I Am Immortal in Great Yu

Chapter 232: Chapter 95: Drastic Change

”The Court’s Imperial Guard swept through the Three Southern States like an autumn wind scattering fallen leaves. The various rebel military leaders were either captured or killed... After a month-long stalemate, Li Xuantong, who had occupied the Three Mansions of Yunzhou, was defeated. He surrendered to the Court and was made the Marquis Anle...”

’Just as I thought. This wasn’t about suppressing a rebellion or quelling chaos at all. It was more like a clean, satisfying harvest!’

Fang Rui mused, sighing inwardly.

He recalled when he first arrived in this world, back in Changshan County of Yunzhou Daze Prefecture. He had thought the Great Yu Dynasty was on the brink of collapse, that an age of chaos was upon them. He never imagined that from the very start, he had simply stepped into a game of chess.

’By leaving the Three Southern States and coming to Wuzhou Huaiyin Prefecture, have I really escaped this game of chess? Probably not. At best, I’ve only left the most brutal corner of the board.’

Fang Rui thought to himself for a moment before pulling his focus back. ”That Li Xuantong,” he asked, ”he strikes me as an ambitious and ruthless man. Did he really surrender to the Court? And what about the others in the Taiping Army?”

He actually wanted to ask about the ruthless one within the Taiping Army, but Third Lady didn’t know that person existed, so he couldn’t ask directly. He could only approach the topic indirectly.

”That’s the news the caravan brought back. Li Xuantong did indeed surrender to the Court. As for the others in the Taiping Army? Li Xuantong was a major military leader, so news about him travels. It’s much harder to find information on the smaller fish.”

Third Lady asked with concern, ”Brother Rui, is this important? If you need it, I can order the caravan to put all their effort into finding out more.”

”Forget it, Third Sister. There’s no need. The Three Southern States are too far from us, and news travels slowly. Even if I had our people make special inquiries, it’s unlikely they’d find anything. Besides, it’s not that important.”

A glint appeared in Fang Rui’s eyes. ’There’s no news about the ruthless one in the Taiping Army. It could be because of the distance and the difficulty of passing messages. But it’s more likely they’re hiding behind the scenes, impossible to track through ordinary means.’

’For an ambitious man like Li Xuantong to be defeated so easily—and then surrender to the Court—is deeply suspicious. It might have something to do with this person.’

’This person’s background... hmm. Could they be someone from the Great Yu Court?’

As this suspicion formed in his mind, Fang Rui’s thoughts raced. ’Back then, what did that ruthless person in the Taiping Army do in Changshan City? They broke the great families, audited the farmlands, and cracked down on the gangs... In the name of the Taiping Army, they swept the city clean of all its rotten elements!’

’After all that dirty work was done, the Great Yu Court’s Imperial Guard arrived and retook Changshan County. They barely had to do anything to ensure long-term peace and stability.’

’Glimpse the leopard from a single spot...’ A thought struck Fang Rui.

Just as he thought, Third Lady continued, ”The Court is relocating people from other states, distributing land and fields. The Three Southern States are showing signs of becoming a well-governed land...”

’If my guess is right, and the other rebel armies, like Li Xuantong’s Taiping Army, also had all the old, corrupt elements under their control purged... and on top of that, underwent a population reduction in disguise... how could the land not become well-governed?’

Fang Rui’s gaze deepened. ’This supports my theory. Does that mean the ruthless one in the Taiping Army is very likely an agent of the Great Yu Court?’

’But the implications are terrifying! Li Xuantong, a magnificent Flood Dragon of great Qi Fortune... his birth, his rise, his rebellion, his defeat, and his surrender... all orchestrated by a single hand?’

’The Truman Show? No, this is even more extreme!’

After all, the difference in difficulty between manipulating an ordinary person and manipulating a Flood Dragon of great Qi Fortune is beyond measure!

Fang Rui then recalled how Ge Changgeng, after seeing just a sliver of Great Yu’s true power, had felt utterly insignificant and hopeless—like an ant before a mountain, or a mayfly before the vast ocean.

In that moment, a great shadow seemed to fall over his heart.

’Just as I thought. All this beauty is just a facade. Beneath Great Yu’s glamorous exterior, countless dark things writhe like shadows, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws.’

’Even if I don’t try to clean up this mess, even if I only focus on self-preservation, on minding my own business and protecting my family, it’s still best to have some understanding of what’s going on.’

Fang Rui steeled his resolve.

”LA LA LA LA LA!”

Just then, the voices of the two little girls, Fang Ling and Nannan, rang out from outside.

Third Lady had picked them up from their lessons and they had all returned together. But while Third Lady had come straight here, the two little girls had gone to change their clothes and were only now emerging.

Outside the window.

Fang Ling and Nannan skipped and hopped along, followed by a QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK from a flock of little ducklings that had hatched just a few days ago. The ducklings wiggled their rear ends as they waddled back and forth.

The two little girls were leading them all over the estate, catching bugs for them to eat.

—Ever since the estate’s pond had been renovated and planted with the Jade Lotus, insects and vermin had become scarce nearby. If Fang Ling and Nannan wanted to feed their little ducklings, they had no choice but to lead them on a bug hunt all over the estate.

He could still hear their voices.

”Sister Ling’Er, later, should we go water the Jade Lotus?”

”No way. Big Brother said we’re not allowed to mess with it anymore.”

”Then we just won’t let Big Yellow, Big Black, and Big Flower pee on it.”

”Uh... good point.”

Indeed, a few days ago, the two little troublemakers had made the three big dogs pee on the Jade Lotus, then brazenly claimed they were fertilizing it.

This had prompted Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Third Lady, neither of whom had raised a hand in a long time, to give the girls a good spanking.

The reason they wanted to water it was also quite ridiculous.

A Jade Lotus has five leaves. Its growth is only affected when it has fewer than three. If a leaf is picked, it usually grows back within a month.

The two little girls, wanting the Jade Lotus to grow faster so they could drink Jade Lotus Water sooner, had taken it upon themselves to have the three big dogs ”fertilize” it.

”Those two little girls are so mischievous... I’ll go talk to them.” Third Lady rubbed her forehead and went out.

Under the orange-red sunset, Fang Ling and Nannan stood obediently in a line. Beside them, a flock of ducklings wiggled their behinds, squawking ”QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK.” Third Lady put on a stern face, pretending to be strict as she scolded them.