{"id":8064,"date":"2026-07-16T08:13:42","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T06:13:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/?p=8064"},"modified":"2026-07-16T08:13:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T06:13:42","slug":"your-majesty-you-mustnt-chapter-133-five-hundred","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/2026\/07\/16\/your-majesty-you-mustnt-chapter-133-five-hundred\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Majesty, you mustn&#8217;t! &#8211; Chapter 133: Five Hundred"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No matter how lively the banquet is, there would eventually come a day when it dispersed. After seven consecutive days of drinking heavily and eating large quantities of meat, many people had become lazy and sluggish. Qu Yunmie couldn\u2019t stand seeing others idle, and he naturally didn\u2019t allow his soldiers to fall into such a state. Therefore, for several days in a row, he went in and out of the military camp early and returned late. With him no longer constantly clinging to him, Xiao Rong finally felt relieved.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi, Xiao Rong, and Song Shuo sat together to review the lists. Song Shuo made recommendations, Xiao Rong analyzed them, and Gao Xunzhi made the final decision, appointing the new governors of the two commanderies of Nanyang and Runan.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the process looked complicated, in reality Song Shuo only recommended three people. Everyone knew how picky Song Shuo was. Xiao Rong removed one of them, determined the final placements of the remaining two, and once their names reached Gao Xunzhi, it was essentially just a formality. Gao Xunzhi trusted Xiao Rong deeply and would not refuse him unless there was a serious issue.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once the list was finalized, Gao Xunzhi went out to meet the candidates. He was older and highly respected, and such serious, persuasive conversations were always handled by him.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The three of them quietly determined the future of Nanyang and Runan. The former governors there were still in office and believed they were serving Zhao Xingzong quite well, and still felt quite pleased with themselves.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As for whether they will resist the dismissal order, Chenliu was heavily garrisoned, and the two regions were close so if they dared to use force\u2026. Qu Yunmie was just waiting for an excuse after days of eating and drinking well. Once he received the news, the Northern King would likely rush over joyfully to suppress them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If they chose a softer approach, Xiao Rong didn\u2019t care either. If a regional governor couldn\u2019t handle even this and immediately sought help from above, then he was simply useless and should step down to make room for someone else.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When drafting the formal appointment document, Xiao Rong paused slightly with his brush and suddenly laughed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Song Shuo immediately straightened up. &#8220;What are you laughing at?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Song Shuo had recently become very sensitive. He reacted to every small change, though no one knew exactly what he was so concerned about.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a moment of silence, Xiao Rong said, &#8220;I think today\u2019s matter is a bit interesting.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Song Shuo didn\u2019t understand. &#8220;What\u2019s interesting? If you ask me, when we dismiss them, we should also send three feet of white silk. Since they dared to neglect the people I appointed, they should knel and accept death as punishment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s been almost half a year, yet Song Shuo has failed to become more perceptive, he even seemed to have regressed. Whenever he encountered such matters, he became especially extreme.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He was starting to resemble the old Yu Shaoxie. Speaking of which, Yu Shaoxie hasn\u2019t been shouting about killing and fighting anymore. He was still brave and stubborn, but when handling such matters he was now applying both kindness and authority. Reports from Shengle showed that things there had become increasingly stable\u2014prisoners of war and Xianbei people had all become obedient. It was quite an achievement to calm so many troublemakers.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong thought: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was this the so-called \u201cwhen God closes a door, He opens a window\u201d?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He couldn\u2019t help but glance at this very single-minded \u201cdoor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Song Shuo asked, \u201cWhy are you looking at me again?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong shrugged. &#8220;You\u2019re good-looking.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong expected Song Shuo to blush, as he was usually quite pure-hearted. However, Song Shuo once again did not disappoint him.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He nodded and said generously, &#8220;That\u2019s true. Look as much as you want.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The topic was thus casually cut off by Song Shuo\u2019s confidence, and Xiao Rong said nothing further.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reason he laughed was the way the three of them handled this matter today was somewhat like the division of labor in the Three Departments and Six Ministries system.