Witnessing a declining Great Yan, Zuo Xuanliao lost heart / The emperor of Great Yan watched episode three, his fists clenched

"Xi-mei's drawing skills have really improved in just a few months."

Chongyue, feeling the chill and temperature of the rain, and looking at everything around him so lifelike, could clearly see the further improvement in Xi's painting skills. He couldn't help but praise Xi, saying happily:

"While Xi-mei's paintings used to have form and spirit, they lacked a certain warmth and humanity. Now, after several months apart, Xi-mei, you seem to have many insights."

"... I took my elder brother's advice and tried to experience some of the realities of life, and it seems I've gained some understanding."

Xi didn't show any pride, but unconsciously glanced at Chen Qi beside her, seemingly waiting for his praise. Chen Qi didn't disappoint Xi, praising her very earnestly and sincerely:

"Thank you for your hard work, Xi. As expected, everyone in the crew and I can't do without you."

"Hmph, you know that much."

Xi feigned a slight disdain, seemingly a little annoyed by Chen Qi's brief praise, but Chen Qi wasn't for her painting skills, but rather for that aspect of her as a person, which still made Xi's tail wag uncontrollably from side to side.

Chongyue could see his younger sister's joy, and seeing this scene, he couldn't help but smile. As the older brother, he was naturally happy to see his sister and brother getting along so well.

After calming Xi down, Chen Qi immediately began arranging the shoot. Since a panoramic shot was to be taken, a drone would be needed. Of course, the most important factor was the emotional state of the lead actors.

Although it's in a painting, everything is incredibly lifelike. The film will not only depict the destruction of dikes and flooding of fields, but also the scenes of ordinary people being affected. Everyone involved in the film is a good official and a good person who is dedicated to serving the people. Whether they can withstand the shock is another matter entirely.

"Prefect Ma, Marquis of Calamity Suppression, and all of you, can you withstand this?"

"Yes!" Zuo Xuanliao and the other lead actors answered Chen Qi in unison. Zuo Xuanliao, in particular, had his eyes fixed on the dam from the very beginning and said decisively:

"I will take all of this into my eyes and remember it in my heart. If in the future any treacherous ministers mislead the country, I will remember this scene and do my utmost to execute them and prevent them from harming the people in any way."

Zuo Xuanliao had expressed his opinion, and Liang Xun and the others naturally shared the same understanding. Seeing that everyone was mentally prepared, Chen Qi immediately addressed the other members of the Xihe film crew:

"Everyone get ready, power on! Xi, breach the dam!"

"Boom!"

As soon as Chen Qi finished speaking, Xi, who had received the order, waved her hand, and all nine dikes simultaneously emitted a thunderous roar, causing the ground of the painting to tremble violently.

Moments later, this man-made natural Catastrophe brought devastating floods to nine counties surrounding Zhe City —and Chen Qi, considering that the Great Yan's civil engineering masters could build dams, amplified the disaster. The Dragon Boat Festival flood, which was originally expected to last three days, was extended to seven days.

During this period, the dikes were heavily guarded by Yan Faction's men. At a time when flood prevention was necessary every year, this rare torrential rain, coupled with human intervention, caused a man-made Catastrophe that swallowed everything Zhe City.

In the footage, accompanied by raging floods, everyone outside the scene can see that the floodwaters not only submerged the fields, but also the villages and people along the way. They were all powerless in the face of this Catastrophe, and everything was mercilessly washed away.

What weighed even heavier on everyone's hearts was that they all knew... this was not Catastrophe, but a man-made one. It was those high-ranking officials who claimed to "love the people like their own children" who brought this Catastrophe upon the common people.

"Catastrophe are terrible... but the human heart is even more terrible. Catastrophe may destroy one or two dikes, but no matter how merciless it may be, it can't compare to the wickedness of the human heart, which can destroy nine dikes and cause the deaths of millions!"

"Is this my Great Yan...? Is this my Great Yan...?"

Seeing this scene, even someone as resolute as Wei Yenwu could no longer bear to watch. He knew it was all fake, but the thought of the future of the Great Yan filled him with despair and utter sorrow.

