Chapter 89 089 The refugees are committing a heinous act, openly engaging in cult activities here…
Yun Tianqi had made up his mind about the palace, and no matter what anyone said, it was useless. For several days in a row, he avoided Yun Tianjiao, making sure she couldn't see him.
Yun Tianjiao decided to take advantage of the night and ambush him in his palace.
Because of Yun Tianqi's autocratic rule, a flood of officials submitted memorials, citing various classical texts to criticize Yun Tianqi. This made him furious and exhausted. He had finally made it to bedtime, but when he lifted the bed curtains, he saw his elder sister sitting on the dragon bed, and he was immediately terrified.
"Heavens above! Eldest sister, what are you doing! How dare you get into my bed? This is utterly disgraceful!"
Yun Tianjiao glared at Yun Tianqi and sneered, "What kind of behavior is this? His Majesty is good at dodging, otherwise how could he have been caught?"
Yun Tianqi said awkwardly, "Elder sister, please stop trying to persuade me. I absolutely must build this temple!"
In private, Yun Tianqi rarely addressed Yun Tianjiao as "I" (朕), especially when he felt guilty for doing something wrong. Yun Tianjiao was not polite to him either, only addressing him as "Your Majesty" when she was extremely angry.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Yun Tianqi shrank to the side like a quail, not daring to meet his elder sister's gaze.
Yun Tianjiao stared at him for a moment, until cold sweat poured down the man's forehead, before calmly saying, "I ask you, is it really necessary to build this Qingyuan Divine Palace?"
Yun Tianqi immediately straightened up, his eyes shining brightly: "Yes! We absolutely must repair it!"
Yun Tianjiao sighed and said, "Fine, then come closer and I'll tell you a way to make money. You don't necessarily have to misappropriate disaster relief funds."
Yun Tianqi was overjoyed and immediately came over. After listening to Yun Tianjiao's words, his whole demeanor brightened instantly, as if the dark clouds that had been hanging over his head for many days had suddenly dissipated.
"Why didn't you say so sooner, elder sister! I've been scolded by those old geezers for so many days for no reason."
Yun Tianjiao, however, showed no smile on his face and said seriously, "Yun Chi Kingdom is currently suffering from continuous natural disasters, and the people in the disaster areas are starving and freezing. Even if the disaster relief funds are not allocated, you have raised money but do not prioritize the people. Instead, you are engaging in large-scale construction projects, which is not the behavior of a wise ruler."
Yun Tianqi slowly suppressed his smile and lowered his eyes.
Yun Tianjiao continued, "The matter of the curse was nothing but a baseless rumor. I don't need you to be a tyrant for me."
"It's not just for my elder sister!" Yun Tianqi immediately defended himself: "My elder sister also said that Yun Chi Kingdom is currently suffering from constant natural disasters. So, by building this temple, I not only enshrine the newly promoted deity, but also express my respect and submission to the heavens. Perhaps... perhaps, with the protection of the gods, we can have good weather and abundant harvests in the future. It is also a way of pleading for the people."
Yun Tianjiao looked at Yun Tianqi, who was already obsessed with divine power, and wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't say anything.
She was, after all, just the eldest princess. The vast Yun Chi Empire still had to be protected by Yun Tianqi. That was all she could do.
...
The next day at the court assembly, Yun Tianqi, unlike his previous listless state, spoke first before anyone could present their memorial.
"There's no need for further discussion about the palace repairs, as it's a done deal. However, you're all right; disaster relief funds are a matter of life and death for the people, and shouldn't be used rashly. So, I've come up with another solution."
The court officials exchanged bewildered glances, but upon hearing that the emperor would no longer divert funds intended for wildfire relief, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, before they could even catch their breath, the young emperor on the dragon throne spoke—
"Since this temple of the Azure Origin Divine Venerable is being built for the sake of the country, then we should pool our wisdom and efforts and not just rely on the national treasury. Therefore, I have decided that the royal family, together with all the officials, will donate funds to jointly fund the construction of this temple!"
The entire court was shocked. They never expected that all this advice would result in the loss of their own money!
Yun Tianqi was already quite pleased with himself for finally getting such a brilliant idea from his elder sister. Now, seeing these civil and military officials who talk about the people's livelihood every day get their comeuppance, he was even happier. He stood up from the dragon throne, put his hands behind his back, and strode around with a very imposing air.
"I will set an example today and take five thousand taels of silver from the royal treasury!" After saying that, he called to the palace servants around him to bring paper and pen.
He actually wrote down his name and the amount of money he was donating on the spot, and then had someone pass the paper down, requiring officials of all ranks to write down the amount of their donations on the paper in order of their official positions.
Prime Minister Shen has claimed illness and is currently unavailable, so Grand Commandant Guo is the first to be dismissed.
