There was a loud thunderstorm in the middle of the night.

The wind was strong, howling and crashing, breaking countless tree branches and blowing away countless tiles.

The wind blows down the house, which is recorded in historical books.

For example: "A great flood swept away the towns and villages, a great wind blew away houses and broke trees."

For example: Then a strong wind rose from the northwest, breaking trees and houses, blowing sand and stones, and darkening the day and night.

"In May of the second year of the Taikang era, a violent storm struck Jinan, breaking trees and damaging wheat. In June, a strong wind struck Gaoping, breaking trees and destroying more than forty sections of residences and pavilions. In July, another strong wind struck Shangdang, damaging autumn crops. In June of the eighth year, eight major winds struck the prefectures and kingdoms. In January of the ninth year, a hailstorm struck the capital, destroying houses and uprooting trees. Two years later, the emperor passed away."

Huan Yue couldn't sleep because of the noise.

She finally couldn't sleep.

Huan Yue got up, did some quick calculations, and understood.

The little servant girl climbed out of her crib and looked at her mistress.

Crack! Boom!

Lightning illuminated the dark night, and thunder startled the little girl!

Huan Yue looked at the young palace maid: "Afraid of thunder? Come here."

The little slave girl didn't quite understand, but she obediently went over.

Huan Yue hugged her and patted her back.

They brought the lights up towards the clouds.

Crack! A bolt of lightning, brighter than a lamp!

Chao Yun's hand trembled, and she almost dropped the lamp. She carefully placed it on the small table.

Rumble! Rumble!

The thunder continued to rumble, and this particular bolt of lightning was especially terrifying!

Chao Yun understood. The little slave girl was afraid of thunder, and her master was comforting her? What audacity! She wondered if His Highness would be jealous.

Huan Yue asked, "What's that noise outside?"

There were noises outside, but Chaoyun couldn't make out what they were saying. However, she cautiously said, "I'll go and ask."

Huan Yue nodded: "I'm afraid some idiots will like to make a fuss about this."

Chao Yun was taken aback, then understood. Aren't those troublemakers exactly what they love most? They practically wish the wind would blow harder and more people would die.

Little Darling wasn't afraid. Really, even a sudden movement could startle anyone.

Huan Yue looked at her; she seemed quite bold.

The young servant girl got up, poured a cup of water for the lady, and helped her get dressed.

It's windy outside and a bit chilly. It's good to dress neatly.

Huan Yue put on his shoes, sat down on the chair, and his mind was clear.

The young servant girl placed the lamps and sat down beside her mistress. The scene outside was rather frightening.

A palace attendant rushed over and reported from the outer room: "The Chongjiao Hall has been struck by lightning."

Huan Yue exclaimed happily, "That's great! Tomorrow's morning court session is going to be lively!"

The eunuch remained silent.

Huan Yue said, "The way of Heaven is natural; we can just install lightning rods from now on."

The eunuch didn't know what a lightning rod was, but he had a general idea, so he hurried to find His Highness.

The little girl asked curiously, "What is a lightning rod?"

Huan Yue knew about lightning rods, but she still needed to think it over carefully. She looked at the little palace maid and said, "In the future, we'll probably have to say that she was struck by lightning."

Chaoyun stood to one side, speechless.

Outside, it was pouring rain, with lightning, thunder, and relentless wind.

Chaoyun sat down beside her and asked softly, "Your Majesty, would you like to rest for a while? This rain is likely to continue for quite some time."

Huan Yue nodded. "Go to sleep."

The affairs of the court should not be managed by a woman like her.

They say the Crown Prince's position is unstable, and that's exactly what makes it unstable. With such a great opportunity, he's bound to be excited.

Huan Yue coaxed the little palace maid again: "Every year there is thunder in the summer and no thunder in the winter. That's nature, isn't it?"

The young palace maid nodded, "What Your Majesty says is definitely right."

Chao Yun was immediately persuaded. She already knew some people were there to cause trouble, but dealing with them wouldn't be easy. However, with the Empress around, things might be different.

Another eunuch ran over to report: "Only a corner of Chongjiao Hall was chopped off, and the fire has been extinguished by the rain. His Highness has told the Empress to rest in peace."

