Xie Yi returned very late.
He looked up and saw the room still lit with candlelight. He paused slightly, pushed the door open, and saw Lin Zhiji asleep on the couch table.
Xie Yi’s heart softened instantly.
The earlier fatigue seemed to vanish completely.
He stepped forward, intending to carry Lin Zhiji back to bed.
Lin Zhiji suddenly woke in confusion, rubbing his eyes. A red mark still lingered on his cheek as he instinctively wrapped his arms around Xie Yi’s neck: “You’re back?”
“Mm.” Xie Yi’s voice was low. “Go sleep in bed.”
Lin Zhiji mumbled an answer, but just as Xie Yi was about to put him down, he suddenly remembered something and clung tightly to his neck: “Wait—wait!”
A box slipped from his waist and fell onto the bed with a “clack.”
Its contents scattered across the bed.
They were finger-length green incense sticks.
Xie Yi suddenly remembered: “This is……”
Lin Zhiji carefully steadied himself, about to pick them up, but Xie Yi grabbed his hand: “Don’t touch. I’ll do it.”
Lin Zhiji had originally wanted to surprise him, but seeing this reaction, he knew he had already guessed it: “This incense only works once it’s lit. It’s fine right now.”
Even so, Xie Yi still wouldn’t let him touch it. He picked up every stick himself, placed them back into the box, and even changed the bedding.
“These incense……”
Xie Yi began to speak, but Lin Zhiji quickly cut in: “Ahem, that… I just randomly exchanged it from the shop while browsing.”
Xie Yi: …
Do I look that easy to fool?
Only then did he notice that although one box had fallen out, Lin Zhiji’s waist was still bulging.
He reached in and pulled out another box.
Lin Zhiji knew he couldn’t hide it anymore and simply took everything out, introducing them one by one: “These grass seeds make horses go weak all over if they eat them, this sticker makes wherever it’s applied hurt, and this one……”
He had almost gone through the entire system shop to pick out these cheap but useful items, considering nearly everything.
Xie Yi fell silent.
Lin Zhiji tilted his head closer, eyes bright: “Hehe, you’re moved to tears, right!”
The next second, he was pulled into Xie Yi’s arms.
Xie Yi’s arms tightened suddenly, so strongly it almost crushed him, yet he restrained himself at the edge of losing control.
His chin rested on Lin Zhiji’s shoulder, silent, only hot breath brushing his neck.
Lin Zhiji froze, then lightly poked his back: “D-don’t tell me you’re actually crying? It didn’t cost much, some are prank toys, they’re cheap, you know I have enough points, using a little doesn’t matter……”
He knew Xie Yi was deliberately speaking this way so he wouldn’t feel burdened.
In the past, Xie Yi was a master, a general.
Feared and respected.
But this was the first time he felt what it was like to be carefully protected and cared for.
Lin Zhiji’s rambling voice fell into his ears like a sweet, gentle web, tightly binding his heart, and he willingly sank into it.
—
Yucheng Post Station.
Liang Wenxu lay weakly on the bed, barely able to suppress the churning in his stomach after a long time. His complexion, however, showed no improvement at all.
He truly could not understand it. He had already been extremely cautious on this journey—so why was he still struck?
Yes, he was certain of it. This was definitely something Xie Yi had done.
Otherwise, how could the entire escort group be affected?
He and his attendants were vomiting and having diarrhea; several guards were suddenly suffering from pain here and there, dizziness, stiffness all over their bodies……
If not for foul play, how could it be such a coincidence?
And the only one with both capability and motive was Xie Yi.
But how exactly had Xie Yi managed to do all this without anyone noticing?
Because of this uncertainty, although they had summoned physicians, they did not dare fully trust them.
Fortunately, when leaving the capital, Liang Wenxu had the foresight to bring some medicinal supplies. Moreover, these symptoms were not severe, so things gradually stabilized.
Now that his condition had eased slightly, he began to think again about what Xie Yi’s purpose was.
He could see that Xie Yi did not intend to take their lives. Otherwise, they would already be corpses on the ground.
These illnesses could only slow their journey; they could not change the final outcome……
At that moment, he suddenly heard a dull, thunder-like buzzing outside, followed by a crackling sound of collisions, mixed with screams and cries.
Ignoring his discomfort, Liang Wenxu abruptly opened the window—and saw a dark cloud covering the sky as it flew overhead.
No—this was not a dark cloud.
It was a swarm of locusts!!
As the locusts circled low and rushed toward the window, Liang Wenxu hurriedly shut it tight.
Countless locusts slammed into the window like hailstones, making the entire room tremble, sending a chill down one’s spine.
Liang Wenxu staggered backward, his chest rising and falling violently.
But in the next instant, he realized something, and all color drained from his face.
He understood why Xie Yi had done this!
When the locust swarm passed, Liang Wenxu ignored his unwell body and rushed anxiously to the guards’ rooms: “Get up! We must depart immediately!”
However, the guards were in such pain that they could only groan and could not rise at all.
Liang Wenxu said sharply: “Endure it! Once we reach Qingzhou, everything will be fine. If we delay the official mission, we will all be punished.”
At this moment, one guard in slightly better condition said: “Lord Liang, it’s not that we refuse, but didn’t you see how terrifying those locusts were? With walls blocking them it’s fine for now, but if we are outside, we would be eaten down to a skeleton in an instant……”
Liang Wenxu opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing.
