Chapter 51

Fifty-One: The Book Turner

“Brother, where are you taking me?”

“You’ll know when you get there.”

“Let me guess… hmm, not a rice shop, are you?”

Ouyang Rong walked ahead, smiling softly, saying nothing.

“Thank you, Brother.”

Xie Lingjiang smiled and said:

“But your sister visits the morning market every day—today, rice prices at several shops in the East Market have dropped back to what they were before Brother lifted the price cap, even slightly lower… fourteen cash per dou!”

She clenched her fist, wrinkled her delicate nose, “Hmph, those merchants are rushing to sell—serves them right!”

“That price is nothing.” Ouyang Rong shook his head. “Also, we’re not going to a rice shop.”

Xie Lingjiang raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Ouyang Rong said nothing more, leading Xie Lingjiang out of the county government office. Before leaving the gate, Liu Ashan appeared from nowhere, silently following the young magistrate.

Xie Lingjiang was used to this—the stoic, tall, tattooed man was unknown to her, but now served as Ouyang Rong’s personal attendant.

The three of them—Ouyang Rong, Xie Lingjiang, and Liu Ashan—left Luming Street and walked toward the western edge of the county town.

On the way:

Ouyang Rong suddenly spoke to Liu Ashan behind him: “You’ve worked hard.”

The tall, gray-turbaned man shook his head.

Xie Lingjiang kept her gaze straight, softly asking:

“Was it all burned?”

“Does your sister think the method was too dirty?”

“No, I just feel bad about the grain—it’s scarce now. A thousand shi could save many lives.”

“A thousand shi had to be burned. And we’re no longer short of grain—over two hundred thousand shi sit at the docks. There’s enough for relief, enough for flood control, and we’ll still have surplus to distribute to Jiangzhou City and neighboring counties.”

The young magistrate muttered, his long fingers beneath his sleeve calculating, then gave a slight nod:

“That’s nearly half the Jimin Granary’s stock… So the true Jimin Granary is in Longcheng.”

He smiled.

He already regarded it as his to claim.

Xie Lingjiang whispered:

“Brother is truly ruthless… but without ruthlessness, the grain problem can’t be easily solved. I’m sure Shen Daoren of Jiangzhou is relieved he chose to trust you.”

Ouyang Rong shook his head. “Actually, I was still soft—I’m not as ruthless as the Liu family. Otherwise, the situation now would be far cleaner.”

He rubbed his face, then turned to ask: “Do you believe me, sister? Just now, in the courtroom, some of what I said was genuinely sincere.”

“What words?”

“I really am grateful to them.”

“… ” Xie Lingjiang couldn’t help laughing. “Then why did you say ‘burn it’ and scare them half to death?”

“But Li the Shopkeeper’s grain—Li Liu will ‘find’ it again. He won’t lose a thing.”

“Brother dislikes that Ma merchant?”

“No.”

Ouyang Rong shook his head:

“Ma the Shopkeeper and Li the Shopkeeper are two different types. Ma is hard; Li is soft. To deal with the hard, you must be harder. To deal with the soft, you must first be hard, then soft. So the thousand shi had to be burned—cleanly, completely.”

“What about my cousin? Are you planning to be hard or soft with him?” Xie Lingjiang asked curiously.

“No need. He’s clever.”

Ouyang Rong walked ahead, speaking casually:

“Wait a few more days. Someone among them will slowly realize: if a thousand shi can spontaneously combust, then the two hundred thousand shi at the docks can too. If grain taken out of the city can be looted by bandits, then the Penglang Ferry granaries can be looted too. With hard and soft examples already set, these grain merchants know what choice to make.”

Xie Lingjiang silently watched her brother’s back.

“We’re here.”

At a street corner in the western part of town, Ouyang Rong stopped, stepped aside, and gestured to his junior sister.

She blinked. “This is… a porridge stall?”

“Guess whose.”

“Liu… family?”

“Come on, let’s get some of Liu the Great Benefactor’s porridge—while it still lasts.” The young magistrate in plain robes smiled and walked forward first.

Xie Lingjiang glanced at the porridge stall—it looked ordinary, but beside it stood an orphanage, seemingly connected, both run by the Liu family.

She recalled that in Longcheng, the only family to consistently set up porridge stalls during famines had always been the Liu family. Though she despised certain members of the Liu family who opposed her brother, she still held some respect for this charitable act.

Back in the academy, she had heard or seen how some wealthy landowners distributed porridge during famines. She had once believed that while many rich men were cruel, some landowners were truly kind.

In her school days, she had heard or seen some wealthy gentry distributing porridge during famine years, and back then she had thought that while many rich men were cruel, there were still some kind-hearted landlords.

“It doesn’t make money—it’ll close soon.”

