Chapter 5 After the Rain Comes Sunshine

Chapter 5: After Rain Comes Sunshine

A quarter of an hour later, Qin Zhaoyang saw Lin Sheng out of the eastern courtyard.

After exchanging farewells, Lin Sheng opened his oil-paper umbrella and stepped into the rain, disappearing into the distance.

Qin Xiao stood by the window with his hands behind his back, his dark eyes gazing thoughtfully toward the southeast.

The carved window lattice was fully open, with the window panels facing outward. Raindrops pattered against them, making a muffled sound.

A light breeze carried in fine mist, bringing with it a damp and cool freshness that dissipated much of the summer heat.

Qin Zhaoyang returned to the chamber, poured a fresh cup of tea for Qin Xiao, and respectfully presented it to him.

Qin Xiao accepted it, took a sip, and then placed the cup on the white jade windowsill with a crisp sound.

"Are you thinking about what Lord Lin said, Sir?" Qin Zhaoyang asked.

Qin Xiao ran his fingers along the rim of the cup and asked, "What are your thoughts on this matter?"

"If I may speak boldly," Qin Zhaoyang said with a slight bow. "To be on the safe side, that man should be eliminated."

Lin Sheng had made it clear earlier—though he couldn't fully discern the identity or origins of the stranger, he could see that the man possessed supernatural qualities.

That supernatural quality could either be an opportunity, a great fortune for the Da Ning Dynasty, or it could be a calamity, a great disaster!

Everything depended on that person's intentions.

Moreover, the Fortune surrounding him could counter Qin Xiao's. Although it seemed now that Qin Xiao had the upper hand, there was no telling if one day the stranger's Fortune might surpass Qin Xiao's.

If that happened, Qin Xiao would find himself at a disadvantage, at the mercy of another.

After hearing this, Qin Zhaoyang was alarmed, and his thoughts aligned with Lin Sheng's.

This variable must be eliminated as soon as possible, as a precaution!

But he knew that Qin Xiao would most likely not accept his suggestion.

Although their lord had a fearsome reputation, he was never one to kill innocent people indiscriminately.

Sure enough, he heard Qin Xiao let out a light laugh. "Talk of gods and ghosts..."

Hearing this, Qin Zhaoyang understood.

Their lord had never believed in the supernatural, viewing the Imperial Astrologer's "divinations" merely as political tools. Thus, he would never kill someone whose intentions are unknown based on something as absurd as "counteracting fortunes."

Qin Zhaoyang continued, "I have already sent people to investigate. We should soon learn the identity of that man."

If it turned out that the man was connected to other factions, then, given Qin Xiao's temperament, he would not show undue mercy.

Qin Xiao murmured in acknowledgment.

Earlier, he had been worried that the other man might continue to control his body and force him to act against his will. But he had tested it—whether he was gripping the man's neck with physical contact or speaking through the prison cell bars, that feeling of loss of control never occurred again.

This suggested that Chu Jiubian might not be able to control his body at will, and the earlier incident was exceptional.

That special circumstance likely occurred when the other party was in life-threatening danger, nearly falling to his death.

However, Qin Xiao had also tested it—he had genuinely intended to break the man's neck, but even under such a dire threat, Chu Jiubian did not take control.

So, for now, it seemed that Chu Jiubian might not possess the ability to control others at all, and the earlier incident might have had another cause.

Given that, and considering how completely helpless the man appeared, it was unlikely he could cause much trouble. It would suffice to have him watched.

For now, Qin Xiao wasn't overly concerned about Chu Jiubian. His dark eyes remained fixed on the rainfall outside, his brow furrowed with worry.

Would the south really get no rain?

***

Inside the prison cell, a young jailer brought over a meal box and a water pouch, handing them to Chu Jiubian.

The jailer wore a respectful smile as he said, "Honorable sir, Commander An has given orders to ensure you are well-fed and cared for these next few days. If there is anything you need, please feel free to ask me."

Chu Jiubian had thought that after Qin Xiao's visit, An Wuji's attitude toward him might change—perhaps he would cool down and realize he was just a fraud, no longer taking him seriously.

But it seemed now that the other party still held a certain awe for his "divine" identity.

That was good, at least he wouldn't have to worry about going hungry for these meals.

Chu Jiubian took the meal box without hesitation and sat directly on the ground.

