Chapter 68 Divine Blessing

Qin Xiao and the others are currently residing in the royal court.

Unlike the majestic architectural style of Daning, the buildings here are more magnificent and luxurious.

Even the study was extremely luxurious, filled with jewels and precious stones, and the antique shelves were filled with many rare trinkets.

Qin Xiao sat in the main seat, looking down at the people below.

Although Chu Jiubian had already mentioned how to manage the Sai Kingdom in his letter, Qin Xiao still asked everyone, "The situation here is special. What do you all think is the best way to manage it?"

The people in the hall, including Hu Fang and Cheng Shuo, were all military officers. Even when they offered suggestions, they would only say things like "send troops to guard the area" or "use force to deter." The best suggestion was simply to build an office and send more soldiers.

The only other civil official besides him was Wang Pengyi, the Vice Minister of Revenue who was in charge of transporting grain and fodder.

He had actually been thinking about this matter since Qin Xiao led his army into the Western Regions.

Now that he did have an idea in mind, he stepped forward, bowed, and said, "My lord, I have a plan."

"explain."

"The situation here is special. The imperial court must set up an office here, but it should also exercise some control over those church places. It would be even better if they could be directly brought under the control of the imperial court."

Religion can influence, and even control, thought to a certain extent.

If the imperial court can control this passage, the people here will be more under control.

Qin Xiao nodded.

This is the same as what Chu Jiu said in his letter of defense.

The Sai royal family had never been able to control those religious forces; it was more like a power struggle. Now, the Da Ning court wanted to control the local religious forces, just like the court trying to rule over the ancestral lands of the four great families—it was fraught with difficulties.

Cheng Shuo's first thought was to use force to subjugate them, so he said, "After all, we've become involved with gods and Buddhas, so it's not right for us to force them, is it?"

Because of the existence of a living deity, Chu Jiubian, in the capital, and the emergence of a high priest in the northern desert, not only Cheng Shuo, but everyone present now has become wary of the talk of gods and ghosts, and also believes from the bottom of their hearts that such gods exist.

Therefore, their current concerns are genuine.

If there are truly gods and Buddhas protecting this place, then they cannot force it, lest they be punished by the immortals.

Wang Pengyi was also somewhat worried about this, saying, "It's not about forcing things, but about each doing their own thing and cooperating with each other. It's all for the people, so peaceful coexistence is perfectly acceptable."

Actually, he wanted to suggest inviting Chu Jiubian over, since gods are more equal and easier to talk to.

But with Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao's intelligence, they must be able to come up with this solution. The reason they aren't doing it now is perhaps because they have some unspeakable difficulties, or perhaps they are thinking of waiting for Qin Xiao to return so that Chu Jiubian can come over later.

There should be someone left in the capital.

Therefore, Wang Pengyi didn't feel comfortable bringing up the matter.

But others disagreed.

"How can this be allowed? We've already conquered the territories; how can there be any talk of each going its own way?"

"That's right. And if that's the case, where will the face of our Great Ning Dynasty be?"

"No, no, Vice Minister Wang's method will absolutely not work."

The military officers shook their heads, and Wang Pengyi didn't want to argue with them.

When a scholar encounters a soldier, reason is useless.

As Qin Xiao listened to what everyone was saying, and thinking of what Chu Jiu had said in his letter, he tapped the table with his finger.

Once everyone had quieted down, he spoke up: "The county and prefecture regulations must be implemented. I would like to trouble Vice Minister Wang to oversee this matter."

"Yes," Wang Pengyi replied.

Qin Xiao then instructed everyone, "Before dawn on the ninth day, everyone go to the foot of the sacred mountain."

The sacred mountain is not far from the royal court; you can even see the top of the mountain from the rooftop.

No one knew what he was up to, but they all agreed without a word.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, you can all leave," Qin Xiao said.

Everyone left, except for Cheng Shuo, who stayed behind.

Qin Xiao looked up at him: "Is there anything else?"

"There is indeed something." Cheng Shuo looked around to make sure no one was listening before walking up to Qin Xiao and grinning sheepishly across the table. "Sir, when you ordered me to ambush in the Daxing Plain, didn't you give me a repeating crossbow?"

