69novels Chapter 99 Saintess, you don't understand love! This is love!
Chapter 99 Saintess, you don't understand love! This is love!
Chapter 99 Saintess, you don't understand love! This is love!
The disaster relief efforts are proceeding in an orderly manner.
Xu Qingya was very good at "summarizing and perfecting". On the way to Bianliang, he encountered almost all the problems that were encountered in disaster relief. The rest were minor problems.
The Imperial Guards set up a cordon and settled the sick people according to their symptoms. Xu Qingya found several respected elders and asked them to help manage the situation.
How to find the clan elders?
When disaster strikes, villagers will naturally band together for mutual support. In this process, it becomes clear who has the highest prestige and who is the most capable of getting things done.
The clan elders are mainly responsible for three things.
First, make people line up to drink porridge and medicine!
Second, organize the men to chop firewood and cut down trees!
Third, organize the female relatives to make clothes and shoes!
Hunger can unleash a person's animalistic instincts, and once those instincts overwhelm humanity, the world can become even more bloody than the animal kingdom.
"Disaster relief" is the same as "disaster suppression," which means both helping disaster victims and preventing killings.
Regardless of the strength of the Imperial Guards, a group of tall, burly men in heavy armor, carrying spears, patrolled around. What ordinary people would dare to cause trouble?
What if some thugs cause trouble?
Given Xu Qingya and Liu Qingci's status, could they really stoop to the level of these thugs? At this moment, the bodyguards from Huwei Escort Agency played a crucial role.
Bodyguards belong to the lowest of the low among the three religions and nine schools of thought. They are best at dealing with the lowest of the low, such as thugs. If someone is not honest, they will be beaten up. After being beaten up three times, he should behave.
Here's a classic question: how should we prepare porridge for disaster victims? What kind of porridge should we make?
Some say that if sand is added, only starving disaster victims can eat it, while those who can't eat it are buying fakes.
Some people suggest replacing it with bran or chaff!
Some people say that they shouldn't be fed enough, just given the bare minimum to avoid them causing trouble.
Liu Qingci, Hua Baifeng, Cheng Lingsu, and Beitang Xin'er were also asking this question, and even Zhong Yuan and Dou Tiande were somewhat curious about it.
Xu Qingya held up four fingers.
"First of all, we can't just have rice porridge. Rice porridge is digested very quickly and won't last long. We must add some meat. We don't need much. Just kill a sheep, and the mutton, bones, and fat can make several large pots of mutton soup."
No one could normally stomach mutton tail fat; it smells so strong. But when you chop it up and make mutton soup, it becomes a rare delicacy. We slaughtered all the pigs, sheep, and chickens we collected from Tiandao Village.
Making soup, making soup, and more making soup.
The soup was warm when it went down my throat!
Meat can help people last longer!
What we need to do is not to provide relief to the disaster victims, but to provide relief to the disaster victims first and then carry out post-disaster reconstruction. We must mobilize the disaster victims and let them participate in the process. If they can't do the rough and heavy work, then they can go and do things like burning firewood.
Secondly, when they first line up, try to let them eat until they are seven or eight tenths full, so that they will have the energy to work. If they are only two or three tenths full, they will continue to line up from the back of the line. By the time it is their turn, the bowl of thin porridge they drank earlier will have been completely digested.
If the disaster victims spend their entire day queuing for porridge, they certainly won't have the energy to rebel, but the responsibility of post-disaster reconstruction will fall entirely on our shoulders.
The longer it lasts, the worse their health becomes.
We still have plenty of supplies. The Five Poisons Sect's treasure isn't far from here. Xin'er, Bai Feng, you two take the treasure map and go dig for it.
No need to transport it back, Bai Feng. Use this treasure to buy grain, cloth, medicine, and livestock. Buy everything that can be bought with money, as much as you can, until the treasure is all spent.
Third, Tiande, keep a close eye on those around you, and eliminate them ruthlessly as soon as any signs appear.
At this time, we cannot be sentimental like women.
