Listen to my excuse, I really forgot to update yesterday because I was playing.
Tang Qi and Cheng Wang's plan unfolded rapidly. Notices were posted, and Hu Xingche, with a small but well-organized force of soldiers, maintained order in front of several small granaries overseen by Shen Zhiqing. Registration and grain distribution proceeded smoothly.
When Tang Qi swaggered over, Hu Xingche was standing with his back to him, enthusiastically greeting the people who had come to collect their grain with a few other people.
While he was still busy, a hand suddenly reached out in front of him. Tang Qi twisted his wrist and opened his palm, revealing a bright silver lock lying in his hand.
"Boss... Boss?"
Tang Qi handed the things to Hu Xingche: "What are you standing there for? Bring them yourself. I'm not bringing them for you."
Hu Xingche was still in a daze when Tang Qi shoved the item into his hand.
"A... a longevity lock?" Hu Xingche asked in surprise.
"It's a peace lock, used to ward off evil and ensure safety."
"Boss... what happened to you all of a sudden—"
Tang Qi waved his hand to stop Hu Xingche from speaking, then glanced at him sideways and laughed, "Alright, I know you too well. The first thing you did when we met was stare at the lock on his neck."
Hu Xingche choked up, as if someone had discovered his little secret.
"It was done in a rush, so it's not very good. We'll get you a new one when we get back to Los Angeles."
Tang Qi laughed, but before she could say anything else, she was suddenly pounced on, and Hu Xingche's muffled voice came through: "No! I don't want a new one! I want this one!"
Tang Qi was stunned for a moment when the person who rushed at her grabbed her. She smiled and tried to push him away, but found that she couldn't move him at all: "What are you doing? Are you trying to strangle me?"
Hu Xingche didn't say anything, but hugged him even tighter.
"Alright, if you keep crying, you're going to cry a whole lake." Tang Qi patted his back gently, like comforting a child.
However, the heartwarming scene did not last long, and dust began to rise not far behind them.
The dull, rapid sound of horses' hooves grew louder as they approached. Hu Xingche got up from Tang Qi's arms, and Tang Qi also stopped smiling and stared at them with a serious expression.
The soldiers guarding the city walls suddenly banged on the drums, and soon a large group of people rushed into the city gate.
"They're here." Ye Qian stopped distributing the rations. Shen Zhiqing, her lips pressed tightly together, looked in that direction with equal solemnity.
Leading the group was a cavalry unit, their faces beneath helmets cold and hard, surrounding the rider in the middle.
On that exceptionally fine warhorse sat a middle-aged man. His face was stern, and his narrow eyes showed no emotion whatsoever. The man was none other than Zhou Keng, the Privy Councilor who had been appointed by imperial decree to oversee all military and political affairs in Jinan.
Behind him stretched an endless mass of infantry. An invisible, suffocating pressure, brought by this silent and massive army, instantly enveloped the entire city of Siwei. The remaining clamor within the city vanished completely, leaving only a deathly silence.
Tang Qi spotted Cheng Junshi, who was coming out of the city to greet Zhou Keng, at a glance. He was trailing at the back of the procession, with carts of golden grain beside him.
However, besides Cheng Junshi, he also saw another familiar face ahead—Zhou Ziye.
Zhou Keng took the lead, slowly riding his horse into the city. His gaze swept over the faces on both sides of the street, some filled with fear, others with hunger and distress, and over the dilapidated houses, finally settling on Wu Shunyi and the others who had rushed to the city gate to greet him.
Wu Shunyi suppressed the turmoil in his heart, straightened his official robe, stepped forward, and bowed: "This humble official, Wu Shunyi, the county magistrate of Sishou, greets Lord Zhou. Your journey has been arduous."
Zhou Keng reined in his horse, looking down at Wu Shunyi without dismounting. The imposing iron cavalry behind him immediately froze in place. He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet carrying a strange penetrating power, clearly reaching the ears of everyone present: "County Commandant Wu," Zhou Keng's tone was completely flat, "I am ordered to oversee Jinan and quell the rebellion. As one of the local officials, you have seen widespread unrest, unstable granaries, and starving people besieging officials appointed by the court, nearly causing a major disaster. What is the reason for this?"
