Chapter 41: Governing the Country is Like Cooking a Small Fish

  "Since you're so sincere in your request, if I were to refuse again, it would be utterly unjust! " After a calm smile, Ding Heng suddenly made a lightning-fast move. In an instant, a flash of cold light passed by, and a hideous head rolled off from the top of its skull.

  He's actually killed someone. The head on the ground stared with wide eyes, full of incredulity. He couldn't have imagined that such a refined and courteous person would actually take his life.

  "They're killing people! The government soldiers are killing people!" Several more people rushed out from the crowd, "Fellow villagers are fighting back with them. If this continues, we'll all be dead!"

  "Take down these few noisy guys for me!" In response to this, Ding Heng was completely unceremonious.

  "Yes!" Behind Ding Heng, several burly soldiers emerged and directly pinned down the few men who had rushed out.

  "Fellow villagers, listen to me...: Those guys who were firmly pinned down still don't give up."

  "Kill them all!" Ding Heng would no longer give them any chance to speak.

  "Yes!" A cold light flashed, and several more excellent heads fell to the ground.

  "Is there anyone else who dares to challenge the dignity of the imperial court, challenge the authority of the government? If so, please step forward. I don't mind collecting a few more heads!" At this moment, Ding Heng's gaze towards the crowd was icy cold.

  "Dog official, I don't believe you can kill all the good people in the world!" Several more fools rushed out.

  "Let them be!" Ding Hengke said bluntly. Another wave of swords clashed.

  "Who else?"

  "This time, before Ding Heng could even speak, the impatient soldier had already chopped down again. When more than a dozen good heads were scattered all over the ground, people finally felt intimidated and no one dared to stand up again. After all, everyone is afraid of death, and so-called desperate fugitives only appear when they have nowhere else to turn."

  "That's right!" Ding Heng nodded in satisfaction, "I know that the remaining people here are the most loyal and good citizens of my Great Yan Kingdom. You were all deceived by these guys. But fortunately, at the last moment, you finally realized your mistakes and woke up! Without further ado, they have been brought to justice, and Vice General will keep his word, no longer pursuing you good people. Moreover, as a reward for your timely awakening, I have decided to open the official treasury again, to bestow upon you another sum of material goods, so that you can live a better life!"

  "Ding Heng..." | Huang Fu Yanran wanted to say something. These people raided the national treasury, that's a capital offense. Not pursuing their crimes is already magnanimous, how can they still be rewarded with wealth again?

  "Don't talk, wait until we get back and I'll slowly explain it to you!" But Ding Heng didn't give Huang Fu Yan Ran a chance to speak.

  Not only will he not be punished, but he will also receive a substantial sum of money again? All the people present were stunned, they simply did not believe that everything in front of them was true. But what followed next, the items placed in front of them proved that it was all real, and not just a dream.

  "Thank you! Thank you!" All the people who received the goods smiled with joy.

  "You're welcome, this is what you deserve. Take them and go home to live a good life!" Ding Heng said with a smile. And so, amidst the sound of thousands of thanks, all the villagers happily carried their goods back home. At this moment, they seemed to have forgotten that on the ground, there were still more than a dozen comrades who had sacrificed themselves in resistance against tyranny.

  "Alright, leave a few people behind to clean up this trash, and everyone else come back with me!"

  "Yes!"

  The riot in Jiayuan County was thus easily resolved in this operatic way. The people dispersed, and the soldiers under Ding Heng's command were also greatly shocked. It turned out that Deputy General Ding, who looked unusually gentle, was also a killer, and when he killed people, he did not show any mercy, without even frowning his eyebrows.

  "Ding Heng, speak quickly, why didn't you punish those rioters and instead gave them rewards? You can't come up with any reasonable explanation, I'm not done with you yet." Huāng Fǔ Yǎn stormed back to the county government office, plopping herself down in Ding Heng's original chair.

  "Huangfu, have a cup of tea and calm down. Let me explain slowly!" Huangfu Yanran was used to throwing tantrums in front of Ding Heng, who responded with ease as if it were second nature to him.

  "Huangfu young lady, you also saw it, this time the people who rushed to the government treasury were as many as hundreds. They all said that it was because of the bandits on Panlong Mountain who slaughtered and burned Jiayuan County, destroying most of their property. Due to the pressure of life, they really couldn't survive, so they rushed to the government treasury..."

  "Come on, what's this 'can't live without' nonsense? I recall just a few days ago, you opened up the official treasury to distribute goods to these disaster-stricken commoners. Although it wasn't much, it was enough for them to barely get by. But from where I'm standing, they're clearly eyeing the large quantities of goods stored in the treasury!" Huangfu Yan gave a cold snort as she accepted the fragrant tea that Ding Heng handed over to her.

  "The government warehouse stores a large amount of goods, this is a well-known fact. Many people covet it, but breaking into the government warehouse is a capital offense. This time, they've actually gathered so many people, where did they get the guts..."

  Those common people are simple-minded, and with the recent disturbance by the bandits at Mount Penglai, they have suffered heavy losses. At this time, as long as someone instigates them, they will completely forget about the law. To deal with these ungrateful people, only severe punishment can make them feel fear, and make them know what to do and what not to do.

  "Severe punishment? What severe punishment?" Ding Heng sighed, "Princess Huangfu, this time the rioting civilians are too numerous. If we were to severely punish each and every one of them, not only would it fail to have a deterrent effect, but if they were to become desperate and turn against us, that would be disastrous!"

