After several years of drought, in the 40th year of Jianwu, the celestial phenomena became even more unusual, with frequent rainfall beginning.

Qihe also entered the flood season. In mid-May, the river mouth breached, and the flood destroyed villages and farmland downstream.

The floods displaced even more people, and the number of refugees increased significantly. In June, a plague broke out after the floods subsided.

This made the already beset by internal and external troubles, and the rebellions of local powerful clans and mercenaries, even more precarious.

In the imperial court, none of the ministers offered any advice on the breach of the Qi River dike and the resulting epidemic. Instead, they took the opportunity to urge Emperor Jianwu to establish a crown prince.

"This is an unusual event, not a blessing for the country. I urge Your Majesty to establish a crown prince as soon as possible to stabilize the nation and the people's hearts."

During the morning court session, Emperor Jianwu was furious when he heard Guo Huaiqing, the deputy commissioner of the Court of Transmission, again requesting the establishment of a crown prince. He spat and cursed.

“Every year I allocate special funds from the national treasury to repair the river embankments, yet they can't even withstand the spring floods. What have these people done with the money? Now that something has happened, not only do you lack a plan to stabilize the country, but you are also preoccupied with choosing an heir. You are utterly useless. Are you just here to collect your salaries?”

Everyone lowered their heads and remained silent, thinking to themselves, "It's all because Your Majesty is dragging your feet on appointing a crown prince, leaving each of us with a glimmer of hope. Before the next ruler is decided, how can we have any motivation to work?"

The real reason for the floods is obvious to everyone. Every year, the special funds allocated are embezzled and bribed at each level, leaving very little actually used for the river management.

Moreover, due to years of drought, the riverbeds were cracked and silted up, and people became even more complacent. The prefectural governor of Chenliu, where Qihe is located, had not paid any attention to this matter in the past two years, nor had he taken any defensive measures.

Therefore, once the flood season begins, the entire river embankment is so fragile that it collapses easily when swept away by the floodwaters.

Because the embezzlement of funds had far-reaching implications, if a real investigation were conducted, half of the people attending the morning court would be implicated. No one wanted to get involved in this mess, so after the riverbank breached, the officials automatically avoided the topic.

Even when Emperor Jianwu himself mentioned it, no one submitted a memorial to echo his sentiments, as they were all afraid of getting involved and being dragged into the mire.

This gives a glimpse into the corruption of the current administration.

Emperor Jianwu understood this, which only fueled his anger. After his outburst of rage, he could no longer conceal his weariness.

Since the Crown Prince was deposed, his pressure has increased even more. He can hardly sleep at night, and his health is deteriorating. Thinking of his sons, Emperor Jianwu is also pondering the matter repeatedly in his mind.

After the court session, Liu Heng, who had been considering the matter for several days, met with Emperor Jianwu in his study and expressed his willingness to go to Chenliu to investigate the case and to manage the floods and plagues.

Although the task was arduous, Liu Heng was confident due to his years of preparation. Moreover, once he successfully completed the mission, his prestige in the court and among the people would reach its zenith.

Liu Heng understood that this was a crucial moment, and Emperor Jianwu was undoubtedly weighing his options. To rise to prominence, one had to achieve results, and now was the opportune time.

Moreover, Liu Heng had long been dissatisfied with the lax performance evaluation of officials and the chaotic administration, and had thought of many reform measures to address the problems. Although none of them were needed for the time being, his first step was to target the Prefectural Assistant of Chenliu.

After receiving Emperor Jianwu's permission and the official decree, Liu Heng rushed to Chenliu, and everyone in the backyard fell silent.

Baili seemed unaffected by the previous awkwardness, remaining as friendly as ever and frequently coming to talk to Lin Yuqiao.

That afternoon, she inadvertently revealed some news to Lin Yuqiao: "A new person has entered the Princess's courtyard. She is beautiful and charming. Although she is not as beautiful as you, Consort, she is still very outstanding. I'm afraid the Princess is about to make a move."

"Oh? Your information network is quite efficient, sister."

Setting down the half-eaten Ruyi cake in her hand, Lin Yuqiao looked at Baili Shi with great interest.

“I saw it the other day when I went to visit the Princess Consort in her hospital room. Unlike the concubine, I am not young and favored. This is how my life will be. I don’t have any children to rely on. I can only try to please the Princess Consort and hope that my life won’t be too difficult.”

When talking about her children, Baili's eyes couldn't hide her sadness.

If her son, who died young, were alive, he would probably be starting his education by now, and she would have been promoted to concubine long ago, instead of having no hope at all now.

Thinking of this, she felt a surge of hatred for the princess. She always pretended to be a virtuous person, but never said a word in her defense or to elevate her rank.

Taking a sip of tea, Baili glanced at Lin Yuqiao, who seemed lost in thought, and felt a chill run down her spine.

She also hated Lin Yuqiao. If Lin Yuqiao hadn't married in and taken the position of concubine, she might have had a chance to advance if she had persevered a little longer.

