Inflection point

  The past year has been a dismal one for the Qin Empire, which has been barely clinging to life and relying on its past achievements. It has been plagued by natural disasters and man-made calamities without any respite.

  After muddling through most of his life, the 84th Emperor of Qin finally made a correct judgment for once, using both diplomatic and military means effectively. He dispatched an envoy to Longxi to mobilize troops, but when the imperial envoy arrived, he found out that the local garrison and cavalry belonging to the Rouran Alliance were engaged in fierce battles, with the frontline situation so tense that not even a single soldier could be spared. The situation in the east was relatively calm, with 40,000 of the 50,000 Qin troops stationed at Hangu Pass and Wu Pass being redeployed to Xianyang for defense, although this emergency strategy temporarily stabilized the people's minds in the capital, it did not alleviate the enormous pressure on Bai Zhengzong in Shangjun.

  Knowing that his own cards had been revealed, Yu Jie, the envoy who went to Shangjun to negotiate a peace treaty, was forced by circumstances to "urge" people. After reporting to the imperial court, he and the Iron Khan of the Tiele tribe, Sijiedu, opened ceasefire negotiations under the city of Shangjun.

  The languages and scripts were completely different, and it was not easy for the two sides to communicate. After a series of comparisons, drawings, and translations by several interpreters, they barely understood each other's intentions and began formal negotiations.

  From the vast grasslands to the Central Plains for the first time, the "flowers" of the Tiele people were already snatched up in large quantities at dawn, but their opening offer for peace talks was not low.

  Always liking to open his mouth wide, Shi Jiedu took advantage of his own side's advantageous position on the battlefield and proposed that the Great Qin Empire must provide 2.5 million stones of grain, 100,000 taels of gold, 500,000 taels of silver, 1 million strings of cash, and 2 million bolts of silk to the Tiele people in order to agree to withdraw his troops.

  In order to eliminate the potential threat of the Hu cavalry to Chang'an, the capital of the Great Qin Empire, as soon as possible, even if it means facing harsh compensation conditions, the court agreed. However, the Tie Le people were only one of the three routes of the southern Hu cavalry.

  As the two armies of the East and West learned about the inside information of the peace talks, they also sent people to come to Shangjun quickly. The Rouran people and the Donghu people each asked for compensation conditions with the same amount of money, grain and goods as the Tiele people. If not, they would continue to fight. Seeing that their opponents' eyes were shining like hungry wolves, knowing in their hearts that they could not defeat them, the Great Qin Empire had no choice but to make a big sacrifice, emptying the treasury of Xianyang and the treasuries of various states and counties in Guanzhong, until February of the following year when they finally managed to get rid of these pests.

  Everyone knows that the essence of the Great Qin Empire lies in the three places of Guanzhong, Hebei and Shu. The above three regions have Zhengguo Canal, Dujiangyan, and Guangyang Canal in Hebei, which was started by Fusu at the end of his reign and completed after the fifth emperor ascended to the throne.

  These three major regions are not only the most concentrated agricultural areas in the entire empire, but also the places with the largest population and richest products, commonly known as the "Tianfu Country" that is safe from droughts and floods.

  Guanzhong, Bashu and Hebei account for one-third of the total number of counties in the country, and most commercial cities are also located in these places.

  Xianyang, Luoyang, Anyi, Changzi, Julu, Handan, Jinyang, Chengdu and Jiangzhou are all first-class metropolises of the empire. However, with the massive invasion of the Hu cavalry, except for Shu in the far southwest which was spared due to its mountainous terrain, Guanzhong and Hebei prefectures suffered varying degrees of destruction, with the situation in northern Hebei being particularly severe. The Hu cavalry that marched south once breached the inner city of Handan, and the villages north of the river were burned down too numerous to count.

  A land of prosperity and splendor where chickens and dogs could hear each other, has been reduced to ruins after experiencing war and disaster, the once peaceful home has become a desolate and eerie place that can be seen everywhere.

  Whether in terms of material loss or the high cost in human life, Hebei Province will not recover its former appearance within a hundred years.

  The worst thing is not the visible damage, but to make up for the gold, silver, silk and grain needed for the peace talks with the Hu people, the Great Qin Empire emptied its family's accumulated wealth over the years. The empty treasury in Xianyang might even starve a mouse to death.