He returned to his room in despair, his face ashen.
He knew—this imperial decree would not reach Qingzhou.
Back then, when Xie Yi’s reputation for brutality spread through the court, everyone in the realm trembled in fear, and no one dared accept the role of imperial envoy.
Thus he stepped forward.
In an instant, he gained praise across court and court officials, and imperial favor.
Liang Wenxu understood Xie Yi. He knew he was a clever man.
Although he now held the Folding Strike Battalion and occupied Qingzhou, every step he took still remained within the court’s bottom line—Xie Yi did not want to rebel, or rather, at least not at this moment.
Thus, as long as he could successfully deliver the imperial decree to Qingzhou, it would be a winning gamble.
But he never expected that Xie Yi would actually use a locust plague as a move.
Liang Wenxu had already guessed what Xie Yi was waiting for.
When he was governing a region, he naturally knew what the court and local governments were like now.
It was already a fragile situation—one small push, and the balance would collapse instantly.
By then, who would care about this corner of Qingzhou?
Or rather, the court would have to turn back to stabilize Xie Yi instead.
His career was over.
Everything he had painstakingly planned had turned into nothing.
Thinking of Xie Yi’s cold, ashen, clouded eyes, Liang Wenxu’s heart filled with intense hatred.
—
At the same time, the imperial court was also in complete chaos.
First, locust disasters broke out everywhere, and ministers argued endlessly over disaster relief.
The emperor barely managed to hold court, only to fall ill again after a few days.
The Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi factions attacked each other relentlessly, neither willing to let the other take charge of affairs.
Before the court could even reach a conclusion, rebellions erupted in Shanbei, Chaozhou, and other regions.
In the deep palace, the emperor, upon hearing this, issued an imperial order in his weakened state, commanding General Xie Panyue to suppress the rebellion.
But soon after, news came that the Jie, Wan, and other foreign tribes had also massed troops at the borders.
These minor border tribes, who had always been submissive, were now attempting to take advantage of the court’s internal chaos.
Especially since the Jie tribe had previously colluded with the former dynasty in an attempt to seize Qingzhou, a matter that had not yet been settled.
The emperor was furious beyond measure.
But even in his rage, that was all he could do.
Given the court’s current condition, it truly lacked both strength and resources.
In the end, two days later, a new imperial envoy set out again with a new decree toward Qingzhou.
—
Qingzhou.
Lin Zhiji, wrapped tightly in layers of clothing, was digging trenches with Chen Ben and others, filling them with fodder, sulfur, and other materials.
Once everything was prepared, a loud gong sounded in the distance, accompanied by a terrifying buzzing.
A swarm of locusts was driven into the deep trench, and flames suddenly shot up into the sky. The fire tongues rolled through the cloud-like swarm, and soon a smell like roasted meat filled the air.
Lin Zhiji caught his breath and wiped sweat from his face.
Although Qingzhou had been preparing for locust control in advance under Xie Yi, it still could not stop locusts migrating from other regions. Fortunately, Qingzhou was protected by mountains, making its situation far better than the central plains.
Xie Yi had also prepared early measures, such as the fire trench encirclement method, newly planted beans, domesticated ducks, and daily grain relief, so Qingzhou remained relatively stable.
However, in recent days, the foreign tribes such as the Jie had become restless, so Xie Yi had led troops out again.
Lin Zhiji staying at home also felt uneasy, so he simply went out to help with locust extermination alongside Chen Ben and the others.
Xie Yi had left a unit to protect Lin Zhiji, and they were now also helping dig trenches, which sped up progress considerably.
At first, the common people were somewhat afraid, but over time they realized that the pale and delicate young gentleman was gentle in temperament, and gradually became more casual.
“Has Young Master Lin married? This old woman has a distant niece……”
“Forget it, with Young Master Lin’s appearance, how could he look at your niece!”
“Bah! If he can’t look at mine, does that mean he can look at yours?”
……
Lin Zhiji awkwardly twitched his mouth and silently stepped out of the crowd.
Behind him, Song Lü sucked in a sharp breath and nearly fainted.
Do you people know whose corner you’re trying to poach?!
Truly fearless because of ignorance!
Song Lü muttered internally while following after Lin Zhiji, only to see him suddenly pause.
He hurriedly asked: “Young Master Lin, what’s wrong?”
Lin Zhiji shook his head: “Nothing, I’m a bit tired. I’ll sit over there for a while.”
After saying that, he walked under a shaded tree and sat down with his back to them.
Just as he sat down, he said helplessly in his mind: 【Why are you here again?】
03 was shocked: 【You dislike me?】
Lin Zhiji: 【……No.】
It was just that after discovering 03’s hostility toward Xie Yi and the system missions, he had developed some resistance toward them.
Fortunately, 03 was easy to fool; once told “no,” it believed it, and asked instead: 【What are you doing here?】
Lin Zhiji: 【Helping eliminate locusts.】
【What’s the point of doing this?】03 was puzzled. 【You just need to complete the mission, redeem the villain, and correct the plot.】
Lin Zhiji frowned, feeling uncomfortable, and retorted: 【How is it pointless? Don’t you know how devastating locust disasters are? I’m saving people!】
【Why save them?】03 did not understand. 【They’re just people in a book.】
It felt as if something had stabbed Lin Zhiji’s heart, and he almost instinctively said:
【I’m also someone in a book now.】