good season

Dawang Village is located at the foot of the mountain. As the village head said, the villagers have relied on the mountain for their livelihood for many years, and their lives have been relatively good. Therefore, since Tongzhou was hit by the disaster, Dawang Village has received the most disaster victims. Including today's batch, this is the fifth batch.

Upon reaching the village entrance, several children saw the approaching oxcart in the distance and excitedly went into the village to report the news. A moment later, a group of people, mostly elderly, came out.

Everyone surrounded the disaster victims, asking them all sorts of questions. Some even offered them water and steamed buns. The village headman came over and said to everyone, "You must be tired from the journey. Go and rest first. We'll meet at the threshing ground in an hour."

Because this is the fifth batch of disaster victims, the village is well prepared, and even accommodations have been arranged for them.

However, this was only temporary accommodation for them, all thatched huts. The village head said to everyone, "You can stay here for now. See all the open space over there? It's all for you. If you want to build a house, you can build it yourself. There's plenty of timber on the mountain, and it's all free. If you want to build an adobe house, you'll have to find a way to do it yourself. Of course, if you have enough money, you can also build a brick house, but you'll have to go to the city to buy bricks and tiles, which will cost a lot."

As soon as the village head finished speaking, Zhao Xingzhou asked, "Where does Young Master Guanyue reside?"

The village head smiled and said, "Young Master Guanyue should be on the mountain right now. If you want to see him, you'll have to wait until sunset. They've been on the mountain for the past few days."

Zhao Xingzhou was about to say something when Zhao Shiqing tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Please don't cause trouble for Xiaoyueyue."

The village head was right; Zhao Xingzhou met Shen Guanyue after sunset.

Bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, a group of teenagers walked past the thatched hut, chatting and laughing. Someone who recognized them greeted them from afar: "Young Master Guanyue, you've come up the mountain again. You must be tired."

"Young Master Guanyue, come to my house for dinner. My mother has cooked salted beans."

Shen Guanyue responded to each one with a smile. A child ran over, and he took out a bright red fruit and handed it to him: "It's very sweet, take it and eat it."

Looking up, Shen Guanyue saw Zhao Shiqing, and her smile instantly widened: "Sister, you're here!"

Mudfish and Shen Wangxing also looked over here: "Second Miss!"

The three people ran over quickly, and when they got closer, they saw Zhao Xingzhou coming over to look at them after hearing the noise.

"Hey, aren't you that old Taoist priest?" Mudskipper remembered him; he was involved in causing Zhao Xingzhou to fall into the latrine.

Shen Wangxing didn't recognize Zhao Xingzhou, but Shen Guanyue recognized him at a glance.

During the Chinese New Year, his elder brother arranged for him to meet the Emperor Emeritus. Although they did not speak, he knew that the Emperor Emeritus recognized him.

"Grandfather." The voice was low, but Zhao Xingzhou heard it clearly.

Zhao Xingzhou's heart clenched painfully as he stared intently at the young man before him.

I haven't seen the child for more than half a year, and he has grown even more beautiful. He has grown taller and stronger. His exquisitely sculpted features have matured a bit and become more relaxed, yet he is even brighter and more dazzling.

This is my grandson. My grandson should be like this.

"Good boy." Zhao Xingzhou's lips trembled a few times before he managed to squeeze out a single word.

The place where Shen Guanyue and the other two lived was not much better than that of other disaster victims. It is said that a small landlord in the village offered to let Shen Guanyue stay in his main house, but Shen Guanyue politely declined.

Zhao Shiqing and Zhao Xingzhou followed them there. This place served as both the main hall and the bedroom. A kang table was placed on the kang, which was used for both entertaining guests and sleeping.

Seeing the straw mat on the kang (a heated brick bed), Zhao Shiqing smiled and said, "This mat is so beautifully woven, and it even has patterns."

Shen Guanyue perked up and said with a smile, "Every household in Dawang Village knows how to weave mats; it's a way for the village to make money."

Zhao Xingzhou remained silent. The roof was thatched, the kang (heated brick bed) was covered with straw mats, the kang table was unpainted, and there was a large, rough porcelain bowl on the table. All of this reminded him of the magnificent mansion in Tongzhou.

My true grandson ate coarse food and lived in a simple house to help the disaster victims reclaim wasteland, while that imposter lived in luxury and did wicked things in a mansion.

Shen Guanyue glanced at Zhao Xingzhou, then pulled Zhao Shiqing outside to talk: "Sister, what brings you here? And what about that other person? Why is he here? Where's my brother? Is he alright?"

Zhao Shiqing told him about what had happened since they parted, emphasizing that the Emperor Emeritus already knew about the hook-nosed man. In fact, when Shen Guanyue saw Zhao Xingzhou and Zhao Shiqing appear at the same time, he had already guessed what was going on, otherwise he would not have called out "Grandfather" without any pressure.