Grand Commandant Guo looked at the five thousand taels of silver written by the emperor at the top, pondered for a while, and was just about to pick up his pen to write one thousand taels when he heard the emperor's voice.
"Minister Guo, if I remember correctly, your wife is a frequent visitor to the list of worshippers of the Azure Origin God, isn't she? Since your whole family believes in the Azure Origin God, you must make a good impression at this crucial time! Don't wait until the temple is completed and you, the great worshippers who often show your faces in front of the Azure Origin God, are nowhere to be found, and end up offending the God."
"Yes, Your Majesty's suggestion is correct." Grand Commandant Guo wiped the sweat from his forehead, his hands trembling as he wrote down three thousand taels of silver, his heart aching as if it were bleeding.
That wasn't all. After writing down the amount, he was about to pass it on to someone else when, unbeknownst to him, the Emperor had already walked up to him. After seeing the amount he had written down, the Emperor casually remarked, "The Grand Commandant is indeed incredibly wealthy and powerful."
Grand Commandant Guo felt a chill run down his spine, not understanding what the emperor meant by those words. Could it be that he suspected Guo of embezzlement?
While Yun Tianqi was feeling extremely anxious, he had already leisurely strolled over to the next courtier.
After this morning court session, nothing else was accomplished, but all the civil and military officials had spent a fortune, and they were being watched like ghosts by the emperor. Writing down the amount of their donations was wrong, and writing down the amount of their donations was also wrong. It was a double torment of material and mental suffering.
For a moment, I even envied Prime Minister Shen, who had recently been plagued by misfortunes and was not present at the scene.
Only Yun Tianqi was in a great mood, finally finding an outlet for his pent-up frustrations of the past few days.
Not only the court officials, but also Yun Tianqi and others, after the morning court session, had people go door-to-door to the homes of wealthy merchants in various places to raise funds according to the list of Qingyuan pilgrims. After a while, the money to build the temple was raised.
When Qingyuan Divine Venerable heard that the temple had been completed, he was overjoyed. However, not long after, he discovered that the donations from various places in Yunchi Kingdom had decreased significantly. After finding out that most of the worshippers had responded to the imperial court's call and donated money to build a new Divine Venerable Temple, he was furious.
Isn't this the same as him using his existing incense resources to build a temple for himself?
The cost is ultimately borne by the consumer! Who came up with such a vicious method?!
However, that's a story for another time.
...
Yun Tianqi resolved the issue of funding for the temple's construction and then sent people to survey and select a site. Finally, the temple was located ten miles southwest of the city gate, a place with beautiful scenery and excellent feng shui, backed by mountains and facing water. Its ancient name was Wanxi, making it perfect for building a temple for the newly promoted deity.
Everything was in good order, and Yun Tianqi was starting to think about what opportunity to release Shen Hengzhen. But he didn't expect that his peaceful days would not last long before new troubles arose.
The Imperial Guard Commandant in charge of the palace gates reported: "Your Majesty, there are several thousand refugees stranded outside the capital. I have already dispatched troops to stop them, but the refugees are unwilling to disperse and seem to be setting up camp outside the city. Due to their large numbers, we dare not forcibly drive them away, for fear of causing trouble. Please give us your instructions."
Upon hearing this, Yun Tianqi jumped up.
"Where did these thousands of refugees suddenly come from?!"
The Imperial Guard Commandant said, "I sent people to inquire, and they said they came from the wildfire-stricken areas in the southwest. It is said that their villages were burned down and they had nowhere to go."
"Nonsense! Haven't I been sending people to provide disaster relief and appease the people? Why aren't they staying in their hometowns? What are they planning to do, travel such a long distance to the capital? Rebellion?!"
The Commandant of the Guards stammered and glanced in the direction of Prime Minister Shen.
Prime Minister Shen, who had been claiming illness for many days, has only recently resumed attending court.
Seeing that the Commandant of the Guards kept looking in the direction of the Prime Minister, Yun Tianqi felt a surge of anger rising within him again. He snapped, "What else do you have to say? Just say it! Why are you looking elsewhere?!"
The Imperial Guard Commandant quickly kowtowed and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty! I heard from those refugees that they came here from afar because Lord Shen was suddenly summoned back to the capital."
Yun Tianqi asked in a detached tone, "Oh? It's just a normal transfer of officials. What does that have to do with them?"
The Imperial Guard looked terrified, and his voice lowered slightly. "The refugees in the disaster area somehow heard rumors that Lord Shen was suddenly recalled because the Emperor suspected him. They are grateful for Lord Shen's charitable acts in disaster relief, so they spontaneously gathered in the capital to plead for Lord Shen!"
Upon hearing this, the entire court fell silent.
The court officials kept their eyes down, not daring to speak, only secretly glancing in the direction of Prime Minister Shen out of the corner of their eyes.
Prime Minister Shen remained unmoved, but his brows furrowed slightly, his eyes filled with worry.
