Chapter 49 Jasmine in Bloom

Chapter 49 Jasmine Flowers Bloom

Qin Xiao's gaze quickly scanned Chu Jiubian but found no visible injuries, yet the faint scent of blood wafted right into his nose.

"It's nothing," Chu Jiubian said. "My legs just chafed from horseback riding."

Qin Xiao was relieved but instinctively looked at his legs.

Although it was overcast today, it hadn't rained yet, so Chu Jiubian's clothes were dry, and nothing looked out of place.

Chu Jiubian followed his look to his legs, then looked up at him.

"Want me to lift my outer robe for you to see?"

The young man's tone was playful, his words trailing off with a slight upward inflection.

Qin Xiao chuckled. "I don't mind."

Chu Jiubian raised an eyebrow, then actually lifted his outer robe, revealing white outer trousers.

Blood stains marked the trouser legs, extending from the inner thigh down to the calf. The thin silk fabric clung to his inner thighs, outlining a smooth, gleaming curve.

Qin Xiao looked down, hesitated briefly, then stepped forward and tugged the hem from his grasp, letting it fall back.

"Seen enough?" Chu Jiubian asked with a smile.

Qin Xiao said with exasperation, "Do you think this is appropriate in public?"

Chu Jiubian looked around. "Where's the public? It's just you here."

The hidden guards had long averted their gazes and, upon hearing this, made their presence even less noticeable.

"Besides," Chu Jiubian leaned closer, lowering his voice, "it's just the outer trousers, it's not like I'm removing them..."

Qin Xiao covered his mouth, his palm covering most of his face, leaving only his slightly surprised eyes visible.

"Watch your language at your age," Qin Xiao said.

Chu Jiubian was startled.

He was indeed four years younger than Qin Xiao, but when had he ever mentioned his age?

Qin Xiao lowered his hand, stepped back half a pace, and said, "Go tend to it. I'll wait for you in the main hall."

With that, he turned and headed back to the inner courtyard first.

Chu Jiubian remained standing for a while, raised his hand to touch his face, then headed to his bedroom.

Qin Xiao arrived at the main hall and walked to the table.

Two teacups and a teapot were set on the table. He poured himself a cup of tea and drank it down.

Chu Jiubian returned to his bedroom, removing his trousers while asking the system, "Is Wang Qichen still asleep?"

He had returned early today, just past 8 a.m.

Although people in this era usually rose early, Wang Qichen was different—he typically went to bed late and got up late.

Sure enough, the system replied, "Host, detected that the believer Situ Zhaoling has already woken up and is dancing in the rain. Believers Wang Qichen and Jiang Shuoye are still asleep."

Chu Jiubian: "Dancing?"

"Yes. It has been raining in the southern border for the past few days. Rivers and lakes are refilling with water. Believer Situ Zhaoling has pent-up energy with no release, so she is learning to dance the Saintess' sacrificial dance."

Ah, youth.

Chu Jiubian mused to himself, then asked, "Why is Jiang Shuoye also waking up so late today?"

"Last night, scouts from the Tatar army came to gather information. Believer Jiang Shuoye captured one alive and questioned him half the night."

The Tatars daring to show up again?

Last time, that Tatar deputy general named Milhan had his hand cut off by Jiang Shuoye, and the Northern Desert Army's cavalry taught them a lesson. Who would have thought the Tatars would return this quickly?

But these were just scouts—what information were they after?

Chu Jiubian frowned. "Summon both of them into the Divine Realm."

As he spoke, he settled back on the bed.

Removing his trousers revealed the concerning condition of the wounds on his legs.

He wiped away the blood with a damp towel, applied iodine solution, then closed his eyes and entered the Divine Realm.

Inside the Divine Realm, Chu Jiubian opened his eyes directly on the divine throne and saw Wang Qichen and Jiang Shuoye already present below.

One was dressed in silver-white armor, the other in dark green light robes. They stood on opposite sides behind the long table, two people who were completely different in every aspect.

But now, they shared one commonality.

At Chu Jiubian's thought, one chair at the long table became six.

Wang Qichen and Jiang Shuoye had already bowed to the divine manifestation of Chu Jiubian left in the Divine Realm upon arrival. After that, unsure what to do, they had simply stood there uncertainly.

Now, seeing the number of chairs suddenly increase to six, they instantly guessed that the High Priest probably had six believers who could enter the Divine Realm.

"Sit," Chu Jiubian said.

They obeyed, sitting with an empty chair between them.

