Just as midnight arrived, Deputy General Hu led his large entourage back to Gaopo.
In addition to the hastily made rafts, there were also many fishing boats and light barges, fully loaded with the laborers they had gathered.
Of the 2,500 Imperial Guards, the majority were either not accompanying the group or had been sent upstream; now, more than 2,200 have been assembled.
The remaining fewer than three hundred people were searched for more than three hours without any results, and their chances of survival were slim.
The good news is that all of Qin Zhaoyue's guards survived, including Ping An.
The child was heavy and muscular; after being swept away by the first wave, he sank to the bottom.
He couldn't swim, but instinctively he clung to a large rock beneath the floodwaters.
Luckily, he encountered Mo Twelve before he suffocated, who used chains to bind his body and bring him to the water.
However, Mo Shier's true energy was limited, and he could do nothing more with such a strong man by his side. He could only move forward with the current.
After drifting for a long time, they finally found a high point and waited for rescue.
Peace and safety, it's no wonder Qin Zhaoyue gave him this name.
The rain subsided slightly, but did not stop.
The hilltop had changed dramatically, and a campsite had been set up.
Huge bonfires burned everywhere, providing ample illumination even in the rainy night.
At the temporary main tent, Deputy General Hu rushed over.
"Reporting to the Sixth Prince, 12,000 able-bodied men have been assembled."
"Okay, thank you for your hard work."
I wonder if there are any assassins lurking in the shadows. The fact that he was able to complete the mission in three and a half hours speaks volumes about his abilities. No wonder he was able to serve as the eldest sister's deputy.
"Someone, put on my armor."
The left and right sides were already prepared. Yao Guang was urgently dispatched to Fengjing to deliver the message, and now it was Sui Mo and Mo Yi who were sent instead.
At this moment, Qin Zhaoyue had already changed into her inner battle skirt, a crimson fire-resistant brocade woven from silkworm silk, which was fire-resistant and cut-resistant.
Sui Mo and Mo Yi had rehearsed beforehand, and their movements were incredibly fast.
The breastplate is forged with phoenix feather patterns, and the layered, upturned shoulder armor resembles the gathered tail feathers of a phoenix, complete with a filigree necklace.
The wrist guards are inlaid with gold and silver dragon patterns, and the elbow joints are made of fish-scale-shaped plates, which are connected by vermilion red silk threads to form movable folds.
The main waistband features an openwork carved jade belt hook, while the secondary chain has nine rings and a hanging military tally and first-aid medicine pouch.
The leg armor is made of chainmail woven with gold and silver wire, with an outer layer of carved cold-forged armor plates, and the boots are inlaid with seven-jeweled glass studs.
Finally, a black ice silk cloak was fastened to the phoenix beak buckle on the shoulder armor.
Deputy General Hu witnessed the entire process, and opened his mouth several times but could not utter a single word.
This armor, named "Phoenix's Thousand Blades," is designed to exceed the specifications for an imperial heir and was bestowed upon the eldest princess by His Majesty.
The symbolism of status transcended practicality, so the eldest princess did not usually wear it.
call……
Qin Zhaoyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Even with light armor, the added weight of nearly twenty pounds was still quite a burden.
Fortunately, I now have cultivation; otherwise, with my weak body from my previous life, I probably would have been out of breath after just a few steps.
The faceplate was removed, covering everything completely except for a pair of eyes.
"Remember, today I am the eldest princess."
There wasn't much explanation; those who understand, understand.
Firstly, it could lull the enemy into a false sense of security, and secondly, she didn't want to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings.
The fact that he doesn't use his true energy to save people is inexplicable. And if he's going to use this opportunity to oversee flood control...
Let alone others, even Qin Zhaoyue herself found it suspicious.
Wearing the eldest sister's armor and acting in her name is the safest course of action.
"yes!"
"Alright, let's go."
Qin Zhaoyue led the way out of the tent, with Sui Mo and the Mo Group following closely behind, not daring to let anyone get close.
