Chapter 32
Chapter 32
The second flood undoubtedly made the people’s struggle for survival even worse.
Embezzlement had already reduced the city’s relief grain to almost nothing. When the flood came, anything the county yamen failed to rescue in time was swept away. Some County Magistrates, afraid Shen Yuan would discover they had pocketed the relief grain, even pretended their granaries had flooded and the rice had washed away, showing no concern whatsoever for whether the people lived or died.
On the very first page of his relief handbook, Shen Yuan had warned that the relief grain should be temporarily sealed underground in case another flood struck. Yet they had likely not even glanced at the instruction. Even if they had seen it, they would not have complied.
Famine began spreading through Yizhou’s hundred counties at terrifying speed.
Without Xie Chengze’s imperial sword of authority to assist him, Shen Yuan, as Commissioner of Military Affairs, could only maneuver against the various County Magistrates. His rank was currently too low to give him the authority to execute them, nor could he afford to kill them. If a county suddenly lost its head, its starving people would flee the city as soon as word spread. The refugees would pour toward counties untouched by the disaster, forcing those counties to shut their gates and leave them outside.
Then borrowing grain, buying grain, and transporting grain would all become difficult.
Those County Magistrates dared act so brazenly precisely because they relied on this fact.
“It seems County Magistrate Hu intends to play the fool.” Shen Yuan’s white robes were stained with dust, yet his serene air remained entirely undiminished. He lowered his eyes and wiped the blue sword in his hand. One long black boot rested on County Magistrate Hu’s left hand as his patience began to run out. “Do you truly believe Xu Shiming will protect all of you when the truth comes to light?”
County Magistrate Hu knelt prostrate on the floor and replied furiously, “This humble official does not understand what Lord Shen means! We local officials may not possess the lofty rank and authority of a central court official like Lord Shen, but we will not tolerate such humiliation! Does Lord Shen not fear that I will submit a complaint to His Majesty and show His Majesty how Lord Shen abuses his power in Yizhou and bullies others with his authority?!”
Shen Yuan had now obstructed those lords’ path. Once that complaint was submitted, interested parties would inevitably seize the opportunity to impeach him and end his official career!
This arrogant fledgling had only just entered officialdom. It was time he learned a lesson!
“Heh.” Shen Yuan laughed softly. He bent down, and a forceful pressure utterly unlike his earlier composure crashed over County Magistrate Hu. His calm, unruffled gaze held the cold indifference of a man looking upon the dead. Like the powerful minister who could overturn the clouds with one hand and summon rain with the other, he said contemptuously, “Then let us see whether this official falls first, or Lord Hu loses his head.”
The blue sword in his hand suddenly slashed toward County Magistrate Hu. The man squeezed his eyes shut in terror, but the expected pain never came. When he opened his eyes, he found the blade embedded between his fingers, having barely grazed one of them.
“You should be grateful that your value as a ‘witness’ protected you.” Shen Yuan smiled, pulled out the sword, and turned to leave. “Men, protect County Magistrate Hu. Do not let him leave! He is an important witness. Not the slightest mishap may befall him!”
County Magistrate Hu’s face went pale.
After years in office, he naturally understood Shen Yuan’s meaning. Shen Yuan intended to make him a witness and, upon returning to the capital to report on his duties, have him personally accuse the higher-ranking lords of embezzlement and corruption.
Whether he truly was a witness did not matter. Once Shen Yuan declared him one, no explanation could clear him. The lords above were deeply suspicious and would inevitably choose to kill him before Shen Yuan returned to the capital!
Lord Shen was killing him with a borrowed blade!
In that case, Shen Yuan could hardly blame him for becoming ruthless!
A flash of malice and madness crossed County Magistrate Hu’s eyes behind him.
…
Shen Yuan swung onto his horse and rode toward Jiangdu County.
The flood had struck. Although he trusted that Xie Chengze would be perfectly safe under Wuhen and Wuji’s protection, he still needed to return and confirm Jiangdu County’s condition.
While there, he would persuade Xie Chengze to take the illicit silver they had collected along the road, buy grain from nearby prefectures and counties, and aid the people of Yizhou who had suffered yet another flood.
But Xie Chengze refused him again.
Shen Yuan was so furious he nearly stopped breathing.
Why did Xie Chengze always have ten thousand ways to make him lose his temper?
“Your Highness!” Suppressing his anger with great effort, Shen Yuan demanded, “Do human lives mean anything to you? Is money truly that important in your eyes?”
Xie Chengze felt aggrieved.
What was wrong with this man? He returned to Jiangdu County and, instead of praising Xie Chengze for protecting its people so well, immediately accused him of valuing money over lives?
Was he truly so contemptible in Shen Yuan’s eyes, even though he was plainly so different from the original Xie Chengze?
The reborn Shen Yuan was not cute in the slightest.
Even with his good temper, Xie Chengze was genuinely angry now. He turned away in a sulk. “Yeah, yeah, you’re absolutely right. I don’t care about human life. I’m greedy for money and sex. Think whatever you want. If that’s what you believe, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
As if he could not say hurtful things too. He knew every stock line used by scumbag men!
Ptui!
Xie Chengze’s attitude left Shen Yuan irritable and restless. He did not know whether he simply expected too much of Xie Chengze or what, but every small flaw in the man made him lose control of his temper. For the sake of Yizhou’s people, he could only force down every emotion and humble himself. “Your Highness, this subject begs you.”
“Heh. This prince could never accept such a thing.” Xie Chengze sneered. “After all, this prince is greedy and mean. Besides, Lord Shen should not blame his own incompetence on this prince. If you cannot raise money and grain, that is your problem.”
In his previous life, Shen Yuan had possessed none of this illicit silver, yet he had still solved the problem. Shen Yuan could plainly settle accounts with those who had pocketed the largest shares and force them to return the money. Instead, he had come after Xie Chengze simply because he thought him the easiest target!
Shen Yuan heard the implication in Xie Chengze’s words.
He was insinuating that Shen Yuan had solved the problem in their previous life without this illicit silver. But back then, the Crown Prince had granted him full authority, so his work had naturally proceeded much more smoothly. Xie Chengze, meanwhile, would not even produce an imperial sword of authority, leaving Shen Yuan obstructed at every turn.
Moreover, Shen Yuan might be able to wait, but the people could not.
Yet Shen Yuan could not speak of those matters. Both men tacitly understood the other’s rebirth, but Xie Chengze feared that saying it aloud would make Shen Yuan kill him with one stroke of his sword, while Shen Yuan feared Xie Chengze would find a pretext to eradicate both him and the entire Shen family.
Drawing a deep breath, Shen Yuan bent down and dropped to one knee for the first time, yielding in the posture of a subject. “This subject is incompetent. I beg Your Highness to show mercy to the people and grant them a path to survival.”
Seeing him remain so obstinate, Xie Chengze clenched the fist hidden in his sleeve. He turned his back and waved a hand, signaling Wuhen to drag the man out. “Lord Shen, Heaven’s ways are fickle. Try to take a broader view. This is only a very small problem. In the days ahead…”
He gave a mocking laugh. “You will discover that far more problems await you!”
Shen Yuan, being dragged outside: “?”
Shen Yuan soon learned what Xie Chengze meant by far more problems.