Chu Jiubian raised an eyebrow and asked the system, "Did they just have an argument?"

"No."

So they just didn't click.

Chu Jiubian didn't force them to sit together. The empty seat between them could be for Situ Zhaoling, who might help break the ice.

"Give me updates on recent events," Chu Jiubian said.

From the beginning, he had been this kind of deity—maintaining an air of dignity but still speaking and smiling, radiating the presence of a living god.

Thus, no one found it strange when he spoke like this.

Wang Qichen was the first to respond. "Reporting to the High Priest, I have recently been trying to quit drinking, but it's quite difficult. Do you have any good suggestions?"

Chu Jiubian nearly laughed.

"With enough willpower, you can quit. Why bother the High Priest?" Jiang Shuoye objected.

Wang Qichen shot him a look: "Can't I joke around?"

Jiang Shuoye's brow furrowed, but he ignored him further, turning to Chu Jiubian instead: "High Priest, my steel mill has begun operations and has already made progress. I believe it won't be long before we can produce even stronger iron implements."

"Additionally, yesterday the Tatars sent scouts to spy on the Northern Desert Army. I noticed their warhorses are now equipped with stirrups and saddles, identical in design to those used by our soldiers. I questioned them through the night, but they had no idea who leaked the information to them."

Chu Jiubian knit his brow.

Previously, during battles between the Northern Desert Army and the Tatars, the Northern Desert Army had covered their equipment with cloth, so the Tatars definitely couldn't have seen the details clearly.

Yet, in such a short time, the Tatar scouts are already equipped with them—this must mean someone provided them with intelligence!

In other words, there is a traitor up north or here in the capital!

Chu Jiubian suddenly recalled a previous incident.

When Su Sheng impeached Zhao Qianhe, he accused him of "persecuting loyal subjects." At that time, everyone had turned to look at Qin Xiao.

And Qin Xiao's parents had died on the Northern Desert battlefield.

What exactly is the story behind this?

Could it be related to the traitor leaking secrets to the enemy?

Wang Qichen didn't fully understand the High Priest's identity, only knowing that he had ideas about "enlightening the people" and protecting the citizens of Great Ning.

But he wasn't sure what matters could be discussed with the High Priest. Now, hearing Jiang Shuoye report on Northern Desert affairs, he began to get the idea.

The High Priest seemed to pay close attention to all the factions in Great Ning.

If that's the case...

"Understood," Chu Jiubian responded.

"High Priest, I also have something to report," Wang Qichen said immediately. "I have already had people start building a papermaking workshop, and we have almost found enough workers. We'll start production soon. Also, recently, Hong County in Hexi suffered floods entirely due to Prince Jiannan and the Xiao family's embezzlement. I wrote some satirical pieces mocking them—was that out of line?"

"Good work. It's fine," Chu Jiubian said.

Wang Qichen smiled, his peach-blossom eyes sparkling—quite the beauty.

Chu Jiubian, in a good mood, asked: "How do you know Liu Junqi, the Director of the Ministry of Works?"

Having guessed that Chu Jiubian was very concerned about the capital's situation, Wang Qichen wasn't surprised he asked.

However, everyone in the capital knew that Liu Junqi was a student of Minister Wang Zhiyuan of the Ministry of Rites. Wang Zhiyuan, as an elder of the Wang family, publicly sided more closely with the family head, Wang Huanzhi, and kept his distance from Wang Qichen, the young master.

So no one would associate Liu Junqi with Wang Qichen.

But now the High Priest was asking about him, clearly able to see secrets others could not.

Truly worthy of a deity.

Wang Qichen's respect deepened: "To be honest, High Priest, Liu Junqi and I are good friends."

Liu Junqi was a few years older, but they got along well. Moreover, his becoming Wang Zhiyuan's student and rising to the position of Director of the Ministry of Works were all arranged by Wang Qichen.

Their closeness went without saying.

Chu Jiubian now understood—this Liu Junqi was indeed useful and could be trusted completely.

"Host, someone is knocking on your door."

Chu Jiubian knew immediately it was Qin Xiao.

He had indeed been in the Divine Realm for too long.

But he suddenly remembered something: if he left now, could the believers in the Divine Realm continue to stay there?

"Yes, host. Even when you are not in the Divine Realm, you can summon believers to enter. The system can also retain the ability to record for you. If needed, the system can even pass along their conversations to you in real time."

