Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The candle hasn’t been trimmed for a while, making the room's light dimmer.

The emperor seemed indifferent, casually perusing the secret letters accusing Jiang Yuxun by the dim light.

Meanwhile, the Xuan Yin Monitor reported the anomalies at the estate: "...Lord Jiang finally said to the pear farmer that if there really was a problem, he would naturally come to Your Majesty to confess."

Ying Changchuan's fingers paused, then placed the secret letter back on the desk.

After a moment's pause, he slowly began to smile: "Take down the names of all those who wrote these letters."

Take down the names?

Although somewhat perplexed, the Xuan Yin Monitor immediately obeyed, took the secret letter, and left: "Yes, Your Majesty!"

In a blink, only Ying Changchuan remained in the room.

The emperor casually picked up the candle snuffer, trimming the burnt wick.

The room brightened again, but the coldness in those ash-grey eyes did not diminish by a fraction.

These courtiers and ministers, usually deaf and mute, suddenly became swift when it came to writing letters.

Normally, he would immediately set aside anything unrelated to state affairs.

But today...

Ying Changchuan suddenly became interested in meeting this group who thought they could fathom the imperial will.

-

Evening, at the Xuan Yin Monitor's residence.

Jiang Yuxun, busy all day, finally took the opportunity of dinner time to come here and learn about the movements of the Listening Heaven Pavilion.

For the first time, the Xuan Yin Monitors sat discussing serious matters, each somewhat restrained: "...The minor diviner, Shang You, recently left the Listening Heaven Pavilion and is currently engaging in charity and winning over people's hearts."

Unlike the slightly tense Xuan Yin Monitors, Jiang Yuxun casually scoffed: "Hah, all show and pretense, couldn’t be more hypocritical."

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Even though they were well aware of his irreverence for gods and spirits, those around him were still startled by his blunt words, nearly choking.

But the young man did not stop there.

"As the de facto leader of the Listening Heaven Pavilion, Shang You only makes an appearance when it comes to winning hearts."

As for the thankless tasks, they are all dumped on the chief diviner, that auspicious old mascot.

Jiang Yuxun had no fondness for this person and was particularly scathing in his commentary: "If not hypocrisy, then what is it?"

The Xuan Yin Monitors were shocked by his audacity, yet couldn’t help but feel that Jiang Yuxun’s words resonated deeply with them.

—Those people at the Listening Heaven Pavilion are the epitome of sanctimoniousness!

Having discussed Shang You, Jiang Yuxun then asked, "What else is there?"

"Reporting to Lord Jiang, the Listening Heaven Pavilion has also spread the shaman's prophecies and the recent events near the Yi River to all counties at the fastest speed," said the Xuan Yin Monitor, his expression gradually turning serious.

Jiang Yuxun pursed his lips and set down his bowl and chopsticks.

He understood why the Xuan Yin Monitor was so tense.

In ancient times, transportation was inconvenient, and the spread of news was slow.

Logically, by the time the shaman's prophecies reached other counties, the issue would have already been resolved.

But with the Listening Heaven Pavilion's involvement,

The entire realm turned its attention ahead of time, waiting to see how the matter would conclude.

If it ended unresolved,

It wouldn't just be chaos near the Yi River in Zhao Du, but a disturbance in the hearts of people throughout the empire...

Influenced by the atmosphere in the estate, the Xuan Yin Monitor grew anxious, "Lord Jiang, should we start preparing in advance?" His tone slightly trembled.

"No need," the young man suddenly smiled, turning and shaking his head at him, "Just wait and see."

Jiang Yuxun's tone was not forceful, but amidst everyone's anxiety, his calm words had the power to reassure.

The Xuan Yin Monitor involuntarily paused, finally realizing, "Yes!"

Jiang Yuxun couldn't help but look out the window.

The estate was built on a high bank beside the river, perfectly situated to overlook the Yi River.

At this moment, during sunset, the grand river was dyed red by the setting sun, majestically flowing eastward.

Jiang Yuxun was not afraid of the Listening Heaven Pavilion spreading this matter across the empire.

He even wished they would spread it faster!

……

In the distance, below Mount Yueqiao.

A small village, not included in the evacuation list and far from the Yi River, showed wisps of cooking smoke rising.

A carriage bearing the "Listening Heaven Pavilion" jade plaque slowly passed through the village.

Wherever the carriage passed, the common folk would come out to kneel and worship, creating quite a lively scene.

In addition to the villagers, several people who had left the estate in the morning rushed over upon hearing the news, just to catch a glimpse of the minor diviner through the carriage.

