatched to the local areas to dredge channels and provide guidance on drought relief.”

The national treasury had become richer these days due to the ice business, but most of it had been used for dam repairs. Nowadays, more material resources and manpower were needed to fight drought. If it didn’t rain for a long time, drought was inevitable, and the court would then need to open its granaries to release grain, which was another huge expense.

This was also Qin Xiao’s worry.

The national treasury was depleted, and the granaries weren’t much better. How could they just give out food rations to the millions of people in the south?

“Can Huguang-wang and Pingxi-wang just eat for free?” Imperial Censor Qi Zhili said coldly. “When the common people under their rule suffer, they ask the court for funds and grain. But in previous years when there were good harvests, we didn’t see them sending much more rice.”

This man spoke sharply in a cold, hard tone, with the aggressiveness typical of an Imperial Censor.

Chu Jiubian turned his head to look back, slightly surprised.

This Minister Qi was about thirty years old and looked 60% similar to his first Believer, Jiang Shuoye.

Chu Jiubian suppressed his surprise and turned back around to find Qin Xiao looking at him.

He gave him an inquiring look, but Qin Xiao averted his gaze.

Chu Jiubian: “ ? ”

Could it be that he wanted to find another way to make money?

Weren’t there still the hundreds of thousands of taels he confiscated from Zhao Qianhe? Although rice was the most important thing at the moment, this money should be enough to buy a lot of old grain from wealthy merchants.

As for whether the wealthy merchants would be willing to sell, there was no question about it. 

Scholars, farmers, traders, and artisans – today’s merchants wouldn’t dare go against the Imperial Court.

“Liu Junqi,” Qin Xiao said.

An official from the Ministry of Works immediately responded: “This subject is here.”

“Select a few people from the Water Resources Department to visit the drought-stricken areas and help determine the locations for wells and water channels. You will be fully responsible for overseeing this.”

“Yes.”

“Minister Su,” Qin Xiao said, “The Ministry of Revenue will allocate a batch of funds to dig wells first. Let’s set the rest aside for now.”

Su Sheng agreed.

Qin Xiao asked everyone: “Is there anything else?”

The Deputy Minister of War started to step forward, but was stopped with a look by Minister Lu Youwei, so he didn’t speak up.

When no one spoke, Eunuch Hong called for the court to be dismissed.

Bai Lihong and Eunuch Hong returned to the inner hall through the side door.

Qin Xiao descended the steps and saw Chu Jiubian talking to the Minister of Personnel, Xiao Huaiguan. He paused, then turned around and left the hall with the others.

Chu Jiubian had just taken office as the Deputy Minister of Personnel, and thus felt it necessary to take a tour of the Ministry of Personnel to familiarize himself with the work environment. He walked side-by-side with Minister Xiao, who seemed to be particularly good-tempered.

He caught a glimpse of Qin Xiao hesitating from the corner of his eye, but pretended not to see him.

“I heard that Jiu-gongzi shined brightly at yesterday’s auction.” Xiao Huaiguan’s gait was slightly unstable as he said with a smile, “It’s a pity that I’m too old to see it with my own eyes.”

Chu Jiubian’s expression was indifferent. Hearing this, he simply said: “It was just a retelling of immortal poetry.”

“I’m not talking about the poetry.”

Chu Jiubian turned his head to glance over. Xiao Hauiguan’s smile was still as gentle as ever, like that of a kind elder. “The Su family girl is safe and sound. She has you to thank for that.”

“It was a simple task,” Chu Jiubian said.

“You have courage, wisdom, and compassion, which are rare qualities.” Xiao Huaiguan sighed. “I haven’t seen a good kid like you in a long time. In the future, if you have any problems in the Ministry of Personnel, please tell me. Don’t be afraid if you make a mistake. I will take responsibility for you.”

Chu Jiubian: “Is this the goodwill of the Xiao family?”

Xiao Huaiguan was momentarily taken aback. Then he shook his head and laughed: “You’ve misunderstood. This is my goodwill. I really admire young people like you.”

“Oh.” Chu Jiubian said casually, “Did you say the same thing to Zhao Qianhe?”

The staggering footsteps of the person beside him came to a complete halt.

Chu Jiubian looked back.

Xiao Huaiguan’s cloudy eyes stared at the young man before him who looked like a banished immortal. The other’s inorganic light-hued eyes seemed to see through everything.

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Chapter 20 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 22

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This single question caused an uproar, and everyone looked in the direction of the voice.

Chu Jubian also glanced to the side and saw that the speaker was located in the women’s box on the second floor.

Many women were present there, but they were all looking at a girl in a long emerald dress.

She was wearing a veil, and her bright eyes were bloodshot as she gazed in shock down at An Wuji below.

Chu Jubian frowned upon seeing the girl’s familiar features.

An Wuji hadn’t expected to be dragged into this, and asked severely: “Who are you?”

One of the women looked alarmed. She shielded the girl behind her and said in a trembling voice: “I apologize. My daughter has no manners, she’s just speaking nonsense.”

