Time flies like a gentle stream, and three months have passed in the blink of an eye.
Under Yi Shangyun's diligent governance, the floods that had always been a major headache for every heir of Dongning Kingdom were effectively controlled.
She ordered people to begin reinforcing dikes and strengthening flood control efforts in various regions early on.
Strictly implement the grid-based duty system for officials and emergency response work, and provide timely early warnings.
Timely investigation and rectification of safety hazards, especially focusing on areas prone to flooding such as low-lying areas, farmland, and fish ponds, and timely dredging of drainage ditches and outlets to ensure the normal operation of all flood control facilities.
It is also equipped with a large amount of relevant flood control and emergency supplies, such as food, medicine, drinking water, and sandbags.
All outdoor work is strictly prohibited during severe weather conditions such as heavy rain, strong winds, hail, and lightning.
For the first time in hundreds of years, the people experienced a safe flood season with zero accidents, zero casualties, and no incidents.
As a result, officials in the court respected and praised her even more.
At this time, the morning court session had just ended.
"Miss is becoming more and more like an empress. I heard that during the morning court session this day, all the civil and military officials worshipped her to the point of prostration."
Yan'er was helping Yi Shangyun change his clothes while chatting with him.
Outside the palace, Tuoba Ze could no longer restrain himself and went alone to the front of Qingxin Palace.
Since he wasn't a general from their own country, the maid seemed somewhat afraid of him, so she hurriedly came in to report: "Your Majesty, General Tuoba requests an audience!"
Yan'er asked, puzzled, "What's he doing here? He just said he wouldn't see anyone..."
Yi Shangyun stopped her, saying, "Let him in. No matter what, he is now a general in my court. It would seem strange to deliberately avoid him. He should be seen eventually."
As soon as Tuoba Ze entered, he bowed and said, "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty!"
Yi Shangyun asked, "General Tuoba came to see me privately. Is there some important military matter you have to report? Why didn't you mention it in court just now?"
Tuoba Ze thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I have indeed come here with important matters to discuss, but it was inconvenient during the court session just now!"
Yi Shangyun then feigned curiosity and said, "In that case, General, please speak whatever you wish to say!"
Tuoba Ze took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty, I have already sent people to investigate and found out that the King of Western Qin was tricked by Emperor Jing and has lost his life. At this time, Western Qin is vulnerable and leaderless. We should take advantage of this opportunity to strike at the heart of the matter and take over Western Qin in one fell swoop."
Yi Shangyun seemed to have anticipated that this was the very thing he had come to discuss.
After thinking for a moment, he calmly asked him, "Is it really as the general says, that the King of Western Qin is no longer alive? Knowing that my 200,000 troops from Dongning are pressing on our border, why would Emperor Jing of Western Qin be so foolish as to put himself in such a desperate situation? I ask you, has anyone personally seen the body of King Xuanyuan Han?"
“This…” Tuoba Ze shook his head.
Yi Shangyun then said, “We are both familiar with the King of Western Qin. He has always been cunning. How could he be easily tricked? Just two days ago, an old friend of mine said that he had seen him on the border of Western Qin.”
Tuoba Ze, however, did not believe her and said, "That's impossible!"
Yi Shangyun instructed him: "General Tuoba has experienced countless battles. Can't you see that the calmer things seem now, the more likely a major event is brewing? In my opinion, this matter needs to be carefully considered. I also hope that you will not act rashly, lest you fall into a trap."
Unexpectedly, Tuoba Ze came to his senses and became furious: "You clearly still have feelings for that King of Western Qin..."
Before she could finish speaking, Yi Shangyun sternly stopped her, saying, "General, please be careful with your words. Do not disregard the proper etiquette between us as ruler and subject."
Thus, the conversation with Yi Shangyun did not achieve its intended purpose.
Tuoba Ze entered the room sullenly, picked up a pot of wine from the table, and gulped it down.
Still not satisfied, he slammed his fist heavily onto the table in front of him.
He was so angry that he was trembling all over, and he said through gritted teeth, "Just one step away, just one step away, and I, the prince, will be able to take back everything that originally belonged to me."
But every time he met Yi Shangyun's gaze, her calm eyes, which seemed to see through him and understand everything, always made him lose.
He was filled with frustration: "But why? Why did she appear at this time? I, the prince, am completely helpless against her!"
As he spoke, he forcefully overturned the table in front of him.
The silent hall was suddenly broken by the crisp sound of porcelain hitting the ground: "Crack..."
Just then, Zhu'er, a maid who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, saw his pitiful appearance and knelt down to silently pick up the broken pieces from the ground while comforting him, saying, "Anger is bad for your health, why must the Crown Prince do this?"
Tuoba Ze was unwilling to admit defeat, muttering to himself, "Am I destined to never get back everything I've lost in this lifetime? But without that grassland, what's the point of my life?"
Seeing that he was becoming increasingly difficult to control and easily angered, and now looking utterly dejected and lost like never before, Zhu'er suddenly mustered her courage and murmured, "This servant has a way to help the Crown Prince!"
Upon hearing this, Tuoba Ze slowly came to his senses, but when he looked at her unremarkable appearance, he could hardly believe it and chuckled, "You have a way?"
