Chapter 44: Silence (6)

The prolonged drought had cracked the land of Guanzhong and drained the spirits of its people. Even the ever-flowing Wei River shrank, meandering weakly toward Huayin. It was said that the Wei River was clear while the Jing River was muddy, but now it seemed the Wei River was filled with silt. The faces of the people in Guanzhong were filled with worry—what they thought was a problem limited to Hedong had now spread to the capital region, disrupting their lives. (Note 1) The scorching sun hanging high in the sky resembled a hateful smiling face, mocking their past ignorance. In the face of drought, everyone was equal—there was no escape.

In Chang’an, people chapped their lips as they cursed the blind, treacherous heavens while filling jars with freshly drawn well water. One scoop, two scoops… Hmm, it should last for a while. At that moment, the streets of Chang’an were filled with oppressive heat, and the occasional passing horse would stir up dirty dust. The humid air carried a faint foul smell, making it hard to breathe deeply. At such a critical time, the people of Chang’an didn’t want to go outside and suffer. Most of them wore thin, coarse cloth jackets, found a stool, and sat in their courtyards to escape the heat and calm their frustration.

The disaster victims from Hedong in the shacks outside the city were not so fortunate. The makeshift shelters not only failed to block the heat but also made things even more stifling than the open fields. With nowhere to hide, they gathered around a few crooked trees, hoping the sun would set soon.

Whether it was heaven showing mercy or the Dragon King waking up, ten days after the auspicious day for rain predicted by the Imperial Observatory, dark clouds gradually drifted in from afar, blocking out all light from the sky.

“Heaven has shown mercy! The Dragon King has intervened! Fellow villagers, we’re saved!”

Erya’s grandfather ran frantically, shouting and venting his anger.

As soon as he spoke, the dark clouds above quickly covered the entire sky. The towering city of Chang’an was completely obscured by the clouds, and the land became as dark as night.

Without any warning or sign, the much-anticipated rain finally arrived. Crisp thunder roared as it split the sky. Sparse raindrops began to fall, hitting people’s cheeks with a pattering sound. Soon, strong winds arose, carrying stones and sand that struck people’s faces, making it impossible to stand.

“Haha, it’s raining! It’s really raining!”
The strong men laughed heartily, clapping their hands and opening their mouths wide to drink in the precious rain from the heavens. None of them fled or feared; they were enjoying this moment of joy.
“Daddy, it’s raining.”
Er Ya pointed with her finger and giggled. “Do we have to go home now?”
“Mm, once the drought in Hedong eases a bit, we’ll go home! We’ll go home for the New Year!”
The middle-aged man hugged Er Ya tightly and made the promise.
The heavy rain poured down, unleashing the anger that had built up over months. Raindrops the size of beads splashed into the puddled ground, reviving their fading hopes. Some of the desperate survivors even knelt down, kissing the earth and savoring the precious rain like butter.
A few days ago, General Li, who was kind-hearted, had gathered plenty of grain for them, helping them get through the tough times. Now, heaven had shown mercy again by sending this rain. They believed that soon the drought in Hedong would ease, and they could return home…
Home—what a warm word!
By the way, where was General Li? Where was the general who had saved them? These past few days, only General Zhang had been seen around him while distributing grain and cooking porridge. Where was General Li himself?
The grateful survivors went to ask, but General Zhang only stood there in silence, his eyes red.
Realizing that General Li must have encountered some trouble, the survivors didn’t press further and silently prayed for him.
It’s raining, it’s raining—good people are rewarded. May this heavy rain bring good fortune to General Li.
Drip, drip.
In the mansion of Yishan Fang, Gao Lishi stood beside the wooden door of the study, watching the rain streaming down from the eaves, and sighed deeply.
It was raining—truly raining. The months-long drought had made the emperor extremely worried. Finally, heaven had shown mercy.
But could this timely rain truly extinguish the evil thoughts in people’s hearts?
People’s hearts have become corrupt! Truly corrupt!
Shaking his head, Gao Lishi smiled bitterly.
These past few days, the Lady of Guo State and the crown prince had sent people to him, pleading for him to prove that Li Kuo’s encounter with the crown prince late at night was just a coincidence. Some people finally couldn’t hold back and decided to take action.
To be fair, Gao Lishi didn’t want to get involved in the conflict between the two factions. If there was anyone he was loyal to in life, it was the emperor. Whether it was the crown prince or Li Linfu, if either became too powerful, it could endanger the emperor. He didn’t want to side with either party unless it was absolutely necessary.

But this incident had clearly disrupted the delicate balance. Li Linfu’s faction wanted to use this opportunity to completely eliminate the Crown Prince’s faction. Gao Lishi naturally would not allow such a thing to happen, so even if the Crown Prince did not speak out, he would still intercede on his behalf with the Emperor. Moreover, even Lady Guo stepped in to plead for help. Although he did not know what relationship that little guy, Li Kuo, had with Lady Guo, it was clear that he was very favored by her.

Glancing at the two generous gifts on the table, Gao Lishi smirked coldly. Did they really think he was a crude man obsessed with money? Though he loved wealth, he also had his principles.

His principle was that this matter must not cross the Emperor’s bottom line—that is, he would only do what was convenient.

In fact, Gao Lishi was well aware that the Emperor did not want this matter to escalate. After all, it involved the dignity of the royal family. If it became public, it would be bad for both the Crown Prince and the Tang royal family.

Now that he understood the Emperor’s intentions, the rest was easy. The Emperor was merely showing some displeasure. As long as he conveyed to the Emperor the Crown Prince and Li Kuo’s feelings of fear and regret, and stirred up a bit of chaos, the matter could be brushed aside!

Sigh, just a little trouble, and already such a fuss. If things really changed, who knows how chaotic the court and the country would become. Well, let’s just consider it as working for the welfare of the people of the Tang Dynasty.

“Gao Fu, prepare a horse. I’m going into the palace!”

Gao Lishi took a deep breath and gave the order.

Note 1: From Du Mu’s “Ode to Epang Palace” in the Tang Dynasty: “The Wei River becomes muddy—its waters are full of discarded fats.” This shows that the Wei River is clear while the Jing River is turbid. From “The Classic of Mountains and Seas: Eastern Regions”: “The Wei River originates from the Mountain Where Birds and Rats Share the Same Burrow, flows eastward into the River, and enters north of Huayin.”