Chapter 495: Does Master Shi Know Cheng Xu?
The small train, carrying Master Shi Kefa like a curious soul, chugged along, passing through several towns in Heyang County, entering the borders of Chengcheng County, then cutting through Zhengjia Village, until it finally arrived at Gao Family Village's train station.
All along the journey, the scenery Shi Kefa witnessed was one of lush greenery. Just as he had expected, the farmlands in both Heyang County and Chengcheng County were untouched by drought. They were all flourishing again, their crops thriving, and the yield would surely be double that of before.
Through the train window, he also saw farmers reclaiming barren land. The once-barren yellow earth plateau had been transformed into vast stretches of farmland. Some already reclaimed areas were planted with corn, a crop Shi Kefa recognized from near Xi'an. He was surprised, however, to see such extensive cultivation here in Chengcheng County; cornfields blanketed the yellow earth plateau, stretching as far as the eye could see.
With a single glance, the grain yield looked to be at least tens of thousands of pounds, and how much more lay beyond sight was unimaginable.
"No wonder, no wonder!"
Shi Kefa couldn't help but sigh. "Even with another three hundred thousand refugees, this place could feed them all."
Finally, the train pulled into Gao Family Village's Number Two Station.
As Shi Kefa stepped down from the car, he saw a young woman dressed in white, with red trim embroidered on her clothes, exuding an air of noble elegance. She was clearly not on the same level as ordinary women. Standing beside her was a large group of people—some dressed like scholars, others like soldiers, and even masked military officials...
The sight startled Shi Kefa. "Oh? Are you waiting for me?"
Shi Kefa asked, "And you are?"
The woman smiled. "My name is Gao Yiye. I am the Saintess of the Heavenly Lord Daoist Sect, the one who delivers the Heavenly Lord's messages to the world. However, the Heavenly Lord has been visiting the mortal realm frequently of late, so whether I deliver messages or not has become less critical."
Shi Kefa's eyes widened.
He was momentarily stunned but quickly gathered his thoughts. "Greetings, Saintess. At Dragon Gate Ferry, I witnessed the Heavenly Lord's descent. He personally bestowed a great bridge across the Yellow River, transforming an impassable chasm into a thoroughfare. Even the elderly, infirm, women, and children could cross safely—a truly immense act of benevolence."
The woman smiled. "Yes, we are already aware of this matter. Look, over there, a screen is broadcasting it."
Shi Kefa uttered an "Oh? "And followed the woman's direction. A massive "Divine Mirror" stood on the ground, and many common folk were gathered around it, watching the spectacle. The "Divine Mirror" was repeatedly playing a video clip—the scene of the colossal golden hand placing the bridge.
It turned out that the show-off Li Daoxuan had, after setting down the bridge, edited the footage and brought it back for the Gao Family Village folk to enjoy.
Someone pointed at the screen and shouted, "Look, look! The Heavenly Lord jumped from the bridge! There's a rope holding him!"
"Wow, that looks like so much fun!"
"I want to try it too."
"I'm not so sure it's fun. What if the rope breaks?"
"Then you'd fall into the Yellow River! What else could happen?"
"How many times can you use that rope before replacing it? It looks so dangerous."
"Replace it if it breaks!"
Everyone fell silent.
In the colossal Divine Mirror, Shi Kefa was astonished to see himself, looking like a country bumpkin in the city, eagerly rushing across the bridge, even closing his eyes with a look of pure bliss as the river wind blew past him.
Gao Yiye chuckled, "You see, we've known Master Shi for several days now, thanks to this Divine Mirror."
Shi Kefa was utterly dumbfounded.
Gao Yiye continued, "Please entrust these rebel families to our care, Master Shi. You can rest first, then feel free to explore Gao Family Village. The Heavenly Lord said you are a Jinyiwei centurion, tasked with gathering intelligence and reporting to the Emperor. So, feel free to gather whatever information you wish. However, when reporting this information to your superiors, the Heavenly Lord advises you to consider carefully before doing so, lest you..."
His heart tightened. "Lest I do what?"
Gao Yiye shook her head with a smile. "Master Shi, you undoubtedly understand the Emperor's and the court's ways, their manner of conducting affairs, better than we do. What can be reported, what cannot, and what consequences might follow—Master Shi, you surely understand this with a little thought. The Heavenly Lord said not to interfere, but to let you think it over yourself, lest a mistaken report brings unnecessary trouble to the court and the Emperor."
From that sentence, he instantly grasped the crucial point. The woman said, "lest it brings unnecessary trouble to the court and the Emperor," not "lest it brings unnecessary trouble to Gao Family Village." A difference of a few words, or rather, a difference in the object of the sentence, yet the entire meaning, and the possibilities it implied, were worlds apart.
He couldn't help but take a sharp breath: This woman is threatening me!
Being threatened made him furious!
But then he recalled that colossal golden hand, and the magnificently imposing bridge across the river, and for some reason, his anger suddenly dissipated.
Anger doesn't solve problems. For the weak, anger is called "impotent rage."
I, Shi Kefa, am not the kind of person who merely rages impotently!
Facing such a formidable foe, I, Shi Kefa, can...
Huh?
What *can* I do?
What possible solution is there?
Shi Kefa racked his brains, only to find his mind utterly blank.
He couldn't think of anything. Facing the Heavenly Lord's terrifying giant hand, the only thing one could do was die for the country.
Of course, he wasn't afraid to die for his country!
If the Heavenly Lord had not intervened in the mortal realm, one day, more than a decade from now, he would lead his troops to defend Yangzhou to the last, staunchly resisting the Qing army, fighting to the death, ultimately sacrificing himself for the nation.
He was not a man afraid of death.
However, he was worried about "bringing unnecessary trouble to the court and the Emperor."
He raised his head, adopting a solemn expression. "Very well, I will observe this place thoroughly. What to report to the court and what not to report, I will consider carefully myself."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the conspicuous masked military official beside him chuckled at him. "Master Shi, since you are a Jinyiwei centurion and serve in Xi'an, you must know the name of Chengcheng County's Inspector, Cheng Xu, correct?"
Shi Kefa frowned. "Of course I know him. That man was fond of boasting and fabricating military reports; he was long ago executed by my Jinyiwei."
The masked military official chuckled knowingly. "Is it possible he wasn't killed for fabricating military reports, but rather because he had once allied himself with the Eunuch Party, was labeled a member of it, and thus was executed? Otherwise, why would so many other military commanders throughout the empire, also fond of boasting and fabricating reports, remain unscathed, while he alone was executed?"
Shi Kefa was jolted, freezing in place. After a long moment, he let out a deep sigh. "As for factional disputes, I, too... Alas, I am utterly helpless."
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