Can a System Have Bad Intentions? - Chapter 190

With Gu Zongming’s confession, it was easy for the Emperor to deal with his faction.

In the court, affairs proceeded fervently.

Xie Yu, having received the imperial edict, went directly to the Liyang Dam with his newly-reunited mother, Jiang Yi.

Years ago, Jiang Yi had lost her voice and could no longer speak, but the loving look in her eyes needed no words to express her motherly affection for Xie Yu.

Xie Yu, who had never felt true love from his previous parents or from Xie Jin, and who had been harmed by his grandfather Xie Chengnian, now experienced the joy of having a mother for the first time in his life. His face was filled with constant joy.

However, since Er Bao was too young to travel alone and the carriage was too cramped for three people, Xie Yu reluctantly parted from Jiang Yi and joined Er Bao in his carriage.

“Why aren’t you enjoying yourself at the inn? Why are you coming with me to the dam? It’s deep in the mountains, and the journey is long and tiring. You could have stayed in the capital, having fun with Zhou Shu and the others. Even going back to Qingshui County would be better than following me,” Xie Yu said.

Er Bao, holding his dog Da Bao, petted its head with a layer of sorrow in his eyes.

“Our young miss is getting married. I don’t want her to feel unhappy,” he replied.

Everyone at the inn knew that Lu Tang was a girl, but Er Bao still habitually called her the young master.

“Why would Lu Tang be unhappy?” Xie Yu asked, puzzled.

Er Bao looked at Xie Yu with a deep, sorrowful gaze. “My brother’s death was known to the young miss long before I knew. She didn’t know how to tell me, so she always felt uneasy around me. I could see her heartache. But I already knew.”

Xie Yu was taken aback.

Lu Tang had mentioned Da Bao’s situation before, and he knew Er Bao had come to the capital excited to find his brother, only to receive news of his death.

Looking at the six-year-old Er Bao, Xie Yu rubbed his head but didn’t know how to comfort him.

Er Bao, holding back tears, managed a bitter smile. “I’ve felt a pain in my heart every day, wanting to cry all the time. But with the young miss getting married, I shouldn’t look like I’m mourning every day. It’s better to come out with you, go on a trip to the mountains, and try to lift my spirits. When I get back, I’ll have to lie to my mother.”

Xie Yu’s nose twitched, and he couldn’t hold back his tears. “You’re just a kid. Why is your life so pitiful?”

After holding back his tears for days, Er Bao finally burst into uncontrollable sobs when Xie Yu pulled him into a comforting embrace.

His beloved brother was gone. He no longer had an older brother.

The journey from the capital to the Liyang Dam was non-stop, and it took half a month to arrive.

Half a month wasn’t enough to heal Er Bao’s grief, but it was enough to calm him down a bit.

Holding Da Bao, Er Bao followed Xie Yu and Jiang Yi to the dam.

With Gu Zongming’s confession, they knew Huang Bangyuan was hiding inside the dam.

If it were anyone else, they might not dare to go in, knowing the risk of damaging the dam’s structure. But Xie Yu was different. He had come to repair the dam.

Holding the repair plans, Xie Yu ordered the workers to seal both ends of the hollow dam section without hesitation.

Hiding inside the dam, Huang Bangyuan was aware of the people outside. He had prepared thoroughly for negotiation, demanding acquittal or threatening to destroy the dam. He had even stored a large amount of black gunpowder inside for leverage.

But now, the people outside didn’t even try to find him. They simply started flooding the dam and sealing the ends with stones. Were they planning to entomb him alive?

Huang Bangyuan didn’t truly want to die. Seeing the water flooding in and rendering the gunpowder useless, he panicked and shouted, “I want to see your leader! I have the repair plans for the Liyang Dam. If you want to fix it, let me out!”

But his voice was drowned out by the noise of the construction.

Xie Yu stood outside with a blank expression, instructing the workers, “Increase the pace. Stop flooding when it reaches two-thirds. After sealing with stones, fill the gaps with soil.”

The workers complied, speeding up their efforts.

Huang Bangyuan, once holding a stash of black gunpowder, was ultimately suffocated in his own hiding place.

He had planned to blow up the dam as a last resort, but with water flooding in and the air thinning, he had no chance.

How exactly Huang Bangyuan died, Xie Yu didn’t know. He only knew that after repairing the Liyang Dam, he had to rush to the next dam.

Xie Yu, who had lived aimlessly for sixteen years, had finally found his path.

Song Qingzhan had been helping him search for an antidote, but there had been no news. Xie Yu once had hope, but repeated disappointments had made him indifferent.

Moreover, he was now too busy to dwell on it. The people around him treated him differently from those in the first fifteen years of his life.

Whether out of genuine respect or because of his current position, Xie Yu didn’t care. He enjoyed the busy yet fulfilling process.

As for others, Er Bao once asked him, “What if one day you lose your skills and people stop flattering you and treat you like they used to? What then?”

Xie Yu used to be troubled by this thought but had now come to terms with it. With confidence, he replied, “Then I’ll just keep being impressive and make them keep flattering me.”

With a wise emperor eager for talented people and crown princes who valued competence, Xie Yu’s goal was to improve his skills and speak through his abilities.

High skills meant high status, naturally attracting admiration.

As for having low skills, you can’t blame others for looking down on you. People are varied, and you can’t control their behavior!

These were all principles taught to him by Zhuang Yu.

Zhuang Yu said, “To live freely, you must either be indifferent with abundant wealth or stand at the top.”

If you have no talent and don’t work hard, yet still expect respect, you’re dreaming!

While Xie Yu was repairing the dam and Qin Mo and the Sixth Princess Consort were eliminating private soldiers, the kingdom was finally cleansed of the chaos caused by Gu Zongming over two reigns within three months.

The Emperor, relieved, appointed Xie Yu, a commoner at sixteen, as the Minister of Works.

However, knowing Xie Yu lacked official experience, the Emperor specifically assigned Zhuang Yu to move into Xie Yu’s residence to teach him personally.

Thinking he had reached the peak of his life, Xie Yu cried bitterly on the first day Zhuang Yu moved in.

He finally understood why the Emperor had both appointed him and assigned a tutor.

The Emperor needed a place to send Zhuang Yu.

Otherwise, with Zhuang Yu living in the capital, frequently visiting the palace, the Emperor, if not driven mad, would certainly go crazy, along with the parrot. Now, he had sent Zhuang Yu to Xie Yu’s place.