Chapter 118 - 84: My Fairy Wife, Every Strike a Crit

Chapter 118: Chapter 84: My Fairy Wife, Every Strike a Crit

Huang Duzhe nodded. "Of course! People came here to risk their lives, not throw them away. Even though they’re Cultivators and won’t be poisoned by the local grain and meat right away, no one can handle eating it long-term. If they didn’t ship in food from outside, they really couldn’t survive."

Zhao Ci was a little surprised. "You seem to know this area pretty well."

"Heh!"

Huang Duzhe smiled. "To be honest with you, Your Highness, when my father was still alive, he was a junior official here. I grew up with him in Qingyang County. Otherwise, how could a commoner like me ever get into the palace guards?"

"Oh..."

Zhao Ci nodded thoughtfully. The palace guards were mostly from major clans. Even if they weren’t from the seven great Merit Clans, they were still rich or noble.

After all, serving before the Emperor was equivalent to a promotion in official rank.

A dog in the palace is more valuable than a wolf in the mountains. It’s the same principle.

It really was hard for a commoner to get ahead.

"It’s good that you know your way around."

Zhao Ci smiled, picked a slightly livelier-looking tavern, and went inside with Huang Duzhe.

He ordered a pot of cheap wine and two small side dishes, then found a corner to sit down.

The cold dishes were ready-made.

They arrived a moment later.

One plate of peanuts boiled in saltwater, and one of cold-dressed cucumber.

When Huang Duzhe saw Zhao Ci pick up his chopsticks, he quickly stopped him. "Old Zhao, are you really going to eat that?"

"It won’t kill me!"

Zhao Ci popped a peanut into his mouth. The taste was passable.

But the kernels were a bit shriveled, the texture was slightly bitter, and there was a faint hint of mildew.

The cook had done their best.

It just wasn’t a good choice for a meal.

While the toxins were minimal, a normal person’s body would eventually break down from eating it long-term.

Seeing Zhao Ci frown slightly, Huang Duzhe quickly ate a bite himself. "Old Zhao, this is considered pretty good in the Northern Three Prefectures. When we were kids and got a craving, we’d sneak out to eat this stuff to satisfy it, and then our parents would chase us down and beat us.

Then one time it got out of hand. A few kids got terrible diarrhea from eating here, so their family elders ganged up and smashed the place.

I never came out to eat again after that."

He said this with a hint of regret.

Zhao Ci mused, "What’s the relationship between the officials and the common folk like here?"

Huang Duzhe shook his head. "Not great! The people of the Northern Three Prefectures feel they’re making a sacrifice for the country and deserve to be treated well. But the officials are all transferred from outside, and they also feel they’re making a sacrifice for the country. They feel it’s unfair if they can’t be lords and masters here.

So they can’t stand the sight of each other. But one side has a big fist and the other has a small one, so a real fight never breaks out."

Zhao Ci was speechless.

From their respective standpoints, you couldn’t say either side was entirely in the wrong.

But when you put them together, it created a tangled mess.

The two of them didn’t say much more.

They just ate their peanuts slowly, listening to the other patrons in the tavern shoot the breeze.

The tavern was dimly lit, making it hard to see anyone’s face clearly, but it sharpened one’s hearing, which made the place feel quite lively.

"Hey! Did you guys hear? This afternoon, a convoy arrived in Lingge. They say it brought over ten thousand Qi Cultivation Pills, all granted by His Majesty to us here in the Northern Three Prefectures."

"Whoa! That many? Wait, ’granted’? For free? Does that mean we’re in luck?"

"Yeah! My oldest boy developed Qi Sensitivity when he was fifteen. He’s definitely got the talent for cultivation. If he could get a Qi Cultivation Pill, even if he doesn’t start on the path of a Cultivator, at least he wouldn’t get sick all the time like me."

"Luck, my ass! The officials will definitely take them all."

"That’s actually not true! This time, out of twelve thousand Qi Cultivation Pills, only seven thousand will be distributed to the officials. The remaining five thousand are specifically for the common people. I heard that anyone under eighteen who has developed Qi Sensitivity or is suffering from a serious illness can try to apply."

"For real? Sounds a little far-fetched to me."

