On the Ark.

"Coming! Coming! Wait for me!" She jogged back to the room.

The rain is getting heavier.

There are fourteen hours left until the engagement ceremony between the fourth princess of Yan Kingdom and the crown prince of Dong Kingdom.

Chapter 576 Tsunami?

Los Angeles was shrouded in mist and rain that day.

Standing at the hotel entrance, Lin Ye glanced down at the "sunny" weather forecast on his phone, then looked up at the hazy sky, wondering if this was the "natural disaster" Skadi had mentioned. He desperately wanted to know the answer, but Skadi wasn't around. She hadn't returned since leaving yesterday at noon, and he couldn't reach her by phone, which worried him.

He had to ask the Messiah, who had already awakened, but the Messiah just smiled and replied, "I don't know."

This is difficult.

"Why are you so worried? What could possibly happen to Skadi?" Warfarin patted Lin Ye on the shoulder and said somewhat impatiently, "The engagement ceremony starts in three hours. Let's get there first and talk about it then."

Helpless, Lin Ye had no choice but to put away his phone and then turn to look at their planned "kidnapping" lineup.

Messiah, whose strength has not yet fully recovered; Grani and the Iron Eater, who were so excited that they didn't sleep well all night and were so listless; the young one, who was still thinking about what to eat for lunch; Warfarin, who had no preparations and was just stirring up trouble; and the commander-in-chief, who had no plan at all.

This is the lineup they're going to use to snatch the Fourth Princess of Great Yan right under the noses of three thousand Imperial Guards... Lin Ye didn't know if he was crazy or if everyone else was. But now that things had come to this, there was no turning back; he could only go to the scene and see what was happening.

……

"The rain hasn't stopped all night," Chen said, looking at the rain outside. "Isn't there an official from the Imperial Observatory in Luocheng?"

“On such an important day, it’s impossible for the officials of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau not to make astronomical predictions,” said Old Li, the steward standing next to Ying Li, to Chen. “Logically speaking, today should be an auspicious day with clear skies. Important days always require consideration of the weather. But why is it like this? I’m not quite sure. The Imperial Astronomical Bureau rarely makes mistakes.”

Chen nodded slightly, remaining silent. Although she felt somewhat stifled by the rain that had lasted all night, she didn't voice her opinion. After all, today was Ying Li's wedding day, and Chen didn't want to spoil her mood. Although she knew Ying Li wasn't particularly happy about her arranged marriage with the royal family.

Having already dressed in her finest attire, Ying Li glanced at the time, then took a deep breath and said expressionlessly to Elder Li, "Let's go, it's time to hit the road."

Her tone made it sound as if she were going to serve her sentence, not to get engaged.

Old Li could sense Ying Li's emotions, so he sighed softly and then opened the door for her.

"As ordered, Your Highness."

……

"What exactly is the Imperial Observatory doing?" Looking at the rain outside, Ying Jie said unhappily, "Can't they even predict whether it will rain today? What's the point of the country supporting them? It's infuriating. After the ceremony, I will definitely write to my father and have all the Imperial Observatory officials in Luocheng stripped of their official hats."

Standing behind Ying Jie, Hao Guangzhuqing said with a smile, "Your Highness, please calm down. This is a joyous occasion, there's no need to be angry."

"This is your big day, not mine." Ying Jie glanced back at Hao Guangzhuqing. "You don't seem to be affected much."

"Perhaps I don't value these things enough," Hao Guangzhuqing said. "I think this light rain is quite nice, at least it creates a pleasant atmosphere. Besides, Yan Kingdom truly lives up to its reputation as a superior nation; even with such heavy rain, there are still so many people coming to watch."

Due to the sudden downpour, Hao Guangzhuqing and Ying Li's engagement ceremony had to be moved indoors, but it would be broadcast live on the large screen in Luocheng Square. However, Luocheng Square is outdoors, so watching the live stream meant getting soaked. Even so, Luocheng Square was still packed with ordinary people wearing raincoats and holding umbrellas. From where Ying Jie and Hao Guangzhuqing were standing, not only the square but even the streets around it were crowded with people.

