Chen Ping's Sword

Upon hearing Chen Ping’s concern about whether she had eaten and drunk well, Fang Qingzhu smiled with great satisfaction, thinking to herself that it was no wonder she worked tirelessly to help him with affairs and recruit talents everywhere.

She gave a light laugh and glanced at the fragrant tea presented by the maid in front of her. Her mood improved further: "It wasn’t particularly delicious, it’s just that Prefect Qin gathered all the famous chefs in the city to create dishes, each with its own unique flavor and novelty. He really put his heart into it."

"As long as Fairy Fang is happy with her meal, all is well."

Qin Guanhai quickly nodded and bowed, his face full of smiles.

If one didn’t know better, it would be impossible to imagine this person was a local authority.

"Alright, enough about food. Let’s get to the point. Are they spies from the Beizhou Barbarians?"

Chen Ping waved his hand.

He was currently troubled by the slight lack of Tribulation Value and was impatient with trivial matters. The Jiangnan and Jiangdong areas were now at peace. In the Southwest, it’s said that Cui Huchen and Han Wushang and others have already penetrated the Nanman Mountains, clashing with Totem Warriors several times and gaining the upper hand. Zhang Wenda might soon be subdued.

In such a situation, as long as one develops steadily without reckless actions, the Southern Region should be relatively peaceful.

Except for the Beizhou Barbarians.

Previously, when hearing about the Beizhou Black Dragon Platform’s descent southwards, they had been on guard for quite some time.

However, until the life-and-death confrontation with Yan Beifei and the great battle between the two armies,

there was no trace of a single soldier from the Black Dragon Platform.

Chen Ping did not believe that the Black Dragon Platform would simply retreat without any gains, abandoning the entire South, and watch him develop and grow stronger.

This isn’t something that a mature government... should do.

Whether it’s useful or not,

there should be some disruption to delay the unification, causing chaos in the rear, that would make sense.

In fact, the Celestial Heart Pavilion, which Ji Mingyue established, has already sent numerous agents to covertly infiltrate the Northern Domain Great Zhou to gather intelligence and stir things up.

This is to be expected.

"Your Majesty is wise."

Qin Guanhai quickly responded: "I wasn’t sure who spread these sudden rumors, but Your Majesty’s words cleared my confusion, and upon reflection, it indeed seems like something from the northern side."

"Rumors?"

Chen Ping’s expression turned slightly cold as he set down the teacup in his hand.

Though it’s said that wise people don’t listen to rumors, mere words alone can’t cause substantial harm.

However, throughout history, no power has taken the threat of rumors lightly.

It takes minutes to spread rumors, but running to dispel them can take forever.

If one’s reputation is truly damaged, even if it’s cleared, others might not believe it again.

You can control what people say.

But you can never control what others think.

The more you suppress it, the faster it spreads secretly.

"No one knows where the wind comes from, but within days, the rumors have spread throughout Guangyun Prefecture and are extending to the surrounding fourteen counties, with vivid details."

Qin Guanhai frowned deeply, appearing quite distressed.

"I’ve thoroughly investigated, and the rumor began spreading from Durong Village, and as villagers entered the city, it quickly expanded, claiming that Your Majesty’s military actions were too extreme, disrupting the natural order, and disasters might follow."

"It even claims that too many corpses in the river could give rise to a plague, and if it spreads to the tributaries, Jiangdong might be left desolate."

Qin Guanhai grew more solemn as he spoke.

He had clearly foreseen the development of the situation.

If this information wasn’t contained, it would lead to panic far more terrifying than facing a massive army.

"Pfft..."

Fang Qingzhu savored her tea, fully indulging herself. Though initially uninterested in the rumors, she couldn’t help but laugh when she heard this.

"Aren’t there medical officers dedicated to handling such matters? Who would believe such absurd news?"

This was something Fang Qingzhu knew.

She even saw many soldiers and civilians digging pits to bury the corpses.

It was heartbreaking.

The young lady couldn’t bear it and stood on the mountain chanting the Three Lights Divine Spell for hours.

Moreover, she also joined Chen Ping in gathering medical officers, boiling medicinal soups, treating the sick, and preventing disease, busying herself for several days.

Therefore, she had a very clear impression of this matter.

"Yes, they do believe it. The key is, quite a few have already fallen ill."

Qin Guanhai looked pained.

The opponents linked everything intricately, and by the time he received the news, it had already spread through over a dozen cities, especially in Guangyun Prefecture City, where even the beggars knew about it in back alleys.

How could it be concealed?

Especially when Qin Guanhai sent many people to capture the spreaders, hundreds suddenly fell ill in North City Lotus District.

Sickness struck like a mountain collapsing.

The wailing and lamentation lasted all day and night, causing unrest in the north of the city.

In order to prevent further incidents, Qin Guanhai had already dispatched all the government soldiers to the north of the city, ordering locals not to travel and sealing the area.

This approach only treats the symptoms, not the root cause.

Because the medical officers who rushed over couldn’t identify the cause of the illness.

They only knew that those afflicted seemed to be sitting at home, and disaster struck unexpectedly.

"What does Mr. Yuantu think?"

Chen Ping’s expression remained unchanged.

He was somewhat accustomed to both overt and covert challenges.

At this moment, it was not surprising at all.

From the direction of the rumors, he could vaguely sense that it resembled the northern style of action.

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