Chapter Twenty-Six: The Bronze Tripod Appears

Later historical records state that in the eleventh year of the Chunxi era of the Daxing Dynasty, a sudden earthquake struck Luocheng, Henan Province, causing widespread panic. Fortunately, the head of the Judicial Office, the Director of the Imperial Tripod, and other officials of Luocheng rallied the people, leading them to evacuate the populace, repair river embankments, and safeguard peace. Afterward, the earthquake ceased, and a bronze tripod appeared, inscribed with the words "Great Prosperity, Flourishing Nation." This was considered a miracle and became a celebrated story.

"The river god has appeared! The river god has appeared!" The people kneeling in fear and worship at the altar were frozen in place, so panicked that they forgot to run away.

Mu Lian silently approached Jiedushi Liu Zhang, her movements as swift as lightning. She pressed a small dagger against Liu Zhang's vitals in the back and whispered, "Lord Liu, are you going to stand by and watch innocent people die in vain?"

Liu Zhang was startled. He hadn't expected that despite all his precautions, the people from the Judicial Office would still manage to slip up. He secretly channeled his internal energy to resist, but the woman behind him moved with exquisite skill, the dagger pressed against his vital points seemingly ingrained in his body, impossible to shake off.

Beside him, Liu Zhang remained motionless, and the officials of Luoyang, though trembling with fear, dared not move. Meanwhile, in the Luo River below the altar, the waves surged ever more violently. The situation was critical. If the riverbanks breached and Luoyang were flooded, countless lives would be lost.

"It seems Lord Liu doesn't want this empty title?" Behind him, Mu Lian snorted coldly, pushing the small dagger forward a little.

"Wait..." Liu Zhang waved his hand and turned to the assembled officials, saying, "My lords, you are all subject to the emperor's salary and are obligated to serve him. Now, a natural disaster has struck, and the people are suffering. I urge you, my lords, to set aside personal gain and loss and save the people first..."

First, save the people?

Yin Wenbin exchanged a glance with another of Liu Zhang's confidants beside him, somewhat surprised. Normally, except for moments when appearances were necessary, in times of crisis, everyone would follow the military governor and evacuate first. In the parlance of Luoyang's officialdom, it was just a few commoners dying; what did it matter?

However, having followed Liu Zhang for many years, the two quickly recovered from their initial surprise: "Lord Liu loves the people like his own children, and we admire him greatly. Of course, we must do our best to help the people of Luocheng..." After saying this, they hurriedly directed their attendants and guards to follow the soldiers of the Judicial Office to evacuate the people and reinforce the river embankment.

Fortunately, Mu Lian had made arrangements for handling all emergencies well in advance before attending the Siding Blessing Ceremony. Although an earthquake suddenly struck, the soldiers of the Judicial Office, led by their respective captains, responded calmly and in an orderly manner. The mobile team took the lead in guiding the evacuation of the people, while the construction team took the lead in inspecting the situation of the Luo River.

The sky remained clear and bright, the warm autumn sun shining on the earth, accompanied by a cool autumn breeze, making it all the more comfortable. However, the Luo River was in turmoil, its whirlpools growing deeper and deeper, as if a river god were about to appear. Some of the bolder youths, seeing this strange phenomenon, not only refused to leave but secretly followed the fortification workers, observing their actions.

On the altar, Meng Yuan and Ye Xun protected Ye Yuqing and quickly retreated. Cold arrows occasionally came from the shadows, still only targeting Ye Yuqing, but fortunately, they were all quietly deflected by Meng Yuan and Ye Xun.

Before stepping down from the altar, Ye Yiqing looked at the whirlpool in the river, and a bold idea suddenly flashed through her mind: "Let's go to the river!"

"Young Master, you mean to go to the riverbank?" Ye Xun immediately became anxious: "No, no, no, the riverbank is too dangerous. You don't know any martial arts, what if you fall into the river?"

