diymy Chapter 364 When the emperor is far away, maggots easily breed.
Chapter 364 When the emperor is far away, maggots easily breed.
Qin Mu led the three women away from the Moon Goddess Sect's cave and headed east.
In less than half an hour, the ground beneath their feet gradually opened up.
The mountains receded to both sides, revealing patches of farmland and cooking smoke in the valley.
The official road winds its way out from the mountain valley, ending at the silhouette of a gray-black town.
This is Linyuan City, the largest town on the southwestern border.
The city wall is not high, and it is built with bluish-gray stone bricks. The top of the wall is covered with moss and vines, and it can be seen that it has not been repaired for many years.
The city gate was open, and several lazy guards stood on either side of the gate, with spears resting on their shoulders. Some were dozing against the wall, while others were squatting on the ground throwing dice.
Qin Mu walked through the city gate, his hands behind his back.
The moon-white robe stood out in the crowd, but didn't attract much attention.
Although the city is remote, there are many merchants coming and going, and it is not uncommon to see people dressed in silk and satin.
Linyuan City is much more lively than the previous small city.
The streets were lined with shops: cloth shops for selling cloth, pharmacies for selling medicine, blacksmith shops for blacksmithing, and restaurants for eating.
Pedestrians came and went, shoulder to shoulder, and the shouts of vendors rose and fell.
Merchants from the Western Regions, leading camels, squeezed through the crowd, their camel bells jingling.
A peddler carrying a load of needles, thread, and cosmetics was hawking his wares on the street.
Several children chased a lame dog out of the alley, knocking over a pear stall, scattering bright yellow pears all over the ground.
The air was filled with a variety of smells—the aroma of freshly baked sesame cakes, the savory aroma of braised meat, the bitterness of medicinal herbs, and the pungent smell of horse manure, all mixed together, strong and vibrant.
Zhao Qingxue walked beside Qin Mu, her gaze sweeping over the shops and pedestrians on both sides of the street.
Her brows relaxed slightly.
Indeed, there are few traces of the Moon Goddess Cult in this city.
There were no white-clad masked figures, no signs proclaiming "May the Moon Goddess Bless You," and not even the worshippers kneeling and kowtowing could be seen.
People on the street went about their business as usual; no one stopped to chant scriptures, and no one stopped passersby to preach.
Jiang Zhaoyue noticed this as well. "The Moon Goddess Cult here doesn't seem very active."
Yunluan's gaze swept over the few idle men squatting at the street corner, and she lowered her voice and said, "Perhaps there are too many martial artists in the city, so the Moon Goddess Sect doesn't dare to be too rampant in the open for the time being, and only dares to act secretly."
Qin Mu didn't say anything, he just kept walking along the main street.
The voice of a storyteller drifted from a teahouse on the street, his gavel striking the floor with a resounding thud.
An old man selling candied hawthorns passed by them; his straw basket was covered with bright red hawthorns, which gleamed in the twilight.
They turned into a narrower alley and stopped in front of a mansion.
The gate of the mansion was not large, and a plaque hung above the gate with the five large characters "Linyuan Prefectural Governor's Mansion".
The plaque was made of mahogany, and the characters were gilded, gleaming in the twilight.
Two servants stood in front of the gate, dressed in brand-new short clothes, with long knives at their waists, standing ramrod straight.
The red paint on the lintel was freshly applied, gleaming in the twilight.
The lanterns at the entrance were also new, covered with red silk and outlined with gold thread, with the character "Zhou" written on them.
The candlelight inside the lantern was burning brightly, illuminating the bluestone slab in front of the door in a deep red glow.
Qin Mu stood with his hands behind his back against the base of the wall opposite the mansion gate.
He didn't knock on the door, nor did he even glance at it.
He simply led the three women over the high wall silently, like four fallen leaves blown over the wall by the wind, without disturbing anyone.
Inside the walls is a spacious courtyard.
The ground is paved with bluestone slabs and swept spotlessly clean.
Several osmanthus trees were planted on both sides, and they were in full bloom. The golden petals fell softly in the twilight, covering the ground with a thin layer.
On the stone table under the tree sat a celadon incense burner, wisps of smoke drifting out from the gaps in the lid, the fragrance delicate and lingering.
Brand new red lanterns hung on the pillars of the corridor, one every three steps, illuminating the entire corridor as bright as day.
Several neatly trimmed bonsai trees, including pine and bamboo, are displayed under the eaves, each with a different posture.
The inner courtyard of the prefectural governor's mansion was brightly lit.
The doors to the main hall were wide open, and orange-red light poured out from inside, illuminating the stone steps in front of the door.
The sounds of string and wind instruments drifted from the hall, the melodious strains of zithers, flutes, and pipes mingling with women's laughter and the clinking of wine cups.
Qin Mu stood with his hands behind his back in the shadow of the pillars outside the main hall.
He doesn't need to go inside; he can see everything clearly from here.
Inside the hall stood a huge round table made of rosewood, its surface smooth as a mirror, reflecting the light from the enormous glass chandelier overhead.
The table was piled high with delicacies.
In the very center is a whole roasted lamb, its body golden and glistening with oil, and a red flower dangling from its mouth.
Surrounding the roasted whole lamb are braised pork hock, steamed sea bass, braised prawns, sweet and sour pork ribs, braised beef, braised chicken feet, and osmanthus-flavored glutinous rice lotus root.
