Chapter 57 Summoning Qin Chuan

Chapter 57: Summoning Qin Chuan

The room was silent.

Qin Xiao leaned back against the couch, his back supporting Chu Jiubian's leg, which rested between his waist and the cushion.

Chu Jiubian glanced at his leg, then looked up at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao met his gaze, calm and composed.

"The Qiu family's last fine salt transport team hasn't returned yet, but with their control over canal transport, shipments are fast and efficient. I expect another batch should arrive this month," Qin Xiao said nonchalantly.

Chu Jiubian sat up, pulling his leg back and crossing them as he faced Qin Xiao.

"Good wine needs time to age, and I don't have much of it right now," he said, sitting directly opposite Qin Xiao. "I've always wondered—why was canal transport entrusted to the Qiu family?"

Great Ning had been building canals since the time of the founding emperor. Coupled with the extensive waterways constructed by the previous dynasty, albeit at great cost to the people, Great Ning’s canal transport conditions were now excellent.

The canals extended in all directions, connecting north and south.

They not only facilitated trade between regions but also allowed for rapid, large-scale transport of supplies during wartime—highlighting the canals' vital role.

So why would the court delegate such a vital project, and such a profitable "business," to one of the great families?

"This is primarily due to the Qiu family elder, Qiu Hongkuo," Qin Xiao explained.

Chu Jiubian knew of him.

Minister of Justice Qiu Heng and the Qiu family head, Qiu Xuanzheng, were blood brothers—one served in court, the other managed the family.

But in truth, neither was the actual authority within the Qiu family.

The true decision-maker was their uncle, Qiu Hongkuo.

This man had mobility issues that made it difficult for him to walk, and he rarely appeared in public. Chu Jiubian had never met him.

Qin Xiao continued, "During Emperor Wu’s reign, the head of the Qiu family was still Qiu Hongkuo’s father, who was also the Minister of Revenue at the time. Though Qiu Hongkuo himself was only fifteen or sixteen, he was already exceptionally talented."

But Qiu Hongkuo had no interest in court politics—he preferred commerce and often traveled with trade caravans.

It was only after he injured his leg that he turned his attention from the wider world to the court.

At that time, Emperor Wu was on campaign for more than half the year, draining the treasury and the people’s resources. The court’s income couldn’t cover its expenses, making it impossible to continue funding the wars.

It was then that Qiu Hongkuo proposed to his father that the Qiu family handle military funds.

"The Qiu family’s wealth rivaled the state’s—that was no exaggeration. They truly resolved Emperor Wu’s financial worries, and they never complained," Qin Xiao recalled the stories his grandfather had told him. "Because of this, Emperor Wu greatly valued the Qiu family, trusted them deeply, and even felt somewhat indebted to them."

"After reclaiming the southern territories, Emperor Wu decided to halt the campaigns to allow the people time to recover."

"And to compensate the Qiu family for their financial losses, Emperor Wu established a dedicated 'Canal Transport Office' to oversee canal transport. He appointed the then-Minister of Revenue—Qiu Hongkuo’s father—as the River Governor."

Later, Emperor Cheng and Emperor Yingzong successively took the throne, each more incompetent than the last, and neither bothered to manage these "minor matters."

It could be said that the Four Great Families' firm grip on the court was largely due to the irresponsibility of these two emperors.

Chu Jiubian frowned. "So, since then, canal transport has always been in the hands of the Qiu family?"

"Exactly," Qin Xiao nodded. "The current River Governor is an elder of the Qiu family named Qiu Shan."

The River Governor held not only power but also the ability to reap enormous profits.

At that time, canal transport was still managed by a single Canal Transport Office. There were no taxes or restrictions based on the type of goods or the size of the cargo. In other words, aside from facilitating official and commercial ships, the canals had no other "profit-making projects."

While official court ships were exempt, merchant vessels had to pay substantial bribes to the Canal Transport Office to ensure safe passage along the canals.