Upon learning that the Fourth Prince had committed a grave offense and been imprisoned, Shen Guanyue narrowed her eyes slightly and asked, "Sister, can that person be trusted?"

When he said "that person," he slightly raised his chin towards the direction of the room, and Zhao Shiqing immediately understood who this "that person" was.

She smiled and said, "Of course we can't rely on him. He's just pushing things along. We still have to rely on ourselves."

That evening, Zhao Shiqing, Zhao Xingzhou, and Shen Guanyue ate together. They had a mixed flour pancake, cold wild vegetable salad, stir-fried wood ear mushrooms with scallions, braised rabbit pieces, and mushroom soup. The rabbit was caught by a loach on the mountain and cooked by an aunt in the village. The ingredients were not complete, but everyone was very satisfied with the meal.

Zhao Xingzhou sighed, "I never knew that wild mountain vegetables could be so delicious."

Zhao Shiqing rolled her eyes at him: "If you eat this every day, you won't find it delicious. Besides, you can't catch wild rabbits every day."

Zhao Xingzhou looked at the mudfish: "Did you catch this rabbit today? You can catch a rabbit with your bare hands? Without using a bow and arrow?"

The loach was a little embarrassed; he was a thief, after all, not only agile but also fast.

"I caught it with my bare hands; that rabbit couldn't run as fast as me."

Zhao Xingzhou was very satisfied, then looked at Shen Wangxing and asked, "And you, what skills do you have?"

Shen Wangxing. What skills does he have? Does being able to eat count?
Shen Guanyue said, "Wang Xing can make up stories and write storybooks."

Zhao Xingzhou understood; he finally knew where the legend of the golden boy under the seat of Guanyin Bodhisattva came from.

"Your name is Guanyue, and his name is Wangxing?"

Shen Guanyue nodded: "Yes, we are Guanyue Wangxing (Guanyue Wangxing)."

Zhao Xingzhou reached for his beard again, only to find nothing. He was somewhat disappointed and resolved never to shave carelessly again.

"Let's call you Guanyue (观月)."

Shen Guanyue was taken aback, and quickly thanked him, saying, "Grandson thanks Grandfather for bestowing the name upon you."

Zhao Shiqing's lips twitched. What kind of bestowal of a name was this? It was a name that someone had been using for two years, but with a single word from the old man, the name became a bestowal from him.

That's shameless.

Zhao Xingzhou and Zhao Shiqing stayed in the village for three days. During these three days, they followed Shen Guanyue up the mountain and down to the fields, helping the village head and disaster victims solve problems. They also went to the yamen (government office) for some matters and had an argument with a minor official there.

During this time, Zhao Xingzhou was helping an aunt in the village find a chicken, but he accidentally stepped on another aunt's eggs and broke them. Zhao Xingzhou was chased and scolded, so he ran back to Zhao Shiqing and asked for a piece of silver to compensate the aunt. The aunt made some egg pancakes and insisted that he take them back to eat.

Zhao Xingzhou returned with the egg pancakes, eating them while remarking, "My people are so simple and kind."

Three days later, Zhao Shiqing and Zhao Xingzhou left Gaoping and returned to Tongzhou. After they left, Shen Guanyue sensed that someone was following him, but he couldn't see anyone. Shen Guanyue knew in his heart that this was someone sent by the Emperor Emeritus to protect him.

Back on the mountain, the first thing Zhao Xingzhou did was to look for Granny Sun, only to find her sitting on a large rock, holding a small bundle and lost in thought.

"You old woman, why are you still lingering on the mountain? There's no more flooding outside. Do you want to stay here and eat for free?"

Grandma Sun glanced at him, but this time she didn't scold him.

“Who said I didn’t leave? I went back to my hometown. It’s impossible to get into our village. The road into the village is all mud. It took me a lot of effort to get in. The houses are collapsed, the fields are ruined, and there’s no one in the village. There’s not a single person. My old man didn’t go back. He must have died out there. I have no home.”

With nowhere else to go, Granny Sun had no choice but to return to the mountain.

Zhao Xingzhou had originally wanted to tease her, but seeing her like this, he lost interest.

“I met an old man in Gaoping who asked me about a female demon surnamed Sun.”

Grandma Sun paused for a moment, then stood up abruptly and walked up to Zhao Xingzhou: "What does that old man you're talking about look like?"

"Old and ugly, with a mouthful of yellow teeth."

Grandma Sun burst into tears: "That's my old man! God, my old man is still alive!"

After crying, she glared at Zhao Xingzhou and said, "Why do you say my old man is ugly? Let me tell you, when my old man was young, he was a famous handsome young man in the surrounding area!"

Zhao Xingzhou also wanted to roll his eyes like Zhao Shiqing. What kind of taste is this, matching a teapot with a lid?

However, the next day, Zhao Xingzhou borrowed two people from Zhao Shiqing to escort Granny Sun to Gaoping to find her handsome young man and old man.