Pearl stood up and went to her side, suddenly blurting out, "Actually, her child didn't die that day..."
Upon hearing this, Tuoba Ze suddenly froze, then looked intently into the maid's eyes, asking again for confirmation: "What did you say? Her child..."
Pearl nodded firmly and said, "That day, she gave birth to a very healthy baby boy. I knew that she had a special identity and that one day this child would definitely help the Crown Prince. So, I prepared a baby girl who died at birth in advance and deceived everyone..."
At this point, Tuoba Ze slowly stood up, stepped forward and tightly grasped Zhu'er's shoulders, shaking her while praising her: "Well done, you did a really good job!"
However, there is one thing that still puzzles Tuoba Ze: "But I don't understand, where did my brother put the tiger tally of my Northern Lie Kingdom?"
Pearl thought for a moment and said, "I heard that the Second Prince spent his last moments with her. Could it be that she..."
Tuoba Ze shook his head: "I bribed Lu Yuan's men and ordered them to search Qingxin Palace countless times to confirm that the Tiger Tally was not with her."
But he also worried: "If the tiger tally is really in her hands, the consequences will be unimaginable."
Zhu'er asked in bewilderment, "Does this tiger tally really possess such immense divine power? How could it possibly contend with the 200,000-strong army of Dongning Kingdom?"
Tuoba Ze said leisurely, "The power that my Northern Fierce Tiger Tally can summon is enough to make the entire continent beneath our feet shake!"
The mountains and rivers seemed to block the way, but then a village appeared amidst the willows and flowers.
As Zhu'er was deep in thought, Tuoba Ze suddenly made a decision: "Now that she is in charge of Dongning, we are afraid that our chances of success here are slim. We might as well go back to our country. With that child, we will definitely be able to restrain both Dongning and Xiqin at the same time."
Pearl nodded and said, "Then let's set off back to the grasslands right away!"
Tuoba Ze smiled, mustered his courage again, and secretly embarked on a new journey under the cover of night.
The next day, just as dawn broke.
The guard then came to report to her: "Your Majesty, General Tuoba left the palace last night."
Yi Shangyun was genuinely startled upon hearing this and asked in confusion, "Do you know where he went?"
The guard then handed over a letter, saying, "General Tuoba has left a letter for the Empress!"
Yi Shangyun called out anxiously, "Yan'er..."
Yan'er walked over and quickly handed the letter to Yi Shangyun.
Yi Shangyun unfolded the letter, stared at the few strokes of the pen on it, and was instantly stunned: "Until we meet again!"
After a long while, she finally came to her senses and stared blankly at Yan'er, saying, "He... just left like that?"
Upon hearing that Tuoba Ze had left, Mei Xiyuan could no longer sit still.
She entered Mei Zhixuan's palace and began to curse: "Useless! He actually gave up like that! I thought he was so capable, but it seems he's nothing special. In the end, he's just a cowardly coward!"
However, Mei Zhixuan, who remained silent on the side, did not seem to think so. He had a feeling that Tuoba Ze must have made some new discovery, which was why he left in a hurry without even saying goodbye.
At this moment, Mei Xiyuan suddenly seemed to have thought of something, and quietly moved closer to Mei Zhixuan, lowering her voice to say, "Why not just go all the way..."
Mei Zhixuan suddenly came to his senses and asked, "What do you want to do?"
Mei Xiyuan then whispered something to him.
Upon hearing her plan, Mei Zhixuan's eyes widened in shock, and he shouted, "No, you can't use her..."
Mei Xiyuan was startled by his voice, so she rolled her eyes at him and said, "But now she only lets her guard down with her. You can't be so soft-hearted anymore. Haven't you learned enough lessons?"
Mei Zhixuan panicked immediately: "But no matter what, they are the most precious people in each other's lives. If this is the case, how can I face her in the future? She will probably never forgive me, even if she dies!"
Unexpectedly, Mei Xiyuan blurted out, underestimating Mei Zhixuan's feelings for Xuan Yuan Yue. She said without any concern, "Then let her die!"
Mei Zhixuan didn't want to discuss the idea with her any further, so he got up and left: "No, I won't allow it!"
Watching Mei Zhixuan's resolute departure, Mei Xiyuan muttered to herself, "Since you can't make up your mind, then I'll help you! To die at the hands of the person you trust most, that feeling must be no less painful than the pain the Qin Prince's mansion brought to this princess!"
The Prince of Qin's Mansion.
Star and Moon Pavilion, the moon rises over the western tower.
Since the death of Consort Chun, Lu Tianjiao has lost count of how many nights he has spent here drinking alone.
"They're all mine..."
Everything here now belongs to me alone.
"Come and fight for it!"
"Come and take it!"
"Don't you all dream of being his woman?"
Come on!
Why aren't any of you coming?!
"Now this vast Qin Prince's Mansion belongs to me alone, to me alone..."
"I am the only mistress of this palace..."
"Ha ha……"
"Hahaha……"
Just then, a familiar voice suddenly rang out: "After all this effort, is this all you wanted?"
In a daze, she saw a familiar figure appear before her.
"You're back?"
"You're finally back?"
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