"Thank you for the reminder, Prince Zhan. With Prince Zhan and Shuntian Prefecture here, we will definitely be able to rescue the trapped villagers. I will not disturb you any longer and will take my leave." Dongfang Heng turned around, put his arm around Shen Lixue's shoulder, and walked slowly forward.
Shen Lixue looked at him in confusion: "Are we really just going to leave like this? We've only rescued half of the villagers; the other half are still missing."
"The mountain will not landslide again. Shuntian Prefecture has brought a lot of people, plus the soldiers brought by Dongfang Zhan, they can definitely rescue the villagers. There is no way we can help if we stay. Let's go back to the prefecture and wait for news."
In fact, what Dongfang Heng really wanted to say was that an hour had passed since the landslide began, and the villagers buried underneath were likely doomed. Even if they stayed, they wouldn't be able to rescue them alive.
After watching Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue leave, Dongfang Zhan looked at the crowd with an unusually sharp and serious gaze: "Before it gets dark, hurry up and save them."
"Yes!" With lives at stake, the Shuntian Prefecture did not ask any further questions and led the guards to shovel away the large rocks and break up the soil to rescue the villagers.
Two soldiers were left to take care of Prince Zhan, while the other soldiers picked up their shields and joined the rescue effort. The group worked for a full day and night.
After counting the number of villagers who were alive and the number of corpses, and adding the two together, the number of people in the entire village was confirmed to be correct. Then, the number of soldiers' corpses was counted, and the number of soldiers who were alive and seriously wounded was added together. The number was correct, and the guards secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
After a day and a night of hard work, Zhan Wang let out a long sigh of relief, a faint smile on his lips. Exhausted, he fainted and fell into a coma, never to wake up again. The entire village was thrown into chaos once more.
On a bright and sunny day, Shen Lixue sat by the window of a private room in the teahouse, calmly watching the bustling Zhanwang Mansion with people coming and going: "I heard that Physician Chen diagnosed Dongfang Zhan with serious injuries, overwork, and weakness. He needs to take medicine and rest more."
"Anyone would be seriously injured if hit by a large rock from the mountain." Dongfang Heng sipped his tea, the steam rising gently, his dark eyes seemingly shrouded in a misty haze.
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow and looked at the adult men coming and going at the gate of the Prince's Mansion: "Dongfang Zhan rescued dozens of men, women and children from the village, which made a great contribution and covered up his original scandal. Almost every civil and military official in the court praised him and came to visit him. He is very popular and can be said to have made a comeback."
Dongfang Zhan personally led his troops to rescue a village of villagers. He was seriously injured while saving a child, but he refused to go back to rest. He guarded the village with his injuries until the body of the last villager was found before he could finally faint. Who can match such a fearless spirit?
It's fine that he consummated his marriage with a female guest on his wedding day; it was a consensual affair in his own home. He was caught because he chose the wrong time, and it became a scandal.
Li Youlan showing off her naked body in the bridal chamber? It doesn't matter. The bridal chamber is for sleeping. She's tired and wants to rest. It's those noble young men who barged in without asking any questions and ruined her reputation.
Who hasn't made mistakes? Who hasn't been young and impulsive? What could be more important than human life?
All his past minor mistakes pale in comparison to this feat.
"I heard from Zimo that even the Emperor personally visited Prince Zhan's residence to see him, praising him for his meticulous attention to detail and his love for the people as if they were his own children..."
Dongfang Heng stared intently, remaining silent as he continued listening to Shen Lixue's explanation:
"Furthermore, this morning, the villagers who were rescued recovered from their injuries and all came to the Zhan Prince's mansion, kneeling outside the gate to thank the Zhan Prince for saving their lives. The people in the vicinity were all alarmed and came to see the excitement. The people who used to mock Dongfang Zhan all sang his praises."
Now, walking down the street, you can see people praising Dongfang Zhan everywhere. He is extremely popular, overshadowing all the princes of the royal family, and is almost on par with Dongfang Heng, the God of War of Azure Flames.
Dongfang Heng looked up at Shen Lixue: "Don't you think there's something strange about this landslide?"
"Really?" Shen Lixue frowned: "After ten days of continuous heavy rain, there was a lot of water accumulation on the mountain, and the soil was loose, so it's not surprising that a landslide occurred."
Although the mudslide occurred after the weather cleared up, it is possible that it had already formed when it rained, and that the vibrations caused by people climbing mountains or doing other things after the rain triggered the landslide.
"Do you know what the best way to cover up rumors is?" Dongfang Heng continued to ask.
