Solution 02

"How did it get this serious?" Xia Lun swept his gaze over the villagers, exuding a faint aura of authority.

"They are young, after all, full of youthful vigor and lacking restraint when they strike..." Lyle sighed, his back bending a bit further. "You can't blame them too much..."

"That doesn't mean they can resort to violence!" Xia Lun reprimanded. "Since your people struck first, the responsibility clearly lies with you... Youth is neither an excuse nor a justification. Mistakes must be paid for."

"Yes..." Lyle and the villagers lowered their heads in shame.

"Which ones struck first?"

Xia Lun's gaze swept through the crowd. A few young men among the villagers lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes, but no one stepped forward.

"Reporting to the Lord, the ones who struck first have already been dealt with on the spot by my guards," Reid stepped forward at the right moment, the heels of his boots tapping lightly against the ground as he replied respectfully.

Xia Lun closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and declared, "Since that is the case, this matter ends here. Enough blood has been spilled." He swept his gaze over both sides. "I do not want to see any acts of retaliation."

Xia Lun looked at Reid. "Do you accept this, Mr. Reid? Although the villagers started the trouble, they have paid with their lives... I do not wish to spend any more thought on this matter."

"Of course, my Lord. I can accept this." Reid immediately bowed, his posture submissive yet elegant.

The Lord seems to be in a rather poor mood today... Reid muttered silently in his heart.

After going back, I'll need to establish more standardized laws. This time, it can only be settled hastily like this... Xia Lun sighed inwardly.

"Then next..." Xia Lun rubbed his temples. The truly thorny issue was just beginning.

The more troublesome matter was clearly the issue of the river channel.

"Lord Hero, if that river could be brought closer to our village, the crops in the fields would definitely yield a richer harvest... The extra grain could save many lives!" Lyle said in an old, hoarse voice. He stepped forward tremblingly, pointing a twig-like finger at Reid and his men. "Meanwhile, several water wells have already been dug in Mr. Reid's manor."

"You say that as if your village has no wells... Besides, don't try to fool the Lord. I have never heard that crops yield better harvests simply by having more water." Reid scoffed dismissively, slowly adjusting his cuffs. "Moreover, you survived much harsher conditions in the past... Since the Lord arrived, he has reduced your taxes. Your current conditions can hardly be called difficult, so do not push your luck."

"Then, Mr. Reid, to you, that river is merely meant to allow you nobles to better enjoy yourselves, isn't it?" Lyle glared, his beard bristling with anger.

"Maintaining the daily operations of a manor requires a considerable amount of water, a point the Lord is surely well aware of," Reid said calmly, his tone unhurried. "Furthermore, I am no noble. The wealth I possess was earned through my own continuous learning and accumulation, by seizing business opportunities time and time again."

The tension in the air grew increasingly thick.

Xia Lun raised his hand to stop any further arguing.

"Regarding the river... I will make a decision after I return. Within three days, I will give you an answer." Xia Lun looked at the two of them. "Do you have any objections?"

"Of course not, Lord Hero."

"I will follow your arrangements entirely, my Lord."

Xia Lun still held considerable prestige, and both men bowed slightly to him.

This dispute was brought to a temporary halt.

"Then that will be all for today. Do not cause any new trouble." Xia Lun waved his hand, a hint of exhaustion revealing itself in his eyes.

Aina glanced at Xia Lun's back, her thoughts unreadable. From beginning to end, she had not spoken a single word.

Xia Lun left with Aina.

...

Xia Lun slumped onto the sofa and let out a long sigh. Aina thoughtfully massaged his shoulders.

"Thank you." Xia Lun gently touched the fair, delicate little hands on his shoulders, his mood easing significantly.

He didn't know when it started, but his usually icy wife was now willing to do such things for him.

"It's nothing." Aina's attitude remained rather cold, but the pressure of her fingertips was just right. "You've been quite tired lately."

"It's a good thing I have you." Xia Lun smiled.

The matter with Aise had dealt him a significant blow, leaving him with absolutely no mind to deal with other frustrating issues... But as the Lord of this territory, he had no choice but to shoulder the responsibility.

"Have you thought of a solution?"

After massaging his shoulders for a while, Aina sat in his lap. She was naturally asking about the river channel.

"Ah... I do have one..." Xia Lun scratched his head, his expression a bit embarrassed. "If all else fails, I might have to trouble you, Aina."

"It's fine." Aina shook her head, the cool fragrance of her hair drifting into Xia Lun's nose. "It's no trouble."

The solution Xia Lun had come up with was quite simple and crude.

Since there was a stretch of high ground between the village and the manor, making it impossible to build a river channel right in the middle to satisfy both sides... then he would just have Aina use magic to blast that high ground flat.

Merely altering the landscape was not a difficult task for Aina.

It was just that the commotion it would cause might be a bit loud and could perhaps frighten some people... He would need to do some pacification work in advance.

"But this is only a last resort... There might be other hidden dangers later on. I still want to find a more comprehensive plan..." Xia Lun rubbed the space between his brows.

Aina nodded; that was why Xia Lun had asked for three days.

"Father, what are you worrying about?"

Aise had emerged from his room at some unknown point and was standing behind Xia Lun.

Almost simultaneously, a sharp ice cone was pressed against his throat. Aise's expression did not change.

Xia Lun patted Aina's shoulder, and only then did the ice cone melt into a puddle of clear water, which quickly evaporated into white steam under rising flames.

"What did you come out for?" Aina asked coldly, the chill in her eyes not yet fully faded.

"I called for a maid, but there was no response... I just came out for a drink of water."

Aise sat down in front of Xia Lun, poured himself a cup of tea, and downed it in one gulp.

"Father, have you encountered some trouble? Do you need me to share your burden?" Aise smiled slightly, as if there were no bad blood between him and Xia Lun.

"This does not concern you. Go back at once." Xia Lun gave Aise a deep look, his eyes filled with indescribably complex emotions. "Do not come out casually in the future, and do not communicate with anyone else."

"Yes, Father." Aise, still wearing a faint smile on his lips, slowly returned to his room.