Chapter 1367: Who knew that the way of Heaven is as crooked as a bow (Part 1) [Requesting monthly votes]
“I have already sent people to investigate the situation in Yuanfu County and contacted Ximin and the others. Gongyi can rest assured for now.”
Luan Xin bowed and expressed his gratitude.
Shen Tang took his hand and helped him up: "What are you thanking me for? We've been friends for many years, why bother with these formalities?"
For the past two years, she has devoted all her energy to the southwest region, working tirelessly from the start of the war to post-war reconstruction. Most affairs within the Kang Kingdom are handled by the regent, Qi Shan, with only truly difficult matters being referred to her. With Ding Ding's presence and the Kang royal court's frequent inspections of established practices, the civil and military officials have little to no objection.
Some people were even glad that this was good—they didn't have to attend court assemblies frequently and could sleep in a little longer each day.
However, the situation is less favorable for local officials at lower levels.
Although there was no corruption or dereliction of duty, there was some laxity.
With the situation in the southwest somewhat stabilized, Shen Tang immediately launched a surprise northern tour, inspecting the performance of officials in various regions over the past two years. Those officials summoned for their reports performed poorly and were left to their own devices. This was one of the main reasons for Shen Tang's recent surge in workload; even working twelve hours straight, she couldn't keep up, and the imperial physicians diagnosed her with kidney deficiency.
With limited energy, there are some areas that cannot be attended to at all times.
Until Luan Xin personally requested an audience.
[I shouldn't be disturbing Your Majesty, but Ximin hasn't sent any news for two months, and I'm truly worried.]
[No news for two months? What about Lee Wan?]
No, there isn't.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so restless.
Luan Xin had genuine affection for Miao Ne, his student. She was not only his student but also his youngest daughter's first teacher, and she was like a mother to his wife. He never forgot to visit and offer his congratulations on Miao Ne's birthday. Even if he couldn't come in person, he would always send a congratulatory letter promptly. Half a month ago, on his wife's birthday, Luan Xin even wrote a month in advance requesting an imperial edict to surprise her.
The lady counted the gifts from the guests but could not find Miao Ne's letter.
Luan Xin wanted to reassure his wife, explaining that Yuanfu County was an exclave with unstable power within its borders, and it was understandable that Miao Ne, preoccupied with official duties, might have forgotten. However, his wife disagreed: "It would be abnormal for someone as meticulous as Xi Min to forget. You yourself said Yuanfu County is dangerous… Could something have happened to her? Is there any way to find out?"
Luan Xin did not dare to rule out this possibility.
Even with Gongyang Yongye in charge, it cannot be said that everything is foolproof.
Luan Xin investigated and found that the communication was interrupted, so he could only contact his own lord for intervention. Shen Tang naturally wouldn't sit idly by; Yuan Fujun was also a pawn in the central continent, and he would try his best to hold it. The awkward situation was that Gong Xichou, Luo Sha, and Wei Cheng were all with Zi Xu, Chu Jie and Wei Shou were stationed in the southwest to prevent rebellion, Yun Ce had returned to Kangguo and couldn't be transferred, and the others lacked the strength.
War is expensive. The war in the southwest and the subsequent reconstruction greatly delayed the domestic economy of Kangguo. People were needed everywhere, and money was needed everywhere. It's like one person can be full with one bowl of rice, but if there's another mouth to feed in the family, the income doesn't increase, and there's still only one bowl of rice. This means that both people can only eat half full and barely survive.
Shen Tang needed time to recover. To buy that time, she had agreed to the difficulties posed by her ally, the Qu Kingdom, and sent Lin Feng and his group, further straining her already limited manpower. Fortunately, Zi Xu made some progress, giving her a much-needed respite.
Utopia also meets the criteria.
However, Wuyou is now much farther away.
After counting and counting, the only person who fit the description was actually Luo San.
"I can only hope that Ximin is safe." Luan Xin can only place his hopes on Luo San, whom he has never met before.
Shen Tang comforted him, saying, "Good people are always blessed by heaven."
Miao Ne's life is more valuable than her death.
This value can guarantee her survival to the greatest extent, making her more reliable than Gongyang Yongye or Cui Xiong of the Cui family.
"Your Majesty, the Minister of Rites requests an audience."
"Announce."
Aside from the DingTalk court meeting, Shen Tang hadn't seen Qin Li for a long time, and upon seeing him again, she knew something big had happened. She exchanged a glance with Luan Xin, her heart sinking—he, who was always so disciplined and maintained perfect distance even in his steps, was unusually flustered this time.
"Gongsu, what has happened?"
They didn't even notice the snow falling on their fox fur cloaks.
You should know that this snow-white fox fur cloak is Qin Li's most cherished possession! Even though scholars are not afraid of the cold or heat, and can prioritize style over warmth in the dead of winter, wearing two thin scholar's robes to get through the whole winter, Qin Li would still take it out and wear it after winter began.
This shows how much he likes it.
