Chapter 52 The Fourth Believer
Chu Jiubian walked out of the palace gate and was about to grab his umbrella when a hand grabbed it faster than he could.
He paused, turning his head to look at the person catching up beside him.
"?" Chu Jiubian frowned slightly.
Qin Xiao had already opened the umbrella and said casually, "I'll see you off."
After staring at the person for a long time, Chu Jiubian finally relaxed his brows and chuckled softly.
He stepped forward out of the connecting corridor, and Qin Xiao followed closely beside him, with most of the umbrella covering his head.
They walked at a leisurely pace, and although they were under the same umbrella, their shoulders were a fist's distance apart, with neither of them crossing the line.
They walked in silence until they reached Yaotai Residence. Chu Jiubian stopped, turned to look at Qin Xiao, and asked, "Would you like me to wash up?"
"Do you need it?" Qin Xiao asked instead of answering.
"unnecessary."
Qin Xiao smiled and said, "See you tomorrow."
Chu Jiubian nodded, then turned around and went back to the main house along the corridor without looking back. Xiao Xiangzi and the others saw him when he arrived at the door and were busy preparing water for washing up.
Chu Jiubian returned to his bedroom, where the palace servants busily prepared a bucket of water for him.
He had a habit of taking a bath every day, which Xiao Xiangzi and the others knew from the beginning.
"Young master, your hand is injured. Would you like me to help you wash up?" Xiao Xiangzi asked worriedly.
"No need, you can wait in the outer room."
"Yes." Everyone withdrew.
Chu Jiubian walked to the window and pushed it open.
Although this window is not directly facing the gate, you can still see the entrance.
There was no one there.
Chu Jiubian closed the window again and turned to walk to the clothes rack.
He took off his official robe and threw it on the mirror, leaving only his trousers before sitting down in front of the mirror.
He didn't need to comb his hair or wear any hair ornaments, so there were only two combs and body lotion on his dressing table.
However, the ointment was rather oily, and Chu Jiubian had never used it before.
He looked at himself in the bronze mirror. Although it was not as good as a modern mirror, it still clearly reflected his delicate face and flawless body.
He raised his left hand, his fingertips lightly tracing across his chest, which was covered in thin skin.
There are no visible traces anymore, but when you touch them with your fingertips, you can still feel some unevenness, all of which were once covered in scars.
A sharp pain shot through his index finger, and Chu Jiubian saw a deep red mark slowly creeping down the chest of the person in the mirror.
He blinked gently, released his fingers, and then wiped the bloodstains everywhere with his palm.
"......"
Chu Jiubian frowned as he looked at the blood on his palm and fingertips, then got up, walked to the bathtub, took off his trousers, and sat inside.
The bloodstains on his chest were washed away by the water, leaving no trace.
A drop of bright red blood slowly dripped from the index finger of the young man's hand, which was resting on the edge of the bathtub.
Chu Jiubian lowered his head and buried his face in the water, his long silver hair spreading across his thin back.
"System," he asked in his mind, "Do you have any medication for mental illness?"
On the rooftop, the man stood silently for a long time, holding an umbrella, before turning around and disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Council chamber.
Qin Chaoyang had just sent all the memorials that needed a reply to to the Directorate of Ceremonial, and Eunuch Hong's men would help write replies to the local officials.
He organized the remaining ones that hadn't been approved yet, or those that didn't require immediate reply, and placed them on his desk, waiting for Qin Xiao to return so he could continue approving them.
Previously, with Chu Jiubian around, memorials could usually be approved on the same day.
However, these memorials have been piling up since the two of them went to provide disaster relief, and with Chu Jiubian's hand injured, it's quite difficult for Qin Xiao to review them all by himself. He might not be able to finish them even if he stayed up all night.
After tidying up, he went outside and looked out at the courtyard to calculate the time.
Qin Xiao had been gone for almost half an hour when he went to see Chu Jiubian off.
From the Hall of Mental Cultivation to the Jade Terrace Residence, given the adult's pace, even if something delayed him, he should have returned long ago.
Just then, he suddenly looked up at the roof.
The next moment, he turned around and looked into the council hall, and sure enough, he saw a figure standing next to the dim oil lamp.
Qin Chaoyang entered the hall: "My lord, shall we continue reviewing the memorials?"
Qin Xiao folded the umbrella and placed it on the table. Rainwater flowed down the tip of the umbrella and quickly soaked the table legs.
"Any news?" Qin Xiao asked.
Qin Chaoyang instantly understood and replied with lowered eyes, "We haven't found any information about you, young master. It's just that the high priest of the northern desert seems to have some connection with you. But the people don't know the inside story, and they don't even know if the high priest was fabricated by Jiang Shuoye, so we can't be sure."
