Chapter 4 The Second Bet
Two light and steady footsteps echoed down the long, secluded prison corridor, revealing the newcomers to be masters of light-footed martial arts.
They've arrived.
Chu Jiubian got up from the ground, raised his hand and brushed his still damp hair back to reveal his smooth forehead.
He looked toward the cell door, breathing softly as he listened intently to the footsteps in the corridor drawing ever closer.
Soon, the dark hem of the garment came into view.
Next came the man's tall and upright figure, and his handsome, sharply defined face.
The footsteps stopped, and the two men inside and outside the prison door stood facing each other.
One arrived despite the rain, his hair perfectly styled, while the other wore sticky, damp clothes and looked disheveled.
Clearly, those outside the prison gates are superior.
Surprisingly, the people inside the prison remained calm and composed.
After a moment of silence, the person outside the prison door spoke first: "How could even a god end up in such a sorry state?"
The man's voice was slightly deep, but his tone rose with a pleasant lilt.
Chu Jiubian turned his head to look at him, his expression indifferent.
"In order to find you and overcome this tribulation of love, I voluntarily sealed away some of my magical power," Chu Jiubian said calmly. "But I never expected that you would cause me to be in such a sorry state."
The term "love tribulation" was something Chu Jiubian blurted out during a moment of crisis, and it had absolutely no logic to it.
But since he had already said it, and was determined to be the "god" Chu Jiubian, he might as well continue with his previous statement, so as to save him from having to find another reason to explain why he had "descended to the mortal world".
Moreover, now that Qin Xiao holds great power and Chu Jiubian has fallen into his hands, it would be a good thing to establish a strong connection with him.
However, in the past, when the situation was critical, he had only reacted haphazardly. Now, after careful consideration, he decided to act more indifferent.
After all, he was a deity who had sealed his faith in Qin Xiao in order to descend to the mortal realm to find him, but Qin Xiao not only did not believe him, but also bullied him. It was normal for him to be indifferent on the surface.
Qin Xiao remained unmoved, merely smiling slightly upon hearing this, and continued to gaze at him with a probing look.
Chu Jiubian had to leave the prison; he didn't want to waste his time with Qin Xiao like this.
After all, every day he's locked up here means a day of suffering.
So he stopped talking about the love tribulation and said, "You lost the bet we just made."
Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow, surprised, and asked, "What bet?"
They were definitely going to renege on their debt.
Chu Jiubian was not surprised.
For a ruthless and ambitious monster like Qin Xiao, cheating is a basic skill he's absolutely adept at.
After the Regent reneged on his promise, he carefully observed the expression of the person in front of him, trying to discern something.
To his disappointment, the young man in front of him had eyes as still as a deep well, revealing not a trace of emotion.
It's as if the other person is always wearing a thick mask, completely covering up all their emotions and thoughts.
And this mask is extremely beautiful, even somewhat eerie.
If Qin Xiao were to offer his opinion, he felt that the person in front of him was not like a deity, but rather like a spirit or monster.
The "spirit" should know where the advantage of this face lies; with a mere glance, it can stir the emotions of anyone.
At this moment, the young man's cold and indifferent gaze peeked out from the gap in the solid wood, which was about the width of an arm, and his voice was slightly hoarse: "I can let you see more miracles."
Chu Jiubian stared at Qin Xiao, trying to see a trace of greed or wavering in the other's eyes.
However, even though he had just taken the position, this powerful minister had already developed the ability to conceal his emotions.
...Another agonizing silence.
After a few breaths, Qin Xiao seemed genuinely moved by Chu Jiubian's words and said with a smile, "Then let's gamble again. If you're right, I'll release you and provide you with good food and drink, helping you overcome that so-called tribulation of love. How about it?"
Chu Jiubian found it hard to believe him.
Qin Xiao's reputation with him is zero.
But now that they are at each other's mercy, Chu Jiubian has no way to escape, so he has no choice but to gamble.
If you gamble, there's still a chance you'll get out; if you don't gamble, you'll be locked up in jail for life.
"What do you want to bet?" he asked.
