Chapter 42: The Sudden Surge of Turmoil

Chapter 42: The Gathering Storm

Dull, mundane days always slip away in the blink of an eye.

This morning, Yu Xian pushed aside the soft, lotus-like arm draped across his chest. His gaze drifted upward, tracing the fair, supple skin. Yet, his expression remained flat, as calm as still water. There was no other reason than this: he was used to it.

Yu Xian threw on a robe and rose from the bed. He pushed open the window, and a breeze wafted in, still carrying the faint dryness of late summer, followed by a delicate scent of osmanthus. Only then did he realize with a start that the osmanthus trees in the courtyard had bloomed, their deep yellow blossoms dotting the branches with elegant fragrance.

He realized, with a sudden jolt, that he had already been in the Prince’s Mansion for over a year.

His gaze dropped, and a simple interface appeared in his field of vision.

[Name: Yu Xian]
[Cultivation: Ninth Layer of Qi Refining (18/550)]
[Dao Companion: Yulan (1/1)]

"More than a year of bitter cultivation, and I am getting closer and closer to Foundation Establishment."

A smile played on the corners of Yu Xian's mouth. Who would have thought that he, the man who had exhausted his savings to retire into the mortal world, would make such massive progress in such a short time? In the blink of an eye, Foundation Establishment was within reach.

"I’ve heard that for an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, without the protection of a Foundation Establishment Pill, the odds of failure are nine out of ten. I wonder if I can succeed on the first attempt?"

Yu Xian couldn't say he was entirely ignorant of how to reach Foundation Establishment, but he was certainly clueless. The only information he had about the Foundation Establishment Pill came from an auction at a small local market back then, where he heard a single pill sold for tens of thousands of spirit stones. It had made his group of bottom-tier rogue cultivators green with envy, leading to endless chatter about what they would do if they ever got their hands on one. It was the classic case of planning how to spend five million before even buying the lottery ticket.

Asking him to secure a Foundation Establishment Pill was an impossible demand; he neither had the money nor the nerve for it. So, he could only rely on the power of his cheat. After all, a golden finger shouldn't be such an inconvenient tool; if he still needed external items to reach Foundation Establishment, it would be insulting to the system itself.

Yu Xian began to let his mind wander.

Downstairs, the stout Eunuch Li walked over. Seeing Yu Xian leaning against the window, enjoying the breeze, he felt a momentary sense of disorientation, finding the scene strangely familiar. When he had come here last time, Yu Xian was just a newly arrived Heaven-rank retainer with a rising reputation. Now, Yu Xian was the Supervisor of the Prince’s Mansion, and he, the Chief Eunuch, was reduced to being his deputy.

"Supervisor Yu," Eunuch Li called out softly.

Yu Xian snapped out of his thoughts. "Eunuch Li, is something the matter?"

Eunuch Li squeezed out a smile. "Lord Zhai, Lord Cui, and General Di have come to the mansion to discuss matters with the Princess. The Princess said to ask you to come over as well."

"What are they here to discuss with the Princess?" Yu Xian jumped down directly from the window.

Eunuch Li was startled, but he quickly regained his composure and managed a bitter smile. "The rebel army of Guangnan has captured three cities in succession recently, and now their main force is less than a hundred miles from Changning County. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands of disaster victims have gathered outside the city, and there is a risk of a riot at any moment. They want to ask the Princess to issue a decree in the name of the Prince’s Mansion, calling for loyalists to protect the crown, ordering surrounding cities to send troops to guard the walls and repel the rebels."

"The rebels are here so soon?" Yu Xian was shocked. He remembered that when he first heard about the chaos in Guangnan, not even a year ago, the rebels were a thousand miles away from Changning City. Yet, in such a short time, not only had they not been suppressed, but they had grown stronger, reaching their very doorstep.

Eunuch Li sighed. "More and more commoners are following the rebel army. I hear that in many cities, the officials surrendered without even putting up a fight. And the rebels have many experts among them; some of our main commanders were assassinated before they could even organize an effective defense. The imperial court has been slow to react, and now that the rebels hold the three southeastern counties, they have become a force to be reckoned with. It is hard to contain them now."

"Ahem, forgive me, Supervisor Yu, I’ve said too much. Please go see the Princess. She is uncertain about what to do and wants your counsel."

Yu Xian nodded. "I’ll go at once."

...

In the meeting hall, the Princess sat behind a curtain, holding young Prince Jiang Heng. In front of them, the three giants of Changning City's military, politics, and law were arguing.

"Mother, they are so noisy. I want to go out and play." The young prince, who was still a few months shy of nine, snuggled into his mother’s arms, unable to understand what the adults were arguing about.

