Chapter 131

Chapter 131: Compassion for the Suffering of the People (Part 4)

Inside the room, the atmosphere was unusually tense.

Si Cang Qing stood with his hands behind his back, watching the villagers passing by outside the window. Behind 

him, a handsome man knelt on the ground, his usually cold eyes now filled with sorrow and resolve.

He suddenly bowed down, his forehead slamming heavily against the ground, and pleaded earnestly, 

"Your Majesty, this minister once again beg you to rescind your decree!"

Si Cang Qing simply stood there, offering no response, his expression unmoved.

"Your Majesty!" Liu Yi kowtowed again. "Please rescind your order!" After a pause, he spoke again, each word 

uttered with pain. "Your Majesty's concerns are understood by your subjects. However, there are still over ten 

thousand infected individuals remaining. If we abandon Chaojiang and leave them to die, wouldn't that be no 

different from Zhao Guangyu's burning of the people? How could our court face the people, and what right would 

we have to lead them!"

He said sorrowfully, "Your Majesty, considering the greater good, I dare not object. Back then, to eliminate 

the Qin family and prevent a rebellion, Your Majesty ordered the execution of three thousand soldiers! But now, 

those ten thousand are just unarmed ordinary people, innocently implicated by the villains, suffering from illness 

or the pain of separation from their families. Who will avenge their suffering and injustice? If Your Majesty 

abandons them, who will save them?"

"The ruler is the sovereign, and..." "Benevolence lies in righteousness. Does Your Majesty intend to become an 

unrighteous and heartless ruler, abandoning the world and disregarding the safety of the people? Has Your Majesty 

forgotten your vow: that you would not offend Heaven above, nor lose virtue and the foundation of the people 

 below! If you abandon Chaojiang now, how will the people of the world bear it!"

The man's anguished words echoed in his ears. Si Cang Qing slowly turned around, silently staring at the man. 

After a long while, he finally spoke, his tone icy, "Liu Yi, if because of these ten thousand people, the world is 

thrown into chaos, everyone lives in constant fear, and every family is destroyed and lives lost..." He paused, 

then asked in a deep voice, "And how will the people of the world bear it then!"

Liu Yi's body jolted violently. He slowly raised his head, looking up at the man. His lips moved a few times, and 

finally, in despair, he said, "At least... the plague is currently under control and no longer spreading, isn't it? 

At least, at least we can make one more effort... If in the end there is no cure, then..."

He couldn't finish his sentence.

A suffocating silence filled the entire space. One person stood indifferently by the window, while the other knelt 

for a long time without getting up.

“Your Majesty,” Liu Yi finally spoke after a long silence. The sorrow, grief, and despair in his eyes gradually 

faded, leaving only a stagnant silence. He gazed intently at the young, cold-blooded emperor and said softly, 

“Liu Yi promised the people, with his head as collateral, to stand with them through thick and thin. I dare not be 

a sinner against this land, yet I cannot bear to watch those poisoned people suffer such torment and death…”

He kowtowed again, faint traces of blood seeping onto the dark gray ground. He said, “Before Your Majesty 

orders the abandonment of the Chao River, take my head first!”

He knew that Si Cang Qing hated ministers who risked their lives to remonstrate; he also did not believe that 

threatening death was the best method. But now, he had no other choice.

On one side were the lives of tens of thousands of civilians; on the other, the safety of the entire nation… 

Si Cang Qing's concerns were not wrong. Although the epidemic was currently under control, if even one 

infected person escaped, or if anything they had come into contact with was brought into the community, then, 

as the other party had said, everyone would be in danger, and the world would descend into chaos.

But… how could he, how could he simply abandon the lives of those innocent people?

Liu Yi's words made Si Cang Qing's eyes turn cold instantly. "Liu Yi, are you threatening me?" He flicked his 

sleeve, walked past the other person, and headed for the door. His cold words echoed in the room for a long time, 

"Zhèn have said that those who threaten the Emperor with death are not subjects that Canghuan needs!"

