Teacher Meng, take away your YY that flew to the sky.
The earthquake in Qiuling County, which caused casualties even in neighboring counties, quickly reached the prefectural government in Pingzhou.
According to the rules, the incident should be immediately reported to the imperial court to request official approval from the Ministry of Personnel for disaster relief. However, it was nearing the end of the year, and it would take several days for a fast horse to deliver the news to the capital. Furthermore, in another four or five days, the government offices would close for the New Year.
Not to mention the inadequate supply of resources, who would be willing to carry out the relief efforts? Reporting the incident at this time would not only raise the Emperor’s eyebrows but also invite the displeasure of the influential officials in the imperial court. It was common practice to delay reporting such incidents until after the New Year, using the ridiculous excuse that everyone wanted to enjoy a good New Year.
Pingzhou’s government indeed wanted to delay the report, but the problem arose in Qiuling County. What did Qiuling County have? Bandit Sweeping General Liu Dan, who was investigating the Si family gold mine.
Liu Dan was a trusted minister of the Emperor, and his investigation was naturally carried out under the Emperor’s orders. If the Emperor had been concerned about the gold mine, he would have summoned the commander of the Imperial Guards, asked casually about General Liu’s progress, and inadvertently heard that an earthquake had struck Qiuling County, causing countless deaths and injuries. Who would be unlucky enough to bear the blame?
Therefore, without a second thought, the Magistrate of Pingzhou immediately wrote a memorial and dispatched a fast horse to report the incident urgently to the capital.
Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Personnel, was the first to read the memorial and was displeased. Then he realized the implications brought by Liu Dan’s presence—during the Qi dynasty, there was a tradition of being cautious of military commanders. Pingzhou had many bandits, and Qiuling County was currently filled with disaster victims. If the Bandit Sweeping General lost his mind after finding the gold mine and rebelled, provoking the Emperor’s wrath and investigations, wouldn’t the Ministry of Personnel be responsible for the delayed report of the disaster?
Looking at it from another perspective, even if Liu Dan was loyal to the Emperor, the delayed disaster relief in Qiuling County would inevitably lead to chaos in the freezing weather. If Liu Dan submitted a memorial to complain about it, the Ministry of Personnel, which had suppressed the disaster report, would be the first to bear the brunt of the blame.
Minister Zhang pondered over this matter and thought of an excellent idea. He could make use of it to deal with his political rival, Minister Jiang. Immediately, Minister Zhang mobilized his staff to mix the memorial into a pile of useless documents and set it aside, digging a big hole for Minister Jiang, who had suddenly returned home due to a sudden ache in his waist and legs.
However, as soon as the plan began, it came to a halt because Minister Jiang returned halfway. Despite being an elderly statesman, his memory was exceptional. He immediately noticed that the memorials on the table had been tampered with and trembled with anger as he unfolded the original memorial.
Minister Jiang didn’t know what kind of move his political rival would make, so he decided to take decisive action and report the disaster in Qiuling County.
As expected, the Emperor was furious. What did it mean to have natural disasters during the New Year season? Was he being accused of having an illegitimate position?
Fortunately, Minister Jiang was well-prepared. He had privately informed the Emperor and acted concerned about Liu Dan’s well-being. He mentioned that Pingzhou was freezing cold, and Qiuling County didn’t even have a single intact house, let alone the disaster victims. He expressed his worry about General Liu’s situation.
The Emperor of the Qi dynasty, who always boasted about being different from the previous Emperor Chu Yuandi, seemed to treat his ministers well on the surface and frequently bestowed rewards upon them.
Liu Dan was a hero who had saved the Emperor, and a benevolent and kind-hearted Emperor certainly couldn’t leave such a loyal minister in distress. Moreover, the Emperor was still concerned about the gold mine in Qiuling County, and with disturbances happening in various places, the treasury was depleted.
Upon consideration, the Emperor felt that it would be a pity if Liu Dan died. He secretly dispatched the commander of the Imperial Guards and instructed the three counties in the southern region to assist with disaster relief. Minister Jiang wrote an imperial decree on behalf of the Emperor, which was secretly issued. As long as there was no discussion of the natural disaster in the capital, the court could still have a good New Year.
Although Liu Dan was critically injured and lying motionless, his presence still brought a turning point for Qiuling County.
On the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, the relief grains arrived in Benan County. Large pots were used to cook porridge, and the fragrance spread far and wide.