If even a Lungmen ruler like Wei Yenwu, who had seen countless storms and issued cruel orders, could react this way, one can only imagine how agitated Lin Yuxia, Chen Huijie, and the others must have felt upon witnessing this scene.

Anger and sorrow seem insufficient to describe their feelings; more than anything, there is despair... How can there be despair for the future of this Great Yan? If today's officials of Great Yan can destroy dikes and flood fields for their own selfish gain, what methods will they use tomorrow to amass the wealth of the world and cause the deaths of countless people?

In the drama, Li Xuan, now a member of the Inspectorate and in charge of river management, immediately seeks out his godfather, Yang Jinshui, played by Mr. Nothing, when he learns that someone has blown up the dam.

Croissant arrived, Li Xuan, soaked to the bone and drenched in sweat, said in a panic, "The weirs in all nine counties have cracked! Someone must be trying to breach them, to harm me, and to harm you, my godfather!"

"The entire dike, including all nine weirs, was built under my supervision last year! It's as solid as a rock, absolutely impossible!"

"--In this world, where is there a riverbank as solid as a fortress? Where is there a weir as impregnable as a fortress?"

However, Yang Jinshui, played by Mr. Nothing, was naturally aware of all this. Representing the emperor's interests, he tacitly approved of Yan Faction's actions and had naturally prepared his own backup plan.

He had already made all the arrangements for his godson. On the very day he decided to breach the dikes and flood the fields, he sent a message to the palace and fabricated an excuse to give Li Xuan a different job.

After Mr. Nothing's reminder, Li Xuan seemed to realize something in a daze. Facing his godfather's back, he couldn't help but say:

"Godfather—you knew about this?"

However, the moment Li Xuan uttered those words, Mr. Nothing's expression changed instantly. His face immediately became serious and menacing, a clear warning emanating from him. He coldly forced out the words through clenched teeth, "What do you know?"

Although Yang Jinshui tacitly approved of the breaching of the dikes and flooding of the fields, he represented the Directorate of Ceremonial of Directorate of Ceremonial, which in turn represented the emperor's interests. If this matter were to implicate the emperor, it would truly be a case of the entire family being exterminated.

Therefore, Yang Jinshui absolutely did not want anyone to let this slip. After hearing such a serious warning, Li Xuan understood its meaning, and after stammering for a long time, he finally swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue:

"I... I don't know what I know..."

"It's your blessing if you don't know." Mr. Nothing, playing Yang Jinshui, spoke with extreme seriousness, once again reminding his godson of a classic line from the drama:

"Let me tell you, some things are nothing on the scale, but once you put them on, nothing can stop them from being a thousand pounds."

Mr. Nothing's words were very cryptic. Although not everyone watching the screen necessarily understood his meaning, they all felt a chill run down their spines.

The logic is similar to the "internal security investigation" at Victoria Harbour. Why do security investigations never find any evidence? It's because all civil servants are well aware that their criminal records are generally not clean, and if they really wanted to investigate, they would always find something.

But who knows who you might be implicated in what you uncover? The government is a complex web of interpersonal relationships; one person may have another behind them, and in the end, you might be implicated in figures you couldn't even have investigated.

Therefore, in politics, what evidence is found when "investigating" someone is not important. What is important is that the act of "investigating" itself sends a signal both internally and externally that "you are unreliable." Even if you are ultimately found to be innocent, from a political perspective, you have already lost all your usefulness.

They don't necessarily need you to die, but as long as your political value is gone, their goal has been achieved.

But who will bear the consequences of all this internal strife?

In the painting, Hu Zongxian, played by Zuo Xuanliao, also arrived at the scene immediately. However, seeing the raging flood, even the few civil engineering masters who used Originium Arts were unable to stop the raging flood and could only struggle to hold it off.

If even the Earth and Wood Masters possessed such strength, the remaining Great Yan soldiers carrying sandbags appeared even more powerless. After witnessing this scene with Tan Lun, Hu Zongxian, played by Zuo Xuanliao, asked in a desolate tone after a long pause, "Can't it be stopped?"