This undoubtedly represented immeasurable profits, and how much the Qiu family gained from it was impossible to verify.

"Do you want to reclaim the authority of the River Governor?" Chu Jiubian asked.

If Qin Xiao was bringing up canal transport, it couldn’t be just casual conversation—he must have some plan in mind.

"Yes," Qin Xiao said without hesitation. "Several provinces in the north and south have been hit by disasters this year. The court has exempted them from taxes for three years. Then there are the ships borrowed from Hexi County, the costs of the imperial examinations, and military expenses—everywhere requires money."

The salt trade did bring significant revenue to the national treasury.

But expenditures kept growing, so they still needed to find ways to increase income and reduce spending.

Throughout history, the simplest way to fill the treasury had always been confiscating properties, but Qin Xiao couldn’t do that to anyone at the moment. So, he turned his attention to canal transport.

If a tax system could be established along the canals, it would undoubtedly become a highly profitable venture.

But first, the management of canal transport had to be reclaimed by the court.

Chu Jiubian was familiar with Great Ning’s canal transport system. "What do you plan to do?"

"I want to divide the canal into segments for management," Qin Xiao said.

Chu Jiubian raised an eyebrow. "That’s a good approach."

The canals stretched almost across the entire north-south span, with branches extending southwest and southeast, forming an extensive river transport network.

Previously, the Canal Transport Office had established branch offices in counties suitable for transit, but all were under the control of the central office.

What Qin Xiao intended was to turn these branch offices into independent agencies, each responsible for a specific section of the canal.

Issues in each section would be handled by the corresponding branch office, with different River Governors appointed to avoid centralized control.

Additionally, a Grain Transportation Governor would be established at the court level to supervise the work of these branch offices.

With these measures, the Qiu family’s power could be weakened, and canal transport could be reclaimed by the court.

Furthermore, the court would issue decrees requiring merchant ships to pay varying levels of taxes when passing through different sections. They would also need to apply for specific documents detailing the cargo, tax amounts, departure times, expected return dates, and so on.

There would inevitably still be under-the-table dealings in these processes, but as the saying goes, "water too clear has no fish." Allowing those below to benefit somewhat would ensure they served the court more effectively.

As long as things didn’t get out of hand and the Grain Transportation Governor didn’t notice, the court could turn a blind eye.

If anyone overstepped, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian could make an example of them to warn others.

"These River Governors must be our own people. Where will we find them?" Chu Jiubian asked.

The imperial examinations hadn’t begun yet—candidates are still traveling. The process would take at least three months, pushing it to November.

Even after selecting candidates, they would need training, and their character would have to be discreetly evaluated.

With such a lengthy process, it would likely be after the new year before everything was in place.

But the court urgently needed funds, and Qin Xiao's proposal to reform the canal transport system certainly couldn't wait that long.

"I've reviewed the list of candidates from the Southern Metropolitan Region's imperial exams—there are quite a few scholars who are already somewhat well-known." Qin Xiao had clearly thought everything through. "I'll have Wei Yi conduct a more thorough screening and send someone to check out these scholars' backgrounds. If suitable, they can be hired directly without exams."

Chu Jiubian's heart skipped a beat.

Direct appointment without examination was no small matter.

But aside from this, there didn't seem to be a better option.

Wei Yi, the Governor of the Southern Metropolitan Region, was Qin Xiao's man and could certainly get this done for him.

Suddenly, Chu Jiubian had a sudden thought.

Wei Yi would undoubtedly dig deep into these scholars, but for Chu Jiubian, this was a perfect opportunity.

He had been holding onto the Qin Chuan card but was too scared to use it, unsure how to win Qin Chuan over and waiting for the right time.

Now that the perfect opportunity had arrived, he could summon Qin Chuan and send him to the Southern Metropolitan Region to help investigate the true character of these scholars.

