Volume One: The Young Monk Returns to the Secular World Chapter Seventy-one: From One Deadlock to Another (Part Two)

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Let us return to the day before.

Under the dual pressure from Chen Bufan and the authorities, the Huang family was the first to sell their grain.

They did not sell much; this was also on Qin Shirong’s instruction—on the first day, the Huang family was only allowed to sell one hundred dan.

On the second day, they would sell two hundred, and so forth.

This was to prevent any large family, lacking sense, from buying up all the Huang family’s grain at once.

The rice stall was barely set up before the grain was sold out entirely.

Although several groups came to purchase, Chen Bufan was well aware that these buyers were all from prominent families, with only a small portion being those who truly lacked food.

But this too was within the plan. Tomorrow, he would go to the Li family to apply more pressure, defeating them one by one until more grain appeared in the market.

All was proceeding as planned, and Chen Bufan could not help but admire Qin Shirong’s shrewdness.

Yet on the second day, something wholly unexpected occurred.

At dawn, before the officials and soldiers had even arrived, the Huang family opened their doors to distribute porridge.

This day, the porridge was more plentiful and thicker than before.

Just as most of the refugees at the gate had managed to receive their share, the master of the Huang family appeared, coughing lightly.

Then, tears and mucus flowed freely; in an instant, he was weeping bitterly: “Fellow villagers and brothers… I hope today you can eat your fill… because today will be the last time we distribute porridge…”

The refugees were stunned at first, then after a brief silence, the crowd erupted in commotion—

“Why? What will we eat then?”

“If Master Huang doesn’t distribute porridge, we’ll starve to death… Master Huang, you can’t do this…”

“Master Huang… if you stop, we’re all doomed… please, have mercy…”

“You’re sending us to our deaths… you can’t abandon us…”

The crowd, agitated, quickly surrounded the Huang family’s gate.

“Friends, how could I ever abandon you? But this time, I am truly helpless…” The master’s voice broke, and he sobbed even harder, “It’s my fault—distributing porridge at my gate every day, the authorities now believe I have surplus grain. They’re forcing me to sell it all… extorting me in the process… But how could I, Huang, be so heartless? In this disaster, how could I watch you all starve? Yet if I refuse, they threaten my life… I’m left with no choice…”

Inciting unrest, directing the people’s anger straight at the authorities!

No matter how capable the Prefect might be, he could not withstand a riot among the starving.

At the same time, similar scenes played out before the gates of several other prominent families.

A commotion erupted the moment the Huang family patriarch finished speaking.

“How can this be? Master Huang is a good man… how can the authorities do this… they mean to wipe us out…”

“Master Huang has saved us before; how can we think only of ourselves? We must demand justice! Down with the corrupt officials!” One man, planted among the refugees, began to shout.

“Master Huang saved our lives. If not for his porridge, we’d be dead already… Let’s go demand justice from those corrupt officials!”

“That’s right! If Master Huang can’t give porridge, we’re doomed anyway! We’re not afraid!”

Agitators in the crowd began to incite the people to march toward the authorities’ camp.

Just then, Chen Bufan arrived with the soldiers, originally intending to see why the Huang family hadn’t sold grain that day—only to stumble into the midst of the chaotic mob.

“Hero Chen? Officials? Are they here to trouble Master Huang?” someone wondered aloud.

In truth, Chen Bufan was well-known for his chivalry; many had received his help, and even the storytellers recounted his heroic deeds.

The crowd hesitated.

At that moment, the Huang family patriarch spotted Chen Bufan and pointed at him, exclaiming, “It’s him! The lackey of the authorities! Yesterday he nearly cost me my life!”

At once, an agent in the crowd understood the cue and began to curse, “Lackey! Get out!”

“Don’t take another step! Who would have thought Hero Chen was such a person, colluding with the authorities… persecuting good people…”

“Hmph… Hero Chen? On par with Li Fei of the Li family? That’s an insult to Li Fei’s name. I say, let’s call him Old Dog Chen from now on!”

Once one person started, others, fearing the loss of their porridge, joined in, their shouts growing ever more vicious.

…

“Friends, please, calm yourselves! What has happened here?” Chen Bufan clasped his hands and asked.

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“Calm yourself? Calm your mother!” Unexpectedly, a planted agitator picked up a stone and hurled it.

With no time to defend himself, even Chen Bufan—skilled as he was—was struck on the forehead.

Dark red blood began to trickle down his face.

“What are you doing? Is this rebellion? Everyone, fall back!” The surrounding constables drew their blades in unison, forcing the crowd back.

These constables respected Chen Bufan greatly for his recent deeds, so they instinctively moved to protect him.

“Help! The corrupt officials are killing people! Help! Not only do they steal the disaster relief grain, now they’re killing us!” someone cried, picking up another stone and throwing it.

A constable, on guard, caught the stone and immediately kicked the thrower.

“Wait!” Chen Bufan cried, trying to stop him.

But it was too late; the kick landed.

Though not particularly forceful, the man fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth and convulsing.

“Murder! They’re killing us!”

“Bastards! I’ll fight you all!”

Some surged forward, others kept throwing stones.

“No more violence!” Chen Bufan shouted.

“Please, listen to me—”

But the situation was now beyond words.

“Down with the lackeys! Down with the corrupt officials!”

“Go! Stone them to death!”

Stones rained down on those surrounded.

There were simply too many people; even Chen Bufan was struck several times, his head quickly covered in blood, a pitiful sight.

