YWTGU -Chapter 49 The Four Great Disasters! The Disaster Has Come Down on Me?

The days of being a lazy slob… were truly blissful!

For Li An…

During this period, he could stay at home behind closed doors—no need to attend court, no need to go to the government office.

And with the ladies around, it was even better. Red Sleeve and Hongmei were always by his side, and Liu Wanqing would come by to check on him from time to time.

It was only that Murong Xue had returned to Northern Yan after the last exposition. Otherwise, with these three beauties surrounding him, life would have been heavenly!

…

Night had fallen, clear and serene.

In the pavilion of the rear garden of the Top Scholar’s Mansion, Li An sat cross-legged on the stone bench, eyes fixed on the system panel floating in the void before him—visible only to him.

Ding!

【Real-Time Broadcast of Great Qi’s National Fortune】

【Current National Fortune: 35,247】

【Distance to Great Qi’s Historical Lowest Fortune: 3,247】

【Host’s “Defeat the Nation” achievement is about to reach a new stage. Keep going! Strive to deplete the national fortune entirely!】

【Please continue your efforts!】

Li An stared at the numbers, a wider and wider grin spreading across his face.

Thirty-five thousand.

Only thirty-five thousand national fortune remained.

This cycle had gone incredibly smoothly!

The legendary “national fortune reaches zero” ending… seemed really within reach.

Li An thought with delight and stood up, hands behind his back, strolling leisurely in the pavilion.

This period of “self-reflection behind closed doors” was totally worth it!

He hadn’t done a single thing, just lying in the mansion eating and drinking, and thanks to his prior arrangements, Great Qi’s national fortune had plummeted from over sixty thousand to just over thirty thousand!

Of course, credit had to go to the old fox, the Prime Minister, whose “cut off military supplies” scheme had worked wonders.

The border army lacked supplies, morale was low, and with a large enemy force approaching, the nation’s fortune was bound to fall.

And this time, the pressure from Northern Yan’s army was completely different from before. Even if someone wanted to boost the border troops’ morale, it would be almost impossible!

On top of that, the Six Ministries were in complete chaos. Old and new officials were clashing—truly the perfect combination for national collapse!

“Master.”

Hongmei’s voice came from behind.

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“Can’t sleep!”

Li An turned around, a smug smile on his face:

“I’m in too good a mood to sleep.”

Hongmei stepped closer and lowered her voice.

“Is Great Qi really about to collapse?”

Li An nodded.

Ever since she became his personal aide after being his contact’s superior, Hongmei had shared the same goal as Li An’s system: to completely deplete Great Qi’s national fortune.

“Look at the current court, the people’s livelihood, the situation! The fall of the nation… is only a matter of time…”

Li An stretched and said,
“Maybe by tomorrow morning, we’ll hear news of the Northern Yan army invading, and Great Qi’s collapse.”

A complex expression flickered in Hongmei’s eyes.

“Master… and after Great Qi falls?”

“After the nation falls?”

Li An paused.

Yeah, what would happen after Great Qi fell?

If Great Qi really collapsed and Northern Yan invaded, would his mission as a “spy” be complete?

Then what?

Would the Northern Yan emperor grant him a title?

Wealth and glory?
Silks and fine foods?
Or… “When the birds are gone, the bow is hidden; when the rabbit dies, the hound is cooked”?

Who cares! He wasn’t really from this world.

After completing the system’s mission, he could take all the gold back to the modern world and live as the richest man.

But before fully completing the “defeat the nation” mission…

Li An realized he still needed to be careful.

His covert identity was that of a Northern Yan spy, yet openly he was a figure at the “eye of the storm” in Great Qi.

The civil service exams reform, the turmoil in the Six Ministries, the border army’s famine—he had orchestrated all of it.

If Northern Yan really invaded and Great Qi truly fell, the first heads to roll in the Great Qi court would probably include his own!

“Damn it…”

Li An cursed under his breath.

He nearly let the sight of the “fruits of victory” cloud his judgment.

If he were executed before Great Qi had fully collapsed, how much gold would he lose?

“Hongmei.”

After a moment of thought, Li An decided action was necessary.

“Master?”

“You know…”

Li An said seriously, “If we wanted to run now, would it still be possible?”

Hongmei was slightly taken aback.

“Run?”

“Yes, run.”

Li An looked around to make sure no one was watching.

“The situation is so chaotic—Northern Yan’s army at the border, the Six Ministries paralyzed in the capital. This is the perfect chance to quietly slip away and find a scenic place to retire…”

“Whether Great Qi falls or not, we’ve already completed our mission. It’s no longer our concern.”

