Chapter 28: A Demon with an Honest Nature

Chapter 28: The Unyielding Demon

Zhao An had only taught Qintong the most basic charging maneuvers; he couldn't remain hidden indefinitely. After a brief exchange with Hu Sheng, he prepared to emerge from behind the woodpile. "Will you help me train the militia?"

Hu Sheng shook his head, then remembered to state his purpose. "We will be parting ways for a while. I am leading men to the border of Shu Province to intercept the rebel forces."

"I thought you had already defected from the imperial army to become a mountain bandit chief. Why are you still intercepting rebels?" Zhao An's tone was playful, as he could discern from Hu Sheng's fragmented remarks that he maintained connections with many military officials in the court. He could rejoin the army whenever he wished, given the lax discipline of the current military system, where many soldiers were, in fact, criminals sentenced to exile.

Zhao An assumed Hu Sheng had rejoined the army, but Hu Sheng clarified, "Even as a mountain bandit chief, I am the most formidable in several nearby provinces. The greenwood outlaws all acknowledge me as their leader."

Seeing the concern in Zhao An's eyes and recalling how he not only considered selling grain during calamities but also actively trained the militia, Hu Sheng knew he was no fragile soul. So, he divulged the truth to Zhao An: "The rebel leader of the Miao Stockade, Ma Dian, has been killed, but the individual who deliberately increased taxes on the Miao Stockade is still alive and now commands troops. The scattered rebels will cause some localized chaos in these provinces, but once they disperse into the countryside, they will not significantly impact the overall situation. However, the imperial troops suppressing the rebellion have already levied 'bandit-suppression contributions' from five counties, conscripted many men under the guise of laborers to sell into slavery in the north, and colluded with local magnates to inflate grain and commodity prices. They plan to further exploit the remaining populace, thereby seizing their land and people."

"I recall you saying that someone deliberately instigated this military conflict, that a high-ranking official believed the Miao people were competing with ordinary citizens for resources and wanted to eliminate some of them. But now, it seems the plight of the nearby people is no better than that of the Miao Stockade." Zhao An's scalp tingled with a chill. Though he had confronted the most terrifying mutated monsters, the malevolence in human hearts still left him shuddering.

Hu Sheng nodded, gently patting Zhao An's hair in a gesture of comfort. "Those in the court concern themselves only with the grand scheme, not the welfare of the populace. Those executing orders care only for personal gain, even less for the people's livelihoods. That is why the greenwood outlaws in nearby provinces are fearful—afraid they too will become a pretext for another military conflict. They have asked me to ambush the mastermind behind this calamity."

Zhao An was initially stunned by Hu Sheng's news and hadn't fully processed it. Feeling the warmth from Hu Sheng's hand, however, he remembered something else.

Eagerly, Zhao An asked, "What is the name of the person you intend to kill?"

"Zhao Nanyu," Hu Sheng replied, noticing Zhao An's suddenly grim expression. "What's wrong?"

Zhao An recalled a passage from *Tears of the Fallen City*. As Zhao Qingcheng approached the birth of her second child, the once-favored Consort Mei added blood-thinning herbs to her ginseng soup, intending to induce a fatal hemorrhage. This plot was discovered by the nanny specially dispatched by the emperor to attend to Zhao Qingcheng. Consort Mei's entire family was implicated, including her brother, who had just returned victorious from battle, arrogant and overbearing—he was thrown into prison, where many other crimes were subsequently uncovered.

The emperor intended to execute Consort Mei's maternal Shang family, but a court official intervened: "General Shang guards the northern frontier. Without him, what will we do if the Xiongnu invade again?"

The emperor, however, was supremely confident. "Isn't there Zhao Nanyu, who just returned from suppressing rebels in the southwest?" He then insisted on ordering the execution of the entire Shang family.

The text described Zhao Nanyu as eight feet tall, built like a bear, with a full beard, yet he was portrayed as bold and unconstrained. Upon his first audience with the emperor in the capital, he declared that he had seized many spoils during the suppression of rebels in the southwest and offered ninety percent of it to the emperor. He candidly stated he would retain the remaining ten percent to support his family. "I have several mouths to feed at home," Zhao Nanyu said, grinning, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

The emperor was delighted by his honesty and bestowed generous rewards on the spot. Later, during a hunting expedition, he saved Zhao Qingcheng from being gored by a wild boar. He was also one of the few male characters in the book who did not become romantically entangled with Zhao Qingcheng—primarily because he was not particularly handsome.

However, due to their several interactions and their shared surname, Zhao Qingcheng, realizing she had no family left, asked him to become her elder brother. The emperor fully supported this decision, as he wished to provide his son with capable allies and give Zhao Qingcheng a reliable and obedient maternal family.

Thus, this character, depicted as cheerful and magnanimous, was, in reality, a demon who instigated military conflicts for personal gain, profited from the chaos, and exploited the populace, bleeding them dry.

Why wasn't Zhao An surprised? In a tragic romance novel, numerous twists and turns are necessary to make the story compelling. However, when the protagonists are an emperor and his consorts, a minor ripple at the center of power could mean the lives and fortunes of countless individuals.

Noticing Zhao An's distraction, Hu Sheng pressed, "What's wrong? Do you know Zhao Nanyu?" After all, they shared the same surname; perhaps they had crossed paths before.