“The young guard is right. Lord Ye, why don’t you come back to the city with us first…” Meng Yuan disagreed. Although she would protect this Scholar Ye with her life, water and fire are unforgiving. If Scholar Ye were to fall into the river, she wouldn’t be able to explain it to her master, Lord Mu.

Ye Yuqing flicked Ye Xun's forehead with her slender fingers and said, "Stop arguing. This young master will be fine." After saying that, she quickly walked down the altar.

"Ahhh..." Ye Xun looked unwilling, but had no choice but to follow Ye Yiqing closely, constantly muttering, "All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, please protect my young master and keep him safe, otherwise I'll definitely get my legs broken by the Second Miss when I return to the capital, sob sob..."

"What a chatterbox of a guard." Meng Yuan, who was following behind, shook her head.

On the altar, Mu Lian watched Ye Yiqing and the others leave, and whispered to Liu Zhang, "Lord Liu, we should go too." Liu Zhang snorted coldly, did not turn around, and strode towards the riverbank.

On the banks of the Luo River.

The fortification workers had prepared carts loaded with stones and sand, presumably for reinforcing the riverbank. Two other cavalry units rode swiftly, dragging logs along. The branches and leaves on the logs swept across the dry ground, creating a considerable cloud of dust.

Ye Yiqing covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief and walked quickly to the riverbank to carefully observe the whirlpool in the river. The Luo River was surging with waves, and the whirlpool continued to expand. Huge waves crashed against the riverbank with deafening force, as if the dam would burst at any moment.

Ye Xun, trembling with fear, shielded Ye Yiqing from behind, repeatedly saying, "Young Master, Young Master, let's go back quickly, it's too dangerous here..."

Meng Yuan, listening from behind, wanted to roll her eyes. Although this Young Master Ye couldn't be called brilliant and mighty, he was certainly bold, meticulous, and dedicated to the people. How could this little guard be so talkative and timid?

Ignoring Ye Xun's mutterings behind him, Ye Yuqing looked up at the sky, then down at the whirlpool in the river, pondering the situation. Historical records indicate that in the fifth year of the Chunxi era, Henan Province experienced a major earthquake. The then-governor of Henan Province was demoted and dismissed for his inadequate response, which paved the way for Liu Zhang's rise to power. Therefore, Ye Yuqing boldly concluded that although the river would tremble and the mountains would shake during this earthquake, the dikes would not burst. However, thousands of Luoyang citizens were still gathered below the altar, and no carelessness was permissible.

After observing the situation, Ye Yiqing led everyone back a few steps, only instructing the court officials to prepare for reinforcing the river embankment. Ye Xun, who had been following behind with trepidation, patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, the young master still values ​​his life.

Nearby, the soldiers pushed carts and carried goods in orderly lines. Only one tall soldier, whose clothing seemed somewhat inappropriate, glanced back at Ye Yiqing as he pushed his cart past the crowd. The man had a plain face, and his face appeared to have been rubbed raw by dirt and stones, making him look quite disheveled. Ye Yiqing, focused on the river, paid him no attention.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mu Lian caught a glimpse of this scene and turned her head to look at the young man. With just one glance, Mu Lian determined that the man was not from the Judicial Office. It should be noted that since Mu Lian took charge of the Judicial Office, the regulations have been extremely strict. There are specific requirements for different teams to wear different styles of clothing, and there will never be a situation where the size, dimensions, or style of the clothing is unsuitable.

With a flick of her toe, Mu Lian sent the arrow on Liu Zhang's guard's back flying straight towards the fake soldier. The arrow was fierce and fast, and in an instant, everyone could only catch a fleeting afterimage.

Hearing the whistling of the arrow, the fake pawn couldn't dodge in time and had no choice but to abandon the chariot and roll on the ground.

Just then, someone on the riverbank exclaimed, "Look! What's that?"

Everyone looked closely and saw a bronze square cauldron slowly appearing where the river was winding.