To prevent the Sai army from raiding the grain supply camp, Qin Xiao sent Cheng Shuo to lie in wait.

Afterwards, he didn't ask him to join him, but instead told him to walk ahead to the Daxing Plain, which is closer to the border of the Sai Kingdom, to ambush them, just in case. Qin Xiao then gave him the repeating crossbow that Qin Chuan had given him.

The repeating crossbow has a long range, can fire six arrows in succession, and is small in size. For Cheng Shuo, who is used to close combat, this repeating crossbow completely makes up for his shortcomings in long-range attrition warfare.

During the battle on the plains, he killed many enemy soldiers with his crossbow, and even wounded Mobazanpu's leg, making the most of his equipment.

Now, Qin Xiao could tell what Cheng Shuo was thinking just by looking at him.

He chuckled and said, "There's only one for now. Once I've made more, I'll give you a new one."

"That's great!" Cheng Shuo clapped his hands, then said somewhat embarrassedly, "Could I borrow this crossbow again to study it? I'm really itching to try it out."

As he spoke, his eyes glanced at the bookshelf behind Qin Xiao, where there was a box containing the crossbow bolts.

This man, like Qin Chuan, was a great lover of weapons.

When Qin Jingzhao was still alive, he would give any rare daggers or bows and arrows he acquired to Cheng Shuo.

Naturally, if Cheng Shuo obtained anything good, he would send it to the Qin family.

Qin Xiao's first set of writing implements was a gift from his grandfather, Grand Commandant Qin, when he was a child, and the second set was a gift from General Cheng Shuo.

After his parents passed away, Qin Xiao's relationship with Cheng Shuo became somewhat distant. This time, he brought people out to ease the tension and give Cheng Shuo a chance to make a contribution.

Seeing that Cheng Shuo was practically engrossed in the crossbow box, Qin Xiao laughed and said, "Go get it, but don't damage it."

"Okay, I promise it won't get damaged." Cheng Shuo immediately went to get it with great joy.

Qin Xiao then turned his gaze to the folded document on the table.

The reports were all from subordinates who had investigated various towns and cities in the border region, covering everything from local customs and traditions to the people's private opinions about the Da Ning court.

These can all help the officials who remain in the area to manage affairs.

As I was watching, I suddenly heard a whooshing sound.

Qin Xiao's eyes flashed, and he instantly stood up to avoid the arrows behind him.

However, after dodging one arrow, another followed closely, piercing straight into Qin Xiao's chest.

After the muffled sound of flesh being torn apart, the stench of blood instantly filled the air.

A large patch of blood seeped from Qin Xiao's left chest, and he was pushed back two steps by the inertia.

This repeating crossbow can fire six arrows in quick succession, and it is extremely fast.

Furthermore, the crossbow was wielded by an experienced general who could predict Qin Xiao's direction, so no matter how skilled Qin Xiao was, he couldn't possibly outrun the crossbow bolt.

Outside the study, Hu Fang, who had already reached the courtyard, suddenly twitched his ears. His expression changed, and he turned and hurried back into the courtyard.

The others were startled by what they saw and quickly followed suit.

Wang Pengyi couldn't be as fast as these martial arts practitioners, but he still managed to keep up with everyone at top speed.

Inside the study, Qin Xiao had dodged the fourth arrow and finally arrived at his spear.

He grabbed it and threw it forward with a thud.

The arrows from the opposite side didn't stop either; the fifth and sixth arrows followed closely, heading straight for Qin Xiao's face.

Almost at the same time, Hu Fang and several others returned and barged into the study.

Before he could even see the scene before him clearly, Hu Fang had already stepped forward, pulled out the spear that Qin Xiao had thrown and stuck in the wall, and started fighting with Cheng Shuo.

In terms of ability, Hu Fang is stronger than Cheng Shuo.

However, Hu Fang was nearly fifty years old and could not compare to Cheng Shuo, who was more than ten years younger than him. Fortunately, Hu Fang obtained Qin Xiao's spear and gained the upper hand over his opponent.

The others rushed to Qin Xiao's side to support him. As soon as Wang Pengyi entered the room, he saw the arrow stuck in Qin Xiao's chest. His expression changed drastically, and he immediately ran out to call the accompanying military doctor.

