I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 127 Returning to Lanzhou

"Make a thousand mirrors according to their size," the God of Wealth instructed. "This mirror will be inlaid on the wall directly opposite the main entrance of the glass workshop, and it will become the signboard of our glass workshop."

The craftsman agreed.

Leaving the furnace, Tang Zhao looked up and saw a large patch of dark clouds slowly drifting in. He quickened his pace to the stables. Tang Zhao had just arrived at the Protector General's Mansion when the rain started to pelt down.

Tang Zhao changed into casual clothes and sat on the chaise lounge, looking out the window at the rain.

Qiu Yu took a thin blanket and covered Tang Zhao with it. She then placed several plates of dried fruit and snacks on the table, moved a wooden stool to sit down, and served her young lady tea while doing needlework.

Chunfeng then placed the book that Tang Zhao often read on the other side of the table, and then quietly went to the outer room to do the accounting.

The crisp sound of abacus beads rang out, and Tang Zhao, snapping out of her reverie, asked, "How many rains have we had this year?"

"I don't remember, but I heard from the old people in the city that there was more rain this year than in previous years," Qiu Yu said happily. "The people are overjoyed."

With more rain, the burden of irrigation has been greatly reduced, which is good for the people in the Northwest, but not necessarily for those in the Jiangnan region.

Tang Zhao looked at the weather forecast section of the system interface. The continuous light rain for the next week brought tears of sympathy to the people of Jiangnan.

In the Ming family mansion in Jiangnan, the magistrate was staring blankly at the torrential rain outside the window.

Young Master Ming strode over from the corridor, and even with a servant holding an umbrella beside him, his clothes and trouser legs were still soaked.

He entered the study and stood beside Master Ming, looking anxious and nervous.

Master Ming turned to look at his eldest son, who was the most composed among them, and waved away the servants, asking, "What's the matter that's causing this panic?"

The eldest son of the Ming family said in a hoarse voice, "Father, the fish and grain dam has cracked."

Master Ming suddenly opened his eyes wide.

In Wanzhou, hundreds of able-bodied men braved the rain to walk on the fish and grain dam, throwing 100-pound bags of mud into the slowly rising reservoir.

"Hurry up, move faster!" The constable brandished his whip. "Those in the back, stop dawdling!"

The villagers, who had been carrying mud bags for five or six days straight, were severely exhausted. Their pale faces were still visible through the torrential rain, but they dared not give up, and could not give up.

If the cracks in the fish-grain dam are not plugged, they will face certain death if the dam collapses.

The prefect of Huangshan stood in the pouring rain, directing the people to reinforce the dam while repeatedly asking, "Have you received a reply from the prefect?"

"No," the advisor shook his head heavily.

"It's been so many days, why haven't we received a reply yet?" The prefect of Huangshan paced anxiously in the rain. "No, to ensure everything goes smoothly, we must first evacuate the people downstream."

"Your Excellency, you mustn't!" the clerk stopped him. "The people living below Yuliang Dam are from more than a dozen prefectures and cities, and hundreds of counties. Without the prefect's approval, Your Excellency has no right to evacuate them without authorization."

"Moreover, other prefects may not listen to you!"

Zhou Wenxuan knew that the advisor's words were very polite to him. Not to mention other prefectures and counties, even the county magistrates under Huangshan Prefecture did not listen to him.

Although the entire Wanzhou was the fiefdom of Prince Ning, it was firmly controlled by the Second Prince.

Zhou Wenxuan came from a peasant family. After taking office in Wanzhou, he was targeted by both superiors and subordinates because he refused the prefect's attempts to win him over, and his life became extremely difficult.

"You stay here and keep watch. I'm going back to the government office to submit a memorial to the Crown Prince!"

"Yes!"

Zhou Wenxuan returned to the government office in the rain and detailed the damage to the fish and grain dam in his memorial, explaining the dangers of the dam's collapse and finally requesting the relocation of the downstream residents. Zhou Wenxuan instructed, "This memorial must be delivered to Luoyang."