She tried to straighten her back, imagining her elder sister's heroic walk.
Stand between two huge bonfires, ensuring that the laborers below can roughly see them.
The Imperial Guards and Personal Guards all recognized this armor. Your Highness, have you... controlled your injuries?
Most people only know that the princess had a knife wound in her hand and abdomen, but the rest of the wound did not spread.
All eyes turned to Commander Meng and Deputy General Hu in front of them, and they both nodded in unison.
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
The soldiers knelt on one knee, and the Mo Group beside Qin Zhaoyue was no exception.
The laborers in the distance, whether on the shore or on the boat, immediately knelt down.
Qin Zhaoyue swallowed hard and deliberately lowered her voice, saying, "Commander Meng, bring Lu Zhaochuan, the magistrate of Longmen County."
"yes!"
Soon, Magistrate Lu was brought up. He had not woken up since falling into a coma, and his body was limp. Meng Jian had to hold him up by the back of his clothes.
"Your Highness, the person has been brought here."
Meng Jian grabbed his hair, the firelight illuminating his pale face.
Qin Zhaoyue, hidden beneath the mask, spoke coldly.
“Lu Zhaochuan, the magistrate of Longmen County, attempted to assassinate the emperor on the river embankment of Huilongtan, but was captured on the spot.”
"Under the watchful eyes of the public, there is no way to defend oneself; one's crime deserves death!"
These words shocked the people and caused a great uproar.
How could that be? How could Magistrate Lu, who loves his people like his own children, possibly assassinate a princess?
"quiet!"
Meng Jian's voice carried a torrent of true energy; he had exerted all his strength.
The people were so intimidated that they fell silent.
"In addition, Lu Zhaochuan has two other crimes."
"Firstly, they switched the disaster relief grain from the imperial court, mixing in more bran and chaff to deliberately incite public anger."
"Secondly, the embezzlement of the imperial funds for flood control led to the filling of riverbanks and dikes with reeds and clay, causing the dikes to collapse."
"Multiple crimes will be punished together! Guards, bring the Emperor's sword!"
Sui Mo bowed and stepped forward, kneeling on one knee to present the Shangfang Sword with both hands.
Qin Zhaoyue took it, and as the blade slid out of the ebony sheath, it made a fine "whoosh" sound, like the crisp sound of ice cracking on a winter night.
This Shangfang sword has a unique shape; it is a foot shorter than a regular longsword, but it is exceptionally sharp.
She took a deep breath, took two steps forward, and came to Magistrate Lu's side.
Meng Jian hadn't expected her to take matters into her own hands. In this situation, he couldn't persuade her, so he could only adjust his posture with a sullen face, exposing Lu Zhaochuan's nape.
"It's alright, he assassinated my elder sister, he deserves to die..."
"Even if they were under control, they had previously allowed wealthy households to use refined grains for disaster relief without realizing the strangeness of the situation..."
"Under these circumstances, even stupidity is a crime, especially since he did indeed embezzle the funds intended for dike construction..."
"He deserves to die!"
The next moment, a cold glint appeared!
[P.S.] Thank you everyone for your encouragement and donations. I received the most gifts since the book was first published yesterday, totaling over forty yuan. Thank you!
We heard the calls for more updates, and you might not believe it, but it took us over an hour to revise that imperial edict.
Perhaps too much time was wasted on unimportant parts; the plot-driven approach is laborious and doesn't seem to be popular.
But it would be hard to give up on quality at this point, and I also have to keep the foreshadowing and logic consistent. Maintaining three updates a day is a bit stressful, so I'll just update two for now.
As you can see, the scope is huge; it started aiming for a million words right away. I wonder if it can make it that far...
As for Lord Pei, many fans complain that his personality is too unlikable.
He had a smooth and uneventful life without much experience, and the old man had other considerations. He only began to mature after the flood control and disaster relief efforts, so we need to wait a little longer.
I'm considering starting a purely lighthearted story, like the first few dozen chapters. I wonder if it would be more popular.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
