"The Mingjian Division is, after all, the sharpest blade of the imperial court. How could it be so short of funds?"
Ji Yuan frowned, his suspicion deepening.
According to this, the Mingjian Division was struggling even to maintain its operations, living a life more miserable than a mere government office. At least those places didn't run out of money to pay salaries!
Xu Lin smiled bitterly, his face etched with melancholy. It was a complicated matter, one he hardly knew how to begin explaining.
Seeing this, Qian Nishang signaled to the two individuals not far away, asking them to wait outside the courtyard.
Once the courtyard was empty, this favored prodigy of the Mingjian Division's head finally spoke with a sense of helplessness, revealing some little-known truths.
The Mingjian Division was indeed powerful, but it was precisely because of its strength that it faced endless constraints. In its early days and for centuries thereafter, though the Mingjian Division was always short of money, a simple request to the imperial court would be approved with utmost speed.
However, it was now Tianwu Year 794, and the emperor on the dragon throne was over eight hundred years old. Although he had consumed countless rare treasures, extending his lifespan by two to three hundred years, this emperor had indeed suffered considerable damage to his vital energy during his younger years of conquering the land. To live to over eight hundred years was already his limit. Perhaps fearing chaos after his death or the machinations of those with ill intentions to usurp the throne, His Majesty had, over the past decade, continuously reduced the expenditure of various government departments and even the army.
"In fact, most Mingjian Division branches are doing relatively well."
Xu Lin paused here, refraining from further discussion of court affairs, and shifted the conversation to his colleagues. According to his knowledge, many of his colleagues were living quite comfortably, with no shortage of money whatsoever. This was primarily because they were adept at generating income. While they had to abide by the court's laws, they always found ways to earn money. It was unlike the Mingjian Division in Luoxia Prefecture, which resorted to targeting various factions to earn a meager sum. They would exchange harsh words at the slightest provocation, hoping that these individuals, already with dirty hands, would be so enraged as to attack imperial personnel.
"Do you know about a tactic in official circles called 'voluntary donation'?" Ji Yuan asked after a moment of contemplation, a hint of hesitation in his voice.
Xu Lin was, of course, familiar with this rather common tactic. The Mingjian Division in Luoxia Prefecture had even considered it. However, these "sword-wielding" individuals were capable of charging forward and tearing apart demons and fierce beasts, but such matters were beyond their abilities. After several attempts, which nearly resulted in widespread ridicule, they had to abandon the idea.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan was unsure whether to praise their martial prowess or deride their foolishness. Nevertheless, he filed the matter away, feeling that if handled correctly, it might even be possible to enlist a Mingjian Division as an ally.
After a few pleasantries, he and Qian Nishang took their leave, hurrying back to Mingxin Pavilion. Although they had successfully won over Xu Lin and used his status to deter the officials at the county yamen, it was far from over. Preparations still needed to be made, ongoing tasks could not be neglected, and they even had to guard against insidious tactics from the shadows. These individuals, sent by their respective factions, were no fools; calling them old foxes would not be an exaggeration. While they outwardly feared Xu Lin and the Mingjian Division behind him, they harbored no true dread in their hearts and would act as they saw fit. At best, their actions would shift from overt to covert. As long as there was no concrete evidence, even the Mingjian Division could do nothing to them.
However, for Qian Nishang, the situation where these people could not act openly was already the best outcome. Otherwise, after all their hard work and expenditure, the county governor's office, representing the imperial court, could simply issue a decree and seize all their efforts. Compared to local gentry and wealthy merchants, the common people still placed more trust in the imperial court. With Xu Lin's endorsement, at least the county governor's office would not dare to act so brazenly, and there would be room for maneuver.
As for any covert schemes, Qian Nishang feared none of them. Having operated in the county city for twenty to thirty years and managed the vast Qian family and a third of Mingxin Pavilion, how could she lack formidable means? Thus, as soon as she returned to Mingxin Pavilion, she began arranging various matters, her earlier frustration replaced by a spirit of ambition.
While the upper echelons were busy, Ji Yuan had already returned to his small room and was quietly starting his alchemy. He had delayed his urgent pill-refining for several days. Now that the pills were successfully concocted and his injuries had largely recovered, it was time to resume his shelved tasks.
The three types of pills currently used by Mingxin Pavilion all had their formulas originating from him, making their refinement effortless. With Ji Yuan's profound alchemical skill and the brass alchemy furnace, he could refine a batch almost every half hour, his efficiency far surpassing that of ordinary alchemists.
However, even if he and the other three alchemists worked at full capacity, they could not possibly meet the needs of the tens of thousands of citizens in the city. The pills refined in these days could only be prioritized for those in dire need, and even then, they were still far from sufficient. Nevertheless, Mingxin Pavilion did not intend to solve the city's current predicament with these pills alone; they were merely meant to buy more time. Disaster relief was no simple matter. Throwing a large sum of money would not immediately quell the calamity. Even the imperial court would require a considerable amount of time, let alone a merchant association with limited financial resources.