At this time, apart from the Dong family, only Madam Hao and her grandson remained on the mountain. The people sent by the imperial court had arrived, and Xiao Zhen, having completed his mission, was finally ready to return to the capital.

Zhao Shiqing asked Zhao Xingzhou, "What are you thinking, sir? Are you coming to Beijing with us? Little Yueyue's situation is almost settled, she'll be coming with us too."

Zhao Xingzhou snorted coldly: "If it weren't for me, could you and Li Qing alone have solidified Xiao Si's crimes?"

Zhao Shiqing smiled and said, "So you're coming to the capital with us?"

She lowered her voice and touched her nose: "A hooked nose isn't so easy to take down, is it?"

Zhao Xingzhou thought to himself, "You brat, can't you mention hooked nose less often?"
"That's none of your business. You and Xiao Zhen just wait to receive your reward. Some things can't be rushed."

Zhao Shiqing raised her eyebrows: "Yes, we can't rush it. After all, you gave up the palace."

Zhao Xingzhou suffered a heart attack!
As the second official sent by the imperial court brought back news that the retired emperor had personally visited Tongzhou, the news reached the capital.

This news came back along with the news that the Fourth Prince had been detained by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Emperor Yongjia was first shocked, then enraged.

The fourth prince actually dared to smuggle disaster relief grain from the Huiji Granary? A full 500,000 taels!

He is so brave!

Most importantly, Emperor Yongjia was unaware that the retired emperor had already left Changshou Palace.

Perhaps things had gone too smoothly these past few years, and the retired emperor had been too secure in the Longevity Palace, which led him to relax his surveillance of the palace. However, in any case, the people monitoring the Longevity Palace were incompetent, failing to notice such a major incident.

Yes, the retired emperor must have left quietly, otherwise there would have been some word of it.

Why did the retired emperor leave the Changshou Palace?
Did he go to check on the flood after learning about the disaster in Tongzhou, out of concern for the people?
If that's the case, then so be it.

But what if they're targeting the Fourth Prince?

Emperor Yongjia pondered the matter, but until he met the retired emperor and the fourth prince, everything was just speculation.

The matter of the Fourth Prince was not deliberately concealed, and Consort You and the You family soon found out.

Consort You came to Emperor Yongjia in tears, but she was not even able to see him. The Empress was furious and ordered her to be confined to her quarters, not to leave the palace without the Empress's permission.

As for the You family, the Empress had no say in it. Emperor Yongjia had already dispatched the Imperial Guards to surround the You family. They didn't confiscate their property or arrest anyone; they simply surrounded them. No one in the You family, from top to bottom, was allowed to leave, not even to buy groceries.

The feeling of having a knife hanging over your head is enough to drive a person insane.

The You family was filled with fear and weeping could not be stopped in the mansion.

Zhen Wuduo was listening to a few old men gossiping in his own teahouse. On the table was a large birdcage containing his three thousand taels of silver, and under the table lay two dogs, Ah Huang and Xiao Ye.

The old men were talking animatedly, their spittle flying as they recounted the story of the Fourth Prince.

"Have you heard? The flood in Tongzhou was man-made, done by the Fourth Prince! Amazing, isn't it? He flooded four cities!"

Zhen Wuduo: The emperor's bad genes are even worse than the Zhen family's. It's no wonder they could produce such a powerful son.

Sure enough, another old man said, "You're just bragging. I've heard that the fourth prince is the most useless of all the princes. Oh, and he's also crippled, with one leg longer than the other. How can someone like that have the ability to flood four cities?"

Zhen Wuduo got so engrossed in listening that, taking advantage of the fact that the entire teahouse belonged to him, he listened at one table and then another.

"Well said, waiter, bring this table a plate of fresh fruit."

"Excellent analysis! Waiter, bring me a plate of peanuts, and put it on my tab!"

Just then, a street urchin ran in from outside: "Quick, quick, the Imperial Guards who went to Tongzhou are back!"

The teahouse fell silent for a moment, then everyone rushed to the windows facing the street. The windows were crowded with heads, and those who couldn't squeeze in simply ran out onto the street. The waiter chased after them, saying, "Sir, please settle your bill first! You haven't settled it yet!"

Zhen Wu almost missed getting a window, but thanks to Ah Huang and Xiao Ye, the two dogs were quick and grabbed the window with the best view first. When someone approached, Xiao Ye glared with its indifferent eyes and barked loudly, scaring the person away. So, the two dogs and one person occupied the entire window.

The Imperial Guards hadn't even arrived yet, but what did Ah Huang see?
An eagle, an eagle!

Ah Huang: Little Darling, that's Little Darling!

Zhen Wuduo also saw the eagle, but he couldn't see it clearly. He wondered if it was Xiao Guai, but judging from Ah Huang's reaction, it probably was.

Little Darling is back, and his precious granddaughter must be back too! (End of Chapter)