"Without prior preparation, it was to be expected that we wouldn't be able to stop it."

"--Where is the old Celestial Master of Zhe City?! Where is he?! And where have all those capable Civil Engineering Celestial Masters gone?!" Zuo Xuanliao asked with some despair, looking at the few remaining Civil Engineering Celestial Masters.

"They were transferred to Su City for flood control a week ago!" Tan Lun replied helplessly. "Nine counties, nine weirs. We can't stop the flooding here, and we certainly can't stop the other eight weirs! That's exactly the result they want!"

Tan Lun's words also made Hu Zongxian, played by Zuo Xuanliao, realize that he should have noticed when Ma Ningyuan gave him the old ginseng, but due to his momentary negligence, he failed to discover the conspiracy that was being kept from him!

"Millions of lives lost, a sin for all time!"

"Such heinous acts are unprecedented in history!"

But no matter how much the two men argued, they couldn't change the fact that they couldn't stop the flood. In the end, they made a difficult decision, a decision of "choosing the lesser of two evils"—to divert the flood.

The floodwaters from nine counties were collected and distributed to one or two other counties. This would reduce casualties and make it much easier to prepare disaster relief supplies in the future.

But... how heartless is this to the innocent people of those one or two counties? Aren't they innocent? After this flood, not only will fields and houses be destroyed, but the entire county will be submerged!

The pressure of such a agonizing choice weighed on the hearts of everyone who witnessed it, like a mountain. No one will forget this moment; it was perhaps their closest encounter with the darkest side of the world...

Chapter 285: Witnessing the Decline of the Great Yan, Zuo Xuanliao's Disheartened Heart

"This choice... was made out of necessity. At least, fewer people will drown, and disaster relief will be easier to manage."

However, seeing the desperate situation on the screen, Wei Yenwu never put down his pipe. The smoke he exhaled filled the entire lounge with smog, which showed how much pressure he was under. Just by putting himself in his shoes, he didn't know what other good solution there was besides flood diversion.

Whether one county is flooded or nine counties are flooded, it's still flooded. Once this happens, no matter what you do, it's a bad thing, and you'll end up being cursed by the people. You can only try your best to minimize the losses.

However, before making such a decision, Hu Zongxian, played by Zuo Xuanliao, still planned to do one last humane thing—to use the flesh and blood of the Great Yan soldiers to build a human wall to see if it could stop the flood and buy some time for the Earth and Wood Masters to unleash their Originium Arts and build a new earthen wall.

If the soldiers of the Great Yan did that, even if they died, it wouldn't be enough to cover it up... That would be an explanation to the people, showing that they did their best. And perhaps the people would curse them and the Great Yan less.

Not far away, Qi Jiguang, played by Chongyue, had already selected thirty strong and capable soldiers of the Great Yan. Facing these thirty heroes who were willing to sacrifice themselves for their country and the greater good, Zuo Xuanliao's eyes welled up with tears. After a long while, he choked out:

"Have you memorized all the brothers' names?"

"In case of any unforeseen circumstances—their families must be given generous compensation!"

Qi Jiguang, played by Chongyue, remained silent in response to Zuo Xuanliao. Having witnessed such a man-made disaster, even knowing it was all a staged event... But humans are not plants or trees; how could they be without feelings? Even looking at this hell on earth, they were unconsciously immersed in the scene.

To enhance the filming effect, Chen Qi also brought some soldiers from Zhe City into the painting. These soldiers of the Great Yan also witnessed this scene. All the disaster relief scenes in the painting are real scenes from the Great Yan soldiers and the people of the Celestial Masters' Manor who were already there.

These thirty soldiers who stepped forward were all true heroes willing to sacrifice their lives for their country. After all, no one told them what would happen if they "died" in the painting, and they were all mentally prepared to never wake up again before making this decision.