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the early feudal era, society had been extremely unstable. To be precise, it was even less stable than the earliest period, because people did not fully recognize the authority of the emperor, and the concept of the \u201cSon of Heaven\u201d had not yet taken deep root. Emperors were busy protecting themselves and their families, and thus had no time to centralize imperial power.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Decades later, as society became relatively stable, any ambitious emperor tried to reclaim authority.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Three Departments and Six Ministries system was only a mature form of the chancellor-based division of power. Before it, there had been a long evolutionary process. Even the title \u201cchancellor\u201d had changed countless times over a thousand years. In a sense, Xiao Rong\u2019s current position as Sikong\/Minister of Works equivalent role was itself part of this distributed chancellor authority.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet a lack of maturity had its reasons. Positions like Sikong, Situ, Taizai, and Taifu were abolished because they held too much power. Even when the Emperor tried to divide authority, as long as someone held such a title and was capable enough, they could still suppress others of equal rank.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The collapse of Southern Yong was partly due to this system. There were too many first-rank officials, and even Sun Renluan could not ignore their influence. Everyone had a voice, everyone believed they mattered, and the court naturally became chaotic.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, this was only a minor reason. More importantly, nepotism was rampant. To deal with one person, one often had to uproot their entire family, in-laws, teachers, and allies. Just like Yang Zangyi. Why had he survived despite causing so much trouble? Because his background was too strong. Unless one acted in secret, neither he nor Sun Renluan could move against the other.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just thinking about it gave one a headache. If the system told Xiao Rong he had to save the young emperor, he suspected he would have ended up perishing together with him.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although Xiao Rong knew there were more advanced administrative systems in the world, they were too advanced for this era. Compared to the present time, the Three Departments and Six Ministries system was already extremely modern. A court could not consist only of young people who accepted new ideas, there were also many deeply rooted middle-aged and elderly officials whose wisdom could not be underestimated.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moreover, destroying Southern Yong didn\u2019t mean eliminating all its people. Even in a corrupt court, there were still pillars of stability. Their loyalty could help the new regime run more smoothly. If it were possible, Xiao Rong would have tried to recruit Sun Renluan.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes\u2014governance reforms could be done gradually, but aristocratic clans had to be eliminated completely. One couldn\u2019t have both the fish and the bear\u2019s paw, one mustn\u2019t be too greedy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lowering his eyes, Xiao Rong placed the completed document aside. At this point, there was no need to send it to Southern Yong for the young Emperor\u2019s seal anymore. Since relations have already broken down, there was no point in continuing such self-deception.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">*<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Replacing governors was the first step. Five days after the two corrupt governors were expelled from their residences, Xiao Rong sent out a team led by a particularly capable financial secretary. Braving the winter cold of the north, they set off with great momentum toward the various cities\u2014to collect debts.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After careful consideration, Xiao Rong felt this was perfect timing. In winter, people did not travel much, and most troops were resting in Chenliu. Everyone knew that the Northern King was also \u201chibernating,\u201d so no one would be foolish enough to rebel. Xiao Rong assigned over ten thousand men, along with sufficient grain supplies and cold-weather equipment, and even gave them a Shangfang sword\u2014one of Qu Yunmie\u2019s hundred-plus blades\u2014so they could intimidate others.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If anyone refused payment and dared to resist, they were to be killed on the spot, and a reportwas to be sent back so Xiao Rong could immediately appoint a replacement.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The secretary: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By the way, the secretary was no longer a secretary. He had been transferred out of the provincial office and now served under Gao Xunzhi with an impressive title: Censor-in-Chief of the Chancellor\u2019s Office.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It sounded impressive, and its duties were indeed important. His job was to assist the chancellor.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In reality, it was a highly offensive position. As the name suggested, he was responsible for reporting anyone who was not \u201cupright.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Southern Yong no longer had such an office, because it offended too many people. Since it was attached to the chancellor\u2019s office, the chancellor would also offend people, so they abolished the position and left the job to the Imperial Censorate instead.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That was the same office once held by Zhao Xingzong\u2019s ancestor, who had only lasted a few years before landing himself in prison.