A man in his forties walked out from somewhere in the lobby on the first floor. He bowed to An Wuji with a frown, saying: “Commander An, that is my third daughter. She has been spoiled, please don’t take this to heart.”

“Deputy Minister Zhao.” An Wuji looked at him. “Miss Su’s disappearance is very strange. If your daughter knows anything, she should tell me.”

Zhao Qianhe, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was a second-rank officer. This made his status equivalent to that of An Wuji, so the two were quite polite to one another.

“This…..” Zhao Qianhe didn’t seem to want to get involved in this matter, and felt very awkward.

Su Sheng quickly approached him and bowed, saying earnestly: “Zhao-daren, the sooner we discover clues, the sooner we can find my daughter! I beg of you!”

He didn’t think that this matter had anything to do with An Wuji, but he knew his daughter’s mind. She had indeed been interested in An Wuji for a long time, and if someone really used An Wuji’s name, she might have indeed been fooled.

He knew that the daughter of the Zhao family had long been friends with his own daughter, so she might really know something.

Zhao Qianhe was also a rare loyal court official. His ancestors, like those of the Su family, had fought for the country during the reign of Emperor Wuzong, but he was just a civil servant.

Perhaps because both families were such loyal subjects, they didn’t mind their children becoming close.

When he saw Su Sheng in such a state, Zhao Qianhe hurried to comfort him.

No longer able to stop her, he looked up at his daughter on the second floor and said: “Tell us what is going on.”

Zhao Xi’s eyes were red. Her frail body trembled slightly, and she clutched her mother’s hand in order to steady herself.

Under countless gazes, she said in a shaky voice: “J-just now, Xi’er returned to the second floor and ran into a young maid on the stairs. She gave Xi’er a note.”

“The note invited Xi’er to the Tranquility Courtyard to talk, and the signer was…..” She sent An Wuji a timid glance. “Commander An.”

Now, everyone could only look at An Wuji.

During this period, there had indeed been rumors in the capital that the Su family was interested in a marriage with An Wuji, and it was possible that Commander An and the young lady of the Su family had been secretly having an affair.

An Wuji’s expression became even colder. He signaled to his men, and his deputy took a few soldiers to leave the Treasure Pavilion and go to the Tranquility Courtyard to look for clues.

The Tranquility Courtyard was located at the end of this street. It was a jewelry shop, and was most frequented by noble ladies in the capital. The property also belonged to Madam Su.

Continuing to focus on Zhao Xi, An Wuji asked: “I’m not familiar with Miss Su. Why would she come to see me simply based on a note?”

“You—” Zhao Xi hesitated, but finally said: “You really didn’t know Xi’er is interested in you?”

An Wuji’s face went momentarily blank.

He didn’t even remember meeting Miss Su Xi’er.

Having watched this for a while, Chu Jubian had a basic idea of what was going on.

Someone had finally lost their patience and decided to stir up trouble in the capital.

He swept his indifferent gaze over the variety of expressions around, and his heart felt somewhat cold.

This was how the elites were. In order to achieve their goals, they were willing to victimize a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl.

Qin Xiao’s low voice came from the side: “Is the head of the Ministry of Justice here?”

These words, neither too loud nor too soft, quieted the entire building. Countless gazes were cast in his direction. 

An Wuji looked up at saw his own family’s lord, standing at the railing in black with a cold expression.

Chu Jubian standing next to him had scattered bangs laying across his forehead. With his eyes half-covered by them, his figure appeared hazy and illusionary under the dim lighting.

“This official is here.” Minister of Justice Qu Heng bowed in Qin Xiao’s direction from his private room on the second floor, saying: “There is something fishy about this matter. This official will investigate it at once.”

Qin Xiao nodded.

Everyone felt much more at ease with someone in charge.

When Chu Jubian and Qin Xiao went downstairs, An Wuji came forward and whispered: “My Lord, this is targeted at us.”

“En,” Qin Xiao responded. Then he cast his gaze over the people inside the building and raised his voice: “This incident happened so abruptly. Please stay and cooperate with the Ministry of Justice’s inquiries.”

Anyone present could have seen or done something, so they couldn’t be allowed to leave for the time being.

Everyone responded in agreement, but they couldn’t help but gather into groups of three or four to whisper amongst each other, causing the building to become a little noisy for some time.

Not long after, Qiu Heng went to the first floor and invited Third Miss Zhao Xi and Madam Zhao downstairs.

Zhao Qianhe hastened forward to guard his wife and daughter, which dispelled their fears somewhat.

Su Sheng and Qiu Heng exchanged greetings, then walked together toward Chu Jubian and company.

Qiu Heng was not tall, and sported a cold, serious square face, a moustache, and a black mole the size of a fingertip on his right cheekbone. His aura warned strangers to keep their distance. 

He saluted Qin Xiao, who nodded in response.

Qiu Heng regarded An Wuji and said: “This is an urgent matter, so I won’t be polite with you.”