Qin Xiao pondered for a moment and said, "Then let's still gamble on this rain."
"Let's bet on whether this rain will reach Sichuan and Hubei."
Chu Jiubian narrowed his eyes slightly, instantly understanding.
According to the original book's synopsis, the Great Ning Dynasty is now in its final stages.
Externally, the Oirat, Tatar, and Jurchen tribes were eyeing the country covetously; internally, four powerful families controlled the government, and seven regional princes held sway over their own territories. To make matters worse, the country was struck by unprecedented natural disasters, with droughts in the south and floods in the north. Beset by internal and external troubles, the people were suffering terribly.
It can be said that the protagonist Baili Hong's ascension to the throne under such circumstances was truly a disastrous start.
Fortunately, Qin Xiao, the regent, and the Qin family behind him stabilized the court for Baili Hong in the early stages, which allowed him to secure his throne.
However, Qin Xiao later became second only to the emperor, and his ambition swelled, making him Baili Hong's greatest enemy.
The original book did not describe the young emperor's childhood in detail. The story focuses more on his wits and courage in fighting Qin Xiao after he grew up. Therefore, although Chu Jiubian had only read the beginning of the original book, he had some knowledge of some major events in the young emperor's childhood.
For example, the Sichuan and Hubei regions that Qin Xiao mentioned today.
Since the beginning of spring this year, most parts of the south have not received a drop of rain, and there are faint signs of drought.
On the contrary, the areas of Beizhili, Shanxi, and Henan, where the capital was located, received frequent rain, and the crops grew well.
As the regent, Qin Xiao naturally had his sights set on the entire country, and he knew that if it didn't rain in the south soon, then a real drought was coming.
At that time, it will be another scene of widespread devastation.
But perhaps only Chu Jiubian knew at this moment that if the rain continued in Beizhili, floods would occur sooner or later.
The floods may come earlier than the drought.
Based on the phrase "southern drought and northern flood" mentioned in the original book, he was almost certain that the rain would continue in Beizhili and floods would inevitably occur.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but call upon the system in his mind.
【Hello host, how can I help you?】
Chu Jiubian: Help me check the weather in the Great Ning Dynasty for the past month.
[Relevant information has been found for you. Over the next month, intermittent light rain is expected in northern Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, and southern Hebei, while Sichuan, Hubei, and southern Xinjiang will experience sunny weather with highs reaching 40 degrees Celsius.]
Chu Jiu Bian: Wasn't there a downpour?
No heavy rain.
Chu Jiubian was somewhat unsure.
Intermittent light rain shouldn't cause flooding, right?
Is it possible that an even bigger rainstorm won't arrive for another month?
However, in order to ensure accuracy, the system can only detect the weather conditions for the next month, so Chu Jiubian cannot determine for the time being whether it will continue to rain a month from now.
He took a long time to think, but Qin Xiao didn't urge him.
Finally, Chu Jiubian snapped out of his thoughts and looked out of the prison door.
"Have you thought it through?" Qin Xiao asked.
Chu Jiubian stated frankly, "There will be no rain in Sichuan and Huguang for the next month. The rain outside will only last for 12 hours and will stop at noon tomorrow."
He deliberately added "when the rain will stop" to his answer, naturally to showcase his extraordinary abilities.
Even if Qin Xiao still doesn't believe in his identity as a god, it doesn't matter. Even if the other party plans to use him as a "weather forecaster," it's still fine.
Of course, another reason is that the questions Qin Xiao asked required someone to go to Sichuan, Hubei and other places to confirm them. This round trip would take at least half a month, so he would have to stay in prison for another half a month.
Therefore, he made a "prophecy" that could be proven by noon tomorrow. If Qin Xiao had a change of heart, wouldn't he be able to leave the prison tomorrow?
Upon hearing his words, Qin Xiao's eyes darkened.
If what Chu Jiubian said is true, and there will be no rain for the next month, then there will definitely be a drought in the south.
