The drought in Chen Kingdom is coming to an end, and there are already refugees coming to the capital. Rong Yue, who used to like to run out of the palace to play, has been staying in the palace quietly these past few days.
This drought is a once-in-a-century event, and even with the Grand Preceptor's cultivation level, he couldn't handle it. Therefore, the Grand Preceptor sent someone to his sect, Jade Green Mountain, for help. It is said that Jade Green Mountain sent Lu Qinglan, the chief disciple under the sect leader, to assist the Grand Preceptor in praying for rain.
After staying in her palace for several days, Rong Yue couldn't stand it anymore, so she secretly pulled Zhang Xu out one day.
The Emperor of Chen knew that this rainmaking ritual was of great importance, and that the distinguished guest from Yuqing Mountain was of high status. Fearing that Rong Yue's tendency to join in the fun might offend the nobleman, he strictly forbade Rong Yue from leaving the palace. But given Rong Yue's temperament, how could he possibly prevent her from going out?
"It is said that Lu Qinglan is the most talented disciple of Yuqingshan in this generation. At a young age, his cultivation has already reached the sixth level. Not only that, Lu Qinglan also has the appearance of an immortal, and he has many admirers in Yuqingshan."
Rong Yue's eyes lit up when she mentioned Lu Qinglan. As expected of the official male lead, she was already looking forward to meeting him even before they had met.
“Princess, you haven’t even seen him yet, how do you know he must look like the rumors?”
"So, let's go and find out for ourselves today, and see if this Lu Qinglan is really as outstanding as the rumors say."
The Imperial Preceptor's residence was located on West Street outside the palace, just outside the west gate of the Mingzhu Hall. However, the Emperor of Chen had forbidden Rong Yue from leaving the palace, so Rong Yue skillfully led Zhang Xu out through a dilapidated side gate.
Having been in this world for so long, this was the first time Zhang Xu had stepped out of the palace. There was no prosperity as she had imagined; instead, there was a sense of decadence everywhere. Perhaps because of the hot weather, there were few people on the streets. Instead, under the eaves and in the arches of bridges, people dressed in tattered clothes were crowded together. These people had pale faces, were covered in filth, and stared blankly at a certain spot, looking like walking corpses.
Upon seeing two brightly dressed women suddenly appear, all eyes turned to them.
Feeling a little uneasy being stared at by these people, Rong Yue secretly grabbed Zhang Xu's arm.
"Princess, perhaps we should go back! The situation outside doesn't look quite right."
Zhang Xu swallowed hard as she looked at Rong Yue, and after a long pause, she said, "Don't worry, we're under the Emperor's nose, these people won't dare to do anything. They're just refugees, right? We'll just wait for the Imperial Advisor to pray for rain."
Rong Yue's voice trembled slightly. After all, she was a pampered princess. In the past, when she sneaked out to play, she had only seen magnificent scenes. Seeing such a scene suddenly was still a little unaccustomed to her. However, as a princess, she was told to stay calm and not panic.
"Don't be afraid, it's not far from the Imperial Preceptor's residence. We can just walk there slowly."
Zhang Xu calmed her racing heart and pulled Rong Yue step by step toward the Imperial Preceptor's residence.
The refugees watched the two women as they walked out.
Someone in the crowd said, "That one in red is the princess of the dynasty. We suffer, while the officials enjoy themselves."
"The king is tyrannical!"
"Grab them!"
"Seize them and force the government to release the grain!"
As if a switch had been flipped, the crowd, which had previously only been visible in the shade, suddenly surged out like a flood.
The two were only a few hundred meters away from the Imperial Preceptor's residence, but the crowd that rushed out blocked their way. Seeing the crowd rushing in, Zhang Xu pulled Rong Yue and rushed towards a place with a smaller gap.
No matter what, let's get out of here first. There are so many people, all crammed together, something's bound to happen.
As a romance novel that focuses on tragic love with cultivation as a secondary element, the original work doesn't describe the lives of ordinary people in the book much. At this moment, Zhang Xu has no way to analyze the current situation and only thinks about getting out of the encirclement first.
However, no one knew how long these refugees had been lurking there; the more they ran, the more people appeared.
Just as the two were wondering what to do, the crowd behind them seemed to be blocked by something, and they could not move forward an inch.
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