“Please speak, My Lord,” An Wuji said.

“So many dignitaries attended the auction today, and this street is guarded by our Qiu family guards. How did Commander An’s Imperial Guards arrive here?”

An Wuji said: “It was Su-daren’s servant who came to me and said that Second Miss Su was missing, and that Su-daren wanted my help.”

Hearing this, Su Sheng said quickly: “That person wasn’t mine. The Madam was just telling me that our daughter was missing when you arrived.”

Just as he was about to go out and look for her, he’d happened to run into An Wuji.

Upon meeting him, An Wuji had asked if she was really missing. And when Su Sheng saw that even the Imperial Guards knew about it, he felt that his daughter was truly in peril.

He had been quick to ask An Wuji for help, which had led to the scene of An Wuji questioning everyone just now.

“It seems someone did this intentionally.” Qiu Heng glanced sideways into the building, sweeping his gaze over everyone before finally looking at Su Sheng. He asked: “Has My Lord offended anyone recently?”

Su Sheng gave a self-deprecating smile and said: “I’m a loyal minister. Who could I offend?”

Naturally, he could offend all parties other than Qin Xiao.

The Qiu family was naturally included.

Qiu Heng met his gaze, momentarily speechless.

Perhaps everyone hadn’t figured out the true story yet, but now, everyone in the building could see it clearly.

Today’s incident had been aimed at Su Sheng and Qin Xiao.

Su Sheng was a recognized loyal minister. He was loyal to whoever held the position of emperor, so he was naturally in the same camp as Qin Xiao.

Moreover, many residents of the capital had heard that he intended to marry his daughter to An Wuji.

If this marriage went through, the Minister of Revenue would be irrevocably tied to Qin Xiao, which would certainly be a great help to him. 

But for others, this was not something to be desired.

Only once Qin Xiao was suppressed would they have the chance to control the Imperial Court and the young emperor.

They couldn’t bear to see Qin Xiao’s power continue to grow, so they absolutely could not allow him to grow close to Su Sheng. Their actions today were for the purpose of destroying this marriage.

Su Sheng’s beloved daughter was deceived and spirited away by someone using An Wuji’s name.

Even if Second Miss Su ultimately came back safe and sound, and even if everyone knew that this incident had nothing to do with An Wuji, Su Sheng could not allow his daughter to have anything to do with him again, and even he himself could not get too close to Qin Xiao. This was the warning given to him by the opposing force.

Of course, this was the most positive outcome.

If the people behind the scenes were less merciful, it was possible that they would directly kill the innocent Second Miss Su.

At that point, a marriage between the Su family and An Wuji would be completely out of the question. And given how much Su Sheng loved his daughter, he might lose his sense of reason and hold a grudge against Qin Xiao and An Wuji.

Even if he remained rational and didn’t blame the two of them, the loss of this young life would create a rift between them that was difficult to repair.

Their alliance in the Imperial Court would cease to exist.

Of course, there was a third possibility: haggard with fatigue over this matter, Su Sheng could completely withdraw from the center of power. Then, the seat of the Minister of Revenue could be filled by other forces.

This was a far-sighted strategy.

No matter the final result, the people behind it would achieve their goal.

The other party was clearly telling everyone that they wanted to alienate the Su family and Qin Xiao, and was threatening Su Sheng.

But Su Sheng had no choice in his involvement.

Now, he only wished for his daughter to be safe and alive.

She was only sixteen years old. A few minutes ago, she was still acting spoiled with her parents and saying that she wanted to go play with her married elder sister, but now her whereabouts were unknown. 

Chu Jubian regarded these people before him as a bystander, but he personally felt the cruelty of the struggle for power. 

The people behind the scenes simply move their hands, and so many innocent people were sacrificed, abandoned, and played with.

This was completely different from how he felt when reading the novel. He had now become a part of this complicated situation.

“An Ping.” Qin Xiao suddenly spoke.

“This one is here.”

“Have you ever corresponded with Second Miss Su?”

An Wuji glanced at Su Sheng before replying in a deep voice: “My Lord, I don’t recall ever meeting Second Miss Su.”

Su Sheng’s bloodshot eyes fell on him, though he didn’t speak.

He knew better than anyone else that his daughter’s love was unrequited, otherwise he wouldn’t have constantly talked An Wuji down to her in an attempt to change her mind.

But in Su Xi’er’s view, her father was just like most fathers who couldn’t stand their future son-in-law.

“This is strange.” A gentle voice sounded behind Chu Jubian, and everyone looked over.

The new arrival was a young man in dark green brocade robes, with a temperament as pure as jade. He took the initiative to step forward and bow to them.

“This one is Zhen Fu, Deputy Minister of Dali Temple. I am honored to meet you all.” He then greeted Su Sheng personally: “Greetings, Father-in-law.”

Su Sheng had one son and two daughters. His son was the prefect of Ruyang Prefecture, his younger daughter, Su Xi’er, was unmarried, and his older daughter, Su Qiao’er, had married Zhen Fu, the Deputy Minister of Dali Temple two years ago. 

