From cute to empress

Chapter 331 Undercurrent Beneath the Tranquility

"Brother Cai, you say..." I stopped, looked up at him, and hesitated to speak.

"What's wrong?" Zhen Youcai looked at me puzzledly. His deep eyes reflected the afterglow of the sunset and my uneasy reflection.

I looked at the gradually darkening sky in the distance, its golden halo swallowed by layers of dark clouds, and a sudden sense of unease welled up in my heart. "Look at this sky, does it look like..."

"Like what?" He followed my gaze and his originally relaxed brows furrowed slightly.

"Like... the day when we made our first incognito visit, do you remember? It was right after that that heavy rain suddenly hit, and we were trapped in that dilapidated temple..." My voice became lower and lower, but the fragments of memory became clearer and clearer: the heavy rain, the thunder, the dilapidated temple, and his nervous yet determined eyes.

Zhen Youcai took my hand, his broad, warm palm soothing the anxiety in my heart. "Don't worry, silly boy. It's all in the past. Now we are the emperor and empress. We have the ability to protect our people and will not let anyone suffer again."

His words were like a shot in the arm, and my mood gradually calmed down. Yes, now the country is peaceful and the people are safe, we are no longer the powerless girl and scholar we were back then.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the Meteorological Officer requests an audience!" A shrill voice broke the tranquility of the Imperial Garden.

"Announce." Zhen Youcai said in a deep voice.

A moment later, a middle-aged man in official uniform, looking hurried, knelt on the floor of the imperial study. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, may you live a thousand years!"

"Get up, what happened? Why are you so panicked?" Zhen Youcai asked majestically.

"Your Majesty, I observed the celestial phenomena tonight and discovered..." The meteorologist paused, as if trying to form his words, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead. "I've discovered unusual astrological signs, which indicate a rare rainstorm is about to hit our dynasty. Many areas in the south will suffer flooding, and some areas may even experience landslides..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the air in the imperial study seemed to freeze. I felt Zhen Youcai's grip on my hand suddenly tighten, and his expression became extremely solemn.

"Are you sure?"

"Your humble servant...your humble servant guarantees with your life!" The meteorological officer's voice trembled slightly, but it couldn't hide the firmness in his tone.

My heart was once again in suspense. Anxiety clung to me like a vine, nearly choking me. I squeezed Zhen Youcai's hand tightly, his palms also slick with sweat.

"Pass the order down and urgently summon all ministers. I will hold a meeting in the Golden Palace in a quarter of an hour!" Zhen Youcai's tone was calm, but it revealed an unquestionable majesty.

My heart also calmed down with his words. Yes, even if the sky falls, there are still tall people to hold it up. What's more, we are no longer the young boys and girls who would only panic when faced with difficulties.

A quarter of an hour later, in the Golden Palace, the ministers, with varying expressions, were whispering among themselves. The meteorologist elaborated on his earlier report in detail and presented the astronomical map he had drawn overnight.

"My dear ministers, what are your opinions on this matter?" Zhen Youcai's voice echoed in the hall with a sense of oppression.

At one time, ministers offered suggestions one after another. Some proposed strengthening the levees and dredging the rivers; some suggested evacuating the people in the disaster-stricken areas in advance; and some advocated opening the granaries to release grain to provide relief to the victims.

Zhen Youcai listened attentively to each minister's suggestions, nodding and frowning at times. Finally, he made the final decision: split the troops into two groups. One, led by the Minister of Revenue, would immediately allocate food and supplies to the affected areas; the other, led by the Minister of War, would dispatch additional personnel to various locations to assist with the evacuation of civilians and prepare for flood control and rescue efforts.

As decrees emanated from the throne room, the entire palace became bustling with activity. I watched all this unfold, yet my heart remained restless. I knew better than anyone that natural disasters were terrifying, but even more terrifying were man-made disasters.

"Pass on my decree. All officials involved in disaster relief must perform their duties conscientiously. Anyone found to be corrupt or derelict in their duties will be severely punished!" Zhen Youcai's voice echoed in the hall, carrying a hint of murderous intent.