Qin Chuan ran nearly half the jianghu and had a covert intelligence network—investigating such matters was right up his alley.

Most importantly, he would surely learn that Qin Xiao had Wei Yi investigate these scholars.

If the "High Priest" and Qin Xiao were both investigating the same matter with the same goals, wouldn't that imply the High Priest could be helping Qin Xiao?

Even so, Qin Chuan might not fully buy into the High Priest yet.

But with this preconceived notion, he would likely assume the High Priest and Qin Xiao were on the same page in future matters.

Trust would grow without him noticing.

Chu Jiubian's mind was spinning rapidly.

Qin Chuan was a great card, but a risky one.

If it ever came to going against Qin Xiao in the future, Chu Jiubian would play it by ear whether to use Qin Chuan. For now, he just needed to let him know he exists.

And then there was his fifth believer, Lu Yao—that eccentric who "never sleeps or zones out."

Lu Yao wasn't a renowned scholar; not only had the Four Great Families and other factions failed to notice him, but even Qin Xiao had only sent one undercover guard to protect him.

This was a far cry from the eight covert guards watching over Tan Yuzhu in Baxian County.

In other words, only Chu Jiubian knew of his off-the-charts smarts, but he still hadn't figured out how to contact him—this wasn't working.

So, he decided to have Qin Chuan personally look after Lu Yao.

Better yet, he should find a way to get this guy to sleep so he could pull him into the Divine Realm.

Chu Jiubian quickly figured it all out, though outwardly he appeared to be deep in thought about canal transport, not letting on anything to Qin Xiao.

"What about the Grain Transportation Governor?" Chu Jiubian turned to Qin Xiao and asked. "A position like that should be at least second-rank."

The role of Grain Transportation Governor was a big job with lots of power and responsibility.

It required an upright, principled minister—preferably a die-hard loyalist with capability.

Ideally, the candidate should also have some backing to give him the confidence to stand up to others and fulfill his supervisory duties.

Without much thought, a perfect candidate immediately came to Chu Jiubian's mind.

Qin Xiao smiled at him. "Do you have someone in mind, my lord?"

Their eyes met, and Chu Jiubian knew they were thinking of the same person.

"Who has caught your eye, sir?" he asked with a smile.

Qin Xiao replied, "The Censorate already oversees supervisory duties, so it's only logical for someone there to also serve as Grain Transportation Governor."

Chu Jiubian nodded. "I was thinking the same."

Deputy Censor-in-chief Qi Zhili, known for his integrity and impartiality, backed by Northern Desert Army commander Jiang Shuoye, was an ideal candidate.

Thinking of Jiang Shuoye, Chu Jiubian suddenly found himself asking Qin Xiao, "What do you think of Jiang Chifeng?"

Qin Xiao pondered carefully and said, "I've never met him, but I've heard he's a fierce general, excelling in both martial prowess and strategy—a born commander."

"Aren't you wary of him?" Chu Jiubian pressed, his gaze fixed on the man before him.

Qin Xiao met his eyes without flinching. "The people of the Northern Desert haven't seen warfare in eight years."

This alone showed his trust in Jiang Shuoye and the Northern Desert Army.

No matter how powerful the Northern Desert Army was, at least for now, under Jiang Shuoye's command, they had protected the people well—that was enough.

Chu Jiubian had expected him to say something like how the Northern Desert Army included former Qin Family Army officers, so he believed any general who could subdue them must be a righteous leader serving the nation and its people.

Instead, Qin Xiao's focus was on the people.

Again, the people.

Chu Jiubian studied Qin Xiao, searching for any hint of pretense or other emotion in his eyes, but found none.

He saw no trace of "acting" in Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian was perplexed.

Back in Hexi County, he thought Qin Xiao genuinely cared about the people.

Later, he wondered if Qin Xiao was merely putting on a show for him—after all, as the book's designated ruthless antagonist, his priorities should be power and status.

