141: Dawn Breaks (Part 4)

"I understand. The Grand Chancellor would probably say this is a necessary preparation." Mo Yingqi didn't wait for Zhou Chutian to speak, continuing on his own. "It's just that I am still very curious, what exactly is your so-called preparation?"

"Naturally, it is to balance the hundreds of officials."

Zhou Chutian then slowly picked up his chopsticks and stirred the steaming noodles in front of him, yet he had no intention of taking a bite. "Master Mo, what do you think the disaster victims are?"

"Naturally, they are humans. What else could they be?"

Hearing Mo Yingqi's words, Zhou Chutian couldn't help but smile. "Master Mo is wrong. They are not humans. Disaster victims... are no different from animals crazed with hunger. Who is needed to restrain and appease these animals? Who is needed to give them food and find them places to sleep?"

"Naturally, it requires the officials at all levels of the Daxing Dynasty; it requires them to put in the effort and handle the arrangements. The Emperor will not go. People like me and Ning Wuya in the capital, Grand Chancellors like us, will not go either."

"In the end, doesn't it all rely on the local officials below to rescue the victims and help them rebuild their homes?"

Zhou Chutian placed his chopsticks across the bowl, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. After smacking his lips, he looked at Mo Yingqi. "Marquis Mo, since today is my last meal, may I have some wine?"

"Naturally, you may."

Mo Yingqi clapped his hands, and the Imperial Guard outside brought a wine flask and a cup, placing them on the table. Once the guard withdrew, Zhou Chutian poured himself a cup of wine and continued, "Marquis Mo is also someone serving in the Pacification Bureau; you understand some truths in your heart. The Pacification Bureau rarely makes arrests below the capital. Although your bureau's informants are all over the Daxing Dynasty, there are some things the Pacification Bureau ignores whenever it can."

"The Founding Emperor came from humble beginnings and hated corrupt officials most, but where in this world are there officials who aren't greedy? Power is inherently tempting. Once they have power, expecting them to willingly live on their salaries and lead a peaceful life is less carefree than being a merchant. Marquis Mo, how do you think that's possible?"

Mo Yingqi didn't answer, simply lowering his head to eat his noodles without a word. Zhou Chutian poured another cup of wine and downed it in one go. Then he picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of noodles, and gave a cold laugh. "That day, when The Emperor rebuked the Censorate for the marriage of you and The Two Highnesses, he said something I agreed with immensely: 'This world belongs to The Emperor, but it also belongs to the hundreds of officials, and it is managed jointly by officials great and small.'"

"If you don't feed these officials and let them reap benefits, how can they perform their duties well? Even if the Pacification Bureau turns a blind eye, it's not as if they truly do nothing and ask nothing. To be honest, I told the Late Emperor more than once that the Ministry of Personnel's evaluations are enough to monitor the officials. The existence of the Pacification Bureau only creates more friction between The Emperor and his officials."

"Even if the Pacification Bureau can act as a deterrent, over time it inevitably breeds resentment among officials. Which official in the capital doesn't avoid you Flying Fish Guards like the plague? Not to mention, even with the Pacification Bureau, has official corruption been completely eradicated? No. If a natural disaster occurs somewhere, officials will still line their own pockets. This is human nature, and even more so, it is the unspoken rule of officialdom since ancient times!"

"Marquis Mo must be feeling displeased, right? But I, Zhou, am speaking the honest truth. Disaster victims are displaced; if you feed them today but they go hungry tomorrow, they will complain and be dissatisfied, eventually even inciting civil unrest. Do you think those officials are merely greedy? No, many things must be done by them, and they must risk their lives for it!"

Mo Yingqi still didn't answer. Instead, he picked up the noodle bowl and took a large gulp of soup. Then he wiped his mouth and said somewhat randomly, "The taste is not bad, but there are too few chopped green onions. However, that's a matter of my personal taste; the Grand Chancellor needn't mind. After all, you won't be needing your residence's chef in the future anyway."

After saying this, Mo Yingqi lowered his head and took two more bites before looking up. "The Grand Chancellor is right. Although I think this is nonsense, even I have to admit there's some truth to it. So, when officials embezzle disaster relief funds and swap rice and flour for chaff that only pigs eat, is it because in your eyes, and in the eyes of those so-called 'life-risking' officials, they simply aren't human? They are animals. Am I correct in my understanding?"