Fourth, if you encounter an emergency and don't know how to handle it, come find me immediately. I will provide you with solutions, and I'll take care of everything!
Liu Qingci patted his chest: "Hmph! I don't know how to provide disaster relief, but when it comes to taking responsibility, no one can beat me. Let me handle anything that goes wrong!"
Hua Baifeng was filled with gratitude, her gaze towards Xu Qingya filled with tenderness. She never expected that Xu Qingya would trust her so much, handing over such a large treasure to her so casually. Thinking of their conversation a couple of days ago, her face felt a little numb and hot.
Is this what it feels like to be trusted?
It turns out that being trusted wholeheartedly by someone is such a wonderful thing. For this trust, even if I had to risk my life, it would be worth it!
As a demonic woman of the Demonic Sect, Hua Baifeng possesses martial arts skills, wisdom, wealth, and power, but she has never experienced the feeling of being trusted. Once she has tasted this feeling even once, she will never forget it for the rest of her life.
Hua Baifeng said earnestly, "Young Master Xu, rest assured, I will definitely retrieve the treasure safely and then exchange it all for living supplies!"
Cheng Lingsu smiled and said, "Brother Xu, there is good news. The flood has been going on for several days, but there are no signs of an epidemic for the time being. Some patients have only experienced chills and fever, and they will recover after drinking herbal medicine for two or three days."
Xu Qingya nodded: "Keep a close eye on her! If anything unexpected happens, come find me immediately. Also, be careful. Any of us can fall, but Ling Su can't. You're the most important doctor!"
Liu Qingci said, "I'll protect Ling Su. Anyway, I have nothing to do all day and can only worry about it."
A ruthless glint flashed in Xu Qingya's eyes: "Your most important task is to do nothing, put on a friendly attitude, and patrol around. When the disaster victims see that Your Highness dares to patrol here, they will know that there will definitely not be a serious epidemic here, and they will feel much more at ease."
"Qingya, what are you doing?"
"I've met with some grain and medicine merchants. We'll be going to discuss business the day after tomorrow. I might have to make a show of force."
"I'll go with you!"
"No need, I can go by myself!"
Xu Qingya gently rubbed his temples.
As the army entered Bianliang, soup kitchens and medicine stalls were set up one after another, and the people quickly settled down, implementing Xu Qingya's plan step by step.
night.
Hua Baifeng was doing the accounting inside the tent. To repay Xu Qingya's trust, Hua Baifeng put in her best effort to make things as perfect as possible.
A gentle breeze blew into the tent, and Beitang Xin'er, having changed into Lian Ni Chang's vest, quietly entered the tent.
"Holy Maiden, what brings you here?"
"Compile a list of all the grain merchants, medicine merchants, and cloth merchants in the vicinity. I want to know which ones are willing to..."
"Which companies want to stockpile goods and drive up prices?"
"What the saint means is—"
"I need Xu Qingya's essence. What if Xu Qingya is exhausted like a dead dog? I'll take care of certain things he can't do!"
Beitang Xin'er is now the White-Haired Witch!
The white-haired witch's profession is—a bandit!
Hua Baifeng said calmly, "Holy Maiden, while it may save you trouble, have you considered that this will tarnish Young Master Xu's reputation? Business is about long-term, steady growth, not killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Even if someone really wants to die, we can use them as an example!"
"Bai Feng, not bad! I'm finding you more and more like Xu Qingya's personal maid. Are you the eldest princess of the Demonic Sect, or Xu Qingya's maid?"
"Does the saint want to hear the truth or a lie?"
"lie!"
"I want to be Young Master Xu's concubine."
"The truth!"
"As long as I can follow Young Master Xu, even if I'm just a nameless and insignificant maid, I'll be content as long as I can help him."
"It's really... really..."
"This is called love, a witch's love, a moth-to-a-flame kind of love. Saintess, you don't understand love. When you do, you'll be just as reckless. But I think—you're in love now too!"
"Hua Baifeng, what nonsense are you spouting?"