Every word he uttered was like a thorn, directly piercing Wu Shunyi's dereliction of duty. There were no pleasantries, no formalities; the moment they met, he launched into a merciless reprimand.
Wu Shunyi's heart tightened, but he maintained the proper respect on his face: "Your Excellency is wise. Jinan is suffering from a severe drought, with no harvest and the people eating dry rations. They are truly desperate for survival and have no intention of causing trouble. I, County Magistrate Cheng, Young Master Ye, and others have done our best to appease them and have initially stabilized the situation. We have also opened the granaries to distribute grain to temporarily alleviate the immediate crisis. We are only waiting for Your Excellency to bring the Emperor's grace of providing grain to relieve Jinan's dire straits."
After hearing what he said, Tang Qi's eyes flickered. Wu Shunyi was indeed a shrewd old fox. With just a few words, he cleverly portrayed the act of "opening the warehouse" as a necessary measure to "stabilize the situation."
"Stabilize the situation?" Zhou Keng's lips curled into a very subtle smile as he glanced at Tang Qi and the others behind Wu Shunyi. "All I've seen along my journey are ruins and rubble, refugees swarming like ants, living in constant fear. Is this what you mean by 'stabilize'?"
He paused, then his voice suddenly turned stern: "As for opening the granaries and distributing grain... County Magistrate Wu, who gave you the authority to open the granaries and distribute grain before the imperial relief grain arrived and before the imperial edict was issued? Do you have any respect for the law?!"
The sound struck everyone's hearts with a thud, startling them all.
Cheng Junshi suddenly dismounted, walked a few steps to the crowd, knelt down, and said in a high-pitched voice: "Your Excellency, it was my idea to open the granary without authorization. His Majesty is so kind as to send you to protect the grain and save the people. However, the area is far away. If we wait for you to bring the grain, the people here may become bones. Therefore, I had no choice but to take this expedient measure. I am willing to bear all the blame."
Before Zhou Keng could speak, a clear, cold, and firm voice suddenly rang out again.
“My lord!” Shen Zhiqing bowed respectfully to Zhou Keng on horseback, “Please hear my words. Previously, County Magistrate Wu was seriously injured and unconscious, the grain in the granaries was replaced, and even the tree bark in the four guardian lands was eaten. In such a situation, if we continue to keep the seal, wouldn’t that be forcing the people to break into the granaries and committing a riot? His Majesty is merciful and will certainly not want to see the four guardian lands stained with blood. County Magistrate Cheng was only trying to save the people from their suffering and had no choice but to take this expedient measure. Moreover, since you have come here and see that the people still have a way to survive, is this not a bad thing?”
Shen Zhiqing's words were forceful, shifting the responsibility from Cheng Junshi's shoulders to Zhou Keng, and using the unavoidable reason of "saving the people" to shut him up from any questioning.
That's a brilliant move. Tang Qi and Ye Qian exchanged glances.
"Oh, Lord Zhou, why waste words with them? Let's just open the granaries and leave. This place is so poor and desolate, I don't even want to stay another day." Another familiar voice rang out, and Tang Qi frowned and silently looked further back.
On horseback, a young master-like man curled his lip in disdain, rolling his eyes several times in a few moments, seemingly disgusted with this place called Si Shou.
Tang Qi was slightly surprised to see him, but upon reflection, it made sense. The grain was sent by the Ministry of Revenue, so it was plausible to send someone to take credit for it.
"Who is he...?" Ye Qian asked quietly.
“Wang Shili, a very—despicable—person.” Tang Qi’s somewhat childish and spiteful remark made Ye Qian smile slightly and ask, “From Luocheng?”
Tang Qi nodded, pouting helplessly. With Wang Shili here, there was no peace and quiet.
“Hmph,” Zhou Keng finally let out a light, ambiguous laugh: “I appreciate your sincere intentions. However, disaster relief and quelling rebellions are governed by the laws and regulations of the land. His Majesty is benevolent, and the 100,000 shi of relief grain has already arrived. As for the responsibility for the unauthorized opening of the granaries, mismanagement, and the resulting popular uprising—” His gaze swept over Wu Shunyi, Cheng Junshi, and the silent crowd behind them again: “Once the disaster relief is completed, I will clarify everything and handle the matter impartially!”