However, the situation developed far beyond our expectations. As soon as the relief supplies arrived near the disaster area, someone reported that the officials in charge of transporting them had secretly withheld the supplies, preventing the victims from receiving timely assistance.

"What?!" I stood up suddenly, and the teacup in my hand fell to the ground with a "bang", and broken porcelain pieces scattered everywhere, just like my mood at the moment.

Zhen Youcai's face turned ashen, and he slammed the table. "How ridiculous! Come on, prepare the horses! I want to go and see for myself!"

I grabbed him and said, "I want to go too!"

He looked at me with worry in his eyes, "Mengmeng, the journey is long, and..."

"No buts!" I interrupted him, my tone firm, "I will go with you and help our people overcome this difficult time!"

He looked at me deeply and finally nodded.

However, no one expected that this journey would lead to a road full of thorns and dangers...

We, along with a team of people, rode as fast as we could to the disaster area. The originally clear sky was now covered with dark clouds, the wind was howling, and big raindrops were pounding our faces mercilessly.

"Your Majesty, the Qingshui River is just ahead. It's flooded, and I'm afraid..." Before the guard could finish his words, he heard a deafening roar. Then, a powerful torrent of water poured down the hillside, and the originally flat road was instantly swallowed by the flood...

The flood roared like a beast, and in an instant, it swept our horses and men apart. I clung to the saddle tightly, the cold water slamming against me, and the deafening roar filled my ears.

"Mengmeng!"

"Talented!"

I vaguely heard Zhen Youcai's voice coming from not far away, but I couldn't see him clearly. I struggled to get closer to him, but the rushing water kept pushing me further away.

"Someone come! Help me—"

The guards' cries were drowned out by the chaos, and my consciousness gradually blurred until I lost consciousness...

When I woke up again, I found myself lying on a warm bed, and the soothing voice of the imperial physician came to my ears: "Your Majesty, you are finally awake! The emperor is blessed by heaven and will be safe. Please take care of yourself!"

I sat up suddenly, grabbed the imperial physician's hand, and asked anxiously, "Where's the emperor? How is he? What's the situation at Qingshui River?"

The imperial physician quickly comforted her, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. The Emperor has already sent back word that only the road is damaged and there's nothing serious. We'll be able to return to the capital soon. But..."

"Just what?" My heart tightened and an ominous premonition came over me.

The imperial physician looked embarrassed and hesitantly said, "It's just that when the emperor was investigating the disaster relief supplies, he found that the matter was not simple and seemed to involve important officials in the court, so..."

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. As I expected, there was indeed a deeper conspiracy hidden behind this natural disaster!

"I understand. You can go down first." I waved my hand, signaling the imperial physician to leave.

The bedroom suddenly became quiet, and I was the only one left. I endured the discomfort in my body and struggled to walk to the window. I looked out at the gloomy sky, and my mind was full of thoughts.

Zhen Youcai's journey is fraught with peril. Not only must he face the threat of natural disasters, but he must also battle wits and courage with corrupt officials. All I can do now is wait patiently here, praying for his safe return.

However, the problem of official corruption is like a cancer that has taken deep root in this country. If it is not completely eradicated, it will come back sooner or later.

I can't sit still and wait for death any longer!

A glint of determination flashed in my eyes. I turned and walked to my desk, picked up my pen, and began to write furiously. I needed to use this time to think carefully about how to fundamentally solve this problem.

Time passed by minute by minute, and in the blink of an eye, night fell. But I was still sitting at my desk, looking at the twinkling stars outside the window, my heart filled with worry and anticipation.

"Your Majesty, you must return safely..." I murmured to myself, with a barely perceptible tremor in my voice.

Suddenly, there was a burst of hurried footsteps outside the door, and then the door was pushed open, and a familiar figure appeared at the door.

"Mengmeng, I'm back!" Zhen Youcai walked towards me quickly with a tired smile on his face.

I was delighted and just wanted to stand up to greet him, but I found that he was pale, his clothes were disheveled, and he seemed to be injured.

"You are talented, you..."

Before I could finish, Zhen Youcai's body shook and he fell straight towards me...