The general trend of the world changed in the blink of an eye.

Many people understood this principle, but the feeling of truly experiencing it had only appeared recently.

No one knew when it had started, but day after day, major events kept happening. Both the north and the south were unstable—the south was in chaos, while the north was tense. Even the people in Daijun at the far northern border could not sleep peacefully. Not only were refugees fleeing north from Southern Yong, but people north of the Han River were also afraid and wanted to move even further north.

If the Xianbei had not been recently conquered and the locals had not harbored hostility toward Central Plains people, they would have wanted to move directly into Xianbei territory.

As the New Year approached, this should have been a time when people who had worked hard all year finally rested. Yet in this situation, it felt as if the world had changed overnight, as though someone had pressed an acceleration button on history itself. Thus, whether old or young, noble or commoner, everyone was swept into this invisible yet bloody tide. No one knew whether they would become the next meaningless sacrifice.

The news of Sun Renluan vomiting blood did not spread. Southern Yong kept it strictly secret, and only a few people knew about it. However, if Sun Renluan never woke up again, it would eventually become impossible to hide.

The person guarding Sun Renluan was completely overwhelmed. He could not make decisions himself, yet he also did not dare to inform others. After hesitating between Sun Shanlu and Yang Cangyi, he finally sent someone to invite Sun Shanlu.

In his view, the Empress Dowager was Sun Renluan’s biological sister, while Yang Cangyi had always opposed Sun Renluan. If Yang Cangyi learned of the situation, no one knew what he might do. Therefore, it was better to summon the Empress Dowager.

…It was ironic. In this world, the trigger that accelerated the downfall of Southern Yong was neither Yuan Baifu and Shen Yangrui kidnapping Xiao Rong, nor the grain warehouses being secretly tampered with. It was a nameless minor figure who, after Sun Renluan collapsed, made the wrong decision.

He truly should not have gone to invite Sun Shanlu. But unfortunately, who could have predicted what would happen next?

*

These matters had nothing to do with the north of the Han River for the moment. However, on that very same day, Xiao Rong received a piece of news that shocked him greatly.

“An epidemic?!”

The messenger nodded: “It was said to have spread from Xingning. Now Jinning and Jianning have also been infected. Those who fall ill develop high fever and red rashes. Most die within three to seven days.”

“…”

Xingning, Jianning, and Jinning—these three places were adjacent to each other and were very remote, regarded by Central Plains people as barbarian lands.

But in reality, it was not so. These regions had pleasant climates and were not the miasma-filled lands people imagined. However, no matter how good the climate was, they were too far from the capital. Anyone exiled there would desperately wish to return to richer regions.

They were already poor, and now an epidemic had broken out—an epidemic whose lethality was not much weaker than war. When he first heard about it, the situation there was likely already filled with corpses.

The distance was too great, and travel by carriage was too slow at this time. Even if Xiao Rong was anxious, there was nothing he could do. Fortunately, he did not need to worry too much, people at this time already had experience dealing with major epidemics. Although the method was extremely cruel, it at least protected other cities.

After a long moment of silence, Xiao Rong sat back down. Gao Xunzhi looked at him and asked worriedly: “Little Rong, are you alright?”

Xiao Rong shook his head, then nodded again: “Minister, in such freezing weather, can a great epidemic still occur?”

It felt so strange. The books never mentioned an epidemic breaking out like this. Jianning was also the territory of Huang Yanjing, and in history, he had risen around this time. If there truly had been an epidemic, how could he have risen so quickly?

Gao Xunzhi blinked, thought for a moment, then nodded: “It is rare, but diseases do not follow reason. This is a natural disaster. When humans err, heaven sends calamity.”

“…”

Xiao Rong did not bother explaining the scientific causes of epidemics, nor did he point out that they were not necessarily “natural disasters” and could also be man-made.

Gao Xunzhi continued rambling: “Come to think of it, the last epidemic seemed to have been at the beginning of last summer. It was not large-scale, and by the time the news reached Yanmen Pass, it had already ended.”

Then he suddenly looked at Xiao Rong: “Wasn’t little Rong originally living in Xinan?”

Xiao Rong had never mentioned where he had lived before. He only spoke of his travels and studies. Xiao Yi also did not mention it. However, since Xiao Yi and Madam Chen had been brought from Xinan by Zhang Biezhi, everyone assumed that after leaving Linchuan, their family had all lived in Xinan.

It had been a long time since he had hidden his background. Since everyone had known each other for so long, no one asked anymore, so Xiao Rong felt a bit unaccustomed when suddenly questioned. He paused and said: “Yes.”

Gao Xunzhi smiled and murmured a blessing: “Your whole family—old and young—none of you were infected. That is truly fortunate.”

“…”

There was one who had been infected.

Thinking of Xiao Yi’s original elder brother, Xiao Rong pressed his lips together. After excusing himself from Gao Xunzhi, he went to Xiao Yi’s courtyard.

At that moment, Xiao Yi was reading. Xiao Rong hurried over and asked before Xiao Yi could greet him: “Little Yi, do you still remember the symptoms of last year’s epidemic in Xinan?”

