The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 246 Coming

Wu Zongyu, without changing his expression, drank the tea in one gulp.

He pointed to the seat opposite him, gesturing for Xiaozhu to sit down: "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

"I can't sleep."

"I thought you were always so carefree."

Xiaozhu did not answer.

She seemed to have rarely had a good life, so she was overly observant. When she saw Wu Zongyu poking at the fire, she picked up a stick and clumsily imitated him, as if she couldn't stay still for a moment.

Wu Zongyu felt a bittersweet feeling in his heart.

If one is not used to pleasing others, how could one develop such a personality?

An impulse surged into his throat; he wanted to tell her that he had decided to adopt her so that she wouldn't have to suffer so much in the future.

But at this moment, Xiaozhu spoke up.

“My great-grandmother told me that she was dying.”

The little girl's eyes showed confusion and helplessness, but no sadness.

Although she was young, she matured exceptionally early because she had no one to support her.

Wu Zongyu searched for a long time, but still didn't know how to comfort her: "Xiaozhu... don't be sad..."

Xiao Zhu smiled and said to herself, "Actually, my great-grandmother doesn't like me either. She likes my younger brother. Perhaps because we've been relying on each other for survival these past few days, she's become a little more kind to me. She said she doesn't have long to live, so she'll help me find a way out."

Xiao Zhu looked at Wu Zongyu.

"She told me to please the master, serve the master, and treat the master with utmost sincerity. As long as I keep the master happy, whether I am a maid or a concubine, my life can't be worse than it is now."

Wu Zongyu felt inexplicably nauseous.

It wasn't because Xiaozhu had ulterior motives, but because she was disgusted by this terrible fate.

Seeing his disgusted expression, Xiaozhu thought she was disliked, so she pinched her arm and lowered her head in frustration.

Wu Zongyu quickly comforted her, "She's wrong, Xiaozhu. You don't need to belittle yourself. You're a smart girl and you can have a brighter future."

"So she...is trying to harm me?"

"No, it's just that she hasn't been to many places and hasn't seen enough, so this is the best possible outcome for her."

Xiaozhu didn't quite understand the meaning of the sentence, but she would write it down and one day she would understand.

Wu Zongyu forgot about the impending disaster for a moment and was busy educating the little girl.

“Little Pearl, only a beast would let a girl your age become his concubine. I am not a beast. If you encounter such a beast, remember to stay away from him.”

"Little Pearl, being a maid might mean you'll have enough to eat and wear, but your life will be in someone else's hands. Whether you have a good life or not depends on what kind of master you end up with; it's a gamble..."

He initially thought it would be better to be a free person, but he suddenly realized that ordinary people don't have a choice either.

Freedom cannot feed them; their fate is tied to the land and their parents, with only a small part depending on themselves.

He said that Xiaozhu's great-grandmother had too little experience, but wasn't he the same?

They are all the same; they can only see their own world.

He wanted to say something more, but Xiaozhu had already fallen asleep.

He asked a woman who wasn't asleep nearby to take the little girl back, but he couldn't continue his melancholy because Fugui said there was trouble and he needed to go and calm things down.

The difficult night passed, and the earthquake did not occur.

The tiring day passed, but the earthquake still hadn't occurred.

Some people have already started complaining that it's already dark, so why hasn't the princess's prophecy come true yet?

Wu Zongyu panicked too, but he still forced himself to remain calm and rebuked, "What's the rush? Today isn't over yet! Wouldn't it be better if you didn't come?"

Everyone felt like each day was an eternity.

Prolonged anxiety is exhausting. As soon as it gets dark, drowsiness sets in, and the elderly and those with weaker constitutions find it hard to stay awake.

But at this moment, wild birds took flight and wild beasts ran about in the mountains.

Anyone with some experience can see that this land and the creatures on it are restless and uneasy.

The riots lasted a long time, and many of the stubborn ones who stayed down the mountain began to regret their actions.

But by then it's too late to regret it.

People at the foot of the mountain were in a hurry to climb it.

But tonight there is no moon or stars, and the sky is so dark it feels like it could fall at any moment.

Finding a path through the dense forest on such a dark night is no easy task.

Just after midnight, a time when everyone was usually sound asleep, the fire in front of Wu Zongyu suddenly went out.

He was filled with panic and couldn't help but get up and look out at the distant coastline.

He felt a sense of relief and peace when he felt the tremor beneath his feet.

"coming."

"coming!"

The emperor sat in the government office, while his officials sat below him, awaiting a result.

When the earthquake struck, the people in Qizhou and Dingzhou felt it very strongly. They could say that people were still able to stand firmly and the houses did not collapse, but there were many instances of bricks falling or cracks appearing everywhere.

They were already quite far away, so you can imagine what the situation was like in Tingzhou, which was closest to the earthquake epicenter.

The emperor's heart sank deeper and deeper.

If it weren't for Yuan Jia, I reckon there would have been a lot of people urging him to issue an edict of self-reproach.

Since he came to power, natural disasters have been frequent, and man-made disasters are expected in the foreseeable future.

Time and again, even someone as resolute as him began to doubt whether he was truly unworthy of his position, thus bringing so much disaster to the Great Yong Dynasty...

He took a deep breath and waited for the tremors in the ground to subside.

"Let's get started," the emperor commanded in a deep voice, and a unified response came from below.

The worst shocks have passed, but there will be aftershocks and floods. Even after the disaster is over, there will still be work to do, such as treating the injured, transporting supplies, and preventing and controlling diseases.

Although the emperor's men had arrived, they did not intend to reveal their whereabouts.

If his orders were to be leaked out, people would only assume that they were arrangements made in advance by Zheng Xun.

He was a good father and naturally wouldn't steal the limelight from his daughter.

……

"coming!"

Wu Zongyu and Fugui uttered these two words at the same time.

The tremors grew more and more severe, and Wu Zongyu crouched down, constantly watching the movements behind him.

He couldn't guarantee that the hilltop beneath his feet was stable, and he was even more afraid that in the chaos, someone might do something foolish.

He grasped Fugui's hand and instructed, "Keep an eye on them."

He can't control the people down the mountain, but he can't let anything happen to anyone up the mountain.

Then came the panicked cries of the people.

"They're here! They're really here!"

"Oh my God!"

"I'm so dizzy..."

"Princess! Princess, please protect me!"

Wu Zongyu: ?

It seems like something strange has gotten mixed in?

He shook his head. Fortunately, the people did not panic. After all, most of them were old, weak, sick, or disabled, so they couldn't cause any trouble even if they wanted to.

The tremors beneath their feet grew more and more intense. Those on the mountain felt it even more strongly, their heads spinning and their legs feeling weak.

It gives one the illusion that the world is shaking.

Suddenly, a deafening crashing sound came from the side.

Wu Zongyu's mind went blank as he tried to light the torch with his trembling hands.

As the fire ignited, he saw the rising smoke and dust.