In a previous drama he had acted in, he played a High Priest who needed to be exceptionally slender, so he had been strictly controlling his diet. At a height of 183 cm, he weighed only 60 kilograms (132 pounds), which was clearly unhealthily thin.

Now that he could eat normally, he felt genuinely happy.

However, when he eagerly opened the meal box, his excitement was instantly dampened as if by cold water.

Inside the meal box were a clay bowl of meat broth, coarse grain porridge, and a few pieces of dried meat.

When he had read the novel, he had vaguely sensed that the world within its pages was less developed, but he hadn't expected even the food to be so simple.

During this era, iron ore mining was scarce and strictly controlled by the court. Iron was in such short supply that it was barely enough for weapons, let alone for making iron pots. As a result, people of this time mostly used pottery or bronze vessels for cooking.

The difference in materials also meant that meals could only be steamed or stewed.

Thus, in the current Da Ning Dynasty, there were no stir-fried dishes, no rich array of seasonings, and even the technique for grinding wheat into flour was crude and underdeveloped!

Chu Jiubian fell silent for a long moment before forcing himself to eat the meal, which looked like a weight-loss diet, despite the burning pain in his throat.

The meat broth carried a faint hint of ginger and the bitter taste of coarse salt, but little else in terms of flavor.

Still, this meal was actually quite good by the standards of the time. Ordinary people might not even have coarse grain porridge, let alone meat broth.

Considering this, he decided not to be too picky and finished both the broth and the porridge. The remaining pieces of dried meat, which he couldn't eat due to his injured throat, he gave to the jailer when the latter came to collect the meal box.

It was better to offer them as a friendly gesture rather than let them go to waste.

The jailer clearly hadn't expected Chu Jiubian to give him such a rare treat as dried meat. Overwhelmed with gratitude, he knelt down and kowtowed twice in gratitude.

Before Chu Jiubian could react, the jailer stood up beaming and said, "Thank you, Immortal! Thank you, Immortal!"

Chu Jiubian asked in surprise, "How did you know I am an immortal?"

The young jailer's eyes sparkled as he replied, "I just heard from the Imperial Guards—they said you're a celestial being, that you can make it rain at will, without any delay. It's truly miraculous!"

So that was it. Likely, the two Imperial Guards who had brought him in with An Wuji had spread the word.

Chu Jiubian opened his system interface and glanced at it. The 0.5 Faith Points deducted earlier for buying medicine had been replenished!

This was truly a case of perfect timing. Without him having to do anything, the Faith Points had increased on their own.

Chu Jiubian had just crafted his "divine image": outwardly aloof and detached, yet inwardly gentle and kind-hearted.

Who could resist the allure of everyone's crush, revealing a tender and amiable side solely to you?

The moon hangs high, shining exclusively upon me—isn't this what true favoritism looks like?

Chu Jiubian gazed into the prison guard's bright eyes and gave a slight, gentle smile. "Now that I find myself in distress here, I'll be counting on you to look after me."

An immortal who's fallen from grace, smiling at you, speaking softly and asking for your care—who could possibly resist such a thing?

The young prison guard felt a rush of heat surge to his head, his face turning bright red in an instant.

He nervously lowered his gaze, only to catch sight of the young man's slender waistline, showing through his wet, clingy clothes. This made him even more flustered and unsure of what to do.

"You—you're too kind. It is my honor to care for you," the guard stammered. "And, my name is Li Sheng. You can call me Xiao Li."

Chu Jiubian replied smoothly, "Very well, thank you, Xiao Li."

Xiao Li felt even more embarrassed, yet also a faint thrill of excitement.

The immortal had remembered his name! This was truly incredible luck!

"Oh, right," Li Sheng nearly forgot the main task. "Prince Ning has instructed us to bring you dry clothes. I'll go fetch them for you right away!"

With that, he didn't dare look at Chu Jiubian again, grabbing the meal container and rushing off in a fluster—so much so that he even forgot to close the prison door.

Chu Jiubian: "......"

He stared at the wide-open cell door, paused for a moment, then walked to the wall, leaning against the cool wall with his arms crossed.

Before long, Xiao Li returned, carrying a quilt and a set of dry, coarse linen clothes.

Seeing the cell door wide open, he was initially startled. But upon finding Chu Jiubian waiting obediently inside the cell, he felt even more grateful.

This truly was an immortal!

Not only did he possess the ability to uncover heavenly secrets, but he was also exceptionally handsome, spoke gently, and was so honest and generous.

