Chapter 4 The Second Wager

Chapter 4: The Second Bet

Two light, steady footsteps echoed along the long, gloomy prison corridor, clearly indicating the arrival of someone skilled in lightness skill.

He's here.

Chu Jiubian rose from the ground, brushing his still-damp bangs back to reveal a smooth forehead.

He looked toward the cell door, breathing softly as he listened carefully to the footsteps drawing nearer.

Soon, the hem of black robes came into view.

Next appeared the tall, upright figure of a man, along with his sharply defined, handsome face.

The footsteps halted, and the two stood facing each other, separated by the cell door.

One had arrived in the rain without a single hair out of place; the other wore damp, clinging clothes, looking completely bedraggled.

Clearly, the one outside the cell held the upper hand.

Surprisingly, however, the one inside remained calm and composed.

After a brief silence, Qin Xiao outside the cell spoke first: "How did an immortal like you end up in such a sorry state?"

His voice was deep, but his tone carried a hint of amusement.

Chu Jiubian turned his head slightly to look at him, his expression cold.

"I sealed away some of my power voluntarily to seek you out and overcome a love tribulation," Chu Jiubian said calmly. "I never expected you would cause me such trouble."

The notion of a "love tribulation" was something Chu Jiubian had blurted out in a moment of crisis, lacking any real logic.

But since he had already said it, and he was committed to playing the role of a "deity," it was easier to stick with the earlier explanation rather than invent new reasons for his "descent to the mortal realm."

Moreover, with Qin Xiao now holding great power and Chu Jiubian at his mercy, establishing a strong connection with him seemed advantageous.

However, in the earlier crisis, he had reacted impulsively. Now, after careful thought, he decided to maintain a detached demeanor.

After all, as a deity who had sealed his power to seek out Qin Xiao, it was only natural for him to appear aloof, especially since Qin Xiao not only doubted him but had also mistreated him.

Qin Xiao remained unmoved, merely smiling faintly as he continued to study Chu Jiubian with a searching look.

Chu Jiubian needed to get out of the prison and had no intention of dragging this out.

Every day spent locked up meant another day of suffering.

So he shifted the topic away from the love tribulation and said, "You lost the earlier bet."

Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "What bet?"

So he was going to renege.

Chu Jiubian wasn’t surprised.

For a cunning, ruthless schemer like Qin Xiao, dishonesty was a basic skill.

After reneging, the Lord Regent carefully observed the young man’s expression, hoping to detect something.

To his disappointment, the youth’s eyes remained as still as an ancient well, revealing no trace of emotion.

It was as if he wore a thick mask at all times, concealing every thought and feeling.

And this mask was strikingly beautiful, even somewhat eerie.

If Qin Xiao were to judge, he would say this person seemed less like a deity and more like a supernatural being.

This "supernatural being" surely knew the advantage of his own face—a single glance could stir anyone’s emotions.

Now, the youth’s cold gaze peered through the gaps between the thick wooden bars, his voice slightly hoarse: "I can show you more miracles."

Chu Jiubian watched Qin Xiao closely, hoping to see a flicker of greed or hesitation in his eyes.

But as a seasoned statesman, even newly appointed, Qin Xiao had already mastered the art of concealing his emotions.

...Another agonizing silence ensued.

After a few moments, Qin Xiao seemed genuinely intrigued by Chu Jiubian’s words and said with a smile, "Then let’s make another bet. If you’re right, I’ll release you and ensure you’re well taken care of, helping you through this so-called love tribulation. How does that sound?"

Chu Jiubian found it hard to trust him.

Qin Xiao’s credibility was zero in his eyes.

But with Qin Xiao holding all the power and Chu Jiubian lacking the means to escape, he had no choice but to take the gamble.

If he gambled, there was a chance of freedom; if not, he would rot in this cell.

"What do you want to bet on?" he asked.

Qin Xiao thought for a moment. "Let’s bet on this rain again."

"Bet on whether the rain will reach Sichuan and Huguang."

