Chapter 378: Earthquake in Shangjing (X)

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“Where is the rule that says the Emperor has to be male? The law states that the Emperor has to be humane and magnanimous, but it never says they have to be male.”

Jiang Pengji scolded the previous Emperors of Dongqing.

Indeed, more than half of Dongqing would agree that former Emperors were beasts and not men.

Feng Jin sighed. “You have such a witty, sharp tongue. You are also very opinionated and direct. It is impossible for me to outtalk you.”

Indeed, the sages of old did not say that the Emperor had to be a man. In other words, why couldn’t a woman be one?

It didn’t matter who the Emperor was––whether it was a man, woman, or animal. All they wanted was someone that could provide a peaceful and abundant life for them… Feng Jin wasn’t a nobleman that was full of himself. He understood what the people needed.

Those who truly cared about the gender of the Emperor were unlikely the commoners, but rather the aristocratic families or noblemen.

“The customs are as such. Have you thought about what you’ll do if they find out your true identity? The scholars will turn against you…”

Feng Jin’s understood, but he still encouraged her to reconsider.

Jiang Pengji had nothing to hide. She spoke mockingly, “The victorious reigns, while the defeated has to bow in submission. When I come with my mighty army to hunt my prey, we’ll see who will submit! The literates can despise me, a thousand men can judge me, but those are mere words. We’ll block our ears, and it won’t matter if they spit at us!”

If the people were not on board, they could get lost.

The literates could condemn her with their speech and their writings, but why would that bother Jiang Pengji?

Ultimately, she didn’t care about prestige at all.

If she died, she couldn’t be bothered with anything that came thereafter––even if it was a flood.

If they enjoyed criticizing, so be it. Whoever criticized her would be beaten up!

Regarding such matters, her only choice was violence.

There was nothing that pure martial strength could not pin down. If there was, she would suppress it again. Feng Jin was speechless.

Jiang Pengji has said her piece; she displayed all the cards she had. The atmosphere between them was solemn. She asked, “Are you going to help me or not?”

They spoke for quite a while. It was time for Feng Jin to make a decision.

Feng Jin’s wore a bitter expression. He wanted time to ponder his decision.

“I will help.” His voice faded. Feng Jin desperately wished he could slap himself. Why did he agree to that? It was as if a demon possessed him.

He told Feng Jue to not do foolish things, but now he was slapping himself in the face. Jiang Pengji was pulling him onto a dangerous pirate ship that could sink anytime.

“That is good.” Jiang Pengji’s face broke into a smile.

Feng Jin was certain that after the capital city moved, Dongqing would divide into fractions.

The Emperor wasn’t even concerned; he heartlessly abandoned the people of Shangjing. Why would he care about people affected by the disaster in other areas?

What would desperate people do to survive?

Feng Jin considered the big picture; he wasn’t against it.

Disregarding everything else, even if it was for the sake of his wife and child, he had to secure a place for his family.

Jiang Pengji explained what she planned with Xu Ke. Feng Jin’s concerns did not differ from what they discussed previously.

There were four things they lacked: manpower, money, rice, and medicine.

“First, assemble all the men in your mansion. I will get Xiaoyu to deploy them. In conclusion, let’s set up a place to distribute porridge and coalesce our manpower to help the surviving people with the ruins. We’ll clear out a safe place for the injured to recuperate. The aftershocks haven’t ended, so let’s ensure everyone’s safety first.”

Feng Jin knew that everything Jiang Pengji did was for the people.

“There are 26 people in my mansion, including servants and maids, that survived. They’ve tidied the warehouse, and they found some meager estate.” He became alert and said, “This is all secondary. Have you considered what will happen if this goes bad? Others will denounce us, and the Emperor will become suspicious.”

Jiang Pengji had a solution. If the resources were well utilized, she could secure a mid-level official post.

“I wish to write a petition, and thus I will be famous,” Jiang Pengji said, “The Emperor has abandoned his people, and is intent on moving the capital city. It’s such a shameless act. Who could do that and still have a clear conscience? He does not deserve burial in the royal tomb. I will take this upon myself, thereby helping the Emperor hide his shame. I wonder if he’ll be willing. I believe he will be––he may be overjoyed.”

All understood the reasoning, however, not everyone dared to stand out as she did.

Feng Jin was silent, and his mouth had a bitter taste.

He had to admit that the person before him had a magnanimous disposition and rare foresight.

“If done well, the Emperor will reward you handsomely. He’ll throw a feast, and claim all credit for himself. He can push all the blame on me if things don’t go well, claim that I am incompetent, and any other false accusation… Regardless, the Emperor will not be at a disadvantage. This is the first point.” Jiang Pengji was calm, which was what Feng Jin admired about her.

“Secondly, after the capital city moves, the imperial city will be further from the three tribes of the Northern Borderline. Thus, the Emperor will be able to sleep better, and the importance of Chongzhou to Dongqing will consequently decrease in value. As a hostage, my value will also decrease compared to before. Naturally, the Emperor will allow me to stay.”

“Good thinking.” Feng Jin agreed.

She calculated it well. Nevertheless, from the perspective of bystanders, what one gave was not always what they received.

“I feel that, too.” Jiang Pengji hugged herself. She smiled cheerfully. “That’s why I have to trouble you to write me a petition.”

Feng Jin’s expression was blank. He looked so lost.

The bullet screen in the live streaming room was full of laughter, which dispelled the solemnness.

Yingyang Kuaixian: “It’s not that. Feng Jin hasn’t fully committed to the streamer’s idea. Is it wise if she reveals her true intentions so quickly?”

Did she scare him away?

“I still have to settle the issue with the silver and rations. Xiaoyu is not with me now. who else can I bother?”

With such a bold assumption, Feng Jin had itchy hands.

Did she say she could solve the issue of the shortage of silver and rations? Feng Jin did not doubt Jiang Pengji, but he felt like that was a fantasy.

“Believe me,” Jiang Pengji said. She regained her usual calm composure.

Writing a petition and handing it to the Emperor had a high chance of success.

Dongqing’s Emperor had long been wary of Liu She. In the past, it was because of Hu county, but now it was because he was the Chongzhou magistrate.

If Jiang Pengji did well, the Emperor could shamelessly steal her credit and hide the negative effects of moving the capital city. It would certainly save him some face.

Contrarily, if Jiang Pengji didn’t perform well, she would get in deep trouble, and implicate Liu She, who could not escape. He could potentially be stripped of his title.

It seemed as though she would lose the gamble.

However, precisely because of that, she wanted to move forward. She wanted to surprise everyone.

“System, if you’re still alive, make some noise.”

The System did not reply immediately. Jiang Pengji’s tone was different from her usual; it was starkly cold, and it sounded more robotic than the System’s.

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