Thinking back to how she had worked so hard to help Lin Yuqiao go to Yuanwu City last year, and how Lin Yuqiao not only got away without any trouble on the way, but also became even more favored after returning, Baili was filled with resentment.

The feeling of lifting a rock only to drop it on one's own foot is truly disgusting.

"I only reminded you because I am close to you. To be frank, the princess's intentions are already obvious. The concubine should have a plan soon. Even if it works out, it will only mean one more concubine. She can't surpass the concubine, but she will always take advantage of you. I feel bad for the concubine just thinking about it."

After saying this, Madam Baili sighed and looked at Lin Yuqiao with some pity, as if she had been disliked.

"Thank you for reminding me, sister. Alas, it's probably because of the Third Young Master's matter. In the end, the Princess Consort is tired of me."

Suppressing her discomfort, Lin Yuqiao pretended to hold Baili's hand tightly, moved closer to her, and whispered in her ear.

Hearing Lin Yuqiao bring up the matter of the Third Young Master, Madam Baili visibly perked up. Liu Heng had never publicly addressed this matter, and various rumors had circulated within the household; Madam Baili was unaware of the true situation.

Seeing Baili looking at her curiously, Lin Yuqiao whispered, "Well, in short, I was framed. Think about it, sister, you'll understand. I don't even have a child; why would I do something so sinful if there's no benefit in it?"

These vague words left Baili completely bewildered, and he felt an intense urge to know what had happened.

But no matter how she tried to coax or trick Lin Yuqiao into revealing information, she couldn't get any more useful details out of him.

Finally, as night fell, Baili Shi left with some regret. On the way, she was still speculating about who had done what Liu Feng had done.

If we're talking about who truly benefited from this, it would undoubtedly be Consort Jiang. Could it be her?

As expected, barking dogs don't bite; she knew Consort Jiang wasn't truly honest.

Baili was misled by Lin Yuqiao's thinking, convinced that Consort Jiang was incredibly capable. The fact that she's still safe and sound, without being punished, likely means she hasn't left any evidence, indicating that Consort Jiang does indeed possess some skill.

Knowing that it was Consort Jiang who did it, Lady Baili felt a little regretful. If Consort Jiang were punished and dismissed because of this, she would have a chance to be promoted.

Having been given a new perspective, Baili's mind immediately became active again.

Inside the room, Lin Yuqiao leaned against the couch, casually flipping through a storybook, while holding a cup of warm milk tea in her hand.

"Consort, do you think the Princess really intends to promote concubines to share the Emperor's favor?"

Granny Jiang listened to Baili's words the whole time and felt somewhat worried.

"I suppose so. The princess is still recovering from her illness, and she looks thin and sallow. It's only natural that she would make other plans."

Lin Yuqiao felt that what Baili said was probably true. Moreover, it wasn't hard to guess what the princess was thinking.

"What should we do about the concubine? If she's pregnant when the prince returns, won't she just end up with someone else?"

Compared to Lin Yuqiao, Granny Jiang thought much further ahead. Lin Yuqiao was healthy, and having a child was only a matter of time. Then, the year she was pregnant would be free.

Unexpectedly, Granny Jiang had such a broad perspective; it was only after being reminded by her that Lin Yuqiao thought of this aspect.

However, she still trusts Liu Heng for now. After all, he made her a promise before.

Liu Heng is not a man of his word. If he says something, he will definitely do it. Besides making her take the blame, he has no other dark history.

"We'll see when the time comes. The prince isn't one to be swayed by women, so we can only wait and see. Besides, there's nothing we can do about it. Even if we tried, we couldn't get into the princess's quarters. There are so many beautiful women out there; if one doesn't work, the princess might just switch to someone else."

She gestured to Granny Jiang to pour her another cup of milk tea, then picked up her storybook again. Of course, she wasn't as relaxed as she appeared.

She was always passive and powerless in her relationship with Liu Heng, which made her feel very uncomfortable.

Besides hoping he would keep his promise, there was nothing else she could do. Even if he broke his promise, there was nothing she could do; she would still have to rely on him and depend on him.

Ultimately, all she can control is herself. The feelings she gives him are limited; once they're completely used up, they're gone.

By then, she will have a child, and with such a long-standing emotional foundation, perhaps she can still live a good life even without being emotionally invested.

However, it will probably be very difficult.

After returning home, Madam Baili waited for Lin Yuqiao to make any move. Now that she had no hope left, she wished that everyone she disliked would suffer.

Unable to act herself, Lady Baili hoped that Lin Yuqiao and the Princess Consort would face off. She would be happy if either of them lost, and she also hoped to gain some benefit from it.

But before Lady Baili could hear any action from Lin Yuqiao, she heard that Consort Jiang's second son, Liu Yan, had contracted chickenpox.

