Did the Seventh Prince attend court today?

The eldest prince cared deeply for the people and immediately threw himself into the reconstruction work upon arriving in Nanzhang. Ignoring the advice of Song Zhiyao and the magistrate of Nanzhang, he set an example by working from dawn till dusk every day, eating and living with the laborers building the dikes. In just a few days, he became tanned and thin, but he was much more energetic than when he was in Shengjing.

With the eldest prince taking the lead, the other officials dared not slack off and were busy at the construction site all day long. The people were very moved by the government's actions and worked even more diligently.

The result of the unity between the government and the people was that the reconstruction work progressed much faster and more smoothly than expected.

Since he couldn't carry heavy loads on his shoulders or lift heavy objects, he didn't cause trouble at the construction site. When he had nothing to do, he helped take care of the children of the villagers who were working there, and led the children to dig up medicinal herbs in the safe mountains, and brewed and delivered medicine to the villagers who had been injured before.

Because the able-bodied men in the village were busy repairing the dike, many families had no one to look after their children. In order to allow the villagers to work freely, Youlu suggested sending all the children to the village chief's house and hiring someone to take care of them. The government would also cover the expenses for their food and drink.

The eldest prince and Song Zhiyao agreed wholeheartedly, and as it turned out, his suggestion was correct. With no more concerns, the villagers worked with great enthusiasm, and more people were willing to help build the dike.

"Are you all hidden? I'm going to start looking now."

At the entrance of Xiadong Village, a deer with a foxtail grass in its mouth lay cross-legged under the shade of a tree, its eyes covered with a strip of cloth, playing hide-and-seek with the village children.

"Brother Little Deer, we're hidden!" A childish voice came from all directions.

Youlu smiled, tore off the blindfold, and following the directions from which the sound came, caught a bunch of little radish heads hiding in baskets, haystacks, water tanks, and other places, and knocked them on the head one by one.

"You little idiots, you're hiding properly and you're still making noise? Aren't you just telling me where you're hiding? It's no fun looking for you like this." You Lu put her hands on her hips and pretended to be angry, indicating that she couldn't be swayed.

"I just didn't want Brother Little Deer to have trouble finding me." The four or five-year-old girl hugged his leg, tilted her head back, and sweetly whined, her big eyes blinking.

The deer was completely charmed, picked up the girl, and gently pinched her nose, saying, "You have such a sweet tongue."

The girl giggled and hugged his neck affectionately, refusing to let go.

Seeing this, the other children were not to be outdone and rushed over to cling to him, wanting to be hugged.

When the villagers who were passing by saw him, they laughed and teased, "Other young masters attract bees and butterflies, but our young master Lu attracts boys. Look at all those girls hanging around him."

You Lu was both amused and exasperated; he was practically a human-shaped climbing frame now.

After playing with the children all morning and having lunch, Youlu coaxed them to sleep and quietly went out.

At the village entrance, Xu Ruohuai, carrying a bundle, looked around. Seeing him approach, she immediately handed him the bundle and said, "I've brought the things. Now can you tell me what you're going to do?"

Youlu weighed the bundle in his hand and laughed, "What else can I do with a Taoist robe? Of course, I'll use it to play tricks on people."

Xu Ruohuai rubbed his hands together enthusiastically. "Do you need me to act along with you?"

"No need. You're walking around here quite often, so someone will recognize you. I can go by myself."

Youlu patted him on the shoulder, "Remember what I said. Once it starts raining, immediately notify the eldest brother to take people to Xikou Village."

Xu Ruohuai glanced at the sun in the sky. "Will it really rain?"

"It's all covered," Youlu said confidently.

Xiadong Village is located downstream of Xikou Village. The two villages are not far apart. After leaving Xiadong Village, Youlu found an abandoned thatched hut, changed into a Taoist robe, put on a goatee, and swaggered into Xikou Village, heading straight for the village chief's house.

After a month of heavy rain, many villages in Xiangyang were affected by the disaster, but Xikou Village, which is located on higher ground and backed by a rocky mountain, was neither flooded nor hit by landslides, and the village remained peaceful as always.

According to village chief Liu Zhuang, this was all thanks to the mountain god. So while other village chiefs were busy rebuilding their villages and had no time to spare, the village chief of Xikou Village was leisurely worshipping the god.