Mo Li and Meng Qi prepared to set off. They had helped Constable Zheng find some food from the cellar in recent days, but the quantity was limited. The people who were still alive could barely survive, and they lived in constant fear and anxiety.
Several severely injured patients couldn’t hold on and died. Mo Li couldn’t find any medicinal herbs in the mountains, and the few plants he occasionally gathered seemed somewhat unusual, but he couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong with them. It was the same with the food they found in the cellar—it tasted strange.
At first, Physician Mo thought it was because the food was contaminated with ashes. No matter how much they cleaned it, there was residue. However, when he smelled the fragrance of the relief rice porridge, he realized it wasn’t the case.
Could it be the water? Mo Li carefully examined it, but the water wasn’t poisonous, everything seemed normal. Qiuling County was a peculiar place, and the longer Mo Li stayed there, the more restless he felt. After thinking for a while, he concluded that it might be due to the local environment not suiting him.
In someone else’s territory, feeling uncomfortable due to the presence of another dragon vein could only be described as “not acclimated to the local environment.”
Meng Qi didn’t seem to have any issues, or perhaps his frequent mood swings were due to his illness. Mo Li couldn’t determine if Meng Qi’s abnormal behavior was a result of “not acclimating to the environment.” This question had been lingering until today, as they were about to leave Qiuling County, and Mo Li still couldn’t figure it out.
“Physician?”
“What did you just say?” Mo Li snapped back to reality and asked.
“Nothing. Are you hungry, Physician?” Meng Qi casually teased. “I have two pieces of dried meat here.”
Mo Li had been eating very little these days, almost as little as a sand mouse. Due to limited food supplies, everyone had to be frugal with their meals. Meng Qi hadn’t paid much attention to it since his own condition often caused him to skip meals. He didn’t know how he managed to survive until now.
—Probably relying on his profound internal skills!
The Chu shaman clan was truly full of mysteries.
Meng Qi discreetly glanced at Mo Li’s back and waist. These days, he had been wondering about the Chu shaman rituals of dancing and praying to the gods, burning incense, letting their long hair loose, and even wearing only a single robe with their chests exposed while dancing barefoot… Was the Physician like that too?
For a man, doesn’t the Physician’s waist seem a bit slender? However, ancient books recorded that the Emperor of Chu had a slender waist, so maybe it was a characteristic of the people from Chu. Meng Qi selectively forgot that Pingzhou was in the northwest, and there was no connection between Mo Li and the Chu natives.
“You’re too thin. Eat a bit more.” Meng Qi took out the dried meat and forcefully handed it to Mo Li.
Physician Mo felt a bit puzzled as he looked down at himself. Was he thin? He didn’t think so!
Qiu Hong, who was following behind them, murmured to herself, “…”
She had known these two for quite a few days, and she always found their interactions peculiar. Perhaps it was because she had only encountered people involved in alcohol and lust in the brothel, so she didn’t understand the way people in the martial world interacted.
Qiu Hong carried a small package on her back, and Mo Li helped her find suitable boots. The mountain roads were difficult to traverse, filled with disaster victims seeking refuge with relatives elsewhere and carts carrying relief supplies.
Qiu Hong was dressed in men’s clothing and had applied ash on her face. She ate a steamed bun while walking, with small and elegant movements, resembling a scholarly gentleman.
Just then, a horse on the mountain path became startled and charged toward them, lifting its hooves. People panicked and scattered, but before Mo Li could intervene, a man in tattered Daoist robes rushed forward and managed to grab hold of the frenzied horse with one hand.
The horse continued to struggle and jump around but eventually calmed down after a while. The owner of the horse caught up and expressed profuse gratitude to the Daoist.
“Why did the horse suddenly go mad?” the Daoist furrowed his brow and asked.
“It was scared by the earth dragon’s movements. It has happened several times in the past few days. The horses and mules are getting more unruly,” the horse owner sighed and shook his head. “Horses nowadays are not like they used to be. They have become too timid.”
Someone nearby chimed in, “Well, it’s not a warhorse. As long as it didn’t die from fright, that’s already good enough.”
“Yeah, when it happened, the horse’s legs sank into a pit. Fortunately, we live in the countryside. If we were near the county town, we might have lost our lives,” the horse owner then casually cursed the Si family and led the horse away.
The Daoist dusted off the dirt from his robes and continued walking. He happened to encounter Mo Li and Meng Qi on the way. Perhaps there was truly a mysterious connection among martial arts experts. The Daoist subconsciously looked toward the two of them, his expression filled with confusion.
