The Emperor's summons to Xie Jingyan was likely related to the earthquake in Meizhou.
But Shen Wan didn't expect that the Emperor would also summon her.
Could it be that they were afraid Xie Jingyan wouldn't go, so they brought her along as well?
Shen Wan felt that she had guessed correctly.
The Emperor not only understands his son, but he also understands her, knowing that she doesn't have the courage to disobey the imperial decree.
Sure enough, Xie Jingyan's face was indifferent, and he was about to leave, not taking the emperor's summons seriously at all. However, as soon as he turned around, Shen Wan grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the imperial study.
The young eunuch followed behind, his lips twitching.
When the Emperor summoned him, Prince Ling ignored him completely. However, when Princess Ling asked him to go to the Imperial Study, he went.
In Prince Ling's eyes, Princess Ling had more influence than the Emperor.
He wasn't afraid that if the emperor found out, he would be punished.
Shen Wan practically dragged Xie Jingyan outside the Imperial Study before letting go. The Emperor had summoned them, so there was no need to announce their arrival; the gatekeeper simply let them through.
Inside the Imperial Study, the Emperor sat there drinking tea, and it was clear at a glance that he was in a very good mood.
Shen Wan walked over and curtsied to the Emperor.
The Emperor still had nothing to say about her.
Knowing that she had been wronged after falling into the water, Fu Shu, who was pregnant, did not want to punish her, so she rewarded her with more gifts to compensate her.
After Shen Wan finished her bow and stood up, Xie Jingyan walked over.
Xie Jingyan did not bow to the Emperor, nor did the Emperor expect him to. Eunuch Yuan then dismissed the eunuchs serving in the Imperial Study.
The Emperor looked at Xie Jingyan and said, "First, you want to investigate the granaries in Meizhou, then transport grain and medicine to Meizhou, and you even want me to grant Shen Du the authority to mobilize officials and troops in Meizhou. Did you know all along that an earthquake was going to happen in Meizhou?"
Ever since the Emperor demoted Xie Jingyan to guard the imperial tombs, Xie Jingyan has never given the Emperor a kind look, and the father and son have never spoken properly to each other again.
For the sake of the people of Meizhou, Xie Jingyan went to the palace to see the emperor that day, which really startled the emperor.
Xie Jingyan told the Emperor that he had received news that the granaries in Meizhou might be out of grain and that he needed to send someone to investigate immediately. He said it was a very important and urgent matter and he didn't trust anyone else to go, so he asked the Emperor to send Chen Du instead.
Xie Jingyan never cared about matters of state. This was the first time he had discussed state affairs with the Emperor. How could the Emperor not take it seriously? Especially since the grain stored in the Meizhou granary was for war reserves and could not be used lightly. If anyone dared to covet the Meizhou granary, the Emperor would not let them off easily.
The Emperor has always trusted Shen Jing, and Shen Du is Shen Jing's son. Sending him there would put the Emperor at ease, so he agreed immediately.
Xie Jingyan not only asked the emperor to send Shen Du to Meizhou to inspect the granaries, but also asked the emperor for a token that could mobilize local officials and troops in Meizhou for Shen Du, without saying what it was for.
The Emperor assumed it was to ensure the safety of Chen Du. If there really was no grain left in the Meizhou granary, no matter who investigated, the Meizhou officials would spare no effort to keep the person there.
Only now, upon seeing the urgent memorial with eight hundred taels of silver sent from Meizhou, does the Emperor understand what Xie Jingyan wanted the token for.
The earthquake occurred at midnight, when most people are asleep. Once an earthquake strikes, houses collapse and buildings crumble, and countless people will die.
If it were just Shen Du and Yun Qi, no one would believe that an earthquake would happen at night, no matter how much they talked. They would just scoff and treat it as nonsense. But with the token given by the emperor, it's a different story. With the token in hand, Shen Du can directly subdue the officials of Meizhou, mobilize the troops of Meizhou, and force the people of Meizhou to leave their homes and avoid disaster.
The hardships involved are unimaginable.
