Chapter 152: A Disadvantageous Start

s the best food for beasts, and he was alone, the chances of him being able to return to the tribe were very small.With the two pesky critters dealt with, Ripples felt a sense of relief wash over her....When the second princess saw the report on the flood, her face turned pale. She had only been regent for a short time, and such a major disaster had already occurred. It seemed like heaven was against her. Her elder sister hadn't experienced any natural disasters during her regency.

"My lords, the flood has become a disaster. We must quickly discuss and devise a plan to address this crisis."

The second princess directly threw the question to all the ministers.

"My opinion is that we should first focus on saving the people. After the flood has passed, we can then rebuild the houses."

"Food is also a problem. When people flee their homes, they take all their food with them. But this only lasts for a limited time, after all, harvest hasn't come yet."

After a flood, an epidemic will inevitably follow. If this cannot be controlled, it will affect the whole country. This must be put first.

"The people are displaced and there is a fear that looting may occur, which must be prevented."

Four submerged cities, current communications are disrupted and the status of officials within is unknown. Reinforcements are needed.

It has to be said that the officials of Fengqi Country, while receiving their salaries, are not idle. They have already listed out every situation that would occur before and after the disaster.

The second princess listened intently. She knew these ministers wouldn't dare to slack off right now. If they let the flood spread or the post-disaster plague spread, before she finished her regency, the Empress would dismiss these useless people on the spot.

Therefore, after taking all aspects into consideration, the second princess began to issue commands.

Arrange for officials from nearby towns to assist with the rescue efforts, and dispatch a contingent of new recruits to the affected areas. While helping civilians evacuate, they should also prevent any outbreaks of violence and thwart any attempts by foreign spies to incite unrest.

Have local officials in nearby cities open their granaries to distribute relief grain, and wealthy households within the city can set up soup kitchens to provide food. The capital should also transport a batch of reserve grain to address the emergency.

The Imperial Medical Bureau dispatched personnel to accompany the grain transport team to disaster-stricken cities, and along the way, they recruited physicians from various cities to assist in rescuing the people of the afflicted areas and preventing the outbreak of epidemics.

Ripple looked at the note in her hand. She was quite satisfied with the order given by the Second Princess, but she made a final annotation, requesting that the Second Princess appoint an official as a supervisor to oversee and monitor the execution of all orders, preventing any instances of lip service.

The Second Princess' eyes lit up after seeing her Empress Mother's note. This was exactly what she wanted; she certainly hoped that the orders she issued would be executed well, and she could also use this opportunity to allow her trusted officials to openly contact officials from various factions.

Subsequently, the Second Imperial Princess appointed a Zhao official as Inspector General to inspect the disaster-stricken cities on her behalf. Not long after the grain transport convoy departed from the capital, Zhao Ya quietly left the city with a group of people.

After Liàn Yī finished his morning set of punches, he took the handkerchief Lan Xīn offered and wiped his face. At this moment, Huì Qì reported:

“My lord, your servant requests an audience.”

"Let him in!"

"Yes."

A moment later, a court attendant in a robe of green bamboo walked in. After bowing to Lian'i, he went straight to the point and said:

The Empress, the three Imperial princesses, two months ago followed the new recruits camp to the border city occupied and stationed there. They were left in Longling City to supplement Zhao's army. This flood, Zhao directly sent their batch of new troops, the leading general was also a marginal female general from the Zhao family.

Your messages are quite insightful.

The ripples wiped the sweat from her temple, and she handed the handkerchief back to Lanxin.

These are messages passed back from people around the Third Princess.

"The wise attendant lowered his eyes and said, 'These people were arranged by the Empress, so I have nothing to conceal.'"

The Third Princess is temporarily out of danger. If she has the guts, she might even be able to make a name for herself.

Ripple walked slowly into the house, she was going to bathe and get dressed.

"After I change my clothes, will you have breakfast with me"

"Yes."

Seeing the empress's calm face, the wise servant knew that she already knew about these matters, and she knew even more details than him.

After they had finished breakfast together, Xian Shi said to Lian Yi:

“I know you're worried about the third princess, and there have been reports from the border lately that Panlong Country is restless again. I'm afraid they will take advantage of this flood in Fengchi Country to stir up trouble. The border guards are all on high alert. It might actually be a good thing for the third prince to leave the border.”

The wise advisor, having heard this, felt much better. After all, providing disaster relief within the borders of Fengqi Country was far preferable to going to war. Swords and blades are indiscriminate; if there were a misstep, it would be too late for treatment.

Unfortunately, sometimes what you fear comes to pass. Just as the flood was initially brought under control, a guard assigned to Princess Sanhuang by the Empress sent word that Princess Sanhuang had contracted a plague and was trapped in the disaster-stricken city.

Ripples looked at the message and frowned. She hadn't expected the resistance of this Third Princess to be so poor, she had Lan Xin go and summon the Imperial Physician to see her.

The wise servant has been troubled these two days, his eyelids twitching alternately left and right, making him very uneasy. Coincidentally, the Empress summoned him, so after tidying himself up, he went to the Empress's courtyard.

When he learned that the Third Princess had contracted the plague, his face turned ashen, and his body swayed. Fortunately, a nearby attendant steadied him in time.

"Queen"

"I know you're worried about Lao San's safety. I can't leave the capital, so you'll have to go yourself. Is that doable"

"Yes, my lord, I shall prepare at once."

Upon hearing that the Empress had permitted him to leave Zhu Xiu Yuan, Xian Shi Jun immediately straightened his face and replied, wishing he could set off right away.

“I have prepared both the manpower and the herbs. You just bring a few trusted subordinates, and we can set off tomorrow. Just remember to take good care of your own body. I will be waiting for you in the capital city.”

"Yes."

After taking his leave, the wise servant hurried back to his own courtyard and called for four attendants who were skilled in martial arts. He didn't wait until the next day; that very night, he set off on his journey.

The next day, Fengshou sent a message to Lianyi. She said that the one-armed Fifth Prince of Panlong Country wanted to see the Empress and claimed to have a prescription for suppressing the plague.

"If you hadn't said anything, I would have forgotten this person even existed."

Liàn Yī sighed, "After the last city returned, no one in Pán Lóng Guo even mentioned bringing back the Fifth Prince. They didn't care about his life or death, and even seemed to be trying to shift the blame."

The Great Princess originally intended to directly send the person back to Panlong Country. As for whether they would live or die after returning, it had nothing to do with their Fengqi Country.

Unfortunately, Lian Yi calculated with her fingers that the soul traveler had only stayed in the body of the Fifth Prince for a total of three years. There was still some distance to go before the ten-year complete fusion. So she decided to temporarily detain the other party.

Of course she wouldn't treat him to good food and drink, she took him straight to work with the criminals, building levees. Every day they ate three coarse flour buns and two bowls of porridge, just enough to keep from starving.

Building this dike is no easy task. The other party must have learned about the flood damage in Fengchi Country and came out to try to benefit themselves.

"Bring him to see me."

The ripples also want to know what the other party is thinking.roach the inferno.The ripples reacted, the Fire Spirit of the Crimson Lotus was still asleep, so it wouldn't attack on its own without her command. She was also afraid that if she unleashed her fire,...