“…” They stared at each other, unaware of each other’s identities, making the encounter seem rather abrupt. Mo Li lowered his head, and the Daoist also bowed slightly in greeting, then they passed by each other.
The Daoist followed the carts transporting food and headed towards Qiuling County.
“He managed to grab the mad horse with just one hand. He must be quite strong,” Meng Qi commented, though his face showed no surprise. After all, he could do the same.
“Do you suspect him to be related to the Qingwu Ancestor?” Mo Li asked directly.
“Perhaps. Who knows?” Meng Qi rubbed his chin and pondered, “Since he’s called the Qingwu Ancestor, he must be quite old. The man just now appeared to be in his thirties, so he shouldn’t be at the stage of calling himself an ancestor yet. If he was sent by the Qingwu Ancestor, he doesn’t seem too concerned about us. He just left like that.”
Mo Li pondered, “How should he have shown concern? Should he have attacked us directly?”
Mo Li couldn’t help but contemplate the man’s strength from earlier. Unfortunately, the encounter was too brief to discern his depth. However, upon observing the man, he noticed slight bulges on his temples, a resolute expression, and a strong sense of sword intent in his every movement.
By rights, a famous swordsman with such distinctive characteristics should be well-known in the martial arts world. However, one of them was completely unaware of the martial world, while the other had lost his memory altogether. To figure out this much, there must be something fishy going on!
Mo Li’s pace slowed down, and he turned around to find that the man’s steps seemed to have paused as well. Without much time to think, both of them suddenly turned around and simultaneously employed some small grappling techniques, intending to subdue the other with minimal noise.
“Huh?” Mo Li blocked a move and was about to counterattack when Meng Qi preempted him.
In just a few swift movements, the onlookers failed to react as the Daoist’s opponent switched from Mo Li to Meng Qi.
“Who are you?” Meng Qi asked.
“Who are you?” The two of them exercised great restraint, countering each other’s moves in a calculated manner, their internal energy contained and not affecting their surroundings in the slightest.
“…What is your relationship with the Si family?” The second half of the sentence was spoken simultaneously, causing both of them to abruptly stop and size each other up.
Author’s Note:
Team A and Team B passed each other and politely acknowledged each other, but as they continued walking, they both felt that something was amiss. They simultaneously turned around and shouted, “Halt!”
Teacher Meng, take away your YY that flew to the sky.
The earthquake in Qiuling County, which caused casualties even in neighboring counties, quickly reached the prefectural government in Pingzhou.
According to the rules, the incident should be immediately reported to the imperial court to request official approval from the Ministry of Personnel for disaster relief. However, it was nearing the end of the year, and it would take several days for a fast horse to deliver the news to the capital. Furthermore, in another four or five days, the government offices would close for the New Year.
Not to mention the inadequate supply of resources, who would be willing to carry out the relief efforts? Reporting the incident at this time would not only raise the Emperor’s eyebrows but also invite the displeasure of the influential officials in the imperial court. It was common practice to delay reporting such incidents until after the New Year, using the ridiculous excuse that everyone wanted to enjoy a good New Year.
Pingzhou’s government indeed wanted to delay the report, but the problem arose in Qiuling County. What did Qiuling County have? Bandit Sweeping General Liu Dan, who was investigating the Si family gold mine.
Liu Dan was a trusted minister of the Emperor, and his investigation was naturally carried out under the Emperor’s orders. If the Emperor had been concerned about the gold mine, he would have summoned the commander of the Imperial Guards, asked casually about General Liu’s progress, and inadvertently heard that an earthquake had struck Qiuling County, causing countless deaths and injuries. Who would be unlucky enough to bear the blame?
Therefore, without a second thought, the Magistrate of Pingzhou immediately wrote a memorial and dispatched a fast horse to report the incident urgently to the capital.
Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Personnel, was the first to read the memorial and was displeased. Then he realized the implications brought by Liu Dan’s presence—during the Qi dynasty, there was a tradition of being cautious of military commanders. Pingzhou had many bandits, and Qiuling County was currently filled with disaster victims. If the Bandit Sweeping General lost his mind after finding the gold mine and rebelled, provoking the Emperor’s wrath and investigations, wouldn’t the Ministry of Personnel be responsible for the delayed report of the disaster?
Looking at it from another perspective, even if Liu Dan was loyal to the Emperor, the delayed disaster relief in Qiuling County would inevitably lead to chaos in the freezing weather. If Liu Dan submitted a memorial to complain about it, the Ministry of Personnel, which had suppressed the disaster report, would be the first to bear the brunt of the blame.
