A Pawn's Passage

As the person in charge of Tianfu Palace, Xie Jiaofeng was the first to speak. “I am Xie Jiaofeng of Tianfu Palace. If anyone has grievances or requests, you may speak to me—”

“Speak to you? You can’t make any decisions!” Someone shouted, cutting him off before he could finish.

Another voice immediately echoed, “Yes, we want to see Sage Qi!”

Spirit Guard Jia Yin quietly instructed the Spirit Guards beside him to identify and target those ringleaders.

Ordinary citizens would never dare speak this way to a Deputy Mansion Master. Those who did were clearly agitators.

Xie Jiaofeng continued speaking, but under the instigation of certain malicious individuals, the crowd grew noisy. Voices overlapped chaotically, and the crowd began to fall into disorder.

Seeing the situation escalate, Qi Xuansu could only step forward himself. He signaled Xie Jiaofeng to retreat, then took a step forward and used the remnants of his cultivation to let out a Martial Arts Practitioner’s Blood Roar. “I am Qi Xuansu.”

The roar was like thunder, instantly silencing the crowd. All eyes turned to Qi Xuansu.

With nearly ten thousand people watching him, Qi Xuansu showed no panic. Instead of addressing the problem directly, he said, “I am Qi Xuansu. You may have heard of me, but this is likely your first time seeing me in person. I’m not hiding from the public. I simply haven’t been in Nanyang for long. I’m from the Central Plains, and my first impression upon arriving here is how hot it gets. Now that it’s summer, it’s hot enough to bake flatbread on the ground. I appreciate you all coming out under this blazing sun to see me. But the heat is unbearable, so please, don’t kneel. The Daoist Order does not encourage that anyway. Everyone, stand up and speak.”

Qi Xuansu’s voice was loud, yet his tone was gentle. As he spoke, he walked a few steps forward, leaving the shade of the gate to stand directly under the sun.

Qi Xuansu continued, “I’m standing under the sun now, with all of you. But to be honest, I can stand here for a year without issue. You, however, will likely get heatstroke, which can be fatal. So don’t make this a contest of stubbornness with me. Don’t let anger drive you. If you have something to say, let’s have a proper discussion.”

No one had expected the notoriously stern Sage Qi to be this gentle. The contrast was startling. Surprised, many in the crowd obediently stood up.

Soon, everyone was standing.

But at this moment, someone shouted, “We have no way to live. How can we have a proper discussion?”

This triggered another wave of noise from the crowd.

Spirit Guard Jia Yin had already locked his gaze on the speaker and quietly instructed the Spirit Guards beside him to apprehend the man.

Qi Xuansu pressed his hands downward to signal for silence. He did not deny the statement directly but said, “Of course, I understand that no one can keep calm when their livelihood is uncertain. That’s also the reason for the Daoist Yellow Turban Uprising back then.”

His game plan was to set his own pace. Wang Jiaohe could try to create division and conflict, but he would not follow their script.

Once again, his words surprised the crowd. Many turned to him, waiting for him to continue.

Qi Xuansu then changed his tune. “But the real question is—do you actually have no means of survival? I’ve heard people say that I intend to shut down the Nanyang United Trading Company, causing everyone to lose their jobs. So I want to clarify that the Daoist Mansion is only investigating the company due to slave trafficking, not shutting it down. They are kidnapping people to be sold as slaves, so don’t you all agree that we should be dealing with such a serious matter? As the Chief Deputy Mansion Master, I promise that the Daoist Mansion will never disregard the people’s livelihood. I also ask that you give us time to act and judge us by our deeds, not by the incitement of those with ulterior motives.”

Someone shouted, “By the time that happens, the matter will already be settled, and it’ll be too late for us to say anything!”

Qi Xuansu countered, “Then do you mean to say that we should ignore the slave-trafficking case? Surely, you all know the horrors of slave trading. You’ve heard what kind of people are thrown onto those Western ships and in what miserable conditions. Is stopping slave trafficking wrong? Cracking down on slave trafficking only means capturing the main culprit, or in common terms, replacing the shopkeeper. The tens of thousands working for the Nanyang United Trading Company will still be able to continue on with their jobs and do what they always do. How is this a loss of livelihood?”

Just as Qi Xuansu predicted, most of the people had been incited. After the temporary suspension of the Nanyang United Trading Company, someone told them Qi Xuansu intended to shut it down permanently, leaving them without jobs. With families depending on them and their survival at stake, they had no choice but to come and protest. But now that Qi Xuansu had explained things clearly, many felt relieved and began to withdraw.

After all, Sage Qi had made it clear that only the boss would be replaced. They did not care who would be their boss as long as wages were paid. There was no need to fight the Daoist Mansion for this.

The common folk understood that the Daoist Mansion choosing not to use force did not mean that they were incapable of using force. After all, people of the Central Plains always preferred courtesy, exhausting all polite words before resorting to using force.