Beside the carriage, attendants in ritual attire scattered candied fruits wrapped in oil paper to the roadside.

The people cheered and rushed forward to pick them up.

"May Xuan Tian bless us—"

"Thank you, Diviner, for your gracious gifts!"

Cheers mixed with disdain and curses towards Jiang Yuxun drifted into the carriage.

The person inside, however, rested with eyes closed, fiddling with a jade piece in his hand, not bothering to lift his eyelids.

"Diviner, Jiang Yuxun didn't stop people from leaving the estate. This morning, dozens have already left," an attendant said with disdainful laughter, adding expectantly, "If the riverbanks remain unharmed, more will leave. It seems the court's reputation will be utterly lost."

Another attendant joined in the laughter: "Hahaha, the emperor has executed many Imperial Secretaries. I bet Jiang Yuxun’s life is most likely to end here!"

"Indeed—"

As he listened, Shang You suddenly felt a wave of irritation.

He abruptly interrupted in a cold voice: "It’s getting late, return to the Listening Heaven Pavilion."

"Uh... yes, sir," the two attendants exchanged glances and promptly exited.

The carriage took a turn outside the village road, heading towards the main road.

Shang You’s movements playing with the jade piece gradually slowed.

But at that moment, the carriage unexpectedly jolted heavily as if it had run over something.

The jade piece, previously held securely, fell to the floor with a "thud."

Shang You paused, then instinctively reached to pick it up.

The jade rings on his ritual attire clashed, producing a harsh, crisp sound.

Just as he bent down, a light "snap" sounded near his ear...

Shang You abruptly stood up and looked to the side.

—Long streaks of water fell from the sky, hitting the brocade curtains of the carriage, strikingly conspicuous.

It had started to rain at the base of Yueqiao Mountain.

……

By the estate, the last few villagers deciding to leave looked up towards the sky.

"Look, isn't it raining over at Yueqiao Mountain..."

"Was that a flash of lightning just now?"

Everyone simultaneously recalled Jiang Yuxun's words and stopped in their tracks.

A gaunt man looked up at the distant sky and spoke dismissively:

"So what if it rains? Not to mention that the rain is over Yueqiao Mountain, which is miles away from here! Whether it will reach us or not is still unknown. And in the past half month, hasn’t it rained frequently near the Yi River?"

Indeed, there wasn't even a wisp of cloud above the estate.

"That's true too..."

The man grumbled, "Our luggage is all packed, and we've got nowhere to sleep if we don't leave tonight. Are you going or not?"

"But what if it's true?"

"Yeah, it's already so late, waiting one more day won't hurt."

The group started arguing again.

"Let's just go!" Seeing the others hesitate, the impatient man urged, "There's no 'what if'! The dike hasn’t broken in half a month, it won’t tonight either."

"But still..."

"No buts," he said, slinging his pack over his shoulder and gritting his teeth, "Don’t let Jiang Yuxun, that liar, scare you. Just do what needs to be done. The diviners have said it, everyone can stay put without relocating!"

As they were talking, suddenly a clap of thunder sounded.

The group instantly exchanged glances, and without agreement, all looked up again towards Yueqiao Mountain.

Under the lightning, the sprawling Yueqiao Mountain range, like a giant dragon coiling across the plain, its scales shimmering.

A galaxy of stars seemed to pour down the ridge, as a torrential rain suddenly started.

Those who were already hesitant unconsciously stepped back.

"Maybe we should just go back, at least not leave tonight."

"Yeah, with the rain, let's go back..."

"Pah!" The leading man clenched his fists, "I've waited for you half the day, and just as we reach the door, you want to go back? What are you afraid of! Do you really believe that liar Jiang Yuxun's nonsense? Who do you trust, him or the diviners?"

The others remained silent.

"Fools! If you're willing to be played like this, then stay put!"

The leading man strode off, disappearing at the end of the path in the blink of an eye.

The rest exchanged glances and reluctantly retreated back to the estate, teeth gritted.

The Hour of Hai.

Thunderclaps awakened the silent night.

A mass of dark clouds surged from Yueqiao Ridge, quickly swallowing the moonlight.

As the howling wind and the vanishing moonlight reached its peak, the villagers on both banks, in the last glimmer of cold light, saw — the Yi River was no longer calm!

At this moment, Luo Qirong was traveling east along the Yi River in a carriage under the cover of night.

Convinced that Jiang Yuxun's end was near, and that Ying Changchuan would follow public opinion to offer a grand sacrifice to Xuan Tian, he intended to visit the chief diviner at the Listening Heaven Pavilion at the first opportunity.