So, even if Chu Jiubian was too busy to enter the Divine Realm himself, he could still have the believers communicate there, and he would know the content of their conversations.

That was a handy feature.

"Host, it only costs fifteen credits to unlock these functions."

Chu Jiubian: "...Do it."

He didn't bargain, and the system seemed pleased, immediately saying: "Related functions have been unlocked for the host. Your bedroom door has been opened."

Chu Jiubian was alarmed and said hurriedly: "Send me out."

He opened his eyes on the bed and immediately turned to look at the screen.

The bedroom was large, divided by a screen separating the bed from the outer area, which had a daybed and other furniture.

Through the screen, Chu Jiubian could now see a tall figure walking quickly toward him.

"Wait!" he called out, and the figure paused, stopping in its tracks.

"Are you alright?" Qin Xiao's voice came from behind the screen.

Chu Jiubian glanced at his badly scraped legs and said: "I'm fine."

But Qin Xiao didn't move.

He had waited for a long time without anyone coming, so he came to check. Knocking on the bedroom door and getting no response, he had entered directly.

"Really, I'm fine," Chu Jiubian said, glancing at the figure behind the screen. "Wait for me in the main hall."

Qin Xiao, through the screen, vaguely saw the figure sitting on the bed.

The figure moved, bent one knee.

Qin Xiao's eyes flickered, and he turned and quickly left the bedroom.

Walking along the corridor to the main hall entrance, Qin Xiao stood under the eaves for a while, cooling off in the breeze.

After a moment, he entered the main hall.

Noticing the tea set on the table, he walked over and poured himself another cup of tea, downing it in one gulp.

By the rear window of the main hall was a daybed with a chess table on it.

Qin Xiao carried two tea sets and a teapot to the daybed, sitting on one side of the chess table.

The window beside him was open, revealing a large patch of jasmine flowers planted behind the house, their sweet scent drifting in as they swayed.

A damp, cool breeze swept past the house, making the wind chimes tinkle from the eaves as a light drizzle began to fall.

He sat there, gazing out at the misty rain.

After a while, he took another sip of tea.

Setting the cup down, he sat motionless for a moment before reaching for the nearby chess box.

Taking out the pieces, he calmly laid out a game.

The door to the main hall was open, and before long, someone finally entered.

Qin Xiao's hand, holding a chess piece, paused briefly, but he didn't turn to look at the newcomer.

Chu Jiubian walked over and sat on the divan opposite Qin Xiao. Noticing a teacup nearby, he poured himself some tea. Seeing that Qin Xiao's cup was empty, he filled Qin Xiao's cup too, then lowered his eyes to study the board.

Qin Xiao lifted his eyes briefly, his gaze sweeping over the black trousers Chu Jiubian had changed into, and said, "Want to play?"

Chu Jiubian had tried his hand at many things, but when it came to Go, he was truly not skilled.

"Let me teach you a new way to play," he said.

"What kind of game?"

"Five-in-a-Row," Chu Jiubian replied, pushing the arranged board aside and leaving only five white pieces. "The first to connect five pieces in a row wins."

Qin Xiao understood.

The rules sounded straightforward, so simple even a child could get it.

Chu Jiubian then demonstrated by arranging the five pieces horizontally, vertically, and diagonally, before looking up at him. "Understand?"

Qin Xiao met his calm eyes and, for some reason, felt like smiling.

He lowered his gaze to hide his amusement. "I understand now."

"Then you go first," Chu Jiubian said.

Qin Xiao picked up a black piece and placed it in the center of the board. Chu Jiubian immediately placed a white piece right beside it.

Qin Xiao placed another black piece on the other side of the white one.

With two black pieces boxing in the white piece, Chu Jiubian shot him a look before continuing to play.

Chu Jiubian was already an old hand at Five-in-a-Row—so much so that he could play without thinking, each move taking him at most two seconds.

Qin Xiao initially had trouble matching the pace but gradually adapted, his moves becoming quicker and quicker.

In this game of back and forth, the two of them almost covered the whole board with their simple Five-in-a-Row match.

In the end, Chu Jiubian was just that bit sharper, successfully connecting five in a row.

Qin Xiao smiled. "You got me."

"You did well," Chu Jiubian said as he started collecting the pieces, adding with a half-smile, "Back in the immortal realm, few could beat me."

Qin Xiao collected his pieces leisurely and asked, "Do you know any of the legendary immortals?"

"The titles of deities differ between the immortal realm and the mortal world; I can't match them up," Chu Jiubian lied smoothly.

