"Alas, if there were a way to bring rain, the people of the south wouldn't have to flee."
Although Emperor Jing knew what Jing Le was thinking, he couldn't say it aloud, so he deliberately guided him.
"The south has not seen rain for months, and the fields have yielded no harvest. If this continues, the people will suffer greatly."
That's true. Months without rain are almost a prelude to drought. If not handled properly, people will be displaced, forced to sell their children, or even become outlaws.
Emperor Jing was a ruler who loved his people like his own children. Disaster relief was already on the agenda, but who to send and whether the person sent could settle the people well were also considerations. He didn't want to spend money but fail to save the people.
"Severe drought in the south?"
Jing Le quickly swallowed the pastry in her mouth, her brows furrowed.
[Judging by the timeline, a severe drought is indeed imminent in the south. According to the plot summary, the Emperor, worried about the people, sent people to provide disaster relief, but the official colluded with bandits and embezzled the silver.]
[In the end, the people were displaced, and resentment resurfaced. Adding to this, malicious rumors spread that the emperor didn't care about the people's lives, shocking the entire nation. Furthermore, radical and madmen stirred up trouble, demanding the emperor abdicate.]
The person behind it all killed the troublemaking commoner, making people mistakenly believe it was the emperor who did it, thus solidifying his reputation as a tyrant.
[Even in his sudden death, no one sympathized with him; they even praised him. Tsk tsk tsk, how pitiful my father was.]
Emperor Jing was not in a hurry. He listened to Jing Le's thoughts while processing the memorials. The more he listened, the angrier he became. He had no mind to revise the memorials. He wished he could execute that official immediately.
They colluded with robbers, embezzled silver, caused people to be displaced, spread rumors, and killed civilians.
Emperor Jing didn't care about himself; what he cared about were the people, because the selfish desires of some people were causing them suffering, which he couldn't tolerate.
People call him a tyrant, they say he's cruel, it doesn't matter. As long as he harms the people, he's guilty. His original intention as the supreme ruler was to let the people live a good life. How could he tolerate the corrupt officials in the court?
"But with me here this time, those people won't be able to bully my father. It's just a drought, right? I'll go back and draw a few more pictures; he can make it rain as much as he wants."
[The question is, how do I explain the origin of the rain-summoning talisman?]
"Ah, I've got it."
After much deliberation, Jing finally came up with a reason that wasn't so abrupt:
"Father, my master gave me a rain-making talisman, and the peace talisman I had before was also given to me by my master. It worked very well. I'll get it for you in a bit."
"I'm already learning how to draw talismans. Once I've mastered it, I'll draw whatever Father Emperor wants."
[Father should believe me if I say that, then it'll be perfectly legitimate for me to use talismans in the future. After all, I've already learned how to use them. I'm so clever!]
Jing Le was unaware that he had already completely exposed himself, so there was no need for him to think about whether it was abrupt or not. The question should be how Emperor Jing would answer without being deliberate.
"Really? Excellent, excellent! The people are saved! Master Liaowu is a man of great fortune and merit. I thank you on behalf of the people."
I'm being so sincere, Lele should feel sorry for me.
Emperor Jing solemnly clasped his hands in a salute towards the main gate. His salute was sincere, not out of gratitude to Master Liaowu, but out of gratitude to Jing Le beside him.
As expected, Jing Le had no suspicions.
After Emperor Jing solved a major problem, he continued, "The problem in the south is solved, but the problem in the north is not yet solved. I don't know why, but this year the south has not seen a drop of rain for months, while the north has seen months of continuous rain. Alas."
The imperial city is located in the central area and is not affected by weather conditions from the north or south.
Jing Le also remembered that the Great Yong Dynasty had indeed suffered many disasters that year, but he had a solution.
Looking up, she comforted Emperor Jing: "Father, don't worry. I still have a cloud-breaking talisman here. My master said that rain is caused by too many clouds. As long as the clouds are dispersed, it will be fine."
"Good, good, good, Lele is truly a lucky star of Dayong."
Emperor Jing laughed heartily, genuinely believing that Jing Le was a lucky star sent by Heaven to help the Great Yong Dynasty.
With Jing Le present, how could Dayong not prosper?
Emperor Jing even had the idea of taking Jing Le to court to help him distinguish which of the court officials were loyal and which were treacherous.
After all, disaster relief still needs to be done by someone.
Jing Le stayed with Emperor Jing in the Imperial Study for a while before leaving, as she still had to deliver ritual implements to Consort Gui and the others.
...
The study of the Minister of Revenue's residence.
"Master, secret letters from both the north and south." The confidant handed the letters in his arms to the middle-aged man by the desk.
"Yes, you may leave." The middle-aged man was Han Jiang, the Minister of Revenue of the Great Yong Dynasty, who took the letter and began to read it.
The letter, which he had read in a short time, was burned to ashes.
"Natural disasters coupled with man-made calamities, the Great Yong is on the verge of chaos, Your Majesty. This is not my fault; I was forced into this situation. It's just that you were too strong-willed, leaving them with nowhere to go..."
As for who "them" are, they are probably the people behind the scenes who have ill intentions towards Dayong.
On the other side.
The Empress's bedroom.
"How is the Prime Minister's situation?"
The Empress picked up her teacup, took a sip, and remained calm.
The attendant, Granny Wu, respectfully reported, "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister has said that everything is ready and they are just waiting for the day the event begins before taking action."
The Empress, with her own channels of communication, naturally knew what was happening in the court, not to mention the Prime Minister.
The day the incident broke out was the day when the people of the North and South were thrown into chaos, and it was as if even Heaven was helping them.
If they operate properly, everything will fall into place.
Jingyao, I gave you chances, but you didn't cherish them. All these years of protecting you have yielded nothing in return; you insist on being with that bitch.
"Since that's the case, I'll grant your wish. Once everything is settled, I'll send that bitch and her child to see you. Don't worry."
The Empress's eyes flashed with a chilling coldness, her former gentleness completely gone. She put down her teacup and said, "What about the Second Prince? Keep a close eye on him. Make sure he doesn't find out."
The second prince, raised by the empress, has very sound values and is indeed a good heir. If he really is Emperor Jing's child, the position of crown prince is a sure thing.
Unfortunately, the second prince was unaware that his identity was already predetermined. No matter how well he performed, the fact that he was not of royal blood would crush him, making any talk of imperial ambitions impossible.
So the Prime Minister and the Empress had been planning for over a decade, just waiting for that moment to arrive.
"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister has already sent people to guard the Second Prince, and he will not be involved in this matter."
"Very good, go and keep watch." The Empress dismissed Wu Mama and stayed alone in her palace. Soon, groans could be heard coming from inside.
Granny Wu was brought by the Mu family. She was loyal and was also a person prepared by the Prime Minister for the Empress. She knew very well the unspeakable secrets between the Empress and the Prime Minister, as well as the lewd affairs in the house.
Who would have thought that the current Second Prince is not of the Jing family bloodline?!
The Empress is still having secret rendezvous with men in the palace!
Sympathy for the tyrant (JPG)...
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