Hongmei was silent for a moment.

“You’re serious, Master?”

“Of course I’m serious.”

Li An sighed. “I want to bring Great Qi down, but I don’t want to die with it!”

“If Northern Yan really invades, the capital suffers, the emperor rages, the ministers are punished—won’t we be caught in it too?”

“Better to plan ahead. Before they realize, escape is the best strategy!”

Hongmei nodded. Being Northern Yan spies whose mission was about to be completed, it was only prudent to ensure their own safety.

“You’re right, Master.”

“I’ll start preparing tomorrow.”

“Silver notes, valuables, rations, horses…”

She counted on her fingers.

“Also clean clothes, portable gold and silver utensils, a few sets of normal clothing…”

“Yes, yes, prepare everything.”

Li An waved his hand, suddenly remembering something.

“Oh, prepare a set of doctor’s clothes too.”

“If anyone questions us on the road, we can claim to be itinerant physicians.”

Hongmei was momentarily stunned.

“You can treat patients too, Master?”

“No.” Li An said confidently. “But I can bluff.”

“Look, listen, ask, and take pulses—touch a few, and just say some nonsense like ‘Qi and blood both weak’ or ‘excessive liver fire’…”

“Who could expose me?”

Hongmei was used to his antics by now, yet a faint smile still appeared on her cold face.

Having worked with him for so long, she was accustomed to his occasional ridiculous schemes.

“Be quick, but don’t draw attention.”

Li An reminded her one last time.

“Don’t get caught.”

After giving these instructions, the night breeze passed through the pavilion, bringing a hint of coolness.

Li An yawned and stretched, feeling much more at ease.

“Alright, time to sleep.”

“Tomorrow, we still need to keep an eye on those people!”

“Even though I’ve been ‘reflecting behind closed doors,’ some things still require attention.”

Hongmei followed him, softly assuring: “Don’t worry, Master. I’ll make the arrangements.”

…

The next morning, Li An leisurely slept in until the sun was high.

After washing up, he called for Jin Daya.

“Sir!”

Jin Daya knelt respectfully. “Your servant has arrived!”

“Get up, get up. Don’t kneel for no reason.”

Li An raised a hand. “I want to ask… how are things outside recently?”

“Outside?”

Jin Daya stood, scratching his head. “Master said you were staying in the mansion, reflecting, and not caring about the outside world. Why ask now?”

“Cut the chatter.”

Li An rolled his eyes. “I may be reflecting at home, but I’m not dead.”

“I still need to know what’s happening outside.”

“Oh, alright. I’ll report.”

Jin Daya cleared his throat and began in detail:

“The Six Ministries…”

“Utter chaos?”

“Uh…”

Jin Daya’s expression was strange. “Not exactly.”

Li An frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Well…”

Jin Daya rubbed his hands, seeming embarrassed to say it. “Over at the Ministry of Works, although old and new craftsmen still had conflicts, they… haven’t been fighting much lately.”

“Not fighting? That’s bad!”

Li An frowned sharply, a sense of foreboding rising.

“Why?”

“Well… I’m not entirely sure. It seems someone mediated between them.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know.”

Jin Daya shook his head. “But the workers at the Ministry of Works are now working diligently.”

“They finish their work by day and even put in overtime at night.”

“The noise is so loud the whole street can hear. I’ve received many complaints from the residents nearby!”

Li An’s frown deepened.

Overtime?

Weren’t these people supposed to slack off, obstruct production, and waste time?

Why were they suddenly working harder?

“And the Ministry of Revenue?”

“The Ministry of Revenue…”

Jin Daya blinked. “Liu Banshen (the fortune teller) said he was going to return to fortune-telling, right?”

“But he didn’t leave?”

“No, he didn’t.”

Jin Daya continued: “Not only did he stay, he also dealt with those troublesome old hands who challenged him.”

“Using some kind of ‘financial audit’ trick, he caught several of them in the act.”

“Now no one dares oppose him there.”

Li An was completely dumbfounded.

Liu Banshen? That fortune teller?

When did he become so formidable?

“And?”

“And…”

Jin Daya thought for a moment. “At the Department of Agriculture, the sweet potatoes that Old Li planted seem to be growing well.”

“I heard the harvest will be ready soon.”

“It could amount to tens of thousands of shi of grain!”

Li An’s expression changed completely.

Sweet potatoes? Tens of thousands of shi?

Was this some kind of joke?

He had planted these people to cause disruption, not to make them successful!

“Are you sure there’s no mistake?”