Such a scene was rarely seen in the Eastern Kingdom, so Haoguang Zhuqing couldn't help but sigh. At the same time, he thought to himself that marrying the princess whom the Yan Kingdom people cherished as a treasure in front of so many people was indeed something to be proud of. Thinking of this, Haoguang Zhuqing couldn't help but straighten his back a little.

Ying Jie naturally had no idea what Hao Guangzhuqing was thinking. If he had known, he would have undoubtedly made a few disdainful sarcastic remarks. However, for now, he focused all his attention on the rain.

“I’ve said it before, this is the first major task my father entrusted to me.” Ying Jie said slowly, his hands behind his back. “I must do my best in every aspect. But now, the ceremony hasn’t even started yet, and it’s already raining. I don’t know if those guys in the Imperial Observatory are deliberately targeting me or if they’re really incompetent. It’s infuriating.”

Hao Guangzhuqing was at a loss for words, as he couldn't stop the rain. He could only stand silently beside Ying Jie. A short while later, Ying Jie's butler entered and said, "Your Highness, the Princess has arrived, and most of the invited guests have also entered. As per your instructions, the guests invited this time are mostly top officials of our Great Yan, as well as business tycoons and elites from various sectors. They have all prepared generous gifts for Your Highness Hao Guang and the Princess, and are just waiting for the ceremony to begin. Oh, and by the way, the statue of the First Emperor and the Lu Lu Sword have also been delivered."

Ying Jie turned to look at the butler and asked, "How much time is left until the scheduled time?"

"Two more hours," the butler replied.

"Two hours? Well, these guys are smart enough to come early," Ying Jie said calmly.

The steward said with a smile, "Everyone here knows that Your Highness is in charge this time. To neglect Your Highness is to disrespect His Majesty."

Ying Jie was quite pleased with the butler's flattery, even though he had heard it many times before. So he waved his hand and said to Hao Guangzhuqing, "Go and make some more preparations. The ceremony is in two hours. I'll be in charge. Even if the Imperial Observatory is full of useless people, it doesn't matter. Just wait to marry Ying Li."

Hao Guangzhuqing smiled and bowed, "Then thank you very much, Your Highness..."

Before he could finish speaking, a member of the Imperial Guard burst through the door.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened!"

Ying Jie frowned as he looked at the Imperial Guard soldiers kneeling before him. Although he had a bad feeling, he didn't show it. Instead, he sternly rebuked them: "On such a joyous day, what kind of panicked behavior is this? What happened?"

A soldier from the Imperial Guard reported, "The Imperial Observatory has sent word that the wind speed at sea is increasing. At this rate, Luoyang will be hit by a tsunami in two hours!"

Ying Jie's right eyelid twitched suddenly.

Chapter 577 If I do not wish, who can harm me?

"A tsunami? How could there be a tsunami?" Ying Jie frowned and said sharply, "And if there was a tsunami, why is the Imperial Observatory only reporting it now?!"

"This... According to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, this climate change came very suddenly, without any warning," said a soldier from the Imperial Guard. "The Imperial Astronomical Bureau said they didn't know why it happened either."

"They don't know why this is happening either?!" Ying Jie raised his voice. "Then what's the point of the country supporting them?! Are they just there to eat?!"

Under the emperor's majesty, the Imperial Guard soldiers kept their heads down, not daring to utter a word.

Hao Guangzhuqing and Ying Jie's butler were clearly not prepared for the tsunami to come so suddenly. After exchanging glances, the butler stepped forward and asked, "Your Highness, what should we do now?"

"What to do? I know what to do!" Frustrated, Ying Jie gripped the sword Hao Guangzhuqing had given him yesterday—the Imperial God Cutter—tightly, pacing back and forth in the room. His voice was filled with barely concealed anger. "Right now, all I want to do is chop off the heads of those incompetent idiots in the Imperial Observatory!"