He spoke the words "handle the matter impartially" very slowly, each word carrying an undisguised threat.
He stopped looking at the crowd, suddenly jerked the reins, and his black horse neighed and strode forward.
"Issue the order!" Zhou Keng's voice was cold and stern: "Immediately take over the defenses of the four cities and all garrison camps. The original garrison troops shall remain in place and await orders. Anyone who moves without my written order shall be punished for treason. Seal all official granaries and treasuries, and seal up the account books and documents immediately. No one is allowed to touch them without authorization."
"Furthermore," Zhou Keng paused, turned his head and gave Zhou Ziye a look. The latter was stunned for a moment, then spurred his horse forward slowly. He held a bright yellow imperial edict in his hand and said loudly, "His Majesty has ordered that the disaster relief grain has arrived. Open the granaries immediately to distribute the grain to the disaster victims in Jinan."
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" Upon hearing Zhou Ziye's words, the surrounding people knelt down with a thud, their voices filled with barely suppressed excitement and hoarseness as they kowtowed deeply.
Wang Shili rode his horse, with carts of golden grain slowly following behind him.
"The grain has arrived! We have new grain!"
"The imperial court's disaster relief grain has arrived! We are saved!"
"Your Majesty's grace is boundless!"
Those starving people, whose eyes had been filled with despair, erupted in earth-shattering cries and shouts after a brief silence. There was no anger, only the ecstatic joy of escaping death and gratitude for the emperor's boundless grace.
"Open the granaries!" Wu Shunyi stood up, his face beaming with undisguised joy, and roared with all his might, "Open all official granaries immediately! Distribute grain in an orderly manner according to household registration! All the people of Jinan will have a way to survive!"
At his command, the soldiers, who were already prepared, were about to push open the heavy doors of the granaries.
The granaries were no longer filled with straw and stones that symbolized deception, but with golden, plump grains. Truckloads were being transported in, and the rustling sound of the grains flowing through them was more beautiful to the ears of the people of Jinan than any celestial music.
Outside the granary, the starving people were no longer in chaos, and hope for survival was rekindled in everyone's eyes.
However, at this very moment...
"etc--"
Zhou Keng's voice came again: "To prevent those who are not qualified or have ulterior motives, the amount of grain to be distributed from the granary each day is limited and will be allocated to each household according to the number of people. Anyone who dares to cause trouble or start a rebellion will have their ringleader detained, and the rest, along with their families, will not be allowed to receive grain. Anyone who commits a second offense will be executed on the spot. Anyone who resists or hides will be killed without exception."
His voice was calm, without even a change in tone. Yet, his words stirred up a storm in the hearts of Tang Qi and the others.
Daily food supplies were limited and distributed according to the number of people. This seemed fair, but in practice, the numerous loopholes in the system forced the people to rebel.
The public sentiment that Tang Qi and his team had managed to stabilize was about to descend into chaos again.
A series of cold, stern orders came out of his mouth without the slightest hesitation. The soldiers behind him instantly sprang into action. Some pounced on the city gate guards and the military camp like wolves, while others began to surround the civilians on the street.
An atmosphere of impending doom instantly filled the entire city.
Zhou Keng rode his horse forward, surrounded by his guards. Every step he took seemed to tread on the hearts of the people of Jinan and Tang Qi and the others.
Cheng Junshi stood there, watching Zhou Keng's departing figure and the Imperial Guards who quickly took control of the entire city, and felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
Tang Qi was right beside him, his voice devoid of emotion. He simply said calmly, "The four defenders of Jinan are likely to become a dead city."
Zhou Ziye sat on his horse and rode up to the group. He didn't rein in his horse or exchange pleasantries, but instead lowered his gaze and gave them a deep look.
He was always...different from them.
Zhou Ziye silently pulled on the reins and followed Zhou Keng's steps without saying a word.
After they left, Wang Shili let out a long sigh and stopped in front of Cheng Junshi. He grinned and said arrogantly, "Oh, isn't this Young Master Cheng?"
“Oh no,” he said coldly, “now I should call you County Lieutenant Cheng. What, are you addicted to being demoted? You even want to join in the fun in Jinan?”
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