The beautiful woman's lips were slightly parted, and her pearly teeth bit the rosy lips, leaving a faint white mark. She then lifted her shimmering pearly teeth, and her lips brimmed with blood, like a blood-tinged rose.

She looked up at the young man, her jade-like eyes flushed as she glared angrily, "You bastard, you actually made me... I..."

The words that followed were too embarrassing for her to say.

"Ahem, ahem..."

Chen Mo, who had already sorted himself out, lightly coughed twice, quickly brought some tea, and handed it to Xia Zhining, saying, "Zhin ing, rinse your mouth..."

"I'll deal with you later." Xia Zhining took the tea and started gulping it down, then walked to the copper mirror, tidied her clothes and hair, and after leaving the study, spit out the tea and wiped her mouth. Still seething, she turned back and cursed, "Bastard," before leaving.

...

Xia Zhining took a deep breath, then forced a smile. The more tense the situation, the calmer she had to be. She pushed open the door and walked into the chamber.

Xia Zhiqing sat at a long-shaped sandalwood table, with an open novel on it, and hugged a copper hand warmer wrapped in a blue brocade bag. Hearing the sound, she looked up, raising her eyebrows slightly.

Seeing her sister's face radiant and bright, as if she were a flower in spring, freshly blossomed, Xia Zhiqing paused, then asked, "Zhi ning, where have you been?"

"Didn't I say I went to the loo?"

"Why did it take so long?" Xia Zhiqing had already noticed something was off because she specifically went to the latrine to look, called out a few times, and heard no response, then peeked inside but saw no one there.

"Diarrhea." Xia Zhining said without skipping a beat, then called Chunhong to prepare hot water for a bath.

Bathing and changing clothes after using the loo is common among aristocrats.

Xia Zhiqing decided not to expose the lie for now.

...

Xia Lin.

As winter approached, temperatures plummeted.

This winter, people generally believed it was colder than the previous two years.

Due to the unusually high summer temperatures and droughts in recent years, the folk of Northern Land felt as though autumn had been skipped and summer had suddenly transitioned into winter.

Under Yang Minggui's command, the soldiers of the Celestial Master Army were exhaling misty breaths, rubbing their hands, unlocking the steel lock outside the resettlement camp, then instinctively covering their noses and pushing open the gates, releasing an overwhelming stench of feces and urine.

Because of the recent unrest among the laborers, at night, when the laborers returned to the resettlement camp, the Celestial Master Army would lock the doors from outside.

This resulted in anyone needing to relieve themselves at night only able to do so within the resettlement camp.

The soldier covered his nose, picked up an iron rod nearby, and while banging on the door, said, "Stop sleeping, stop sleeping, it's time to get to work!"

Inside the resettlement camp, the laborers huddled together like pigs, curled up against each other, the straw beneath them long since dampened. Upon hearing the soldier's call, they opened their weary eyes and shuffled towards the exit in their drafty straw shoes, braving the hunger and cold.

The howling winter wind swept in from outside, making them tremble and clutch their arms tightly for warmth.

A middle-aged man glanced at the comrade beside him who had not gotten up, then reached over and nudged him, saying, "Fu Sheng, get up, if we're late, we'll get whipped again."

With that, he busied himself putting on his straw shoes.

But after putting on his shoes, the man called Fu Sheng still didn't respond. He turned him over and said, "Still asleep, wake up already."

Soon, a scream pierced the resettlement camp.

"What's with the yelling!" The Celestial Master Army soldier, holding an iron rod, grumbled discontentedly as he approached.

"Fu Sheng… he's dead." The middle-aged man pointed at the man named Fu Sheng with a face filled with sorrow and despair.

The Celestial Master Army soldier crouched down to check, then furrowed his brow, realizing it was another death due to exposure. He straightened up and cursed, "Dead is dead, never seen a dead person before? What's the fuss?"

Afterward, he made his way out of the resettlement camp, planning to report to his superiors.

Recently, during Xia Lin, more and more people were freezing to death, not only among the laborers in the resettlement camp but also the Celestial Master Army soldiers.

Of course, laborers were freezing to death more frequently.

Yang Minggui was hastening the construction of the Celestial King Hall, consuming massive amounts of manpower and resources, and being frugal with those under him who were already poor. The laborers doing the work were even less cared about.

Many people couldn't even wear winter clothes, and those who did had them sent by their families.

But even those garments didn't keep the cold at bay.

In sub-zero temperatures, many people wore only two layers of rough linen garments, ate little, worked hard, and everyday dozens to hundreds died.

In such extreme oppression, Yang Minggui paid no mind to whether these laborers would rebel; all he cared about was the ever-increasing construction workload.

Xu Mu noticed this and did remind him, but Yang Minggui ignored it to meet deadlines.

Why could the Celestial Master Army succeed? Wasn't it because thousands of oppressed commoners supported them, having had enough of the Court's oppression?

And now, they were fed up with Yang Minggui's oppression as well.

At noon, when the exhausted laborers saw their lunch was once again just thin porridge with wild vegetables, with barely any rice grains, someone voiced dissatisfaction.