Chu Jiubian narrowed his eyes, instantly understanding.

According to the original book’s summary, the Da Ning Dynasty was already in its final stages.

Externally, the Oirat, Tatars, and Jurchen tribes were lying in wait; internally, the Four Great Families controlled the court, while seven vassal princes held regional power. To make matters worse, unprecedented natural disasters plagued the land—drought in the south and floods in the north—plunging the people into misery.

It was fair to say that when the male lead, Baili Hong, ascended the throne under these circumstances, he faced a disastrous start.

Fortunately, in the early days, Qin Xiao, the Regent, and his Qin family helped stabilize the court for Baili Hong, securing his position.

However, Qin Xiao later became second only to the emperor, his ambitions swelling until he became Baili Hong’s greatest enemy.

The original book didn’t detail the young emperor’s childhood, focusing instead on his adult conflicts against Qin Xiao. Still, even though Chu Jiubian had only read the beginning, he knew about some major events from the emperor’s youth.

For instance, the regions Qin Xiao mentioned, such as Sichuan and Huguang.

Since the start of spring this year, most southern regions had seen no rain, hinting at an impending drought.

In contrast, the northern areas, including Northern Zhili, as well as Shanxi and Henan, experienced frequent rains, resulting in thriving crops.

As the Regent, Qin Xiao naturally had a nationwide perspective and understood that if the south remained rainless, a severe drought would inevitably follow, leading to widespread suffering.

But perhaps only Chu Jiubian knew that if the rains continued in the north, floods were inevitable.

And the floods might arrive even sooner than the drought.

Based on the phrase "southern drought and northern flood" mentioned in the original book, he was almost certain that the rain in the Northern Directly Controlled Region would continue, and a flood was inevitable.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but call out to the system in his mind.

"Hello, Host. How may I assist you?"

Chu Jiubian: Help me check the weather patterns in the Da Ning Dynasty over the next month.

"Relevant information has been retrieved for you. Over the next month, there will be intermittent light rain in the Northern Directly Controlled Region, Shanxi, Henan, Southern Directly Controlled Region, and other regions. Sichuan, Huguang, Southern Borderlands, and other areas will have clear weather, with highs reaching forty degrees Celsius."

Chu Jiubian: No heavy rain?

"No heavy rain."

Chu Jiubian felt somewhat uncertain.

Intermittent light rain, in theory, shouldn’t cause a flood disaster, right?

Could it be that heavier rain would only come after a month?

However, to ensure accuracy, the system could only predict the weather for the next month, so Chu Jiubian had no way to confirm whether the rain would continue beyond that.

He took a long time to think, but Qin Xiao did not rush him.

Finally, Chu Jiubian snapped out of his thoughts and looked outside the cell.

"Made up your mind?" Qin Xiao asked.

Chu Jiubian said bluntly, "There will be no rain in Sichuan and Huguang for the next month. The current rain outside will only last for twelve hours and will stop precisely at noon tomorrow."

He intentionally added the "time the rain would stop" to demonstrate his divine powers.

Even if Qin Xiao still didn’t believe in his divine identity, it didn’t matter. If the other party intended to use him as a "weather forecast," that would be fine too.

Of course, another reason was that verifying the answer to Qin Xiao’s question would require sending someone to Sichuan and Huguang, which would take at least half a month for a round trip. That meant he would have to stay in prison for another half month.

So, he made a "prediction" that could be verified by noon the next day. If Qin Xiao had a change of heart about him, wouldn’t he be able to leave the prison tomorrow?

Upon hearing his words, Qin Xiao’s eyes darkened.

If what Chu Jiubian said was true and there was no rain for the next month, the south would undoubtedly face a drought.

Sichuan, Huguang, and other regions were guarded by vassal princes who ruled like local emperors. But when faced with a disaster requiring financial and material resources, those vassal princes would not dig into their own pockets—they would surely demand money and grain from the court.

