Shen Yu slowly walked into the courtyard, stopping three paces away from the Divine Lady. He lowered his head respectfully, waiting to hear her oracle.
“Changes are coming to the world, and I am currently occupied with many matters. The study tour must be temporarily put on hold. Shen Yu, settle the students of Yecheng Academy as quickly as possible.” The Divine Lady’s voice was clear and cold, like melting snow water in a mountain stream. “Tomorrow, you shall accompany me to Longyou Prefecture.”
She could indeed summon rain and revitalize withered trees, but after the disaster was alleviated, the relief and rehabilitation work would be extremely important. Since she was not sure if the other northern prefectures had anyone skilled in domestic affairs, she had to bring someone along who could grasp her intent.
Shen Yu was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate.
Besides, she had never intended to take the students of Yecheng Academy on a study tour in the first place. It was merely an excuse to lure them from the academy to Chaoyang City, where they could shine, contribute, and hone their skills.
To put it bluntly, she had never expected Fang Shuo, that figurehead, to govern Chaoyang City well.
But Fang Shuo’s redeeming qualities were his obedience and self-awareness.
“May I ask, Divine Lady, what is the meaning of these changes to the world?”
Shen Yu’s fingertips curled slightly inside his sleeves.
Longyou Prefecture was very far from Zhenbei Prefecture. It was a bitterly cold and harsh land in the northwest, where wind and sand obscured the sun year-round.
Suddenly, a guess surged into his mind.
Could it be a great drought in the northwest?
The Divine Lady did not answer him immediately.
She turned around, her flowing skirt lightly sweeping across a few dry leaves on the bluestone pavement, and cast her gaze toward the horizon.
“A great drought is approaching,” she said. “Longyou is merely the trigger for this great disaster. In a month at most, the entire north will be shrouded under a blazing sun, and not a drop of rain will fall for two years.”
With that, she raised her hand, her wide sleeves draping naturally. Where her fingertips pointed, a blurry illusion emerged in the sky.
Cracked riverbeds, collapsed millet crops, white bones piled beside dry wells, and emaciated people lying on the yellow earth...
These scenes flashed by in an instant, yet they were enough to send a chill down the spines of everyone present, their faces pale with terror.
Some even took half a step back, stumbling.
Shen Yu had anticipated a drought in the northwest, but he never expected it to be so severe that not a single drop of rain would fall for two whole years!
This meant that no crops would survive, wells and springs would gradually dry up, and rivers and canals would stop flowing.
And what was more terrifying than the disaster itself was the breakdown of social order. The commoners, who had finally managed to live with some dignity, would break down under the scorching sun and lose their humanity.
The mortal realm would sooner or later turn into a living hell!
“Divine Lady, we beg you to save us!”
No one knew who knelt first, their knees slamming hard against the dry, solid ground with a dull thud.
Immediately after, everyone knelt down in unison, their foreheads pressed tightly against the ground, their backs arched low.
“We beg the Divine Lady to save our lives...”
Cries and pleas echoed one after another.
The Divine Lady merely stood there in silence.
Only after a long while did she speak. “The world operates under the laws of karma. I originally had no wish to interfere.”
She sighed softly.
“Yet, with all living beings suffering, how can I turn a blind eye?”
Hearing this, everyone was ecstatic.
“I will secure a line of life for you. As for whether you can survive this disaster, you must rely on yourselves.”
The moment she finished speaking, the Divine Lady’s carriage vanished into the horizon, along with the tall and mighty golden-armored heavenly soldiers.
Upon returning to the Governor's estate, Shen Yu and the others immediately began discussing and planning their response to the impending drought.
“Brother, we must inform Miss Pei and Governor Cheng of this news as soon as possible so they can prepare early.” Shen Yu handed two written letters to a somewhat distracted Shen Jue, then concisely continued, “In my earlier years, I read several books on finding fresh water during droughts. I have written down the countermeasures I came up with in these letters; they should be of help to them.”
Due to the urgency of the situation, he did not notice Shen Jue’s odd behavior at all. After handing him the letters, he turned to look at Cui He, Chen Zhi, and the other students of Yecheng Academy. “Next, you will have to face the most severe drought in thousands of years on your own. Without any teachers by your side to guide you, you will have to discuss and make decisions for yourselves no matter what happens. Are you afraid?”
The students shook their heads in unison. “We are not afraid!”
The determination in their eyes comforted Shen Yu, easing some of the anxiety in his heart caused by the drought.
Cui He bowed with cupped hands, her words clear and articulate. “Teacher, while at the academy, we learned how to find water during droughts and build canals during floods. Now that we have the opportunity to apply what we learned from our books, we are absolutely thrilled. Please rest assured and leave Chaoyang City to us, Teacher. We will not fail your expectations.”
The students behind her also bowed one after another. “Please leave Chaoyang City to us, Mr. Shen!”
There was not a trace of hesitation in their voices, only the excitement of finally being able to make their own decisions.
Afraid? How could they be?
With Yecheng and Xindu City actively recruiting talents, dozens of people fought over every vacant position, leaving no room at all for students like them who were still studying at the academy.
Now that an opportunity to fully showcase their abilities was right before them, they could help more commoners and carve out a bright, illustrious official career for themselves, living up to their teachers' guidance.
Seeing the students' performance, Shen Yu knew that Yecheng Academy’s unique teaching methods were not wrong.
No matter how much these young students contributed during this great drought, they would become the future pillars of the nation because they all possessed a heart that stood together with the common people.
Because there was too much to do, Shen Yu busied himself until past midnight before everything was properly arranged. He prepared to rest for a short while, lest he look weary tomorrow and leave a bad impression on the Divine Lady.
Just as he stepped through the courtyard gate, he saw someone waiting in the courtyard. “Brother, why aren't you asleep yet? Do you need something from me?”
Shen Jue pursed his lips, looking as if he wanted to speak but stopped.
In the end, he only said dryly, “When you accompany the Divine Lady to Longyou Prefecture, do not let anyone offend her.”
He could not bring himself to blame Shen Yu.
Shen Yu had never done anything wrong. The fault lay in his own uselessness. If he were useful, the Divine Lady would not have forgotten him.
*
The next day, before dawn had fully broken, Shen Yu was already standing at the city gate.
Having heard the news, the commoners also waited quietly for the Divine Lady. They stretched from the city gate all the way to the end of the long street. Men, women, young, and old—no one spoke. They all raised their heads, gazing toward the eastern sky.
Time passed bit by bit.
At three quarters past the Hour of the Dragon, the clouds suddenly surged and dispersed, revealing a vast, clear sky behind them.
And in that clear sky, a dark-gold carriage was slowly descending from a height of ten thousand feet.
Everyone held their breath and widened their eyes, watching the dark-gold carriage in the sky travel toward Chaoyang City.
Before long, the carriage landed, and the golden-armored heavenly soldiers stood solemnly all around.
The eight heavenly horses pulled back their hooves at the same time, their heads lowered in perfect unison, as if held by a single rein.
The magnificent dark-gold curtains did not open, and the crowd could only faintly make out a blurry silhouette.
“We respectfully welcome the Divine Lady.”
On the long street, all the people bowed their heads.
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