Chapter 259: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 259: The First Heartbeat - Zhen'er’s Request (Part 3)
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Xiao Ruiyuan furrowed his brow. "If it endangers the stability of the Great Chu, I will not turn a blind eye."
But... is that possible?
Mo Yan didn’t respond immediately. She stared at him steadily and then suddenly asked, "Lord Xiao, can I trust you?"
The unexpected question left Xiao Ruiyuan momentarily stunned. Looking at Mo Yan’s earnest expression, he didn’t answer directly but instead gave her the choice. "If you trust me, I will not betray that trust."
Hearing the seriousness in his words, Mo Yan was also stunned for a moment. The light in her previously dim eyes suddenly brightened, making her look much more lively.
Xiao Ruiyuan felt a surge of joy in his heart but awkwardly averted his gaze, afraid he might accidentally reveal his feelings. "If you have any troubles, just tell me."
Mo Yan was genuinely reassured now. Given Xiao Ruiyuan’s character, if he made such a promise, he wouldn’t divulge anything she said today, even if he didn’t take action against the moldy rice issue.
With that in mind, Mo Yan stood up and bowed solemnly to Xiao Ruiyuan. "Thank you, Lord Xiao! What I’m about to say, whether you believe it or not, please do not let a third person know."
She then recounted the nightmares she had been having recently. To enhance the credibility, she detailed the names, geographic locations, and customs of the borderlands as if she had seen them herself.
Even she found it unbelievable, which is why she felt that if the moldy rice issue wasn’t resolved, the tragic events in her dreams might come true.
Xiao Ruiyuan’s face remained impassive, but internally, he grew increasingly shocked. He was certain that the woman before him had never been to the borderlands. Even if she had read travelogues or unofficial histories, she couldn’t possibly know the military deployment details of the borderlands, which were military secrets.
However, this matter was too mysterious. Without concrete evidence proving the harm of moldy rice, intervening based on a dream would lead to nothing significant. Even if it reached the emperor, the issue would be taken lightly and soon forgotten.
Once the commotion died down, those selling moldy rice would resume their activities, continuing to endanger ordinary people’s lives.
Moreover, he would offend many ministers in the court because of this issue. He didn’t mind personally, but it would cause trouble for the Crown Prince. The princes coveting the Crown Prince’s position would surely seize this opportunity to create a big uproar, further jeopardizing the Crown Prince’s already precarious position.
Unaware of Xiao Ruiyuan’s deep concerns, Mo Yan grew anxious seeing his silence and increasingly stern expression. She feared he didn’t believe the dream events would happen.
After thinking for a moment, she couldn’t help but add, “According to the dreams, around October this year, the northern region will experience a sudden drop in temperature, leading to heavy snow disasters in the border areas. Particularly, the nomadic tribes outside the pass will lose countless livestock to the cold. To survive, they might invade the south to loot food, which is understandable. Whether or not the scenes from the dream come true, I believe it’s wise to take precautions. Otherwise, once it happens, it will be too late to recover.”
In her dreams, the nomads swept through five border cities like a storm, looting livestock and grain while slaughtering innocents. Although the Great Chu’s reinforcements eventually expelled them, the innocent lives lost could never be revived.
Xiao Ruiyuan was moved, amazed at Mo Yan’s foresight. Ordinary noblewomen wouldn’t think this way!
But then, she was never an ordinary noblewoman, was she?
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(End of Chapter)
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