But for speaking out just a bit too loudly, they immediately received a merciless beating from the overseer.

No one expected, however, that the person beaten, bearing a hidden weapon, would use a sharp short wooden spike to counter-attack and kill the overseer.

This person was named Li Youwen. His parents wanted him to become a cultured person, yet he grew up to be a butcher killing pigs in a slaughterhouse.

Li Youwen was a man of great loyalty. After being forcibly recruited as a laborer, he often helped his companions, gaining some fame among the laborers.

Thus, a rebellion unfolded at the Celestial King Hall.

But such a rebellion was completely unprepared.

Ultimately, it ended in tragic defeat.

The enraged Yang Minggui personally beheaded Li Youwen and ruthlessly suppressed some of the leaders.

To deter the group of refugees, Yang Minggui used the heads of these people to build a warning pile in the open space before the Celestial King Hall.

Xu Mu, fearing an incident, suggested distributing food to reward the army and all the laborers while proposing to reduce workload and improve the accommodation conditions of the settlement camp, explaining the consequences of not doing so.

Yang Minggui reluctantly agreed and decided to find someone to share the burden.

Finding someone above was impossible, he could only look below.

Below, there was only Chen Mo from Pingting County.

He approached Xu Mu to discuss.

"Commander, this time Chen Mo might not agree. The Celestial Master has already appointed him as one of the Thirty-Six Commanders, replacing Song Niu. Although he's just a Small Commander, his rank is on par with yours, and he's no longer obliged to follow your orders," said Xu Mu.

Upon hearing this, Yang Minggui frowned, then said, "I helped promote him in Yu State. If it weren't for me appointing him as one of the Deputy Generals in the Five Directions Army, would he have had the opportunity to become a commander? He has today due in part to my contributions.

Moreover, I gave him Qingtian County, which is rich in resources and has a Salt Lake, and he has profited greatly from it. He should remember my kindness. Now that I seek his help, how could he act heartlessly?

Besides, although he holds equal rank with me, he is ultimately just a Small Commander and a Sixth-Grade Martial Artist, while I am Fourth-Grade. Would he dare to refuse?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Mu frowned, then said, "Although that's true, we've approached him several times already. Without a legitimate reason, speaking out would not sound pleasant."

"Which is why I'm discussing it with the Military Advisor," Yang Minggui laughed.

Xu Mu paced back and forth, then suddenly had an epiphany and said, "Commander, I've got it. The year is about to end, and ultimately, whether it's Qingtian or Pingting County, they're both under your jurisdiction. You approved him to occupy Pingting initially, so you can collect next year's taxes from him.

This way, it's legitimate. Even if it reaches the Celestial Master, it's beyond reproach."

"Excellent." Yang Minggui threw his arm around Xu Mu's shoulders, beaming, "I knew the Military Advisor would have ideas."

...

December 16th.

In Pingting County, the weather was clear and the warm breeze gentle.

Chen Mo finally welcomed sunny skies, greedily absorbing the elusive Solar Purple Qi.

After finishing absorbing the Solar Purple Qi, he spent most of the morning shooting arrows before lounging his way into the government office.

But scarcely had he sat down when Xia Zhining came seeking him, asking why he hadn't acted yet.

Clearly, she was anxious.

After all, Xia Zhining had mustered great courage when she agreed to Chen Mo's plan earlier.

Now, each passing day was a great torment for Xia Zhining.

Wearing a cyan jacket and skirt, her cloud-like lush hair held in a peach-shaped bun with a jade hairpin, Xia Zhining's face was delicately made up, clearly having prepared to see him.

Chen Mo pulled her into his embrace, seating her on his lap, and, while glancing around, pecked her lips and said, "Don't worry, a sage knows a brilliant plan."

...

On another front, Xia Zhiqing gazed at the snowy scene outside the window, inspiration suddenly welling up for a poem when a knock sounded on the door: "Madam."

It was Chunhong.

"Enter." Slightly frowning at the interruption, Xia Zhiqing was unlike her sister, harboring no resentment towards others.

Chunhong walked in slowly, holding a brocade bag, and bent over to hand it to Xia Zhiqing, saying, "Madam, this is from the master for you."

The "master" Chunhong referred to was Chen Mo.

Xia Zhiqing's delicate frame trembled, instinctively asking, "What's inside?"

"This is for Madam from the master, how could I know?" Chunhong replied.

Xia Zhiqing took it, just about to open it, but thought of something and said, "You may leave."

After Chunhong left, Xia Zhiqing took out a folded handkerchief from the brocade bag. Unfolding it, she found a snow-white jade bracelet, as pure as her skin.

She picked up the bracelet, wondering what Chen Mo intended with such a gift.

Suddenly, she noticed a poem on the handkerchief.

A fair lady in the snow, with a beauty unsurpassed by the world.

Her presence as gentle as spring lake waters, brows like spring-dyed mountains.

The water lily can't withstand the wind, heart pangs with love and sympathy.

Longing has turned into illness, yet the beloved is still unaware.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.