Reinforcements Arrive

Change means conflict, and conflict means death.

Everything that is happening now, whether it is the Barbarian Tribe war with countless dead and wounded, the undercurrents surging in the Three Northern Prefectures, or the commoners who died in the dead of night and were left unattended, is just a prelude.

If any one of the sects, the royal family, or the Prime Minister's Mansion does not back down, then countless people are destined to die in the future.

Looking at it this way, these deaths really don't seem like much.

but

You misunderstood.

Listening to Li Yunqing's teasing question, Xu Yuan's gaze slowly fell on the city wall below.

He looked at the bustling crowd of people, struggling to survive for a few coins, and said softly:

"Junqing, why do you think those two ended up on this path back then?"

Li Yunqing narrowed his eyes, then smiled:

"Sweep across the universe, restoring peace and harmony to the world."

Xu Yuan smiled slightly and shook his head:

"You're talking about the ideals of those two old people, but I was just asking what made them have those ideals."

As he spoke,

Xu Yuan glanced back at the Third Prince, who was sitting slouching, and asked in return:

"Isn't it precisely because of these common people at the bottom of society? Isn't it precisely because they want a world free from demonic calamities and human disasters, a peaceful and prosperous world where they can live and work in peace?"

"Sacrifice is indeed necessary on this path, but getting used to sacrifice does not mean becoming numb to it."

A complex emotion flashed in Li Yunqing's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure, shook his head, and chuckled softly:

"Then I hope you can stay true to yourself."

Xu Yuan took a deep breath, plopped down next to Li Yunqing, and laughed:

"I've digressed a bit. I was indeed a little angry just now, but not because of the death of the commoner himself, but because the inaction of the officials in this county made me feel powerless."

Li Yunqing's expression turned somewhat strange:

"How could a mere seventh-rank county magistrate, the highest-ranking official in a county town, make you, the Third Young Master, feel powerless?"

Xu Yuan turned his gaze to the Third Prince's eyes and asked:

"One county magistrate might not be enough, but how many county magistrates are there in the Great Yan territory?"

"."

Li Yunqing suddenly fell silent.

Xu Yuan didn't say anything more for a moment.

He thought of the fearful look in the eyes of that commoner who had just stared at him.

Standing up and not kneeling is inherently in conflict with the feudal dynasty, but Xu Yuan felt that at the very least, there should be no fear.

This is a fear that arises only when one's life and death are completely unprotected, and one is constantly at risk of being killed.

From small things, one can see the big picture.

If we continue to investigate the root cause of this scene, we will find a chilling reality.

The Great Yan Law are crumbling.

The root cause of this collapse lies with the countless low-level officials of the Great Yan Dynasty.

This is truly disheartening.

Sitting atop the city gate tower, watching the sun slowly rise on the eastern horizon, Xu Yuan sighed softly:

"I always thought that with cultivators dispatched from the imperial court to supervise, these local county magistrates wouldn't dare to outwardly comply but inwardly defy me. Now it seems I was being too naive."

Li Yunqing chuckled, then lay back on the city gate tower, hands behind his head, and casually remarked:

"You, the pampered Third Young Master, have never dealt with peasants. In fact, the problem with local governance is not with the county magistrate, but with the gentry in the city."

"As the leader of the Imperial Clan Chamber of Commerce, I often have to deal with these local natives. Through intermarriage, affiliation with industries, and a series of other means, they have been operating in one place for generations, even more than ten generations, and have long been deeply rooted in the local community."

"Apart from the officials parachuted in by the imperial court, the rest of the officials are basically monopolized by them. Most county magistrates have no choice but to cooperate with these people in order to implement their policies. Once they taste the benefits of cooperation, they basically tacitly agree to collude with these people."

"The same applies to the cultivators sent by the imperial court to supervise; after all, cultivation also requires money."

"."

After listening carefully to Li Yunqing's complaints, Xu Yuan's eyes showed a hint of surprise.

In his mind, compared to the sects that held military power, these grassroots gentry were nothing more than a bunch of pigs waiting to be slaughtered.

After all, the royal family of the extraordinary world holds the moral high ground, making it relatively easy for them to slaughter some secular powerful families.

But he immediately dismissed the thought as soon as it crossed his mind.

He suddenly understood what Li Yunqing meant.

Humans are creatures of desire.

Killing these people is easy, but new ones will quickly spring up.

These issues are not the main contradiction at this stage. As long as these grassroots officials are generally obedient and do not outwardly comply with but inwardly defy the imperial court's orders, then these unsavory practices are still within the scope of the court's tacit approval.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan let out a soft breath.

Li Yunqing glanced at Xu Yuan's expression and asked with a smile:

"Changtian, what are you planning to do?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan turned his head, a slight smile playing on his lips, and asked in return:

What do you think I would do?

Li Yunqing stroked his chin and grinned:

"Given your personality, you probably wouldn't tolerate these things."

"Really."

Xu Yuan nodded, propped himself up on his knees, and stood up. "Now that we've seen some things, we can't just ignore them."

Li Yunqing also sat up and asked with great interest:

What are you planning to do?

"Lou Ji has already gone to the County Office here."