Since Liu Feng left, Consort Jiang has been urging Liu Yan to be more ambitious. She wants Liu Yan to make more of a name for himself while there are no other children to distract Liu Heng.

Liu Yan was still just a child, and Liu Yan himself was a thoughtful person. Under the pressure of both academic and physical stress, his body couldn't handle it and he developed a fever.

With Liu Feng's unexpected death as a precedent, everyone has developed a psychological aversion to fever.

Consort Jiang hurriedly summoned a doctor, and upon hearing the diagnosis that she had "seen the pregnancy," she was terrified.

Fortunately, Liu Yan has always been in good health. Although he is older, his symptoms are mild and not dangerous.

Liu Yan's smallpox outbreak was a major event, and Liu Heng was not at home. The Princess Consort could no longer recuperate and had to come out to take charge.

Despite her long-term illness and weakened body, the princess instructed people to prepare mulberry worms and pig tails, clean all the houses, and prohibit fried and stir-fried foods throughout the mansion. She also joined Consort Jiang in making offerings to the Goddess of Smallpox.

With Liu Yan being such a precious child, Consort Jiang was naturally the most anxious.

She had never had smallpox and could not take care of the patient closely. In addition to making offerings to the Goddess of Smallpox and praying for peace, she also took a large red ruler and had the maids and other close people in the courtyard make clothes, hoping that the Goddess would leave peacefully because of her sincerity.

Liu Heng, far away in Chenliu, was very worried when he learned that Liu Yan had contracted smallpox. After the incident with Liu Feng, he had tightened his control over the inner quarters of the household.

Liu Heng was only relieved after the people left in the manor had investigated and confirmed that Liu Yan's illness was not caused by anyone using underhanded means. He then wrote a letter to the Princess Consort, giving her many instructions.

He's almost thirty, and he only has these two sons left. Liu Yan is clever and ambitious, and he can't afford to waste any more time on him.

Lady Baili made a special trip to visit Consort Jiang in her courtyard, and even had the people around her wear red.

Her actions were very appreciated by Consort Jiang, who was worried about her son and wished the whole household would wear red.

However, Consort Jiang's heart skipped a beat when she heard the implication in Baili's words that the matter was done with the Princess.

"The young master will be able to marry his princess in two years. The only one who is close to him in age is the second young master. The second young master was about to grow up but fell ill so suddenly. I am also very sad."

Although she didn't have any other special skills, Baili Shi was quite adept at speaking to people in a human way and to ghosts in a ghost way. Coupled with her heartfelt performance, she was indeed quite infectious.

Although her words ostensibly referred to the Crown Prince, they actually contained a hidden agenda, implying that only the Second Prince posed a threat to the Crown Prince. His illness stemmed from this very reason.

"Yan-ge'er was delighted to see this, and I was anxious too."

Consort Jiang was so concerned that she lost her composure. She noticed that Baili's eyes were already red, and she covered her eyes with her handkerchief halfway through her speech.

Seeing that this trip had been very fruitful, Baili was pleased with himself.

But as soon as she left the hospital, Consort Jiang put away the handkerchief covering her glasses.

She was a sensible person and knew what Baili Shi's mentality was; he was just trying to sow discord and watch the show.

Although she had some vague suspicions, she had no evidence and figured the princess wouldn't be so bold, so she forced herself to stop thinking about it.

Consort Jiang was always decisive and composed. She had no respect for Baili Shi's headless, aimless behavior, always trying to get involved in everything and gain some benefit.

Lacking both skill and character, such a person deserves to have no hope for the rest of their life.

Last year, Baili used Lin Yuqiao's son as bait to get her to go to Yuanwu City, and she still remembers it.

Baili was not a kind-hearted person who liked to help others. She had not gotten any benefits from trying to get close to Consort Lin, so she wanted to go to her.

Consort Jiang sneered inwardly. How could Baili think she was so clever and so discreet, watching others make a fool of themselves while unaware that her actions had already been observed by others.

Neither Consort Lin nor she herself showed any reaction; they were simply looking to see her make a fool of herself.

Neither Consort Jiang nor Lin Yuqiao made any move, causing Lady Baili great anxiety. She secretly resented their cowardice; now that the Princess Consort was ill, it was the perfect time to act, so what was there to fear?

Just as Liu Yan's pimples were breaking out and about to scab over, news of a ghost story suddenly spread throughout the mansion.

The incident began when a night patrolman discovered will-o'-the-wisps floating by the pond in the backyard. Moreover, it wasn't just one person who saw it; several people witnessed the phosphorescent will-o'-the-wisps drifting around.

Then, on the second night, will-o'-the-wisps appeared in a small flower patch in front of Consort Jiang's courtyard, on the artificial hill, and in the pavilion in front of Liu Yan's courtyard.

It just so happened that it was Liu Feng's birthday that day, so rumors began to circulate among the crowd that Consort Jiang had harmed the Third Young Master, and now the Third Young Master was going to take the Second Young Master away.