"Your Highness," Hao Guangzhuqing said through gritted teeth, "there's nothing we can do about a natural disaster. The most important thing right now is to deal with it. Or... should we postpone my engagement ceremony with Lili?"

"Postpone?" Ying Jie stopped in his tracks, thought for a moment, and immediately shook his head. "No, absolutely not. The engagement ceremony is the first task Father Emperor entrusted to me, and I absolutely cannot mess it up. Right now, countless people in Chang'an are waiting to see me make a fool of myself, and Father Emperor is an extremely superstitious person. If someone whispers a few words in his ear, he might just let my elder brother take over my job. So it cannot be postponed, absolutely not!"

“But the tsunami…” the butler hesitated.

Ying Jie said, "I don't need you to remind me. I know the severity of the natural disaster. If Luo City is destroyed in the disaster, my father will definitely not let me off! But I can't give up this opportunity because of this, and you know why. By the way, aren't you always proud of your intelligence? Come up with a plan quickly."

The steward was well aware of Ying Jie's predicament. As Ying Jie's steward, and arguably his advisor, he was already in the same boat as Ying Jie. They shared both glory and ruin; he understood this perfectly well. So, after a moment's thought, he said, "There is a way."

"What method? Tell me quickly."

The steward said, "As far as natural disasters go, a tsunami is not considered a serious one if it is foreseen in advance. Therefore, Your Highness, rather than viewing this tsunami as an ominous sign, it is better to see it as an opportunity."

Ying Jie's eyes lit up, and he asked, "What do you mean by opportunity?"

"If Your Highness is unwilling to protect Luo City and abandons the engagement, but protecting the engagement and abandoning Luo City is a taboo in the world, why not think of a way that can satisfy both parties, so that you can protect both the engagement and Luo City? In this way, even His Majesty will look at you with more respect."

Ying Jie listened to the housekeeper's words and thought they made a lot of sense, so he quickly asked, "Then how exactly should we do it?"

“Actually, it’s not difficult. As Your Highness knows, as a mobile city, Luo City is divided into four districts: east, west, south, and north,” the butler said. “We are currently in the south district, while the coastal districts are the north and east districts. Why not have the north and east districts detach from Luo City and move to a safer area, while the south and west districts remain in place? The tsunami certainly won’t reach here, and we can hold the engagement ceremony safely. In this way, we can both protect Luo City and preserve the engagement.”

Ying Jie thought about it and realized that it was indeed the case. He was overjoyed and pointed at the steward, saying, "You really know how to come up with ideas! When I ascend the throne, I will definitely appoint you as prime minister!"

Without waiting for the butler's response, Ying Jie patted Hao Guangzhuqing on the shoulder and said, "I will discuss the specific countermeasures with him. You just go and prepare. The engagement ceremony will proceed as scheduled."

Although the engagement ceremony proceeding as planned was undoubtedly good news for Haoguang Zhuqing, he still felt somewhat uneasy. He wanted to advise Ying Jie to reconsider, but seeing the excitement in Ying Jie's eyes, he knew that anything he said at this moment would be useless. He could only force a smile, thank Ying Jie, and then take his leave.

After Hao Guangzhuqing left, Ying Jie looked at the butler again.

"Do you have a specific plan?" Ying Jie asked impatiently.

The butler thought for a moment and said, "Although we haven't encountered a natural disaster for more than ten years, Luo City's response measures for natural disasters are still quite comprehensive. We don't need to change anything in this regard; the more we change, the higher the chance of making mistakes. So we only need to do one thing, which is to send additional personnel from the South District to these two districts to ensure that the North District and East District can successfully separate from Luo City for refuge."

Ying Jie nodded and said, "Indeed, in order to maintain order during the ceremony, most of the patrol offices in Luo City are located in the southern district. Shall I have them all go there?"

“This is certainly necessary, Your Highness,” the steward said in a low voice. “If possible, the Imperial Guards that His Majesty has assigned to you can also be mobilized.”