The guards rushed in and pinned Cheng Shuo to the ground, making him unable to move.

Throughout the entire process, Cheng Shuo did not utter a single word; his eyes were bloodshot and his face was contorted in a ferocious expression.

Qin Xiao covered his chest wound with one hand, his expression calm to the point of being indifferent.

Without asking anyone else to help him, he slowly walked up to Cheng Shuo and looked down at him.

"I never thought it would be you."

Qin Xiao's tone was devoid of any emotion; he was simply stating an objective fact.

Cheng Shuo's face was pressed to the ground, and he stared at him with difficulty, but he could only see the corner of the man's robe.

Unlike Qin Xiao, Hu Fang was trembling with rage, cursing, "You damn bastard, you've really grown bold! You dare betray the Qin family! Why don't you just die!"

These former members of the Qin family army had all received favors from the Qin family.

Even though they have now been assigned to different military camps and different places, they still remember the kindness of Grand Commandant Qin and General Qin, and they also have deep feelings for Qin Xiao, whom they have watched grow up.

He was wary of everyone along the way, but he never suspected the old Qin family army, and he never expected that Cheng Shuo would make a move against Qin Xiao.

It should be noted that Qin Xiao has taken great care of Cheng Shuo along the way, giving him the best opportunities to make contributions and letting him do the most important things.

Now that half of the Western Regions has been conquered, such a tremendous achievement should earn Cheng Shuo at least a third-rank official, or even a second-rank general, upon his return to the capital.

If Qin Xiao were more assertive, he might have directly bestowed upon Cheng Shuo the titles of Earl or Marquis.

At the age of thirty-eight, he already holds such a position; with his assistance to Baili Hong in stabilizing the court, his future is limitless.

Cheng Shuo couldn't possibly be unaware of something so obvious.

Therefore, his attack on Qin Xiao was truly unbelievable and unexpected by everyone.

Despite Hu Fang's scolding, Cheng Shuo remained silent.

"Speak up! Who the hell ordered you to hurt Prince Ning!" Hu Fang stomped hard on his back.

Cheng Shuo grunted and clenched his teeth tightly.

Qin Xiao looked at him indifferently.

Even though the wound on his chest was throbbing with pain and he was sweating profusely, and his mouth was filled with the strong taste of blood, making it difficult for him to breathe, when he spoke again, his tone remained calm: "Take him away for interrogation and use severe torture."

==

On the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, before dawn, Chu Jiubian had already gotten up early.

Yesterday morning, news came from the Northwest that all the people who needed to be notified had been notified, and that they would all be at the foot of the sacred mountain before dawn on the ninth day of the lunar new year.

The letter was written by Qin Xiao himself, but the handwriting was somewhat light and lacked the previous forceful strength that penetrated the paper.

Chu Jiubian selectively ignored this change, deliberately avoiding thinking about it too much.

But this doubt kept popping up in his mind from time to time, which annoyed him greatly.

After breakfast, Chu Jiubian got up and went outside the palace.

Little Silver draped a thick fur cloak over him and quietly followed beside him.

Chu Jiubian stood under the corridor, watching the sky gradually brighten, and calculated the time.

The sky in the capital city brightens earlier than in the northwest, so by now, the people should have all arrived at the foot of that sacred mountain in the border region.

"System, prepare to use special effects," he said.

[Yes, host. All preparations are complete.]

He had already set up the visual effects and content a few days ago, and all he needed to do was have the system display them at the designated location.

But Chu Jiubian thought about it and was afraid of something unexpected, so he wanted to check it himself to put his mind at ease.

So Chu Jiubian called out to the system: "Can I see the special effects?"

[Host, we've already practiced and revised the special effects thirty-six times in the Divine Realm, and you've seen the final version more than ten times.]

"Well, I should at least check if the special effects are up to par, right? Otherwise, all my faith points will have been wasted." Chu Jiubian's expression was indifferent, but in his mind he was arguing with the system. "If you keep going like this, I won't dare to buy any expensive and not very practical functions from you in the future."

The system remained silent for a while, as if analyzing the meaning behind his words.

About thirty seconds later, the system spoke again: [Ten points, no bargaining.]

Chu Jiubian then asked, "Can the perspective be adjusted according to my commands?"