But now, it seemed Qin Xiao truly cared about the people and served the nation with sincerity...

Chu Jiubian felt confused, his ears ringing again, the piercing sound causing his eardrums and the veins in his neck to throb with pain.

Noticing his vacant expression, Qin Xiao's heart missed a beat.

"Chu Jiubian," he said, reaching out to grasp the young man's left wrist, applying slight pressure.

Chu Jiubian blinked slowly, his pupils refocusing.

"You—" Qin Xiao began, but Chu Jiubian cut him off. "Guess which ear is ringing?"

Qin Xiao paused. "The right ear?"

Chu Jiubian immediately laughed. "You guessed right. Here's your reward."

With that, he took out a candy, leaned in slightly, and used his free right hand to place the grape-flavored treat into Qin Xiao's mouth.

Then, he also ate one himself, grape-flavored too.

At this moment, they shared the same taste on their lips.

Qin Xiao gently rubbed the candy with the tip of his tongue, his gaze sweeping over the youth's shiny lips, almost unnoticeable.

Chu Jiubian noticed Qin Xiao's fingertips gently tracing the inside of his wrist.

He lowered his eyes to look, and Qin Xiao followed his gaze.

The inside of the youth's wrist was smooth and fair. Having been eating well lately, he had filled out a bit, so it wasn't as bony feeling to the touch; instead, it was pretty soft.

“You—have your powers returned?” Qin Xiao asked.

Chu Jiubian was surprised, then almost laughed out loud.

How could Qin Xiao still remember the lie he had casually made up?

Seeing his smirking look, Qin Xiao couldn’t help but smirk and ask, “What about other places?”

“What?”

Qin Xiao’s gaze fell on the youth’s chest.

Since it was a day of rest, the other was wearing an all-white robe, the collar slightly messy, revealing the white undershirt underneath.

Qin Xiao still remembered the first time he saw the other in his undergarments—bloodstains spreading like plum blossoms on his chest, the collar slightly open, exposing a few messy scars on the fair skin beneath.

Chu Jiubian raised his hand to touch his chest, kind of remembering that there seemed to be such an incident.

His long lashes flickered slightly as he looked at the man and asked, “Do you want to see?”

Qin Xiao looked at him for a good while, then withdrew his hand and said, “Want to take a walk?”

This should be a simple invitation, and a stroll would conveniently lead them to the Hall of Mental Cultivation for dinner.

“Alright,” Chu Jiubian agreed.

As the two walked out the door, Qin Xiao asked again, “Earlier, why did you ask me to guess which ear was ringing?”

“Good things happen when you guess right,” Chu Jiubian said.

Qin Xiao, with the rich sweetness still in his mouth, said quietly, “Indeed.”

==

At night, Chu Jiubian once again called Jiang Shuoye into the Divine Realm.

By now, Jiang Shuoye was used to the routine. This time, he didn’t jump down himself but finally took the golden phoenix express.

The last time he entered the Divine Realm, he had noticed that Wang Qichen had arrived riding the golden phoenix.

Although Wang Qichen wasn’t exactly a master, he had some skill in lightness martial arts and wouldn’t get injured jumping from a height.

So, the golden phoenix was actually meant to transport followers—it was just that he had jumped down directly the first time, missing it for so long.

Jiang Shuoye leaped off the golden phoenix and bowed to the High Priest.

Chu Jiubian said casually, “Sit.”

Jiang Shuoye said 'yes' and walked to the table, noticing that the chair to the left of where he had sat last time had changed.

It was light purple, with swaying floral patterns.

Chu Jiubian had already gotten a good read on his personality and preferences. As Jiang Shuoye approached his seat, Chu Jiubian made it change with a thought.

Just as Jiang Shuoye was about to sit down, he saw the chair in front of him transform as well.

A jade-like material slowly revealed streaks of emerald green, and then a pine tree, carved as if from jade, appeared on the back of the chair—lush and standing tall.

