The first to be in trouble were Hanzhou, which was once rich in grain, and the three states to its northwest.
An unexpected dragon's tail swept away thousands of lives in this vast and flat area where disasters should not have happened, causing tens of thousands of people to lose their homes and the farmland they depended on for survival.
Next came the flash floods caused by the dragon's tail. The two disasters affected the area west of the capital, exceeding ten states.
The only difference is the different disaster situations. The people in more serious disasters were displaced and could not get enough food, while the people in less serious disasters were not in danger of losing their lives, but their farmlands that were about to be harvested were also destroyed.
Urgent reports were being sent to Beijing from all over the country, requesting disaster relief food and manpower.
The capital was overwhelmed.
People were talking about this a lot, and they were all saying privately that these disasters were punishment from God on Dayong.
It is precisely because the people today believe in slander, allow treacherous officials to go unpunished, and persecute loyal officials that they have incurred the wrath of God!
The rumor spread more and more fiercely.
Even Emperor Xiaoming in the palace had heard the rumor.
…
Qionghua Palace.
Emperor Xiaoming was so angry that he slapped the table.
His whole face turned red, "How ridiculous! How ridiculous!"
"Natural disasters have occurred frequently in recent years. How can you blame me for the disasters in various places?"
On the side, Concubine Ling took the tea poured by the maid and raised it to Emperor Xiaoming's lips. She held the teacup in one hand and gently patted Emperor Xiaoming's back with the other hand, and whispered, "Your Majesty, calm down and don't let your anger damage your health."
"If you are angry, what should I do?"
Over the years, no matter how irritable Emperor Xiaoming was, Concubine Ling always found a way to calm him down.
This time was no exception. Emperor Xiaoming, who had just been so angry that his face turned red and his neck became thick, took a deep breath, leaned close to the teacup that Concubine Ling brought to his mouth, and took a sip of the tea.
The slightly bitter yet sweet tea restored some rationality to his agitated mind.
"My beloved concubine is the most considerate to me. She is not like those court officials who only know how to chase me for money and food all day long."
Emperor Xiaoming frowned and said in a depressed tone: "I am not a god in heaven. If they want money and food, I can give them everything!"
"In my heart, Your Majesty, you are the god in heaven, the Jade Emperor in heaven." Concubine Ling raised her head slightly, with endless admiration in her eyes, as if Emperor Xiaoming was the omnipotent god in her heart.
Emperor Xiaoming was indeed pleased by her appearance. He put his arm around her shoulders, softened the anger on his face, and said softly, "Don't worry, my beloved concubine. I will protect you at all times. I can't make those court officials want this or that. I will satisfy whatever you want. Even if you want the moon in the sky, I will send someone to pick it for you!"
Concubine Ling smiled and pressed herself against Emperor Xiaoming's chest. She raised her hand and gently tapped him twice on the chest. "Your Majesty, you are just making fun of me."
Her jokes actually made the atmosphere in the palace much better.
At least it's no longer as stuffy as when Emperor Xiaoming first came in.
Emperor Xiaoming held Concubine Ling in his arms and sat down. He leaned back and relaxed against the backrest of the chair with a soft pillow. He exhaled a breath of turbid air, "It's still more relaxed here, my beloved concubine. It would be great if everyone in the world could understand my difficulties like my beloved concubine."
Concubine Ling poured Emperor Xiaoming another cup of tea.
He estimated that the time was right and said meaningfully, "These rumors came suddenly and spread very quickly. They don't seem like the people's spontaneous thoughts. Instead, they seem to be organized and premeditated."
"My beloved concubine, are you saying that someone took advantage of the natural disaster to fabricate these rumors in order to deliberately smear my reputation?"
Concubine Ling did not respond, but her eyes clearly showed that this was what she thought.
The more Emperor Xiaoming thought about it, the more he felt it made sense. He was so angry that he slapped the table again, "Who is so bold as to make up rumors about me?"
"Could it be Xiliang or Beiman?"
"I'm afraid not..." Concubine Ling said, "Xiliang and Beiman are very far away from the capital. This rumor came from the capital and several nearby states. Xiliang and Beiman's hands should not be able to reach that far."
"In my opinion, this rumor must have been spread by someone who is in the capital or is very familiar with the situation and forces in the capital."
"My beloved concubine, do you suspect anyone?" Emperor Xiao Ming asked.
Imperial Concubine Ling waved her hand and said, "How would I know? I am just speaking my mind casually. I don't know if it can help Your Majesty."
Concubine Ling stopped talking.
Emperor Xiao Ming continued to think along the lines of her previous train of thought.
There are probably only a handful of people or forces who are familiar with the capital and dare to spread rumors about him, the emperor.
Some great families from remote states had contempt for the imperial power, but they were far away from the capital and had no military power, so it seemed that they were not the ones.
It is impossible for the court officials to be so bold.
There is no benefit for the nobles and clan members to spread this rumor.
If he, as an emperor, was criticized by the people and was really slandered as a sinner identified by God, then the person who would benefit the most would be...
There really is one.
"Qi Xu." Emperor Xiao Ming gritted his teeth and squeezed out these two words.
It was as if he was saying the name of his enemy instead of his own son.
The more Emperor Xiao Ming thought about change, the more he felt that it was Qi Xu.
Otherwise, how come more than a dozen states suffered from the disaster, while the three states allocated to Qi Xu were safe and sound? And at this time, rumors spread that he, the emperor, was punished by God.
It must be that damn Qi Xu who wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to plot against the throne he was sitting on.
Let all the people believe that the emperor is a sinner, and that he, the deposed prince, is the true dragon emperor chosen by God.
"Oh."
What a good calculation.
If it weren't for his beloved concubine's reminder, he almost wouldn't have thought of it.
After several fits of anger, Emperor Xiaoming took a deep breath, frowned and thought for a moment, then called someone and ordered, "Pass the order to announce that the late queen practiced witchcraft. As the mother of the country, practicing witchcraft is intolerable by heaven, and that is why the gods have brought disasters so frequently."
"Prince You is the Queen's bloodline. In the past, I was soft-hearted and merciful. I thought that simply demoting Prince You to a fiefdom would be enough to appease the wrath of heaven. Now it seems that it is far from enough."
"Since this is the case, I will order King You to set off immediately and return to the capital."
"Tanzhou is a long way to go. I will give him a month. After a month, I will open the altar for offering sacrifices to the heavens. I will bring King You to offer sacrifices to the heavens!"
After hearing Emperor Xiaoming's last words, Concubine Ling, who had been quietly accompanying him, almost laughed out loud.
She asked the Ling family to send spies to Tanzhou, but they could not find out the situation in Prince You's Mansion. She always felt that letting Qi Xu live was a hidden danger.
Now is a golden opportunity.
Based on her understanding of Emperor Xiaoming, she knew that he had already harbored murderous intent.
The so-called "bringing King You to offer sacrifices to heaven" should be "using King You to offer sacrifices to heaven".
Once King You Qi Xu is removed, there will be no more stumbling blocks on the way for her son to sit on the chair under Emperor Xiao Ming!
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