At this moment in Laijin Prefecture.
"Report—"
A hurried voice rang out, causing Shen Qinghui, who was already sitting stiffly upright, to immediately raise his head. "What is the matter that has you so alarmed?"
"Prince Qin and Lady Fuan have arrived."
"What?"
Large beads of sweat instantly dripped from Shen Qinghui's forehead as he looked helplessly at Xie Zhiyi, who had been demoted to assistant prefect. "Neither Prince Qin nor Lady Fuan are figures we can easily handle. What should we do?"
"Prefect, don’t panic." Xie Zhiyi shook his head with a smile, appearing completely at ease. "The flood is only affecting the vicinity of Xiangyao County, involving a total of five counties at most. For the entire Ji'an Prefecture, it’s nothing significant. As long as we keep the news under wraps, how would the prince and the lady even think to request a visit to Xiangyao County?"
"Most likely, their highnesses are simply here to enjoy the sights of Laijin Prefecture."
Seeing Xie Zhiyi’s confident demeanor, Shen Qinghui’s panic eased slightly.
"I’ve only been in office for less than two months, and there’s still much I’m unfamiliar with. I’ll need your assistance, Assistant Prefect."
"Rest assured, Prefect. Every year, one or two areas in Laijin Prefecture are flooded. As long as we handle it properly, the news won’t spread beyond the prefecture."
That afternoon, Song Yu and Song Shihuan arrived in Laijin Prefecture.
Looking around, the prefecture appeared peaceful and serene, as if the flood had never happened.
"Greetings to His Highness Prince Qin and Lady Fuan."
Shen Qinghui led the officials in kneeling before Song Yu and Song Shihuan, but they were left waiting for a long time without being permitted to rise.
Under the scorching sun, the officials’ robes were soon drenched in sweat.
"Prefect Shen, you’ve been in Laijin Prefecture for nearly two months now. How do you find it?"
Song Yu’s voice carried a tone that made Shen Qinghui’s heart tremble.
"Your Highness, Laijin Prefecture is blessed with beautiful landscapes, and its people live in peace and prosperity. It is a rare and wonderful place."
"If it’s such a fine place, you should be all the more grateful and diligent in your duties as prefect."
Upon settling into their lodgings, Song Shihuan immediately summoned Mo Yu.
"Mo Yu, do you know all the routes to Xiangyao County? Especially the smaller, hidden paths?"
Mo Yu nodded.
Song Shihuan took her hand. "We’ve received word that a flood may have struck near Xiangyao County, but all major roads have been blocked. We need to use the smaller paths to confirm the situation before reporting it to His Majesty."
"My lady, giving directions might lead to mistakes. I can guide them there myself."
Mo Yu’s eyes were red, and her entire body trembled uncontrollably.
"Good. Don’t be afraid. If there truly is a flood, the Great Qi will do everything possible to protect every citizen."
Mo Yu and the imperial guards moved swiftly. With clear knowledge of the hidden paths, they confirmed the news by midnight—Xiangyao County and four neighboring counties had been struck by a flood, and the waters showed no signs of receding.
Inside the room, Song Yu and Song Shihuan exchanged a glance.
"Father, let’s pay Shen Qinghui a visit."
......
At midnight, Shen Qinghui slept fitfully, haunted by nightmares of being chased by a blade-wielding figure.
Suddenly—
A loud "bang!" echoed as the door was kicked open.
Madam Lin screamed in fright but fell silent upon seeing the two figures—one tall, one small—standing before her. "Your Highness... My Lady..."
Song Yu strode straight to the bed and grabbed Shen Qinghui by the collar. "I’ll ask you one last time—is there any urgent matter in Laijin Prefecture that should be reported to His Majesty?"
This is the last chance I’m giving you, out of respect for Shen Qingping.
"Your Highness, this official... this official doesn’t understand what you mean." Shen Qinghui swallowed hard. "If there were anything requiring an urgent report, this official would have sent it to the capital without delay."
At this moment, Shen Qinghui’s blood seemed to freeze in his veins. Yet, faced with Song Yu’s fury, he dared not confess the truth about the flood.
He was gambling—betting that Song Yu’s anger had nothing to do with the flood.
"Fine. If there’s nothing to report, then I’ll retire for the night."
Song Yu patted Shen Qinghui’s cheek with a smile. Then, Song Shihuan added, "By the way, during the recent Zhenling human trafficking case, I rescued a girl named Mo Yu, a native of Xiangyao County in Laijin Prefecture."
"I’ve brought her along this time. She says the scenery in Xiangyao County is breathtaking. Tomorrow, Prefect, please arrange for my father and me to visit and admire its beauty."
With that, Song Yu and Song Shihuan strode away.
If he couldn’t recognize the last chance he was given, then he could only pray for mercy.
Behind them, Shen Qinghui’s face drained of all color.
"Master! Master! What’s wrong?" Madam Lin cried out in alarm at his state.
"Quick... quick, summon Xie Zhiyi! Tell him the prince and the lady plan to visit Xiangyao County tomorrow and to come at once!"
Shen Qinghui’s lips trembled. How... how could it be Xiangyao County of all places?
When the messenger returned, Xie Zhiyi was nowhere to be seen.
Shen Qinghui’s pupils shrank. "Where is Xie Zhiyi?"
"Prefect, Assistant Xie has suddenly fallen ill with a high fever and is delirious. His wife said that since you are the prefect of Laijin and he is merely the assistant, any decisions should be made by you."
Hearing this, Shen Qinghui collapsed onto the bed and let out a wail of despair:
"Xie Zhiyi has doomed me!"
......
The next morning, Shen Qinghui knelt outside Song Yu and Song Shihuan’s courtyard long before dawn.
When father and daughter stepped out, they found him still kneeling, his face ashen.
"Prefect, why are you kneeling here?"
Song Shihuan’s mocking voice rang out.
Tears and snot streamed down Shen Qinghui’s face. "This official deserves death! This official should never have concealed the flood in Xiangyao County! It was all because Xie Zhiyi said it was a minor flood and didn’t require troubling the court!"
"Moreover, during his decades as prefect, such incidents happened often, and this was always how they were handled."
Consumed by hatred for Xie Zhiyi, Shen Qinghui spilled every last detail of his schemes.
"Shen Qinghui, is your brain filled with nothing but dung?"
Song Yu kicked him squarely in the chest.
"You sealed off the escape routes of the disaster-stricken counties, trapping the victims inside to die. How utterly heartless!"
"It... it was Xie Zhiyi who said floods are always followed by plagues, so we had to contain the area to prevent more people from suffering..."
"Bullshit!"
Song Yu glared at Shen Qinghui, wondering how a man from the Shen family could be so witless.
"Instead of diverting the floodwaters, you left the people to their fate. Shen Qinghui, it seems all the wisdom of the sages you studied has gone straight to the dogs."