Once a lie is told, countless more are needed to cover it up.

So, from the start, it was best to cover his tracks.

Sure enough, after hearing this, Qin Xiao didn't push the subject. Instead, he asked, "Then, do you have any good friends among the immortals?"

"Yes," Chu Jiubian replied without hesitation.

His best friend was, after all, the High Priest.

Qin Xiao paused and looked up at him. "Who?"

Chu Jiubian naturally couldn't tell the truth. The High Priest couldn't be revealed openly yet—the incident in Mobei had already caused enough trouble, and it was better to keep a low profile for now.

Moreover, Qin Xiao seemed to be testing him today.

Chu Jiubian felt that Qin Xiao probably believed his claim of being a "deity," but still had some doubts, hence all the probing questions.

So, it was even more important not to mention the High Priest.

"Is it inconvenient to tell me?" Qin Xiao picked up the last black piece, leaning back against the armrest of the divan.

Chu Jiubian, meeting his almost playful look, also leaned back against his own armrest. "I can't tell you just yet."

Qin Xiao rolled the chess piece between his fingers, holding his gaze for a long moment before tossing the piece back into the box and turning to look out the window.

Chu Jiubian followed his gaze.

The rain fell in fine threads, wrapping the world outside in a hazy mist. The garden full of blooming jasmine flowers looked particularly pristine and delicate.

He suddenly recalled that day in the capital.

It was also a rainy day when he and Qin Xiao had discussed the imperial examinations. Qin Xiao had stood under the covered walkway, his back to the rain and the blooming jasmine, standing straight as a pine tree or bamboo.

The red-painted corridor, the pure white jasmine, and the figure standing among them formed a stunningly beautiful picture.

The faint scent of jasmine hung in the air, seeming to settle on both of them.

Chu Jiubian let his eyes drift slightly toward the man across from him, only to find his eyes meeting Qin Xiao's directly. He was caught off guard.

The clear sound of wind chimes, accompanied by the gentle patter of rain, seemed to stir something in them.

The atmosphere grew tense, yet neither moved nor looked away, letting the silence stretch out naturally.

Until a voice from outside broke the silence: "My lords, Excellency Jian reports that the dam has been completely sealed."

"Understood," Qin Xiao replied.

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes and took a few sips of the tea, now gone cold, beside him.

The previous day, Qin Xiao had personally overseen Jian Hongzhuo's efforts to scuttle the boat and stem the flow. Most of the water had been stopped then, and with some additional work, it could be fully sealed.

Jian Hongzhuo had kept at it tirelessly, having people work through the night, and now the task was finally complete.

With no more flooding, the next step was to get the water drained.

The water that had flooded villages and farmland needed to be diverted away through cleared drainage channels.

However, Jian Hongzhuo and Liu Junqi out in Puxian were more experienced in such matters. With another ten days to half a month, they could finish draining it all.

These matters need not concern Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian; their current focus should be on how to restore people's livelihoods in the aftermath.

"Is your agricultural official still up to the task?" Qin Xiao asked.

He was referring to Han Yuandao.

Chu Jiubian nodded. "The task of helping the people get back to farming can be entrusted to him."

Once the floodwaters recede, those unwilling to leave their ancestral lands will surely return to their original homes, rebuild, and resume farming and living.

However, flood-soaked land will take a lot of work to farm again, since the soil will have lost its fertility, which is already a major issue.

Though Qin Xiao is a high-ranking official in the capital, he spent his childhood with his family in the northern desert regions and has a good deal of knowledge about farming.

He, too, was clearly considering the difficulty of reclaiming the land after the flood and said solemnly, "It's unclear how long it will take for those lands to regain their fertility. With poor soil, even if crops are planted, a good harvest will be difficult."

"Then plant hardy crops," Chu Jiubian suggested.

Qin Xiao asked, "Do you have an idea?"

"I know of a crop called 'sweet potato,'" Chu Jiubian said. "It's drought-resistant, thrives in poor soil, and is high-yielding."

"Sounds promising," Qin Xiao remarked. "How productive is it?"

Chu Jiubian said calmly, "Several dozen dan per mu."

In reality, sweet potatoes typically yield between two thousand to four thousand jin per mu, so Chu Jiubian's "several dozen dan" was an understatement.

Even so, Qin Xiao straightened up immediately.

In Great Ning, the north mostly grows millet and wheat, with yields of around one dan per mu. The sweet potato could actually yield several dozen dan!

