Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 873 - 870: Private Stash

Bai Qingyan looked at the grand hall facing the Wude Gate, with its glazed tiles reflecting a dazzling golden light. It seemed as if the hall had never been disturbed by the ravages of war. Majestic and serene, it sat under the blazing glow, its grandeur unfazed by the changing dynasties and the shifting royal authorities, calm and composed as ever.

On the square in front of the hall, Prime Minister Lu stood with the officials. Seeing Bai Qingyan raise her hand, the disciplined army followed the order to a tee, their movements in perfect unison. The scene fell silent instantly, the only sound being the fluttering of banners in the wind, a sight both awe-inspiring and intimidating.

All of a sudden, a fierce wind arose, and the once brilliant sunlit sky gradually grew dark.

An official pointed to the sky in shock and exclaimed, "Look quickly!"

Everyone looked up to see the golden sun with a chunk missing, the blackness slowly and steadily devouring the vibrant sun suspended in the sky. Along with it, darkness gradually enveloped Dadu City...

After a long while, all that remained in the sky was a radiant ring.

This rare celestial phenomenon, which had not been seen in a thousand years, appeared at this moment. The officials from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau pushed through the crowd, knelt, and loudly proclaimed, "A country without governance, lacking in virtue, brings upon itself the wrath of celestial disasters!"

Prime Minister Lu’s brow twitched; a solar eclipse was not a good omen.

Bai Jinxiu looked up at the eclipse, her fist clenched at her side. Eclipses were always considered a signal of a ruler’s lack of virtue. If the ruler lacks virtue...

Then why not let the virtuous take their place?

It seems... even heaven itself supports the Eldest Young Lady. Such a corrupt imperial family as the Lin’s is intolerable even to heaven.

The officials knelt one after another, kowtowing and weeping towards the eclipsed sun.

Soldiers on the city walls beat drums and blew horns...

Gradually, the blackness blocking the sun started to move aside, bringing light back to Dadu City. The dazzling golden rays forced everyone to lower their heads. In the sea of green and gold, the officials could only see the tall figure of a woman in silver armor standing beside a white horse.

Not long after, the sunlight flourished, once again coating Dadu City in a layer of golden radiance.

Gripping the sword at her waist, Bai Qingyan began to ascend the high steps.

Xie Yuchang, supporting the colorful and battered Prime Minister Lu, whispered, "Prime Minister Lu, it’s the Princess of Zhen!"

Prime Minister Lu was jolted awake from his daze. Supported by Xie Yuchang, he hurriedly led the officials down the steps to greet Bai Qingyan and her troops.

"Princess of Zhen!" Prime Minister Lu’s voice choked with emotion as he led the officials in a hurried salute to Bai Qingyan.

To take Hancheng, the capital of Daliang, and return to Dadu City in such a short time, it must mean Bai Qingyan marched tirelessly.

But was it worth it... for an Emperor who views his people as mere grass, for a cowardly and weak Crown Prince? It truly wasn’t worth it!

Dong Qingping couldn’t help but smile at Bai Qingyan, nodding repeatedly, conveying a thousand unspoken words. He quickly gestured for Bai Qingyan to help Prime Minister Lu up first. Bai Qingyan nodded and stepped forward, "Prime Minister Lu, no need for such courtesy! Everyone, please, no need for such courtesy!"

"Report..."

As soon as Bai Qingyan helped Prime Minister Lu up, a soldier on horseback rushed into Wude Gate.

Before the horse even stopped, the soldier leapt off, presenting an urgent message to Bai Qingyan: "Reporting to the Princess of Zhen, urgent news from Fenping! On the fifth day of the fifth month, the Governor of Fenping and the General defending the city led a rebellion, refusing to hand over fifty boys and girls. The messenger, seeing the chaos in Dadu City, did not dare to enter the city, causing a day’s delay in relaying the message."

"Report..."

Another soldier rushed into Wude Gate, leapt off his horse, knelt, and presented an urgent message to Bai Qingyan: "Reporting to the Princess of Zhen, a severe earthquake struck Chongluan Ridge on the tenth day of the fifth month, causing the dam at Shuijiang Pass to collapse, inundating Shuijiang City along with its farmlands and houses. The flow of mud, water, and rocks is incessant, causing numerous casualties!"

Prime Minister Lu and the others were shocked. The chaos in Dadu City had yet to be resolved, and now there were earthquakes, dam collapses, and mudslides...

Bai Qingyan hurriedly took the message tube and skimmed through it. Holding both urgent missives, she said loudly, "Gentlemen, the situation is urgent. Please follow Bai Qingyan into the hall to discuss relief measures immediately!"

Prime Minister Lu nodded and quickly agreed.

Previously stripped of their official robes and on the brink of life and death by King Liang, the officials of Jin could not bother with their disheveled appearances. Covered in dirt, they followed the bloodstained silver-armored Bai Qingyan into the grand hall.

The officials circulated the report from the Governor of Shuijiang City, fervently discussing how to provide disaster relief. Bai Qingyan stood on the high jade steps of the hall, reading the urgent report from Fenping...

The Governor of Fenping rebelled because the Emperor’s demand for a thousand children sparked an uproar.

According to the nationwide conscription of children, the Minister of Revenue Chu Zhongxing demanded Fenping hand over eighty boys and girls according to their population count. When the Governor’s wife learned that the Emperor intended to use the children’s lives for alchemy, she was furious and argued with the envoy sent by King Liang. The enraged envoy drew his sword... and stabbed the Governor of Fenping’s wife in the chest.

The Governor of Fenping, whose love for his wife was well known, beheaded the envoy and raised the flag of rebellion.

"The Governor of Shuijiang City has already sent warnings to neighboring counties and began evacuating the people. The flood is expected to continue, and the casualties cannot be estimated at present. The granary was flooded..." Prime Minister Lu turned to Bai Qingyan and said, "Princess of Zhen, the immediate priority is to send troops for disaster relief!"

"But Minister of Revenue Chu Zhongxing, the traitor, has disappeared, and many officials from the Six Ministries who colluded with King Liang are implicated. We need to appoint new officials before we can settle the disaster relief matters. Otherwise, we wouldn’t even know who to assign the orders to!"

"In urgent matters, we must act expediently. There is no time for thorough evaluations and appointments at the moment. Each ministry will temporarily promote based on rank to fill vacancies in the Six Ministries." Bai Qingyan spoke swiftly and steadily, "Where are the officials from the Ministry of Revenue?"

Several officials from the Ministry of Revenue stepped forward and saluted.

"How much can the Ministry of Revenue allocate for disaster relief in Chongluan Ridge?" Bai Qingyan asked.

The officials exchanged glances, mentally calculating. This year, substantial funds were allocated for constructing the Nine-Tiered Platform, followed by the Guanghe Canal. Additionally, Huayang City suffered from a plague. The Ministry of Revenue officials were considering where to scrape together funds from.

A disheveled inspector from the Ministry of Revenue, covered in blood but remarkably composed, stepped forward and cupped his hands, "Reporting to the Princess of Zhen, King Liang stockpiled grain in the palace during his coup. My rough calculations indicate it would supply twenty thousand people for ten days! The Ministry of Revenue has limited funds left after constructing the Nine-Tiered Platform and the Guanghe Canal, but... I dare to suggest we use the Emperor’s private treasury for disaster relief!"

These words were indeed bold. With the Emperor absent... suggesting the Princess of Zhen open the Emperor’s private treasury, if the Princess did so... how would they answer for it when the Emperor demanded accountability?

"What is your name?" Bai Qingyan asked.

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