The Emperor did not want to let this affect his good mood for the day, so he gestured to the eunuch, then stood up and walked towards Qiao Ci.
The eunuch immediately, with quick hands and sharp eyes, ordered people to hold up the umbrellas, leaving a few small ones for the children, and then eagerly followed the Emperor.
Lu Li, of course, accompanied the Emperor.
As for Shen Si and Lou Qing, they were left soaked to the bone by the rain, huddling even closer together.
Looking at the pouring rain, both of them were filled with uncertainty.
Did they really just pray for rain? Or was it just a coincidence?
The surrounding commoners were overjoyed. Aside from those with children who had come prepared with umbrellas, everyone else cheered and rejoiced in the rain.
"Guoshi, Guoshi!"
"It's raining, that's wonderful. Heaven has manifested, the Guoshi truly possesses great abilities."
"Did someone just speak ill of the Guoshi? I'll be the first to object!"
"Haha, our Chu Yun nation has a Guoshi who can summon the wind and rain. Heaven blesses our Chu Yun nation."
"And the Emperor is also wise and discerning!"
...
Hearing that the Guoshi's reputation now surpassed his own, the Emperor was not angry at all.
He was not an emperor who could not tolerate talented individuals. Qiao Ci was capable, and if she could bring favorable weather to his country, he would respect her.
He walked to Qiao Ci's side, his expression infinitely kind. "Guo Shi Qiao has indeed not disappointed me. I thank you on behalf of all the people."
Qiao Ci smiled, "It is my duty."
Seeing her composure, the Emperor felt even more admiration and gestured to the eunuch beside him.
The eunuch produced an imperial edict and began to read:
"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Today, the Guoshi has prayed for rain, benefiting all the people, and my heart is greatly pleased. Therefore, I bestow upon Guo Shi Qiao a position equal to mine, to be worshipped by the populace. Respect this!"
Qiao Ci was not surprised. This emperor was remarkably clear-headed, which was why she was willing to travel such a long distance.
If he had been as useless as an unproductive official, she would not have gone to such lengths.
Shen Si's eyes widened, and he looked at Qiao Ci in disbelief.
He had previously looked down on her due to her humble status, only for her to suddenly be elevated to a position equal to the Emperor. What kind of operation was this?
Lou Qing clearly could not accept this outcome. To her, a crude village woman was now on equal footing with her father, making her own princess status seem utterly ridiculous.
The children were all stunned. Was this their former stepmother? Not only could she summon rain, but her status was also so high that it was beyond their comprehension!
They looked at each other, then at Lou Qing, who was drenched like a drowned rat, and felt a sense of bewildered helplessness.
Their former stepmother had become the Guoshi, an existence that was already considered extraordinary.
On the battlefield,
Lu Rong and his father, Old Man Lu, were bravely fighting the enemy. When Old Man Lu took a Khitan's blade to his shoulder while saving Lu Rong, a drop of rain fell into the Khitan's eye, causing him to freeze for a moment.
Then, with a crackle, heavy rain lashed against his face, and he was stunned.
"Aoo!" he screamed, "It's raining, it's raining! Brothers, stop fighting, it's raining, haha."
The soldiers on the entire battlefield were exhausted, fighting solely on the strength of their will. Hearing this, they all stopped their actions, stunned.
It was raining?
Did it mean the Khitans would no longer have to fight desperately for food and resources?
No more fighting?
For some reason, looking at the pouring rain, the soldiers felt a tightness in their chests. They could stop fighting, could they go home now?
The Khitans quickly retreated. Old Man Lu did not allow Lu Rong to pursue them. "That's great, after two years, it's finally raining. Now, the Khitans won't have the desperate will to fight to the death, and we have a very high chance of winning this war! No, as long as we negotiate properly, this war might not even need to be fought anymore."
Looking at the wound on his father's shoulder, Lu Rong's joy lasted only a moment before he chided, "Father! I told you there are no fathers and sons on the battlefield, you didn't have to block that sword for me. Look, you're injured!"
Old Man Lu laughed heartily, "What's this? Back in the day..."
Seeing his father acting like a child, Lu Rong couldn't help but interrupt, "If it weren't for the rain and that Khitan being stunned, your whole arm might have been chopped off! Hurry back to camp to get the wound dressed. You, old man, never let your son worry!"
Old Man Lu looked at the pouring rain, as happy as a child.
With the rain, the common people would no longer suffer the hardship of drought, and the soldiers would no longer face life and death on the battlefield. He could also bring his eldest son back to the capital safely.
When Qiao Ci returned to the Guoshi's manor, Lu Li followed, grinning and not stopping his praise.
"Guo Shi Qiao, you are too amazing! You actually made it rain. Lu Li, from childhood to adulthood, I've respected no one but you!"
"You have no idea, the shock and joy in everyone's eyes the moment the rain started. At that moment, you were a god!"
"And importantly, I even know someone like you with such powerful divine abilities. Haha, my father and brother will definitely be proud of me when they find out."
Qiao Ci looked at the boy amusing himself and couldn't help but curve her lips.
Seeing Qiao Ci smile, Lu Li acted as if he had discovered a new continent. He felt it was improper to stare at the young lady, so he shifted his gaze and said, "Guo Shi, you actually look quite good wearing that mask."
"Do I look good?" Qiao Ci took off the mask and handed it to him. "If you like it, I'll give it to you."
Lu Li took the mask blankly.
He had clearly said she looked good, so why was she giving him the mask? He hadn't said the mask looked good...
Had she misunderstood? Cough, cough.
Lou Qing returned to the palace with the Emperor, while Shen Si took his five children back to their residence.
Shen Sisi was hesitant to go out because of the scar on her face, but since her father was back, she very obligingly came out to greet them.
Seeing them all like drowned rats, along with their expressions, Shen Sisi couldn't help but ask, "Father, why didn't you seek shelter from the rain?"
Shen Wu, being more talkative, had been told not to speak too much by her father outside. Upon returning, she grabbed Shen Sisi and began to chatter.
"Fourth Sister, you weren't there, you don't know. Do you know who the new Guoshi is?"
Shen Sisi looked at Shen Wu's smooth and flawless face, a hint of sadness in her eyes, and said listlessly, "Who?"
"It's our former stepmother! And she's the one who made it rain!!"
Shen Sisi's expression finally changed slightly. "What? The Guoshi is our stepmother? When did she learn to summon rain?"
Shen Wu continued, "You don't know, Grandpa Emperor likes her very much. I heard that the stepmother's status is now equal to the Emperor's."
Shen Sisi clearly couldn't comprehend Shen Wu's words and shifted her questioning gaze to her elder brother, Shen Yi.
Shen Yi nodded gravely.
While his sister could still regard the matter of Qiao Ci being the Guoshi as a novel and annoying event, he understood the gravity of the situation.
Before, he and his sister had looked down on Qiao Ci, their stepmother, so much. Now that she wielded immense power, if she harbored any ill will and sought revenge, they were in trouble.