“Then I’ll take Da Lang and Er Lang to pack their bags.” Madam Zhao nodded quickly.

"But what about Da Hu? Today is only the second day of the county exam, there are still two days left..."

They knew without a second thought that Hua'er's words were right; ever since she regained consciousness, not a single word she uttered was wrong.

“There’s a flood, why bother with the exam? Saving our lives is the most important thing. Go pack your things, I’m going to the examination hall to find the officials. We can take the exam next year!” Madam Su frowned, and before she could finish speaking, she turned to leave.

"Mother and sister-in-law, don't worry. This is just my personal speculation." Su Hua reached out to stop them. "I have already sent Wang Ergou with the staff to the county to check. If these strange phenomena are not only present in the restaurant, but throughout the entire Qingshui area, then we can make arrangements. Floods don't just happen overnight."

She actually hoped her premonition was wrong, because if a major flood occurred, it wouldn't just affect one county.

However, when Wang Ergou and his group returned, they were all filled with doubt.

“Boss, you’re right. We’ve checked all the public drinking water wells in the alley. More than 70% of them are bubbling. Several wells in the north of the city have even changed color, with black and yellow muddy water churning inside. And in the east of the city, two dry wells suddenly started to gush out spring water.”

"As for the strange things you mentioned along the way, we each encountered quite a few dead snakes and dead rats on the road."

"Also, at the livestock market in the West Market, the horses, cattle, donkeys, and sheep are all acting like they've gone mad. They're either banging against the fences, breaking their reins and trying to escape, or kicking and pawing at the ground. There are layers upon layers of mosquitoes floating in the air, trying to get into people's noses. The dealers are all rushing to the clinics in a panic!"

"In addition, we encountered several dogs along the way. Some were carrying puppies and running away, while others were sniffing and pawing at the ground. There was also a huge yellow dog that was lying on the ground whimpering like a person. It was really creepy to watch..."

Su Bai's heart leaped into her throat. "Hua'er, these strange things... I'm afraid a great flood is really coming! We must hurry back to the village!"

"A major flood?" The group of men were all stunned.

This great flood hasn't happened in many years!

"Wang Ergou, write a sign and hang it at the restaurant entrance. From today onwards, the restaurant is closed. As for the staff, give them all a holiday and send them back to their villages to harvest rice. The sooner the better!" Su Hua took the calligraphy and mounted her horse.

"This matter is of great importance. I need to go to the county government office first and communicate with Magistrate Qin."

"Mother, you all go back to the village first. As for my eldest brother, we'll see about that later."

As soon as he finished speaking, a thunderbolt struck down from the sky, and purple lightning flashed before everyone's eyes like a giant beast. Everyone instinctively covered their ears, and the men, who were originally somewhat doubtful, began to pound with fear.

Seeing that she was about to run away, the Su family members were even more worried. Su Bai stepped forward in a few steps and said, "Hua'er, the great flood is no small matter. Let me go with you."

"With Qingdai protecting me, you don't need to worry." Su Hua smiled reassuringly at them. "Mother, hurry back and have Uncle Yang and the others harvest all the rice. I'll be back shortly."

Having said that, he squeezed his legs tightly around the horse's belly and spurred the horse out of the courtyard.

Behind her, Qingdai followed at a distance, using her light-footed skills.

Seeing this, Su Bai was finally relieved and waved to everyone, "Quickly, everyone, pack up your tools and go back. Time waits for no one. Let's go back to the village and harvest the rice first."

The group of workers quickly agreed. Although there was no sign of a flood yet, since the young master said there was a flood, it was probably true.

At the Qingshui County government office, Magistrate Qin's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly upon seeing Su Hua arrive. "Hua'er, what brings you here today?"

Su Hua got straight to the point, recounting all the unusual phenomena she had observed that morning. "Uncle Qin, these unusual phenomena are very likely signs of an impending great flood. However, there are still more than ten days until the rice is fully ripe. I came here with Uncle Qin to discuss some ideas."

Magistrate Qin sighed, "To be honest, Hua'er, I'm also worried about this matter. These strange phenomena are not only happening in our Qingshui County, but also in several neighboring counties. Last night, all the chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep on our Qin family's estates all went crazy."

“With the great flood, the crops were practically wiped out. If we harvest early now, even if the rice isn’t fully ripe, at least 80% of the harvest can be saved. If we let the people of Qingshui County harvest now…” Su Hua pursed her lips, “In Uncle Qin’s opinion, is this feasible?”

Magistrate Qin stared at her for a long time, then suddenly a thought struck him, "Has Hua'er already come up with a plan?"

Su Hua raised her lips, and instead of answering, asked, "I wonder how taxes were collected in Qingshui County in previous years?"

Magistrate Qin bowed to the north and said, “Your Majesty is benevolent. Taxes vary from prefecture to prefecture. Our Qingshui County is located in a remote area with many mountains and little arable land. It has always been the lowest, with only one-tenth of the taxes. Now that Qingshui County has been designated as Hua’er’s fief, the taxes no longer need to be submitted to the court. They all belong to Hua’er.”

Su Hua nodded. “My idea is that those who harvest rice early can be exempted from this year’s taxes. In this way, the farmers’ income will be almost the same as that of those who harvest ten days later.”

The man was startled and stood frozen in place for a long while. Then he respectfully bowed deeply to the girl, saying, "The Lady of Le'an County is benevolent! It is a blessing for the people of Qingshui County to be subjects of the Lady!"

Qingshui County was the fiefdom of the Lady of Le'an County, and all the people, land, and taxes within the county belonged to her.

But food is crucial to everyone's ability to fill their stomachs. Whether or not a great flood will occur is not certain. Directly ordering the early harvest of rice, even if the magistrate of Le'an County is the magistrate of Qingshui County, could very likely cause widespread resentment among the people.

Given such an unusual phenomenon, any person with a brain would know which option to choose: harvest the rice early or continue paying taxes!

The common people could have perfectly avoided the losses, but she alone suffered a direct loss of tens of thousands of grains.

Such a righteous act is something that few men in the world could do!

"I will naturally protect my people." Su Hua waved her hand, changing the subject. "I just heard Uncle Qin say that there are also strange phenomena in the neighboring counties around Qingshui County. I wonder if Prefect Liu has taken any measures?"

“I haven’t heard of it yet.” Magistrate Qin shook his head. “I was just about to write a letter to the Prefect, but I am of low rank and my words carry little weight. Prefect Liu may not believe what I say.”

Su Hua frowned slightly. Could it be that this Prefect Liu was a bit difficult to deal with?

However, this matter concerns countless people, and it must be done no matter how difficult it is. He pursed his lips and said, "Uncle Qin, let me write this letter with you."

In Tangshan Prefecture, at the government office, a man in a gray-blue official robe sat upright in a grand chair, above him a plaque that read "A Clear Mirror Hangs High" gleaming brightly.

At that moment, looking at the letter that had been rushed into his hand, he sneered, "Strange phenomena have suddenly appeared, and there is a fear of a great flood?! She's just a young girl who hasn't even reached the age of marriage, and she thinks that by offering a sweet potato, she can rise to the top and become the Imperial Observatory? How utterly laughable!"