Minister Zhang pondered over this matter and thought of an excellent idea. He could make use of it to deal with his political rival, Minister Jiang. Immediately, Minister Zhang mobilized his staff to mix the memorial into a pile of useless documents and set it aside, digging a big hole for Minister Jiang, who had suddenly returned home due to a sudden ache in his waist and legs.
However, as soon as the plan began, it came to a halt because Minister Jiang returned halfway. Despite being an elderly statesman, his memory was exceptional. He immediately noticed that the memorials on the table had been tampered with and trembled with anger as he unfolded the original memorial.
Minister Jiang didn’t know what kind of move his political rival would make, so he decided to take decisive action and report the disaster in Qiuling County.
As expected, the Emperor was furious. What did it mean to have natural disasters during the New Year season? Was he being accused of having an illegitimate position?
Fortunately, Minister Jiang was well-prepared. He had privately informed the Emperor and acted concerned about Liu Dan’s well-being. He mentioned that Pingzhou was freezing cold, and Qiuling County didn’t even have a single intact house, let alone the disaster victims. He expressed his worry about General Liu’s situation.
The Emperor of the Qi dynasty, who always boasted about being different from the previous Emperor Chu Yuandi, seemed to treat his ministers well on the surface and frequently bestowed rewards upon them.
Liu Dan was a hero who had saved the Emperor, and a benevolent and kind-hearted Emperor certainly couldn’t leave such a loyal minister in distress. Moreover, the Emperor was still concerned about the gold mine in Qiuling County, and with disturbances happening in various places, the treasury was depleted.
Upon consideration, the Emperor felt that it would be a pity if Liu Dan died. He secretly dispatched the commander of the Imperial Guards and instructed the three counties in the southern region to assist with disaster relief. Minister Jiang wrote an imperial decree on behalf of the Emperor, which was secretly issued. As long as there was no discussion of the natural disaster in the capital, the court could still have a good New Year.
Although Liu Dan was critically injured and lying motionless, his presence still brought a turning point for Qiuling County.
On the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, the relief grains arrived in Benan County. Large pots were used to cook porridge, and the fragrance spread far and wide.
Mo Li and Meng Qi prepared to set off. They had helped Constable Zheng find some food from the cellar in recent days, but the quantity was limited. The people who were still alive could barely survive, and they lived in constant fear and anxiety.
Several severely injured patients couldn’t hold on and died. Mo Li couldn’t find any medicinal herbs in the mountains, and the few plants he occasionally gathered seemed somewhat unusual, but he couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong with them. It was the same with the food they found in the cellar—it tasted strange.
At first, Physician Mo thought it was because the food was contaminated with ashes. No matter how much they cleaned it, there was residue. However, when he smelled the fragrance of the relief rice porridge, he realized it wasn’t the case.
Could it be the water? Mo Li carefully examined it, but the water wasn’t poisonous, everything seemed normal. Qiuling County was a peculiar place, and the longer Mo Li stayed there, the more restless he felt. After thinking for a while, he concluded that it might be due to the local environment not suiting him.
In someone else’s territory, feeling uncomfortable due to the presence of another dragon vein could only be described as “not acclimated to the local environment.”
Meng Qi didn’t seem to have any issues, or perhaps his frequent mood swings were due to his illness. Mo Li couldn’t determine if Meng Qi’s abnormal behavior was a result of “not acclimating to the environment.” This question had been lingering until today, as they were about to leave Qiuling County, and Mo Li still couldn’t figure it out.
“Physician?”
“What did you just say?” Mo Li snapped back to reality and asked.
“Nothing. Are you hungry, Physician?” Meng Qi casually teased. “I have two pieces of dried meat here.”
Mo Li had been eating very little these days, almost as little as a sand mouse. Due to limited food supplies, everyone had to be frugal with their meals. Meng Qi hadn’t paid much attention to it since his own condition often caused him to skip meals. He didn’t know how he managed to survive until now.
—Probably relying on his profound internal skills!
The Chu shaman clan was truly full of mysteries.
Meng Qi discreetly glanced at Mo Li’s back and waist. These days, he had been wondering about the Chu shaman rituals of dancing and praying to the gods, burning incense, letting their long hair loose, and even wearing only a single robe with their chests exposed while dancing barefoot… Was the Physician like that too?
For a man, doesn’t the Physician’s waist seem a bit slender? However, ancient books recorded that the Emperor of Chu had a slender waist, so maybe it was a characteristic of the people from Chu. Meng Qi selectively forgot that Pingzhou was in the northwest, and there was no connection between Mo Li and the Chu natives.