He stared at Jin Daya, confirming again.

“Positive!”

Jin Daya nodded naturally. “These are things I’ve seen with my own eyes.”

“Even though you’re at home reflecting, we’ve been busy outside.”

“Everyone knows you were pushed aside by the old guard.”

“We couldn’t let your efforts go to waste.”

“So the big guys quietly…”

At this point, Jin Daya stopped suddenly, realizing he might have spoken too much.

Was it necessary to show off their achievements to their master?

Master had already been so supportive and patriotic. Wasn’t it their duty to act?

“Stop what? You… continue.”

Li An narrowed his eyes, questioning: “What exactly have you been doing behind the scenes?”

“Uh…”

Jin Daya quickly shrank his neck. “Please don’t be angry, Master…”

“We just… thought your arrangements must have a deeper purpose.”

“So we… took the initiative… no! We self-righteously… interpreted your intentions and coordinated among ourselves?”

Li An took a deep breath, telling himself to stay calm—nothing bad might have happened—and continued:

“Coordinated?”

“How exactly?”

“Be specific.”

Jin Daya gritted his teeth and explained in detail:

“For example… the fights at the Ministry of Works, Eunuch Liu sent people to mediate.”

“At the Ministry of Revenue, when someone harassed Liu Banshen, Qian Xiaohai offered advice.”

“At the Department of Agriculture, I secretly recruited some migrants to help.”

“And on the streets, we organized the chaotic migrants to work—cleaning trash, transporting goods, and so on.”

“Also…”

He looked at Li An’s displeased face and cautiously continued: “The grain carts that were stuck in the capital, Zhao Dadan found a way to escort them out.”

“Under cover of night, taking small paths, sending them to the border.”

Hearing this, Li An’s expression completely stiffened.

He felt his blood pressure rising.

These guys…

These damned fools!

The chaotic situation he painstakingly created… had been smoothed over by them?!

Damn it! How could he have forgotten these four great disasters?!

“You guys…” He gritted his teeth.
“Have you lost your minds?”

Jin Daya knelt immediately. “Master, calm down!”

“We… we only did it for your sake!”

“We knew you were being marginalized and wanted to help you regain control.”

“And don’t worry, Master, we have no intention of taking credit…”

“All our actions outside are in your name. Once you reappear, all the credit will be yours!”

Li An almost collapsed.

Credit?

I don’t want credit!

I want the nation to fall!

You bunch of useless teammates!

No…

They weren’t useless teammates.

They were overly “considerate” teammates.

So considerate that they took it upon themselves to “save the day” for me.

“Alright, alright. You can go now.”

Li An waved his hand wearily, feeling mentally exhausted.

“Master…”

“Get out!”

“Yes, sir!”

Jin Daya ran off like he’d just been pardoned.

…

Li An slumped in his chair, completely dejected.

How could this be happening?

He couldn’t make sense of it.

He had clearly thrown everything into chaos.

The Six Ministries had clearly been paralyzed.

The border army had clearly run out of supplies.

So why, all of a sudden, did these problems seem to have quietly resolved themselves behind the scenes—beyond his sight?

It made no sense!

He shot up from his chair.

No.

He had to see for himself.

Just hearing it from Jin Daya wasn’t enough; who knew if he was bluffing?

…

At midnight.

The streets of the capital were deserted.

Curfew had begun, and ordinary citizens had gone home to sleep.

Moonlight spilled over the cobblestones, casting a cold, pale glow.

Occasionally, a few stray cats darted along the corners, their eyes shining an eerie green in the dark.

The night-watchmen beat their wooden clappers, calling out in a weak voice, “Dry weather, beware of fire.”

But in some corners, people were still busy.

Li An, dressed in black with a cloth covering his face, moved across the rooftops like a nimble cat.

The night wind blew through his sleeves, chilling him to the bone.

He stepped carefully on the tiles, avoiding spots that might creak.

The stealth skills he was using came from his time in the Northern Yan spy camp.

Who would’ve thought they’d be used tonight… to spy on his own subordinates?

Truly ironic.

He first arrived at the Ministry of Works’ Armaments Bureau.

From afar, he saw the place brightly lit.

The firelight tinted half the sky red.

Even from two streets away, he could smell the sharp tang of burning coal.

Were they really still working at this hour?

He crept closer, lying flat on the rooftop to observe.

In the courtyard of the Armaments Bureau, a group of craftsmen were working with intense energy.

A dozen blazing furnaces glowed red, lighting the workers’ faces.

Sweat ran down their cheeks, hitting the ground and evaporating instantly.

