Acting Against the Tide

Governor-General Zhao, no longer sleepy and nursing a slight headache, drank the freshly served tea with an indifferent expression.

Before long, a servant came in from outside and reported, "My lord, we followed Official Qi as you instructed. After leaving the governor-general's residence, he walked along weeping, saying his sins had implicated the common people, that he was guilty... it was a truly wretched sight!"

"That old scoundrel really knows how to put on a show. He's trying to force my hand!" Governor-General Zhao was both angry and amused.

But he also understood that, unless Qi truly cared for the people, why would he sacrifice his dignity to force his hand? This was killing a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of his own.

He recalled the rumors he had heard before. He had once disbelieved them, but now he began to believe, and a thousand feelings welled up within him.

"Very well. Since that's how it is, refusing to help would only make me seem stingy and petty, blind to the greater good. Go after Prefect Qi and ask him to come back to see me."

"Yes, my lord!"

When Qi Hongxin returned, everyone around the reception hall had been dismissed. Governor-General Zhao sat half-reclining in his chair, drinking tea without speaking. He seemed like a different man, staring blankly into space. Qi Hongxin said nothing either, merely standing there.

"Brother Qi, I was thinking of those years long ago. You placed first in the Second Class, earning the title of Palace Examination Second-Class First, and were immediately selected for the Hanlin Academy, then chosen for the Eastern Palace. We all envied you then." Governor-General Zhao rubbed his forehead and let out a deep sigh. "Who could have imagined that, twenty years later, our fortunes would turn