"A waterwheel? To divert water for irrigation?" Zhou Yue murmured in shock.
He could understand each word individually, but when put together, he was completely baffled.
Seeing Su An's bright, confident eyes, Zhou Yue was startled and immediately adopted a humble and inquisitive attitude.
"Young lady, may I ask what a waterwheel is? And how is water diverted from the south to the north?"
Su An sighed inwardly, thinking, "Is it really okay for a proper marquis to change his attitude so quickly?"
However, it also shows how much Zhou Yue values the people's livelihood and the disaster situation, and that he truly cares about the world.
Su An quickly explained the underlying principles to him.
After finishing his sentence, he added at the opportune moment, "I only know the concept of the waterwheel's structure. The specifics will require us to work together with the craftsmen to explore them. With concerted efforts, it shouldn't be difficult to build one."
Su An dared not be presumptuous and truthfully revealed his abilities, but he also had a certain degree of confidence.
Zhou Yue was so excited after hearing this that his face was flushed and he was extremely thrilled.
"With such abilities, Miss Su should not go to the capital, but should rush to the disaster area to immediately implement this drought relief method!"
Fearing that Su An might be unwilling, he suppressed his surging emotions and explained, "You must understand that becoming an official is not something that can be achieved overnight. Miss Su needs to make certain achievements so that the court officials and the people can see them. Only then will it be right for Miss Su to be appointed as a female official!"
Upon hearing the words "disaster area," Su An's mind immediately stirred.
Fu Zhun and his group went to the disaster area, and then they can get back on their good side!
She was all smiles and about to agree, but then Chu Yi, his face dark, shouted, "I disagree."
"Su An must return to the capital with me; I want to take her as my concubine!"
Su An was his hostage and bargaining chip; how could he possibly let her leave!
Faced with the emperor's wrath, Zhou Yue merely frowned and righteously denied it, saying, "Your Majesty also said that Su An was suspected of being a traitor. Although there is no evidence, her reputation has already been ruined. How can she be allowed to enter the harem again?"
"Not only do I disagree, but all the civil and military officials will surely oppose it. Is Your Majesty going to follow the example of that foolish ruler who allowed the foundation of the country to be destabilized for the sake of a beautiful woman who brings disaster?"
Zhou Yue's gaze was sharp; he practically said that Su An would wreak havoc on the court.
After all, if a woman who had been accused of treason and collusion with the enemy were to enter the harem, all the officials would be filled with apprehension and suspicion.
"Only by sending Miss Su to the disaster area can we prove that she has devoted herself to the country, and then no one will be able to criticize her!" Zhou Yue snorted coldly, completely taking it for granted.
These words nearly made Chu Yi jump up in anger.
The excuse he had been using to control Su An was actually turned around by Zhou Yue, who used it to take Su An away legitimately!
"Outrageous! You, you!" Chu Yi pointed at him, his handsome face turning bright red.
Watching this scene, Su An was completely dumbfounded and silently gave Zhou Yue a thumbs up.
As expected of a seasoned official in the workplace, Niu Boyi easily resolved the difficult problem!
Zhou Yue, however, maintained a stern, businesslike expression and bowed to the emperor, saying, "The situation in the disaster area is urgent. I need to prepare a carriage to send Miss Su to the disaster area immediately. I hope Your Majesty will consider the well-being of all people."
After saying that, without paying any attention to Chu Yi's face, which was as black as charcoal, he turned around and left with Su An in a swift and decisive manner.
Thanks to Zhou Yue's intervention, the whole family was quickly taken out of prison, settled back home, and left with someone to take care of them.
Su An barely had time to explain to her family that she was going to provide disaster relief, and after packing some belongings, Zhou Yue hurriedly pulled her onto a carriage and sped away.
Thinking of the tearful and worried looks in Li Guihua and Sanwa's eyes before she left, Su An felt a little uneasy, but she was quickly drawn to Zhou Yue's words.
"Now we must head to Jizhou, which is the largest disaster area and is located at the boundary between the north and south. Therefore, it is also the place where the disaster victims stay the most when they migrate south, and riots are bound to occur. Miss Su, please do not wander around when you arrive."
Su An's heart sank, and he nodded solemnly.
Even Zhou Li had to ask Fu Zhun to lead troops to suppress the rebellion, which shows that Ji Province was not peaceful.
"Phew." Su An let out a breath. Traveling non-stop through the night would take at least four days. Right now, she could only try to calm herself down and get enough rest.
...
Four days later, outside Jizhou City.
Upon receiving the message, Fu Zhun and his men had already stationed their troops at the city gate to prevent a sudden uprising by the disaster victims.
Zhou Li paced back and forth, craning his neck in anticipation, full of curiosity and expectation. "Your Highness, do you know who this divine being my father spoke of who can solve the drought?"
"I heard that person is also from Fuyou County, but it's really strange that we didn't discover such a talent before!"
"I don't know either," Fu Zhun said, his brow furrowed. His expression was both tired and hopeful, his dark eyes fixed on the distance.
The letter was written hastily and carelessly; if it weren't for the authentic handwriting, he would have doubted whether it was truly a letter from the Marquis of Pingyang.
"They're here! They're here!" Zhou Li suddenly exclaimed in a delighted voice.
Squinting slightly, I could see two carriages bearing the Zhou family banner speeding towards me through the billowing dust, showing how anxious they were to get there.
When the carriage stopped, Zhou Li looked excited and immediately pushed the wheelchair forward, keeping a close eye on the person getting off the carriage.
Zhou Yue stepped down first, disregarding formalities, and said directly, "Your Highness, I've brought the person to you."
"Miss Su!"
As soon as those three words were uttered, Fu Zhun paused slightly, a deep look of astonishment flashing in his eyes.
Then he saw the woman who had been on his mind jump down from the carriage. Through the slight wind and sand, her clear and determined eyes looked at him with joy.
"Pay up!"
Su An spotted the handsome man in the wheelchair and her eyes welled up with tears. She quickly walked over.
Finally, finally I've found her anchor!
God knows what kind of life she's been living since the big guy left her!
The man was still as handsome as ever, but his face looked pale from exhaustion, and his black robe was covered in dust.
At this moment, his sword-like eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and his dark eyes were fixed on him, with a complex and turbulent undercurrent flowing in his eyes.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Su An felt inexplicably uneasy under the gaze, and then looked at Zhou Li.
They found that the other person also had a look of disbelief on their face, but there was a clear look of joy at reuniting with an old friend.
"Why did you come here?" Fu Zhun asked, his voice hoarse and somewhat accusatory, a chill spreading through him.
Although he was asking Su An, his icy gaze was directed at Zhou Yue.
Zhou Yue paused for a moment, then stroked his beard slightly, feeling a little guilty, and said, "Your Highness, Miss Su is the one I mentioned in the letter. The method she proposed for combating drought..."
Before he could finish speaking, Fu Zhun suddenly interrupted with a low shout: "She's just a young girl. Even if there's a way, just record it and pass it on to the craftsmen to implement. Why bring her here and cause trouble!"
His face was more grim than ever before, as if Su An's arrival was a huge problem.
This caused Su An's excited heart to cool down sharply, and she looked at him in disbelief.
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