"Of course, it'll be when another, stronger, and more powerful rumor breaks out. People's attention will be focused on the new rumor, and they'll naturally forget the old one..." Shen Lixue's words suddenly stopped, her eyes filled with shock as she looked at Dongfang Heng:
"Are you saying that the landslide and the selfless rescue of the villagers were all deliberately arranged by Dongfang Zhan?" His purpose was to use his merits to cover up his shame.
Dongfang Heng frowned: "This is just my guess; I have no concrete evidence."
Shen Lixue stared wide-eyed at Dongfang Heng: "A landslide is no small matter. Can it be moved by human power?"
“Since I can remember, Qingyan has experienced many heavy rains and torrential downpours, but there has never been a landslide. This mudslide happened too suddenly, and it just so happened to occur after Dongfang Zhan’s scandal, cleverly covering up his scandal and making people suspicious…” Dongfang Heng’s dark eyes flashed with a cold light.
Shen Lixue frowned: "Did Dongfang Zhan used to have the habit of going out of the city to check for flooding after rain?"
"The patrol army was only established this year. The ten-day-long heavy rain was also the first time since the patrol army was established. It was the first time that Dongfang Zhan led troops out of the city to check the flood. In the past, he had only guarded the guards of the Zhanwang Mansion. There weren't many of them. He had the desire to go out of the city to check the flood, but he didn't have the means."
Dongfang Heng had no clues or evidence to prove that the landslide was intentionally caused by Dongfang Zhan, but he always felt that something was wrong. The landslide came too conveniently, as if it was specifically designed to help Dongfang Zhan escape.
Shen Lixue's eyes flickered, and a faint smile curved her lips: "Whether the landslide was natural or man-made, it has freed Dongfang Zhan from trouble and cleared his name, making him a popular and upright gentleman. We can think of another way to ruin his reputation and make him go back to being a shameless villain."
Dongfang Heng glanced at Shen Lixue: "What kind of crazy idea have you come up with this time?"
“What I’m thinking about is how to deal with the enemy, how can it be called a devilish idea?”
Dongfang Zhan is a benevolent and virtuous gentleman who loves his people like his own children. He will be supported by the officials, loved by the people, and favored by the emperor. He is very likely to ascend the throne.
Dongfang Heng, Shen Lixue, and Dongfang Zhan are enemies. If Dongfang Zhan becomes emperor, the two of them will not be far from death. Therefore, they must take precautions to ruin Dongfang Zhan's reputation and disgrace him, so that he is not qualified to ascend the throne, or eliminate him before he ascends the throne!
Destroying his reputation and ensuring he never recovers is just the beginning.
Dongfang Heng took a sip of tea: "Tell me your methods for dealing with the enemy first."
"Well, that requires someone's cooperation." Shen Lixue smiled mysteriously, her cold gaze looking out the window.
Dongfang Heng turned his head and looked in the direction she was pointing. He saw a luxurious carriage parked at the back gate of the Zhan Prince's Mansion. A woman in a crimson dress stepped onto the carriage and quickly lowered the curtain. In the instant she turned around, he saw her face clearly. It was Li Youlan.
Li Youlan displayed her naked body in the bridal chamber, her innocent figure being seen by many noble young men, enduring their ridicule. She remained quietly in the Zhan Prince's mansion, ignoring the rumors circulating outside.
Now that Dongfang Zhan has made a contribution, the malicious rumors about her have been suppressed by his heroic deeds. When people see her, there is no longer any mockery or disdain in their eyes. Instead, their eyes are full of smiles, which emboldens her to go out for some fresh air.
The luxurious carriage moved slowly down the bustling street. She closed her eyes slightly and breathed in the fresh air. Although she had only been away for half a month, it felt like several years had passed in her sorrow.
Her cousin had rendered meritorious service and cleared his name, and she had also been cleared of name. She could now legitimately enter and leave various mansions and attend all kinds of banquets. One day, she would take back ten times, a hundred times, what Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue owed her.
Thinking of Dongfang Heng filled her with anger. In what way was she inferior to Shen Lixue? It was one thing for him not to like her, but he also pushed her to another man, causing her to always be wary. Even though she knew she had been recognized, she dared not be arrogant and was extremely cautious when going out. When riding in the carriage of the Zhan Prince's Mansion, she dared not display the Zhan Prince's Mansion's insignia, for fear of being attacked by people with ill intentions.
Lost in her own thoughts, Li Youlan didn't see Zi Mo silently appear outside the carriage, hanging the Holy King's Mansion's insignia on the Zhan King's Mansion's carriage. With a flick of his wrist, Li Youlan inside the carriage sensed something was wrong, abruptly pulling open the curtain and shouting, "Who goes there?"
---Aside---
(*^__^*) Hehe... Thank you so much for the flowers, diamonds, and votes, everyone! Mwah!