Chang Shuyi came alone, and she knelt in front of the garden where Xiao Zhixing lived.
Firstly, to atone for her father's sins; secondly, to go to Beizhou together.
"I want to leave Dongzhou and never come back."
Upon meeting Xiao Zhixing, she explained her purpose.
She only brought a nanny and a maid, all alone, "I only ask that Your Highness take me to Beizhou, I can leave you anywhere."
With such a disgraced father, she had no more hopes for the rest of her life and only wanted to leave this place of sorrow far away.
Perhaps fearing she wouldn't agree, she handed her something, saying, "This is something he hid in a secret compartment in his study; it might be of help to the prince."
Xiao Zhixing was curious about what it was.
Upon opening it, I found a coded record that would require some effort to decipher.
Chang Shuyi said, "I heard him mention it when he was drunk, and it seemed to involve the death of Empress Zhang."
Xiao Zhixing was stunned for a moment before he realized who Empress Zhang was, the mother of Xiao Yan, Xiao Yuzhen's wife.
Could there be more to the story behind Empress Zhang's death?
According to historical records, Empress Zhang died of a cold at the young age of thirty-nine, which was also the third year that Xiao Yan had received the system.
She suddenly remembered the information she had collected from the system and subsystems.
Those things, one after another, were utterly outrageous.
Killing another Empress Zhang is nothing to them.
But how did Chang Shigeng know the inside story? And why did the system want to kill Empress Zhang? Or was it someone else who killed Empress Zhang?
She recalled Chang Shigeng's life story. He had failed the imperial examination at the end of the Yin Dynasty, but became a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the first year of Zhao Yunqi's special imperial examination.
His father, Minister Chang, was quite favored by Xiao Yuzhen.
As the son of a minister, he came from a prominent family and was able to come into contact with Xiao Yan and the royal family by following his father into the palace.
Could it be that Minister Chang knows something?
Xiao Zhixing made a note of this matter, intending to investigate it after the code was deciphered.
With a group of children in tow, Xiao Zhixing took it upon himself to teach them along the way, enjoying the scenery and learning about different customs while also instructing them on how to conduct themselves and handle affairs. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Two weeks later they entered the Northern State.
She didn't even need to call out to them; the rapid changes in Beizhou were enough to captivate them.
“Your Highness, you are very busy with state affairs, so please go ahead and do your work. We will take our time to travel around the Northern State and may find a place to stay someday. We cannot keep you any longer.”
The little adults said to her.
The Northern Prefecture is very safe now. Bandits and rioters have been wiped out, and there are patrol officers everywhere. Even the villages have martial arts instructors stationed there.
It can be said to be safer than Shengjingdu.
Xiao Zhixing was indeed busy. She left a few guards with them and headed straight for Beiyuan County.
“Your Highness, Cen Heng’s seismograph has vibrated three times, very slightly. He is unsure of the direction and whether it is real or not, and would like to ask you to take a look yourself.”
The Ghost Guard delivered the message immediately.
If the seismograph can really detect earthquakes, that would be a big deal.
They dared not delay.
Xiao Zhixing then sped up again. Thanks to the completion of the straight road, the journey from the south of Beizhou to Beiyuan County in the central region took less than four days with a fast horse.
Xiao Zhixing didn't bother going to the yamen to see everyone; he went straight to the Baigongyuan (Hundred Crafts Institute).
Dugu Ren quickly accompanied her inside. "There was another tremor just now, more noticeable than the last one. Cen Heng is standing guard beside her, not daring to blink."
Upon entering Cen Heng's personal research room, he lay sprawled next to the seismograph, his eyes wide open, a charcoal pencil in his hand, looking ready for anything.
Mr. Luo was by his side, and two other young men were also helping.
"Your Highness!"
As if seeing a pillar of strength, the group greeted each other with delight.
Xiao Zhixing gestured for them to dispense with formalities and asked, "What direction is it?"
Cen Heng got up and handed her the booklet. "The general direction is northwest, near the border between Mengzhou and Beizhou, but I dare not be certain."
The main problem is that this product was only recently developed and hasn't been verified in the field, so no one dares to say how accurate it is.
What was the magnitude?
Xiao Zhixing reviewed the records three times.
Cen Heng used the terminology she had devised: "After summarizing, the estimated depth is about twenty miles, and the intensity is level five."
The magnitude was indeed not large.
"My subordinates are worried that the magnitude of the earthquake might be lowered due to the distance."
That would be troublesome; it's likely to reach level six or higher.
In ancient times, natural disasters were considered major calamities, and the history of human development is a history of survival through the struggle against natural disasters.
Sometimes natural disasters can even lead to the change of dynasties.
A magnitude 6 earthquake can cause damage comparable to a modern magnitude 7 to 8 earthquake.
In uninhabited areas, it's alright, but in inhabited areas, because the houses are not earthquake-resistant, there will be countless deaths and injuries.
The epidemic that followed the disaster became the second killer, compounded by a lack of medicine, a shortage of doctors, inadequate treatment, and the man-made disaster caused by corrupt officials.
Every natural disaster makes those in power suffer greatly, and from top to bottom, they are on high alert.
"Get ready, take the seismograph, we're heading west."
We must pinpoint the location accurately and strive for early prevention; this is also a good opportunity to verify our findings.
If the data measured by Cen Heng's seismograph is indeed accurate, this will be the greatest invention of the Great Sheng Dynasty.
After instructing them to prepare, she returned to the Xiao residence in Beiyuan and summoned several officials to make arrangements.
"Cen Heng's seismograph predicts that there will be an earthquake in the northwest. I have decided to go there in person. Ji Bai, you should immediately summon all the tribes and prepare food, medicine, clothing, tents, etc. If there is a natural disaster, they must be transported to the northwest as soon as possible."
She would also order local officials to prepare supplies, with the supplies in Kitahara as a backup, just in case.
"Uncle Bei, order the Inner Defense Army and the Patrol and Security Division to be ready to deal with natural disasters at any time. They must rush to the nearest disaster site as soon as possible, bring hoes and iron tools to rescue the people, and make the lives of the people the top priority!"
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