"Heng'er, you are a Prince now. Everyone is watching you; you cannot act like a child anymore." The Princess whispered in her son’s ear, "Your master is coming soon, be good now."

"Master!" Fear filled Jiang Heng’s eyes, and he reflexively reached back to touch his bottom.

"Be good, Heng'er, listen to your mother."

For this master he had only recognized a few months ago, Jiang Heng was truly terrified from the bottom of his heart. He had once been a notorious little tyrant in the mansion—anyone who saw him had to let him have his way or face his wrath. Only his master was different.

His master really hit him. The first day they met, his master had kindly offered him a pill, but he had slapped it away and told his master to get on the floor and be his horse. Then, his bottom had been beaten until it felt like it had been shattered into eight pieces. Jiang Heng remembered crying until his voice went hoarse that day. He had tried to complain to his mother, but she had taken his master's side. So, he had wailed and screamed to see his father, which only made his mother cry in frustration. Then, his eight pieces became sixteen, and he was in such pain he forgot how to cry.

Later, his master had the doctor—who always smelled of medicine—apply a salve to his bottom. It was cooling and soothing, and he healed quickly. But the next day, when he disobeyed, he was beaten again. Jiang Heng looked back on the days spent with his master as a blood-stained history of his backside.

Hearing his master was coming, Jiang Heng immediately straightened his posture, lest his master find an excuse to beat him again.

In the hall, the argument between the officials came to a pause. A middle-aged official with a thin mustache bowed toward the curtain. "Your Highness, the rebels are at our gates, and the refugees are restless. Please, make a decision soon!"

The Princess recognized him as Zhai Run, the Governor of Changning County. When the Prince was here, he had been a mere yes-man, doing whatever the Prince commanded. But only days after the Prince left, he had started to treat the mansion’s orders with indifference.

The rebel breakthrough had caused a surge in refugees who now wanted to enter the city, and he was pressuring her to issue a decree in the name of the mansion to disperse the hundreds of thousands of people outside the walls. If she truly made such a decision, she would be cursed by the common people forever. But if the city fell, the Prince’s Mansion would be the first to suffer. If the refugees weren't dispersed, the city’s defense might be compromised. The Princess was paralyzed by indecision.

"Chief Clerk Cui, what is your opinion?" Her eyes looked through the pearl curtain at another civil official, Cui Qingyuan, the Chief Clerk of the mansion.

Cui Qingyuan bowed to the Princess. "Your Highness, I believe Lord Zhai is correct. The number of refugees is immense; if not handled early, it will likely lead to a riot. However, we should not disperse them with violence. It would be better to distribute porridge to pacify them first, then divert them in batches to nearby counties. This would prevent them from entering the city and causing trouble."

The Princess was immediately tempted. That seemed like a good way to handle it.

Zhai Run sneered, "Lord Cui has such a kind heart. Not to mention whether the rebels will attack us soon, where would the money for this charity come from? There are hundreds of thousands of refugees, not dozens or hundreds. Even if we gave them one bowl of thin porridge a day, it would require tens of thousands of bushels of grain. And where will we find the manpower to divert them? We are short on hands as it is; the city defense is already stretched thin. Lord Cui, by doing this, you are weakening our defense."

"The mansion can provide the money," the Princess blurted out.

The Prince’s Mansion had managed Changning County for years; it was not short of such money. If it could save the city, she would pay even more. She had already let go of the mansion’s power, let alone a bit of silver. It was a classic case of a child spending their ancestor's wealth without a care.

"On behalf of the people outside the city, I thank Your Highness!" Zhai Run, who had just been opposing the idea, immediately changed his tune. With this much silver, he could skim at least thirty percent for himself.

"Furthermore, the authority for the mansion’s decrees shall be fully delegated to Chief Clerk Cui. I am but a woman of limited talent; the major affairs of defending the city must rely on you lords. From now on, there is no need to consult me on these matters." The Princess sighed from behind the curtain. "I am tired. You may withdraw."

"Your Highness is wise. We take our leave."

They all bowed, barely able to hide their joy. This trip had been a massive harvest. Not only had they secured the mansion’s money and grain, but they had also forced the Princess to relinquish her power entirely. Now, they could do whatever they wanted with Changning City.

After they left, the Princess looked toward the shadows and asked, "Supervisor Yu, why did you have me agree to them?"

Yu Xian stepped out from the shadows and smiled. "Since you have no desire for power struggles, it is better to remove yourself from the matter entirely and let them do as they please. If the city cannot be held in the end, then that is simply fate. When the time comes, I am confident I can protect you and Heng'er as you leave Changning City."

The Princess was stunned. She looked at Yu Xian’s confident expression, then patted her son’s head and nodded. "Then everything is left to you."