  As the saying goes, what is lost outside the dike can be made up for inside. The money and grain of the Great Qin court didn't fall from the sky, did they? In the end, it's all squeezed out of the ordinary people's rice bowls.

  The officials followed the usual practice and issued a quota for collecting supplies from all counties nationwide. However, it seemed that the bigwigs in the imperial court had forgotten the harsh reality of the local people's livelihoods, and the allocated quotas were not reduced by even a single penny compared to before the Hu cavalry's invasion. Disaster often follows good fortune, and the Hu cavalry's invasion disrupted the peaceful work of local officials who were diligently making money for their retirement plans. Many people felt that their careers had become uncertain and unpredictable, and they secretly decided to take advantage of their current position to embezzle some retirement funds while they still could.

  With such a despicable and dark idea, the local government naturally added another stroke to the already astonishingly high number of levies, making it even more exorbitant.

  Unable to endure the exploitation and oppression, the great Qin Empire, where bandits roamed unchecked, had long been accumulating grievances among the people. The pent-up discontent suddenly erupted from south to north, and over a hundred large and small "righteous armies" emerged overnight.

  These "righteous armies" were different from the previous ones who only rebelled for their livelihood and had no political ambitions. They were truly rebellious, shouting slogans to follow the example of Tang and Wu in changing the mandate of heaven. As a result, in the eyes of many people, the great Qin Empire, which had lasted for thousands of years, was tottering on the brink of collapse under the impact of natural disasters and man-made calamities. However, never underestimate the determination of those in power to cling to their power. In order not to be swept off the stage of history, they would stop at nothing, even resorting to cruel and bloody means when things came to a head.

  Suppression! Bloody suppression! It is better to kill a thousand by mistake than to let one escape. The brutal suppression stirred up a bloody rainstorm, spreading over the entire Qin Empire, like a bloodthirsty beast devouring its prey.

  To be frank, the Qin army at the end of the dynasty had not degenerated to the point where they were completely useless in battle like the Eight Banners' sons at the end of the Qing dynasty. Although they did not perform well in their previous wars against the Hu people, the main reason for their failure was a lack of preparation for war and those incompetent generals who relied on their fathers' reputation to give orders. Now, if these fierce warriors were to face a group of peasants who had just put down their hoes and picked up wooden spears, it would be an easy task that wouldn't require much effort.

  In less than two months, this rebellion that had started in various parts of the Great Qin Empire, from north to south, with unprecedented momentum, suddenly turned into a mere smoldering ember.

  Even though the trouble was resolved cleanly and efficiently, those with discerning eyes could still sense that the foundation of the Great Qin Empire's rule had indeed been shaken. The halo of sacred and inviolable imperial power had also faded. It can be imagined that if any more unrest or revived "righteous armies" were to appear in the future, they would eventually bring an end to this ancient empire's life.

  It is better to be a dog in peaceful times than to be a human being in chaotic times. In the chaotic world where human life is as cheap as grass, the only advantage is that there will never be a shortage of ghosts and spirits. Why does the wild grass grow so luxuriantly by the roadside? It's because the rugged white bones beneath are nourishing the growth of the plants.

  "Haha, there are indeed many military souls! It was worth me making a special trip to Shangjun."

  One side muttered to himself, Lin Xu collected the "yin" soul, his mood was indeed good. This time, Lin Xu's incarnation still dressed up as a Jianghu wandering doctor, with a medicine box on his back, holding a white cloth banner in his left hand and shaking a bell in his right hand, moving forward on the crowded refugee road.

  Not far behind Lin Xu, a sudden shout came from a thatched hut by the roadside, saying:

  "Halt! The itinerant doctor in front has stopped, are you a physician?"

  At the sound, Lin Xu had a premonition that something was wrong. However, since there were people all around him, even if he wanted to run, he couldn't run quickly. He could only turn his body back.

  Soon, the speaker appeared in Lin Xu's sight, a group of sinister Qin army soldiers were waiting for him with evil intentions, as if they would draw their swords and kill people at any time. The leader of this guy was at least 1.9 meters tall, his face was dark like iron, with a scar on his face, making people feel that he was not easy to mess with.