"The Imperial Guard?" Ying Jie frowned slightly. "The Imperial Guard is the royal family's personal guard. If we send them to disaster relief, what will happen to the order at the scene? What about my safety?"

"Your Highness can rest assured. First, certainly not all the Imperial Guards will be sent. Second, when the natural disaster strikes, there won't be as many spectators at the scene; most will choose to go home or seek refuge, at least the people of the North and East districts will. In that case, only the invited officials and dignitaries will participate in the ceremony. How many people are there? Your Highness can keep two-thirds or one-third of the Imperial Guards," the steward said. "And the benefits of doing so are unimaginable."

"what is the benefit?"

The steward smiled and said, “Your Highness, think about it. When the natural disaster struck, you sent all your personal guards to protect Luo City and its people. You, on the other hand, led a small group to personally stay by the princess's side and help her complete this engagement ceremony. What a spirit that is! Once this reaches Your Highness's ears and the whole world knows about it, how high do you think your reputation will rise?”

Ying Jie understood what the butler meant and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"You really do have a way with things, don't you? What's that saying again?"

"Only in turbulent times can true heroes emerge," the butler added promptly.

“Yes, that’s the sentence.” Ying Jie gripped the hilt of the Imperial Guard tightly and said, “As a prince of Yan Kingdom, even in the face of natural disasters, one should remain unmoved. That’s the kind of spirit we need. In that case, you will be in charge of this matter personally. Take the entire Patrol Division with you. Of the three thousand Imperial Guards that Father gave me, you only need to leave a hundred for me to use as a show.”

"This...is too little," the butler hesitated. "Your Highness, your safety must be guaranteed."

"Ha, my safety?" Ying Jie's tone was full of arrogance. "In Yan Kingdom, if I don't want to, who can hurt me? The fewer guards I have around me, the more my father can see my courage."

……

……

Author's note: I'm going back to Hangzhou tomorrow, and updates should stabilize soon.

Chapters 578 Infiltration! Panda

"I have to say, something doesn't feel right," Lin Ye said, his heart pounding as he watched the Imperial Guards around him walk by with serious expressions. "Have we been discovered?"

As partners of Crown Prince Haoguang Zhuqing of the Eastern Kingdom, Lin Ye and his entourage were fortunate enough to attend the engagement ceremony as guests. This meant they didn't have to stand in the rain outside watching the live broadcast on a large screen with tens of thousands of Yan Kingdom citizens; instead, they were able to blend in indoors. Of course, they still wore their doctoral gowns, completely obscuring their faces, to avoid being recognized by Ying Jie.

Even so, not long after they arrived, they saw the Imperial Guards on guard duty moving about, running up and down the building as if something big was about to happen.

However, compared to him, the others were much calmer.

The little pony Grani comforted Lin Ye, "Don't worry, Dr. Lin. Our conspiracy shouldn't have been exposed yet."

Lin Ye nodded slightly: "That's true, our conspiracy is so secretive... Hmm? Why call it a conspiracy? There's something wrong with that adjective! It's clearly used to describe the villains."

Looking at Lin Ye staring at him, Grani smiled sheepishly and scratched his head: "Sorry, I thought I was the villain."

If it weren't for the many people watching, Lin Ye really wanted to give Grani's head a good rub as revenge. But the timing was just too inappropriate, so he let it go. Then Lin Ye looked at Nian sitting next to him, quietly and attentively eating the small cakes that were being distributed, and couldn't help but sigh.

Look at Nian's mindset, and then look at his mindset; he's definitely not cut out for doing bad things.

Wait a minute, how is saving your own sister considered doing something wrong? And how can you compare yourself to this clueless little brat?

Concern can cloud judgment.

Lin Ye couldn't help but rub his face, reminding himself to stay calm.

“I say, it seems like there are far fewer Imperial Guards,” Warfarin suddenly said. “It seems like they’ve all gone out.”

"They went out?" Lin Ye looked outside with some confusion. "How could that be?"

"Why don't you just write down the number of people now, and then think about the number of people just now?"

"I didn't even remember how many people were there just now."