"Moreover, Jiang Shuoye himself is even more tight-lipped. Apart from the fact that the High Priest is an immortal who enters dreams to impart knowledge, he has not revealed anything else."
Qin Xiao sat down, picked up the ink stick, and slowly ground the ink.
His eyes and brows were hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to discern his expression.
Qin Chaoyang looked up at him and asked softly, "Why don't you ask the young master directly, sir?"
Now they are in the same boat, and the master and the young master have obviously developed a basic level of trust. They even hugged each other on the palace road last night.
Since they were already so close, Qin Xiao directly asked the High Priest about his relationship with Chu Jiubian, and the other party probably wouldn't hide it anymore.
Qin Xiao ground the ink, dipped his brush in the ink, and began to review the memorials.
Qin Chaoyang said no more and simply hid in the shadows.
He doesn't understand feelings, and I suppose even adults don't really understand them.
Yaotai Residence.
After Chu Jiubian finished washing up, he told Xiao Xiangzi and the others to go to bed early, and then he went to bed himself.
Now that the floods are over, there's nothing else to worry about, and he can get back to his work.
"System, send Si Tu Zhaoling into the Divine Realm."
[The follower Si Tu Zhaoling has been detected as being summonable; summoning is in progress.]
Summoning successful.
Chu Jiubian opened his eyes and found himself already seated on the divine throne.
A phoenix cry rang out in the distance, and a girl dressed in southern Xinjiang attire sat on the back of a golden phoenix, looking radiant.
Upon landing, Si Tu Zhaoling immediately bowed to Chu Jiubian and said, "This subordinate greets the High Priest."
"Please sit down," Chu Jiu said.
Seeing that six chairs had already been set up in front of the long table, Si Tu Zhaoling asked in surprise, "Why are there so many chairs? Are they all followers of the High Priest?"
"yes."
"Wow, does that mean I'll have a chance to meet them too?"
"Um."
Chu Jiubian didn't say much, but Si Tu Zhaoling could chat on her own, so she didn't feel awkward at all. On the contrary, it made the divine realm, where only the two of them were, seem a bit lively.
Looking at the six chairs, Si Tu Zhaoling dared not imagine which "chosen one" she would be, and asked, "High Priest, where shall I sit?"
As soon as Chu Jiubian had a thought, the third chair from the right slowly underwent a subtle change, transforming from white jade to a light purple, with swaying hyacinths faintly visible within.
"Wow, it's so beautiful." Si Tu Zhaoling hurriedly stepped forward to stroke the chair, which had a faint fragrance, and liked it very much.
Her favorite color was this light purple, but her weaving and dyeing skills were not up to par, and there was no fabric of this color in the entire Da Ning, so she could only settle for wearing dark purple clothes.
Otherwise, she would definitely have her whole family wear this color, and they would look incredibly beautiful when they went out.
She sat down in the chair and found it to be softer and more comfortable than the previous times.
"Thank you, High Priest." She smiled as she looked at the enormous phantom of the god.
Chu Jiubian had seen this girl several times, and she was almost always dressed in a deep purple dress. Chu Jiubian guessed that she liked purple, and it seems that he was right.
"Do you like this color?" Chu Jiu asked, feigning ignorance.
Si Tu Zhaoling nodded vigorously: "This subordinate likes it very much! Thank you, High Priest."
Chu Jiubian laughed and said, "I have something I need you to do."
"High Priest, please give your orders, and I will do anything, even risk my life."
With a wave of his hand, Chu Jiubian placed a book on the table in front of Si Tu Zhaoling.
He had long noticed that the people of the Great Ning Dynasty wore clothes in monotonous colors. Not to mention ordinary people, even the powerful and wealthy wore only black and white, or just a few colors over and over again.
Red, green, blue, and purple, all in dark shades.
As for gold, only royalty can wear that; others can't wear it even if they want to.
Therefore, Chu Jiubian had long wanted to improve the dyeing technique, but this was not aimed at the linen worn by ordinary people, but at silk.
The vast majority of silk products in Daning relied on the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions. The imperial court even set up a special weaving bureau to manage the silk business in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions.
However, Jiangsu and Zhejiang were the fiefdom of Baili Yan, the Prince of Zui Liang. The textile bureau was ostensibly a business of the imperial court, but this prince actually profited from it by 40% to 50%.
This is not a good thing for Chu Jiubian or for the imperial court.
