“Due to the tight schedule, we have only brought five hundred dan of grain and one hundred carts of medicinal herbs this time. However, there will be a second and third batch arriving in a few days!”
Five hundred dan of grain.
One hundred carts of medicinal herbs.
And more to come.
These words hit like a heavy hammer, striking deep into the hearts of everyone at the city gate.
Cheng Ji tightly gripped his sleeves, his knuckles turning white. He stood frozen in place, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face, dripping one by one into the dust.
The subordinate officials were already sobbing, unable to speak.
They had never seen anything like this.
An isolated city besieged by a plague—at a time when everyone else avoided it like the wind, someone was actually willing to come, bringing so much grain and medicinal herbs.
Cheng Ji took a trembling step forward and fell to his knees with a thud, his forehead pressing heavily against the yellow earth. “On behalf of the people of Yecheng, Cheng Ji kowtows to thank you righteous souls for your immense benevolence!”
His kneel prompted those behind him to follow.
The subordinate officials of Yecheng fell to their knees one after another.
No one felt there was anything wrong with kneeling before a woman and a young girl. In their eyes, these followers of the Divine Lady from Xindu were their saviors.
For the debt of saving their lives, let alone kneeling and bowing, it would only be right to repay it with their very lives.
Feng Chunya and Cui He had never seen such a sight before. Cheng Ji and the others were wearing official robes, yet they were kneeling to them.
In the past, they would not have dared to dream of such a thing.
For a moment, both of them were at a loss.
Cui He was the first to react. She quickly stepped forward and helped Cheng Ji, who was clearly the leader, to his feet.
“My Lord, performing such a grand gesture is too much for us to accept.”
With that, she curtsied to Cheng Ji. “Student Cui He, under the tutelage of Master Shen Yu, greets My Lord.”
Hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed Cheng Ji's eyes, and he instinctively turned to look at Shen Yu behind him.
Shen Yu smiled and nodded, confirming that Cui He was indeed his student.
Cheng Ji withdrew his gaze and looked back at Cui He.
He carefully studied the girl in front of him.
She wore a faded blue robe stained with yellow dust at the hem, its cuffs frayed from wear.
Yet, such a shabby outfit could not hide the composure and dignity in her bones.
This child will surely achieve great things in the future.
“No wonder you speak so exceptionally at such a young age. You truly possess the grace of your master.” With a single sentence, he praised both the master and the disciple.
“My Lord flatters me. Following my master, I have only learned the basics. It is nothing impressive.”
Cui He spoke clearly and logically, “There is one matter I must make clear to My Lord.”
“Please speak, young lady.” Cheng Ji looked at Cui He, not looking down on her in the slightest because of her gender or age.
Anyone with half a brain could deduce that for a young girl like Cui He to be entrusted with the heavy responsibility of escorting grain, she must possess some extraordinary ability that others could not match.
“My Lord, although this grain has been delivered to Yecheng, it is not a free gift.”
As soon as these words were spoken...
The expressions of the surrounding Yecheng officials changed slightly, worried that Cui He would make some harsh demands.
Cheng Ji's expression remained unchanged. He simply watched her quietly, waiting for her to continue.
Cui He took a deep breath. “Sister Pei said that our delivery of grain to Yecheng this time is to relieve an emergency, not to hand out charity.”
“Once Yecheng has overcome this crisis and recovered, we hope My Lord can repay us in full.”
At this point, she bowed again. “My Lord, it is not that we are stingy, but grain does not come easily. The people of Xindu saved it grain by grain.”
“Please forgive us for this matter.”
Cheng Ji stared blankly at Cui He, a complex mix of emotions surging in his heart.
If Xindu had simply gifted it, the debt of gratitude would be too heavy, and Yecheng might never be able to repay it in their lifetime.
Doing so under the guise of a “loan” was far more ingenious. It solved Yecheng's pressing emergency while preserving their dignity.
This was true benevolence and righteousness!
With red eyes, he agreed, “It is only right.”
“Once Yecheng recovers, the borrowed grain and medicinal herbs will be returned in full, without a single bit missing.”
Everyone was overjoyed, happily transporting the grain and medicinal herbs into the city, unable to wipe the smiles off their faces the entire way.
Cui He quietly asked Shen Yu beside her, “Master, did I embarrass you just now?”
Although she was sometimes assigned by Shen Yu in Xindu to teach local officials how to plant sweet potatoes, this was her first time speaking with officials from another city.
She was naturally nervous, but fortunately, she had not messed up what Sister Pei had entrusted to her.
Shen Yu smiled and praised her.
“Ar He, you did very well.”
Cui He felt a bit embarrassed. “Master, actually, Sister Pei taught me before I came to Yecheng.”
Shen Yu said, “Miss Pei is incredibly meticulous and possesses an ingenuity that ordinary people lack. Ar He, in the future, follow her closely, listen more, observe more, and learn more. It will always benefit you.”
“Yes, Master.”
With the grain and medicinal herbs transported from Xindu, Yecheng was like a near-withered old tree injected with the water of life, bursting with vibrant vitality once more. Everything was quietly turning for the better.
The medicine stoves burned day and night without going out.
Bowls of hot porridge and decoctions were carried into thousands of households. The eyes of those who had lain numbly in bed waiting for death gradually lit up, and smiles of survival after disaster appeared on their faces.
On the day the plague receded, the entire city was adorned in red.
It was not mandated by the government.
Instead, the common people rummaged through their chests and cupboards to find anything red.
A piece of red cloth, a red string, or even just a small scrap of red paper was solemnly pasted onto their doors.
Cheng Ji and the others stood in front of the Governor's estate, looking at the sea of red across the city, unable to stop their tears from falling.
“We finally pulled through...”
Someone shouted from somewhere, “We beat the plague! We did not fail the Divine Lady's expectations!”
These words were like water splashing into a pot of hot oil.
Instantly.
“We did it! We really did it!”
Cheers poured out from every street and alley, merging into a torrent that swept away the gloom accumulated over the past months.
Unbeknownst to them...
The clouds covering the sky slowly parted.
Sunlight poured down, bathing the entire city of Yecheng.
Everyone raised their heads, bathing in the long-lost light, squinting their eyes, reluctant to look away.
Cheng Ji murmured, “The sun is out...”
“It's not the sun!” Shen Yu stared intently at the golden ball of light in the sky, his eyes burning bright. “It is the Divine Lady!”
He strained his eyes open, his gaze filled with fanaticism.
Before the crowd could react, they saw the golden ball of light fly toward the drum tower opposite the Governor's estate.
A figure of ethereal beauty manifested from within the light.
Her toes lightly tapped down, landing on the upturned eaves of the drum tower.
The light dimmed slightly, yet it still lingered around the Divine Lady like a flowing veil.
“The disaster of Yecheng has passed. You have held fast until now without giving up. I am deeply pleased.”
A sea of people knelt throughout the city, crying out to the Divine Lady.
Cheng Ji knelt at the very front, his official robe covered in dirt, his forehead touching the ground. His voice choked with uncontrollable emotion, “The saving grace of the Divine Lady will never be forgotten by everyone in Yecheng for generations to come!”
The Divine Lady's gaze swept over the kneeling crowd. “Your resilience is worthy of reward.”
“I shall bestow a blessing upon you.”
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