“What’s strange?” Su Sheng asked at once.

Zhen Fu said: “The Madam mentioned to me that the Tranquility Courtyard is Mother-in-law’s property. She intends to give it to Xiao-mei in the future, so she allowed her to take over management of the shop early on. If someone really asked her to go to the Tranquility Courtyard, they must have carefully selected the location, knowing that she would not be on guard there.”

After all, that was her mother’s business, and she had been managing it for a long time, so it was a place very familiar to Su Xi’er.

So when the note-writer asked her to go there, she wouldn’t have been too wary.

Qiu Heng said: “This must have been planned in advance. Second Miss Su’s familiarity with the place wouldn’t have been difficult for the people behind the scenes to figure out.”

“Indeed, but there is still one discrepancy,” Zhen Fu said. “The Madam is always talking about Xiao-mei at home. In this one’s humble opinion, Xiao-mei strictly observes etiquette and isn’t the type to meet secretly with other men.”

“Yes, that’s right!” Such was Su Sheng’s anxiety that he had completely forgotten this important point.

His wife had brought his daughter up very well, and she had a quiet personality, rarely going out unless it was to run the shop. 

Apart from this, she would only venture out when invited by a close friend or if she was unable to refuse the other party.

But even when she did go out, she was always home before dinner.

Moreover, although she liked An Wuji, she had never secretly gone out to look at him, let alone met with him personally. 

So how could she have run off in the middle of the night just because of one sentence?

Su Sheng said: “Today she heard that Jiu-gongzi, who recited A Spray of Plum Blossoms, would be here, so she wanted to come and meet him.”

But calculating the time, Su Xi’er had left the Treasure Pavilion at the same time Chu Jubian was discussing poetry with Bai Gongjin.

How could the girl who had come for Chu Jubian and his poetry leave at such a time?

Did the signature on the note actually read ‘An Wuji?’

This question simultaneously occurred to all of them.

Or to be precise, had there even been a note in the first place?

Chu Jubian looked toward Zhao Qianhe and his family of three. Third Miss Zhao Xi hugged her mother’s arm tightly. Her eyes were red, and there were two winding tear marks on her veil. The sadness in her eyes didn’t seem to be feigned.

It was Third Miss Zhao Xi who had told the story about the note, and who had initially led everyone to suspect An Wuji.

But nobody knew for certain whether there was such a note.

The Treasure Pavilion’s manager hurried back from outside and approached Qin Xiao and the others with a greeting. He said to Qiu Heng: “My Lord, four of our family’s guards are dead. They were the ones guarding the Tranquility Courtyard.”

“How did they die?”

“Their throats were slit. They were killed with one blow,” the manager said in a heavy voice. “The person who did it was a highly-skilled martial artist, and acted very decisively.”

Qiu Heng’s brow furrowed: “It appears that someone killed the guards and kidnapped Second Miss Su.”

The few Imperial Guards who had gone to investigate returned as well, and the content of their report was basically the same as the manager’s.

“They dared to kill and kidnap someone right under our noses. They aren’t lacking in guts.” A murderous look flashed through An Wuji’s eyes.

Starting from Qin Xiao, Su Sheng’s gaze moved over all of the dignitaries in the Treasure Pavilion one by one, from the subordinates whispering on the first floor to the heads of the noble families in the second floor boxes.

Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang were sitting at a table drinking tea, their postures elegant and relaxed, as if what was happening downstairs had nothing to do with them.

Lu Jinfeng was wiping his precious sword with a cloth.

Xiao Yao and Xiao Wendao, the Minister of Industry, stood having a conversation at the railing, smiles on both of their faces.

A noble lady had vanished, her life or death unknown, and nobody cared.

Su Sheng gritted his teeth, his hands clenching into fists.

“Go search again,” An Wuji ordered, and the majority of the Imperial Guards left the Treasure Pavilion to search for Su Xi’er.

There was basically no one in the building who wanted Qin Xiao and Su Sheng to form an alliance. In other words, basically everyone in the building was a suspect and may be the mastermind behind the incident.

It was impossible to lock up and interrogate all of these powerful people. The most important thing at present was to find the missing person first.

Su Sheng closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.

When he opened his eyes again, his emotions had returned to normal and his entire temperament seemed to have become more obscure.

“Apologies for troubling Commander An,” he said.

An Wuji said: “It is my duty. My Lord is too polite.”

The Imperial Guard was in charge of the capital’s public safety. If someone under his jurisdiction killed or robbed someone on the street, it was his responsibility to handle the matter.

He was also very anxious. Even though he didn’t know the girl, the middle of the night was a dangerous time.

Unable to sit still, he went out to look for her himself.

In the blink of an eye, a quarter of an hour had passed.

Zhen Fu and Qiu Heng contacted several colleagues from Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice and searched for clues everywhere, but they found nothing.

Chu Jubian glanced toward the door.

Why hadn’t Qin Chaoyang returned yet?