There were also several plates of exquisite snacks, including mung bean cake, osmanthus cake, and lotus seed soup, arranged in the shape of flowers.
Golden goblets and jade cups, silver chopsticks and porcelain plates, the wine is aged Shaoxing wine, already opened, the aroma of wine mixed with the aroma of food wafting throughout the room.
A middle-aged man in his fifties sat in the main seat.
He wore a crimson brocade robe embroidered with large peonies, edged with gold thread, which shimmered in the candlelight.
He wore a gold belt around his waist, with a thumb-sized piece of jade, its green color shining brightly, set in the belt buckle.
He wore a jade crown on his head, with a pearl the size of a longan set in it, which swayed gently as he shook his head.
He wore black boots, embroidered with cloud patterns, and they were spotless.
His face was round and white, oily, with two layers of fat on his chin, and his eyes were squeezed into slits, making it almost impossible to see his pupils.
His lips were thick and were now parted, revealing two rows of teeth yellowed from smoking and drinking.
In his left hand he held a golden goblet filled with amber-colored wine.
His right hand rested on the waist of a dancer beside him. The dancer wore a scarlet gauze dress, the fabric so thin that her snow-white skin could be seen underneath.
She held a peeled grape in her hand, its emerald green flesh glistening in the candlelight, and brought it to his lips.
He opened his mouth and took it, his thick lips holding the grape, and then he took the opportunity to suck on the dancer's finger, making a "pop" sound.
The dancer giggled and playfully punched his shoulder with her other hand, saying coquettishly, "My lord, you're naughty."
Zhou Demao squinted his slit-like eyes, his fat face jiggling with laughter. "Women don't love bad men, right?"
His voice was hoarse and intoxicated, and he dragged out each word as if he were holding a mouthful of phlegm.
He is Zhou Demao.
The Prefect of Linyuan Commandery was the highest-ranking local official in the southwestern border region, in charge of three counties and sixteen townships, commanding thousands of soldiers. He had been governing this land for twelve years.
He was leaning back in his chair, wine cup in his left hand and a beautiful woman in his right, enjoying himself immensely.
Before him, seven or eight dancers were gracefully dancing.
They wore colorful tulle dance costumes—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple—like a moving rainbow.
The sleeves were long, and when they swung, they looked like flowing water, like clouds and smoke, like morning mist blown away by the wind.
The skirt is very large, and when it twirls, it looks like blooming flowers.
Their footsteps were light, making almost no sound on the bluestone slabs, only the rustling of their skirts and the clinking of the jade pendants at their waists.
Their dance moves were graceful and alluring; every turn revealed their snow-white waists, and every glance back cast a captivating look.
Zhou Demao was so engrossed in watching that he forgot to drink from the wine cup he held to his lips. The wine dripped down the rim of the cup and onto his brocade robe embroidered with peonies, but he didn't wipe it away.
As Qin Mu watched this scene, a slow smile crept onto his lips.
"They're living such a comfortable life—" he said softly, with a hint of mocking laughter in his voice, "they're even more comfortable than I am."
Zhao Qingxue stood beside him, her brows furrowed as she looked at the fat, big-eared prefect in the hall, who was surrounded by women on either side of him.
Her fingers gently caressed the scabbard of the Frost Moon Sword, her knuckles turning white.
She didn't speak, but something in her deep purple phoenix eyes was slowly growing colder.
Yunluan's face was as cold as frost.
Her eyes were fixed on Zhou Demao, who was laughing so hard his face was trembling. Her pupils reflected the swirling skirts of the dancers, the sloshing wine in the golden goblets and jade cups, and the grape that had just been sucked on.
Her hand rested on the hilt of the sword, her knuckles white, and the veins on the back of her hand slightly bulging.
A hint of murderous intent flashed in her eyes.
The killing intent was faint, as faint as frost on a blade, chilling to the bone, yet it didn't rush to strike.
"Your Majesty, this man deserves to die."
Her voice was very low, so low that only a few people around her could hear it, but every word was like a sharp blade tempered with ice.
Qin Mu shook his head, his gaze still fixed on Zhou Demao, who was enjoying being fed grapes by a dancer.
"No rush. Let's take another look."
Standing behind Qin Mu, Jiang Zhaoyue looked at the extravagant scene in the hall, and a complex emotion welled up in her heart.
She glanced at Qin Mu.
Looking at the fat, big-eared prefect in the hall, I suddenly realized that the difference between people is greater than the difference between people and dogs.
Zhao Qingxue withdrew her gaze and sighed softly.
"When the emperor is far away, maggots breed most easily," she said, her voice carrying a hint of inexplicable emotion. "It's an age-old truth."
Qin Mu turned his head and glanced at her.
Qin Mu turned his head to look at Zhao Qingxue, a playful smile curving his lips. "It seems there are people like this in Liyang too."
Zhao Qingxue nodded, her gaze still fixed on the fat, big-eared prefect in the hall.
"Yes, and quite a few at that. I've purged some of them, and for others who can't be replaced for the time being and whose cases aren't serious, I've turned a blind eye."
Qin Mu withdrew his gaze and stood with his hands behind his back.
"Such people are a real scourge, their crimes are comparable to those of traitors."
Zhao Qingxue nodded in agreement and glanced at him sideways.
"Judging from the current situation, your prefect has both advantages."
Qin Mu smiled but didn't say anything.
Just then, footsteps came from the corridor outside the main hall.
The footsteps were light, yet orderly, like a well-trained group.