Sui Mo removed the longsword, held it horizontally with his right hand, and pressed his left hand on the bottom of the scabbard, pulling it out half a foot.
She was equipped with two swords, one on each side, the one on the right never being drawn.
No one knew that the blade was half a foot shorter than the scabbard, and that a hidden mechanism was concealed underneath.
"Your Highness."
Qin Zhaoyue subconsciously took the long sword handed to her, but her mind went blank: What's going on at this crucial moment?
With an extremely solemn expression, Sui Mo took out a bright yellow cloth from the mechanism.
They remain hidden and dormant.
Unbeknownst to Suimo, there was actually a second person in the entire group who knew of the existence of this imperial edict.
The Xuanji Guard is responsible for monitoring the entire realm and all officials. Their main duty on this mission is to secretly protect Her Highness the Princess.
She understood Qin Zhaoyue's meaning, of course, but it was still somewhat illegitimate for her to do it herself; with this imperial decree, it would be different.
But, you see, Suimo wasn't the only one in the group carrying the secret decree...
Meng Jian and his adjutant were at the forefront. As they watched Sui Mo carefully lift and unfold the bright yellow cloth, they immediately realized that it was an imperial edict.
"By the mandate of Heaven, the imperial court decrees:"
As Sui Mo spoke in a loud voice, all the soldiers knelt on one knee.
Yin Zhe stepped back and bowed in the direction of the imperial edict.
Qin Zhaoyue was stunned. She was still holding the sword. Should she kneel or not?
Sui Mo ignored her and continued reading:
"I have been ordained by Heaven to nurture all peoples, but now three prefectures are suffering from this flood, and sixteen counties are even worse off."
The sixth daughter of the Emperor, Qin Zhaoyue, is of exceptional talent and grace, and is hereby appointed to oversee all matters related to disaster relief and flood control.
From the prefectural government to the county government, from the imperial guards to the garrison troops, all matters involving relief and dredging were subject to their discretion and decision-making.
He was granted the Imperial Sword, which allowed anyone below the rank of governor to execute without prior approval if they were found to be corrupt or disobedient.
"By the mandate of Heaven above, and to save the people below, may you obey!"
"My lord, I obey the order!"
He subconsciously replied that he obeyed, but an eerie silence fell over the room.
Qin Zhaoyue: ?
Yuxiu Tianjia? Who? Who are you talking about?
Yin Zhe stood up, his fists clenched tightly in his sleeves, his cheekbones relaxed beneath his veil, and his lips pressed into a thin line.
The atmosphere was inappropriate, and she tried her best to control herself from laughing out loud.
She admitted that the Sixth Prince did indeed possess extraordinary abilities, but the Yuxiu imperial family…
Just imagining His Majesty's expression when he wrote those words in the Imperial Study...
Hmm... I can't laugh!
Qin Zhaoyue was dumbfounded.
Back in Mingyan County, she had already guessed that Sui Mo might be carrying out some mission for the Empress, but she never expected it to be this.
The imperial sword, with its power of discretion, can be used to execute all officials below the rank of prefect.
The governor is the highest-ranking official in a prefecture!
"Your Highness, what you hold in your hand is the Shangfang Sword."
As he spoke, Suimo quickly took a few steps and handed the imperial edict to Meng Jian.
Meng Jian took it with both hands, unfolded it, and quickly browsed through it.
The content is exactly the same as described in the fragmented ink, and it is stamped with the imperial seal "Zaiwu Hanzhang" and His Majesty's private seal "Fenghu Yin", which is the explicit decree of the Emperor to travel to the Phoenix Pavilion.
Meng Jian and his deputy read the imperial edict, then respectfully handed it back, their expressions strange, unsure of what to say.
On the surface, the eldest princess only held the position of deputy disaster relief envoy, which meant that Lord Gu of the Ministry of Civil Affairs was sensible and did not vie for power.
The fact that the Sixth Prince has gained such trust from His Majesty is a genuine imperial edict.
Your Majesty... what are you thinking...?
The emperor's will is hard to fathom, but with the decree in hand, they only need to obey.
Meng Jian looked up at the woman not far away, his heart filled with turmoil.
If she were just a marginal princess, perhaps there would still be a sliver of a chance.
His Majesty has now entrusted him with an important task; this is a power that no ordinary imperial heir can wield.
The succession to the throne and the struggle for the throne—if the Sixth Princess falls within His Majesty's considerations…
Meng Jian took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his agitated emotions.
Pei Xueqiao was also at the forefront and witnessed the imperial edict as well.
Since the imperial decree was issued by Fenggetai, it means that Father approved of its contents.
"You're not good enough for her..."
My mind went blank for a moment, and my father's words echoed repeatedly in my mind.
At the time, I thought it was just a joke from my father, but the contents of the imperial edict clearly showed that the Sixth Princess's abilities had been recognized by His Majesty and the Prime Minister!
Sui Mo placed the imperial edict back into the mechanism and closed the sword sheath, as if he had only done a routine task, and returned to his previous position.
His expression was calm and collected, but his heart was pounding like a war drum.
Carrying this imperial decree also put her under great pressure.
His Majesty only said that it should be taken out and read aloud at the appropriate time; the decision was entirely in her hands.
The fact that the lazy and lazy Sixth Princess was given the responsibility of flood control and disaster relief shows that the Eldest Princess's situation is not optimistic. Sui Mo believes that this is the right time.
Qin Zhaoyue exhaled a deep breath.
Good heavens! Just because he showed off his skills in the Imperial Study, why would the Empress Dowager entrust him with such an important task?! Are you crazy?!
In any case, it is ultimately beneficial to the current situation.
"Meng Jian, organize the Imperial Guards to build rafts with all their might, salvage and rescue, gather troops, and search for surviving officials of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau."
At the same time, scouts were dispatched upstream and downstream to survey the water situation and provide practical and feasible emergency response plans.
"Your subordinate obeys!"
"Deputy General Hu, wade through the water to the Longmen County Government Office."
Whether you are adjusting boats or building rafts, I need to see ten thousand laborers within four hours.
Those who are strong and healthy, regardless of gender, will be transferred to this river embankment.
In urgent situations, expediency is necessary. If the county government disobeys orders, or if the people refuse to comply, you are granted the right to execute them, and I will bear all the consequences.
Lieutenant General Hu's eyes flashed sharply, "This subordinate obeys!"
"Hidden Hermit, the initial timber harvesting is entrusted to you."
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