"Yes!"

Only after the yamen runners left the government hall did Zhou Wenxuan's shoulders, which had been upright, slump.

He entered officialdom through the imperial examination, intending to use his talents to benefit the people. He was careful not to get involved in the struggle for succession between the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, but he never expected to get caught up in it in the end.

I only beg Your Highness to consider the fact that he sent this fine knife that was meant to stab the Second Prince, and save the hundreds of thousands of people in Wanzhou.

The constables rode quickly out of Huangshan Prefecture, and on the official road not far from Luoyang, they were tripped by iron chains that suddenly appeared.

Fortunately, the constable had some martial arts training, and when he fell off the horse, he curled up into a ball, which prevented him from breaking his neck.

The constable rolled on the ground, then knelt down and looked at the masked man in black who emerged from the woods. He shouted, "I am a constable from Huangshan Prefecture, ordered to deliver a memorial to the capital. How dare you intercept a memorial destined for the capital!"

His response was a merciless stab.

The constable dodged, but two fists were no match for four hands, and after several rounds of fighting, he was slashed across the neck with a knife.

The man in black stepped forward, removed the bundle from the constable's body, threw him into the forest and buried him, before returning to report.

The Second Prince looked at the few hundred words in the memorial, each word shocking and touching. "Truly a model of a scholar who rose from humble beginnings. His methods and cunning are indeed better than that second-place scholar who was the prefect of Wanzhou. No wonder my grandfather personally appointed him as the top scholar."

Unfortunately, Zhou Wenxuan was ungrateful and rejected the olive branch offered by the Duke of E's mansion, which allowed the prefect of Wanzhou to get the better deal.

However, now it's time for the prefect of Wanzhou to repay him.

The second prince brought the memorial close to the candlelight, watching with a cold laugh as the flames gradually swallowed the ink, before casually tossing it into the brazier.

At the end of June, Tang Zhao stretched in the yard, "I haven't seen the sun for more than ten days, and I feel like I'm going to get moldy."

Chunfeng waited until Tang Zhao had warmed up before stepping forward to report, "Miss, the last batch of dressing mirrors has been packed and secured. The court guards sent me to ask when we should depart for Lanzhou."

"Now!" Tang Zhao said, "Prepare the carriage, we're going back to Lanzhou!"

Inside the Minghui Hall of the Xuan Prince's Mansion, the Princess Consort of Xuan was talking to Madam Ming while supervising Gu Xuan as she copied the Great Yu Code.

Granny Meng came in with a big smile on her face. "Your Highness, look who's back!"

Princess Xuan turned her head and saw Tang Zhao hopping in like a little rabbit, "Mother!"

"Zhaoshan!" Princess Consort Xuan was both surprised and delighted, and quickly waved her hand, "Why are you back? Come here quickly so your mother can see you."

"Of course I miss my mother," Tang Zhao said, sitting next to Princess Xuan and clinging to her arm affectionately. "It's been several months since I've seen my mother. How is she?"

"Good!" Princess Xuan affectionately tapped Tang Zhao's nose. "It's just that without you, my little rascal, by my side, I'm always thinking about you."

Tang Zhao chuckled, "Then Zhao Zhao will stay at the Prince's residence for a few more days this time." She looked at the Princess Consort beside her, "How is Sister-in-law?"

Madam Ming smiled and said, "I'm fine. My sister-in-law looks good. It seems you're enjoying your time in Wuwei."

Tang Zhao squinted at Ming's rounder face and said in an annoying way, "Sister-in-law, you've gotten rounder."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Princess Xuan lightly slapped her. "Your sister-in-law is pregnant, so naturally she's gained some weight."

Huh? Tang Zhao was stunned for a moment, then said happily, "Congratulations, sister-in-law!"

"Thank you, sister-in-law," Ming said with a smile in her eyes.