GBP Chapter 192 A severe drought that lasted for three months
Chapter 192 A severe drought that lasted for three months
When she saw the flowers Xiao Yuxi handed her, she couldn't help but look incredulous and subconsciously pointed to herself, asking, "This... is it for me?"
Xiao Yuxi nodded vigorously, her expression extremely serious, and said sincerely, "You've worked hard, Princess."
A warm feeling welled up in Ye Shuyue's heart. These past few days, she hadn't stopped for a moment. Every morning, she was always the first to arrive, working until the same rest time as the servants, without even a moment's rest in between. She seemed to have found her true value.
She never thought about asking anyone to thank her.
But at this moment, faced with Xiao Yuxi's sincere gratitude and the flowers she presented, Ye Shuyue could no longer suppress her emotions and chuckled softly.
She reached out and gently accepted the flowers from Xiao Yuxi, her eyes glistening with tears. "Thank you. No wonder the Mu family likes you so much."
Xiao Yuxi pointed to the refugees who hadn't gone far behind her, a smile spreading across her face, "They also like Princess Sister very much; they picked these flowers."
When the children in the distance saw the princess looking at them, they hurriedly forced smiles onto their faces.
Ye Shuyue's nose tingled, and she stared blankly at the group of children, somewhat dazed.
The maidservant was puzzled when she saw the princess staring at the not-so-pretty flower in her hand for a long time.
She always felt that the princess's actions had earned her a good reputation, but it was just a bit tiring. She had been tired for a month, but she had finally won the title of the most talented woman in the capital. Moreover, the palace had recently bestowed many gifts upon her and even praised her.
She felt that the princess's chess skills this time were extremely superb.
She never believed that the princess genuinely cared for the disaster victims when she helped them.
Those refugees only know how to beg for food; they're lazy and deserve to starve.
"What is the princess thinking?"
Ye Shuyue lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the homeless people holding small children by the roadside, as well as some children chasing and playing. Her eyelashes drooped slightly. "I'm thinking about how feasible it is to build a school for these children without parents."
"Build a school?" The maid screamed, looking at the princess in disbelief.
"Princess, you absolutely mustn't! This is far too expensive. You've already used up most of your dowry; you can't possibly bring your dowry into the Marquis Hua's mansion with empty dowry chests, can you?" The maid shook her head repeatedly, anxiously trying to dissuade her.
"What if I don't get married?" Ye Shuyue looked at her. "Is marriage truly the only way out for a woman?"
The maid was startled and quickly knelt down. "Princess, be careful what you say. You must never entertain such a thought."
“General Ke Mu, she is also a woman, but she has a strong sense of righteousness and defends the country against enemies, which is very admirable.” Ye Shuyue’s eyes shone.
"Princess, General Mu is a woman. She may be recruited to marry into the family or be married off. In the end, she will have to get married. You must not even think about such a thing."
The maidservant said a lot, but Ye Shuyue didn't listen to a word she said.
His eyes were filled with gloom.
This world is truly unfair to women.
Seeing that the princess was no longer saying such things, the maid was relieved. She then instructed the coachman outside not to talk nonsense before sitting down and looking at the princess.
“Princess, how could you have such unconventional thoughts? If outsiders find out, they'll talk behind your back. And it will implicate the Ye family. Besides, the Second Miss is still young and not old enough to be considered for marriage yet…”
The maidservant rattled off a long string of words.
Ye Shuyue shook her head. "Don't worry, I won't say that again."
The light in Ye Shuyue's eyes eventually returned to a deathly stillness.
-
The rain-praying ceremony was grand and spectacular, with even the highly respected abbot of the national temple invited to preside over the ceremony.
Xiao Yuxi was carefully held in Mu Yunchao's arms, standing far away from the crowd, gazing in the direction where the ceremony was being held.
The old abbot sat cross-legged, holding a wooden fish, and slowly and deliberately struck it. His eyes were closed, and he was muttering incantations, as if he were silently reciting something.
Time passed slowly, and the old abbot finally stood up and began to walk slowly around the rooftop. His steps were unsteady, as if he were carrying a heavy burden.
They walked around three times before stopping.
Holding three incense sticks, the Empress Dowager, dressed in magnificent attire, walked forward with solemn steps, knelt reverently before the incense burner, and inserted the incense sticks into it.
The sun hung high in the sky, like a giant fireball, showering the earth with boundless warmth. The clear blue sky, without a single cloud to obstruct the view, allowed the sunlight to stream down unhindered, illuminating the entire world.
Xiao Yuxi blinked her curious big eyes and looked up at the dazzling sun.
"Is the drought caused by the sun?" Xiao Yuxi turned her head and looked innocently at her second brother beside her.
Mu Yunchao gazed solemnly at the Moon Kingdom citizens who were looking up at the sky with anticipation, his heart growing heavier with each passing moment.
He can only rely on human effort to change the fundamentals, but he cannot change the nature of things.
Humans are inherently vulnerable in the face of fate.
“That’s right, this drought will claim countless lives. It’s been going on for over three months.” Mu Yunchao sighed heavily.
Xiao Yuxi turned her head blankly and saw many people kneeling down, bowing to the sky and praying for rain.
"If it doesn't rain, will people really die?" She had been living in a comfortable environment during this time. There were piles of ice in the hut every day to keep it cool. Even when she went out to distribute porridge, the Mu family's porridge shop was surrounded by ice. She didn't feel the heat at all.
"Yes, it will. Outside the capital, death has already begun." Mu Yunchao always made no attempt to hide the cruel reality of the outside world from her.
Xiao Yuxi nodded as if she understood but not quite.
She watched as the Empress Dowager knelt on the high platform for a long time, while the people below also knelt, unwilling to get up for a long time.
A long time passed, until the half of her body that had been held felt numb, before the Empress Dowager straightened up, clasped her hands together, and looked up at the blazing sun.
For some reason, Xiao Yuxi felt a pang of sadness.
Will anyone really die?
The people below, looking at the still dazzling sun, finally couldn't help but wipe away their tears with their sleeves.
Even worse, some people lost control of their emotions, stood up in a fit of rage, and cursed the most despicable God.
Some of them directly targeted the Empress Dowager, indignantly accusing her, "Back then, His Highness the Crown Prince unfortunately met with an accident, while the previously unknown Emperor was able to ascend the throne!"