If the people could cultivate this crop, they wouldn't have to go hungry anymore.

"Where can this crop be found?" Qin Xiao fixed his gaze on Chu Jiubian.

Chu Jiubian smiled. "You don't need to look for it. I'll give the seedlings to Han Yuandao."

Then he quickly added, "No need to thank me on behalf of the people. Since I accept their offerings, I should look out for them."

Qin Xiao had heard yesterday about the extra grain and cloth that had appeared in the granaries. The victims of the disaster all believed it was the work of Chu Jiubian, the divine reincarnation, and many not only worshipped at the temples but also came to kneel and kowtow outside the magistrate's residence in gratitude.

They truly believed Chu Jiubian was a "deity" and held him in sincere reverence and affection.

Chu Jiubian couldn't read Qin Xiao's expression and asked, "Do you still not believe I am a god?"

He was purely curious now.

How could Qin Xiao remain so rational? If he didn't believe in gods or spirits, did he perhaps believe in science?

Even in the era Chu Jiubian originally came from, people still held some superstitions, and it was rare to find someone like Qin Xiao, a staunch atheist.

Qin Xiao was not actually an atheist; he had previously thought Chu Jiubian and "gods" were not the same kind of being. Now, however, he was beginning to understand that gods could be diverse.

But he still refused to believe Chu Jiubian was a "god."

Gods felt too distant from him—worlds apart.

Qin Xiao did not answer Chu Jiubian's question and instead said, "After the disaster, we need to recheck the census records and survey the land. Do you have any recommendations for who should handle this?"

"Song Feng from the Ministry of Revenue would be a good choice," Chu Jiubian suggested.

Qin Xiao nodded. "Then it's settled."

Although Song Feng was a minor official with little apparent ambition, he was diligent in his work and relied only on his own small family, with no ties to other factions.

"We can also use Liu Junqi," Chu Jiubian added.

As for Liu Junqi, this Director of the Ministry of Works had proven surprisingly capable. Though he was a protégé of Wang Zhiyuan, the Minister of Rites, he was on good terms with Wang Qichen. Over the past few days, Chu Jiubian had also observed that he was highly competent.

Given his connection to Wang Qichen, Chu Jiubian felt it appropriate to promote him.

Although Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were currently allies and generally inseparable, it was still prudent to have their own people in the court, just in case.

Chu Jiubian hid his personal motives well, and Qin Xiao didn't seem to notice, just nodded after a moment's consideration. "Then let Liu Junqi take the lead, with Han Yuandao assisting."

Once everything here was completed, these two would have achieved significant merits, and promotion would be inevitable.

Han Yuandao's case is simple—we could appoint him directly as the magistrate of Huaixian County. If he performed even better, he could be put in charge of Hexi Prefecture.

But Liu Junqi was already a Director of the Ministry of Works. What position could be given to him beyond that?

A shadow passed through Qin Xiao's eyes.

Chu Jiubian asked, "Any ideas?"

Though the question was vague, Qin Xiao understood. "Prince Jiannan and Vice Minister of Works Xiao Wendao conspired to embezzle funds allocated for repairing the embankments in Hexi Prefecture, causing the dams to collapse and flooding farmland and villages. They also used their relative Zhou Boshan to harm the people. Their crimes are heinous."

They both knew the Xiao family wasn't to blame for this flood—though they had done many such things in the past, this time they were truly facing an unjust disaster.

But since Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian lacked concrete evidence to pin this on Prince Anhuai, the blame had to fall on the Xiao family.

Moreover, Chu Jiubian felt there was more to the story. If Prince Anhuai had been drawn out by the system, he shouldn't be a villain who only sought profit and disregarded the people's lives.

So the true mastermind must be someone else, and Prince Anhuai was likely just a pawn in their plan.

Qin Xiao didn't know Prince Anhuai well, but aside from the lack of evidence, there was another important reason he chose not to target him:

This incident presented the perfect opportunity to suppress the Xiao family.

Among the several factions in the capital, the Xiao family was the most powerful, so suppressing them first was the best outcome.

Everyone recognized this as an ideal chance, so even if Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian did nothing, other factions would relentlessly crush the Xiao family.

The Wang family had likely already instructed their Confucian scholars to condemn the Xiao family for "harming the people." After such agitation, the Xiao family's reputation among the populace would plummet.

Not only that, but they would also lose control of Hexi Prefecture.

The previous officials in Hexi Prefecture had been executed or demoted, and those now promoted had been carefully selected by Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian—officials completely loyal to them and the court.