Xiao Yi was startled and stood up abruptly: “Has someone in the city caught the epidemic?!”

Xiao Rong said: “No—it is in Xingning. First tell me the symptoms in Xinan.”

Upon hearing it was Xingning, Xiao Yi relaxed: “The symptoms were high fever and rashes. The rashes later turned into pus-filled sores, and at that stage, the person was already beyond saving. Soldiers would drag anyone like that away to wait for death.”

Xiao Rong had taken money and left back then, completely uninterested in what had happened. But Xiao Yi had lost family members to the epidemic, so he had naturally investigated more. As he spoke, his mood grew increasingly low. He remembered how he had searched everywhere for his elder brother, only to be repeatedly turned away. In the end, he found nothing—some of his brother’s belongings were burned, others stolen. He had not even been able to build a proper memorial, because there was nothing left to place inside it.

Xiao Yi kept his head lowered, so he did not notice Xiao Rong’s expression turning increasingly grave.

The symptoms were identical.

Yet these two places were more than 2 thousand km apart.

Did the virus teleport? Jumping from one place to another?

Of course, it was possible that a carrier had traveled thousands of miles to Xingning—but… could it really be such a coincidence?

Xiao Rong could not imagine anyone using an epidemic as a weapon. And why? They were all Central Plains people. Why use such a horrifying method?

An epidemic breaking out in Xingning and other regions brought no benefit to anyone. No matter who it was, no one should want to see that.

At that thought, Xiao Rong suddenly froze.

No. That was not right.

It was not that no one wanted to see it.

Normal people did not want it. Those living well did not want it. Those living decently did not want it. But those who were desperate, those who were not accepted, those with dark hearts—those people might think differently.

Disasters in society were the carnival of the morally depraved.

Suddenly, Xiao Rong turned and left. Xiao Yi looked up at the sound of footsteps, but only caught a fading afterimage.

Xiao Yi: “…”

His brother was truly impressive.

*

Xiao Rong went out and immediately summoned everyone. He explained that the epidemic symptoms in both regions were identical, and once they realized this might be man-made, everyone’s expressions turned serious.

As for who would do something so immoral, the only answer was naturally the Qingfeng Sect, which did not even fear “letting a wolf into the house.”

The Qingfeng Sect’s constant stirring of chaos had never stopped. No one had expected they would even have the time to spread an epidemic. Song Shuo’s expression twisted in disgust: “They’re truly a bunch of beasts.”

Xiao Rong thought to himself that it might not be a group of beasts at all—perhaps it was just one person. Han Qing was from Xinan, this was very likely his doing.

Xiao Rong even began to suspect whether the epidemic in Xinan had also been orchestrated by him. But after asking around, neither the oldest Gao Xunzhi nor the well-informed Yu Shaoxie had ever heard of such a disease occurring in Xinan before.

That was good at least. At least the people of Xinan had not died because of human malice.

However, Yu Shaoxie still did not understand: “Why would the Qingfeng Sect do something that harms others without benefiting themselves?”

Gao Xunzhi said: “They can even incite their followers to rebel and cause people to fall ill, making the situation even more chaotic. They are capable of such things.”

From the moment he heard this, Mijing’s brows had been tightly furrowed: “It’s probably not that simple. If their goal was to create chaos, why didn’t they use this method in the core regions? The Xiaokou investigation already uncovered the Qingfeng Sect’s strongholds. If they had released poison there, even Jinling would now be affected.”

But causing trouble in Xingning affected very few people.

As everyone fell silent, seemingly unable to figure it out, Xiao Rong was about to speak—but before he could, another deep voice sounded beside him.

Qu Yunmie said: “Huang Yanjing.”

All heads turned toward him.

Qu Yunmie sat with his arms crossed at the head seat. Usually, he was just there to make up the numbers, but today he finally joined the discussion.

“In Xingning, Jianning, and Jinning, only Huang Yanjing in Jianning had any real ability. The troops he brought were the most presentable among all the reinforcements. And he brought many—one man’s force was worth ten others.”

This also meant he still had more troops back home.

Back when Xiao Rong had told him to be wary of Huang Yanjing, Qu Yunmie had practically looked at him through his nostrils. But after actually seeing Huang Yanjing’s forces, he realized Xiao Rong had not been exaggerating—this man had truly gained some strength.

Still, he was not enough to compare to Qu Yunmie himself. At the time, Qu Yunmie had thought he could defeat ten Huang Yanjings, so there was no need to worry.

However, that was only from his own perspective. Southern Yong still needed to worry. Because Qu Yunmie could also defeat several Southern Yong armies. If Huang Yanjing truly gained the strength to contend with Southern Yong, then the situation would no longer be just about an epidemic.

After hearing Qu Yunmie’s words, the room fell silent for several seconds—then erupted like an explosion.

……

Everyone knew that Qu Yunmie never praised people. If he did, that person was truly exceptional. So if even he acknowledged Huang Yanjing, didn’t that mean Huang Yanjing was already extremely formidable?!

Yu Shaoxie became excited: “What?! So the Qingfeng Sect has colluded with Huang Yanjing? Then spreading the epidemic… was it to allow Huang Yanjing to leave Jianning under legitimate circumstances?!”