In Sichuan and Huguang, there were regional warlords who ruled their own territories. They were used to being local emperors, but when disasters like this occurred, which required money and effort, those warlords would not use their own money and would definitely ask the imperial court for money and grain.
However, now that the four great families control the government, they are putting all the good stuff into their own pockets, leaving the national treasury empty and with no ability to withstand risks.
The young emperor's ascension to the throne was illegitimate and full of suspicious circumstances. Those pedantic Confucian scholars had always had objections, but they had temporarily suppressed them due to Qin Xiao's swift and decisive methods.
However, if the drought is not handled properly, those pedantic scholars will surely use it to attack Qin Xiao and the young emperor, and then public resentment will likely boil over.
There are also those regional warlords, as well as the Empress Dowager and the Prince of Jiannan in the palace. All of them will do their utmost to crush Baili Hong and the Qin family.
Thinking of this, a fierce glint flashed in Qin Xiao's eyes.
Whether this so-called "prophecy" is true or not, he should make some preparations.
His thoughts raced in an instant. He looked at Chu Jiubian with his deep eyes and said, "If the rain stops by noon tomorrow, I will let you out."
Chu Jiubian: "It's a deal."
"It's a deal." Qin Xiao didn't linger any longer and turned to leave.
It was only then that Chu Jiubian suddenly remembered that there seemed to be another person who had come in with Qin Xiao, and who had been standing about two steps away from Qin Xiao the whole time.
It's just that the other party's presence was too low, and he was busy dealing with Qin Xiao, so he forgot about it.
Watching the two figures leave, Chu Jiubian couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
He had clearly seen the man's face just now, but in the blink of an eye, he had almost forgotten what the man looked like, only remembering that he was an ordinary-looking young man.
Who is that person?
Chu Jiubian frowned and recalled the original text before suddenly realizing that he had matched it with a certain character in the book.
The other party should be Qin Chaoyang, a former secret guard, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and Qin Xiao's most capable and loyal subordinate, assistant, and secretary.
If An Wuji is Qin Xiao's biggest lackey, then Qin Chaoyang is Qin Xiao's strongest logistical support.
Chu Jiubian sighed softly, thinking to himself that the villain was surrounded by hidden talents, no wonder he was so difficult to kill.
After leaving the prison, the main villain returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Now Baili Hong lives in the main courtyard of Yangxin Hall, Qin Xiao lives in the west courtyard, and the east courtyard has been converted into a council hall and study to facilitate his teaching of Baili Hong.
After the court session, if any officials wished to continue discussing state affairs, they would come here.
As soon as Qin Xiao stepped into the Yangxin Hall, Eunuch Hong came forward to greet him. After bowing respectfully, he reported, "My lord, His Majesty has just taken a hot bath, eaten lunch, and drunk ginger soup. He is now resting."
Three-year-olds need a lot of sleep, and when the older sister was around, she would always coax the child to take a nap. Now, Qin Xiao didn't want to put too much pressure on the child, so she just responded with a sound.
Then Eunuch Hong said, "Lord Lin Shenglin, the Director of the Imperial Observatory, is waiting in the council hall. He says he has important matters to present to you."
Lin Sheng was promoted by the Qin family.
Qin Xiao's grandfather, the previous head of the Qin family, once said that this person did have some real skills. However, Qin Xiao himself did not believe in such supernatural things and only regarded the other party as a useful subordinate. After all, once you sit in this position, there will always be times when you need someone to pretend to be a god or a ghost.
Qin Xiao guessed that the other party had come to see him most likely because of Chu Jiubian, so he walked to the east courtyard.
Lin Sheng was waiting under the veranda outside the hall. When he saw Qin Xiao arrive, he immediately stepped forward to greet him without even opening his umbrella, braving the rain.
Qin Xiao dismissed his formalities and walked into the hall, asking, "What is it?"
Qin Xiao's men are everywhere inside and outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, so there's no fear of any leaks.
Knowing the place was safe, Lin Sheng immediately said, "I just performed a divination; that man today..."
He glanced at Qin Xiao's profile before whispering, "You're unlucky."
Qin Xiao paused, turning his head to look at him.
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