Chi Jingyu felt a dull pain in his chest. Because of his limited strength and the fact that the silver hairpin was not sharp enough, the wound was not deep. However, her cold and aloof attitude still made him feel suffocated.

His gaze darkened, carrying a hint of malice: "I know you harbor resentment because of the past, but look at him, hasn't Chi Yan made the same choice as me? He betrayed you against the Xie family, how is he any different from me back then?"

Because Xue Qing was present, he spoke rather cryptically, but Shen Tangning's expression still instantly turned cold.

"You dare compare yourself to him?"

These words were truly harsh, and Chi Jingyu's face instantly darkened!

But even harsher words were yet to come. She spoke each word with an icy tone, "At least Chi Yan acts with integrity. He never says one thing to your face and another behind your back. He's full of moral righteousness but is actually extremely hypocritical. He seems affectionate but is actually heartless and ungrateful. What makes you think you can compare to him?"

Chi Jingyu was always proud, and being so bluntly belittled by her made him lose face. His tense jaw relaxed for a moment: "Let's not talk about this. On my way here, I heard people talking about Yunlongyan. You've really saved me from my urgent problem."

He stared at her eyes with almost greedy eyes, "Look, we're a match made in heaven. You know what I'm thinking."

"That's really bad luck." Shen Tangning turned her face away in disgust. "I'm doing this for the safety of the people. Stop trying to glorify yourself."

Xue Qing snorted heavily, ignoring his dark expression, and pulled the curtain down:

"Driver, let's go somewhere else, so we don't get entangled with anything unclean!"

Chi Jingyu watched the carriage disappear into the distance with a gloomy expression, his fingertips turning white from the force he exerted.

Chi Yan, her heart is completely filled with Chi Yan!

Why couldn't his good second brother just disappear completely like he did in his previous life?

A twisted jealousy crept into his eyes, revealing a hint of ferocity on his usually jade-like face.

*

Chi Yan took half a day off and came to Yunlong Weir alone.

He was holding a blueprint in his hand; it was a structural diagram of the place.

The blazing sun overhead turned the yellow earth on the ground white, so bright it was dazzling. Stepping on the ground, you could feel a surge of heat rising up, making your vision go black if you stood there for too long.

As we got closer to the dam, the oppressive heat dissipated considerably, and the fishy smell of the river, mixed with dampness, greeted us.

Holding the blueprints, Chi Yan looked around. The vast and magnificent water conservancy project made him sigh in admiration at the greatness of the craftsmen.

The surrounding area, not far away, is flat land with crops and scattered villages.

The river is wide enough on both sides and the current waters are calm, so the risk of the dike breach is extremely low.

However, Shen Tangning's words left him with a lingering unease, and to be on the safe side, he decided to walk around the area again.

When they arrived at a certain place, Chi Yan stopped in his tracks.

He smelled a strong, earthy odor and looked down, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Compared to other places, the river here flows slowly and seems particularly turbid, with a lot of silt piled up on the riverbank.

——

"Your Majesty, a rumor has been circulating recently that a torrential rain is coming and the Yunlong Weir may burst."

The Minister of Works' expression changed, and he quickly stepped forward: "Your Majesty, this is blasphemous slander! The Imperial Observatory has already said that there will be no rain in the near future. Is the person behind this even more capable of divination than the Imperial Observatory? I implore Your Majesty to find the person spreading this rumor and punish them severely!"

He now seriously suspected that Chi Jingyu was behind it all. He had rejected his suggestion that day, and now Chi Jingyu had turned around and pulled this stunt on him.

Absolutely despicable!

A voice rang out unhurriedly: "Why is Minister Gong so nervous? Is he perhaps feeling guilty?"