The points on the system panel had increased by another 0.1. Chu Jiubian slowly blinked.

It seemed that deeper faith resulted in more noticeable point gains.

"Immortal sir, these are the new clothes Prince Ning instructed me to prepare for you. And this quilt..." Xiao Li quickly glanced at Chu Jiubian, a bit shy and nervous. "This is the one I usually use. I washed it the day before yesterday and haven't used it since. If you don't mind, I can spread it on the floor for you to rest more comfortably."

A pleasant surprise.

Chu Jiubian walked to a spot two steps away from him, expressing just the right amount of concern. "If you give me the quilt, what will you use?"

Perhaps understanding that Chu Jiubian didn't look down on him, Xiao Li immediately thumped his chest enthusiastically. "I'm tough and rugged, it's no problem. I'll lay it out for you right away."

With that, he handed the clean clothes to Chu Jiubian and quickly went about laying out the quilt.

Once Xiao Li finished, he didn't linger, bowing respectfully. "Then I'll take my leave for now. If you need anything, just give the order."

"Thank you for your trouble."

"It's my duty."

The prison guard locked the cell door and hurried off excitedly, likely planning to find a secluded spot to vent his excited emotions.

Chu Jiubian walked to the spread-out quilt, placed the clean clothes on it, then swiftly removed his damp, sticky old garments and tossed them aside.

He stored all the jingling accessories into his storage space. In this era, these cheap industrial products were rare treasures that might come in handy someday.

He waited for his skin to dry off a bit before changing into the new clothes.

The most basic and simple coarse linen outfit, consisting of a top and pants, loose and oversized.

Resources were scarce in this era; only nobility and royalty could afford silk and satin. Thus, Chu Jiubian didn't have high expectations for these new clothes—as long as they weren't unpleasantly sticky, it was enough.

But he hadn't expected linen fabric to be so different from what he'd worn in modern times. It was genuinely rough. Just putting it on simply had already rubbed numerous red marks on Chu Jiubian's fair and delicate skin.

Moreover, with his good proportions and exceptionally long legs, the pants exposed his ankles and Achilles tendon prominently, revealing fragile and distinct bones.

Chu Jiubian looked down with resignation.

Oh well, having something to change into was better than nothing.

He didn't bother with shoes, wiped his feet on the old clothes, and lay down on the quilt.

The Da Ning Dynasty had no cotton, so there were no cotton-filled quilts.

Nobles and royalty could stuff their quilts with scraps of silk and satin to ensure softness and comfort, but common people had to use materials like straw sewn into coarse cloth.

Moreover, such quilts were often very thin. Spread on the ground, they didn't provide much comfort—still uncomfortable and hard, but better than nothing.

The rain outside continued to fall. During the night, the downpour grew heavier, and by noon the next day, it showed no signs of stopping. Instead, the heavy dark clouds suggested an even fiercer storm was approaching.

Xiao Li brought Chu Jiubian his lunch before his shift change.

By now, the "immortal" had changed into coarse linen clothes. Red marks from the fabric chafing circled his neck, compounded by the purplish bruises left by the regent's choking grip the previous day—a shocking sight that made Xiao Li instinctively touch his own neck.

But Chu Jiubian seemed not bothered by the pain. Taking the meal container, he said to Xiao Li, "It's almost noon. Please help me invite Qin Xiao here."

Xiao Li appeared terrified by Chu Jiubian's casual way he said Qin Xiao's name, his face turning pale as he instinctively glanced around.

Only after confirming no one else had heard did he relax, then said somewhat awkwardly, "Immortal sir, I—I don't dare disturb Prince Ning."

Qin Xiao was known for being fierce, and Chu Jiubian understood Xiao Li's dilemma.

Thus, he didn't push it, smiling instead. "Alright, no problem."

Xiao Li breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he very much wanted to build a good relationship with this immortal, he feared Qin Xiao even more—a truly decisive and ruthless man.

"Then I'll take my leave now. Another guard will come to collect the meal container after the shift change," he explained carefully.

Chu Jiubian nodded, then added, "You can wait until after noon to leave. The rain will have stopped by then."

No sooner had he spoken than a clap of thunder rang outside, the rain showing no signs of stopping.

Xiao Li swallowed, his heart pounding—whether from the sudden thunder or the excitement of experiencing a miracle, he couldn't tell.

