Chapter 77: Driven Mad
Jin Sui walked around the city again, no, half of it. The other half of the city wall still emitted a foul odor, making it impossible to get close.
The places where the Zheng family set fire were scorched earth and ruins, and many temporary houses had also collapsed in this disaster.
The entire border city was even more dilapidated than before. To put it this way, it used to be like an old urban area bombed in the Middle East, but now it’s like it’s been hit by missiles.
It was so dilapidated that it felt like it couldn’t be repaired. If her strength allowed, Jin Sui would have wanted to level the entire city and rebuild it.
What made her even angrier was that even half of the houses in the Tuntian Camp had collapsed. Captain Liu was leading the elderly, weak, women, and children to clean up the residential area.
Because the young and strong were working in the fields, the collapsed houses wouldn’t kill people from the cold immediately, but if the crops were destroyed, people would starve to death.
Upon hearing this, Jin Sui hurried to check on the tomato and potato seedlings, which made her very angry because half of the seedling cultivation area had been destroyed.
Captain Liu came to confess his guilt, saying he hadn’t guarded them well. Upon hearing that over a dozen people were injured while defending this seedling cultivation area.
Jin Sui called Huo Zi’an and had him supervise the Zheng family members working. Everyone who could stand was to come out and work, starting immediately!
When asked what else was lost, Dave began to cry and complain incessantly. Hei Hu translated it, and only then did they understand that a large portion of the fertilizer he had stored was gone.
However, it wasn’t destroyed by the Zheng family; it was used to douse the Zheng family members.
It should have been applied to the farmland, but now it was all ‘irrigated’ onto the city wall.
It was truly a conversation with a strong odor. Jin Sui wanted to pinch her nose and told him to take people to tear down the dung-splattered city wall and use it as fertilizer.
She then told Captain Liu that the Zheng family would do all the dirty and heavy work for the Tuntian Camp. If anyone dared to disobey, they would be beaten to death without question!
Damn it, ever since I, this King, came to the border city, every day I’ve been racking my brains trying to figure out how to build the city better.
After finally seeing some progress, with roads being repaired, city walls being built, and houses being constructed. The Zheng family’s raid for people has sent the border city back to square one overnight.
Jin Sui returned to her residence in a huff, getting angrier the more she thought about it. She first asked Cheng Yu, “How about we take our people and attack the Zheng family?”
Cheng Yu, who was usually bold, was shocked by the Prince’s idea: “That’s not possible, Your Highness! If we enter Yanzhou City, our enemies won’t just be the Zheng family.”
Jin Sui asked again, “Has Hao Duojin sent a letter?”
Cheng Yu shook his head: “No. I heard the plague in Luocheng is still spreading, and it’s extremely difficult to send messages out.”
Jin Sui wasn’t concerned about Hao Duojin, but about Gu Changxiao, Grandpa Ling, and Jin An. If news from Luocheng couldn’t get out, could news from Yandi be sent out?
What if they still didn’t know that she was impersonating the Li King?
This was purely Jin Sui overthinking. Gu Changxiao and the other two not only knew she was impersonating the Li King but were also rushing towards Yanzhou at full speed.
They even kept track of the aftermath of the Li King snatching the Zheng family’s concubine. Within a few days, new developments spread.
The Zheng family head contracted an evil illness. The Zheng family went to the border city to snatch a concubine and had a great battle with the Li King. The result was that the Zheng family was defeated.
Not only did they fail to get the beautiful concubine back, but those who went were also detained by the Li King at the border city to do hard labor.
Gu Changxiao strongly supported the latter point.
The Zheng family completely disregarded the Li King. Even if they were all killed, he wouldn’t blame Daoist Ji for being ruthless.
What he cared about was the former point: why did the Zheng family, even when their family head was on the verge of death, risk going to snatch that beautiful concubine?
Just how beautiful was the woman that the Zheng family and the Li King fought over like this?
However, because Daoist Ji insisted, staking his life to guarantee that his grandson would never snatch a beauty, there must be another hidden reason!