"Isn't that so? You went undercover to help Young Master Xu break through the three mountain strongholds. If it was just to obtain Young Master Xu's essence, why go through all that trouble? Is this still the White-Haired Witch?"
Hua Baifeng calmly observed the flustered white-haired witch before her and chuckled, "Holy Maiden, you came to me tonight, fabricating a reason that even Doubao'er wouldn't believe. Wasn't it all for love?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"I want to tell the Holy Maiden that Young Master Xu has countless beautiful women around him who want to marry into the Xu family. The Holy Maiden shouldn't reject me; on the contrary, she needs my help!"
"and then?"
"I'll be your dowry maid, just like Yang Yan and Qin Nanqin. Yang Yan got the better deal, and so did Qin Nanqin. It's infuriating!"
Thinking of Yang Yan winning first place, Hua Baifeng gritted her teeth in anger, secretly blaming the Holy Maiden for being so useless. "You're a white-haired witch? Where's your witch demeanor? Knock Xu Qingya down with one blow, and we'll enjoy it together!"
Beitang Xin'er asked, "Hua Baifeng, what do you plan to do with the task Xu Qingya gave you?"
Hua Baifeng chuckled, "Holy Maiden, stop testing me! I already know who you are!"
"who I am?"
"When Young Master Xu assigned tasks, he only had six people with him. He first eliminated two men, then eliminated me, and then eliminated Liu Qingci. He is a high-ranking prince, how could he join the Demonic Sect?"
This leaves only two spots available.
Cheng Lingsu is a disciple of the Poison Hand Medicine King. She is only seventeen years old this year. She has a clean background, but her martial arts skills are weak. Her hair is dry and yellow at the ends and a little short. Her hair color may be changed, but the length is obviously unchangeable!
If we calculate it that way, there's only one person left.
Young Master Xu's junior sister, Beitang Xin'er, is a mysterious expert from the Western Regions. She likes spicy food and her eating habits have a dual flavor of the Western Regions and Sichuan and Chongqing. This indicates that she stayed in the Sichuan and Chongqing area for a period of time. What was she doing during that time? Was she learning martial arts on Mount Emei?
Upon closer reflection, Beitang Xin'er's height, weight, shoulder width, and hairstyle correspond to the Saintess in many aspects.
Saintess, remove your mask!
I'm not saying this to threaten you.
I came here to prove to the Holy Maiden that I have value in assisting you, and that we should cooperate!
Hua Baifeng looked at Beitang Xin'er with complete confidence.
Beitang Xin'er said coldly, "Hua Baifeng, knowing too much won't do you any good. You should understand that the worst way to die is from talking too much!"
"The saintess won't kill me!"
Why?
"Because I am valuable to Young Master Xu, I can help Young Master Xu, there are many things only I can do, I love Young Master Xu, and you love Young Master Xu in return!"
"What you can do, I can do too!"
"In that case, please, Holy Maiden, make your move!"
"I can kill you after I return to the capital!"
"It doesn't matter. If you kill me, it means I lost the bet, and I'm willing to bear the consequences."
"Hua Baifeng, you've only known Xu Qingya for less than half a month, how did you fall in love with him?"
"I witnessed Young Master Xu working day and night to rescue the people. This chivalrous heart is something you won't see in the Demonic Sect. Young Master Xu knows I have problems, yet he trusts me completely, not only entrusting me with the management of the account books but also sending me to dig for treasure!"
"Maybe he's just too lazy to do the math!"
"I don't care what Young Master Xu thinks. The fact that he handed over the account books to me shows his trust in me."
"There are two people digging for the treasure. Xu Qingya knows my identity, and he told me to keep an eye on you."
"Holy Maiden, have you ever considered that Young Master Xu trusts us completely, without worrying that we'll abscond with the treasure? We are demonic women of the Demonic Sect; to gain such trust, what more can we ask for?"
"Love-obsessed! Hopeless!"
Beitang Xin'er stormed out of the tent.