"What else? Marquis Mo, don't say I'm pulling rank, but you are only twenty now. Although the Northern Frontier is cold and harsh, you could at least afford to eat." Zhou Chutian toyed with the wine cup in his hand. "Have you ever seen people exchanging children to eat? Have you ever seen someone hack off their own limbs to satisfy their hunger? Some disaster areas have treacherous terrain, and it takes immense effort just to transport supplies there, not to mention some places have continuous heavy rain and muddy roads. All of this must be handled by those you call corrupt officials..."

"Grand Chancellor, you've misunderstood me. I agree with your words, but as I mentioned at the start, I've always felt it's nonsense." Mo Yingqi suddenly interrupted Zhou Chutian. "No matter how much sense it makes, you were still talking nonsense just now. In this world, The Emperor is the sovereign and the ministers are the assistants. The Emperor receives the worship and support of all the people, but likewise, The Emperor must be the father of all the people and support them in return."

"The dignity, nobility, and salaries of the officials, great and small, are all taken from the people. Perhaps, for you and your Disciples, and those so-called 'life-risking' officials, your theory is correct. After all, it's all to make your own sins seem reasonable, or rather, to find a more fitting excuse for yourselves."

"Look, how many corrupt officials were there in the past? How many clean officials? It's the general trend, forced by circumstances. Grand Chancellor, it's not that I don't understand your words. Let today be the boundary between us. Before today, corrupt officials could not be eradicated. After today, in the future generations after we both die, corrupt officials will still exist, and clean officials will always be as rare as a grain of sand in the ocean, while corrupt officials will be as numerous as crucian carp crossing a river."

"So, I understand you, but as I said, it's just nonsense. When I was in the Northern Frontier, my Master... he was just a martial artist. I doubt he could even finish reading ten books in their entirety. It's a miracle if he can tell a white-cut chicken from a beggar's chicken."

Xie Qingfeng, who was sitting on a rooftop, suddenly sneezed several times for no reason. Rubbing his nose, he couldn't help but curse, "Damn it, this feels really uncomfortable. I always feel like someone is talking about me behind my back, and it's probably my rebellious Disciple."

After grumbling about his Disciple in his heart, Xie Qingfeng turned his gaze downward. Below, torches were brightly lit, making the area as bright as day.

Many soldiers of the Imperial Guard were gathered together, checking the muskets in their hands. Seeing those firearms, Xie Qingfeng couldn't help but feel a lingering fear.

"Good heavens, the times really are changing. In the past, even if ten thousand arrows were fired at once, this old man wouldn't have been afraid." Xie Qingfeng shook his head. "But these muskets now... tsk tsk. If they all fired at me at once, even I would have to wonder if I could withstand or dodge them."

Thinking of this, he looked toward a nearby courtyard. Seven Daoists from the School were currently surrounding the Old Daoist Priest with the Big Dipper Sword Formation.

Although that Daoist seemed to be handling it with ease, Xie Qingfeng could distinguish clearly that the Daoist's aura had become chaotic.

"Strange, strange. What kind of wicked method did those two girls use?" Xie Qingfeng glanced at Su Yan, who was shivering in a corner. "Can they really sabotage this Thieving Daoist just by using that girl? It shouldn't be. I've only heard of applying poison to the body, but how do you poison someone through absorbing Yin energy?"

"Of course you can't, but that's only for ordinary people."

Inside the carriage, Luo Yongan heard her sister's words and couldn't help but laugh. "That day I told you to study medicine with me, but you, girl, only thought about running off to play with Yingqi all day!"

"Oh, as long as you learn it, it's fine, Sister." Luo Yongning pouted, her expression looking a bit more cute and charming. Of course... if her eyes weren't those terrifying blood-colored pupils, it might be better. "Besides, it's not like I don't know anything at all. It's just that for methods like this, I'm never as precise as you."

Luo Yongan felt helpless in her heart. If it weren't because they were twin sisters born on the same day with deep feelings for each other, it would likely be a case of either her poisoning her sister or her sister stabbing her in the back.

Love is inherently exclusive, yet both sisters loved Mo Yingqi to the bone, and their feelings for each other were also extremely deep. Moreover, the beautiful times of the past were experienced by the three of them together. In that case, it would be better for the three of them to remain together in the future.

"Originally, I couldn't have done it either. Since the day Maternal Grandmother let us take charge of Partridge Sky, every time I sent out those assassins, or poisoned the Old Scoundrel and that Thieving Daoist, it was firstly to test the medicinal properties, and secondly... poison is always poison. Even if that Thieving Daoist truly learned the Universal Poison Immunity technique, the toxins could never be completely purged from his body."

