Today, Han Pei was feeling unwell. By the time the eunuch came looking for him, he had just finished taking a remarkably bitter decoction of traditional medicine. His normally open and bright brows were tightly furrowed, his expression a mix of pain and forced endurance.
His personal attendant said with concern, “Young master, your illness hasn’t healed yet…”
“It’s nothing.” Han Pei raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, interrupting in a hoarse voice. “Change my clothes, enter the palace.”
For over half a month, the dignified Prime Minister of Great Xuan had been running himself ragged over Qi Jianshuang’s affairs. He had suddenly coughed up blood last night, and when his attendant woke him up to take his medicine today, he found Han Pei’s eye rims intensely red. Had Han Pei and Qi Jianshuang not been at odds for so long, the attendant would have suspected whether his young master had secretly cried through the night.
Li Ting had barely been sitting in the Imperial Study for a moment when Han Pei arrived, dressed neatly. The moment Li Ting caught sight of him, he hurled an inkstone without a single word of greeting. Anything capable of being placed within reach of the emperor was made of top-tier, genuine material, and it carried plenty of weight.
The inkstone struck Han Pei right on his right arm. Already ailing, his body staggered backward several steps on the spot, almost landing flat on his backside.
Li Ting’s mood swings were not only volatile but extreme; one second he would be grinning like a fool, and the next he would be blazing with rage like an enraged pufferfish. Han Pei had witnessed this back during his days as a study companion. Moreover, Li Ting not only lacked emotional control, but he was also someone without a spine and easily swayed by others. His so-called imperial dignity was entirely an illusion he manufactured through sheer volume and shouting.
“This subject willingly accepts punishment!” After steadying himself, Han Pei immediately dropped to his knees. His throat was aching and swollen, yet he still forced out volume to express a feigned apology to the new emperor.
Li Ting’s face was gloomy. “You were the first to impeach Qi Jianshuang! You were the one who advised Us to summon Qi Jianshuang back to Zhongzhou to report on his duties! Tell me! Were those assassins this time sent by you?!”
Everyone in the Zhongzhou officialdom whispered behind closed doors that Han Pei was the one who had killed Qi Jianshuang. In the past, the emperor disliked Qi Jianshuang’s excessive power, so they catered to the emperor’s will, racking their brains to find faults in Qi Jianshuang so they could create trouble for him on the emperor’s behalf. Now that the emperor was grieving Qi Jianshuang’s death, they changed their tune, recalling how loyal Qi General had been and cursing whoever killed him as utterly vile.
In short, these parasites had no other skills, but shifting with the wind was second nature to them.
And these people were the backbone governing the life and death of Great Xuan.
Han Pei sneered inwardly while looking terrified on the surface. “This subject would never dare commit such an act of treason. Qi Jianshuang’s life and death rested entirely in Your Majesty’s hands how would this subject dare to interfere? I have also been trying to track down the person behind the scenes, and recently I’ve made some progress. Your Majesty’s dragon body is precious, so I hope Your Highness will not let worry ruin your health.”
His words were earnest and his tone humble—precisely the attitude Li Ting always favored.
Li Ting asked, “But now there is no one in the court to guard the borders. How do you expect Us not to worry?!”
“First, after this battle, the northern tribes suffered heavy losses and are unlikely to provoke any massive conflicts. Second, spring is fast approaching, and temperatures in the north are rising; there is temporarily no need to occupy southern territory. In this subject’s view, now is the prime opportunity to cultivate new military generals.”
After Han Pei offered his analysis, Li Ting, who naturally loathed thinking for himself, instantly felt that Han Pei made complete sense. Thus, he immediately and dependently asked, “Where are we going to find new talent?”
“This subject has already screened several candidates for Your Majesty, waiting for your perusal.”
Li Ting hurriedly waved him over. “Quickly present them for Us to see! Hey, stop kneeling there oh my, why are you still unsteady on your feet? Why is your hand shaking so violently? I hear you’ve been unwell lately; you must recover your health quickly. I have a pile of matters here waiting for you to help me strategize.”
Having labored through the entire night, Yun Zhensong was indeed exhausted by the next day. Not only was he plagued by a severe headache, but he was also coughing incessantly. Every time he coughed, the vibration jarred his aching head, creating a vicious cycle that made the pain worse.
The moment he opened his eyes, the system automatically dispatched his rewards.