"." Li Yunqing.

After silently mourning for the gentry and officials of Huizhou County for a moment, Li Yunqing stood up and prepared to leave the city tower.

"In that case, I shall take my leave."

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked softly:

What's going on here?

Li Yunqing back:

"You want to deal with the filth of this place? I don't have any grand ambitions. But since I'm here, I might as well experience the local customs and culture."

After saying that,

Li Yunqing chuckled, then leaped into the air.

Li Yunqing lied.

Instead of going to the misty, willow-lined area to experience the local customs and culture of Huizhou County as he had promised, he wandered aimlessly around Huizhou County after leaving Xu Yuan's sight.

Huizhou County is the kind of small county town that is most common in the Northern Border. After the glitz and glamour of the night fades away, everything returns to normalcy.

The roadside was lined with brick and wood buildings. The market that had opened was gradually being taken over by vegetable farmers and vendors who came to the city for the market. Occasionally, a luxurious carriage could be seen driving by on the street, and the scent of rouge emanating from it was mostly from a young master who had just spent the night in a brothel.

Walking down the street, looking at the diverse people around him, and feeling the lively atmosphere of the marketplace, Li Yunqing's leisurely eyes were still reflecting on the conversation he had just had.

Li Yunqing had never really thought deeply about what he had said to Xu Changtian on the city wall.

After all, these things were described in the books on governance he had read, and that's how his teachers at the Imperial Academy had taught him. And that's how he encountered reality after taking over the Chamber of Commerce.

Officials protecting each other and gentry colluding – this was the foundation of the governance of the Great Yan Dynasty.

It has a dark side, but it's able to keep functioning.

This has been true for a thousand years, it was true a hundred years ago, it is true now, and it should remain true in the future.

After the conversation, Li Yunqing suddenly couldn't understand what the Third Young Master was thinking.

That kid,

The things he pursued in his heart seemed to be far greater than what his two fathers wanted to achieve.

Thinking of this, Li Yunqing stopped in his tracks, looked up at the sky where the warm sun had dispelled the mist, and his eyes were filled with complicated emotions.

After staring blankly at the sky for a few moments, Li Yunqing sighed softly, but then curled the corners of his lips into a smile.

He thought it was unrealistic, but someone like him who was just giving up had no right to point fingers at others.

Although I'm not optimistic, I hope that kid can hold onto his original aspirations.

"Your Highness."

Just as he was thinking, a voice as melodious as an orchid interrupted Li Yunqing's thoughts and rang in his ears.

Upon hearing this voice, Li Yunqing's expression remained unchanged, and he did not reply. He continued along the market street, bypassing the most bustling blocks, and turned into a small alley.

The narrow alley, with its blue bricks and stone tiles, stretches long and winding, deserted and empty, with towering courtyard walls on both sides of the cramped passageway.

Continuing deeper for several dozen feet and turning at several intersections, Li Yunqing stopped in front of a tightly closed courtyard gate with red brick walls.

He pushed open the door and found the courtyard overgrown with flowers and plants, where a beautiful woman was already waiting for him.

The moment she saw Li Yunqing, the alluring woman in the courtyard immediately curtsied.

"Your Highness, you've arrived."

Li Yunqing walked into the courtyard and looked around:

"You should have arrived yesterday, right? Where did you get this yard from?"

The alluring woman glanced at the inner room and said softly:

"Temporarily borrowed from someone else."

Li Yunqing raised an eyebrow, glanced at the inner room of the courtyard, and after sensing two unconscious mortals inside, gently shook his head:

"Remember to keep this a secret."

The alluring woman narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly and nodded.

"Yes."

"Don't cause anyone to die."

A seductive woman.

Li Yunqing walked to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down, patting his thigh with a smile:

"Come here, I haven't seen you in a long time, and I've missed you quite a bit."

The alluring woman's beautiful eyes flickered, her face slightly flushed, and she slowly stepped forward, hooking her arms around Li Yunqing's neck and sitting on his lap with her pert buttocks.

Li Yunqing casually put his arm around the alluring woman's slender waist and asked with a smile:

"How's your investigation going with the information I gave you earlier?"

The alluring woman hesitated slightly upon hearing this, then whispered:

"That Third Young Master must have encountered some trouble upon arriving here."

"Oh?"

A soft sound echoed in the quiet courtyard, but Li Yunqing's eyes showed little surprise.

With the speed of the Mystic Eagle Pavilion, he could have flown directly back to Di'an City without rest, but Xu Yuan chose to stay in Huizhou County instead.

He didn't believe there wasn't something fishy going on.

Thinking it over, he tightened his grip slightly, frowned, and asked:

"But was it an assassination?"

"Most likely," the alluring woman replied, trembling as she felt the other's hand moving restlessly over her body. "Moreover, the person who came is probably very powerful."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunqing couldn't help but sigh:

"Tsk, they're really coming. Do you know which faction they belong to?"

The alluring woman remained silent for a moment, then said softly:

"I am unaware of this matter. However, I followed the information you left behind, Your Highness, and a while ago I sensed the presence of the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Holy Maiden near Plains Mausoleum and she left."