Southern Xinjiang is also quite suitable for silkworm rearing and silk reeling, and most of the silk in the southwestern part of Daning is produced in southern Xinjiang.
It's just that because there wasn't a comprehensive plan and management, the industrial chain wasn't formed like that of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and the technology wasn't as good, so the silk was not only of lower quality than Jiangsu and Zhejiang silk, but also the output and price couldn't go up.
The book that Chu Jiubian gave to Si Tu Zhaoling not only contains methods for dyeing silk with more colors, but also methods for improving the quality and quantity of silk.
It even explains clearly how to form an industrial chain.
If Si Tu Zhaoling does as instructed, he will be able to establish the reputation of Southern Xinjiang silk.
Si Tu Zhaoling took the book and turned the pages.
She read very quickly, turning the pages one by one, and soon she had read most of the important content, her heart pounding.
If all the things in the book could be achieved, then the silk fabrics of southern Xinjiang would surely become even more eye-catching than those of Jiangsu and Zhejiang!
Moreover, there is a color chart in this book. I can't imagine how beautiful it would be if those bright colors could be made into fabric and tailored into dresses.
Not to mention a woman like her, even a man would definitely like her.
Si Tu Zhaoling knew perfectly well how extravagant the wealthy and powerful were when they bought these silk brocades, so what she saw in this book was an overflowing expanse of silver!
We should centralize the management of all the silk workshops in southern Xinjiang, divide them into different departments, and assign them different functions. This will make things much more efficient.
The next step is to expand the scale, increase production, and at the same time improve quality using the methods in the book.
Then, a separate dye house was established, specifically for color mixing and dyeing...
Si Tu Zhaoling had almost envisioned an entire industry chain in her mind, and the clattering of money made her feel somewhat dizzy.
At the same time, she also knew what the high priest wanted her to do.
She stood up, bowed respectfully, and said, "Your subordinate will certainly live up to your expectations and earn you plenty of money."
Although she was usually a bit loud and impulsive and not very mature in her actions, she still had the ability to read people's expressions. Therefore, she didn't ask the high priest for money for anything; as long as she was obedient, that was enough.
The believer was so understanding that Chu Jiubian was truly in a good mood.
After expressing his loyalty, Si Tu Zhaoling said with concern, "High Priest, our Southern Frontier does indeed have its own caravans, and it is relatively easy to sell goods to the southwest and northwest. However, transporting goods from the Southern Frontier to places like Beizhili or Jiangnan would take a long time, which might delay your important matters."
“It’s alright, you can do it,” Chu Jiu said.
In fact, what Si Tu Zhaoling raised was indeed a big problem.
The Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions had canals that allowed silk to be transported directly to the north, but the southern border regions were remote, making it very difficult to sell silk to the north.
But this was not a problem for Chu Jiubian.
Items can be traded in the Divine Realm. He could easily have Si Tu Zhaoling bring the Southern Frontier silk into the Divine Realm, and then have Wang Qichen, this noble young master from the capital, help sell it.
This also saves on transportation costs, making it almost pure profit.
Chu Jiubian will keep a portion of this money for Nanjiang, and the rest will go to Jiang Shuoye.
Even after Wang Qichen's paper mill started mass production, he would keep a portion of the profits for Wang Qichen and give the rest to Jiang Shuoye.
In this dog-eat-dog world, strengthening one's military power is truly the key to survival.
Qin Xiao was able to protect Baili Hong's throne even when he had no one in the court, wasn't it because of the soldiers and generals under his command?
Chu Jiubian now has 80,000 troops from the northern desert and the fierce general Jiang Shuoye, but it's not enough.
As far as he knew, the King of Huguang alone had 100,000 soldiers on the surface, and who knew how many more were hidden behind the scenes.
Other vassal kings, as well as the Lu and Qiu families with stronger military power, may only have three thousand soldiers and detachments on the surface, but the number of private soldiers they secretly maintain is unknown.
Currently, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao are on the same side, but as their methods become more radical, these people will become more and more impatient.
They might just end up cooperating.
When these forces unite, they should not be underestimated.
After these forces were eventually defeated and scattered, Chu Jiubian would inevitably have to confront Qin Xiao. At that time, he would need to have enough power and military strength to protect himself.
In short, Jiang Shuoye's steel mill must be expanded quickly to produce sharper and stronger weapons as soon as possible, and the more the better.
Therefore, Chu Jiubian needs money, and Si Tu Zhaoling and Wang Qichen must both make a profit quickly.
"I'll also give you this; try to grow it." Chu Jiubian then gave Si Tu Zhaoling some cotton seeds and planting instructions.