Zuo Xuanliao understood, and was even more aware of, the soldiers' resolve. He did not stop them, but instead bowed to all the soldiers, forcing back the tears welling in his eyes, and roared in a trembling voice:

Please!

With a deep bow from Zuo Xuanliao, more than thirty soldiers, already bound with hemp ropes and held by several other soldiers, jumped into the flood without hesitation, as if more than thirty heavy stones had fallen into the water.

But they are not stones; they are flesh and blood. Faced with a raging flood, even boulders can be pushed away, let alone them.

Even so, not one of the thirty soldiers chose to retreat, and none of the other civil engineers were willing to give up. Everyone did their utmost to try to turn the "impossible" into the "possible."

Unbeknownst to them, some soldiers, after swimming for a while, finally succumbed to exhaustion and floated on the surface; others lost their grip on the ropes and, in their weakened state, fell into the floodwaters; and even the civil engineering master, his face ashen, coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground...

These scenes were all recorded by invisible cameras and played on screens for everyone in the lounge. Watching these brave people "die" before their eyes, no one could remain calm...

Wei Yenwu, the Rat King, and the other elders all closed their eyes in anguish. They knew this was the best course of action, and no matter how much tormented or pained they were in, they had to do it.

Young people like Chen Huijie and Lin Yuxia were already sobbing uncontrollably. Lin Yuxia, in particular, had already been under a heavy psychological burden when she played Yan Shifan, who ordered the breaching of the dikes and flooding of the fields. Witnessing the soldiers who were dying because of "her" decision made it even harder for her to accept.

Lin Yuxia curled up slightly, hugging her raised legs with both arms, burying her face in her hands, trembling all over, and repeatedly muttering words like "I'm sorry" and "I didn't want to do this."

When all hope seemed lost, Qi Dazhu, played by Huai Tianpei, led a group of villagers who had taken refuge to find Hu Zongxian and others. As their representative, Huai Tianpei took the initiative to propose a plan to the troubled Zuo Xuanliao to divert the floodwaters to their county.

"General Qi, Governor-General, our home is over there, our wives, children, and elderly parents are there. If anyone should jump, it should be us!"

"Everyone has taken refuge with the help of the officers and soldiers! That day, when you took the officers and soldiers away without burying our seedlings, we already recognized you! Just consider us your soldiers!"

Finally, with the consent and help of Huai Tianpei and other villagers, the group decided to divert the floodwaters to two counties, thus suppressing this man-made Catastrophe at the lowest possible cost of flooding half of the counties.

"I, Hu Zongxian, have failed my fellow villagers!"

After the rain stopped and the sky cleared, facing a county and a half submerged by the flood, General Zuo Xuanliao, who had fought countless fierce battles, showed a long-lost look of disbelief on his face... This general, who had guarded Jade Gate Pass his entire life and fought only against the enemy, tasted the power of the flood for the first time.

But more than the flood, what he felt most deeply was the powerlessness he couldn't feel in the prosperous Great Yan. The soldiers at the front were bleeding, while the ministers and officials at the rear were lining their own pockets and talking big... This sense of powerlessness, not knowing what they were fighting to Protection, was what pained him the most.

"Such Great Yan... how could it not perish!"

Overwhelmed with grief, Zuo Xuanliao couldn't help but shout out such a disheartened sentence. Even when faced with a more critical situation, Zuo Xuanliao had never thought of giving up. This was the first time he had uttered such words.

They had never faced such hardship before, because he believed in the strength of the Great Yan Dynasty. He believed that the Great Yan would not abandon him and his brothers. Everyone believed that as long as they persevered, the Great Yan would definitely send someone to rescue them. They always had hope.

But now, this flood, which cost only thirty-odd lives, makes Zuo Xuanliao feel more grief-stricken than a battle in which tens of thousands of people died. They... were killed by their own people!

"Cut! Everyone did a great job! Xi, quickly reset everything in the scroll, don't let these brothers of Great Yan sleep too long."