He had already guessed the whole story. Among the two women who had left in a hurry before, one of them had been Su Xi’er.

With Qin Chaoyang following her, nothing should happen to her.

Qin Xiao noticed his expression and looked toward the door as well.

Since it was Qin Chaoyang who had gone after the two women, like Chu Jubian, he wasn’t too worried about Su Xi’er’s safety.

He very much wanted to discover who had planned this incident.

However, the person who had committed the act had already revealed himself to Su Xi’er, and they were just waiting for her to return and identify him.

The door of the Treasure Pavilion had been wide open ever since the arrival of the Imperial Guards, and previously, the only people coming in and out were sword-bearing guards and court officials who were busily searching for clues.

But suddenly, a slender figure ran through the door.

Everyone in the building was talking amongst themselves and wouldn’t have noticed, but the moment the girl entered, the family heads and advisors upstairs all looked over.

The Treasure Pavilion, which had been a bit rowdy, went quiet in an instant.

Surprised, puzzled, curious…..all kinds of looks intersected.

The girl in their line of sight was wearing a veil, her hair bun a little messy but still proper.

Her eyes were red, and there were several tear stains on her veil, making her look helpless and pitiful.

“Xi’er.” Su Sheng stood in place for a moment. When he came to his senses, he discarded all composure and quickly ran toward his daughter.

Su Xi’er caught sight of her father, and the tears that had just stopped suddenly rolled down again. She threw herself into her father’s arms, crying so hard that she couldn’t even make a sound.

Relieved, Chu Jubian looked at An Wuji and Qin Chaoyang, who followed her inside.

Qin Chaoyang usually had a weak sense of presence, and many people subconsciously ignored him.

But now, his presence was strong. He entered everyone’s sights along with the eye-catching An Wuji, silently telling everyone: Su Xi’er was found by their Qin family.

Chu Jubian couldn’t help but glance at Qin Xiao, and found that he was looking back at him..

Their eyes met. Both were momentarily taken aback, and looked away.

The building was extremely quiet, the only sounds being Su Xi’er’s sobs and Su Sheng’s comforting voice.

Under such circumstances, Qin Chaoyang approached Qin Xiao and Chu Jubian and reported in a voice that was neither loud nor soft: “My Lord, Young Master, this subordinate followed Second Miss Su and saw three people kill the family guards and kidnap her. This subordinate chased after the men and fought with them, but they were determined to kill themselves when they saw that the situation was unfavorable.”

Since they were a death squad, they had no identifying paperwork on them, and Qin Chaoyang was unable to find anything.

“Understood,” Qin Xiao replied mildly. Qin Chaoyang retreated behind him, once again transforming into a very low-presence guard.

“Deputy Minister Zhen.” Qin Xiao regarded Zhen Fu. “Your identity makes it more convenient for you to go and inquire about the matter.”

Zhen Fu acquiesced. He approached Su Sheng and Su Xi’er, and spoke words of comfort before asking: “Xiao-mei, why did you leave by yourself?”

Su Xi’er was still sobbing, but she recalled something when she heard this and immediately looked around.

Her tearful gaze swept over everyone present before finally falling upon a thin figure.

Following her gaze, the target was none other than Third Miss Zhao, who had previously called out An Wuji.

Zhao Xi’s face was currently pale, her whole body shaking like a sieve. Her previously bright eyes were now filled with panic, joy, and sadness. All kinds of emotions intertwined in a complicated knot.

Zhao Qianhe to the side wore a sullen expression, his chest heaving.

Madam Zhao didn’t understand. She started to speak, but when she saw her husband’s unsightly face and her daughter’s condition, she didn’t dare to say anything.

Zhen Fu’s eyes were slightly cold: “Xiao-mei, was it Third Miss Zhao who asked you to leave?”

“Yes.” Su Xi’er looked at her former best friend with complicated eyes. “She said she had lost her jade pendant and feared that it would be picked up by a miscreant, so she asked me to accompany her to search for it in secret.”

It went without saying how important a woman’s personal belongings were. If the pendant was picked up by someone will ill intentions, Zhao Xi’s innocent reputation would be ruined.

Su Xi’er knew how tricky such a matter was, and also knew that the fewer people who knew about it, the better. So she didn’t even bother to listen to Chu Jubian’s poetry discussion, and accompanied Third Miss Zhao out of the Treasure Pavilion.

But not long after she left, she was knocked unconscious and kidnapped. Before she completely lost consciousness, she had heard Zhao Xi saying in a choked voice: “I’m sorry. I will accompany you.”

So the two women Chu Jubian had seen were not Su Xi’er and her maid, but Su Xi’er and Zhao Xi.

But back in the box, Zhao Xi had been dressed like a maid beside Su Xi’er, which resulted in Chu Jubian misidentifying her.

In hindsight, Zhao Xi had dressed as a maid, and with everyone wearing veils, no one would have noticed her if she kept her head down and didn’t speak.