"Boom—"

The thunder roused Luo Qirong from his sleep, and the sound of splattering rain suddenly became clear to his ears.

Luo Qirong almost thought the carriage's roof had been punctured by the raindrops falling like stones.

An attendant's voice came from outside the carriage: "Sir, the Yi River is rising! We should take another route—"

Luo Qirong clenched his fists tightly: "What's there to fear? Why change our route all of a sudden?!"

"But ahead..."

"But what?!" Luo Qirong, utterly irritated, flung the carriage curtain aside and peered outside.

In that instant, the river transformed into a massive black dragon, roaring furiously towards his location.

It opened its mouth recklessly, swallowing the carriage whole in a blink.

Luo Qirong's eyes were on the verge of bursting.

Darkness.

A pitch-black void filled his vision.

The icy river water forced its way into his mouth and nose, filling his belly while the sound of massive waves thundered in his ears. In a daze, Luo Qirong suddenly remembered Jiang Yuxun's words... The Yi River really was flooding!

"Ah—"

He tried to scream, realizing too late.

But all that came out was a gurgling sound of water.

Just like that, Luo Qirong, along with the carriage, was swept away into the raging Yi River.

……

"A-Xun, A-Xun, come out quickly!" Zhuang Youli burst through the door, pulling Jiang Yuxun, who was engrossed in reading the Xuan Yin monitor's report, out of the room, "Look, it's going to rain!"

As he spoke, a heavy downpour began to fall from the sky.

Caught unawares, the two were instantly drenched by the rain.

Ignoring everything else, Jiang Yuxun just looked up at the sky.

Raindrops the size of cherries, as powerful as hailstones, pelted the ground, creating small craters everywhere.

Yet he barely made an effort to dodge.

Through the torrential rain, Jiang Yuxun faintly heard Zhuang Youli shouting in his ear, "Ah Xun, I've lived in Zhaodu for over a decade, and never have I seen such heavy rain!!!"

Not just him, even the eldest in the fields had never witnessed such a phenomenon.

At this moment, villagers within the fields couldn't help but kneel, bowing in the direction of Yi River, one after another.

"You should seek shelter from the rain," Jiang Yuxun, as if struck by a thought, withdrew his gaze. He spoke as he turned towards the other end of the fields, "I'll go upstairs to check!"

"Hey, wait! Ah Xun, the rain is too heavy!" Before Zhuang Youli could stop him, Jiang Yuxun's figure had already disappeared into the heavy rain.

This field estate was originally built on high ground, and its watchtower could capture the entire scenery of both banks of the Yi River.

The heavy rain was like a curtain, obscuring the view of the distance.

Thus, it wasn't until he climbed the high tower that Jiang Yuxun realized... Ying Changchuan had also arrived here alone, unknowingly and ahead of time.

"...Your Majesty?" The young man paused in his steps, about to pay his respects.

Ying Changchuan, however, raised his hand to interrupt his gesture and gestured for the young man to come forward.

It was at this very moment.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar resounded in Jiang Yuxun's ears.

Without a second thought, he immediately stepped forward, joining Ying Changchuan by the window to gaze into the distance.

—The upstream waters of the Yi River surged like a mighty dragon along the river course.

In an instant, the muddy waves filled the sky, furiously crashing against the riverbanks.

In just a moment, the embankment was breached, overflowing onto the plains.

In the blink of an eye, the houses and huts on both banks of the Yi River were leveled to the ground.

Having roamed the banks of the Yi River for days, Jiang Yuxun was intimately familiar with the layout of every village in the area.

...Had the evacuation been even a moment slower, every soul in this field estate would have perished under those monstrous waves!

The icy, bone-chilling rain beat against him, and Jiang Yuxun instinctively clenched the window frame.

He even forgot to breathe.

The heavy rain continued unabated.

The surviving villagers in the estate suddenly burst into a chorus of exultant cheers.

This was the first time, not a single voice in the crowd cried out "Blessings of Xuantian" or "Heed the Heaven's Platform."

Shouts of "Lord Jiang" and "Long live our Emperor" thundered across the skies, overpowering the torrential rain and the roaring thunder, reaching Jiang Yuxun's ears.

Making his heart pound wildly with the sound of the rain.

The cold, white lightning streaked across the sky like shattered silver.

In the corner of his eye, the young man saw the ashen-hued phoenix eyes of the person beside him, no longer calm...

At this moment, Jiang Yuxun finally realized clearly:

The night recorded in the annals of history had arrived.

And history, had quietly changed.