"Many thanks to the mountain god for protecting Xikou Village from floods. From now on, the villagers of Xikou will worship you day and night. We hope that the mountain god will continue to bless Xikou Village..."

When the knocking sounded, Liu Zhuang was praying to the mountain god in a rambling manner. After being interrupted, he stormed out of the door, about to scold the person, when he saw a Taoist priest with an otherworldly air outside the door. His demeanor and appearance exuded an ethereal and otherworldly aura, clearly indicating that he was not an ordinary person.

His expression softened immediately, and Liu Zhuang hurriedly stepped forward to open the courtyard gate, saying politely and respectfully, "I was unaware of your arrival, Immortal Master. My apologies for my overreaction."

Disguised as an old Taoist priest, Youlu stroked his long beard like the Star Lord of Destiny and said in a nonchalant tone, "This humble Taoist priest passed through this place and was captivated by its beautiful scenery and rich spiritual energy. I lingered here for a while, and only when I came to my senses did I realize that I was hungry and thirsty. That is why I have taken the liberty of disturbing you and would like to ask for a cup of tea. I hope you will forgive me."

"Of course, of course. Please come in, Immortal Master. I'll have someone prepare some food for you right away."

Liu Zhuang smiled and opened the courtyard gate, inviting the person inside.

With a flick of his whisk, Lu said, "A cup of tea is enough."

Liu Zhuang's heart skipped a beat. He didn't seek fame or fortune, he just wanted a cup of tea. Could it be that he had really met a deity?

He hurriedly bowed and scraped in agreement, then turned and went back inside to fetch tea.

As soon as the person left, Youlu immediately deflated, stretched his stiff limbs, and muttered, "That old man Siming puts on this act every day, doesn't he get tired? I can't last more than a few minutes."

The Pixiu, clutching a smoke bomb and creating smoke behind them, said with a pained expression, "Boss, how much longer do we have to act? The beast is about to be smoked into jerky."

"Almost there, hang in there." A deer offered words of comfort.

Soon, Liu Zhuang ran over with tea. You Lu immediately assumed a posture, took the tea, took a sip, and said calmly, "Since I've drunk your tea, I'll grant you a chance."

Liu Zhuang was overjoyed and excitedly said, "Please enlighten me, Daoist Master!"

Youlu nodded, did some calculations, and pondered, "It will rain tonight with thunder and lightning, and there is a risk of landslides. If you want to live, you might as well leave the village for the time being."

"This..." Liu Zhuang looked shocked, showing a hint of hesitation.

Youlu said no more, only saying, "This is all I have to say. Farewell."

After saying that, he turned and drifted away.

Liu Zhuang watched the ethereal figure disappear into the distance, his eyes flickering with emotion.

He didn't hesitate for long and quickly gathered several respected elders in the village to discuss the evacuation. After all, it's better to be safe than sorry; it's just a temporary refuge away from the village, and even if nothing unexpected happens, there won't be any losses.

After leaving Xikou Village, Youlu returned to the thatched hut to change back into his original clothes. When the time was right, he carried his bundle and returned to Xikou Village. This time, he would play the role of a gambling rich young master.

As soon as they reached the village entrance, Youlu shouted loudly, "I heard that your village is protected by a mountain god. It just so happens that I also know a sage. The sage said that your village will suffer tonight, but I don't know if it's true or not. Is there anyone who dares to make a bet with me? Let's bet on whether the sage I know is more powerful or your mountain god is more powerful."

The villagers of Xikou Village, who worship the mountain god, surrounded him and rebuked him for his arrogant words.

"Where did this brat come from? How dare you blaspheme and defile the mountain god?!"

"Exactly, stop jinxing us!"

"Are you just jealous of our village and deliberately trying to cause trouble?"

There were all sorts of opinions. One deer threw several bags of loose silver on the ground, raised his chin arrogantly, and said, "So, are you going to gamble or not? If you gamble, leave the village before dark. As long as nothing happens in Xikou Village tonight, I'll pay each of you five taels of silver tomorrow. If you don't want to gamble, then stand aside!"

Upon hearing this, many people were tempted; that was five taels of silver, enough for their expenses for a year!

Many people immediately signed a pledge to take the gamble. Lu breathed a sigh of relief. The second phase of the "forcing growth" plan was successfully completed. Now, all that's left is to wait for the real show to begin.