However, the cultivation of this crop requires repeated trials, and the cultivation requirements vary from place to place, so it takes a long time to figure it out.
Chu Jiubian remained calm and decided to take it one step at a time.
With nothing else to do, Chu Jiubian had the system send Si Tu Zhaoling away.
Just as he was about to leave, the system said: [Host, the system has preserved the conversation between believer Jiang Shuoye and Wang Qichen. Do you wish to view it?]
Chu Jiubian then remembered that there was such a thing.
Previously in Hexi County, because Qin Xiao came to find him, he left the Divine Realm before the two of them, and the system recorded the rest of the content for him.
“Take a look,” Chu Jiu argued.
He actually thought the two of them probably wouldn't talk much, and would likely exchange a couple of awkward pleasantries before leaving.
The two people's identity cards appeared before their eyes, and then unfolded together to become a large screen.
Chu Jiubian saw the two sitting in their seats, with an empty seat between them.
Because he left in a hurry, the "high priest" didn't speak again or tell them to leave, so the two of them stayed there quietly and awkwardly for a while.
Jiang Shuoye stood tall and straight, his face serious, leaning back in his chair without any reaction.
Wang Qichen glanced at him sideways, then looked up at the enormous phantom of the god.
"High Priest? Are you still there?" he asked.
His response was a low, distant, and indistinct dragon's roar.
Jiang Shuoye said, "The High Priest must have something on his mind. Please be patient."
Such a cautious person as he had sensed Chu Jiubian's departure from the Divine Realm long ago, but since the High Priest had not spoken, he simply waited.
Wang Qichen looked at him: "Has this happened before?"
"No."
"Then why didn't you react at all?" Wang Qichen raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps the High Priest went to see other gods temporarily. There's no need for us to wait here like fools, is there?"
Jiang Shuoye looked up at the phantom of the god, somewhat hesitant.
“Then we’ll wait another quarter of an hour,” he said.
Wang Qichen: "Okay. But how are we going to get out later?"
"I don't know."
The system detected that they had said "go out," so it sent them out immediately; otherwise, these two simple-minded people might have had to wait for a quarter of an hour.
It seems I need to make things clear next time I see these two. In the future, if this situation happens again, I shouldn't wait around like an idiot; I should just leave.
"By the way, how many chances do I have to draw cards now?" Chu Jiu asked the system.
[Host, your current accumulated points allow you to draw three more cards.]
Chu Jiubian had previously drawn an extra duplicate card.
His points keep increasing, and he'll soon have another chance to draw cards, so he might as well draw these three now.
Chu Jiubian needs people who can participate in the imperial examinations and enter the Imperial Academy, so it would be best to draw some cards related to literature or craftsmanship.
"Let's draw a card," he said.
[Okay, host. A card deck has been prepared for you. Please draw one. (You can only draw one card at a time.)]
Last time, Chu Jiubian drew two in one go, one of which was the same as the other, and only then did he draw Wang Qichen.
The system has become even more sophisticated.
Chu Jiubian wanted to bargain with him, but the system knew that Chu Jiubian would take the money no matter what, so this time it was very firm and wouldn't budge an inch.
"Alright, draw one." Chu Jiubian had no choice but to draw one first.
"......"
This is already his third wealth card!
The system shuffled the cards, and now there are six cards.
Chu Jiubian was genuinely afraid of drawing a fourth wealth card, so he rubbed his hands together and drew one again.
Great, this time it's the "Charm Card".
Another card that's already been drawn.
Could I really be that unlucky?
Chu Jiubian closed his eyes, took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and silently recited "I want a new card" before drawing the last one.
The card was flipped over, a flash of golden light revealed the words on it: [Connections].
It's actually a "connections card"!
Chu Jiubian was delighted; this was a keyword he hadn't considered before.
He guessed that this network of connections wasn't like Wang Qichen's, who had many clansmen; it was more likely that he knew and befriended many different people.
If that's the case, wouldn't it be much easier for Chu Jiubian to place his own people in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences?
Why not just ask the believer on this card to make the arrangements for him?
Just like a pillow when you're sleepy, the system really did give him the benefit of the doubt.
Chu Jiu argued, "Let's see who's here."
[A suitable follower card has been selected for the host. Please select to summon.]
The keyword cards disappeared, replaced by only two character cards.
Why are there so few candidates this time?
Chu Jiubian had a bad feeling; he felt like he only had one card to choose from again.
When the card was revealed, his pupils involuntarily contracted.
As he expected, the regent who had been haunting him was still within his selection pool.