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Upon hearing there was a business trip assignment, Zhao Xingzong once again thought it would fall on him. Moreover, the new position felt like a cycle of fate. No matter how he looked at it, he felt he was the unlucky one. When the appointment was finally issued, he laughed loudly at home and almost laughed himself unconscious.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The next day, he went to drink with the newly appointed Censor-in-Chief and threw him a lively farewell.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new Censor-in-Chief: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do I know you?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some people did not like this position, but some liked it very much. From the fact that this man had openly driven up prices in the provincial office, it could be seen that he was thick-skinned and ruthless.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Song Shuo bought property, the price was raised by two thousand in one go instead of being sold at the original price, showing he was not afraid of powerful people.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong also heard that someone had gone to him on the first day to buy a house, hesitated for a long time without making a decision, and the next day the price on the sign had doubled. When that person finally made up his mind to buy it, he found the price had risen so sharply. He did not panic. He went home, brought out his eighty-year-old mother and seventy-five-year-old aunt, and had the two old women plead bitterly, saying the family had no money left, that they had suffered disasters the previous year, lost people the year before that, and if they did not buy the house they would end up homeless.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ordinarily, anyone would have been moved by pity, but this man had no reaction at all. In the end, the buyer left the government office in anger, and because he truly could not negotiate the price down, he had no choice but to buy it at double the cost.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So you actually did have money after all.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In any case, this was a talent. Selling houses wasted his talent\u2014collecting debts was his true calling.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were more than thirty cities north of the Han River. Aside from when the Northern Army forcibly collected grain during the autumn harvest, they had not interfered in local affairs. This time, what Xiao Rong ordered them to collect were miscellaneous taxes from each city. According to regulations, half of these taxes went to the local government and half to the imperial court. Since there was no imperial court anymore, they would go to the Northern King instead.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two governors had just been removed, so these officials should still have been fearful. They also knew that a major war along the Han River was imminent, and that the Northern King was likely short of money, which was why he was demanding taxes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">n reality, he was not short of money at all. Xiao Rong simply needed an excuse to act.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If they obediently paid, it meant they were cowardly and could be kept for a while longer. If they refused to pay like iron roosters and even resorted to force, then they were beyond saving. If they would not yield even in the face of life and death, there was no point expecting them to obey orders in the future.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The world had been in chaos for too long, and many people had become accustomed to local military power and autonomy. They did not care who became emperor, they only cared about their own territory. They believed that even if the Northern King became emperor, the world would remain the same, so they tried to deal with him using old methods.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong no longer bothered with them. Those who obeyed were kept, those who did not were killed or imprisoned. He only hoped everything could be finished before the New Year.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were a little over two months left before the New Year. Xiao Rong\u2019s instruction to the new Censor-in-Chief was to collect taxes from one city every two days. Leave on the first day and demand that the tax be gathered by the second. It was acceptable as long as half was delivered, otherwise, they would immediately arrest the officials without further discussion.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reason for such a tight schedule was that Xiao Rong feared these people might not willingly pay, but instead forcibly extort civilians to make up the money. At such a time, robbing civilians would truly be forcing them into death.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new Censor-in-Chief set out with troops. Gao Xunzhi also assigned him a minor general, and Di Fazeng had already entered Southern Yong territory. Every couple of days, he sent back reports on his progress. Di Fazeng was very clever, he not only searched for Han Qing, but also dismantled Qingfeng Sect strongholds wherever he went. He brought away veteran followers with blood on their hands, deprived them of food and clean water, kept guards watching them, and beat them regularly. If they became ill and seemed near death, they were placed in prison carts to recover for a couple of days before being taken out and beaten again.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Along the road, people pointed at them, but Di Fazeng didn\u2019t care at all.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The veteran followers had strong bonds among themselves, so naturally some tried to rescue them. Those who joined the Qingfeng Sect were either dark-minded schemers or hot-blooded zealots, all eager to act. Di Fazeng captured every one of them. Although some beliefs could override instinct, these people clearly hadn\u2019t reached that level yet. With a little pressure, they quickly revealed the locations of nearby strongholds.