[Only applicable around special effects.]

Chu Jiubian thought for a moment, then nodded decisively and said, "Deal."

The system seemed surprised that he was willing to spend ten points just to see the special effects.

After a slight pause, it continued: "[Sunlight will fall on the effect's location in ten seconds. The effect will take effect in ten seconds.]"

The countdown has begun. Ten, nine, eight...

A 60-inch television screen had been unfolded in front of Chu Jiubian.

Little Silver beside him, and the other palace servants in the courtyard, couldn't see him and thought the young master was just staring blankly into space.

Chu Jiubian stared at the screen, and with a thought, the image changed many times.

He saw the sacred mountain covered in snow, the magnificent temples built on the nearby hilltops, and the town that vaguely resembled a town in the distance.

Looking down, he saw hundreds of people densely packed at the foot of the mountain.

These people were dressed in traditional local clothing, with thick fur coats and long boots that looked very warm.

However, the vast majority of ordinary people were dressed in dark-colored coarse cloth such as navy blue or black, but at the very front of the crowd stood several rows of missionaries dressed in scarlet monks' robes.

These people all had shaved heads, wore Buddhist prayer beads around their necks, and held strings of beads in their hands. They had arrogant and aloof expressions, as if they never cared about anything.

The common people hunched their shoulders, looking at the Da Ning soldiers who surrounded them from a distance, feeling somewhat dissatisfied.

"In this freezing weather, I don't know why the people of Daning called us out."

"Shh, we're people of Daning now, be careful the officials don't cut out your tongue."

"I didn't say anything wrong, why did he cut me?"

"Haven't you heard? That Prince Ning has used the punishment of slow slicing on people! Even the royal family of Sai before, he didn't leave a single survivor, saying he would eliminate them completely."

"That scary?" Some people shuddered, then said, "But we have living Buddhas ahead of us, so there's nothing to be afraid of."

Everyone turned to look at the monks in crimson robes ahead.

These missionaries all had calm faces, displaying composure even in the face of a collapsing mountain, which reassured the people.

"That's right. We have the protection of gods and Buddhas, and living Buddhas still around. I don't think Prince Ning would dare to kill us at will, otherwise he would go to hell!"

Hearing the whispers of the crowd, the missionaries' expressions grew even colder and more arrogant.

No matter what the Da Ning army wants to do, whether through coercion or enticement, they will not loosen their stance.

Even if the Western Regions are conquered, it still needs to be personally managed by these living Buddhas. How can the people of Da Ning manage it properly?

The sound couldn't be heard from that far away in the video, but Chu Jiubian was just checking to see if the people had all arrived and to take a look at Qin Xiao's condition.

He has now seen enough people and missionaries to witness this, and with these people as witnesses, the next steps will go more smoothly.

Chu Jiubian kept changing his perspective and finally spotted a tall and upright figure somewhere.

The man was dressed in all black, with a thick fur cloak draped over his back, also in black, which made his facial features appear even sharper and more defined, and his face even paler, almost as if it were bloodless.

Chu Jiubian's fingertips trembled slightly.

The man in the picture seemed to sense something, and his sharp eyes suddenly turned towards the direction of the camera.

In that instant, Chu Jiubian seemed to hear his own heartbeat suddenly quicken by half a beat.

Meanwhile, the sun peeks out from behind the mountains, and the first rays of sunlight fall on the snow-capped peaks, reflecting a shimmering golden light.

Qin Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly, momentarily lost in thought.

The golden sunrise on the mountain is like a dream.

Just then, he suddenly saw something emerge in the light and shadow.

Slowly, he finally saw what it was, and his pupils contracted sharply.

It was a gigantic golden dragon!

It slowly swam from the light and shadow, only stopping and circling at the summit of the sacred mountain. Its calls seemed to travel from the distant past, echoing for a long time and stirring the heart.

At the foot of the sacred mountain, everyone was stunned. Even the soldiers of Da Ning who were guarding the safety of the area stared at the scene in shock.

"My God! That's a dragon!" someone suddenly shouted, and the crowd erupted in commotion.

"It's a dragon! It really is a dragon!"

"A divine dragon has descended! A divine dragon has descended! Heaven protects our Western Regions!"