Naturally, Su Xi’er knew it was her, but she had ten thousand excuses for dressing in such a way, including that her father wouldn’t allow her to attend, she thought it was fun, and she was too lazy to socialize with the other ladies.

With this excellent disguise, she found an opportunity to leave. And after returning, she hurriedly told Su Xi’er that she had lost her personal jade pendant near the Tranquility Courtyard. Taking advantage of the fact that everyone in the building had their attention focused on Chu Jubian and Bai Gongjin, she took Su Xi’er away from the Treasure Pavilion.

Su Xi’er was very young, and had grown up pampered. There weren’t many scandals amongst the Su family, so she was less vigilant than most people.

And she wouldn’t suspect her best friend for no reason, so she was successfully taken away.

After Su Xi’er was abducted, Zhao Xi had returned to the Treasure Pavilion, changed into a dress, and appeared in front of everyone as Third Miss Zhao.

When An Wuji received the news and rushed over, she had publicly stated that it was the other party who’d taken Su Xi’er away. 

“Why?” Su Xi’er asked Zhao Xi in a hoarse voice.

If she hadn’t been rescued, there was no telling where she would be now, or whether she would still be alive.

Her trusted friend had actually delivered her to criminals with her own hands.

Why did she do it?

Zhao Xi lowered her head. Her lips bled from biting them, and tears fell from her eyes, but she didn’t dare look up at Su Xi’er.

There was no explanation she could give. She had simply done a terrible thing.

At this point, everyone was aware that the matter closely involved the Zhao family.

It was obviously impossible for a young girl to command three assassins and use this incident to alienate Su Sheng and Qin Xiao.

She and Su Xi’er were just two insignificant grains of sand on a chessboard, and nobody cared about their suffering.

In a private box on the second floor, Wang Huanzhi chatted casually with Wang Zhang: “Who do you think did this?”

“Whoever it was, it seems their efforts were fruitless.”

“Indeed, ah.” Wang Huanzhi sneered. “They planned everything out, but never expected that she would be rescued by Qin Xiao’s men.”

The person who planned this incident had done it with the purpose of alienating Su Sheng and Qin Xiao.

It was originally an open plan with flexibility. Regardless of whether or not Su Xi’er was safe in the end, the person behind the scenes would have achieved their goal.

But not only was Su Xi’er safe and sound, Qin Xiao had attained the title of “savior” at no cost.

After this, even though Su Sheng wouldn’t dare get close to Qin Xiao for fear of this happening again, he would never become Qin Xiao’s enemy.

Even in court, he might speak for Qin Xiao.

It was really a case of losing the rice while trying to steal the chicken.

Wang Huanzhi gently waved his folding fan: “I wonder who pulled off such a clumsy trick.”

“It wasn’t that bad.” Wang Zhang’s gaze fell on the figure downstairs who had a strong presence despite not saying a word. “The other party just missed one variable.”

During the poetry discussion just now, others might not have been paying attention, but he’d seen Chu Jubian speak to Qin Chaoyang, who then disappeared.

And just now, Qin Chaoyang had reappeared with Su Xi’er.

“With one move, most of the plotter’s plan was ruined,” Wang Zhang lamented.

It was unknown if this Jiu-gongzi was just lucky or had hidden talents, but he was also able to secure a place in this power struggle.

Most of their plan?

Wang Huanzhi turned his head to look at him, and suddenly understood everything in a flash. His heart sank.

Yes, the person behind the scenes had more to their plans than this.

He lowered his eyes and looked downstairs.

Zhao Xi was already sobbing uncontrollably.

Her legs weakened and she fell to the floor, mumbling: “I’m sorry. It was me, it’s all my fault. It was me, it’s all my fault.”

Madam Zhao was horrified. She hugged her daughter and burst into tears of heartache.

She grabbed Zhao Qianhe’s clothing and begged tearfully: “My Lord, please save Xi’er, save our child. What on earth is going on? What is going on?!”

Zhao Qianhe closed his eyes. He was having difficulty breathing.

But very soon, he took a deep breath and opened his eyes again.

He pulled the hem of his clothes out of his wife’s hands and bowed deeply in the direction of Qin Xiao and the others, saying in a hoarse voice: “This official failed to educate his daughter well, causing her to become jealous and resentful of others and do such an evil thing. “

“My Lord!” Madam Zhao screamed.

Zhao Xi closed her eyes in despair. Blood from her bitten lips stained her white veil. She didn’t speak another word.

Zhao Qianhe spoke with difficulty, emphasizing every word: “The young girl is guilty, please punish her according to the law!”

“Instigating subordinates to rob or kill is a capital crime,” the Minister of Justice said coldly. “You should know this clearly, Minister Zhao.”

“This one understands.” The struggle in Zhao Qianhe’s eyes vanished, leaving only tranquility. “This one has failed to educate his daughter properly. Begging Lord Ning-wang to inform His Majesty that I am willing to pay a fine of three years’ salary in recompense.”