Zhao An shook his head and seized Hu Sheng's hand. "Can you not go? I've heard Zhao Nanyu's martial skills are exceptional. It seems he offended someone, which is why he's been confined to Western Hunan, unable to advance."

Zhao An didn't actually know if Zhao Nanyu had offended anyone, nor was he familiar with his life story. He said this merely to convince Hu Sheng, because Zhao Nanyu was indeed formidable—he could fight Li Xiuye to a draw when they sparred. According to *Tears of the Fallen City*, Li Xiuye's martial arts were among the best in Dawn Country.

Hu Sheng was surprised that Zhao An knew of Zhao Nanyu, especially since he himself was the one who had suppressed Zhao Nanyu and prevented his promotion.

Though Hu Sheng held no official title, he was the uncrowned king of the northern borders. Zhao Nanyu had once been a regional commander in Ding Province, but Hu Sheng discovered he had killed innocents to claim merit. Hu Sheng reported him to the court, but Zhao Nanyu made his subordinates take the fall and received only a minor reprimand for lax oversight. He was reassigned to tax collection in Western Hunan, where he later connected with the Songhe Academy faction in the court and orchestrated this horrific event.

Hu Sheng felt this disaster was his fault for not eradicating the root of the problem, so he decided to take matters into his own hands and kill Zhao Nanyu.

"Don't worry, I am more skilled than Zhao Nanyu," Hu Sheng said, gently squeezing Zhao An's palm before releasing his hand to bid farewell.

But Zhao An clung tightly to Hu Sheng's hand. "If you must go, I have something useful for ambushes: one part saltpeter, two parts sulfur, three parts charcoal, and one part sugar. Mix them, seal them in a ceramic vessel, light it, and throw it at the enemy. It will definitely yield unexpected results."

"Isn't that just a firecracker? It might startle galloping horses, which could be somewhat useful." Though Hu Sheng nodded, he didn't take it seriously.

Zhao An still held his hand, speaking earnestly, "Have someone test it first. Its power is far greater than a firecracker." This makeshift explosive, with its combination of ingredients, was potent enough even in an age of spiritual awakening. At least, Zhao An's Wood Element Supernatural Power couldn't produce plants strong enough to withstand it before reaching the third tier.

"Promise me you'll test it, okay?" Zhao An insisted. Only when Hu Sheng nodded solemnly did he release his hand. "Be careful. Wear armor."

"I'm off," Hu Sheng said, stepping back and looking intently at Zhao An as if imprinting his image in his eyes. Then he turned and left without looking back, afraid that if he did, he wouldn't be able to bear parting.

Zhao An watched Hu Sheng's figure disappear, then took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the woodpile.

Someone as remarkable as Hu Sheng had no presence in *Tears of the Fallen City*, while Zhao Nanyu, by aligning with Zhao Qingcheng, ended up laughing last, made a duke. This made Zhao An suspect that this ambush of Zhao Nanyu would be Hu Sheng's death sentence.

He really wanted Hu Sheng to stay, but in the end, he chose to let go—because Zhao Nanyu had to die.

Three days later, the villagers in training could run a full lap around the village without anyone falling behind. Zhao An increased the intensity of their training, adding a "Mandarin Duck Saber Formation" to the charging drills. In groups of three—two with blades, one with a shield—two groups could cooperate to attack from all sides.

Of course, to avoid injuring themselves during initial training, they used short wooden sticks instead of real blades.

Just as the villagers formed their formations and Zhao An was about to order them to practice combat, Foreman Tang, who managed the kiln, ran over excitedly. "We've finished firing the latrines and shower pipes you requested. When shall we install and test them?"

Zhao An's mood, low for the past three days, improved slightly. He forced a smile and said, "Let's install them now. Have all the workers come along."

"Right away!" Foreman Tang agreed quickly, but Zhao An noticed a hint of disappointment and immediately realized it was because he had promised a reward but hadn't delivered it yet.

Before Foreman Tang could leave, Zhao An added, "Once it's installed, see Uncle Hai for the reward. Two taels of silver for the skilled workers, one tael for the laborers."

Foreman Tang's face lit up with a genuine smile, and he repeatedly bowed to Zhao An. "Thank you for your generosity, boss!" Seeing Zhao An wave him off, he hurried away to gather the workers.

The training villagers watched enviously, their grip on the wooden sticks loosening. They were training tirelessly, yet it seemed those digging soil had it better—rewarded with a tael of silver after just over a month's work.

Noticing their change in mood, Zhao An clapped his hands and said loudly, "Don't be envious. The kiln produces enough materials to build a new house every day, all for your use. The village already has over twenty new houses. Those who haven't gotten one yet just had bad luck in the draw. Think about how much it costs to build a house, and you won't envy that small reward."

This lifted their spirits. Zhao An thought for a moment and continued encouraging them: "Train well. In ten days, we'll hold a competition. The winning team gets a pig as a reward. The top ten teams get a chicken. The rest get nothing. Work hard!"

The lure of the reward was indeed powerful. Everyone dreamed of sharing a pig among three people, and their practice became fiercely intense, with roaring shouts that showed Zhao An what true momentum looked like.

But Zhao An knew that in ten days, the rebel troops might already have crossed the border. They would test their skills in actual combat. Of course, he would prepare the rewards in advance to motivate the villagers in their training.