The next day, the courtiers were surprised to find the Crown Princess Xi Yun, who didn't attend to state affairs in the past, attended the levee and sat next to the Emperor.
No one cared about her stunning appearance or her gender. Her icy and majestic style and a pair of sharp and beautiful eyes won everyone's envy and admiration.
She kept silent after the levee began, and looked coldly around. The atmosphere at court was weird. The courtiers used to quarrel with each other endlessly, but now they stood in harmony, and those who were arrogant thought carefully before they spoke.
Yun Canglan looked dominating. The shrilling scream from the Yeyun Palace last night labeled the gentle Crown Princess Xi Yun as ruthless and tyrannical.
Ignoring the fear of the courtiers, Yun Canglan leisurely played with a strand of hair in her hand. She was gorgeous and august in the plain brocade dress with an indistinct pattern of golden flying phoenix on her chest.
"Your Majesty, a plague broke out in the three provinces of Lingqian. Hundreds of doctors can do nothing to help. Please send imperial doctors there immediately and make good plans." A courtier in his 30s stepped out from the queue of civilian ministers, lifting the memorial in his hands respectfully above his head.
The old eunuch went to take the memorial and handed it to the Emperor. The Emperor look irritated as he read the memorial. Then the old eunuch passed the memorial to Yun Canglan, and Yun Canglan read it quickly. The courtier continued, "The people in the three provinces of Lingqian are terrified. Your Majesty, please make a quick decision."
"Your Majesty", another old courtier stepped out and looked respectfully at the Emperor, ignoring Yun Canglan, "In my humble opinion, the menacing plague spreads in three provinces in a short period of time. In order to prevent it from spreading continuously, the people in the three provinces of Lingqian should be isolated."
The Emperor was angry, "You mean, I have to abandon those people for the sake of the kingdom?"
Minister Wang was scared, "I don't dare. It'll be the best if imperial doctors can relieve the plague, but if we can do nothing to relieve it, it will endanger our kingdom."
"Your Majesty, we can't do that." The courtier who presented the memorial objected, "What Minister Wang said is reasonable, but we can't abandon hundreds of thousands of people there. Only a few of them are infected with the plague now. If they are isolated, they will all die."
"Minister Sun, you mean we should ignore them? In this case, I dare to assert that within a few days, the plague will spread here, and it will endanger His Majesty. Minister Sun, will you be responsible for this?"
As the courtiers began to quarrel again, the Emperor had a headache and frowned tiredly. Yun Canglan couldn't bear it, so she had to stop them.
"Stop!" Yun Canglan ordered in a clear, angry voice. The court became quiet, and the courtiers looked at Yun Canglan with horror and bowed their heads.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, " a younger courtier stepped out. He was about twenty years old but looked savvy. "Chief Councilor is erudite and informed. He must have a solution. Why not ask him for his opinion?"
Several courtiers seconded his proposal, but t
position was not very high, but he was brave. "The Jin Kingdom and the Feng Kingdom struggle for hegemony. Our kingdom is rich in minerals, and the Lie Kingdom is rich in food. Both minerals and food are necessary in war. If the Jin Kingdom and the Feng Kingdom are really against each other, we won't become a victim. Instead, they will play up to us. Grand Preceptor, what do you think?"
The Grand Preceptor blushed with anger. He was second to the Emperor, but a petty courtier questioned him in front of so many other courtiers.
"Bullshit! You…"
"I think it's reasonable." Yun Canglan stopped the Grand Preceptor and turned to the young courtier, "What is your name?"
The young courtier was flattered, "I'm Xu Feng, the fourth-ranking Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites."
Yun Canglan nodded with satisfaction, "Okay. You impress me."
"Well, that's all for the wedding ceremony. Now, let's come to the plague. You're too stupid to come up with a solution. Isolate and burn hundreds of thousands of people in the three provinces to death? What a terrible idea!"
Embarrassed, Minister Wang said with contempt, "What do you think about it?"
"Well, I can find the prescription to relieve the plague and save the patients." The Medical Sage and Poison Sage could do that.
"Ha-ha." The Grand Preceptor gave a contemptuous laugh, "Your Highness, are you kidding?"
"Kidding?" Yun Canglan looked askance at him, "Do you dare to bet with me?"
"What bet?" The Grand Preceptor thought, 'I am old and have experienced many vicissitudes of life. She is young, but she is wildly arrogant and looks down her nose at everyone.'
Yun Canglan answered arrogantly, "If I can relieve the plague within one day and save the patients, you will be dismissed. What do you think?"
"You…"The Grand Preceptor was angry and fierce as he didn't expect Yun Canglan to be so conceited.
It would take half a day to travel from the Si City to Lingqian at the fastest speed. It was impossible to relieve the plague in the remaining half day. The hundreds of doctors in the three provinces of Lingqian would be good-for-nothings if the plague could be relieved easily.
"Okay! I accept the bet!"