Autumn has passed and winter has arrived; another month has passed in the blink of an eye.
Thanks to the large-scale "work-for-relief" program, the Jiangnan region has completely shaken off the shadow of the floods and is now brimming with vitality. New river embankments are as solid as rocks, new towns have sprung up, and the people live in peace and contentment, their faces once again beaming with hope for the future.
The capital city, because of this victory thousands of miles away, entered a strange atmosphere that was both calm and turbulent.
Since vomiting blood that day, Regent Xiao Yuan has been feigning illness and staying indoors, keeping the gates of his palace tightly closed, as if he had completely withdrawn from the struggle for power.
Meanwhile, in the imperial court, Emperor Xiao Che's prestige was at its zenith. Those centrist officials who had once wavered had now become the most steadfast supporters of the "Divine Strategy." The entire court presented an unprecedentedly efficient situation where government orders were effectively implemented.
However, everyone knew that this was just the calm before the storm.
Because there is one most crucial and sensitive issue that remains unresolved to this day—the Phoenix Seal, which symbolizes the highest power in the harem, is still nominally "held" by the Empress Dowager, who is claiming illness and not leaving the palace.
This is an incredibly awkward and delicate situation.
The Empress's achievements and prestige far surpassed those of any other empress in history. Yet, she was still not the rightful mistress of the harem.
Everyone knows that an ultimate showdown over the "return of the Phoenix Seal" is bound to happen sooner or later.
No one expected that what ignited this confrontation was neither the emperor's edict nor the ministers' petition, but a group of ordinary people from thousands of miles away...
...
The sky was clear and the air was crisp on this day.
Early in the morning, a large crowd had already gathered outside the Zhuque Gate, the main gate on the south side of the capital.
At first, the guards on the city thought there was some rioting and were so nervous that they almost reported it to the capital authorities. But soon they found that these people not only had no intention of causing trouble, but they were also solemn and their clothes, though old, were washed clean.
There were several hundred of them, led by several elderly men with gray hair and high moral standing. Behind them followed a group of strong young men, who were carrying a long, mysterious object wrapped in a huge red silk cloth with great care.
They did not attempt to enter the city; they simply stopped in the spacious square outside the Vermilion Bird Gate.
Immediately, led by the elder in charge, these hundreds of people knelt down in unison, facing the direction of the palace!
This kneeling instantly ignited the entire Vermilion Bird Gate.
Countless people entering and leaving the city were attracted by this strange sight, stopping in their tracks to gather around and discuss it animatedly.
"What's going on? Which prefecture are these people from? Why are they kneeling here for so long?"
"Judging from their accents, they seem to be... from the Jiangnan region!"
"From Jiangnan? Could it be... that they are the disaster victims rescued by His Majesty and the Empress?"
The moment this guess was made, a huge commotion erupted in the crowd!
Just then, the leading elder, facing the direction of the palace, shouted in a loud and clear voice filled with boundless gratitude and respect:
"This humble subject, Chen Wang, the village head of Chenjia Village in Suzhou Prefecture, Jiangnan, along with 372 representatives of the rescued people from the three prefectures of Jiangnan, have traveled thousands of miles to pay homage to Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress!!"
His voice, aged and hoarse, yet possessing immense power, clearly reached the ears of every onlooker.
They really are disaster victims from Jiangnan!
The crowd erupted in cheers!
The old man ignored the surrounding noise and kowtowed heavily once more towards the direction of the palace.
"We have come here not to seek official positions, nor to seek wealth!" His voice trembled slightly with excitement. "What we bring is only the most sincere gratitude and thanks from the 370,000 rescued people of the three prefectures south of the Yangtze River!"
Having said that, he turned to the young man behind him and shouted in a deep voice, "Raise the umbrella!"
"Here you go!"
The group of young people responded in unison, and then carefully and slowly unveiled the huge red silk cloth.
The moment the silk cloth slipped off, everyone present couldn't help but gasp!
What was wrapped inside was an enormous canopy umbrella!
The umbrella was at least three zhang tall, and when opened, it could probably accommodate dozens of people. The umbrella surface was made of tens of thousands of small pieces of silk cloth of different colors, pieced together to form a magnificent picture of "a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix".