The rhythmic clang of hammering rang out in perfect order, like a musical performance.

But this wasn’t the sound of fighting.

It was… iron being forged?

“Station One! Materials selected!”

“Station Two! Fire ready!”

“Station Three! Prepare to hammer!”

“Station Four! Ready to quench!”

Li An stared at the orderly assembly-line work below, dumbfounded.

This… this was the “assembly line” Zhang Tiezhu had been trying to implement?

And it had actually worked?!

He remembered how, when Zhang Tiezhu first took office, the veteran craftsmen had bullied him mercilessly.

So how… now were these same old hands cooperating so seamlessly?

“Brother Tiezhu!”

An older craftsman walked over, smiling.

“Once we finish this batch of knives tonight, we’ll have completed a hundred units!”

“A record!”

Zhang Tiezhu wiped the sweat from his forehead and grinned.

“Of course! My method may be clumsy, but it works!”

“As long as the roles are clear and everyone does their part, efficiency naturally increases!”

“Let’s tell Lord Li when we’re done; he’ll be pleased!”

The old craftsman nodded repeatedly.

“Yes, yes! Lord Li is a genius!”

“At first, we thought sending Tiezhu here was nonsense.”

“Now we see, it was true wisdom!”

“Yes, indeed!”

Other craftsmen nodded in agreement.

“Although Lord Li is suppressed at court, we understand!”

“He genuinely cares about the common people like us!”

“We mustn’t let him down!”

“Work hard! Don’t disappoint him!”

Listening from the rooftop, Li An felt a mix of emotions.

This really was…

Fear not a godlike opponent, but a teammate who’s too well-meaning and overthinks things.

That saying fit him perfectly.

He quietly left the Ministry and moved onto the streets.

Sure enough, as Jin Daya had said, the vagrants who were supposed to be scattered were now organized by a group wearing red armbands.

Some were cleaning the streets, others transporting supplies, and some repairing damaged houses.

Even at this late hour, everyone was working energetically.

“Hurry, hurry!”

A man with a red armband shouted.

“Is the food loaded?”

“Loaded!”

“Then move out!”

“Lord Zhao is waiting outside the city!”

“The supplies must reach the border tonight!”

Li An watched the carts quietly leave the city, his mind spinning.

Lord Zhao? That bold Zhao!

He had almost forgotten him!

And this bought-in trade supervisor?

Was secretly sending supplies to the frontier?!

This… what the hell was going on?

He decided to follow them.

…

Outside the city, Li An tailed the convoy.

The supply carts twisted and turned through the streets, finally arriving at a secluded valley.

Under the moonlight, Li An saw that the valley was already filled with supplies.

Grain, weapons, horses… everything one could need.

In the center, Jin Daya stood on a wooden crate, addressing the crowd.

Old Li, Liu Banxian… and Zhao Dadan, Qian Xiaohai…

Even Zhang Tiezhu, previously forging iron, had changed clothes and arrived here.

Tsk tsk tsk…

These guys had secretly banded together behind his back!

“Brothers!”

Jin Daya’s voice echoed through the night.

“Don’t you understand Lord Li’s intentions?”

“He wants to break the old ways!”

“Now that the old system is shattered, it’s our turn to build the new one!”

“Lord Li has been forced to resign and is under pressure at the residence; we must not let him lose face outside!”

Everyone responded in unison.

“Yes!”

“We mustn’t let him down!”

“Lord Li endured so much for us common folk!”

“Now it’s our turn to support him!”

Jin Daya nodded and asked,

“How’s the assembly line at the Ministry of Works?”

Zhang Tiezhu shouted,

“Almost complete! Efficiency is triple what it used to be!”

“Good! And the sweet potatoes at the Ministry of Revenue?”

Old Li said excitedly,

“They’re growing well! Harvest in a month!”

“Enough to supply a hundred thousand shi of grain!”

“How about the accounts at the Ministry of Households?”

Liu Banxian stroked his beard proudly:

“I’ve dug up all the corrupt officials’ hidden funds!”

“At Lord Li’s command, they can be dealt with at any time!”

Jin Daya nodded in satisfaction.

“Good! Everything’s good!”

He looked around at everyone present.

Zhao Dadan stood on the left, dust still on his clothes from escorting the supply carts.

Qian Xiaohai on the right, sunburned from coastal patrols.

“All of us were promoted by Lord Li personally,” Jin Daya’s voice rang loud:

“Without him, I’d still be on the streets, called a bum and a hooligan.”

“Now I’m a seventh-rank official! Who wouldn’t call me ‘Lord Jin’?”

