Chapter 947: [Putting on a Show for Whom to See] (Part 1)

Zhou Ruiyuan waited in the Linglong Pavilion for a full two-hour period before seeing Qiqi return, then hurriedly rose to greet her.

Qiqi smiled and said, "I made Sir Zhou wait a long time."

Zhou Ruiyuan smiled and said, "I just happened to be here admiring the treasures in the imperial collection; I don't usually get such an opportunity."

Qiqi nodded, her gaze falling on the seven‑treasure jade tree beside her, and softly said, "No treasure is as precious as grain; if I could exchange for a bountiful harvest in Dakang this autumn, I would gladly give up all the treasures here."

Zhou Ruiyuan said, "Your Highness the Princess's concern for the state and the people is indeed our fortune."

Qiqi said, "I just saw His Majesty and offered him a few words of advice."

Zhou Ruiyuan asked, "How did it go?"

Qiqi slowly shook her head and said, "He attaches too much importance to the imperial mausoleum; I don't know who has bewitched him, but he believes that after his death he can achieve eternal glory within the mausoleum."

Zhou Ruiyuan had just personally witnessed Long Xuan'en's obstinacy and cruelty; Qiqi's words were exactly what he expected, and he whispered, "Perhaps after a while His Majesty's anger will subside and he will change his mind."

Qiqi's clear eyes fixed on Zhou Ruiyuan as she asked, "Why don't you, as chief minister, stand up for what is right?"

Zhou Ruiyuan said, "His Majesty is furious now; no matter what I say, he won't listen."

Qiqi said, "You're just afraid of bringing trouble upon yourselves; I have always regarded the chief minister as my own uncle."

Zhou Ruiyuan hastily bowed and said, "I am filled with awe and fear!"

Qiqi, slightly displeased by his attitude, frowned slightly and asked, "What are you afraid of? Why are you afraid?"

Zhou Ruiyuan's face flushed with embarrassment after Qiqi's lecture, and he said shamefacedly, "I know I am at fault; it's not that I am preserving myself out of fear of trouble, but I still have many matters to attend to—if I were to collapse now, who could take over my duties?"

Qiqi understood that Zhou Ruiyuan was not boasting; what he said was true. The functioning of Dakang's power structure now relies entirely on him to keep it going. Although the state faces internal and external difficulties and its progress is arduous, Dakang has not yet collapsed, and this is inseparable from Zhou Ruiyuan's steadfast support. In terms of understanding Dakang's situation and influence among court officials, no one in Dakang compares to him.

Qiqi said, "His Majesty just issued a kill‑order for the fifty thousand laborers. What do you think, Chief Minister?"

Zhou Ruiyuan said, "I believe the fifty thousand laborers' rebellion was forced upon them. According to the information I have, the living conditions of the workers at the imperial mausoleum site are extremely harsh—they don't even have enough to eat and must toil day and night. Coupled with the exploitation and extortion of the overseers, they finally could bear no more. Although last night's uprising seemed sudden, it was in fact inevitable. Whether they rebel or not, they face death; rather than wait passively for execution, they might as well fight back."

Zhou Ruiyuan said: "I believe that the fifty thousand laborers' rebellion this time was also forced upon them; according to the information I have, the living conditions of the workers at the mausoleum site are extremely harsh—not only do they not have enough to eat, they also have to toil day and night. Moreover, the exploitation and oppression by those supervisors finally drove them to the point of unbearable endurance; the outbreak of last night's riot, though somewhat sudden, was in fact inevitable from the root cause. To rebel is to incur the death penalty; not to rebel is to await death. Rather than sit and wait for execution, it is better to take a chance."

Zhou Ruiyuan hastily replied, "I am merely stating the facts; I certainly do not sympathize with them, nor do I support the rebellion."

Qiqi said, "The people's uprising has already become a fact; what solution do you have, Chief Minister, to resolve it properly?"