However, Chen Qi's words jolted everyone inside and outside the painting back to their senses. With a sudden distortion of the world depicted in the painting, the destroyed dam was restored, and the thirty-odd Great Yan soldiers who had supposedly "sacrificed" themselves all came to their senses, only to find themselves standing in the same spot once more.

"Huh? I... I drowned, didn't I?"

"I remember I overdosed on Originium Arts and went into a coma?"

"Didn't I just run into a rock in the flood?"

The soldiers of the Great Yan were all astonished at their own survival, and from within the scroll, Chen Qi's voice slowly drifted back, carrying a distinctly mocking tone:

"Rest assured, everyone, you will not die within Xi's painting. However, the enlightenment you just displayed will remain forever in our TV series, for future generations to view countless times."

"You are all outstanding, heroes of the Great Yan. I will definitely report your achievements to His Majesty the Emperor and have him award each of you a First-Class Merit!"

As Chen Qi finished speaking, he and Xi slowly appeared in the painting. The two of them came before the dazed Zuo Xuanliao and the others, finally making everyone realize that everything just now was just a dream.

Soon, overwhelmed by the double joy of surviving the ordeal and gaining merit for their lives, the thirty-odd soldiers of the Great Yan Army cheered and jumped for joy. The other soldiers who had come along, thinking they were going to see their brothers go, were also overjoyed. They laughed and choked up as they wrestled with them.

"I'm sorry to have startled Marquis of Calamity Suppression." Chen Qi also bowed to Zuo Xuanliao, and after a long while, Zuo Xuanliao took the initiative to bow deeply to Chen Qi, saying:

"No, it should be me. Thank you, Marquis Liewen."

"I have fought on the battlefield for many years, guarding the Jade Gate for the Great Yan. My enemies include Feranmut, Demons, Ursus people, and so on... I have never feared them in the slightest."

"But now, you have made me taste fear for the first time, and I understand that the greatest enemy of the Great Yan is not Feranmut, not Demons, and certainly not foreigners—but rather, it is within the Great Yan itself!"

"We military generals find it extremely difficult to excel in both military Marquis Liewen's work were to be published, it would undoubtedly be a thunderclap that shakes the officialdom of the Great Yan! Here, on behalf of the soldiers of the Great Yan, I thank Marquis Liewen!"

Having said that, Zuo Xuanliao, completely convinced, bowed deeply to Chen Qi, and before Chen Qi could refuse, he immediately made his promise, saying:

"Marquis Liewen, please send the work to the palace. When the time comes, no matter who impeaches you or blames you, even if His Majesty punishes you, I, Zuo Xuanliao, will be the first to take the blame for you! I will ensure that this work is published in the Great Yan Dynasty, so that future generations of people and officials can read it and learn from it!"

"... Then, I thank Marquis of Calamity Suppression very much."

Seeing that Marquis of Calamity Suppression was willing to help him, Chen Qi felt that he might need Zuo Xuanliao's help in the future to help the "Sui" family obtain a pardon, so he accepted the offer.

Meanwhile, Ling He Nian unknowingly entered the painting as well. Watching Chen Qi and Zuo Xuanliao chatting happily, his gaze involuntarily drifted to the side, where Xi was gazing at Chen Qi's back with a gentle, even somewhat infatuated look.

"Oh no, this is terrible!" Ling immediately felt immense pain, closing her eyes and not knowing what to do. Why was her silly little sister so clueless!

Unbeknownst to Ling, Nian beside her was also in a daze. She hadn't laughed heartily like usual for a long time, but now, as she gazed at Chen Qi's figure, a long-lost smile appeared in her eyes.

"This guy is always so smug, making those who are supposed to be respected by others extremely grateful to him, but he still focuses on his own work and thinks about the people around him."

"Really, no wonder Xi Mei got so drunk next to him that she never wanted to wake up again."

Nian murmured to herself, and before she knew it, a wave of sadness and entanglement welled up in her heart. Unable to hide her troubles, Nian now showed an expression almost identical to Xi's, stubbornly fixated on a puzzle she couldn't solve.

Chapter 286: The Great Yan Emperor Watches Episode 3, His Fist Grits Up