"Excellent! Excellent! I never imagined that Lord Shen's prestige was so high!"
Yun Tianqi's face turned pale with anger, and his once beautiful eyes now radiated a sinister chill due to his rage.
He closed his eyes, seemingly trying to calm himself down.
After a long silence, he slowly said, "Several thousand people have gathered here. There must be someone instigating and inciting them. Investigate! Investigate thoroughly! I want to see who is stirring up trouble and can't stand to see me at peace!"
...
Upon hearing about the gathering of refugees outside the city, Yun Tianjiao felt uneasy and decided to go and see for himself with Zhiwei.
It was a coincidence that today was the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day for family reunion. Thinking of those displaced people who were struggling to make ends meet and had no time to celebrate the festival, she ordered people to prepare thousands of mooncakes, which were then escorted by the guards and sent out of the city with her.
From the southwest city gate all the way to Wanxi, the site of the new Qingyuan Temple, there were heavy troops guarding the route for more than ten miles.
Yun Tianjiao was sitting in the carriage when he saw the Imperial Guard on patrol halfway through the journey. He then ordered the carriage to be stopped and lifted the curtain to ask him a question.
She was not familiar with the Imperial Guard Commandant, only knowing that his surname was Li.
"Lord Li, why are there so many troops deployed along the way?"
"Your Highness, the number of these refugees is considerable, and their place of stay is so close to Wanxi. His Majesty is worried that this will affect the construction of the temple of the Divine Lord Qingyuan, so he has ordered me to keep a close watch on them."
Yun Tianjiao frowned upon hearing this, lowered the carriage curtain to let the carriage continue, and couldn't help but complain to Zhiwei: "What time is it? You're still concerned about repairing the temple. If thousands of refugees are not handled properly, it's no joke."
Zhiwei comforted her, "Your Highness, there is no need to be anxious. Those refugees are staying more than ten miles away from the city gate. They probably have no intention of rebelling. They are probably just here to plead for Lord Shen. Let's wait and see."
The carriage traveled a little further and passed a large clearing of earth and stones, which must have been the site chosen for the temple.
As Yun Tianjiao had anticipated, this was a legitimate construction site, and if there were any concerns about the displaced people causing trouble, there should have been more guards. However, to his surprise, he saw very few people guarding the site.
She ordered the carriage to stop again, and a village headman stepped forward and kowtowed.
Yun Tianjiao asked, "Why are there only a few of you here?"
The garrison commander replied, "Your Highness, a disturbance has broken out ahead, and we have dispatched a considerable number of our men to suppress the riot!"
Yun Tianjiao's heart skipped a beat: "What happened?"
The village head shook his head: "I don't know the specifics yet, but someone came back early this morning to tell us to go and help suppress the refugees, saying that a disturbance has broken out."
Yun Tianjiao dared not delay and prepared to rush to the scene immediately.
The village headman advised, "Your Highness, the rioters are dangerous. You should go back and not go any further."
“It’s alright, refugees are still people.” She narrowed her eyes slightly, her unease growing stronger than before, and murmured, “I’m just afraid that if we don’t go today, these thousands of people will no longer be people in the future.”
The carriage continued on its way, and when Zhiwei grabbed her hand, she was surprised to find that her hand was even colder than Zhiwei's.
Soon they heard a commotion coming from afar. Yun Tianjiao had excellent eyesight and could vaguely see a soldier raising his sword and slashing at a person dressed in civilian clothes on the ground.
"Zhiwei, stop him!" Yun Tianjiao suddenly grabbed Zhiwei's arm.
Zhiwei lifted the curtain and flicked her finger, deflecting the soldier's falling knife and saving the civilian's life.
This sudden turn of events drew everyone's attention to Yun Tianjiao, where they saw a long convoy of cars heading their way.
"Those are Her Highness the Princess's carriage and entourage!" a soldier recognized them and shouted.
The officer in charge quickly jogged over.
Yun Tianjiao demanded, "Why is there this chaos, that you are using a butcher's knife against defenseless civilians?"
The officer in charge was also indignant and said excitedly, "Your Highness, you don't know! These refugees are actually committing treason by openly worshipping the Ghost King at the local altar!"
"Yes, when we tried to stop them, they fought back fiercely. Just now, that young man even seized a fellow soldier's weapon and nearly seriously injured us!"
Another soldier complained, pointing to the civilian who had just been saved by Yun Tianjiao from being killed.
Yun Tianjiao looked over and saw that the person was thin and looked to be a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old.
He was slowly getting up from the ground, dusting himself off, and turning around at the sound.
A long, slanted scar runs across what was once a handsome face.
Yun Tianjiao was stunned.
She recognized the man; he was the little beggar who had been injured at the theater that day.
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Author's Note: For those who have been following the story for too long and have forgotten about the little beggar, you can revisit Chapter 6!
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