The Empress has abandoned me? I'll support a new emperor and destroy your kingdom!

The golden brick floor of the Linde Hall reflected the leaden sky outside the window, as well as the increasingly gloomy face of Emperor Yun Hong on the throne, caused by continuous anxiety and rage.

The battle reports from Shuofeng City in the northern frontier were like maggots clinging to bones, causing alarm several times a day, and the documents requesting reinforcements almost overwhelmed the Ministry of War's office.

The reinforcements and provisions hastily mobilized by the imperial court were slow to arrive due to bureaucratic wrangling, empty granaries, and blocked roads, causing widespread discontent among the border soldiers.

At this moment, another huge weight was pressing on the emperor's heart: urgent reports from the southern "Jinghu Road" and "Jiangling Road" arrived with great speed.

"...Since June, torrential rains have continued for ten days, causing the Yuan, Xiang, Zi, and Li rivers to swell simultaneously, resulting in 137 breaches in the dikes! Countless fields and cities have been submerged! The number of displaced people has reached one million! Starving corpses litter the roads, and people are even exchanging their own children for food! Bandits are rampant, and the region is in turmoil! We implore the court to quickly allocate funds and grain for relief, and to dispatch high-ranking officials to oversee the situation, in order to reassure the people and prevent any uprisings!"

The report was jointly submitted by the Governor-General of Jinghu Circuit and the Governor of Jiangling Circuit; every word was filled with anguish and sorrow. Attached to it was a rough estimate of the losses and the amount of relief funds and grain needed.

Three million taels of silver and two million shi of grain!

"Three million taels! Two million shi!" The emperor slammed the report onto his desk, his voice hoarse and strained, his eyes filled with a desperate rage and helplessness. "How much silver can the national treasury produce now? Huh?! The Ministry of War is still pressing for military pay in the northern frontier! Ministry of Revenue! Minister of Revenue! Tell me, how much silver is left in the national treasury?!"

The Minister of Revenue knelt down with a thud, banging his head on the ground, his whole body trembling: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty... the national treasury... the national treasury currently has less than 800,000 taels of silver, and less than 500,000 shi of grain... and most of it is stale grain, inedible... the granaries... are mostly in deficit..."

"Eight hundred thousand taels? Five hundred thousand shi of old grain?" The emperor laughed in fury, pointing south. "What will the million disaster victims in the south eat? What will they use? Will they just wait to starve to death, then rise up in rebellion and let my empire rot from within?!"

The entire court was silent, everyone bowing their heads, not daring to meet the emperor's bloodshot eyes.

The eldest prince, Yun Jie, had a gloomy expression and remained silent with his eyes lowered.

The Third Prince, Yun Huan, frowned, as if deep in thought.

Everyone knows this is a murky pool, a bottomless pit that can never be filled.

Disaster relief? Where will the money come from? Where will the food come from? Who will be sent? If we do it well, it's our duty; if we mess it up, we'll lose our positions and our heads, or even be devoured alive by the disaster victims.

Moreover, the officialdom in the south is deeply entrenched, with intertwined interests, so that a single move can have far-reaching consequences.

The stench of the assassination in Willow Shade Lane had not yet dissipated; who would dare to venture there lightly?

In the midst of this deathly silence and suffocating panic, a clear and firm female voice broke the deadlock once again.

"Father."

Princess Yun Jin of Jingguo stepped forward and knelt below the imperial steps.

She was not dressed in elaborate robes today, but in a simple indigo blue court dress. Her face showed the weariness of days of travel, but her back was straight and her gaze was calm as a deep pool.

"Your Majesty, I humbly request permission to travel to the disaster-stricken areas of Jinghu and Jiangling to oversee the relief efforts." Her voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying an undeniable resolve.

A suppressed gasp and gasps instantly filled the hall.

It's her again! This Princess Jingguo, who just survived a life-or-death assassination attempt and could have been peacefully "recuperating" in her residence, is now willingly jumping into the muddy and dangerous disaster relief vortex in the south?!

The eldest prince, Yun Jie, suddenly looked up at Yun Jin's back, his eyes flashing with surprise, jealousy, and disbelief.

Has she gone mad? Or... is she plotting something else?

