"Thanks to the Liu family, we wouldn't have saved up this money. Without money to pay them, we'd have to become military households," a young wife whispered to other villagers, her face filled with relief.
Knowing that drought would precede floods, Father Luo and Mother Luo explained their choice of wasteland to the village elder and villagers, selecting a reasonably good location.
Soon, the villagers were led away from the city gates.
Three days later, everyone arrived at a tract of wasteland.
Their guide indicated that they could clear the land themselves, build their own houses, and establish their own village. After seeing them settled, he left in a hurry.
Those who were not from Green Mountain Village, but were relatives of its villagers, chose a patch of wasteland bordering Green Mountain Village.
In this life, with Father Luo and Mother Luo present, the Liu family did not, as in the previous life, get assigned to the village that had caused their family's death due to the small number of escapees.
Now, the village elder was still the same one from Green Mountain Village. The relief grain was not looted as it had been in the previous life. As soon as it was distributed, the village elder divided it impartially among the households.
The old emperor had passed away. Although every household had to hang white cloth, avoid bright colors in their clothing, and observe many other customs, it still couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the Green Mountain Village villagers for clearing land and building houses.
Even though they had just arrived at their settlement, the villagers seemed unfazed by exhaustion. Under the direction of the village elder and Father Luo, they worked with great fervor.
"It's spring now, and the weather here in the south is warmer than in our north. If we elders and young men hurry up and plant, we can still get a crop in. For housing, we'll start with simple thatched huts for now. Cheng An, what do you think?"
The village elder approached Father Luo with a smile, his demeanor suggesting complete deference. Father Luo found himself both amused and slightly exasperated by this.
Father Luo nodded with a smile.
"Uncle Village Elder is right. When it comes to farming, I don't know as much as you all do, but since we've just arrived, it's best to plant crops with high yields and drought resistance, just in case.
Also, our village needs to not only allocate housing plots for each family but also plan ahead for the academy, dining hall, dried tofu factory, and vermicelli factory, as well as the locations for future new factories."
The village elder clapped his hands, a look of sudden realization on his face, his smile crinkling his eyes.
"Yes, yes, oh my, I knew I was forgetting something. My memory." He then patted his head.
"I told you the village chief wanted you to be him, but you refused. That's right, the village's finances and the children's education are major matters."
Father Luo and the village elder soon picked up their blueprints and began planning again.
Meanwhile, because Luo Yunshi intended to continue her business, she paid extra to register in a county town below.
With money and connections, she immediately rented a two-story shop with a backyard, covering 80 square meters, upon arriving in the county.
Luo Yunshi, along with Xing Yi and the others, continued as usual, dividing tasks reasonably and preparing ingredients.
Within a few days, the shop opened. Simultaneously, news of the new emperor's ascension and King Kang's rebellion spread far and wide.
Prince Qi and the old emperor were brothers, both sons of the former Empress. King Kang was the son of the former Imperial Concubine. However, no one expected the seemingly simple and guileless King Kang to be so deeply hidden.
As soon as the old emperor passed away, King Kang dared to instruct spies hidden near the Crown Prince to assassinate him and the Second Prince, while simultaneously launching a rebellion and attacking Prince Qi.
Fortunately, when the spy attempted to assassinate the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince's consort shielded him, taking the blow. The spy failed and bit into poison, committing suicide on the spot. The Crown Prince, aware of King Kang's rebellion, quickly ascended the throne and then issued an order to apprehend King Kang.
King Kang now had only one path: to quickly kill Prince Qi, seize Prince Qi's fief, and then raise an army to contend with the new emperor.
"One cannot judge a person by their appearance, nor a sea by its depth. King Kang appeared to be a simpleton but was actually cunning. Prince Qi, who seemed to care for the people in his fief, was actually ruthless and disregarded the common folk. He ordered soldiers to pose as bandits and rob the people.
I wonder how the new emperor and the Second Prince are faring," Luo Yunshi murmured to herself in the backyard of the You Jia Gourmet shop, her mind already formulating a plan.
After discussing her thoughts with Father Luo and Mother Luo via phone video, they expressed their full agreement. Luo Yunshi immediately decided to travel to the capital.
That night, Luo Yunshi flew to the capital alone in a Golden Bell Shield cloud aircraft.
Luo Yunshi's speed was incredible. She quickly reached the capital and flew into the imperial palace.
It was already past ten o'clock at night, modern time. For ancient people, who were accustomed to early sleep and early rising, it was almost pitch black by ten.
To Luo Yunshi's surprise, her divine sense scanned and found that the new emperor was still in the Hall of Diligent Governance, perusing memorials.
This emperor seemed quite decent. But she needed to observe further.
Luo Yunshi donned her stealth suit, a product of interstellar technology, and walked openly into the hall.
"Your Majesty, you have been reviewing memorials all day and have only eaten a little. Your body cannot endure this. Even this old servant watching feels pained," Eunuch Fu said, unable to help but advise as he saw the new emperor still busy in the hall.
"I am fine. I am young and can endure. With external threats and internal strife, and having just ascended the throne, many ministers are watching me. How can I seek leisure? You may withdraw for now," the new emperor said, waving his hand without looking up.
Seeing that he could not persuade him, Eunuch Fu retreated further and waited by the side.
The new emperor did not stop his work, only occasionally sipping the tea beside him or eating a pastry to stave off hunger.
After observing the new emperor in secret for a while longer, Luo Yunshi set up a barrier in the hall and revealed herself.
She wore a light purple long dress that night, her black hair cascading down her back. A purple belt inlaid with sapphires cinched her waist, making her skin appear even fairer and more delicate.
A light veil covered her face, obscuring her features but lending her an air of mysterious inscrutability, as if she were a celestial maiden stepped out of a painting.
The new emperor, engrossed in his memorials, was startled to find a figure in purple suddenly appear in the room.
Eunuch Fu was also startled and shouted for guards.
"Who are you?" the new emperor demanded sternly, immediately throwing the memorial in his hand.
Seeing this, Luo Yunshi unleashed her spiritual energy, effortlessly blocking it. The memorial hovered steadily in mid-air.
After a period of time equivalent to the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Luo Yunshi retrieved the National Preceptor's token into her space and flew away.
"Your Majesty... this..."
Eunuch Fu looked at the new emperor, then at the direction Luo Yunshi had flown, a mixture of shock and excitement on his face. He then prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! With the assistance of a high-level expert like the National Preceptor, Qi will surely grow stronger and more prosperous."
The new emperor maintained a calm facade, but his heart was already in turmoil. Was his luck truly this good? He had only just ascended the throne and already encountered the National Preceptor. He tightened his grip on the brocade pouch.
A period of time ago, Luo Yunshi had used her magic to prove her identity as a high-level expert and gained the new emperor's trust. She then informed him of the future weather patterns of drought followed by flood.
Fearing the new emperor might not believe her, she conjured a weather forecast for the past month and presented it to him, allowing him to verify its accuracy gradually.
The weather forecast was specifically compiled by her robot butler, ensuring its high accuracy. Luo Yunshi was not worried about any discrepancies.
The new emperor immediately wished to appoint Luo Yunshi as the National Preceptor and establish a National Preceptor's Mansion in the capital.
Luo Yunshi accepted the jade token symbolizing the National Preceptor's position and gave the new emperor a brocade pouch.
Inside the pouch were five disposable communication talismans. Ordinary people did not need to use spiritual energy; they only needed to tear off a talisman to contact Luo Yunshi.