“You’re too thin. Eat a bit more.” Meng Qi took out the dried meat and forcefully handed it to Mo Li.
Physician Mo felt a bit puzzled as he looked down at himself. Was he thin? He didn’t think so!
Qiu Hong, who was following behind them, murmured to herself, “…”
She had known these two for quite a few days, and she always found their interactions peculiar. Perhaps it was because she had only encountered people involved in alcohol and lust in the brothel, so she didn’t understand the way people in the martial world interacted.
Qiu Hong carried a small package on her back, and Mo Li helped her find suitable boots. The mountain roads were difficult to traverse, filled with disaster victims seeking refuge with relatives elsewhere and carts carrying relief supplies.
Qiu Hong was dressed in men’s clothing and had applied ash on her face. She ate a steamed bun while walking, with small and elegant movements, resembling a scholarly gentleman.
Just then, a horse on the mountain path became startled and charged toward them, lifting its hooves. People panicked and scattered, but before Mo Li could intervene, a man in tattered Daoist robes rushed forward and managed to grab hold of the frenzied horse with one hand.
The horse continued to struggle and jump around but eventually calmed down after a while. The owner of the horse caught up and expressed profuse gratitude to the Daoist.
“Why did the horse suddenly go mad?” the Daoist furrowed his brow and asked.
“It was scared by the earth dragon’s movements. It has happened several times in the past few days. The horses and mules are getting more unruly,” the horse owner sighed and shook his head. “Horses nowadays are not like they used to be. They have become too timid.”
Someone nearby chimed in, “Well, it’s not a warhorse. As long as it didn’t die from fright, that’s already good enough.”
“Yeah, when it happened, the horse’s legs sank into a pit. Fortunately, we live in the countryside. If we were near the county town, we might have lost our lives,” the horse owner then casually cursed the Si family and led the horse away.
The Daoist dusted off the dirt from his robes and continued walking. He happened to encounter Mo Li and Meng Qi on the way. Perhaps there was truly a mysterious connection among martial arts experts. The Daoist subconsciously looked toward the two of them, his expression filled with confusion.
“…” They stared at each other, unaware of each other’s identities, making the encounter seem rather abrupt. Mo Li lowered his head, and the Daoist also bowed slightly in greeting, then they passed by each other.
The Daoist followed the carts transporting food and headed towards Qiuling County.
“He managed to grab the mad horse with just one hand. He must be quite strong,” Meng Qi commented, though his face showed no surprise. After all, he could do the same.
“Do you suspect him to be related to the Qingwu Ancestor?” Mo Li asked directly.
“Perhaps. Who knows?” Meng Qi rubbed his chin and pondered, “Since he’s called the Qingwu Ancestor, he must be quite old. The man just now appeared to be in his thirties, so he shouldn’t be at the stage of calling himself an ancestor yet. If he was sent by the Qingwu Ancestor, he doesn’t seem too concerned about us. He just left like that.”
Mo Li pondered, “How should he have shown concern? Should he have attacked us directly?”
Mo Li couldn’t help but contemplate the man’s strength from earlier. Unfortunately, the encounter was too brief to discern his depth. However, upon observing the man, he noticed slight bulges on his temples, a resolute expression, and a strong sense of sword intent in his every movement.
By rights, a famous swordsman with such distinctive characteristics should be well-known in the martial arts world. However, one of them was completely unaware of the martial world, while the other had lost his memory altogether. To figure out this much, there must be something fishy going on!
Mo Li’s pace slowed down, and he turned around to find that the man’s steps seemed to have paused as well. Without much time to think, both of them suddenly turned around and simultaneously employed some small grappling techniques, intending to subdue the other with minimal noise.
“Huh?” Mo Li blocked a move and was about to counterattack when Meng Qi preempted him.
In just a few swift movements, the onlookers failed to react as the Daoist’s opponent switched from Mo Li to Meng Qi.
“Who are you?” Meng Qi asked.
“Who are you?” The two of them exercised great restraint, countering each other’s moves in a calculated manner, their internal energy contained and not affecting their surroundings in the slightest.
“…What is your relationship with the Si family?” The second half of the sentence was spoken simultaneously, causing both of them to abruptly stop and size each other up.
Author’s Note:
Team A and Team B passed each other and politely acknowledged each other, but as they continued walking, they both felt that something was amiss. They simultaneously turned around and shouted, “Halt!”
