When Shi Simian was invited into the room, Song Qiming was leaning against the bed frame, his face pale.
His anxious expression instantly retracted. "My Lord, what is the matter?" He looked as though he had fallen ill.
Yao Ye removed the warm handkerchief and replaced it with a cold one.
Song Qiming furrowed his brows in discomfort. "I just caught a chill and have a bit of a fever. Does Lord Shi have urgent business?"
No one expected that after returning late last night, Song Qiming would start running a fever. He had only slept for a few hours after taking his medicine, and his head was still spinning.
Hearing that Song Qiming was ill, Shi Simian instantly regretted coming.
Lowering his voice, he curled his lips into a flattering smile.
"I have come to congratulate you, My Lord."
"The bailiffs from outside the city just reported that the water in Laogan Ditch surged overnight. It is suspected that Suiyu Mountain has collapsed. I have already sent men to investigate."
"If this is true, it is an auspicious sign from heaven. Even the heavens have been moved by Your Lordship's love for the people."
Knowing the truth, Song Qiming's mouth twitched. He had to clench his jaw to keep from laughing out loud.
He feigned shock, widening his eyes to confirm, "Is this true? Could it just be rainwater?"
Shi Simian shook his head firmly.
"The bailiffs guarantee it is flowing water. There was a faint tremor from the direction of Suiyu Mountain last night. It must be river water flowing out from the Suiyu River."
Song Qiming blinked with a smile, looking up as if deeply moved. "If the heavens truly took pity on us, it is a blessing for the people of Suining Prefecture."
A maid walked in from outside carrying a bowl of medicine.
Seeing this, Shi Simian stood up and bowed to Song Qiming. "Please rest well, My Lord. I will take my leave now."
Song Qiming nodded gently. Only after Shi Simian left did the expression on his face finally relax.
He picked up the medicine bowl and downed it in one gulp, the bitterness making the back of his tongue go numb.
Song Jinzhao, who had been listening to the commotion from the next room, walked over. Seeing his pained expression, she couldn't help but scold him.
"I told you to drink the ginger soup and you refused. Now you're the one suffering from illness. Is it bitter?"
Song Qiming quickly stuffed a candied date into his mouth and said pitifully, "I was going to drink it, but I fell asleep while waiting for it to cool. I was just too tired."
Song Jinzhao pursed her lips and shook her head.
The round trip last night was indeed exhausting. Coupled with the fact that he had been so busy these past few days that his feet barely touched the ground, it was normal for his body to give out.
He needed some nourishment.
"Once you recover, I'll have the kitchen make some herbal dishes to build up your health. No matter what you do, you can't let your body fail you."
At the foot of Suiyu Mountain, the bailiff stared dumbfounded at the massive, perfectly round hole blasted into the cliff face.
Gushing river water poured out from within, and the drifting mist lingered around the area, making it look like a fairyland.
He muttered to himself, "What in the world happened here? Could it truly be the descent of a deity?"
Even if it were an earthquake, the entire mountain should have collapsed. But now, a hole had been carved out right in the middle, with rocks still connected at the top like an archway. It was simply unbelievable.
"It was the God of Thunder and Goddess of Lightning who struck it with lightning," a commoner burning incense nearby while holding an umbrella said to the bailiff, his face full of awe for the heavens.
"The God of Thunder and Goddess of Lightning?" the bailiff asked in confusion.
The commoner nodded vigorously and pointed at the entrance of the hole, waving his arms.
"In the middle of the night yesterday, the earth first shook and the mountains swayed. Suddenly, a beam of light struck the mountain, and thunder resounded through the skies. That was heavenly lightning."
"The Jade Emperor must have seen how difficult it was for the government to excavate the mountain, so he ordered the God of Thunder and Goddess of Lightning to send down heavenly lightning to help. This hole is the Eye of Heaven. The immortals in the sky look down upon us through this."
Watching the commoners kneeling, burning incense, and kowtowing, the bailiff looked thoughtfully toward the hole.
It felt as though a pair of eyes were truly watching from the gray sky. He abruptly lowered his head, not daring to look directly at it.
It seemed to make sense. Otherwise, with so many mountains around, why would lightning strike the exact one they needed to dig through?
As the smell of incense in his nose grew stronger, the more the bailiff thought about it, the more convinced he became that it was the work of immortals. He immediately mounted his horse and galloped back.