Zhou Ruiyuan said, "I believe extreme measures must not be taken. If we were to slaughter the fifty thousand laborers indiscriminately, it would likely provoke an even larger uprising. Consider that those laborers also have families and friends; killing them would not frighten people but would instead arouse deep resentment among the populace. Dakang's situation has already bred widespread grievance; another massacre now could trigger an uncontrollable crisis. If we simply kill every rebel, before long Dakang will have no usable people left, the populace will be scattered, hearts will turn against the state, and the collapse of the realm will be imminent."

Zhou Ruiyuan said: "I believe extreme measures must not be adopted; if we were to order the execution without exception of these fifty thousand laborers, we would likely provoke an even larger popular uprising. Consider, those fifty thousand workers also have families and friends; slaughter will not frighten people but will instead arouse the deep-seated hatred of the populace. Dakang's current situation has already caused deep resentment among the people; if another massacre occurs now, it will likely trigger an uncontrollable situation. If we respond to any uprising by killing everyone involved, then before long Dakang will have no usable populace left, the people will be scattered, hearts will turn against us, and the fall of the state will be near."

Zhou Ruiyuan nodded and said, "The people's demands are simple: clothing to cover themselves and rice to fill their stomachs are enough. Not everyone is loyal to the court, but everyone feels an inseparable attachment to the land beneath their feet. They do not stay merely out of love for their homeland; we must make them feel that Dakang belongs not only to the Long clan but also to them. Only then can we arouse their zeal to defend home and country, and only then can they share Dakang's fate."

Zhou Ruiyuan nodded and said: "The people's demands are not great—having clothes to cover their bodies and rice to fill their stomachs is already enough. Not everyone is loyal to the court, but everyone feels an inseparable attachment to the land beneath their feet. Their reluctance to leave is not merely due to fondness for their homeland; we must make the people feel that Dakang is not only the Dakang of the Long clan, but also their own Dakang. Only then can we arouse their enthusiasm to defend home and country, and only then can they share Dakang's fate."

Zhou Ruiyuan pursed his lips; Qiqi had hit the crux of the matter—food is heaven to the people. If the food problem cannot be solved, all else is empty talk. Dakang's major granaries are already running low; although a few have been opened, for the whole of Dakang it is merely a drop in the bucket and cannot fundamentally resolve the issue. Zhou Ruiyuan said, "Apart from guaranteeing military rations, all the major granaries have begun distributing grain for relief. According to the current situation, they can last at most until autumn."

Zhou Ruiyuan pursed his lips; Qiqi had gotten to the heart of the matter—people regard food as heaven. If the food problem is not solved well, everything is empty talk. Dakang's major granaries are already running low; although a few granaries have been opened, for Dakang as a whole it is still a drop in the bucket, unable to solve the problem at its root. Zhou Ruiyuan said: "Apart from the military grain that must be guaranteed, all major granaries have begun to distribute grain for relief; based on the current situation I have, they can at most last until autumn."

Zhou Ruiyuan sighed and said, "Your Highness the Princess, this spring drought struck many regions, and continuous rain through the summer means the harvest will likely fall by thirty percent—even that is the most optimistic estimate. Once famine breaks out, then…" He did not finish, but the solemn expression on his face already conveyed the result: Dakang's fortunes may truly have reached their end.

Zhou Ruiyuan sighed and said: "Princess, this spring many places suffered severe drought, and entering summer the rains have been incessant; I fear this year's harvest will decrease by another thirty percent, and that is already the most optimistic estimate. Once a famine breaks out, I fear—" He did not continue, but the solemn expression on his face already gave the result; Dakang's fortunes may truly have reached their end.

Zhou Ruiyuan shook his head and said, "Da Yong appears friendly on the surface, but behind the scenes it threatens all states; whoever dares to supply Dakang with grain will be destroyed by them. Looking across the Central Plains, no one dares to offend Da Yong."

Zhou Ruiyuan shook his head: "Da Yong appears friendly on the surface, but behind the scenes it is already threatening all states; whoever dares to supply grain and fodder to Dakang will be annihilated by them. Looking across the Central Plains, no one dares to offend Da Yong."

Zhou Ruiyuan said, "Contending for the world has always been a matter of using any means necessary."

