Pei Qingyan looked at the people gathered outside the carriage and felt a pang of emotion. Three years had passed since his last visit to Liangzhou. "I never imagined that Liangzhou would become like this."

The accompanying officials also looked distressed. They knew that the floods in Liangzhou were severe, with most of the houses and crops destroyed, but they did not expect it to be this serious.

But the most important thing now is to calm the people down so they can have time to solve the problem.

Otherwise, if we stay surrounded here, we'll be unable to move an inch.

"Everyone, please calm down. The imperial court is aware of the situation in Liangzhou and is deeply worried. They have specially dispatched Lord Pei to manage the floods and rebuild Liangzhou City."

The disaster relief grain allocated by the imperial court is already on its way and will arrive soon. Please wait a little longer and give us some more time.

Su Jinyang lifted the curtain, his deep eyes scanning the area, and his clear, resonant voice slowly rang out, inexplicably convincing.

Upon hearing these words, the people of Liangzhou calmed down and unconsciously made way for the carriage.

They must have heard right. The imperial relief grain had finally arrived. They were saved and no longer had to leave their homes.

The people wept with joy, for Lord Pei had once saved them from dire straits, and they would forever remember his kindness.

Now, they have suffered another great calamity, and it is Lord Pei who has extended a helping hand.

"With Lord Pei here, we believe the floods in Liangzhou will be resolved soon."

Upon hearing this, everyone echoed in agreement, their words revealing their respect and trust for Pei Qingyan.

Upon seeing this, the prefect of Liangzhou's lips twitched slightly, and he felt somewhat uncomfortable.

A vice minister of the Court of Judicial Review in the capital city was more trusted by the people than a local official in Liangzhou.

He wanted to see just what Pei Qingyan was capable of.

The prefect of Liangzhou spoke with a half-smile, his seemingly teasing tone strangely grating: "Lord Pei's reputation is almost surpassing that of this prefect of Liangzhou. No wonder the court sent Lord Pei to manage the floods."

Pei Qingyan glanced at him indifferently and said with an ambiguous meaning, "The people will naturally remember the officials who care about them."

He concealed the flooding, which caused the problem to worsen. Fearing punishment, he finally reported it to the court, and there was no need for him to keep his official hat.

The prefect of Liangzhou was speechless. What Pei Qingyan meant was that he did not care about the people of Liangzhou, which was why he did not have their respect.

That's utter nonsense!

Seeing that the people's emotions had stabilized, Su Jinyang secretly breathed a sigh of relief and told the coachman to speed up and leave.

If we delay any longer, it will get dark.

As the carriage drove further and further away, the people dispersed, a faint smile on their faces.

Only two men walking with the crowd exchanged a glance across the distance before heading off in the same direction.

*

The Northern Kingdom's Royal Palace.

"Your Majesty, our scouts from Liangzhou report that the floods in Liangzhou are severe, and the people in the city are starving and full of complaints. Perhaps this is our opportunity." The dark figure knelt on one knee before the emperor of the Northern Kingdom, his expression respectful, but a hint of fear lingered in his lowered eyes.

The Northern Emperor, seated on his high throne, gently stroked the jade thumb ring on his thumb, his eyes closed. "Liangzhou is such a good place, it's such a pity."

He said it was a pity, but his eyes were full of aggression and eagerness.

Liangzhou was a crucial pass for the Lintian Dynasty and their only point of attack.

For many years, he never gave up attacking Liangzhou, but Liangzhou was like an iron barrel, without any flaws, and the Northern Kingdom always ended in failure.

Now that Liangzhou is in trouble, and with his people inside providing support, there's no worry about not being able to take it.

Upon hearing this, the figure in black instantly understood and hurriedly spoke up to claim credit, "Your Majesty, the batch of weapons that Prince Li sent yesterday are of good quality. If we are to attack Liangzhou, they will come in handy."

The Northern Emperor laughed heartily, in high spirits. "Good, all my help back then wasn't in vain. If that old man, Emperor Yun, knew his son had done such a thing, he'd probably be furious."

With such an inside man, the Lintian Dynasty will be his for the taking sooner or later.

However, it's best to get rid of some people who are in the way as soon as possible.

*

The Marquis of Chengen's Residence.

As soon as Song Zhiyu stepped out, she unfortunately ran into Shen Jinshu and her group again. They were talking to a middle-aged woman who looked quite familiar, and they seemed to be getting along very well.

Upon seeing Song Zhiyu, the expressions on their faces softened slightly, with Shen Ru giving a cold snort in annoyance, clearly looking down on her.

"Is Second Sister going out?" Shen Jinshu asked, seemingly out of concern, but actually wanting to find out Song Zhiyu's whereabouts.

Song Zhiyu nodded, noticing the probing gaze fixed on her, and looked directly up to meet the eyes of the person who had just entered. "And this is..."

She didn't say where she was going, but instead steered the conversation towards Granny Wang.

"This is Granny Wang, a confidante of the Imperial Concubine. Granny Wang came to the Marquis's residence this time on the Imperial Concubine's orders, specifically to come and read books."

Before Shen Jinshu could speak, Shen Ru, who had been glaring at Song Zhiyu several times, jumped out first, her deliberately raised voice causing everyone present to frown.

Especially Granny Wang, who was even more displeased.

Originally, the Imperial Concubine did not want Shen Jinshu to be the Prince's principal wife, but the Prince insisted, and the Imperial Concubine could not persuade him otherwise, so she had no choice but to accept it.

Who would have thought that Shen Jinshu would cause such a huge scandal, not only ruining her reputation but also almost causing the prince to be criticized by others.

The Imperial Concubine was furious and refused to agree to their relationship. She declared that Shen Jinshu was unworthy of even the position of principal wife, let alone a concubine.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!