The poisons Luo Yongan used seemed different each time and were all personally concocted by her; they were likely unique in the martial world. But because of this, Luo Yongan knew even better how insidious and ruthless her poisons were.

The poisons over the years seemed unrelated, but their properties had been accumulating in the Daoist's body. The Universal Poison Immunity technique might not be omnipotent, but it was indeed effective. Luo Yongan didn't expect to be fatal all at once, so she simply made significant improvements to her subsequent poisons based on the previous ones.

Over the years, Luo Yongan was well aware of the Daoist's daily life. The people of Partridge Sky were always watching him, and Luo Yongan could deduce whether her poison was effective or not from even the smallest changes.

And this time, by sending Su Yan over, the medicine she fed her every day was truly harmless to Su Yan; it would only alter the Yin energy in her body. But to that Old Daoist Priest, this medicine—which had no effect on ordinary people—was like lethal Crane's Red Poison.

As soon as he began to absorb Su Yan's Yin energy, those toxins that he mistakenly thought were cleared by his Universal Poison Immunity technique, but which had actually never left his body, would erupt all at once.

"However, I didn't expect the Disciples of the School to come at this time."

Luo Yongan was indeed surprised, but thinking of her Father Emperor, she understood that it didn't seem unreasonable. The School was different from Longhu Mountain; Longhu Mountain had been on good terms with the Luo Family since the time of the Founding Emperor.

It wasn't because the founder was The Emperor, but simply that the two sides were on good terms. Even the Celestial Master at that time had personally descended the mountain to help the Founding Emperor. However, the Zhengyi Sect of Longhu Mountain was, after all, composed of people beyond the mundane world. After the Old Celestial Master took action, he did not wish for too much attention, nor did he seek so-called fame or fortune.

That former Old Celestial Master had spoken bluntly: "This humble Daoist helps Your Majesty not for incense money, nor for the old friendship between this humble Daoist and Your Majesty, but because the world is in turmoil, and only Your Majesty can turn the tide. If in the future Your Majesty's descendants harm the world like the previous dynasty, then Longhu Mountain will help others."

So, even though Longhu Mountain and the Luo Family seemed to have no connection, they still maintained close contact. However, the opposite was true for the other. Over the years, Longhu Mountain had produced many talents. Although they didn't easily enter the world, they provided help far and wide, and the common people held Longhu Mountain in high esteem.

But the School always used the excuse that people beyond the mundane world should not interfere in worldly affairs to cover up the fact that they were unwilling to help the people. Even the Shaolin Temple had many high monks who personally led their Disciples down the mountain during natural disasters to help the people rebuild their homes.

And the School not only ignored the outside world, but this Old Daoist Priest also harmed the martial world. Although it wasn't voluntary, he had joined the Grand Chancellor Zhou Chutian, and during that time, he even used the power of this influential minister to kill many young girls.

The School was well aware of this, yet they consistently ignored it. Comparing the two, The Emperor naturally favored Longhu Mountain more, and his feelings toward the School went from indifferent to loathing.

You, the School, used to say you didn't care about worldly matters, yet now that a Disciple of the School acts like this, you actually turn a deaf ear. That's truly not seeking a quiet cultivation, but acting like a turtle hiding its head.

"But it's the same whoever comes. Although it would be more secure if Martial Uncle took action, let's forget about letting the old man take risks." Luo Yongan rubbed her temples. "I'm getting a bit tired. Auntie, turn the carriage around, let's go to the Zhou Residence. Staying up late to kill people while pregnant is truly bad for the health..."

Outside the carriage, Ying Hong heard this and almost spat out a mouthful of blood from anger. Now you remember that you two are pregnant? When The Second Highness was killing people just now, she didn't look like a pregnant woman at all!

Not only that, Luo Yongning probably hadn't even had her fill. It was also thanks to Luo Yongan's mention of leaving some survivors; otherwise, who knows to what extent Luo Yongning would have gone on a killing spree tonight!

"But the good news is that the Gu inside Yingqi's body has almost finished merging." Luo Yongan looked out the carriage window at the slightly reddish moon. "A Blood Moon once in a century... even the heavens are helping us sisters..."

"That Grand Chancellor still thinks he's facing our Yingqi alone. How laughable... How could he understand that now the three of us are one, and one is the three of us!"