Moreover, these officials feared Chu Jiubian's "divine" status and were unlikely to betray them.

Thus, Hexi Prefecture was now truly under the court's control.

The Xiao family's losses did not end there. Their most powerful card, *Prince Jiannan*, who remained in the capital keeping a watchful eye, had seen his once-proud achievements now turned into a blade aimed at him.

The public support he had gained from the dam incident would now backlash many times over.

Additionally, Vice Minister of Works Xiao Wendao, who had been particularly active in court, would inevitably be implicated. The Xiao family would surely go to great lengths to protect him, but a demotion and pay cut were unavoidable.

With such a major shake-up, given Xiao Yao's methods, the Xiao family would likely remain silent for a long time to come.

Once public memory of the incident faded, they could attempt to rebuild their reputation by engaging in public welfare projects for the people.

As for Xiao Wendao, with Minister of Personnel Xiao Huaiguan around, there would always be ways to promote him again.

However, Chu Jiubian, the Vice Minister of Personnel, would not let such an opportunity slide.

But these were matters for the future. In any case, the flood disaster had diminished the Xiao family's clout.

"Xiao Wendao's position as Vice Minister of Works should be given to someone capable," Qin Xiao said.

Chu Jiubian was of the same mind.

Promoting Liu Junqi to Vice Minister of Works, along with Jian Hongzhuo as Minister of Works, would place the entire Ministry of Works firmly in the court's grasp.

Previously, the Xiao family had held sway over the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Works. Now, with the Ministry of Works lost, only the Ministry of Personnel remained.

Moreover, with Chu Jiubian keeping them in check in the Ministry of Personnel, the Xiao family's influence in court had been significantly weakened.

At the same time, with Liu Junqi's promotion, the Wang family might gain some traction. However, Liu Junqi was not one to abuse his authority, so the Wang family's rise would be limited.

Qin Xiao suddenly said, "After we return, we should announce the imperial examinations."

From spreading the news to selecting candidates and finally their appointment, the process would be lengthy, taking at least several months. It was best to start as soon as possible.

"Agreed," Chu Jiubian replied.

He understood that Qin Xiao intended to capitalize on the Xiao family's decline to introduce the imperial examinations, strengthening the court's stance and putting more pressure on all noble families.

With matters in Hexi County now settled, and plans for their return to the capital in place, there was no reason to delay.

Qin Xiao ordered someone to summon Han Yuandao and instructed others to pack their belongings. He and Chu Jiubian could depart for the capital that very day.

The two stepped out of the room and stood under the corridor, listening to the rain. Soon, Han Yuandao arrived in haste.

Qin Xiao spelled out the tasks he needed to undertake.

Han Yuandao, daunted by the responsibility but undeterred, knelt and kowtowed respectfully, saying, "I will ensure the registration of all disaster victims and re-survey the land. What belongs to the people shall remain with the people."

His words carried deeper implications, and both Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian were pleased with his insight.

After Han Yuandao left, Chu Jiubian turned to Qin Xiao and said, "You intend to reform the land system."

Qin Xiao smiled. "Indeed, I now enjoy conversing with 'certain' clever individuals."

Chu Jiubian let out a soft chuckle followed by a sigh.

"This matter will require careful planning," he remarked.

Qin Xiao's desire to reform the land system was something Chu Jiubian shared.

The greatest assets of the powerful noble families were two: people and land.

They had large numbers of talented and capable individuals. However, once the imperial examinations and the National Academy were established, the court would surpass them in this advantage.

Who had more people—a single family or the entire Great Ning? The answer was obvious.

Then there was land.

Noble families exploited their influence over local officials to monopolize land, conceal properties, and shift tax burdens—harming both the people and the court while enriching themselves.

Their ability to do so was due to loopholes in Great Ning's land and tax systems.

To further curb the power of the noble families at their roots, reforms in land and taxation were necessary.

Qin Xiao had long contemplated such changes, but with the Qin family's influence, Emperor Yingzong had been wary, holding him back from radical reforms or even serving in court.

Now, with greater authority, he could gradually implement these reforms.

As subordinates busied themselves packing, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao stood under the corridor, their figures tall and resolute like pine trees, their presence sharp as unsheathed blades, pointing toward the capital.

On the twenty-third day of the seventh month of the first year of Jingrui, Prince Ning Qin Xiao and Grand Tutor Chu Jiubian returned to the capital after leading the disaster relief mission.