Not far away, the Huang family patriarch smiled faintly, nodded in satisfaction, and returned inside.

“Come! Let’s celebrate—we’ll slaughter ten dogs today, and what we can’t eat, feed to the dogs!”

“Yes, Master.”

“Hero Chen? Ha! Let’s see you play the hero now…”

…

Elsewhere, refugees began marching toward the authorities’ camp, hurling stones and filth at the gates.

“Corrupt officials! Get out!”

…

At this point, the situation had become completely uncontrollable.

………………………………………………………Dividing Line………………

A maidservant rushed in, crying, “Something terrible has happened… it’s all gone wrong!”

Qin Xuanxuan frowned and asked, “Why such panic?”

“Something has happened—Master is in trouble! So many people… so many have surrounded the camp, demanding justice…” The maid’s face was ashen.

“Heh… as expected…” Xiao Yan shook his head and muttered, “Your father has made a terrible mistake—an irredeemable one.”

“You’re still talking nonsense…” Qin Xuanxuan turned anxiously to the maid. “Come, let’s go see for ourselves!”

“I advise you to stay here. Now is not the time to return…” Xiao Yan’s voice came from behind her.

The maid said nervously, “Master sent me to tell you not to return just yet…”

“But… how can I… what is really happening?” Qin Xuanxuan asked, stomping her foot in panic as she grabbed the maid’s arm.

The maid shook her head. “I don’t know. I only saw so many people outside the camp, shouting about corrupt officials…”

“Isn’t it obvious? They’re inciting unrest, directing it at the authorities! They won’t be foolish enough to act themselves…”

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Xiao Yan spoke quietly.

“You… you knew this would happen?” Qin Xuanxuan frowned.

“No, but after you told me what your father had done… Because, if I were those powerful families, I’d do the same. They’re certainly not more foolish than I am.” Xiao Yan smiled slightly and went on, “Actually, if he’d waited just a bit longer, things might have turned out better… All I’ve done these past days would have been for nothing… heh…”

With that, Xiao Yan picked up a sheet of paper from the table, crushed it, and tossed it into a bamboo basket nearby.

“The things you’ve done? Heh… Besides calling everyone a fool every day, what else have you done? If you’re so capable, why not step forward?” Qin Xuanxuan strode up to him in anger. “All you do is complain from the sidelines… What kind of man is that?”

“What kind of man indeed?” Xiao Yan shook his head.

But Qin Xuanxuan didn’t let him continue. She pulled a small booklet from her sleeve and threw it before him. “You wrote this, didn’t you? I admit, your disaster relief strategies are excellent. You’re very clever—you saw through everything from the moment Hero Chen forced their hand for grain. But… what good is it? You’re just a useless man! With so much talent, why not do something? All you do is sleep and scribble, calling others fools?”

“Heh… I’m just a little monk…” Xiao Yan said nothing more, continuing to scribble.

“My father always said, ‘With great power comes great responsibility…’” Qin Xuanxuan continued.

Xiao Yan didn’t reply, his hand never stopping.

Qin Xuanxuan walked to the trash basket, bent down, and picked up the crumpled paper.

When she opened it, her brow furrowed.

The rice paper was covered in dense writing, the handwriting as ugly as ever.

Looking closer, she saw one note in particular.

Hypothesis Thirty: Authorities forcibly depress grain prices, macro-control of the market…

Conclusion: The families will rebel; incite public sentiment to break it.

“This…” Qin Xuanxuan frowned and read on.

Hypothesis One Hundred and One: Bring in southern merchants to sell grain in the disaster area, gradually lowering prices to achieve a price drop.

Conclusion: No solution yet; hypothesis feasible.

“He’s written so many methods?” Qin Xuanxuan’s eyes widened.

She suddenly recalled her earlier conversation with Xiao Yan, when she’d said that government intervention was the only way to lower grain prices.

Could it really be done in such detail?

“Isn’t this 101st method workable? Why…” Qin Xuanxuan began.

“Yes, but… it’s too late… your father has already made the situation the worst it could be…” Xiao Yan shook his head.

In truth, these reasonings were much like his work before traveling back in time—constantly making and dismissing hypotheses.

Intellectually, Xiao Yan did have an edge; it was simply the scientific method of deduction and elimination. Of course, to write so many required him to be naturally intelligent.

Originally, Xiao Yan had only hoped to do what he could, to save as many as possible.

But the death of little Yue’er had affected him deeply…

“So… what do we do now?” Qin Xuanxuan was thoroughly convinced by what she saw on the rice paper.

“Heh… I have a new plan…” Xiao Yan said mysteriously.

“Oh?” Qin Xuanxuan’s eyes lit up at his words.

“I need you to steal a map from your study for me. I want maps of all the families… The Ministry of Revenue should have records, and your father will certainly have brought them along…” Xiao Yan’s lips unconsciously curled into a rare smile.

“A map? But that’s a confidential document… What do you want it for?” Qin Xuanxuan asked, then, as if realizing something, blurted, “You can’t be planning to steal grain, can you? That’s impossible… The big families are heavily guarded… It’s one thing to steal small items, but grain… it’s impossible…”

“I’m a law-abiding citizen—how could I steal?” Xiao Yan shook his head. “I have my own way…”

“You…” Qin Xuanxuan frowned, her mind racing.

If not stealing, then perhaps… robbery…

…

P.S.: My thoughts are a bit scattered, and I’ve strayed from the outline. Give me some time to sort things out. Tomorrow is my long-awaited day off—let me organize things properly. I’ll revise this tomorrow.