Of the thousand people who died in this earthquake, few were from Meizhou. After all, not many people were brave. The yamen runners knocked on doors from house to house, not letting people sleep in their houses and telling them to take shelter in open spaces. Few dared to take it lightly. However, the Meizhou officials did not take the arrangements for the crossing seriously at all.
Shen Du claimed that a Taoist priest had predicted a natural disaster in Meizhou, but neither the prefect of Meizhou nor the local officials believed him. They treated the Taoist priest's words as gospel and caused a disturbance throughout Meizhou late at night, which was utterly ridiculous.
Shen Du possessed a token granted by the Emperor. When Shen Du requested to mobilize troops, the officials of Meizhou dared not disobey. However, outwardly obeying was one thing, but inwardly agreeing was another.
The prefect of Meizhou even threatened Chen Du, saying that if an earthquake hadn't occurred that night, he would definitely report to the emperor.
Shen Du ignored him.
It is said that when the earthquake struck, the prefect of Meizhou was writing a memorial of impeachment...
The residences of officials of all ranks in Meizhou suffered the most casualties in this earthquake. The yamen runners were able to use violence against the people of Meizhou, dragging those who did not leave their houses out. But the people in the prefect's residence did not come out. Which yamen runner would dare to use force? Even the yamen runners themselves did not believe that there would be an earthquake. They stayed up late at night, knocking on doors from house to house. The heir of the Marquis of Pingyang's mansion did not stay in the capital, but came to Meizhou to cause trouble.
The officials in Meizhou didn't believe an earthquake would happen, and neither did Master Song, who was in Meizhou to check for fires in the granaries. When the earthquake struck, he was in a brothel in Meizhou, enjoying himself with a courtesan. When the earth shook, Master Song was so frightened that he ran away. However, he ran too fast and tumbled down the steps, where he was crushed to death by a collapsing roof beam.
The Emperor wanted to know where Xie Jingyan had learned that an earthquake was about to occur in Meizhou.
Xie Jingyan looked at Shen Wan.
The Emperor's gaze also fell on Shen Wan.
Shen Wan said decisively, "A wise man told my cousin that an earthquake would occur in Meizhou, and that he should transport more grain and medicine to Meizhou within a month. That wise man helped my elder brother avoid falling from his horse, so we all believe his words without a doubt. In addition, given the natural disaster, it's better to be safe than sorry. However, Meizhou has granaries. Even if an earthquake occurs and the official road collapses, there shouldn't be a shortage of grain if it can't be transported. The prince suspects that the granaries in Meizhou may be empty, so he wants my elder brother to go to Meizhou to check first..."
Shen Wan felt that she hadn't deceived the emperor; she had only concealed the fact that the expert was herself, and the rest was all the truth.
The Emperor was surprised that the natural disaster in Meizhou had been avoided in this way. He said, "They have done a great service by saving tens of thousands of people in Meizhou from disaster. When they return to the capital, I will definitely reward them handsomely."
Shen Wan wanted to hear those words from the Emperor.
Xie Jingyan said, "If there's nothing else, we'll take our leave."
The Emperor wished he could give Xie Jingyan dozens of lashes. Was he really that impatient to say a few words to his father?!
The Emperor glanced at Xie Jingyan, then at something else, seemingly having nothing more to say, and waved his hand dismissively.
Xie Jingyan grabbed Shen Wan's hand and led her out of the imperial study.
However, after walking only a few steps out of the imperial study, a voice called out from behind, "Prince Ling, Princess Ling, please wait."
Shen Wan turned around and saw Eunuch Yuan chasing after her.
Xie Jingyan frowned and asked, "Does Your Majesty have any further instructions?"
Shen Wan's lips twitched.
The soundproofing in the Imperial Study isn't good either; the Emperor could hear such a loud noise.
If this guy ever gets a beating from the Emperor, it's entirely his own fault.
Eunuch Yuan said, "His Majesty did not give any instructions, but I was worried and came over to say a few words to the Prince and Princess."
Xie Jingyan's attitude softened.
Eunuch Yuan lowered his voice and said, "Imperial Physician Jiang is the Empress's man. The Princess Consort is delicate and has fallen into the water. It would be better to have another doctor or imperial physician take a look at her."
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