However, the Four Great Families currently controlled the court, funneling all wealth for themselves, leaving the national treasury empty and with no capacity for crisis management.

The young emperor’s ascension was already illegitimate and full of irregularities. Those pedantic Confucian scholars had long held grievances but were temporarily suppressed by Qin Xiao’s decisive methods.

If the drought were not handled properly, those pedantic scholars would surely use it to attack Qin Xiao and the young emperor, likely inciting widespread civil unrest.

Moreover, the vassal princes ruling their territories, along with the Grand Empress Dowager and Prince Jiannan in the palace, would all do their utmost to crush Baili Hong and the Qin clan.

Thinking of this, a dangerous glint flashed in Qin Xiao’s eyes.

Whether this so-called "prophecy" was true or not, he needed to make preparations.

His thoughts raced in an instant, and his deep eyes fixed on Chu Jiubian as he said, "If the rain stops by noon tomorrow, I will release you."

Chu Jiubian: "It’s a deal."

"Agreed." Qin Xiao did not stay longer and turned to leave.

It was only then that Chu Jiubian suddenly remembered that someone else had entered with Qin Xiao and had been standing just two steps away from him the entire time.

However, that person’s presence was so low-key, and Chu Jiubian had been too focused on handling Qin Xiao, so he had forgotten.

Now, watching the two figures leave, Chu Jiubian felt a chill run down his spine.

He had clearly seen that person’s face just moments ago, yet in the blink of an eye, he had almost forgotten what they looked like, only recalling that they were an unremarkable-looking young man.

Who was that person?

Chu Jiubian frowned, searching his memories of the original book, and suddenly matched him to a character from the book.

That person should be Qin Zhaoyang, who came from a background as an imperial guard, skilled in both literary and martial arts. He was Qin Xiao’s most competent and loyal subordinate, assistant, and aide.

If An Wuji was Qin Xiao’s biggest lackey, then this Qin Zhaoyang was Qin Xiao’s strongest strategic support.

Chu Jiubian sighed softly, thinking to himself that the antagonist was surrounded by dragons and tigers lying in wait—no wonder he was so hard to kill.

After leaving the prison, the antagonist returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Currently, Baili Hong lived in the main courtyard of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Qin Xiao resided in the western side courtyard, and the eastern side courtyard had been converted into a council chamber and study for him to teach Baili Hong.

Naturally, after court sessions, any officials who needed to discuss state affairs further would also come here.

As soon as Qin Xiao stepped into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Eunuch Hong approached, bowed respectfully, and reported, "Your Grace, His Majesty has already taken a warm bath, eaten lunch, and drank ginger tea. He is now resting."

A three-year-old child needed plenty of sleep. When his elder sister was around, she would coax him into napping. Now, Qin Xiao did not want to pressure the child too much, so he simply acknowledged the report.

Eunuch Hong then added, "Lin Sheng, the Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, is waiting in the council chamber. He says he has important matters to report to you, Your Grace."

Lin Sheng had been promoted with the support of the Qin family.

Qin Xiao’s grandfather, the previous head of the Qin family, had once said that this man indeed had some real ability. However, Qin Xiao himself did not believe in divine matters and only saw him as a useful subordinate. After all, in his position, there would always be times when someone needed to employ superstitious tactics.

Qin Xiao guessed that Lin Sheng had come to see him mostly because of Chu Jiubian, so he headed to the eastern side courtyard.

Lin Sheng was waiting under the veranda outside the hall. Seeing Qin Xiao arrive, he immediately stepped into the rain without an umbrella to greet him.

Qin Xiao dismissed the formalities and asked as he walked toward the hall, "What is it?"

The Hall of Mental Cultivation was filled with Qin Xiao’s people, so there was no worry about leaks.

Knowing it was safe, Lin Sheng spoke bluntly, "Your Grace, I've just cast a divination, and that man from today..."

He瞄ed at Qin Xiao’s profile before continuing in a hushed tone, "...counteracts your fortune."

Qin Xiao paused mid-step and turned to look at him.