  "Are you in a hurry? Just like this, fooling the people. If I, Huangfu Yanran, were to get angry, these few hundred people would be no match for me. It's just a matter of lifting my hand!" Huangfu Yanran was unimpressed.

  "Kill? Princess Huangfu, slaughtering them will only make things worse. That would only bring the imperial court's prestige to an all-time low. As you said, the people may be foolish, but they are the foundation of our great Yan state. If they no longer support the imperial court and no longer trust it, then the Yan state is finished. Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; one cannot use fierce flames alone, but must simmer slowly over low heat. In dealing with these people, one must use both kindness and severity, dividing and conquering them. Kill off a few of the most violent troublemakers to let them know that the imperial court is not so weak and contemptible. And give the majority of the others some sweet rewards to let them know what benefits they will gain by submitting to the imperial court."

  Those common people, one or two of them can't stir up any waves, but once they unite with a single heart and mind, that will be a terrifying force that no one can ignore. However, as long as you divide and disintegrate them, they won't be able to turn the tables. As the saying goes, "To enlighten them with grand principles is not as good as enticing them with small benefits; to move them with emotions is not as good as granting them small favors!" It's precisely because the people are foolish that talking to them about great truths is pointless - they can't understand and don't want to comprehend. The common folk are very pragmatic, forever only interested in the benefits they can get their hands on!

  "So after you distributed some goods, those common people all dispersed with joy, and no one noticed that several poor devils had their heads chopped off by you!" Huangfu Yan also suddenly understood, "Indeed a group of ignorant people who forget righteousness for profit!"

  "To rule the people, their wisdom must not be too open, otherwise there will be endless troubles!" A long sigh.

  "Alright, Ding Heng, the matter has been settled, so there's no need to worry about it anymore. How about we talk about something else?"

  "Huangfu young lady, things are far from over. You also know that this time's riot among the common people was incited by someone. If we can't find the person who instigated it and bring him to justice, who knows what other storms he will stir up in the future? I won't be able to rest easy!"

  "Provoker? Wasn't that stupid guy beheaded by you?" The image of the man with a deer head and mouse eyes appeared in Huangfu Yan's mind.

  "Does he deserve it?" Ding Heng sneered, "At most, he's just a noisy and vicious running dog. The real mastermind won't easily come out from behind the scenes to the front. If I don't find him one day, I'll be unable to eat or sleep!"

  "But how can we find him when he's hiding so deeply?"

  "It's still the old saying, moving with emotion is not as good as tempting with benefits, moving with emotion is not as good as granting small favors. As long as you can offer a price that moves people's hearts, it's easy to get those commoners to reveal the whereabouts of the mastermind behind the scenes!" Dīng Héng seemed extremely confident about this.

  "Ding Lang, I was right about you after all. But there's still one thing I want to ask you, earlier in front of everyone, why did you call me Xiao Qi?"

  "That's still to cover up for you, I wouldn't call you Princess Huangfu, would I?" Ding Heng smiled.

  "I'm not saying that, what I mean is, even if you want to give me a fake name, you should at least choose one that sounds good and pretty. Xiao Qi, this name is so ugly and rustic, how did you come up with it?" Huang Fu Yan Ruo grabbed Ding Heng's ear and twisted it hard.

  "Oh no, it hurts so much! It hurts so much!" Ding Heng begged for mercy repeatedly. Here comes another one, here comes another one!

  "However, this young lady has a generous heart and doesn't bother to calculate with you. As a reward for your successful resolution of the rioters' attack on the official treasury, I have decided to give you an opportunity to savor my fragrance." Huangfu Yanran smiled coquettishly, closed her eyes, and leaned in close.

  "This...this I can't afford!" Ding Heng's face turned red again. Although in his heart, he also liked this slightly scatterbrained girl very much, but for him to take the initiative to kiss her, he had never thought of it before and didn't dare to.

  "Hehehe!" Huangfu Yanran just liked seeing her lover's embarrassed expression.

  "Huangfu girl, when did you say the national teacher would arrive?" Ding Heng hurriedly changed the subject, extremely embarrassed.

  "Ding Heng, what's the hurry. Grandfather said he would come see you, and he definitely will!" Seeing her opponent still didn't have the guts to approach her, a hint of disappointment crept into Huang Fu Yanran's heart.

  "By the way, Ding Heng, I'm asking you, in your heart, am I important or is my grandfather more important?"

  "Ding Heng was stunned. How can this be compared?"

  "Alright, you don't have to tease Ding Heng like that. Although he doesn't say it, Grandfather also has some self-awareness. Compared to my good grandson, how can I compare to him in Ding Heng's heart?" Along with a burst of hearty laughter, the space in front of the two people suddenly distorted, and then three people walked out from inside - an old man and two young ones. The old man had sparse white hair, but his eyes were piercingly sharp like those of a hawk, and his entire being exuded an aura that made one feel an overwhelming urge to bow down in reverence.

  The two young people standing on either side of the old man were handsome and beautiful, with angular faces as white as jade, and deep, dark eyes that shone with an irresistible color. If it weren't for their golden and silver hair, people would hardly be able to tell them apart. The only flaw was that both of their eyes had an unmistakable air of arrogance.

  "Pay respects to Grandfather (Guoshi)!" Huangfu Yanran and Ding Heng hastily stepped forward to salute the old man.

  "No need for formalities! No need for formalities!" The old man chuckled and helped the two up with a hand.

  "Hey, are you two treating us as if we don't exist?" The two arrogant young men beside the old man showed a hint of displeasure on their handsome faces.