However, what is truly awe-inspiring is not its size or magnificence.
Instead, the umbrella was covered with countless names! And countless bright red, shocking handprints!
Thousands upon thousands of names and handprints, like the densest stars, filled the entire canopy, converging into a powerful, silent, yet earth-shaking force of public opinion!
"This is... the umbrella for all people!"
Among the crowd, a knowledgeable old scholar, his voice trembling, uttered the name of the object.
"This umbrella was made by 370,000 rescued people from Jiangnan, each contributing a brush and a seal, taking a month to complete!" The leading elder, with tears in his eyes, shouted, "We carried no gold or silver, only this umbrella of the people, trekking thousands of miles to the capital! All for..."
He kowtowed again, and the sound resounded through the sky!
"...I kowtow to express my deepest gratitude to the Emperor and Empress for saving my life!!"
Boom!!!
The area outside the Vermilion Bird Gate was in complete uproar!
Although the people of Beijing present had not personally experienced that natural disaster, at this moment, looking at the huge umbrella of gratitude that carried the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people, and at the hundreds of people from Jiangnan kneeling on the ground, weeping uncontrollably, they seemed to feel the same way!
A strong sense of pride and emotion surged wildly in everyone's heart!
"Your Majesty is wise! The Empress is benevolent!"
It's unclear who was the first to shout it out.
Immediately, this cry spread like wildfire, instantly igniting the entire square!
"Your Majesty is wise! The Empress is benevolent!"
"Empress Goddess! Your blessings extend to all living beings!"
The shouts rose in waves, echoing through the sky, as if they were about to shake the clouds apart!
...
Meanwhile, inside the palace, in the Golden Palace.
The morning court session is in progress.
The commander of the military headquarters in charge of the defense of the capital region was sweating profusely as he urgently reported the breathtaking scene outside the Vermilion Bird Gate.
The entire court, including the regent's cronies who had once scoffed at the "Shence" strategy, was now completely silent, their faces filled with unprecedented shock and emotion.
They were used to the cold, hard politics of the court, and used to measuring everything by power struggles and self-interest.
But at this moment, the most fervent and pure gratitude and support from the people, like an irresistible torrent, fiercely impacted their already numb hearts!
Sitting on the dragon throne, Xiao Che listened to the cheers that came faintly from outside the palace, like a thunderous roar, and felt his eyes welling up with tears.
He slowly stood up, walked down the steps, and arrived at the entrance of the Golden Palace.
Through the towering palace gate, he could clearly see, in the direction of the Vermilion Bird Gate, the enormous Umbrella of Ten Thousand People, gleaming in the sunlight!
That was not an umbrella.
That's the will of the people! That's the world! That's the most precious treasure he and Wanwan won together!
But high above the palace walls, in a little-known corner.
Lin Wanwan, also dressed in casual clothes, quietly leaned against the railing, gazing into the distance at everything.
Looking at the "Umbrella of Ten Thousand People" that she had created with her own hands, and listening to the heartfelt cries of "Empress Goddess," a tremendous sense of accomplishment welled up in her heart, stronger and more profound than any victory in a palace intrigue.
She knew that from this day forward, she would no longer be merely a bride brought to good fortune by the emperor.
She has her own most solid foundation—the hearts of the people!
While the entire court was still immersed in the enormous impact of this overwhelming public opinion.
From the ranks, an elderly man with white hair and beard, dressed in the official robes of a Grand Tutor, who had always maintained neutrality in the court and was highly respected, slowly and shakily walked out.
All eyes instantly turned to him.
The old tutor, who had witnessed the vicissitudes of three dynasties and whom even the regent treated with deference, had tears welling up in his eyes.
He looked at the enormous umbrella of ten thousand people outside the palace, and then glanced at the tall and upright young emperor beside the dragon throne.
Then, he straightened his clothes and, facing the dragon throne, slowly lifted the hem of his robe.
Amidst the utterly shocked gazes of the entire court, he performed an unprecedented and incredibly solemn act—a deep kneeling salute!
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