“I know this one! Whatever doesn’t kill me will ultimately make me stronger!” The little monk eagerly answered.
Old Huang couldn’t help but look at Mu Qingbai with new eyes. Was this the integrity of a true scholar?
Mu Qingbai gave him a faint glance, “Whatever doesn’t kill me will definitely try everything it can to finish the job later.”
Old Huang: …
Little monk: …
Mu Qingbai sighed, “I came out wandering just to see if those useless officials had the guts to kill me. I even resigned, and still didn’t manage to die!”
How could he know that everyone in the imperial court was a seasoned schemer? For things undecided, no one would dare act prematurely. Whether Mu Qingbai lived or died depended entirely on the female emperor’s judgment.
“But it doesn’t matter. Since I’ve become the Minister of Disaster Relief, a bright future lies ahead!” Mu Qingbai quickly pulled himself together.
The little monk’s eyes lit up as he listened, “Young Master Mu—no, Lord Mu, to think that in just a dozen days you’ve been promoted several ranks! Truly a hero among men!”
Mu Qingbai waved modestly, “Not that impressive. I traded my life for it.”
Old Huang muttered from the side that it was indeed a life-for-promotion exchange—ordinary people wouldn’t dare go this route.
The little monk quickly said, “Lord Mu, look at our fate, why not… take me with you to see the world!”
“…Your Yan Empire map is too short!” Mu Qingbai said.
Old Huang couldn’t bear it and gently advised, “Little monk, do you know who he is?”
“I do! He’s Young Master Mu!”
“You don’t know what he did at court, do you?”
“Nope! I just got released from the Imperial Prison! But if it’s Young Master Mu, he must’ve done something earth-shaking!”
Old Huang muttered inwardly: he really did shake the heavens and make ghosts weep!
Mu Qingbai patted the little monk’s shoulder, “You’ve got guts. I admire that. You sure you want to go?”
“I’m sure!” The little monk nodded firmly.
Mu Qingbai asked, “Are you coming back with me now or meeting at the city gate tomorrow?”
The little monk looked back at Fengming Courtyard, then smiled sheepishly, “I’ll wait for you at the city gate tomorrow. I still want to try sneaking in for a peek.”
“Aren’t you broke?”
“You don’t understand, Young Master Mu. The people who come and go here are all nobles. If I beg here, I’ll make enough quickly to afford the entrance fee!”
“…Begging just to visit prostitutes? You’re bold, I’ll give you that.”
…
Mu Qingbai returned to the Bai residence but didn’t see Yin Qiubai.
According to the 9-rank, 18-grade system, Mu Qingbai had just jumped six grades at once!
Of course, it was only temporary. Once the assignment was over, the title would be withdrawn and rewarded separately.
Originally, as a mere 8th-rank minor official, Mu Qingbai had no qualification for such an important post. But the court ministers were so bent on killing him that they jointly submitted a Memorial, nominating him to take on the role of Minister of Disaster Relief.
The next day, all the imperial-appointed assistant officials arrived.
Yin Qiubai still did not appear.
Mu Qingbai had no choice but to say to Old Huang, “Butler Huang, give your young lady my farewells.”
“I will… sigh, Young Master Mu, the journey ahead is dangerous. Please be extra cautious.”
“Haha, of course I know. Just look at their faces and you’ll see—this mission is no good!”
Behind Mu Qingbai, the group of officials all wore mourning faces, as if someone in their family had died.
At that moment, a man in armor, looking dignified and imposing, stepped forward and cupped his fists, “I am Wu Hong! Responsible for escorting the relief supplies!”
Mu Qingbai returned the courtesy, “General Wu.”
Wu Hong nodded, “Let me know when you’re ready, Lord Mu. I’m prepared to depart anytime.”
Mu Qingbai waved his hand, “No need to wait for me. You all go ahead. Your speed won’t be fast anyway. I’ll catch up later.”