After Xiao Li left, Chu Jiubian opened the meal container and, unsurprisingly, found the same meat broth and rice congee as always.

He'd eaten this for lunch and dinner yesterday, again for breakfast this morning, and now for lunch today...

Chu Jiubian wasn't too particular, but eating the same thing day in and day out was truly hard on his modern stomach.

It seems that after getting out of prison, the first thing to do is to upgrade the meals, and everything else can wait.

Just as he was thinking this, the same two sets of footsteps from yesterday at noon appeared again.

It seems there’s no need to send a special invitation—he’s already here?

Chu Jiubian’s eyes flickered with amusement as he stood up and looked toward the cell door.

Soon, the Lord Regent, dressed in maroon court robes, walked slowly to the door. A few steps behind him, Qin Zhaoyang stood silently holding two dripping oil-paper umbrellas.

At yesterday’s enthronement ceremony, Qin Xiao had worn black and gold python-patterned robes to signify his status.

Now that Baili Hong had ascended the throne, he changed into the maroon official robes reserved for first or second-rank officials, adopting the identity of a "subject" to express his support and submission to the emperor. This also set an an example for the civil and military officials, making sure no one would dare underestimate the young emperor.

Of course, this simple gesture alone could not eliminate the ambitions of those ministers. It merely conveyed the message that behind the emperor stood the Qin family, and specifically Prince Ning, Qin Xiao.

As long as Qin Xiao remained in the court for a day, no one could seize the throne from Baili Hong.

Chu Jiubian was genuinely impressed by Qin Xiao’s appearance today.

It was nothing more than the fact that he looked exceptionally good in maroon, making his presence even more imposing and his features more strikingly handsome yet stern.

Qin Xiao had spent the entire morning handling state affairs. During the morning court session, Vice Minister of Works Xiao Wendao had used the ongoing rain as an opportunity to bring up the matter of repairing the dams in Hexi Prefecture, requesting imperial funding.

Hexi Prefecture, located at the border of North Zhili and Henan, frequently suffered from floods in previous years. The dams were repaired annually, but as the allocated funds passed down through layers of bureaucracy, only a pittance actually made it to the repair work.

Vice Minister of Works Xiao Wendao hailed from the Lin’an Xiao clan, was the grand nephew of the Grand Empress Dowager, and was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the water conservancy funds.

After he mentioned the allocation, Minister Su Sheng immediately stepped forward to claim poverty.

The two factions exchanged arguments during the morning court, as if locked in a battle, yet in the end, they both shifted responsibility to Qin Xiao, demanding that he find a way to replenish the national treasury.

Replenish the treasury for what?

So they could continue filling their own pockets?

But the Qin family’s influence lay largely in the military, with almost no useful civil officials in the court. Qin Xiao couldn’t outright say there was no money, so he had to suppress his anger.

After the morning court session, he called several first-rank officials to the council hall to continue discussions on how to replenish the treasury.

Yet these wealthy old foxes dodged the question, offering no useful suggestions.

These so-called pillars of the state cared only about how much their factions and families could gain. As for the nation and its people, those were not their concerns.

After they left, Qin Xiao felt irritable and had no appetite for lunch, wanting only to get some fresh air.

Unexpectedly, as he walked, he ended up at the prison.

He glanced at the sky, seeing that the rain showed no signs of stopping, and decided to see Chu Jiubian to see what else he had to say.

Still carrying his frustration, he blurted out when he saw Chu Jiubian, "You lost."

They hadn’t discussed what would happen if Chu Jiubian lost yesterday, but both knew Qin Xiao could handle him however he wanted.

Yet, after Qin Xiao uttered the word "lost," Chu Jiubian didn't show any of the panic he had expected. Instead, he said lightly, "Isn’t it still before the time?"

People in ancient times had no precise timekeeping methods, but Chu Jiubian did.

There were still—

"Ten, nine, eight..."

A countdown?

Qin Xiao’s expression darkened—was this man so certain?

But before he could ponder further, as Chu Jiubian said "five," the pouring rain miraculously began to lessen.

The sound of rain grew fainter, and a faint light flickered in Qin Xiao’s dark eyes.

Until Chu Jiubian’s slightly hoarse voice finally said "one," the rain stopped completely.

Water droplets gathered on the eaves and dripped into the puddles below. The clouds reflected in the puddles shifted, and a ray of sunlight broke through.

The rain stopped and the sky cleared.