He not only knew how to dress, but also paid attention to wrapping the fox fur cloak with literary elegance to avoid it getting dirty, and would have it kept warm and preserved as the weather warmed up.
It's rare to see a snowfall so severe as to be ignored today.
Qin Li said, "My lord, Yuanfu County and other places have fallen."
Shen Tang appeared calm, but her heart was in turmoil. Even Luan Xin, who was usually a step behind, showed extraordinary speed.
He clenched his fist: "Failed?"
Shen Tang closed her eyes to suppress her thoughts: "When did you discover it?"
Qin Li replied, "Just today, half an hour ago."
He then added, "The ownership of several enclaves changed hands in an instant, which must have been premeditated by the enemy."
Since the Imperial Observatory began operation, Shen Tang entrusted the Imperial Seal to Qin Li for safekeeping, so that he could use it in conjunction with the methods of scholars to construct a satellite meteorological map to monitor the entire country and assist agricultural production in various regions. This was a massive project, requiring Qin Li to personally travel to every prefecture and county. With the southwestern continent now under his control, he was the busiest person besides Shen Tang, practically never having a moment to rest.
This is the first time that a map that has already been entered has mysteriously disappeared.
It was still a few enclaves located in the central region that disappeared, and they disappeared at the same time. After a moment's thought, he knew something was wrong.
"Change of ownership in an instant? That's cautious."
With several enclaves scattered across various locations, even if the enemy had wings, they couldn't possibly capture them all at once. They would inevitably have to secretly take control and then seize an opportunity to absorb them all at once. If they were to absorb them separately, and Kangguo discovered them beforehand, wouldn't the enemy's plan fall through?
The central continent has truly changed.
Shen Tang frowned, suppressing the coldness that welled up in her eyes.
She closed her eyes and proactively contacted her avatar, Wuyou. After a few brief exchanges, she exhaled a breath of stale air, rose, and walked to the continental map screen. Her eyes swept across the screen: "Wuyou hasn't received any news from either side... Wuyou has been busy attacking Qi Kingdom lately. Qi Kingdom is located in the southern part of the central continent, while Wuyou has been sent to the northeast... Several enclaves are located here, which means..."
Shen Tang roughly defined a scope.
"The change should happen around here."
In these places, the deliberate interception of information by those in power could indeed evade the eyes and ears of Kangguo in a short period of time. In this era, there were no mobile phones or telephones; information transmission relied heavily on manual labor. Over longer distances, a round trip could easily take two or three months.
This is enough time for a regime to be overthrown and rise.
Qin Li instantly understood Shen Tang's meaning: "I will immediately order people to search for relevant information about this place, perhaps there will be some clues."
Although it's better late than never, it's still better than nothing.
Luan Xin stared at the map and observed it carefully.
The simultaneous loss of several enclaves, scattered across different regions and bordering various countries, signifies a unified and swift action by the forces behind the scenes. This could mean either a central state rapidly unified the various enclaves, or they forged a deeper alliance. Either way, it's bad news for Kangguo at present.
Such a big commotion was kept secret from Kangguo.
They definitely came prepared.
Qin Li then mentioned another detail: "The news of the mission's secret visit to Qu Kingdom was not made public. If the changes occurred at that time, Ling De couldn't have been unaware of something amiss. Calculating the timeline..."
Lin Feng made a brief stop in Yuanfu County before going to Qu State.
At that time, everything was normal in Yuanfu County.
Although local forces made things difficult for Miao Ne, Miao Ne handled it with ease and without any difficulty, meaning that the change occurred after that.
Gongyang Yongye, who followed Xiang Zhao to Yuanfu County, was he lured away from his post? Did he encounter a formidable enemy and find himself unable to protect himself, preventing even news from getting out? Or did he defect? Although this person is of decent character, the third possibility cannot be ruled out.
Shen Tang said, "Gong Su, summon all the officials for a court assembly."
These days are unlikely to be peaceful.
Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.
A storm was brewing in Kangguo. Luo San, having received the commission, only had time to give a few instructions to his old subordinates before setting off under cover of night. Despite appearing to be only an eleventh-rank right-guard, his physical strength was still at the level of a marquis. His stamina and endurance were astonishing; he could travel for three days and three nights without showing any signs of fatigue. He also carried a national seal, which was interconnected; even if Luo San used force to isolate it, he couldn't guarantee its safety.
Luo San had been confined to Shan Yong County, staying home most of the time except for the occasional visit to friends. This was his first long trip in decades, and he was heading to the Northwest, a place he had never been before.
"Old man, how far is Yuanfu County from here?" In this era without navigation, even a powerful figure like Luo San had no choice but to ask for directions. Without anyone to guide him, he had to rely on the leaves and the sun and moon to determine his approximate location. If he went too far, he would have to turn back.
Luo San didn't bother with any disguise.
Because the physique of the Martial Arts Warrior is too distinctive.
The old man was hard of hearing, and Luo San had to ask him several times before he responded. After a long pause, he pointed to a location, and then, looking at Luo San's towering physique, he kindly said, "Young man, don't go there. They're conscripting men these days."
