Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1328: Chapter 1330: Conversation, Making Up One’s Mind_1

”Back when I ran away from home, the elders, for the sake of our family’s reputation, told everyone that I had been attacked by the Barbarian Clan while on a mission for the family and that my fate was unknown. That’s why these youngsters have always seen me as a hero. Now, only my younger brother Qingfeng knows the truth. He advised me that there’s no need to explain too much to the younger generation, just coming back would be enough.”

Qingyan let out a deep sigh, ”I left my family for love back then. Although I was true to my wife, I failed my parents and relatives. Now that I’ve returned home in my battered state, I just want to settle down and do something for my family while I still can. But being revered by the younger generation like this, I truly feel ashamed and even more indebted to my family.”

”By age, I should be calling you ’Uncle,’ Uncle Qingyan, why burden yourself with such thoughts? You never cared about their strange looks in the past, so why bother with their admiration now?” Bai Ruozhu advised kindly, ”Since you want to do something for the family, you should focus on recovering your health first. Otherwise, any talk of helping is meaningless if you’re not well.”

Jiang Yichun had been silent the whole time, just sitting at the table drinking tea, seemingly lost in thought. Bai Ruozhu gave him a look, hinting that he should say something encouraging. However, he was so deep in thought he didn’t notice her prompting.

Bai Ruozhu, at a loss for words, could only continue to persuade on her own.

”But the current situation in Gaochang is quite dire. I’ve been away from society for too long; I never expected to return to this. The family is hoping I can lead them to turn the tide, but what can I do now?” Qingyan had never mentioned these thoughts to anyone else. Even if he did, people wouldn’t believe him, thinking he was just being overly modest.

Only Bai Ruozhu and her husband had seen his most disheveled state and had pulled him back from the Ghost Gate; they knew he was speaking the truth.

At that moment, Jiang Yichun finally spoke. He got up and walked to the bedside, asking, ”So the aristocrats and the Royal Family are almost completely suppressed by the Holy Hall now?”

Qingyan nodded, ”I only found out recently. The Holy Hall, in the name of divine spirits, has become increasingly presumptuous in recent years. Many aristocrats’ businesses in the Capital have been taken over by the Holy Hall. For example, the Qi Family’s textile and medicinal materials businesses. Also, because the Qi Family used to sell medicinal materials, they were targeted severely by the Holy Hall. They even threatened Qingfeng. It’s only by scaling back on the number of pharmacies and the variety of medicinal materials sold that the Qi Family has been able to survive.”

”No wonder I didn’t see many pharmacies in Shengyao City and Gaochang City. When I finally found one, there were few medicinal materials and hardly any customers.” Bai Ruozhu hadn’t expected that the Qi Family would be medicinal materials merchants.

”The common people have been fooled into seeking blessings instead. Who would go to a doctor and get prescriptions? Even if someone practices medicine in the city, the Holy Hall would accuse them of spreading Demon talk to the masses, either arresting them or secretly plotting their demise. In the Western Regions now, aside from the Holy Hall, how many doctors could there be?” Qingyan said angrily, slapping the bed beneath him.

Jiang Yichun watched him and asked, ”Since you need to help your family turn the tide, why not seek support from the ruler? It seems the ruler is also inclined to oppose the Holy Hall.”

”The ruler has opposed the Holy Hall before. The appearance of Qun Lian was backed by the ruler. Since the Holy Hall couldn’t annihilate the ruler directly, they captured Qun Lian, accusing him of blasphemy and inflicted Fire Punishment upon him publicly to undermine the ruler. On that day, the ruler nearly sent all his guards to save Qun Lian, but still couldn’t defeat the power of the Holy Hall.”

Qingyan said and sighed again. ”What’s most fatal is that the common people have been brainwashed by the Holy Hall. In that great battle, a large number of people sided with the Holy Hall, clamoring for Qun Lian to be burned alive. If there hadn’t been so many commoners involved, maybe Qun Lian could have been saved.”

Bai Ruozhu listened and curled her lips with disdain. It served the people of the Western Regions right that when sick, they could not see a doctor, and could only let the Holy Hall decide their fate. They were utterly ignorant!

But after thinking it through, she realized the common people had also been deceived. After all, not many commoners were literate, and their understanding of the world was quite limited, making it easy for them to be fooled by one conspiracy after another crafted by the Holy Hall, even becoming their puppets.

At the end of the day, it’s those within the Holy Hall who exploit deities and faith for their own gain that are to blame.

”The monarch fell ill for over a month after that Fire Punishment, and then the Holy Hall took away much of his authority. Even his beloved concubine died mysteriously, so for a long time he was in a state of decline. The Qi Family doesn’t dare to ally with the monarch lightly now, fearing they’ll become the next Qun Family,” Qingyan added.

”Speaking of Qingxuan, sister of Qun Lian, I heard she died from a lightning strike on a rainy day,” Bai Ruozhu hurriedly shared the information she had heard, ”Just like the lightning strike we encountered on the road!”

A glint of cold light flashed in Jiang Yichun’s eyes. His subordinates were like brothers to him, and they were the result of many years of his nurturing. How could he tolerate someone destroying them with Evil Techniques?

”We originally didn’t want to get involved in the affairs of the Western Regions’ country, but now the Holy Hall can’t wait to eliminate us, so we have no choice but to confront the situation,” Jiang Yichun said as he looked at Bai Ruozhu, seeking her opinion. Once they decided to confront the Holy Hall, the days to come would be very dangerous.

Bai Ruozhu smiled at him and said, ”Don’t worry about me. They’ve already resorted to Evil Techniques; what more danger should I fear?”

Jiang Yichun then looked toward Qingyan and said, ”I will choose to cooperate with the monarch to oppose the Holy Hall. If you’ve decided, this might be a way out for you and your family, though it is fraught with danger. As for where it will end up, no one knows; it all depends on your decision.”

Qingyan didn’t speak for a long while, his expression showing he was indeed very indecisive. Seeing this, Bai Ruozhu directly said, ”By opposing them now, you are seeking a way to survive. If you fail, it could lead to the downfall of your family. But if you do nothing now, you can only wait for your family to be completely consumed by the Holy Hall. The end result is still destruction, merely sooner or later. However, by fighting back, there might be a chance to find a way to survive.”

Qingyan’s eyes gradually grew firm. He slowly stood up from the bed, holding onto his wound, and said, ”Right, rather than living on in such a desperate state, it’s better to fight back. Only by fighting is there a chance to turn the tide.”

Bai Ruozhu nodded. Qingyan was indeed a person of courage, and she hadn’t misjudged him.

After coming to an agreement with Qingyan, who would discuss the matter with his family, they decided that they must commit to the decision wholeheartedly. Shortly after, Bai Ruozhu and her companion left the Qi Family.

...

In the cultivation room of the Divine Hall’s Saintess, the Saintess Honglian, clad in red, was sitting cross-legged in meditation, her slender jade fingers forming strange seals, the nature of the skill she was practicing unknown.

”Saintess, your subordinate has urgent matters to report,” a voice from a Holy Guard came from outside.

Annoyance flickered across the Saintess’s face, but her voice remained gentle, ”Why don’t you report to the great elder?”

”The great elder is out on business, but the matter is very urgent and requires the Saintess’s decision,” the Holy Guard said.