Before his words had even finished, he was already gone.

Frozen in place, Liu Yi remained kneeling silently, not rising. Only after a long while did his forehead slowly 

lift from the cold floor. He raised his head, his gaze vacant as it fixed on the corner of the table before him. The 

dark wood was riddled with countless tiny holes, the work of woodworms.

“Heh...”

The deathly stillness was shattered by a sudden burst of laughter. Liu Yi knelt there, his body trembling slightly 

as the laughter grew louder and louder.

“Stop laughing!”

A rough, hoarse voice suddenly came from behind him. He turned sharply, only to see Cheng Tian Bi had 

entered at some point, staring at him with a complex expression.

Seeing the man's stunned expression, the lingering despair in his smile, Cheng Tian Bi sighed softly. He walked 

over to help him up, speaking again in a low voice, "Lord Liu, please get up! The ground is damp; it's not good for 

your health..."

"No," Liu Yiqing stepped aside, refusing the man's help. He lowered his head again, saying, "Your Highness, 

Consort Bi, please don't worry about me. Compared to those suffering people, what is my little hardship?"

Helplessly squatting down, Cheng Tian Bi lowered his eyes slightly, his expression unreadable. "Why must you, 

Lord Liu, torment yourself like this? The plague is not your fault; you have already done your utmost."

Liu Yi smiled sadly, "The plague is not my fault, but as Prime Minister Canghuan, the lives of the people are 

my responsibility! I cannot guarantee that keeping these ten thousand infected people will prevent the plague from 

spreading, nor can I stand by and watch these innocent civilians be abandoned by the world and left to die!"

At this point, Liu Yi suddenly turned to Cheng Tian Bi and said urgently, "Your Highness Consort Bi, your 

medical skills are unparalleled; is there really no way to help?"

Cheng Tian Bi remained silent.

◇Cang◇Huan◇Seven◇Palaces◇

“Your subordinate greets Your Majesty!”

Si Cang Qing glanced indifferently at the person kneeling on the ground. “Has Yang returned to the palace?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Feng Xiang replied in a deep voice, “Her Highness the Empress Dowager instructed me to 

tell you not to worry about the capital. The Seventeen Feng Ying Guards have also been ordered to come here 

and await Your Majesty’s command.”

Silently watching the fluttering leaves before him, Si Cang Qing coldly ordered, “Xiang, gather the elite soldiers 

of the Eastern Shadow Tower. Obey my decree and proceed swiftly to Luyang. Select ten thousand elite troops, 

have them pledge their lives to the cause, and distribute them to the twelve villages. Strictly guard the residences 

of those infected, and do not allow a single person or item to leave the epidemic area!”

Feng Xiang received the order and immediately departed.

“Qing…”

Si Cang Qing turned around, looked at the person who had arrived, and remained silent.

Cheng Tian Bi chuckled softly, saying, "You've finally changed your mind..." His tone tinged with self-reproach, 

"The Living Human Gu... I've never seen it before, and now, I'm helpless..."

Autumn had arrived, and a sudden chill swept through the air.

Si Cang Qing pulled the other into his arms, channeling his inner energy to warm the man's slightly cold body, 

saying softly, "It's not your fault."

Unlike usual, Cheng Tian Bi didn't snuggle into Si Cang Qing's embrace. He stepped back, then smiled suddenly, 

"Since you haven't given up, as a healer, I can't back down... Although I can't cure it, let's wait a little longer. 

I'm sure I can find a way to alleviate the plague!"

He was about to leave when Cheng Tian Bi stopped, tilting his head to look at Si Cang Qing, "Qing, go check 

on Lord Liu! He's still kneeling there, refusing to get up!"

Their earlier argument had disturbed him, which was why he had followed him with some unease. Now that 

Si Cang Qing had made up his mind, he no longer needed to worry and could focus entirely on developing the 

antidote.