【Congratulations, Host, on completing Task Two. The rewards are now being distributed.】
【Rewards: +3 months of lifespan, +9% persuasion value, +5 skill points, 100 shi of grain.】
【Extra Bonus: 100 gold coins.】
【Unlocked “Character Codex”】
Coughing while operating the light screen, Yun Zhensong tapped directly on the icon beside “Store” the “Character Codex.” Flipping through it quickly, he discovered a host of unfamiliar names: Cheng Sui, Lu Yi, Deng Hua, Li Ting, Han Pei. There were no portraits, but next to the first three names were small white squares. When Yun Zhensong had asked the system what those meant previously, the reply was: Good people.
Ah, I see. No wonder Yusheng and Zhou Si’s names also had white squares next to them. By that logic, the black square next to Li Ting indicated he was a bad guy. Strangely enough, Han Pei didn’t have a square at all.
Yun Zhensong intended to casually and naturally ask who these people were. Since they could make it into the Character Codex, it proved they had a definite impact on the plot.
Just as he felt something was slightly off, he suddenly slapped his forehead in realization: Hongke’s name isn’t here!
Having experienced these past few days, Yun Zhensong had figured out the system’s pattern: the absence of Hongke’s name likely meant one of two things: first, he was a key figure yet to be unlocked; or second, he was a minor character requiring no introduction.
Yun Zhensong leaned toward the former. However, he quickly pulled himself out of his circular reasoning; racking his brain here wouldn’t yield any answers anyway, so it was better to take things one step at a time.
With that, he entered the “Personal Center” to check his growth progress.
Lifespan: 3%
Luck Value: 5%
Skill Value: 10%
Persuasion Value: 10%
Credit where credit is due, this persuasion value was rising quite fast. He just wondered if it could drop back down. After all, most people’s loyalties drifted with the wind.
Dragging his exhausted and ailing body out of bed with full morale, Yun Zhensong spent the morning arranging lodging for the refugees who had entered the city last night.
Because the terrain in South Lane was low-lying, water pooled there whenever it rained, and it rarely caught any sunlight during the day. As a result, many long-abandoned, dilapidated houses sat empty, making them suitable for temporarily settling the refugees there without causing the local townsfolk too much complaint.
Next came organizing labor assignments for everyone. The elderly had no tasks assigned; children were sent to the academy; and women, just like the men, could choose from various activities such as silkworm farming, weaving, digging irrigation ditches, or practicing martial arts to join the military.
The moment this decree was issued, the county was thrown into shock. Yun Zhensong promptly followed it up with another order: those who violated or opposed it would be punished with flogging.
In the county, the magistrate’s word was law. To the common folk, taking the life of an ordinary citizen was nothing more than a casual flick of the magistrate’s tongue.
Consequently, children were sent to learn the “craftsman” path among the “scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants,” triggering a wave of murmurs and sighs. After all, studying could earn one official rank and honor, whereas learning a craft would at best relegate one to the “hundred artisans,” forever trapped at the bottom of the social ladder.
Among the women, led by Deng Hua, a total of seven chose to practice archery and horsemanship. Although their physical strength fell short of men’s, their flexibility and sharp agility were things ordinary men couldn’t match.
Yun Zhensong laid down his brush, let out a long breath, handed the handwritten letters to a minor official, and while massaging his temples with the heel of his palm, instructed, “Go, hand this to the county丞 (assistant magistrate). Tell him the arrangements for teaching the children crafts are set. If he dares to drag his feet again, either his salary drops to zero, or he can go roll in the fields to dig irrigation ditches.”
The junior official left clutching the documents in absolute terror.
Yusheng knelt anxiously beside Yun Zhensong. “Master, if your body isn’t well, you should rest for a bit.”
“No, resting won’t help.” Yun Zhensong slowly stood up. “Accompany me out for a walk.”
The spring air was biting. Yusheng hurriedly grabbed a cloak, followed closely behind Yun Zhensong, and stepped out onto the main street.
One could distinctly feel that the population inside the county had grown larger. It was livelier, and more people recognized Yun Zhensong’s face. Barely a few steps out of the county office, townsfolk carrying shoulder poles and vegetable baskets were already bowing respectfully to greet him.
Flustered and pleasantly surprised, Yun Zhensong hurried to steady those who were about to drop to their knees, saying with embarrassed modesty, “There is no need for such grand formalities.”
