Chapter 12: The Offer Was Too Low
“Heh, you’re all quite something! You dare stage such a scene before me? Very well, I shall grant you your wish!” Qin Xiao sneered and shouted, “Marshal Hua, lead your men personally—drag this crowd out and beat them to death!”
Hua Yuntian hesitated for a moment, troubled by doubts, but chose to trust that His Majesty would not act without reason.
“Imperial Guards, hear my command!”
“Seize them!”
In an instant, the hall was filled with anguished cries and pleas for mercy, which Qin Xiao ignored completely. Hua Yuntian, unwavering in his impartiality, delivered several heavy kicks to Gu Liuyun’s abdomen—no personal vendetta, simply because the man’s wailing disrupted official business.
Suddenly, a surprising voice rang out.
Dressed in a plain blue robe, Bu Qingyi stepped to the center and shouted, “Your Majesty, please grant this old minister a word!”
Tang Sicheng, Li Changshu, and the others were stunned. The stubborn elder, usually aloof, had intervened—none had expected him to speak at such a moment.
Qin Xiao’s lips curled in a wicked smile; the show had begun.
He barked coldly, “What’s there to say? I don’t wish to hear a single word! Drag him out and beat him to death with sticks!”
Gu Liuyun and his companions cried for mercy.
But the emperor’s wrath would not allow their pleas.
The Imperial Guards moved in.
Bu Qingyi, bracing himself, spoke again: “Your Majesty, the court is depleted at this time. I beg you to place the matter above all else.”
Qin Xiao feigned contemplation and waved Hua Yuntian to halt.
After a moment, his expression hardened as he shouted, “No! Today I must have these idle, scheming wastrels beaten to death! Marshal Hua, carry out my order!”
“Your Majesty, I implore you to reconsider! Though these lords have erred, their sins are not worthy of death!” Bu Qingyi pleaded once more.
Qin Xiao was inwardly delighted—it was happening, at last. Bu Qingyi, ever loyal to his country and people, had stepped onto the emperor’s stage to help him complete the drama.
He waved again, halting Hua Yuntian.
“Minister Bu, as you see, it’s not that I am a tyrant. These men refuse to advance, shunning official duties to stir up trouble. My heart aches! Do you think I wish to be a despot, killing on a whim?”
“No! I do not wish it. I too desire harmony between ruler and ministers, to forge a flourishing age for Great Qian. But they have truly disappointed me.”
Qin Xiao spoke with fervor, his words heartfelt.
The officials’ faces shifted; was this truly the emperor’s intent? Had they erred so deeply?
Bu Qingyi was moved to tears, kneeling and proclaiming, “Your Majesty’s wisdom shines. It is we, your ministers, who are incompetent. Though I am past fifty, I wish to follow Your Majesty’s lead and build a glorious era for Great Qian, until my dying breath.”
“Through ages long and history deep, today I meet a sage ruler. Bu Qingyi will be a worthy minister, never betraying Your Majesty’s trust, even unto death!”
With his words, the officials were shaken and all knelt in unison, shouting:
“Your Majesty is a sage, we shall never betray your trust!”
“Your Majesty is a sage, we shall never betray your trust!”
Qin Xiao suddenly felt a gust of wind and dust blur his vision.
“Rise, my loyal ministers. I am no perfect man; I too make mistakes.”
“Gu Liuming and the rest of you should thank Lord Bu. I shall spare you today, but though your lives are spared, whether you lose your homes or serve the country diligently is up to you!”
At these words, the officials felt reborn, kneeling again.
“Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace!”
But how to serve diligently and quickly? None knew.
Just then, Qin Xiao called out, “Eunuch Hai, retrieve the dowry Lady Hua donated for the refugees at Shanhai Pass.”
“Ah, my beloved consort is truly one who shares my burdens, who serves the country and people!”
At this, the officials suddenly understood—helping with disaster relief at Shanhai Pass was the perfect chance to serve diligently for the emperor and the nation.
Gu Liuyun, newly spared, naturally sought to be the first to contribute.
“Your Majesty, I have lived frugally for years and have some savings. I am willing to donate five hundred taels of silver to assist with the reconstruction of Shanhai Pass.”
Qin Xiao sneered inwardly—five hundred taels, and he dares to offer?
He pretended not to hear and addressed Eunuch Hai, “Eunuch Hai, you have expertise in appraising treasures. See how much Lady Hua’s donations are worth, so I can arrange disaster relief.”
Hai Dabao was bewildered—where did His Majesty get the idea I can appraise treasures? He had entered the palace as a child, never knowing the value of rice or grain.
While he was dazed, he saw Qin Xiao write the figure ‘three million taels’ on the table.
Hai Dabao understood instantly—His Majesty was brilliant.
Feigning appraisal, he soon announced loudly, “Your Majesty, Lady Hua’s donated items are conservatively valued at three and a half million taels.”
Qin Xiao was delighted—this wretched eunuch was even more ruthless than he, but still teachable, even knew to raise the price.
Eunuch Hai hailed from the ranks of assassins, retired due to injury, his loyalty beyond question, so Qin Xiao trusted him not to act on his own accord.
Gu Liuyun, no fool, realized the emperor was hinting at him, and wisely responded.
He gritted his teeth and declared, “Your Majesty, under your protection, my family’s fields have yielded abundant harvests for decades. Now, I have accumulated much grain.”
“I am willing to donate ten thousand jin of grain!”
He dared not offer less, fearing he’d be singled out again.
“Excellent! Minister Bu, record this generous act for Minister Gu. In future, set up a monument at Shanhai Pass and inscribe this in the annals, also compose ballads for children to sing, to inspire the spirit of Great Qian.”
“Let all know how many magistrates are thinking of them!”
With these words, all officials understood.
So this was all for money!
Tang Sicheng and Li Changshu exchanged uneasy glances; the emperor’s tactics were superb—this was open manipulation.
It was clear: donate if you wish, or don’t—donate as much as you want.
The emperor would not force them.
But he would have someone record it, and let the people know.
In this way, who was a good official and who was not would be decided in the people’s hearts.
This was not theft, but rather opening a sack for the officials to pour in their money.
Bu Qingyi, realizing this, was deeply moved—the emperor was sacrificing his own reputation for disaster victims, lowering himself to act with the officials.
He simply forgot one thing: Qin Xiao had no reputation to begin with.
Gu Liuyun regretted offering so little, but feared donating more would be dangerous.
Suddenly, he thought of something and spoke, “Your Majesty, my parents and brothers are all farmers. The harvest is just in, and I am willing to return home and encourage my family, neighbors, and villagers to volunteer their labor.”
Qin Xiao was overjoyed—there are no bad ministers, only emperors who fail to guide them. Gu Liuyun was truly perceptive.
Yet he felt a bit annoyed—the main act was not Gu Liuyun’s, so why did he keep stealing the scene?
“Good! Minister Gu, well done. If all ministers were like you, how could Great Qian not prosper?”
With these words, the officials, already fired up, began offering their contributions.
Bu Qingyi’s hand nearly cramped from recording, so Qin Xiao summoned three clerks to assist.