The others knelt and noticed the ground felt soft. Someone touched the “soil” and found it was white lime. Observing the water-filled jars in the courtyard, they quickly understood Si Zhan’s intentions, causing the officials and wealthy gentlemen to break into a cold sweat.
Si Zhan remained silent, observing the uncomfortable kneeling officials. After some time, he called out, “Governor Jiang.”
Governor Jiang crawled forward, extremely respectful. “This official is here.”
“Who am I?” Si Zhan asked with a smile.
“Y-you are Your Highness Yi Wang,” Governor Jiang stammered.
“Who is Your Highness Yi Wang?” Si Zhan continued smiling.
Governor Jiang shivered, wiping sweat from his forehead and replied, “… Yi Wang is the master of Qian Nan.”
Si Zhan’s smile vanished as he said expressionlessly, “Since you know this wang is the master of Qian Nan, you should know best what should and should not be done.”
Governor Jiang knelt down, pleading, “Your Highness, my wife and children are still in the mansion. Please spare my life.”
“Rest assured, Governor Jiang’s family has been invited to the mansion by the Princess Consort and are chatting in the backyard.”
Si Zhan’s gaze turned cold as it swept over the other officials and wealthy gentry wishing to hide. He added, “Oh, by the way, not just Governor Jiang’s family, the wives and children of everyone kneeling here have been invited.”
“Your Highness, what are you trying to do?”
Finally, an official among the wealthy gentry couldn’t hold back and asked.
Si Zhan’s eyes darkened as he leaned back slightly, his authoritative presence immediately apparent. “I won’t waste words. Open the governor’s granary completely. Everyone else must contribute a thousand bushels of grain to retrieve their family members; otherwise, continue kneeling. I don’t mind pouring some water on you.”
Everyone fell silent, exchanging glances. Finally, someone mustered the courage to say, “Your Highness’s actions are no different from bandits!”
Si Zhan looked at him coldly, laughing as he replied, “What? Want to go to Biandu and report me?”
“…I dare not!” The person shrank back, intimidated by Si Zhan’s momentum.
They indeed did not dare. Today, the Prince of Yi was clearly laying down the law. He had connections with bandits who held leverage over these officials and gentry. For years, they had tolerated the bandits in Qiannan because of this leverage. Now, those levers had fallen into the Prince of Yi’s hands, prompting him to confront them openly and demand power and grain.
“If you don’t dare, then obediently hand over the grain and retrieve your people.”
The wealthy gentry no longer resisted.
The lives of their families were more important than grain. After weighing options, they chose to hand over the grain, lining up with Uncle Zhou to sign contracts. Only after all the grain was secured could they leave.
Everyone quickly signed the contracts and was temporarily settled in the side hall, treated with good wine and food, except for Governor Jiang. Injured and with emptied granaries, he could only grit his teeth.
“Governor Jiang,” Si Zhan suddenly called out.
Startled, Governor Jiang bowed respectfully, “This official is here.”
“Do you think my first act as a new official should be to kill a chicken to warn the monkeys?”
His words were casual, but the atmosphere turned tense. Governor Jiang broke out in cold sweat and quickly waved his hand, “No, no… unnecessary.”
Terrified by Si Zhan’s unpredictability, he swore, “Your Highness, whatever commands you have, this official will fulfill them with utmost loyalty.”
Si Zhan quietly watched him until he was almost trembling, then lightly laughed, “You’d better remember today’s words. I can invite your entire family here again if I choose.”
Governor Jiang kowtowed, a sinister light flashing in his eyes. Si Zhan was startled, asking, “Where did Prefect Jiang get his soldiers?” Prefect Jiang was a civil official, and the garrison was barely two hundred strong. Yet, outside were at least five thousand soldiers.
Yuan Bi replied, “The military commander of Linchuan Town, Gao, is Prefect Jiang’s brother-in-law. The soldiers’ armor has the character ‘Gao’. Our subordinates were negligent to think Prefect Jiang would borrow soldiers from him to attack King Yi’s residence.”
Si Zhan narrowed his eyes at the distant fire, gritting his teeth, “Anyone who dares disturb my wife’s childbirth will face extermination. Send a signal for the brothers in the camp to come down the mountain openly.”
“Yes!” Yuan Bi said, about to leave, but Si Zhan added, “Give me the sword.” Yuan Bi handed him the sword, and Si Zhan gripped it solemnly, declaring, “Since they want to turn the world upside down, I’ll turn the sky of Qian Nan upside down.”
In the delivery room, Ning Wan Wan was drenched in sweat, struggling with silver needles in her arms and gripping the bedding tightly.
Her watery eyes were red as she looked outside and asked Uncle Zhou, who was kneeling and treating her, “Uncle Zhou, what’s that sound outside?”
The midwife shouted, “Madam, push, push harder…”
Uncle Zhou remained calm, “Madam, the young master will handle things outside. You just focus on giving birth.”
Ning Wan Wan struggled to stabilize her mind and push hard. After a time, she felt she could exert no more strength. She grabbed Uncle Zhou’s hand, breathing heavily, “Uncle Zhou… if… if we can only save one… you must remember to save the child…” Her red eyes stared at Uncle Zhou.
Uncle Zhou could no longer hold back his tears, “Madam, as long as you are determined, mother and child will be safe. You and the child must both survive, otherwise, the young master would…”
Ning Wan Wan suddenly recalled Si Zhan’s lonely figure…
Si Zhan stood steadily in the courtyard, looking towards the moon gate. Suddenly, a heart-rending cry came from the delivery room: “Ah! Brother Zhan!”
This book is about to end, so here’s a request for pre-orders of the next book “Marrying the Nemesis”. Pre-orders are crucial for the author to start a new book. Love you all, muah.
Ning Wan Wan looked steadily at Yuan Zhu and said only: “You can rest assured.”
Yuan Zhu no longer blocked her path, allowing Ning Wanwan to follow the young boy into the mountain.
Guided by the boy, Ning Wanwan did not discover any peculiar formations in the rootless mountain. He quickly brought her to a pavilion in the middle of a lake, where a white-haired person in a blue robe sat in a reclining chair, fishing.
Seeing the person’s back, Ning Wanwan frowned, feeling it seemed familiar. Just as she was about to ask the boy, she realized he had disappeared. After looking around and seeing no one else but the person in the pavilion, she walked across the bridge.
“Wife of the Qian Nan Yiwang, Ning clan, pays respects to the mountain hermit,” Ning Wanwan greeted.
Gui Wudu remained motionless, facing away from her.
Ning Wanwan called out again: “Wife of the Qian Nan Yiwang, Ning clan, pays respects to the mountain hermit.”
Gui Wudu finally yawned, rubbed his eyes, stood up, stretched, turned around, and smiled: “Yiwang’s wife, we meet again.”
“You?” Ning Wanwan was shocked, recognizing the familiar face. After a moment, she realized, “You are that traveling physician from before!”
“Indeed,” Gui Wudu smiled.
Once she learned the true identity of the traveling physician, Ning Wanwan was horrified.
Recalling previous events and Gui Wudu’s efforts to bring her here, she cautiously stepped back, staring at him, “What exactly do you want?”
Gui Wudu laughed: “Don’t worry, I won’t harm you.”
Ning Wanwan coldly replied: “Why should I believe you?”
“Because of this.” Gui Wudu slowly pulled out two long silver needles. As he removed them, his childlike face transformed into one remarkably similar to Si Zhan’s.