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus, Di Fazeng didn\u2019t search blindly himself, but advanced step by step toward the Qingfeng Sect\u2019s main base using the intelligence extracted from them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the first wanted notice was posted, Chen Jiancheng immediately moved Han Qing and the others to a new location.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, a residence in Xiaokou Town housed a group of elderly, weak, women, and children\u2014there was no doubt they were all Qingfeng Sect agents.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, Chen Jiancheng and the others hadn\u2019t gone far. They first went east to Xisai and stayed there for a while to resupply and gather intelligence. There was not much news about the Qingfeng Sect, but there was quite a lot about the Northern Army.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the Northern King\u2019s four great generals suddenly defected and joined Southern Yong. He was now stationed in Zitong alongside the Grand General Shen Yangrui.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When he heard the name Yuan Baifu, Chen Jiancheng was momentarily confused. Although Yuan Baifu was one of Qu Yunmie\u2019s men, Qu Yunmie had many generals, and he could not immediately match names to people.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a moment, he remembered who it was and became excited. &#8220;Li Xiuheng once told me about this man. He said he could be used. Ha, so it was true!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Han Qing did not speak. He also remembered this information from Li Xiuheng and had once considered contacting this man, but now there was no need.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A complete fool.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If one wanted to betray Qu Yunmie, there were many good opportunities. He could have done so right after Li Xiuheng\u2019s death, or after the army returned but before facing Southern Yong. The former would have made him seem loyal to the past, the latter would have made him seem unwilling to be a traitor. Instead, he chose to defect at the moment when the world most admired Qu Yunmie, and after receiving a military order from him.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In positions of power, every step had to be carefully considered. Since Qu Yunmie\u2019s order was sudden, Yuan Baifu\u2019s decision must also have been made suddenly. Treating rebellion as a joke\u2014this man was either stupid to the core or mentally unstable.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Han Qing was not afraid of evil men, nor of fools. What he feared were madmen. Evil men could be used as tools, fools could be directed, but madmen had no logic at all. They might end up killing themselves and their allies without warning.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because of this incident, they did not immediately leave Xisai. While disguised and preparing to observe further developments, northern agents rushed in with terrible news: Han Qing\u2019s appearance and name had been exposed by the detestable Xiao Rong.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Han Qing: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He snatched the portrait in disbelief. The face on it was remarkably clear and highly accurate.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Portraits in this era were usually distorted, even when posted, only close acquaintances could recognize them. Yet this one was so lifelike.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How was it so accurate?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That familiar feeling returned. Ever since Qu Yunmie suddenly moved his capital, Han Qing had felt things slipping beyond his control. Everything had become strangely unfamiliar. He had been certain Qu Yunmie would never leave Yanmen Pass, yet he had departed without a word and marched directly toward the Xianbei.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He had carefully laid a net, waiting for rumors to spread and fear to consume the land. Yet before the rumors even reached Pingyang, they had already disappeared without effect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His greatest pride had been his understanding of human nature. He knew what kind of person Qu Yunmie was, knew he would attack the Xianbei, and believed that once enraged, Qu Yunmie would become completely controlled by anger and hatred. Then, with a single fire, everything would fall into place.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rumors were meant to influence Qu Yunmie, and once influenced, he would act according to them. When they came true, fear would spread across the land, and that would mark his death.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was such a perfect plan, yet every step had gone wrong. Not only was Qu Yunmie still alive, Sun Renluan was still alive as well. The balance of power hadn\u2019t collapsed. Instead, it had grown more stable.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now even he had been exposed. He preferred operating in the shadows, yet someone had dragged him into the sunlight. From now on, no matter what name he used, anyone who had seen this portrait would recognize him as the Great Protector of the Qingfeng Sect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thinking of this, Han Qing pressed his lips together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Qingfeng Sect had only been a stepping stone. He never intended to truly serve Chen Jiancheng, nor to let the world know of his involvement.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the first time, he felt a sense of uncertainty about what to do next.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile, Chen Jiancheng was still shouting beside him, as if the exposed person were himself.