[Prince Ning, Qin Xiao, courtesy name Fengqi, 25 years old. Do you think he's just a powerful minister high in the court? No, he possesses the most powerful network of connections. Having him means having a large part of the martial arts world! (Not recommended!!!)]
Chu Jiubian finally realized that he seemed to have never known Qin Xiao's courtesy name.
So it's Qin Fengqi?
What's the deal with "most of the martial arts world"? How did Qin Xiao come to know people in the martial arts world?
Chu Jiubian's doubts were resolved in less than two breaths, because the answer was found on the other of the two cards.
Qin Chuan, courtesy name Mingce, 23 years old, is the Martial Arts Alliance Leader. As the second legitimate son of the Qin family, a fact never publicly acknowledged, he shares the same parents as Prince Ning, Qin Xiao. One operates in the open, the other in the shadows. One holds a high position in the imperial court, the other remains hidden in the martial world. Having him means possessing a large portion of the martial world's power, as well as his extensive intelligence network spanning the north and south of the country. (Recommended!)
Chu Jiubian felt a chill run down his spine in an instant.
No wonder Qin Xiao always gets news from all sides so quickly; it turns out his younger brother is the martial arts alliance leader who is famous throughout the land!
I see!
Chu Jiubian had previously heard Xiao Xiangzi talk about things like "martial arts alliance leader" when he was gossiping. At the time, he thought it was fortunate that these martial arts figures did not enter the imperial court, otherwise they would have become objects of contention among various forces.
But now he realized that most of the martial arts world had already entered into this power struggle and stood behind Qin Xiao.
That Qin Taiwei, who was famous throughout the world, was indeed a master strategist.
He raised both of his grandsons to be outstanding individuals.
Qin Xiao possessed exceptional political acumen and ruthless methods, so Grand Commandant Qin kept him in the capital, publicly displaying him to the world, and instructed him to exist as a dissolute playboy, thus lowering the guard of all parties in an attempt to protect the Qin family.
Even if someone were to harm the Qin family, Qin Xiao's abilities would allow him to protect them after his death.
Even if Qin Xiao failed to protect the Qin family, there is still Qin Chuan, a direct descendant of the Qin family, outside, who can preserve the Qin family bloodline.
Whether Grand Commandant Qin had foreseen this situation or not, with Qin Xiao and Baili Hong ascending the throne, Qin Chuan became their most valuable intelligence network and a hidden backup plan.
Chu Jiubian couldn't help but think of the late Empress Qin Feng.
These three siblings, including Baili Hong, seem to have inherited Qin Taiwei's abilities; each of them could be a "protagonist" on their own.
Everyone should be the main character?
Something suddenly flashed through Chu Jiubian's mind, but he didn't have time to grasp it.
[Would the host like to summon the follower Qin Chuan?]
"No need," Chu Jiubian resolutely refused.
Qin Chuan and Qin Xiao must be connected, and given Qin Xiao and Qin Feng's intelligence, it can be deduced that Qin Chuan must be quite capable as well.
Such a person, upon seeing the "High Priest," would surely associate him with "Chu Jiu Bian."
This is too dangerous.
Chu Jiubian did not want to expose himself to Qin Chuan for the time being.
However, the other party's "connections" skill is too important, and they also have an intelligence network. So even if Qin Xiao keeps something from him, he can still get the information from Qin Chuan.
The only prerequisite is that Qin Chuan must trust and believe in him completely.
Furthermore, he must not be allowed to feel that the "High Priest" will harm Qin Xiao, otherwise even if he is a god, he cannot be compared to someone else's bloodline.
Therefore, he needed to make some preparations, to reveal that the High Priest and Qin Xiao actually shared the same goal. Only in this way could Qin Chuan possibly believe in him.
Chu Jiubian was filled with countless thoughts.
[Host, someone is knocking on your door.]
Chu Jiubian immediately withdrew from the Divine Realm and sat up from the bed.
Sure enough, there was a knock at the door, and Chu Jiubian knew immediately that it was Qin Xiao.
At this hour, I hope nothing bad has happened again!
Chu Jiubian immediately got up, put on his shoes, and went to the outer room. As soon as he opened the door, a damp and cold chill rushed in.
Ignoring the cold, he frowned and asked, "What happened?"
Qin Xiao glanced at him and stepped inside.
Chu Jiubian subconsciously stepped back, only to see the man enter and close the door behind him.
Chu Jiubian: "?"
Qin Xiao grasped his wrist and looked at it. Sure enough, he saw that the bandages on those fingers were gone, and the wounds were exposed openly, with some dried bloodstains between the nails and the flesh.
Qin Xiao remained silent for a few moments before asking, "Doesn't it hurt?"
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