These respected elders and other ordinary people who had come along knelt down and kowtowed one after another.

The missionaries, with their haughty expressions, fluttered their crimson robes.

They forgot the scriptures they were reciting and stared in shock and panic at the enormous dragon that was almost half a mountain.

The sunlight cast a brilliant golden glow on the snow-capped mountain peak, almost blending it into the long dragon-shaped formation, dazzling and eye-catching.

But no one dared to blink; they all stared intently, afraid of missing any exciting moments and regretting it for the rest of their lives.

After the golden dragon circled twice, a faint voice suddenly came from the sky, slowly saying, "May the gods bestow blessings and protect Great Ning!"

The voice was clear and ethereal, carrying an invisible pressure, like a young god looking down on the world from above.

Such auspicious signs arose atop the sacred mountain, so much so that not only the common people but also the missionaries were willing to worship, their eyes filled with piety and fervor.

Just after Da Ning conquered the Western Regions, a deity bestowed blessings upon the sacred mountain and the Western Regions. What does this signify?

Of course, it signifies the prosperity of the Great Ning Kingdom!

First came Chu Jiubian, the Grand Tutor who was rumored to be the reincarnation of the Holy Star God, then came the High Priest who entered my dream in the northern desert to impart his teachings, and now comes the golden dragon that brings blessings to the sacred mountain.

Everything points to one thing—the ruler of Da Ning Kingdom is truly ordained by Heaven!

If these missionaries, who previously felt they were "closer to God," were still arrogant and looked down on the rumors of divine reincarnation among the people of Daning, thinking it was all a political tactic to deceive the people.

Now, they are completely convinced that the rumors are true.

Da Ning is blessed by the gods.

With such a large ship, anyone who isn't a fool would definitely rush to buy a ticket and board.

The common people didn't know these intricacies; they only knew that Daning was blessed with good fortune, protected by the gods, and that the gods could even perform miracles!

Being able to become a citizen of Daning is truly a wonderful thing.

Those missionaries who possessed certain ruling skills and abilities lost their usual aloofness and willingly submitted to miracles and the Great Ning Dynasty.

As long as the Da Ning court does not completely take back their power or completely deprive them of their interests, they will fight desperately to maintain Da Ning's rule.

Of course, because of what has happened, they dare not say anything if Da Ning really wants to take back their rights.

Not only the people of the former Sai Kingdom, but also the soldiers of Da Ning who were standing guard nearby almost collapsed to their knees.

Fortunately, Qin Xiao had given instructions beforehand that anyone who made a fool of themselves at a crucial moment would have their salary and rewards reduced.

Therefore, no matter how terrified and shocked everyone was, they all forced themselves not to kneel down and worship, which made them seem knowledgeable and different from others.

The people of the Western Regions saw all of this and couldn't help but wonder if the people of Da Ning often witnessed such miracles, otherwise why weren't they excited?

If that's the case, then after they became citizens of Daning, would they still be able to witness miracles again?

Qin Xiao stood at the back of the crowd, watching these scenes unfold from afar.

Is this the method of the Holy Star God?

But the voice that spoke just now was not Chu Jiubian's.

He watched almost without blinking until he saw the golden dragon swim back towards the rising sun and finally disappear into the golden halo.

The special effects ended, and the screen was turned off.

Chu Jiubian blinked lightly, yet it seemed he could still see the man's pale face and the deep melancholy in his eyes.

==

On December 12th, Chu Jiubian received a letter from the Northwest.

Qin Xiao said that the matter in the Sai Kingdom had already been settled, and Wang Pengyi and Hu Fang were to stay behind to handle the aftermath.

Once we have people at our disposal after the imperial examinations, we'll send someone over to take over things here.

The army has already set off to return to the capital. Qin Xiao and twenty guards set off first and are expected to arrive in the capital before the end of the month.

The handwriting was still vigorous and the strokes were sharp, but the force was lighter than in the previous letter.

Chu Jiubian stared at it for a long time before adding it to the system's storage.

On the morning of the second day, all the examination papers were delivered from various prefectures to Chu Jiubian.