Qiqi said, "Sir Zhou, please continue to work hard and support the state a little longer; as for the famine, I will do my utmost to find a solution."

Zhou Ruiyuan said, "I have heard that the Xu family of Jinling has refused His Majesty's demand; I do not know whether this is true."

Qiqi sighed and said, "Indeed, this is true. His Majesty is furious and has entrusted me with handling it."

Zhou Ruiyuan cautiously asked, "What does the Princess intend to do about this?" Deep down he sensed that something was amiss, perhaps the Hu family would again face a great disaster.

Qiqi said, "Imprison Hu Buwei and his wife, and give the Xu family a warning."

Zhou Ruiyuan's heart jolted, and he hastily said, "Actually, I think the Xu family may not care whether they live or die; otherwise, why would they have stood by and done nothing about their affairs?"

Qiqi asked, "Sir Zhou, are you speaking up for Hu Buwei?"

Zhou Ruiyuan replied, "I am not speaking for Hu Buwei; I am merely stating the facts. During his tenure in the Ministry of Revenue, he performed his duties competently, and his abilities are evident to all."

Qiqi said, "This time the Emperor is truly enraged; I fear that merely preserving his life would already be fortunate."

Hu Xiaotian and Murong Feiyan returned to Kangdu at noon. Hu Xiaotian thought it best to temporarily lodge Murong Feiyan outside the manor to avoid drawing too much attention, given the great impact of the imperial mausoleum uprising. After consideration, he decided to take her first to the parents' home in Water Well Lane, where she could temporarily hide and also improve her rapport with her parents—killing two birds with one stone.

Upon hearing that Hu Xiaotian would send her to Water Well Lane, Murong Feiyan felt a mix of surprise and shyness—surprised that his arrangement showed he did not regard her as an outsider, and shy because interacting with his parents would inevitably be awkward.

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "An ugly bride must eventually meet her in‑laws; besides, you're wearing a mask, so they won't know who you really are."

Murong Feiyan spat, "Dare to insult me again and I'll beat you up."

Hu Xiaotian gave her waist a teasing pat and said, "I'm afraid you might not be a match for me now."

Murong Feiyan, knowing he spoke the truth, whispered, "Honestly, tell me where you learned such formidable martial arts."

Hu Xiaotian was about to explain when he saw Liang Da Zhuang emerge from Water Well Lane—the very man he had recently sent to look after Hu Buwei and his wife. Seeing Liang Da Zhuang's flustered appearance, Hu Xiaotian felt something was off, hurried forward, and shouted, "Da Zhuang!"

Liang Da Zhuang finally saw Hu Xiaotian and cried out in distress, "Young Master, you've finally returned! Something's happened—a major incident!"

Hu Xiaotian's heart jumped: "What happened?"

Liang Da Zhuang said, "Just now a detachment of the Feather Forest Army took away your lord and lady."

Hu Xiaotian snapped, "Who dares to do such a thing?"

Liang Da Zhuang replied, "I heard it was an order from the Prince of Yongyang. I was about to rush back to report the news, but you arrived just in time."

Hu Xiaotian, upon hearing this, immediately understood—eight or nine times out of ten, Qiqi was merely putting on a show for outsiders; yet this girl was hateful enough to silently take away my parents without a word, likely intending to intimidate me in this way.

In the distance a carriage approached slowly; it drew up beside Hu Xiaotian, the curtain was lifted, and Quan De'an poked his head out, his voice hoarse as he said, "Commander Hu, the Princess requests your presence."

Since his parents were already in someone else's hands, Hu Xiaotian had no choice but to go.

Hu Xiaotian had Liang Da Zhuang first take Murong Feiyan back to the manor, then he himself boarded the carriage and calmly asked, "Eunuch Quan, where are you taking me?"

Quan De'an replied, "To the Prince of Yongyang's mansion!"

Second update posted—please vote for monthly tickets and recommendations! (To be continued…)

Second update delivered, please support with Monthly Ticket and Recommendation ticket! (To be continued~^~)