Ouyang Rong queued for a bowl of porridge, thanked the server with a smile, then led Xie Lingjiang aside.

He glanced at the struggling orphanage beside them, then looked down at the bowl, murmuring: “Even thinner than last time. Clearly no profit… too bad. Our Longcheng famine hasn’t been that severe.”

He glanced at the struggling orphanage beside him, then lowered his eyes to the bowl and muttered, “Even thinner than last time—clearly no profit here… Pity, our Dragon City’s disaster isn’t that bad.”

“What do you mean, profit?” Xie Lingjiang pressed.

Ouyang Rong turned suddenly: “Do you know how much a simple porridge stall and an orphanage can earn in a year of drought or flood?”

Xie Lingjiang suddenly felt her teeth chattering uncontrollably. She took a deep breath, forcing calm: “Tell me.”

Ouyang Rong sipped his porridge quietly:

“The Great Benefactors spend their ordinary years building bridges and paving roads, earning fame. When famine strikes, they rush to assist the government, setting up porridge stalls, boiling gruel, gathering refugees. They feed them thin porridge—just enough to keep them barely alive. Don’t worry, the porridge grows thinner each day. When the refugees grow weak, dizzy, and half-dead, they serve steaming hot white buns.

“People near death have no capacity to think. Seeing those buns, they go mad. A few buns can be traded for all their remaining wealth. But those buns look delicious—they’re not filling at all. After eating, they still starve. One cycle like this, and they’ve reaped a harvest of idle wealth.

“But that’s not enough. The Great Benefactors see it through: beside the porridge stall, they set up an orphanage. Parents, dying of hunger, leave their infants there. But the Great Benefactor won’t raise them for free—deeds to houses and land must be handed over too. They call it ‘returning the child when grown.’ But if the child dies? Well, that’s not the benefactor’s fault.

“Some kinder benefactors raise the orphans, but they’re still slaves—must serve as servants, work like beasts to repay their ‘nurturing.’ If the orphan is older, they’re simply sold as slaves—another profit. Hmm, now I see: when some Great Benefactors boast ‘tens of thousands of infants saved over decades, boundless merit,’ it’s not entirely false.”

Xie Lingjiang, after listening, felt icy cold. She whispered: "I have one question—if they have money, why don't they just buy food themselves?"

After hearing this, Xie Lingjiang felt icy all over and asked, “I have one question: if they have money, why don’t they just buy food for themselves?”

“A famine is a famine because even money can’t buy grain—you can only sit idle on your land and houses. But if a Great Benefactor has enough power, he can get the government’s relief grain routed to his own stall, then collude with other landowners and grain merchants to shut down sales… Now do you understand why Liu the Great Benefactor grows richer every flood?”

“A famine is a famine precisely because even with money, you can’t buy grain—you can only sit helplessly in your homes and fields. But if a great benefactor had enough influence to divert the government’s relief grain to his own porridge stalls, and then join other gentry and grain merchants in shutting down sales… now do you understand why Master Liu grows richer every year, no matter how bad the floods?”

“I don’t know about past famines in Longcheng. But this flood—right after I left Donglin Temple, when I came down the mountain and entered the city, this porridge stall and orphanage were thriving. Even the government office’s relief grain was being distributed here.”

“I didn’t know about past famines in Dragon City, but this year’s flood… right after I left Donglin Temple and came down the mountain into town, Liu’s porridge stall and orphanage were thriving—so much so that even the government’s relief grain was being distributed there.”

“So when you took office, you built relief camps on the city outskirts and gave out free grain—didn’t that cut off the Liu family’s profits?”

“Not entirely. Liu the Great Benefactor’s scythe only cuts those in the city with some savings. Those on the outskirts are the poor—families whose homes and fields were flooded, fleeing from all directions, already stripped bare. Liu the Great Benefactor has no interest in these beggars. Our government office’s relief grain can only protect them.”

“Not entirely. Master Liu’s scythe cuts only those households in the city with some spare wealth. The poor outside the city walls—those whose homes and fields were flooded, fleeing from all directions—have already been stripped bare. Master Liu has no interest in these beggars, and our county office’s relief grain can only save these people.”

“That’s why I say I’m grateful to your cousin and these outside grain merchants—they brought grain to sell, even at high prices. At least they didn’t let Liu Ziwen and his kind control the entire Longcheng grain market.”

Though standing under the midday sun, bowl of hot porridge in hand, Xie Lingjiang felt her limbs go cold. She stared at the porridge stall and orphanage before her—her vision filled with skeletons and starving corpses.

Ouyang Rong said nothing—he knew his junior sister needed time to absorb this.

He waited a moment, then turned, forcing a smile, speaking lightly:

“But soon, your brother will truly offend the Liu family. Grain prices are still high; the orphanage still has wealth to harvest—still can be fooled by the guise of benevolence.