Inside the main hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The little emperor sat in the main seat reading the "Complete Collection of Basic Knowledge for Children" that his teacher had given him. It contained a lot of interesting facts, such as that the earth is round and that humans evolved from monkeys. The child has been completely engrossed in it for the past few days.

Chu Jiubian then flipped through the exam papers of candidates from various regions from the lower position.

There were a total of 199 entries, and the examiners had already reviewed and selected them once when they were in the county town.

To avoid a wrong judgment, they kept some of the more difficult papers and sent them back to the capital for Chu Jiubian to review.

However, Chu Jiubian has been extremely busy lately, and with the New Year approaching, the vassal kings are also arriving soon.

There was a general village in the southern border region to manage miscellaneous affairs, so the king of the southern border and his family of four all came out.

The Situ siblings followed their parents all the way, and did business along the way.

Si Tu Zhaoling's business acumen came into play this time. Everywhere she went, she would find a way to advertise Southern Xinjiang silk. As a result, before she even reached the Central Plains, the reputation of Southern Xinjiang silk had already spread throughout the South.

The other vassal kings were also on their way.

Even Baili Yu, the Prince of Dingbei who had been captured by the Sai Kingdom, was free from worries after the war was quelled and set off for the capital.

Baili Ming, the Prince of Anhuai, whose fiefdom is in Henan, will be entering the capital the day after tomorrow. He had previously considered taking advantage of the floods in Hexi County, but Qin Xiao did not give him the opportunity.

For all these reasons, Chu Jiubian simply didn't have time to grade the papers quickly. He could only put them into the system's warehouse and look at a few whenever he had a spare moment.

Therefore, the imperial examination must be scheduled for after the new year.

The most important thing right now is the arrival of the vassal kings in the capital, and...

Chu Jiubian raised his eyes and looked in the northwest direction.

Qin Xiao should be back in a few days.

In the original story, the other party returned to the capital severely injured and almost did not survive. However, the news that everyone in the capital received was that Qin Xiao had returned in triumph and was in high spirits.

Moreover, he was in good physical condition and was even able to return before the main army.

In the message Chu Jiubian received, Qin Xiao did not mention whether he was injured, only saying "He is fine".

But Chu Jiubian still felt uneasy.

The original plot has been changed a lot, but Qin Xiao's trip to the Northwest to fight has remained the same except for the time being moved forward by a year.

Could it be that because it was a year earlier than expected, neither the Prince of Dingbei nor Moba Zanpu were prepared, which is why Qin Xiao escaped unharmed?

Or is it that Qin Xiao was actually injured, but not seriously?

Thinking of this, Chu Jiubian had no choice but to confront the letters, each one with increasingly flimsy handwriting, and was certain that Qin Xiao was injured.

And it is very likely to get worse.

"gentlemen."

The child's innocent voice rang out, and Chu Jiubian snapped out of his thoughts and looked at him: "What's wrong?"

Baili Hong cupped his chubby little face in his hands and asked, "Are you worried about your uncle, sir?"

Chu Jiubian paused, then said, "No."

"Then why did you sigh, sir?"

Did he sigh?

Chu Jiubian didn't argue with the child, but said, "Let's read."

The little boy blinked his round eyes at him, and seeing that he was unwilling to talk, he obediently stopped asking, only glancing at him with some concern from time to time.

Chu Jiubian was somewhat flustered. He stared at the densely packed words on the exam paper, unable to concentrate for a long time.

In fact, given the current situation in the capital, he, as the Grand Tutor who assists in governing, has the authority to do so.

The young emperor trusts and relies on him, so the Qin family will naturally stand on his side; this is a sign of power.

The imperial examination system has reached its final stage, and many talented individuals have emerged.

With power, influence, available manpower, and money to spend, he seemed to have no need for Qin Xiao's existence at all.

If Qin Xiao is destined to be the villain, and they are destined to eventually take completely opposite sides, then now is the best time to get rid of Qin Xiao.

However, Qin Xiao personally delivered the power and influence to him.

Although Chu Jiubian didn't consider himself a good person, but...

He closed his eyes, trying to stop thinking about these things. He would wait for Qin Xiao to return before discussing anything further.

Two days have passed.

December 15th.

Prince Anhuai, Baili Ming, accompanied by his advisor Jiang Yongshou, entered the capital to pay homage to the emperor.