"How could it be fake if Fairy Luotang said it herself? She said the Tenth Prince specifically asked the Emperor to grant these five thousand pills to the common people, and that he used the two hundred thousand taels the Emperor awarded him to do it."

"If Fairy Luotang said so, then it must be true."

"It’s definitely true. Otherwise, why do you think they’ve been making such a big deal about registering households lately?"

"This Tenth Prince seems like a pretty good guy."

"It’s just that five thousand pills aren’t quite enough to go around."

"What more do you want when they’re free? Not that many people meet the criteria for this distribution. A rough estimate puts it at only ten or twenty thousand people. That’s one in every three or four, so your boy’s chances are pretty high."

"Sigh! At least we’ll get five thousand healthy people out of it. If they become junior officials, our lives might get a little better."

Hearing this conversation, the two men had different expressions.

Zhao Ci understood. ’No wonder I haven’t heard from Kan Luotang these past few days, and even the booklet was delivered by Zhu Li on her behalf. So she came to the Northern Three Prefectures ahead of time.’

’My nominal fiancée is actually quite something, giving all the credit to me.’

’Judging by the devout looks on these people’s faces when they mention Fairy Luotang, she really does have a great deal of prestige among the common folk.’

’Do enough good deeds, and you’ll definitely be rewarded.’

’But I’m afraid this matter won’t go so smoothly.’

He looked at Huang Duzhe. "Old Huang, based on what you know of the Northern Three Prefectures, where do you think these five thousand pills will end up?"

Huang Duzhe rubbed his nose in embarrassment. "The five thousand pills will definitely all be distributed, but whether they’ll all end up in the hands of the common people... that I can’t say for sure."

Zhao Ci grimaced.

’Just as I thought.’

He felt this was going to be tricky. Whether in a feudal dynasty or modern society, the most classic problem was always that no matter how good the intentions of a government decree, all sorts of issues would arise when it was actually implemented for the people.

’It’s true that I’m the Pill Granting Envoy, but over here, I’m a general with no army.’

’Whatever I see or hear will largely be determined by these local officials.’

’I can’t possibly be expected to compile the entire list of recipients all by myself, can I?’

’This seems tough to handle.’

He swept his gaze over the people in the main hall.

[Current Wish of Li Xun]: That my nephew will be lucky enough to get a Qi Cultivation Pill. Reward for Completion: Insight +1, Luck Talisman x1.

[Current Wish of Wang Zhuang]: That my son, Wang Teng, will be blessed by fortune and receive a Qi Cultivation Pill. Reward for Completion: Insight +1, Luck Talisman x1.

[Current Wish of Park Chang]: ...

They were densely packed, all of them wishes related to the Qi Cultivation Pills.

The Insight rewards weren’t high, but these people weren’t the ones directly eligible to receive the pills.

’In other words, this is all just a bonus.’

’If it were the people who were directly eligible, I’d be guaranteed 10 Insight points.’

’These Luck Talismans also seem somewhat useful.’

’If I can get them in bulk, they might be very useful.’

Of course, that was all assuming things went smoothly.

Zhao Ci stood up and said in a low voice, "Old Huang, do me a favor!"

Huang Duzhe replied at once, "Your Highness, just say the word!"

Zhao Ci said gravely, "Help me find out Kan Luotang’s whereabouts. Can you do it?"

She was the only person he was certain could help him and who had influence among the common people in the Northern Three Prefectures.

A general with no army couldn’t get much done, so he had to call for backup.

In fact, ever since the welcoming banquet earlier, he had been thinking of sending someone to Lingge to ask Kan Luotang to come out and help. Whether she’d be a huge help or not, it was better than nothing. He just never expected her to have arrived even before he did.

"I can do it!"

Huang Duzhe slapped his chest confidently. "My connections aren’t extensive, but finding someone is no problem. It might take some time, but I’ll definitely find her. It’s like when you go to relieve yourself, Your Highness. Whether it’s a smooth flow or not, when the time comes, the piss will come out."

Zhao Ci: "???"

’Old Huang!’

’You’re a Divine Treasure Second Layer Cultivator, yet you’re stuck guarding a gate in the Imperial Palace.’

’You really deserve it!’