Qin Xiao lowered his eyes to look at him. A strong sense of oppression caused Zhao Qianhe to break out in a cold sweat.

The building was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

“It’s getting late,” Qin Xiao said calmly. “Everyone else, go back. I will ask His Majesty to make a decision on this matter during court tomorrow.”

Zhao Qianhe’s face paled when he finished speaking, and he stumbled to kneel on the floor.

The Regent, who was second only to the emperor, had spoken. Everyone responded in agreement and didn’t linger.

Very soon, everyone left the Treasure Pavilion one after another and returned home.

But they all knew that this farce wouldn’t end here.

Tomorrow’s morning court session was where the real battle would begin.

Su Sheng sent an icy look at the slumped Zhao Qianhe, then turned around and slowly walked out with his daughter.

Qin Xiao and Chu Jubian also left, but when they did so, they found Lu Jinfeng waited by their carriage.

When he saw them come out, Lu Jinfeng took two steps forward and bowed.

Qin Xiao returned his greeting: “Lord Lu, is there something I can help you with?”

“I am here for Jiu-gongzi.” Lu Jinfeng stared at Chu Jubian with burning eyes.

Chu Jiubian’s expression remained unchanged: “What is it?”

Lu Jinfeng asked with some perturbation: “I just wanted to ask you, Young Master, does that Zhou Yu-xiansheng still live?”

Judging by the meaning of the poem just now, it seemed like Zhou Yu-xiansheng had already passed away.

Chu Jiubian really hadn’t expected him to ask this, and replied: “Gods cannot die.”

Lu Jinfeng’s expression froze.

Chu Jiubian thought it was quite interesting. After meeting so many old foxes, it really wasn’t common to meet a head of household whose expression was written all over his face.

Lu Jinfeng didn’t believe in gods, but going by Chu Jiubian’s words, he didn’t want to answer the question directly. Thus, he guessed that Zhao Yu-xiansheng must have passed away.

“Then what about other heroes? Are there any more who are so capable?” Lu Jinfeng perked up again. “I don’t have any other intentions, I just want to exchange pointers with them.”

He may not have any other intentions, but he sure made it difficult for Chu Jiubian to give him an answer.

“Lord Lu,” Qin Xiao said in a timely manner, “It’s getting late. Let’s talk another day.”

Seeing that Chu Jiubian didn’t want to talk, Lu Jinfeng had no choice but to suppress the fighting spirit in his heart and bid the two of them farewell.

Once the other left, Chu Jubian boarded the carriage, followed by Qin Xiao.

The carriage wasn’t small, and two men of 1.8 to 1.9 meters in height could sit comfortably without feeling crowded. The two sat on opposite sides, neither of them speaking.

It wasn’t very convenient to place an oil lamp in a carriage, so the carriage was currently pitch black. Only the outlines of each figure could be faintly seen under the moonlight shining through the curtains.

Qin Chaoyang drove the bumpy carriage, rushing toward the faraway Imperial Palace.

The number of carriages holding passing dignitaries grew fewer and fewer until finally, they were the only ones left on the wide cobblestone road. The only sounds in their ears were the hoofbeats of the horses, the friction of the wheels against the ground, and the occasionally creaking of the carriage frame.

In the silent carriage, the cool voice of a young man suddenly rang out: “Does it hurt?”

Qin Xiao’s deep eyes traced the outline of the person in front of him: “A little.”

Those two stabs had been delivered with considerable force, and had nearly pierced through his shoulders.

Chu Jiubian stretched out his hand, offering two anti-inflammatory pills: “Take them,” he said. “The wounds will heal faster.”

Qin Xiao took what he was offering and touched them. It turned out to be two flat pills.

“Are these more divine artifacts?” he asked.

Chu Jiubian folded his arms and leaned against the carriage wall, saying: “Don’t worry, they’re not poisoned.”

Qin Xiao regarded him for a moment before raising his hand. He placed a pill into his mouth and swallowed it dry.

Chu Jiubian chuckled: “Take them both. Nobody will be able to learn how to make them.”

“Can you see this?” Qin Xiao reached out and waved his hand in front of Chu Jiubian, but the other smacked it away.

Qin Xiao smiled and took the pill he had hidden.

“Treat me a little better, I have plenty of these things.” Chu Jiubian seemed to be sleepy. The tail end of his words was elongated, and his voice was much gentler.

Qin Xiao naturally lowered his voice: “How can I treat you better?”

“Just don’t go back on your word.”

It was previously agreed upon that he would be given the position of Grand Tutor and be allowed to attend court, but two days had passed and nothing had happened.

Today, Chu Jubian had chosen Qin Xiao again over so many other powerful people. If the other party was still not satisfied, then he just didn’t know how to be sensible.

Neither of them spoke again after the carriage drove into the palace, much less mentioned what had happened tonight.

There was nothing to be said. Their minds were as clear as mirrors.

It was clear that the Deputy Minister of Personnel, Zhao Qianhe, who claimed to be a loyal minister, had defected to a certain party. But those people had played with him like a monkey and then discarded him after his usefulness ran out.

