Shi Simian rushed to report to Song Qiming the moment he received the news, a huge smile beaming on his face.
"Heaven has blessed Suining Prefecture. We no longer need to dig through the mountain."
A century-long project was finished by a single rainstorm. If they had known they would receive Heaven's blessing, they should have started digging much earlier.
Song Qiming, who had recovered about eighty percent of his strength, sat behind his desk and gave a faint, nodding smile.
"This is excellent. Set up an altar at the West Gate tomorrow; I shall formally offer my gratitude to Heaven."
He needed to solidify this narrative so that everyone would believe it was the Heavens that blasted the mountain. He would also need to write a memorial to the capital; pleasing the Emperor would be a great political achievement.
An hour before the thanksgiving ceremony, rumors of deities descending to the mortal realm to help the government cleave the mountain had already spread among the commoners of Suining City.
Seeing the offering table set up at the West Gate, laden with sacrificial items and guarded by yamen runners, the crowd immediately broke into animated discussions.
The news seemed to grow wings. By the time Song Qiming arrived in his official robes, the street leading to the West Gate was packed tightly with onlookers. Had the runners not cleared a path in advance, he wouldn't have been able to get through.
Welcoming the deities, the first offering, reading the prayer, the final offering, and sending off the deities.
Just as they were waiting for the prayer scrolls and silk to burn to ashes, a ray of rosy sunlight suddenly pierced through the dark clouds and landed right on Song Qiming's face. Bathed in the glow, the young man's features were unexpectedly imbued with a touch of divine majesty.
Someone in the crowd shouted, "An auspicious sign from Heaven!" Instantly, the surrounding commoners fell to their knees and kowtowed.
"The Heavens have shown their power! This is the light of merit bestowed upon our righteous magistrate by the gods!"
"The Prefect's sincerity has moved the Heavens. Those are the auspicious clouds of the Ninth Heaven!"
"..."
Standing on the platform, Song Qiming listened to the praises from below and looked up, slightly flustered, toward Song Jinzhao, who was standing on the second floor of a nearby tavern.
He swallowed nervously, but gradually calmed down upon meeting her smiling eyes.
By the window of the tavern, Song Shixue tilted her head and leaned close to Song Jinzhao's face.
Covering her mouth, she whispered, "Sister, how did you know there would be a sunbeam at this exact moment?"
And for it to land perfectly on their brother's face—it was just too much of a coincidence.
Song Jinzhao looked at the parting clouds in the sky and smiled softly.
"I didn't expect it to be such a perfect coincidence either. The sky cleared up and the rosy clouds actually appeared."
Judging from the commoners' reactions, Qiming's prestige in the hearts of the Suining people would skyrocket after today. This was a wonderful thing for them.
With the water issue resolved, by the time the autumn harvest arrived, Song Jinzhao took Song Qiming down to the fields.
The rice stalks were already bent heavy with plump grains.
Walking along the ridges of the fields, Song Jinzhao observed every inch of the rice paddies with absolute concentration.
"If we want to cultivate high-yield, premium seeds, the first step is selecting the best ears of grain right here in the fields."
Walking beside her, Song Qiming took notes on paper with a quill, his gaze shifting between Jinzhao's face and the direction she was pointing.
Song Jinzhao continued, "A truly superior rice plant often stands out from the rest. You might only find one in tens of thousands, so you must be extremely meticulous."
Song Qiming nodded and jotted it down. "One in ten thousand. That's a massive undertaking."
Song Jinzhao nodded. "Once I find one, you can instruct the others to do the same using my method. We shouldn't limit this to the government-reclaimed fields; we need to mobilize the commoners to inspect their own land as well. The more premium seeds we find, the better. That way, our cultivation efforts next year will be much more efficient."
Song Qiming made another note in his ledger. "When the time comes, I'll have the runners go village by village to spread the word. If we add a bounty, it should speed things up."
"My Lord—!"
The rapid thundering of hooves approached from behind. Liu Hucheng hastily dismounted and sprinted wildly toward Song Qiming.
His face was fraught with anxiety, looking as though something major had just happened.