After over twenty days of preparations, Qian Nishang had deployed all her personnel to set up multiple disaster relief points throughout the county town, bringing in large quantities of supplies from all directions. Each relief point focused on different aspects; some had more grain reserves, while others specialized in treating the injured and sick. Since the establishment of these relief points, Mingxin Pavilion's staff, along with highly paid physicians and laborers, had been working day and night. With the arrival of large quantities of supplies transported from all directions, these relief points finally began to operate in earnest.
That night, countless citizens formed long, orderly queues, waiting patiently for their turn. After a month of hardship, they had little energy left to cause trouble. Even with thousands gathered in one place, hardly any conversations could be heard.
For several consecutive days, a faint golden light seemed to emanate from Qian Nishang, and a subtle pure energy gathered around her. She was not alone; anyone involved in the disaster relief, even the laborers who were paid, received a share of merit. Heaven and Earth judge merit and sin not by one's intentions but by one's actions. Qian Nishang's fundamental purpose for coming here to provide disaster relief, even risking a significant portion of her fortune, was to gain merit to satisfy her cultivation technique and successfully ascend to the third realm. Regardless of her motives, she had ultimately dispelled the resentment in the world, prevented further disaster, and prevented the region from becoming a hellscape of death and desolation. Thus, she naturally received the recognition of Heaven and Earth, accumulating immense merit.
However, this situation only lasted for a few days before the city suddenly descended into chaos once more. Some citizens, now healed and fed, began to demand more from Mingxin Pavilion's relief points under the instigation of certain individuals. They were no longer satisfied with a single white flour bun and a couple of potatoes daily, nor with a few bowls of congee and pickles. They demanded fragrant white rice and meat at every meal.
But how could such demands be met? Qian Nishang and the staff of Mingxin Pavilion were here for disaster relief, not mere charity. While the prepared supplies were substantial, they could not possibly afford meat. White flour and white rice alone had cost an immense sum of money. If meat were to be added, setting aside storage issues, the primary concern would be how to satisfy the needs of tens of thousands of citizens.
"Madam, it's rumored among the common people that the money used for disaster relief was given by the imperial court." Liu Ruyan said indignantly in Mingxin Pavilion. "There are even rumors that the imperial court provided enough money for everyone to eat meat, but we embezzled it!"
As for why such rumors were spreading, it was almost unnecessary to guess that the individuals from the county yamen were behind it. They dared not defy Xu Lin's stance, but only outwardly. Their covert tactics were endless, and they were adept at all sorts of unsavory deeds. Under their manipulation, these rumors had spread to over half the city's populace within a mere two to three hours. Some were half-believing, or felt that white flour buns and congee were already quite good. However, more people believed these rumors wholeheartedly, feeling that what rightfully belonged to them had been stolen.
Consequently, large crowds of troublemaking citizens had gathered outside Mingxin Pavilion's various relief points, surrounding them and shouting for Mingxin Pavilion to return what they had stolen. The leaders of these crowds had been incited and bought by various factions from the county city, vigorously fanning the flames among the already desperate citizens. This underhanded tactic was not particularly sophisticated, but it was practical and labor-saving. With a little instigation, the citizens, who had endured a month of despair, immediately erupted, directing all their emotions towards Mingxin Pavilion.
"Madam, what should we do now?" Liu Ruyan asked, her voice filled with anxiety, as did the few shop assistants around them. With these actions, disaster relief could no longer continue. The supplies they had prepared could not even be distributed, with the outside filled with shouting citizens. Resentment was rising throughout the county town, and negative emotions threatened to reach the heavens. The situation could escalate at any moment from shouting to forcefully breaking into the relief points and smashing and looting everything in sight. Under these circumstances, the accumulation of merit around Qian Nishang had ceased, and even the merit already gained was slowly disappearing, returning to Heaven and Earth.
"Notify Boss Xu. It's time to act." Qian Nishang said in a deep voice, tapping her fingers rhythmically on the table in the main hall of Mingxin Pavilion.
As soon as she spoke, a shop assistant rushed out the door and sped off into the distance. In less than half an hour, a large number of gang members appeared on the streets of the city, led by the Sandao Society, rallying twenty to thirty large and small gangs who converged from various locations outside all the relief points. These gang members, with their menacing appearances, were enough to deter many of the troublemakers just by standing there. The remaining individuals were also apprehensive. Even if some stubbornly refused to leave, they were promptly beaten by the gang members and then sent into the relief points to be treated by the waiting physicians.
Thus, the chaos that had emerged only a short while ago was quickly quelled, and order was restored at all relief points. Many citizens, though indignant, dared not speak out. A slight grumble would be overheard by gang members, resulting in nothing more than glares at best, or being dragged out and beaten at worst. Although the methods were simple and crude, they were surprisingly effective, and no one dared to cause trouble anymore.
"Prepare yourselves. Those people will not stop at this." Qian Nishang instructed with a solemn expression upon hearing the shop assistant's report. The true power struggle between her and those people had only just begun.