Jiang Shuoye’s eyes lit up. He reached out and gently touched the pine tree. The smooth, jade-like texture blended seamlessly with the chair, a work of art.

Truly, it was a divine object.

Not wanting to keep the High Priest waiting, he didn’t admire it for long. After just a moment, he took his seat and looked up to ask, “High Priest, have you summoned me for some task?”

“This is for you. Use it for steelmaking.” As soon as Chu Jiubian finished speaking, three large boxes appeared on the table in front of Jiang Shuoye, all packed full of silver.

Having been scraping by for so many years, Jiang Shuoye was temporarily speechless at the sight of so much silver.

Once he snapped out of it, he quickly stood up to thank him.

Chu Jiubian said nothing more, waiting for Jiang Shuoye to ask questions.

But the other didn’t ask where the silver came from. Only after picking up a silver piece to examine it did he say with some concern, “High Priest, this is all government silver.”

“Mm.”

“To be honest, High Priest,” Jiang Shuoye said, “ever since your name spread through Mo Bei, people have been trying to gather information about you, though without any luck. But if this government silver is used, it might bring trouble to you.”

Government silver was different from the silver circulated among the people.

Silver among the people could be cut into smaller pieces of broken silver or kept in its original ingot form, but government silver was primarily used for transactions handled by the court.

For example, salt and iron trades used government silver, and the huge stores of gold and silver in the vaults of the Four Great Families were also government silver.

Using such a large amount of government silver would definitely raise some eyebrows.

But Chu Jiubian wasn’t concerned. “It’s fine,” he said.

Let whoever wanted to investigate do so. Previously, his biggest worry had been Qin Xiao discovering his connection to the High Priest. As for others, Chu Jiubian had never worried about them.

After all, the purpose of the “High Priest” gathering believers was never to deal with others but to oppose Qin Xiao if necessary.

But now, the situation in the capital was chaotic, and Qin Xiao had never stopped probing into his relationship with the High Priest. So, he saw no need to keep pretending—let Qin Xiao find out they were indeed connected.

Just not that they were the “same person.”

“If anyone asks, it’s fine to reveal some connection between me and the Divine Ruler,” Chu Jiubian said.

Jiang Shuoye lowered his eyes and acknowledged.

The High Priest had previously mentioned his relationship with Senior Tutor Chu in the capital—existing together as companions.

And this silver likely came from Senior Tutor Chu to the High Priest.

“High Priest, I have one more question.”

“What is it?”

Jiang Shuoye looked up at the giant divine figure and asked solemnly, “Should I recruit soldiers?”

Chu Jiubian lifted his brows, a glint of appreciation in his eyes.

He hadn't even said much—merely provided him with additional funds for steel refining and disclosed his connection with "Senior Tutor Chu"—yet Jiang Shuoye had already deduced what might come next.

To become a military commander at such a young age, he was truly no ordinary figure.

"Not for now," Chu Jiubian said.

Which meant it might be necessary in the future.

Jiang Shuoye understood, accepted the order, and left the Divine Realm.

==

A few more days passed, and it was the twenty-third of August.

In the western courtyard of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The continuous rain had finally stopped, and tonight’s moonlight was so bright that even without oil lamps, the room’s furnishings were visible through the open window.

It was late at night.

Qin Xiao stood by the window, gazing through the wide opening at the distant silver moon.

A few steps behind him, Qin Zhaoyang reported, "My Lord, news from Mobei has just arrived."

He watched Qin Xiao’s back, speaking cautiously, "The batch of official silver involving the young master has indeed appeared in Mobei, and it was traced back to General Chifeng."

This was enough to prove that Chu Jiubian had connections with Mobei.

His ties with the mysterious "High Priest" were even more entangled—it was quite possible the young master was the High Priest himself.

Qin Zhaoyang broke out in a cold sweat, utterly astonished.

The capital was several days’ journey from Mobei, and the young master had neither left the capital during this time nor contacted anyone unknown to them.