In times of sensitivity, any rash movement by Huang Yanjing would make surrounding cities wary of him. Although Jinling could no longer spare resources to deal with other regions, if Huang Yanjing rebelled now, they would still send troops to suppress him.

But if an epidemic broke out locally and the governor chose to evacuate, the meaning changed entirely.

A governor and his city dying together was something only possible in times of peace. In chaotic times, no one could expect that.

At most, not killing all the infected already counted as mercy.

……

Once he left, no one could stop him—and no one could control where he went. Using this opportunity to attack defenseless cities or advance deeper into the interior were all possible outcomes.

What was frustrating was that Jianning was far, far too distant. Even the fastest scouts would need at least ten days for a round trip, and there were no relay stations along the way—real travel time would likely be double that.

To go to such lengths just so Huang Yanjing could lead troops out of Jianning—Gao Xunzhi did not even know what to say. It was truly ruthless.

Mijing showed no obvious reaction, but in fact he was the most shaken. The Qingfeng Sect’s actions were even more vicious than the Xianbei. There were too many evil people in this world, and it filled him with sorrow.

Yet amid the oppressive atmosphere, there was one person who stood out completely.

Song Shuo had not spoken for a long time. After a moment of silence, he finally said quietly: “Impressive.”

Xiao Rong turned to him: “What did you say?”

Song Shuo blinked, then looked up: “I said this person is impressive. Di Fazeng and Wang Xinyong are both in Southern Yong, and we have nearly ten thousand troops sent out. Yet he still managed to escape and earn Huang Yanjing’s trust, persuading him to accept his plan. Now that we cannot reach them, they have gained time to survive—and with time comes the chance to rise again.”

Everyone looked at him with complicated expressions. Even if he was impressive, there was no need to praise him so much.

Gao Xunzhi even grew a little wary, remembering how Song Shuo had originally followed Xiao Rong. He worried Song Shuo might find Han Qing impressive enough to switch sides.

But in reality, there was no need to worry—because Han Qing was not attractive enough.

……

Xiao Rong did not think that far. He only asked Song Shuo: “How do you know this is Han Qing’s doing, and not the entire Qingfeng Sect’s plan?”

Song Shuo looked at him, suddenly getting stubborn again, and turned his head away: “You’re asking something you already know.”

Xiao Rong smiled and did not pursue it further.

Qu Yunmie looked at the group and felt that he was being excluded. After glancing around twice, he silently turned to Xiao Rong.

Xiao Rong: “……”

He pressed his lips together and lowered his voice: “Because of that bounty.”

After revealing a reward of two hundred thousand gold, the Qingfeng Sect was now in a position where no one would dare cooperate with them. If they used the Qingfeng Sect’s name, Huang Yanjing—who was not stupid—would never trust them and would likely even turn on them and seize their assets.

Only by cooperating in a personal capacity and pledging to break away from the Qingfeng Sect could they gain any trust.

After hearing this short explanation, Qu Yunmie still did not fully understand—but he did not want to expose his weakness again, so he nodded solemnly as if he understood.

……

Xiao Rong could tell he had not really understood, but he could not be bothered to correct him. Instead, he turned back to everyone and said: “On the surface, Han Qing’s actions seem like he is fully supporting Huang Yanjing, but based on my understanding of him, that may not be the case. Using an epidemic is too cruel and too obvious. Once the symptoms are known, people will quickly suspect its origin. Han Qing is meticulous, he left no fallback for Huang Yanjing because he never intended to leave him one. He is merely using him. After he is done, he will move on to someone else.”

For example, He Tingzhi—the man who loved flattery.

Whether it was truly him, Xiao Rong was not certain. But it definitely would not be Huang Yanjing. In anyone’s eyes, Huang Yanjing was not a wise ruler. Han Qing could not possibly value him. Even as a stepping stone, he was not qualified. He was too brutal, and brutality always created too many variables.

Seeing Xiao Rong so calm, the others gradually calmed down as well. Yu Shaoxie asked: “Then what should we do next? Attack Huang Yanjing?”

Xiao Rong opened his mouth, thinking of something—but he did not speak. Instead, he suddenly turned to look at Qu Yunmie.

Meeting his gaze, Qu Yunmie froze for a moment. Then, once he reacted, he quickly suppressed the corners of his mouth and assumed a stern expression.

“We will not attack him first,” he said: “We will take Southern Yong first. Before Southern Yong falls, Huang Yanjing can at most double his forces. After we deal with Southern Yong, we will deal with him. Or perhaps we will not even need to. Just send your younger brother.”

Yu Shaocheng was, in Qu Yunmie’s mind, second only to himself as a general. Di Fazeng did not count—he was not yet at the level of a top commander.

In Qu Yunmie’s view, he valued Yu Shaocheng greatly and gave him every opportunity to earn merit. The Yu brothers should have been grateful. But Yu Shaoxie, listening to him, could not help but twitch his mouth awkwardly.

First it was Yuan Baifu. Now it was his younger brother.

The Great King’s habit of squeezing every last drop of usefulness out of a person had not changed at all…

 

Edited by: Antiope

 

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