“But in a few days, when grain prices fall… hmm, sister, hurry and enjoy this last batch of scarce porridge while it’s still hot.”

The junior sister remained silent, head bowed.

Ouyang Rong hesitated, reached out to take her bowl—but as his fingers brushed the rim, he recoiled in surprise, staring at his reddened fingertip, as if pricked by something sharp.

Ouyang Rong thought for a moment, reached out to take the bowl from her hand, but as his fingers brushed the rim, he jerked back in surprise, staring at his slightly reddened fingertip—as if pierced by something sharp.

“I’m sorry… Brother.”

Xie Lingjiang could no longer control her inner qi. She looked up, eyes red, apologetic:

“I shouldn’t have said those angry words during our argument. I didn’t know then—this ‘Great Benefactor,’ this ‘porridge stall,’ this elegant literary term—it’s this bloody, brutal reality.”

Ouyang Rong shook his head. “It’s fine. You just—”

Xie Lingjiang suddenly spoke: “Brother, you once asked what the seventh rank of the scholar’s Dao lineage is?”

Ouyang Rong froze. Xie Lingjiang spoke:

“The Book Turner.”

“The seventh rank is worlds apart from the eighth. The former enters the middle tier of Qi Refiners—Zhu Fei spiritual energy, spiritual power radiating outward. But crossing that gap is extremely difficult…

“My father once said: reading ten thousand scrolls makes a gentleman. But a Book Turner… only turns pages. He does not read. I never understood what that meant—until now… I suddenly do.”

Xie Lingjiang turned her head, sniffed, “My realm just loosened.”

“That’s good news.” Ouyang Rong smiled. “Then let’s add one more.”

He turned. “Ashan.”

“Yes.”

“Notify them—open the granaries. Starting today, release our stored grain onto the market. Price it at…” the young magistrate smiled sheepishly, “five cash per dou. Just a token gesture—to celebrate your sister.”

“Notify the other side to open the granaries. Starting today, release our stored grain onto the market—at a price of…” the young county magistrate smiled apologetically, “five cash per dou—just a token gesture, to celebrate my little junior sister.”

A certain Xie Shigui lady quietly watched the young magistrate, whose smile was as warm as spring wind, and suddenly cried out:

A certain young lady of the Xie family quietly watched the young county magistrate, whose smile was as warm as spring wind, and couldn't help suddenly calling out:

“Senior Brother.”

“What?” Ouyang Rong turned his head.

“...It’s nothing.”

The junior sister said with a smile.

Please.

Fifty-one, the Book Turner. Yet no one questioned the origin of this ability—after all, the Peacock Demon Clan’s innate talent is precisely Star Shift. Her technique shares a similar brilliance with Star Shift.

After countering Cao Yuwei’s attack, the Beautiful Lady did not press forward immediately; she stood still.

Cao Yuwei frowned slightly. Could this girl’s perception be so sharp? After armorizing himself with flame, he had other methods at his disposal—if the Beautiful Lady had followed up with an attack, he would have been certain to restrain her with them. But the Beautiful Lady did not advance, forcing his readying ability to abort.

The battle blade slashed again, its blade intent stronger than before. Cao Yuwei moved with the blade, merging man and weapon, charging straight toward the Beautiful Lady.

In her hand, the Heaven’s Mechanism Feather executed Heaven’s Profound Circle once more, then instantly shifted her position. She neutralized his attack and broke his lock-on. In the next instant, she was already on the other side. A flash of gold-and-red light vanished from Cao Yuwei’s body—if she had not dodged so swiftly, another ability would surely have activated.

Endurance battle! She seems intent on outlasting Cao Yuwei.

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Yet no one questioned the origin of this ability—after all, the Peacock Demon Clan’s innate talent is precisely Star Shift. Her technique shares a similar brilliance with Star Shift.

After countering Cao Yuwei’s attack, the Beautiful Lady did not press forward immediately; she stood still.

Cao Yuwei frowned slightly. Could this girl’s perception be so sharp? After armorizing himself with flame, he had other methods at his disposal—if the Beautiful Lady had followed up with an attack, he would have been certain to restrain her with them. But the Beautiful Lady did not advance, forcing his readying ability to abort.

The battle blade slashed again, its blade intent stronger than before. Cao Yuwei moved with the blade, merging man and weapon, charging straight toward the Beautiful Lady.

In her hand, the Heaven’s Mechanism Feather executed Heaven’s Profound Circle once more, and

instantly shifted her position. She neutralized his attack and broke his lock-on. In the next instant, she was already on the other side. A flash of gold-and-red light vanished from Cao Yuwei’s body—if she had not dodged so swiftly, another ability would surely have activated.

Endurance battle! She seems intent on outlasting Cao Yuwei.

,