Shen Caiyun's gaze dimmed slightly. She had put in a lot of effort, but Dongfang Zhan still treated her like a stranger.
A faint fragrance wafted into his nose. Dongfang Zhan raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "Where did this fragrance come from?"
"It's plum blossom cake made in the kitchen!" Seeing that Dongfang Zhan was very interested in the pastries, Shen Caiyun called softly towards the door. Xiao Si quickly walked in and respectfully presented the plum blossom cake.
Dongfang Zhan picked up a piece, put it in his mouth, and the sweet aroma instantly filled his entire mouth: "It tastes really good!"
"I'm glad Your Highness likes it!" Shen Caiyun smiled gently, but before she could even feel happy, Dongfang Zhan added:
"I've heard that the young lady also enjoys plum blossom cakes. Why don't we invite her over so we can eat them together?"
"Eldest sister has also prepared plum blossom cakes in the bamboo garden..." Dongfang Zhan's face darkened instantly at these words, and Shen Caiyun's face paled even more. She forced a smile and said, "Your Highness is absolutely right. Fine pastries should be shared with sisters. Xiao Tu, go and invite the eldest young lady!"
Xiao Tu glanced at Shen Caiyun with concern, then quickly accepted the order and left.
Shen Caiyun's lips curled up slightly, and she smiled again. She knew that Dongfang Zhan was a talented scholar of the Azure Flame School, and she was just a young lady from a wealthy family. She had shown a few skills that day, and even if she could get Dongfang Zhan's attention, he would not look at her differently or care about her too much. He might have come to see her just out of politeness, but she had to seize this opportunity to make him notice her.
"Seeing Prince Zhan looking so worried, has he encountered some trouble?" Shen Caiyun, having grown up in the Prime Minister's residence, was best at reading people's expressions. Dongfang Zhan had been smiling, but there was a hint of sadness in his smile. If she could dispel this sadness, she could gain Prince Zhan's attention.
"The Jiangnan region is suffering from severe flooding. A month of continuous heavy rain has caused widespread flooding, submerging many small towns and drowning countless people, leaving the people destitute..." This memorial had been placed on the emperor's desk several days ago, and the emperor had been summoning his ministers to discuss solutions, but in recent days, they had not come up with the most effective plan: "The floodwaters are extremely fierce and show signs of flowing northward. If we cannot find a way to stop them soon, I fear that most of Qingyan will be submerged."
Shen Caiyun was taken aback. It was this serious. She lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment. Then she had an idea and said softly, "Caiyun has an idea that might be able to avert this flood disaster!"
Dongfang Zhan was startled, and You Kong's eyes showed a hint of interest: "Tell me about it!"
Shen Caiyun said loudly, "The flood has spread to Jiangnan, and it is impossible to save the people. We can relocate all the people here, build high dikes nearby to stop the flood from flowing north, and send people to guard it closely. Once summer is over and the flood recedes, the people can return to Jiangnan and rebuild their homes!"
Once again, the ministers have repeatedly said to abandon Jiangnan and build dams to prevent flooding, and this has been implemented in Jiangnan. However, the floods are extremely fierce, breaching many dikes and causing numerous deaths and injuries! Disappointment showed in Dongfang Zhan's eyes, but he still appeared to be listening attentively.
Shen Caiyun said calmly, "With their homes flooded, the people are terrified. If they also go hungry and cold, they are likely to riot. It would be better to send some soldiers there. Firstly, they can help with the rescue, and secondly, they can keep an eye on the displaced people and prevent them from rioting!"
A hint of appreciation flashed in Dongfang Zhan's eyes: "Fourth Miss's idea is good, very thoughtful!" The ministers were only concerned with flood prevention and water control, but forgot to take care of the people. The people were suffering and it was easy for riots to break out. Shen Caiyun's idea of building dikes was not new, but her suggestion to send people to watch over the people was really good.
"Thank you for the compliment, Prince Zhan!" Shen Caiyun lowered her head shyly, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her beautiful eyes. She had successfully caught Prince Zhan's attention.
"Sister Caiyun, what a brilliant plan!" Shen Yingxue stepped into the room, her voice filled with praise but tinged with resentment. She had originally wanted to share this method, but Shen Caiyun had beat her to it!
"Prince Zhan!" Shen Yingxue bowed gracefully, and Dongfang Zhan smiled faintly, "Second Miss, there's no need for such formalities!"
Shen Yingxue's expression changed instantly. In the past, when she bowed to Prince Zhan, he would always come forward to help her up. But today, he sat steadily without moving. Had he been seduced by Shen Caiyun and no longer liked her?
Dongfang Zhan smiled at Shen Caiyun: "Fourth Miss's plan is superb. I will return to the palace to report to my father and reward her for her merits!"
"It is my honor to share the Prince's burdens!" Shen Caiyun smiled gently, her face fresh and lovely. In her clear eyes, there seemed to be a hint of affection. Shen Yingxue was furious. This slut was indeed seducing Prince Zhan.
"Fourth Miss is too modest!" Dongfang Zhan's smiling gaze swept over Shen Yingxue seemingly unintentionally, a profound and unfathomable light flashing in his eyes.
Because of this scheme, Dongfang Zhan fell in love with Shen Caiyun. How could this be? Absolutely not!
Shen Yingxue's eyes flickered, and she focused her mind. She smiled at Shen Caiyun, appearing virtuous and magnanimous: "I only mentioned this plan in passing, and Sister Caiyun remembered it completely. You have a good memory. Well, we are both emperors, and it's the same whether you speak or I speak!"