Qi Xuansu added, “The Nanyang United Trading Company is only temporarily suspended for scrutiny, not permanently closed. Please return and wait patiently for things to return to normal.”

Someone asked, “Sage Qi, how long will that take? A month is temporary, but so is a year. Our families can’t hold on without income for a whole year. You must give us a definite answer!”

Qi Xuansu said, “One month. Please give me one month to investigate this case. During this period, if any household runs out of food, you may come to the Daoist Mansion to claim basic rations. After the investigation, the Nanyang United Trading Company will resume operations.”

Someone else asked, “Sage Qi, what if things are still the same after one month?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “If I fail to fulfill today’s promise after one month, then you may come to surround Tianfu Palace again, and I will resign from office.”

With words spoken to this extent, no one could say he lacked sincerity. The emotions stirred up among the people gradually settled.

After all, aside from a handful with ulterior motives, most of the crowd only cared about their livelihood. Since Qi Xuansu had given his promise and even guaranteed rations for the coming month, there was no need to continue causing trouble. The crowd gradually began to disperse.

Meanwhile, Spirit Guard Jia Yin issued orders to closely monitor the few individuals suspected of incitement.

Qi Xuansu turned and headed back into Tianfu Palace. Xie Jiaofeng quickly followed and asked, “Chief Deputy Qi, what should we do next?”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Where is the Nanting Protectorate? Aren’t they responsible for public order in Lion City? With the city in such chaos, what is the Protectorate even doing?”

Xie Jiaofeng wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, “I’ve already sent someone to notify Deputy Protector Qin.”

Qi Xuansu gave Xie Jiaofeng a look and said, “Deputy Mansion Master Xie, I will now assign you an important task.”

Xie Jiaofeng’s heart tightened. A chill ran down his back, as he feared Qi Xuansu might send him to suppress the riots in the city. He forced himself to stay calm and answered, “Please give your command, Chief Deputy.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Prepare sufficient grain and distribute it on time. If a single grain is missing, I will hold only you accountable.”

Xie Jiaofeng exhaled in relief and responded with renewed confidence, “Rest assured, Chief Deputy. I will complete the task. Even if I go hungry myself, I will not let these people starve!”

Qi Xuansu did not bother to respond further and ordered, “When Deputy Protector Qin arrives, have him come see me.”

Speaking of the devil, Qin Hengjun arrived right on time.

Qi Xuansu did not bother with courtesy and asked directly, “I am not from the Imperial Court, so I have no authority to question you, Deputy Protector Qin. But since we both serve in Lion City, where are your Black Robes when something like this happens?”

Qin Hengjun replied, “Aside from the garrison troops, I have already deployed every available man.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Deploy them for what? To stand there and get beaten?”

Qin Hengjun was speechless.

Qi Xuansu softened his tone slightly and asked, “Where is the Grand Protector?”

Qin Hengjun replied, “Three days ago, the Grand Protector departed for the Imperial Capital to meet the Emperor. He will be gone for half a month, so he’s not in Lion City.”

Qi Xuansu said nothing further.

Soon after, Han Yongfeng returned and reported, “Chief Deputy, I coordinated with Secretary Ke from Second Deputy Zhang’s side and have clarified the situation.”

Qi Xuansu said expressionlessly, “Continue.”

Han Yongfeng explained, “The main rioters are not locals. Though some local residents also caused some disturbance, they only gathered around Tianfu Palace. The rioters are mainly instigated by Western merchants. They funded and recruited people, leading the unrest. A number of them worship a foreign goddess, preaching original sin and salvation.”

Since Lion City was a major port, it had a large number of migrants, making up nearly half the population.

Qi Xuansu was not surprised. He said, “We must distinguish who the enemy is. Those gathered outside Tianfu Palace are simply our own people who were incited. They must be comforted and their rightful interests protected. But those who loot, burn, smash, and riot are no longer ordinary civilians, so we must strike hard.”

After speaking, Qi Xuansu turned to Qin Hengjun. “Deputy Protector Qin, can you make the decision? If you can’t, I can make it in your stead and bear all responsibility.”

Qin Hengjun hesitated only briefly before saying, “In extraordinary times, we must take extraordinary measures. The Daoist Order and the Imperial Court are a family, both honoring the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. So I will follow Sage Qi’s command.”

Qi Xuansu did not bother with courtesy and ordered, “Issue a martial law order. Compel everyone to return to their residences immediately. Everything that has already happened can be forgiven. In two hours, deploy the Black Robes to clear the streets. Anyone who lingers in public spaces at that time will be considered rebels and arrested immediately. During this process, anyone who resists, commits arson, loots, destroys property, or continues causing disorder may be killed on sight under martial law.”

He continued, “Spirit Guard Jia Yin, dispatch 1,000 Spirit Guards and a flying ship from the Old Port Pacification Commission Office to assist the Nanting Protectorate in restoring order to Lion City.”

Qin Hengjun and Spirit Guard Jia Yin accepted the order simultaneously.