Huan Yue said, "Help me up, I'm going to copy the 'Treatise on Response and Retribution'."

Chao Yun was taken aback and quickly said, "Your Highness, please rest. Do you want to die?"

The clever palace maid said, "Your Highness, your headache is so bad, should we go and fetch the imperial physician?"

Huan Yue was very weak at the moment: "Help me up, I'm still okay."

The eunuch was outside, but the wind was strong, and he couldn't hear clearly.

The rain was pouring down, and Huan Yue listened to it as if it were background music, so he fell asleep peacefully.

Chao Yun thought about it and went to sleep, not knowing what tomorrow would bring.

Ahead.

Xie Zhou, wearing a straw raincoat, circled the Chongjiao Hall.

A group of officials from the Eastern Palace surrounded His Highness, urging him, "Your Highness, please go inside. It's dangerous outside."

The wind was so strong that it was difficult for officials to even speak in the wind and rain; people could be blown away, it was truly dangerous.

Besides, it's dark, and roof tiles or other debris could blow over and injure someone.

The ground quickly filled with water, and everyone, wearing raincoats and soaked to the bone, looked rather disheveled.

The eunuch came over and reported, "Her Majesty has a headache and still wants to copy the 'Treatise on Response and Retribution'."

Xie Zhou thought to himself, "What a drama queen: Nonsense."

The courtiers were at a loss for words. Should they say that the Empress was being delicate? She was not in the mood for anything right now.

Xie Zhou remained polite and invited everyone to the Lizheng Hall.

The palace was brightly lit, and the eunuchs were ready.

The officials should all change their clothes, or at least dry them to maintain a presentable appearance.

A sage's inner messenger arrived.

Xie Zhou hurriedly apologized respectfully, "I have caused Father Emperor worry."

Although the eunuch represented the Emperor, he was not the real one. He spoke very politely to the Crown Prince: "Your Majesty, you have heard of the disaster at Chongjiao Palace. Would you like to inquire about the situation?"

Xie Zhou replied, "The lightning struck one corner, but the situation is manageable. I will handle it carefully. My biggest concern now is the situation in Sheng'an. We need to respond promptly."

The eunuch has learned of this and can now report back.

There must be something going on with Sheng An. We'll probably have to wait until tomorrow's morning court session to figure out what to do.

Moreover, the Crown Prince should be concerned about the relevant matters, and the relevant officials should take action.

After seeing the imperial envoy off, Xie Zhou discussed matters with his subordinates.

The atmosphere was rather somber.

Xie Zhou thought of Zeng Huan's character and wondered if he was going to treat it as his first battle in Sheng'an.

Xie Zhou probably wished that Zeng Huan would be struck dead by lightning, which would be more painless than being cut in half at the waist.

To kill someone is to destroy their spirit. If Zeng Huan's dark side is exposed, he will realize that being cut in half at the waist is a swift and painless punishment.

So let Zeng Huan bark if he wants to tomorrow.

Xie Zhou then feigned being pitiful. He was so concerned about the people that he had no time for such things.

As for those who say he has a guilty conscience, doing real work is always better than making baseless accusations.

There are many officials in the Eastern Palace; some are preparing for tomorrow's verbal battles, while others are busy serving the people.

Xie Zhou looks quite good.

So what if it rains? He has a wife.

After a while of work, everyone saw that things were relatively stable outside and they were just waiting for the rain to pass.

Someone, with a bit of free time, asked, "What is a lightning rod?"

Xie Zhou had figured it out: "It should be placed on the roof to prevent it from being destroyed by lightning."

Someone recalled: "It seems like there's something in the roof ridge beast's mouth."

Everyone immediately understood.

So this didn't come out of thin air; it's just that we didn't pay much attention to it before. It's not surprising that Lady Huan, being so intelligent, would notice it.

This will allow us to deal with it better.

Xie Zhou said, "If done well, installing lightning rods in all the palaces should also protect them from lightning strikes."

Everyone agreed that this made a lot of sense; if any of the halls caught fire, it would lead to a whole host of problems. It would be best if the problem could be completely resolved.