  Lin Xu put on a smiling face and adopted an old-timer's smooth tone, nodding and bowing to the big black man as he said:

  "Gentlemen, I'm just a vagabond doctor, my medical skills are not refined and I can only treat minor illnesses. Usually, I just sell some medicinal plasters or whatnot to make a living."

  But unexpectedly, the soldiers opposite heard this and suddenly turned hostile, sternly rebuking him:

  "How's your medical skills, I don't care. Bai Shaoxu has issued an order, all doctors within the jurisdiction of Shangjun are to be recruited into the army. You, are you unwilling to serve the imperial court?"

  Although the twenty-grade military rank system of the Great Qin Empire has been somewhat abolished, similar high-ranking positions like Shangshang are still unattainable for ordinary officials. The Taishou Bai Zhengzong, who was stationed in Shangjun to resist the southern invasion of the Tiele people, had just been granted a title not long ago due to his great contributions.

  Lin Xue heard a threatening tone in the other party's words, and in order not to ruin the plan to gather the military soul, he had no choice but to compromise and said:

  "Oh no! I don't dare, I don't dare!"

  Soon after, a group of doctors who had similar experiences with Lin Xu were collectively escorted by the Qin army to the upper county camp. When no one was looking, Lin Xu 'exposed' a bitter smile, it seems that this incarnation cannot move freely for the time being.

  "Bad luck! How did I get myself into this absurd situation?"

  Lin Xiu, who had transformed into a being lamenting the loss of human freedom, slowly opened his eyes in the old mountain temple at the foot of Tianzhu Peak, and couldn't help but start ranting.

  The incarnations in the upper county can only stay honestly in the military camp, but this also has some benefits. The Qin army will eventually use these doctors, and when they go to the battlefield later, they will bring them along, so the task of searching for the souls of the soldiers nearby won't be delayed.

  The gear of fate, which has been manipulated countless times by people, is indeed a bit stuck. This time it continues to move forward with creaking and screeching discordant noises.

  In a traditional patriarchal society, it is extremely humiliating for a man to become a live-in son-in-law. Not only will he be looked down upon by others, but after marriage and having children, they will also have to take the wife's surname, which in the clan system is equivalent to the man's family being cut off. However, Chen Liang had made up his mind to marry Miss Xue from a retired official's family, and was willing to bear the reputation of being unfilial in order to be with her.

  Having grown up in a completely different social environment, Lin Xu didn't think that 'falling in love with a man' was a big deal. He advised Chen Liang for a few words at first, and when he saw that his mind was made up, Lin Xu didn't say anything more.

  Others who knew him were indifferent to the matter, but Chen Liang was able to get Lin Xu's understanding and he was very happy. So in the midst of busy preparations for the wedding, Chen Liang still took the time to go to Lin Xu's home to deliver the wedding invitation.

  Both sides met, Chen Liang excitedly talked about his feelings and the bride's beauty and kindness, finally handing over the wedding invitation to Lin Xu, and before leaving, he repeatedly reminded him:

  "Brother Lin, you must come and drink at my wedding!"

  Recently, Chen Liang has been busy preparing for his own wedding and hasn't had time to visit Lin Xu's residence. This time when they met, Lin Xu suddenly realized that Chen Liang's forehead was dark, his cheeks were flushed with a red glow, and the colorful light on his head was trembling slightly. These signs combined together clearly didn't look like a good omen!

  Chen Liang might have to take a step back, and Lin Xu couldn't say much more due to his own identity, so he could only remind him in as gentle a tone as possible.

  "Don't worry, I'll definitely be there. But... Brother Chen! I think your recent 'color' isn't very good, you need to be more careful with everything."

  "Alright then, I'm off. On that special day, you must come, we'll drink till we can't return."

  At this time, the whole heart was immersed in the joy of soon being married to his beloved 'daughter', Chen Liang had already been completely dazed by happiness and couldn't hear Lin Xu's implicit tone. Seeing this, Lin Xu felt that Chen Liang would be unlucky and it wasn't convenient for him to say anything more, so he could only watch as Chen Liang waved goodbye and walked away into the distance.

  Lin Xu helplessly sighed and muttered to himself:

  "Alas, heaven helps those who help themselves. This time it's not that I didn't lend a hand, but you missed the opportunity yourself."