The carriage stopped in front of the palace road, and the two of them disembarked.

Xiao Xiangzi had been waiting there for a while, and hastened forward to greet them when he saw them coming.

Qin Xiao said to Chu Jiubian: “Rest well. I will come see you tomorrow morning.”

Tomorrow morning?

Chu Jiubian agreed, a thoughtful look on his face.

Qin Xiao returned to Yangxin Palace, and Chu Jiubian and Xiao Xiangzi also returned to Yaotai Residence.

Everyone in Yaotai Residence was still awake, and hot water and snacks had been prepared for Chu Jiubian.

“Everyone go and have a good rest.” Chu Jiubian had everyone leave, then entered the inner room.

As soon as he entered, he spotted two extra clothing stands in the room.

On a 大 shaped mahogany clothing stand, a set of official crimson-purple robes had been hung.

Chu Jubian went forward and raised his hand to stroke the smooth fabric and the delicate, auspicious embroidered clouds.

Tonight was Xiao Yinzi’s night to stand vigil. He added a bucket of water to the bathtub, and smiled when he saw that Chu Jiubian had noticed the official robes: “Young Master, these official robes were delivered this evening. We servants have examined them, and the design and embroidery are correct.”

The sizing was based on Chu Jiubian’s original clothes, so they were guaranteed to fit.

“I heard that His Lordship ordered the Clothing Bureau to speed up production two days ago. The embroiderers didn’t dare to do a half-baked job, so the work was a little slow. Otherwise, it would have been delivered yesterday.”

Chu Jiubian had just been prompting Qin Xiao in the carriage, unaware that he had already prepared this uniform.

No wonder he would be coming to see him the next morning. He was actually going to take him to court.

Chu Jiubian was in a good mood. It seemed that the two anti-inflammatory pills he’d given to him tonight had not been in vain. He could have two more tomorrow.

Morning court started at the beginning of maoshi, which was about five in the morning, so Chu Jiubian would have to get up around four o’clock.

With his plan to recruit more Believers tonight canceled, it was better for him to go to bed and recharge his energy, as he had morning court to attend tomorrow.

Chu Jiubian slept soundly, but few others in the capital could say the same.

*

*

Su Manor.

The terrified Su Xi’er lay awake all night with Madam Su sitting by her side, tears streaming down her face.

Su Sheng was busy in the study with his advisor, Fan He, all night, sorting out many letters and documents, each of them with the words “Deputy Minister of Personnel” and “Zhao Qianhe” written on them. 

The sun rose early in the summer, and it was already getting light at around four o’clock.

The “Second Ring Road” near the Imperial Palace was also bustling with activity. Officials riding in carriages arrived one after another outside Shenwu Gate, lining up according to their rank.

Amidst the low buzz of conversation, the Imperial Guards on duty slowly opened Shenwu Gate, and hundreds of officials, headed by six ministers, made their way into the palace.

Chu Jiubian, clad in his new official robes, met Qin Xiao after breakfast.

Just as he passed down the path to the palace, he had turned a corner and run into him.

“Have you eaten?” Qin Xiao asked.

He always spoke so naturally, as if he was familiar with Chu Jiubian.

“I have.” Chu Jiubian walked side-by-side with him toward Fengtian Hall. “Are your injuries better?”

“I took your medicine and made a full recovery.”

Chu Jiubian: “…..”

Those were anti-inflammatory drugs, not magic pills.

Qin Xiao smiled and sent him a sideways glance.

The young man was attractive and fair-skinned, so any color looked good on him. Presently, his slightly oppressive crimson-purple robes looked better on him than they did on others.

“What are you looking at?”

“Nothing.” Qin Xiao continued to smile.

Chu Jiubian felt that the smile didn’t reach his eyes. He must be in a bad mood.

“What has happened?” he asked.

Qin Xiao was silent for a moment. Then he said: “News came last night that Third Miss Zhao committed suicide out of fear of punishment.”

Chu Jiubian paused in his steps.

*

*

Su Manor.

Su Xi’er tossed and turned all night. When she finally gave up on sleeping, she just snuggled into her mother’s arms in a daze.

When dawn came and she was about to get up and go outside, an old lady came from the front courtyard and brought her a letter, saying that Su Sheng had asked her to pass it to Su Xi’er.

Su Xi’er took the letter.

The envelope was open, indicating that Su Sheng must have inspected it before passing it on to her.

It was signed with the name Zhao Xi.

Su Xi’ers vision instantly blurred. With a mixture of resentment and sadness, she took the letter with trembling hands and unfolded it.

The thin piece of paper contained a few short sentences:

Xi’er, when you see this letter, I will no longer be alive.

I was powerless to resist being dragged into the game and was pushed forward.

Even though I hurt you, I never thought of surviving alone.

I’m so sorry. I won’t ask for your forgiveness, but I ask that you take care of yourself and stay away from the capital. Do not follow in my footsteps.

---

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Chapter 19 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 21