Hua Baifeng said disdainfully, "It's still better than that junior sister who makes beds, does laundry, and cooks!"
"Clatter!"
Upon hearing this, Beitang Xin'er, who was flying at top speed, was so angry that she lost her breath and fell flat on her backside.
Hua Baifeng spread her arms wide, her face full of pride.
How can someone with a "love-obsessed" mindset be considered "hopeless"?
This is clearly a great medicine for unleashing potential!
Inside a brightly lit mansion, three old men adorned with gold and silver were having a meeting. They were the wealthiest grain merchants, cloth merchants, and medicine merchants in the area, with their family power deeply entrenched and passed down for seven or eight generations.
The old man leading the group was surnamed Chen. He sold grain and was nicknamed "Fat Chen" because of his obesity. In addition to rice, flour, and cooking oil, he also ran an underground money exchange, which specialized in assigning tasks and distributing rewards to assassins.
Fatty Chen said seriously, "Gentlemen, Xu Qingya has brought 200,000 taels of gold for disaster relief. This is a gift from heaven. Let's all talk about how to earn this money. Old Xu, you go first!"
"Old Xu" is the largest medicinal herb merchant in the vicinity. His family owns thousands of acres of medicinal herb fields and countless cattle and sheep. In terms of the size of his territory, family background, and number of farmhands, Old Xu's resources are at least five times greater than those of Fatty Chen.
Even in terms of backing, Lao Xu is far superior to Fei You Chen. Fei You Chen's backer is the assassin organization "Black Stone," while Lao Xu's backer is Xu Chongxiao, the over eighty-year-old Supreme Elder of the Beggars' Sect.
Fatty Chen is Black Stone's steward, whom Black Stone's Lord, Wheel King, can abandon at any time. Old Xu is Xu Chongxiao's younger brother, a sibling from the same mother, and they are the closest of kin.
However, Old Xu is shrewd and calculating, well aware of the principle that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. He never wants to be the leader, preferring to follow others. He shares the profits, and when he loses money, he doesn't lose much. He has steadily passed down his business to this day.
"I have nothing to say. If the imperial court is willing to spend money to buy medicinal herbs, I will definitely sell them to them!"
"Old Xu, you're really good at pretending! Xu Qingya has to brew medicine to treat the colds of the disaster victims every day, and he consumes countless medicinal materials. The few medicinal materials he brought won't last more than a few days, so he still has to buy them from you."
How much of a price increase would you like?
Three times, five times, or ten times?
"Medicinal herbs are life-saving; we must at least take 30% of his 200,000 taels of gold!"
Fatty Chen slammed his hand on the table.
A gaunt old man sneered, "You have a big belly, but your appetite is even bigger! Old Xu swallowed 30% of the medicine he sold, I swallowed 30% of the cloth I sold, and the remaining 40% is all yours, Fatty Chen!"
This old man's surname is Zhou, and his given name is Zhou Donglou. On the surface, he is a philanthropic and wealthy businessman, but in reality, he is ruthless and vicious. If Du Tiandao successfully whitewashes his image, this is what he will look like: a hypocrite with a kind face but a wicked heart, making him nauseating.
Old Xu said coldly, "What do you take Xu Qingya for? Chicken, duck, fish, and meat on a chopping board? Can you defeat Gu Jianhun, or is your power greater than Zhu Datianwang's? Don't forget, Xu Qingya easily wiped out three mountain strongholds on his way to Bianliang!"
Zhou Donglou sneered, "Seven Kill Valley and Soul Severing Valley are just bandits and outlaws who only know how to rob people on the road. We're doing legitimate business. At worst, we'll just close our shops. Our warehouses are empty. Go ahead and search us if you dare!"
Fatty Chen added, "Xu Qingya wants to make a name for himself in Bianliang. This is his stepping stone; he won't recklessly wield the sword. We can negotiate!"
Old Xu scoffed, "And then what? Even if we manage to get this gold, what can we do if Xu Qingya hires Chu Liuxiang to steal it? Do you think your little traps can stop Chu Liuxiang?"