“You are our parent official! There’s no reason not to kneel to you!”
Unable to sway them, Yun Zhensong ultimately accepted the gesture.
Good grief, he thought in shock. This is only ten percent persuasion value, and it already packs this much punch?!
Actually, Yun Zhensong’s destination was the saline-alkali land where the irrigation ditches were supposed to be dug today. He had assumed people would slack off—sitting around in groups of twos and threes under the shade of trees to chat wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. But when he saw the scene before him, he was stunned.
The fields were packed with people burying themselves in work, every single one of them wearing an earnest and serious expression; there was none of yesterday’s lethargy.
Yun Zhensong looked around and asked Yusheng, “Did you see any supervisors?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Then why are they working so hard?!”
Yusheng was equally perplexed. “Should I… go ask around?”
“Go ahead.” Yun Zhensong was genuinely curious.
Returning after another run, Yusheng explained the whole story: “It’s Hongke! Early this morning, he rounded up everyone one by one and brought them here. Because of what happened last night, everyone is terrified of him, so no one dared to resist. They weren’t willing at first, but then he took the lead and started digging himself, so everyone else fell in line and started working.”
“Besides, when someone tried to slack off this morning, he gave them a sound beating. Making an example of the chicken really worked now absolutely no one dares defy him on this.”
Yun Zhensong asked, “Where is he now? I don’t see him in the fields.”
“They said he led the county soldiers off to the training grounds.”
“Where’s the training ground?” Yun Zhensong wanted to go check it out. “Is it far?”
Instantly understanding that his master’s legs were aching and he couldn’t walk, Yusheng asked him to wait a moment before leading over a donkey. Yun Zhensong blinked in surprise and laughed, “Where’d you get this?”
“Borrowed it from a nearby farmer.”
Smiling, Yun Zhensong circled the little donkey, sat atop it with a sense of novelty, and watched the little creature sway forward. He tried his best to control the bobbing motion of his head, feeling more and more like he looked both pathetic and comical.
Fortunately, the training ground wasn’t far, and they arrived shortly after.
The training ground was low and flat, surrounded by vast stretches of farmland, accessible only by a single mountain trail. Standing from a vantage point and looking down from afar, Yun Zhensong spotted Hongke at a glance.
He was dressed in coarse hemp short-garments, standing with his arms crossed over his chest, surveying the neatly aligned county soldiers and new recruits practicing horse stances.
Because their attire varied, the two groups were easy to tell apart.
Especially the two individuals standing right beside him they wore the same clothes as the new recruits, but their treatment under Qi Jianshuang was by no means ordinary. At the very least, they didn’t have to practice horse stances.
Yun Zhensong narrowed his eyes. “Who gave him the authority to come train troops?”
“Huh?” Yusheng was stunned. “Wasn’t it you, Master?”
“Me?” Yun Zhensong furrowed his brows. He felt that Hongke was already slipping beyond his control. While he didn’t know yet whether that was good or bad, he had to be on guard. If the man truly turned out to be a villain in the future, he had to nip the danger in the bud. “I never said anything of the sort.”
Muttering a few words under his breath, he dismounted the donkey, straightened his clothes, and walked over in a measured pace. Before he even got close, Qi Jianshuang sensed someone approaching, glanced back, and then unassumingly increased the distance between himself and Cheng Sui and Lu Yi. The two of them were sensible enough to blend back into the crowd.
Yun Zhensong glanced at them without asking, offered a faint smile, and inquired, “What is the meaning of this?”
His smile carried a hint of sarcasm.
Naturally, Qi Jianshuang picked up on it. “Helping you clean up military discipline.”
“Did this official ask for your help?”
“Not explicitly.”
“Then may I ask, Mister Hongke, aren’t you sticking your nose a bit too far into other people’s business?”
Though Yun Zhensong’s tone was laced with passive-aggressive snark, paired with his handsome face and the slender frame hidden beneath his cloak, Qi Jianshuang felt no irritation whatsoever.
Leaning down slightly, Qi Jianshuang said, “Want to talk privately?”
Yun Zhensong leaned back and glanced sideways. “Where is Zhou Si?”
Qi Jianshuang’s pupils constricted for a fraction of a second, his dry, chapped lips pressing into a thin line.
Having worked all day without even getting a chance to grab a sip of water, his throat was already parched. He lowered his voice into a hoarse, self-deprecating chuckle: “You afraid of me?”