WBSGVS Chapter 204 V1

There were numerous people putting pressure on him — a Prince Duan, a Prince Regent — not to mention all the ministers who came forward to voice their opinion.

The situation was completely one-sided.

Sima Heng was so angry that his face turned white.

But there was nothing he could do. As the Emperor, his power was weak. At first, it hadn’t been — his late father had left him more than just Zhou Xing to help govern — but he hadn’t been able to keep them, falling into Zhou Xing’s schemes time and again. So now, he couldn’t, like those strong and decisive rulers, say a word and make all the ministers tremble and submit.

The banquet came to a rushed and disheartening close.

The Emperor was forced to issue a decree against his will, and he fell into a deep depression.

The task fell to the Crown Prince of Duan. Although he hadn’t yet returned, the imperial order was already in hand. The following day, the relocation could begin.

So, the next morning, notices were posted all over the streets and alleys — Princess Leyi had received a warning from Heaven during the Empress Dowager’s birthday feast. She foresaw a flood in a month. The court was now fully cooperating to help nearby residents move away from the city’s protective moat.

The people were stunned.

Some believed it, although not many — there were rumors in the past about a “fortuneteller princess” who lived in the Cold Palace — and this seemed to match those stories.

But relocation was a huge upheaval, and people valued their homes above all. Among the ancients, there was a deep sentiment about “returning to one’s roots”— their attachment to their land was greater than their consideration for future danger. So when the court demanded relocation, many were unwilling, especially those closest to the moat.

For days, complaints filled the air.

Sima Heng was forced into issuing the order, but for some consideration, or cowardice, he avoided putting his name on it. Instead, it all fell upon Qing Li. Naturally, the people’s resentment fell directly on her.

Some said Princess Sima Qing Li was spreading rumors to win the Emperor’s favor.

Some said she was unwilling to enter marriage, or it was an act of revenge — a desperate move to destroy everything alongside herself.

Other rumors flew thick and fast.

But a few wise people understood: this seemed to bring her no benefit at all. The only reasonable conclusion was that she must have truly received a warning from Heaven.

When this view fell into context, considering her background and what had happened after she came out of the Cold Palace, the number of believers grew.

But there was a key question —

Who could guarantee this warning wasn’t just a dream, instead of a true future event?

Fu Cheng raised this doubt openly, wearing a deep frown. Why put in all this effort for something uncertain, something not guaranteed to come true in a month, and possibly causing a huge upheaval for nothing?

“Nobody can guarantee it!” Yi Han said quietly.

Sima Qing Li was just an ordinary person with some ability; she wasn’t a deity who could control the heavens. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have kept a low profile from the outset.

Fu Cheng nodded. “So she’s gambling with her life?”

Sima Qing He sighed and shook her head. “Impossible. Even if she disregards herself, she’d surely care about the Fourth Brother.”

“Tch.” Fu Cheng sneered. “So you believe her?”

Sima Qing He pressed her lips together in silence.

Believe it or not — what difference did it make now?

She treated Sima Qing Li as a competitor, but it seemed Qing Li hadn’t treated her as a competitor in return. From the moment she walked out of Cold Palace, her calm demeanor seemed entirely purposeful. She hadn’t seemed to care about the rumors, about what people thought of her. All that mattered was her peace of mind.

Once her power grew enough, she would confront their father directly.

So now, whether one believed or not made little difference. Everyone was simply waiting — waiting for the outcome, a month later.

If she were right, she’d become someone unreachable.

If she were wrong, then she’d become someone from a different world altogether.

Sima Qing He felt a heavy pressure in her chest — a bad feeling gnawing at her — but she didn’t dare face it directly.

The rain came suddenly and without any warning. Everyone thought it would pass quickly, just like a normal rain shower, but it kept pouring, heavy and relentless.

At first, the people’s main concern wasn’t something dramatic; it was food and shelter. With the heavy rain, they couldn’t venture out to the markets. The fields were destroyed, and many relied on their food stores to stay alive. But when those stores were gone, people braved the downpour and tried to flee their homes. That’s when the water in the city’s protective moat started to rise.

Higher and higher it rose. Those who were slow to move were stranded and tragically died in the floodwaters.

This upheaval alarmed the imperial court. The Second Prince and the Third Prince were both dispatched to provide aid, although their missions were different. The Second Prince remained in the capital to help refugees, while the Third Prince, under the orders of the Regent, went to rescue stranded people and clear blockages in the waterway.

It seemed the Regent meant to use this opportunity to destroy the Third Prince.

But to everyone’s surprise, it was the Second Prince who fell first. His oppressive methods ignited the wrath of desperate refugees, who revolted and ended up killing him. The Third Prince, meanwhile, safely made it back alive.

The Second Prince’s death dealt another heavy blow to the Regent. Furthermore, having previously been injured in an assassination attempt, the Regent fell gravely ill. His grip on power faltered. Furthermore, growing discontent among the people and the court forced him to release his command over the army.

Once deprived of power, the Regent fell into disgrace; his soldiers were reassigned to the border to fight against Chu, and the Third Prince ultimately had him put to death.

Qing Li remembered this key moment from the story’s plot.

She couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. She made her move at this very moment and turned events in her favor.

Because she knew Emperor Sima Heng would never approve. His reputation was more important to him than the people’s lives, and the likelihood of his voluntarily taking a huge risk was tiny. So she manufactured a dramatic incident.

And in the tiny chance the flood might not come, all her preparations and generosity toward the people would come into play anyway.