So it was impossible for Chu Jiubian to have sent the silver to Mobei himself.

Which meant the silver had somehow ended up in Mobei on its own. Recalling how Chu Jiubian had previously transported grain as if from nowhere to Hexi County and Nanjiang, Qin Zhaoyang was filled with awe.

Such divine methods!

The young master was truly miraculous!

The room remained quiet, and Qin Xiao did not speak.

Qin Zhaoyang looked up and saw the man standing by the window, his figure haloed by moonlight, casting a layer of light and shadow that starkly contrasted with the room’s darkness, making him appear exceptionally solitary.

Qin Xiao gazed into the distance.

At the unreachable silver moon.

Meanwhile, in Yaotai Residence.

Chu Jiubian lay on his bed with his eyes closed, calling upon the system to enter the Divine Realm.

News had just arrived from Nan Zhili today—Wei Yi had already identified over ten scholars suitable for managing canal transport and was currently assessing their character.

Since capable candidates had been found, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian would propose reforms to the canal transport system at the next morning court session.

And Chu Jiubian could finally summon his fourth believer.

He didn’t waste any time upon entering the Divine Realm and said directly, "System, summon Qin Chuan."

"Detected that believer Qin Chuan is in a dormant state. Summoning now."

"Summoning successful."

Chu Jiubian looked up toward the clouds.

A black figure descended from the sky.

The figure was agile—the moment he felt weightlessness, he reacted instantly, tapping his toes mid-air and landing safely within a breath.

His light steps suggested his qinggong was even better than Jiang Shuoye’s.

Chu Jiubian could see everything within the Divine Realm clearly, including the man’s face.

A face that bore almost fifty percent resemblance to Qin Xiao’s!

As expected of brothers—they looked alike, but their temperaments were worlds apart.

Qin Xiao was more reserved and somber, occasionally even carrying a hint of gloom, while Qin Chuan’s eyes and brows exuded laziness, and his demeanor was more carefree.

Three other believers had entered the Divine Realm before, each reacting differently.

Qin Chuan seemed the adaptable type—even suddenly appearing in the Divine Realm didn’t make him wary, and he remained completely at ease.

Noticing movement ahead, he walked over leisurely, as if he were out for a stroll.

The believers’ reactions were quite interesting, and Chu Jiubian found it rather amusing.

Qin Chuan stepped out of the clouds and approached the white jade table.

Not wanting him to know how many believers there were, Chu Jiubian had hidden all other chairs, leaving only one plain, unadorned seat.

The scene was likely identical to when Jiang Shuoye first entered the Divine Realm.

Qin Chuan scanned his surroundings, then looked up at the deity’s massive illusion, slightly narrowing his eyes.

A dream?

"Welcome to my Divine Realm," Chu Jiubian spoke, his voice cool and clear.

Divine Realm?

Lately, two renowned "deities" had emerged in Great Ning.

One was Senior Tutor Chu, said to be the reincarnation of the Holy Star Lord in the palace; the other was the High Priest who had once instructed Jiang Shuoye through dreams.

And the one before him now was undoubtedly—

Qin Chuan’s mind raced, then he composed himself and bowed respectfully to the illusion. "Qin Chuan pays his respects to the High Priest."

Chu Jiubian wasn’t surprised he had guessed his identity.

"Take a seat," he said.

So he hadn’t been wrong.

A glint of wonder flashed in Qin Chuan’s eyes. He thanked the deity and walked over to sit down.

He placed his hands on the long table, detecting no sign of artificial carving, yet the table was indeed engraved with many runes or totems.

It was said that Jiang Shuoye had once been taught by the High Priest in a dream, and learned how to make stirrups and saddles.

What did the High Priest want with him now?

What was the relationship between the High Priest and Senior Tutor Chu?

With these thoughts, he went ahead and asked.

“Might I ask why the High Priest has come into my dream?”