Gu Changxiao used his secret guards to investigate. Although he didn’t find out the truth about the Zheng family, he discovered that some gentry in Yandi practiced human sacrifice with living people.
Especially the practice of sacrificing beautiful concubines.
Gu Changxiao deduced the truth: that beautiful Zheng family concubine was likely meant to be sacrificed. Daoist Ji, upon learning of this unintentionally, saved the woman.
Upon hearing this, Grandpa Ling slapped his thigh and said with certainty:
“Exactly! My grandson is kind-hearted. Even if he feared his identity would be exposed, he wouldn’t ignore such a thing if he knew about it.”
Jin An chimed in from the side:
“It must be like this. My brother is bold and soft-hearted. Even when he first met Brother Gu, he would risk his life to save someone, so of course, he would save an innocent woman.”
They were fully supporting Jin Sui, fearing that she would cause another major disaster, forcing Gu Changxiao to execute her, the fake Li King.
Little did they know that what Gu Changxiao cared about at this moment was not what Daoist Ji did using his identity, but that the gentry of Yandi dared to practice human sacrifice!
And to this day, this news has not spread. What has spread is how the Li King has been acting recklessly in Yandi.
This shows that the gentry of Yandi are united in concealing the truth on this matter.
Gu Changxiao was both angry at the audacity of the Yandi gentry and their disregard for Xia Law, and saddened by the inaction of the Imperial Court, or rather, the Emperor.
Father Emperor was strictly guarding against his son but allowed the gentry to run rampant. He had never been diligent in curbing the power of the gentry.
At this moment, Gu Changxiao actually felt that the absurd things Daoist Ji had done were very satisfying.
If it were him, he would have handled it differently, but he definitely wouldn’t have been as cathartic as Daoist Ji.
He once again assured Grandpa Ling that he would not pursue the matters Daoist Ji had done while impersonating him.
No matter what happened, he would cover for Daoist Ji and was grateful for her saving his life.
The day after he said this, new news spread, and Gu Changxiao regretted it.
“How dare she? Snatching the Zheng family’s concubine was to save someone, that’s understandable. How could she provoke the Yan family’s eldest daughter?”
He heard from the marketplace that the Yan family’s eldest daughter was deeply in love with the Li King.
Jin An didn’t understand why Gu Changxiao was so angry and asked earnestly:
“If my brother really marries a Yan family woman, then when you, Brother Gu, arrive in Yanzhou, you’ll have a wife. How great!”
Grandpa Ling rushed forward again and covered his grandson’s mouth, smiling obsequiously:
“A misunderstanding, it’s definitely a misunderstanding! Sui Sui would never provoke a woman.”
Gu Changxiao closed his eyes in anger, not wanting to see this grandfather and grandson pair.
What a bold and audacious Ji Sui!
You snatched the Zheng family’s concubine. If it was mutual love, I, this King, would have fulfilled your wishes upon my arrival.
But you provoked the Yan family’s eldest daughter, and with the Li King’s identity at that. Now the entire Yandi is filled with rumors.
You expect me to clean up the mess?
What worried him even more was that this Ji Sui, in a fit of passion, blinded by beauty, might actually marry that Yan family woman.
Wouldn’t that mean he’d be wearing a cuckold’s hat?
He would accept this wife and wear a green hat for the rest of his life.
If he didn’t accept it, wouldn’t that force the Yan family to rebel?
Gu Changxiao was about to go mad.
He stood up abruptly: “No, Daoist Ji, we’ll go separately. I, Gu, must reach Yanzhou as soon as possible.”
Grandpa Ling looked at the soldiers outside checking people. If they separated, he and his grandson wouldn’t be able to take a single step.
Moreover, what if Gu Changxiao, in his rage, went to Yandi and killed Sui Sui to silence her?
Grandpa Ling quickly pushed Jin An to hug Gu Changxiao’s leg, while he himself blocked the door:
“Your Highness, this old Taoist will tell you the truth. Sui Sui would absolutely not have anything with a Yan family woman.”
“Because…”
Grandpa Ling chose the latter between saving Jin Sui’s life and losing face.