Shen Caiyun's beautiful face instantly darkened: "What are you saying, Second Sister? This plan was clearly my idea."
Shen Yingxue's bright eyes darkened instantly, and her eyes filled with tears, looking pitiful: "Caiyun, it's one thing for you to use my plan to relieve the prince's worries, but how can you turn your back on me and ruthlessly claim the credit for yourself?"
"Second Miss, this plan was clearly Fourth Miss's idea! How could you steal her credit and frame her!" Aunt Jin clearly heard Dongfang Zhan and Shen Caiyun's conversation from behind the screen. She knew that her daughter's plan was very useful and would bring great merit, so she was very happy. Before she could celebrate, Shen Yingxue actually came out to steal the credit and belittled her daughter. She couldn't bear it any longer and rushed out to argue.
A living person suddenly appeared from behind the screen. Shen Yingxue was clearly taken aback, then sneered, "Aunt Jin, what are you doing hiding behind the screen in broad daylight? Were you eavesdropping on Prince Zhan and Fourth Sister's conversation?"
"I was resting behind the screen and accidentally fell asleep. I didn't mean to eavesdrop. But you, Second Miss, are taking credit for someone else's work and are even smug about it. Don't you feel ashamed?" Under normal circumstances, Aunt Jin would never dare to speak to Shen Yingxue so arrogantly.
Shen Caiyun's eyes instantly reddened with anger. She could handle this situation herself; why did she run out like this? It was utterly foolish: "Prince Zhan, my aunt..."
“Miss Shen, there’s no need to explain. I understand. It’s getting late, so I won’t disturb Fourth Miss’s recovery any longer. Farewell!” Dongfang Zhan’s cold voice was filled with displeasure as he turned to leave.
At the entrance, a slender figure in a light green dress stood backlit, a red plum blossom embroidered on the hem of her dress swaying gently in the breeze. Her stunning beauty was more dazzling than the sun in the sky, and her warm smile was like a spring flower in bloom, unforgettable at first sight. Dongfang Zhan's steps, which were about to leave, came to an abrupt halt.
"Big sister, was what we just said really that funny?" Shen Lixue stood there quietly, her smile as clear as a lotus emerging from water, her cold eyes without a trace of impurity, looking at everyone in the room with indifference, as if she were an outsider watching a good show. Shen Yingxue was immediately furious.
Shen Lixue smiled coldly: "It's just about vying for credit, there's nothing funny about it. I'm laughing because your plan isn't perfect enough. Even if you implement it in Jiangnan, it won't have much effect!"
"Could it be that you, elder sister, can think of a better way?" Shen Yingxue raised her eyebrows dismissively. Shen Lixue grew up in the countryside, was short-sighted, and had never seen much of the world. She didn't believe that Shen Lixue could come up with a good solution to a problem that was causing headaches for the court officials.
Shen Lixue smiled calmly: "The floods in Jiangnan are devastating, and the more we try to block them, the worse they get. The terrain in the north is lower than in the south. If the floods really overflow, I'm afraid they will cross over to various towns and directly submerge Qingyan Capital!"
Shen Yingxue scoffed dismissively: "We already knew about this. We're currently discussing a treatment plan. Big sister, just tell us the method!"
Shen Caiyun's gaze narrowed slightly, and she looked at Shen Lixue with a thoughtful expression. Shen Lixue gave people the feeling of being unfathomable. The flood in Jiangnan was no small matter. She herself had pondered for a long time before coming up with a treatment method. Could Shen Lixue come up with something better?
"My method is not to block, but to dredge!" Shen Lixue looked intently at Dongfang Zhan: "Jiangnan and Lingnan are adjacent. Lingnan is all mountains, with steep slopes, and almost no one lives there. Have the guards dig waterways to divert the floodwaters from Jiangnan to Lingnan, letting them flow into the high mountain valleys. With layers of high mountains blocking the way, no matter how much floodwater there is, it won't overflow. This will also protect the prosperous Jiangnan, and Qingyan Capital will be safe, and the people will not have to be displaced..."
The crowd looked at each other in disbelief, speechless with shock for a long time.
Dongfang Zhan clapped his hands a few times and praised, "Good, good, that's really great!"
Shen Yingxue remained silent, her beautiful eyes blazing with anger. How could a lowly country girl come up with such a method? She must have had some expert guidance, she must have!
Shen Caiyun lowered her head slightly, her face calm, but a sharp glint flashed in her beautiful eyes. She really couldn't believe that Shen Lixue could say such things. More importantly, even she had to admit that what Shen Lixue said made a lot of sense.
Previously, she thought her plan was the best. Although it was only a temporary solution, it was better than not being able to stop the flood at all. However, Shen Lixue's suggestion, which was to divert the water into the Lingnan Mountains, could fundamentally eliminate the flood problem. Their methods were worlds apart and could not be compared at all...
Dongfang Zhan looked at Shen Lixue with a thoughtful expression. She always managed to give him unexpected surprises when he least expected it. Releasing floodwaters to relieve disaster was a brilliant idea: "Miss Shen, what a brilliant plan!"
Shen Lixue smiled slightly: "Thank you for the compliment, Prince Zhan!"
"I will go to the palace immediately and report Miss Shen's plan to my father. He will surely reward Miss Shen for her merits!" Dongfang Zhan gave Shen Lixue a deep look, got up and walked out. As he passed by her, he whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "You came up with this plan yourself!"
Chapter 097: The Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang Proposes Marriage to Li Xue