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He demanded to know how the messenger knew Han Qing\u2019s name and appearance, and why the portrait was so accurate, but the messenger couldn\u2019t possibly know. As Chen Jiancheng grew more agitated, he even tried to draw his sword to kill him.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After the chaos finally ended, Chen Jiancheng remembered Han Qing and hurried over to comfort him, vowing to take revenge and tear Xiao Rong apart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Han Qing looked at him and concealed his emotions. He thanked him and said he was not feeling well before returning to rest.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chen Jiancheng watched him with concern and secretly resolved that no matter how much it cost, he would place a bounty within the Qingfeng Sect\u2014twenty thousand gold for Xiao Rong\u2019s head.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The number made him gasp, but he felt it was worth it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These were events from earlier. Because the Qingfeng Sect operated underground and travel caused severe information delays, and because Chenliu deliberately concealed matters, Xiao Rong only learned of this much later.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When he heard the figure of twenty thousand gold, he spat tea all over the table.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He did not even bother wiping his face and immediately grabbed his own neck. &#8220;Twenty\u2026 twenty thousand?! Good heavens, the Qingfeng Sect is that rich?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a moment, he even regretted it. If he had known earlier, he would have hidden his identity like Han Qing, so he could hand over a random prisoner\u2019s head to collect the reward. To convince the Qingfeng Sect, he would even design an elaborate fake death scene. Then after a few months, he would reappear under another identity, again without showing his face.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi thought he was checking his neck out of fear and quickly reassured him. &#8220;Don\u2019t be afraid, young Rong. Chenliu is constantly screening for outsiders\u2014no assassin can get in. What is twenty thousand gold? They have no life to earn it, and no life to spend it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie said nothing. He felt Xiao Rong was not reacting in fear, but he did not dare say so.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong felt somewhat bitter. Back when there had been a bounty of ten thousand, he had gone to great lengths to create schemes just for show. Now someone else was casually offering twenty thousand.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Suddenly, he remembered something and asked worriedly, &#8220;They are offering twenty thousand for me, but I only offered five hundred for Han Qing. Isn\u2019t that too little?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet when I asked if you wanted to increase it, you refused immediately and said five hundred was already generous, and five hundred taels of silver should be his worth.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi did not respond, but Qu Yunmie said grimly, &#8220;It\u2019s not little. If it were up to me, he would be worth at most five hundred copper coins.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As expected of both of you.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong touched his neck and still felt unwilling to accept it. He looked up and asked Qu Yunmie, &#8220;Is Yuan Baifu\u2019s body still intact?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie looked at him warily. &#8220;What are you planning to do?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong asked very seriously, &#8220;Do you think they would believe it if I used his burned head to impersonate me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Could you please have a little ambition?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>Edited by: Antiope<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Support translation:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/bePatron?u=25191841\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"217\" height=\"51\" class=\"wp-image-338 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/become_a_patron_button.png?resize=217%2C51\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 217px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 217\/51;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/lajnaa\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/kofi3-3.png?resize=185%2C47\" alt=\"This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is kofi3-3.png\" width=\"185\" height=\"47\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 185px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 185\/47;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<p><!--EndFragment--><\/p>\r\n<p><!--EndFragment--><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>No matter how lively the banquet is, there would eventually come a day when it dispersed. After seven consecutive days of drinking heavily and eating large quantities of meat, many people had become lazy and sluggish. Qu Yunmie couldn\u2019t stand seeing others idle, and he naturally didn\u2019t allow his soldiers to fall into such a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6644,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-your-majesty","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240106180053_200_280-1.jpg?fit=199%2C280&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8064"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8064\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8065,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8064\/revisions\/8065"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}