Luo San, who was old enough to be the old man's grandfather, smiled and thanked him for his kindness: "By the way, do you know the Yuan family, sir?"
The old man asked, "What injustice have you suffered?"
Is there a large family surnamed Yuan in this area?
The old man pondered for a long time: "I've never heard of it, but I heard from my ancestors that it used to exist, but they fell on hard times and moved to another place."
Luo San was not surprised by this.
With that kind of fighting style that drains one's lifespan, it's no wonder they can't live long. Without the pillar of the family, their decline is only a matter of time.
Luo San then asked the old man where the ancestral graves of the Yuan family were: "We had some kinship with our ancestors, and I'd like to go and pay my respects."
The old man only remembered the approximate location.
"...Now you can't find it even if you go to worship."
The tombs of wealthy families usually contained considerable burial goods, and tomb raiders often made their fortunes by robbing graves. At the height of the Yuan family's power, the hillside where their ancestral tombs were located belonged to other families, and was patrolled and guarded daily by servants, so no one dared to dig them up. Later, they moved away, and since the ancestral tombs couldn't be moved in time, tomb raiders took the risk and went to plunder them.
Now, you might not be able to find the grave if you go there.
Luo San didn't care about any of that; he even laughed when he heard that his nemesis's ancestral grave had been desecrated. What's the point of scheming? Survival is the real skill!
He went to the Yuan family ancestral graves first.
The hill where the ancestral graves were located now had an owner. Luo San sneaked over, avoiding the guards, but what he saw was different from what he had imagined. He thought he would see a grave mound overgrown with weeds and collapsed, broken stone tablets, but instead he saw several new graves that showed signs of repair.
Upon closer inspection, the tombstones all began with the surname Yuan.
"That old man is lying?"
He doesn't look like it.
Luo San grabbed a handful of fresh dust from the grave mound, but the year of death on the tombstone was forty-five years ago. These graves were old graves that had been recently repaired, not new ones. He circled the mountainside and found a renovated old grave in a place with excellent feng shui, with the inscription "Tomb of the Five Sons of the Yuan Family, Fu Jun" prominently displayed. Luo San's eyes lit up, and he stepped on the tombstone: "Found it."
He was even happier when he saw his birth and death dates.
"He died at thirty-one, what a short-lived wretch."
As the saying goes, what good is being able to fight? Survival is the only true measure of success. Yuan Fu's first battle was earth-shattering, leaving his contemporaries far behind. He seemed capable of everything, but he couldn't survive. Luo San stomped twice, a gesture of friendly greeting to an old friend.
“I’m an honest man, I don’t care to bully the dead, so you can stay in this grave.” Luo San clapped his hands and got up to leave. He had barely taken a step when his ears twitched, and he instantly flashed dozens of feet away, disappearing into the depths of the dense forest. A dozen breaths later, a red figure descended from the sky. The newcomer stopped where Luo San had just been, looking around as if searching for something.
A dozen or so breaths later, the second person arrived.
"What's wrong?"
"Someone was just here."
A large footprint was also left on the tombstone.
"Grave robbers?"
“No, it’s a martial artist.” The first person shook his head and judged. “He sensed me before I arrived. If it’s just a passerby, that’s fine, but if it is… we still need to be more careful.”
The second person stared at the footprint in silence.
Who would deliberately step on a stranger's tombstone?
The two left shortly afterward.
Luo San stared without moving, and as expected, the red figure reappeared. After looking around a few times and finding nothing, he finally left.
"That bastard Yuan Fu..."
How can this generation still have successors?
Luo San sensed something unusual.
He was extremely cautious in his subsequent actions, successfully infiltrating the city and discovering that martial law was in effect throughout the area. He toured the prefectural government and found that Prefect Yuan Fu was not Miao Ne, as Xiahou Nvjun had described, nor even a woman, but a man surnamed Yuan, who bore a resemblance to Yuan Fu in his features, and was most likely a descendant of him. Where had the original prefect gone?
Luo San then went to find Yuan Fujun's dungeon.
The dungeon was dark, with only a sliver of moonlight shining through the iron bars above.
After searching around, I found that quite a few people were indeed imprisoned here.
One of them was quite special.
Luo San secretly observed and saw a thin boy huddled in a corner, wrapped in an ill-fitting, blood-stained robe. His hands were handcuffed, his eyes were closed, and his youthful features revealed weakness. After watching for a while, the boy suddenly said, "Have you looked at this old man enough?"
His voice startled the others in the cell.
Luo San only revealed himself after setting up an isolation barrier.
"Which of you is Prefect Miao?"
()
I've started asking friends and family to help with the cover design.
The original title was "When You're a Lord, How Can You Not Go Mad?"
Later, I thought it was too long, so I changed it to "When a lord is in charge, does he not go crazy?"
Or maybe "Is becoming a farmer a must?" would be a good option?
However, I still prefer the second one.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