The Third Prince, Yun Huan, also looked at her with surprise, his gaze deep.

Emperor Yun Hong was also stunned. He stared at his daughter kneeling below, as if he were seeing her for the first time.

After a long pause, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice: "Duke Jingguo, do you know how severe the disaster is in the south? Millions of people are starving and desperate for food. If we are not careful, there could be a massive peasant uprising! The court... can only offer you very limited support right now."

"Your subject knows." Yun Jin raised his head, his eyes clear and fearless. "Precisely because of the difficulty and the danger, your subject must go."

Your Majesty has bestowed upon me the title of Princess Jingguo, and I, who enjoy the Emperor's bounty, should share your burdens. I feel guilty that I cannot personally go to the battlefield while the soldiers of the Northern Frontier are shedding their blood.

"Now that the people of the South are suffering terribly, if I were to stand idly by out of fear of hardship, wouldn't I be ashamed of my father's great love and unworthy of the name 'Jingguo' (meaning pacifying the country)?"

She paused, then continued, "Your subject dares not presume to claim that he can relieve the suffering of the people, but he is willing to do his utmost to personally go to the disaster area, comfort the people, allocate resources, severely punish corruption, and urge the local authorities to ensure that every grain of relief food and every penny of relief silver is used for the disaster victims!"

Your son has some experience in the Jianghuai region, and also has some insights into the allocation of funds and provisions and the selection of personnel.

"I humbly beseech Your Majesty to grant me the authority of 'Imperial Envoy for Disaster Relief,' to control the officials of Jinghu and Jiangling circuits, prefectures, and counties, with the power to act arbitrarily and execute first and report later! I will certainly devote myself wholeheartedly to this task and live up to Your Majesty's trust!"

It's another "imperial envoy," and another case of "acting first and reporting later"! And this time, he's in charge of two routes! His power is even greater than when he was the salt commissioner of Jianghuai!

The ministers were terrified. This Princess Jingguo's style of doing things was truly consistent in its ruthlessness and domineering nature!

A glint flashed in the emperor's eyes. He knew, of course, that the journey was extremely risky, but Yun Jin's volunteering at this moment was undoubtedly a relief to his urgent needs.

More importantly, Yun Jin's abilities and skills in Jianghuai, especially her sensitivity to "money" and her control over "people," gave him a glimmer of hope.

Perhaps, this daughter can truly create a miracle?

Moreover, there is another advantage to sending Yun Jin.

She was a princess, with a transcendent status, and had little involvement with the local powers in the south.

If she succeeds, the court will benefit and the royal family will be rewarded.

If she fails, the emperor's eyes will darken slightly. At the very least, she can clear some obstacles for him and see some people for who they really are.

"Very well!" The emperor no longer hesitated, slammed his hand on the imperial desk, "I grant your request! Effective immediately, Princess Yun Jin of Jingguo is hereby appointed as 'Imperial Commissioner in Charge of Disaster Relief in Jinghu and Jiangling,' and is granted the Imperial Decree Flag and Imperial Sword. All civil and military officials along the route and in the disaster area shall be under her command!"

Anyone who embezzles relief funds, neglects their duties, or obstructs relief efforts may be executed first and reported later!

"Father!" The eldest prince finally couldn't help but speak up, "Although my third sister is capable, disaster relief is no small matter, involving huge sums of money and grain, and the local situation is complex. Should we... send one or two experienced and prudent ministers to assist her?"

"No need," the emperor refused decisively, his sharp gaze sweeping over the eldest prince.

"Jingguo has already proven its capabilities in the Jianghuai region. This disaster relief effort concerns the lives of millions, and the court should provide its full support. I hereby issue an imperial decree to allocate an additional 500,000 taels of silver and 200,000 shi of grain from the Imperial Treasury as the initial relief effort. All prefectures and counties along the route must fully cooperate with the Imperial Envoy and there must be no mistakes!"

The imperial treasury has allocated funds! This means the emperor is taking money from his own private savings! This shows how urgent the situation is, how high his expectations are for Yun Jin, and it also shuts down some people's excuse of "empty treasury".

"Your subject accepts the imperial decree and expresses gratitude! I will certainly live up to the expectations of Father Emperor and the people of the world!" Yun Jin kowtowed deeply.

……