Watching Cheng Tian Bi's figure disappear among the distant sheds, Si Cang Qing slowly turned and walked back.

"Brother Huang," a few children skipped and hopped towards him. The slightly taller one leading them was 

the child who had been digging for things by the riverbank that day. He ran up to Si Cang Qing with a smile, 

tilted his head back, and presented him with a pair of dark green water chestnuts tinged with purple. "These are 

water chestnuts we specially picked, brother, please try them..." he said.

His thin, sallow face was radiant with an innocent smile, devoid of any heaviness, full of vibrant life.

Si Cang Qing looked down at him calmly. Water droplets slid down his small, raised hand, down his arm exposed 

outside his tattered clothes, and dripped one by one to the ground.

The children grew slightly uneasy, all looking at Si Cang Qing with a mixture of fear and curiosity towards their 

aloof older brother.

Just then, Si Cang Qing suddenly reached out and took the damp water chestnut, then stepped aside.

"Thank you!"

A cold voice drifted faintly on the wind. The children froze for a moment before whispering softly. The leader's 

face flushed slightly, then he called out to Si Cang Qing's retreating figure, “Brother, I'll pick more water 

chestnuts tomorrow!”

Ignoring the children's commotion behind him, Si Cang Qing walked back to the hut. Upon entering, he saw 

the man exactly as Cheng Tian Bi had described—still kneeling there, head bowed, motionless.

“Rise.”

Liu Yi stared blankly at Si Cang Qing, who held a handful of water chestnuts in his hand. For a moment, he felt 

dazed.

Casually setting the water chestnuts on the table, Si Cang Qing took out a handkerchief to wipe his soiled hands. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the man still motionless. His voice turned slightly cold. “How long do you 

intend to kneel here? What use are you staying here instead of going to settle the people?”

It took Liu Yi a moment to grasp the implied meaning in the other's words. Overjoyed, he exclaimed urgently, 

“Your Majesty means...” He finished the sentence in disbelief, “You've resolved to protect Chaojang?”

Si Cang Qing replied indifferently, “Those who should be evacuated must still be evacuated.”

“Of course,” Liu Yi nodded in agreement, then attempted to rise. But after kneeling so long, his legs buckled. 

His body staggered, and he was about to fall when someone suddenly caught him. Staring blankly up at 

Si Cang Qing's face, as cold and indifferent as ever, he retreated slightly, flustered, murmuring, “Thank you, 

Your Majesty.”

Ignoring him, Si Cang Qing casually selected a chair and sat down, picking up the tea on the table and pouring 

himself a cup.

Seeing this, Liu Yi bowed deeply and said, “Then... this subject will take his leave!” With that, he lifted his 

heavy legs and began walking toward the door. Just as he reached the threshold, a familiar yet cold voice 

suddenly called out.

“This is a one-time exception.”

Liu Yi's face flushed hot. Understanding the implication, he murmured, “There won't be a next time.”

Glancing at the faint bloodstain on the floor, Si Cang Qing added, “Go to Bi's quarters first and have your 

wound treated.”

“...Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty.”

Si Cang Qing paid no further attention to the man, quietly sipping his tea instead. He detested pedantic scholars 

who constantly threatened death to prove their resolve. Liu Yi’s actions today had deeply displeased him… Yet, 

he couldn’t deny there was some logic to his stance. Whatever choice was made, the consequences were 

unpredictable.

Having chosen to remain and treat the poisoned, he must ensure not the slightest oversight—for no one could 

fathom the chaos that would ensue otherwise. Thus, he had mobilized those elite troops, fearless in the face of 

death and utterly loyal, to guard the infected zone with their lives.

His grip on the teacup tightened abruptly. A chill flashed in Si Cang Qing's eyes before he flung the cup upward. 

It smashed against the ceiling with a dull thud, then clattered back down to the floor.

A figure flickered, leaving only the lingering scent of tea in the room.

Previous Front Page Next