Zhang Tiezhu shouted too:

“Without him, I’d still be hammering iron in the valley my whole life!”

Old Li wiped tears from his eyes:

“Without him, I’d still be digging for food in the fields; my son couldn’t marry, my grandson couldn’t go to school!”

Liu Banxian twirled his beard, unusually serious:

“Without him, I’d still be tricking people for money as a street fortune teller, getting chased every few days!”

Zhao Dadan pounded his chest:

“Without him, I’d still be blinded by the gambling den, eventually losing my life!”

Qian Xiaohai shouted:

“Without him, my father would still confine me at home; how could I serve as coastal inspector?”

Jin Daya beamed at their loyalty, then drew a deep breath and spoke even more passionately:

“Lord Li gave us a lifeline, and we must repay him!”

“Though he’s been pushed aside by those dog officials, we cannot let his efforts go to waste!”

“When Lord Li returns to office, we’ll present all these achievements!”

“Let the world see—none of Lord Li’s chosen are worthless!”

Everyone raised their arms, shouting, their voices reverberating through the valley.

“Lord Li is wise!”

“We pledge loyalty to Lord Li!”

“To give our lives if necessary!”

Li An froze, hidden in the shadows.

What does it mean to want to cry but have no tears?

This is it.

All his scheming to ruin Great Qi, and his subordinates secretly “saved” it.

The saddest part?

They genuinely thought they were doing the right thing.

They believed Li An was a great man.

A saint breaking class barriers, promoting talent from below.

They were repaying Li An’s “favor” in their own way.

Li An suddenly realized that his efforts this second cycle were a massive joke.

He tried to do evil, and it got interpreted as good.

He tried to sabotage, and it became reform.

He tried to ruin the country, and a group of “loyal” subordinates preserved it.

What is this called?

Backfiring.

Also… fate’s cruel joke.

…

Back at his residence, Li An flopped onto his bed in utter despair.

“The situation isn’t looking good… but the system’s values are the final measure. Let’s check the system…”

He muttered weakly.

Ding!

The system panel appeared before his eyes.

【Current Great Qi National Fortune: 35,247】

Seeing this number, Li An slightly relaxed.

Good, the national fortune hasn’t risen.

Maybe… their actions haven’t had an effect yet?

Maybe… they just shouted slogans loudly, but the actual effect was minimal?

He looked further.

【Hidden Parameter Monitoring】

【Civil Potential: +12,847 (continuously rising)】

【Grassroots Order: +5,632 (gradually restoring)】

【People’s Confidence: +3,421 (slowly recovering)】

Li An’s eyes nearly popped out.

Civil potential?

Grassroots order?

People’s confidence?

What the hell were these?

The system seemed to sense his confusion and kindly offered an explanation:

【Hint: The above are hidden parameters affecting national fortune】

【When hidden parameters accumulate to a certain extent, national fortune will rebound】

Li An read this and went completely pale.

A rebound in national fortune?

So that meant all his efforts over the past few days were about to be wasted?!

Li An was in shock.

What the hell was happening?

He had done nothing these past days, watched national fortune plummet, and thought it was safe.

But… his loyal subordinates secretly carried out a massive project?

Assembly lines, sweet potatoes, audits, food delivery to the frontier…

With this combo, how could national fortune not rebound?

Li An had planned to ruin the country, placing them in office to disrupt governance!

He hadn’t intended to train a group of capable ministers to govern Great Qi!

These people were genuinely repaying his “favor,” not sabotaging him.

No, they weren’t doing it on purpose.

They genuinely thought they were doing good.

They genuinely believed Li An was a great reformer.

They genuinely believed that hard work could help him “rise again.”

The problem…

Li An didn’t want to rise again!

Li An wanted the western sun to set, and Great Qi to fall!

“No!”

“This isn’t fair…”

“I haven’t done anything…”

“How could this happen…”

He rolled on the bed, despairing, thinking…

Damn it, the Four Great Disasters… had ultimately boomeranged, landing on his own head!

At that moment, urgent footsteps sounded outside the door.

“Master! Master!”

It was Hongmei.

“What’s the matter?”

Li An asked weakly.

“Someone has arrived from the palace!”

“The palace?”

Li An jolted upright.

“At this hour? For what purpose?”

“The eunuch delivering the edict said…”

Hongmei took a deep breath.

“The Northern Yan envoy has arrived in the capital.”

“Ninth Princess is here again… and…”

“She specifically requested to see the dismissed Lord Li!”

Li An: “……”

Northern Yan envoy?

Murong Xue?

At this critical moment?