Wu Hong was slightly startled and glanced at Old Huang.
Wu Hong had actually been placed there by Yin Qiubai—not just to guard the food, but mainly to ensure Mu Qingbai’s safety.
Old Huang quickly said, “Young Master Mu, better to wait. If anything goes wrong on the road, you’ll need to make the decisions.”
Mu Qingbai instantly frowned. If this entire team followed him, how were those wine-sack court officials supposed to assassinate him?
“What kind of talk is that? General Wu clearly looks like a veteran of a hundred battles—he’ll handle problems better than I can!”
Mu Qingbai turned to Wu Hong, “General Wu, the disaster is urgent, we can’t afford delays. Move out first!”
Old Huang signaled Wu Hong with his eyes.
Wu Hong forced himself to say, “A little delay won’t matter.”
With that, he turned and left.
Seeing this, Mu Qingbai’s expression darkened. He planned to sprint ahead once he exited the city and ditch the supply convoy.
With that thought, Mu Qingbai no longer waited and ordered the group to depart immediately.
Usually, when an imperial-appointed minister departed the capital, a crowd of officials would send them off. But Mu Qingbai’s departure was utterly desolate.
Understandably so. In their eyes, Mu Qingbai was already a dead man.
But Mu Qingbai didn’t mind at all—in fact, he was in high spirits.
Arriving at the city gate, he saw the little monk squatting in a corner waiting for him. Mu Qingbai burst out laughing and reached out to pull him into the carriage. Find the original chapter at g.com.
Mu Qingbai grabbed the reins and shoved them into the little monk’s hands, saying to the coachman, “Go back and haul supplies… Monk, you know how to drive a carriage, right?”
“I do!”
“Later, go full speed. Don’t stop!”
“Got it!” The little monk was brimming with excitement. Suddenly, he turned and asked, “Young Master Mu, am I now like that… that… Herzog you told stories about?”
Mu Qingbai immediately frowned, “Just drive properly. Don’t copy nonsense like that. That guy wasn’t anything good—he was scum among beasts.”
The little monk scratched his bald head, confused, “But didn’t you say that monkey was the real beast among beasts?”
“Herzog was twice the beast that monkey was… Enough!! We’re done with this topic! I don’t want to recall those painful past lives!”
Mu Qingbai was about to dramatically wave his hand.
When suddenly a voice called from behind, “Young Master Mu, wait!”
Just as he was brimming with heroic fervor, he was interrupted again.
Mu Qingbai was annoyed, “Who is it now!”
The sound of a gallant horse came to a stop—clip-clop.
Her cheeks were flushed from the rush, clearly she had galloped the whole way.
But once she arrived and saw the person she so anxiously wanted to see—
Looking at the young man standing on the carriage, his youthful face full of defiance—
The words she had prepared all vanished. She couldn’t say a single thing.
“So it’s Miss Bai. Is there something you need?”
Yin Qiubai, as if possessed, blurted out an unrelated line, “Young Master Mu, that poem you recited on the pleasure boat that night… it was beautiful.”
She didn’t know why she suddenly brought that up. Perhaps it was because everything else she wanted to say had gotten stuck in her throat.
“The drum at dusk silences travelers. One wild goose cries in the autumn borderlands.”
“Dew turns white from tonight. The moon shines bright in my hometown.”
“My brothers are all scattered. No home to ask if I’m alive.”
“I send letters that never arrive, especially since war has yet to end.”
Mu Qingbai said, “It’s not fitting for the occasion, but since Miss Bai likes it, I’ll gift it to you.”
Yin Qiubai froze, staring blankly at Mu Qingbai.
Mu Qingbai smiled faintly, cupped his hands in farewell, and left.
The carriage wasn’t fast, but in the blink of an eye, it was already at the horizon.
When Yin Qiubai finally came back to her senses, she felt her cheeks were wet. She gently dabbed the moisture, surprised.
“How… why am I crying?”