After that night, it seemed as if nothing had happened at all, everything remained as peaceful as before. However, for Yunyi, everything had already become different from before; the person she had once respected and loved most had become the person she most hated and least wanted to see. The only thing that comforted her was that since then, Yang Guang had truly never sought her out again.

On this day, Du Ruhui entered the palace to see Yunyi. His usually somewhat stern face was constantly adorned with a smile today. Upon inquiry, she learned that Wang Xianyue was pregnant, and the Du family would soon have an heir.

Yunyi smiled slightly and said to Ruyi, “Prepare a gift to send to the Du residence, saying it’s my congratulations to Young Madam Du.”

After Ruyi left, Du Ruhui looked at Yunyi and tentatively asked, “Does Your Highness have something troubling you?”

Yunyi casually picked up her tea and took a sip, saying, “Why do you ask?”

“Since I entered, Your Highness has seemed rather unhappy. If there’s something wrong, Your Highness might speak of it – perhaps I can be of assistance.”

Yunyi smiled bitterly, “This matter is beyond your help.” After a moment of silence, she suddenly said, “If I had chosen you as my consort back then, what do you think would have happened?”

Yunyi spoke very softly, and Du Ruhui didn’t hear clearly, saying, “What did Your Highness say?”

Yunyi smiled and shook her head, “Nothing, just casual words. Don’t take them to heart.”

Du Ruhui felt that Yunyi was acting strangely today, but since she wouldn’t speak of it, he couldn’t press her. After sitting for a while, Yunyi asked, “What have you been doing recently?”

“Just trivial matters, but…” Du Ruhui sighed and said, “Has Your Highness left the palace recently?”

Yunyi’s hand trembled, and the still-hot tea accidentally splashed on her hand. Ruyi quickly wiped it away for her, saying, “Does it hurt, Your Highness? Should I fetch some ointment to apply?”

“I’m fine, no need to trouble yourself.” Saying this, she turned her gaze to Du Ruhui and said, “A month ago, I did leave the palace once. Why?”

Du Ruhui sighed, “According to what I know, in this past month, at least a hundred people among the common folk of Jiangdu have died, and the rest are all living in unbearable suffering, as if they were in hell.”

Yunyi was silent for a moment, then said, “Did they starve to death?”

“It seems Your Highness already noticed the signs then. Yes, they all starved to death.” Du Ruhui shook his head, “After having no grain to eat, they first slaughtered their domestic animals, then began eating leaves and roots, then started eating bark and tree roots, and finally… they began eating soil.”

“Soil?” Jixiang said in shock, “I can barely understand eating bark and roots, but how can soil be eaten?”

Du Ruhui smiled bitterly, “You’re right, how can soil be eaten? But everything edible had already been consumed by them. Apart from soil, there was nothing else.”

Jixiang said incredulously, “It’s spring now, when vegetation is lush. There should be many leaves – how could they possibly eat them all?”

“Yes, vegetation is indeed lush now, but do you know how many common people there are in Jiangdu city? With everyone picking, no matter how many trees there are, they would all be stripped bare.”

Ruyi asked tentatively, “Then the soil… is it harmless to eat?”

“Soil can indeed give them a feeling of fullness, but it accumulates in the abdomen and cannot be expelled. In the end, all those people died from abdominal distension.” Saying this, Du Ruhui shook his head, “But this isn’t even the most tragic part.”

Ruyi asked in confusion, “If this isn’t the worst, then what is?”

Du Ruhui said heavily, “I heard that in a small city near Jiangdu, after the people there had eaten everything edible, they finally resorted to cannibalism.”

Ruyi and Jixiang both cried out in shock, saying incredulously, “Cannibalism – Master Du, you mean… they ate people?”

Du Ruhui nodded, “That’s right, they consumed their own relatives.” This time, not only Ruyi but even Yunyi was horrified and pale. Jianghuai had always been a prosperous land, a region of fish and rice. Now, after Yang Guang had been here for merely half a year, he had reduced the people to cannibalism – it was truly… beyond words.

Du Ruhui said, “Actually, I know that the court’s granaries everywhere are filled with grain. As long as His Majesty is willing to open the granaries and distribute grain, the people can survive this crisis. But His Majesty consistently refuses to release grain. I know His Majesty has always heeded the Empress’s every word – even when Duke Tang and his son defied the imperial decree, he pardoned them for the Empress’s sake. This time… could Your Highness, for the sake of the countless people of Jianghuai, once again ask the Empress to intercede with His Majesty?”

Jixiang spoke hastily, “Does Master Du think Her Highness hasn’t tried? A month ago, when Her Highness saw those people about to eat leaves in such misery, she petitioned His Majesty to open the granaries and distribute grain, but the result…” Her eyes reddened, and she didn’t continue.

“If Your Highness petitions, His Majesty might not agree, but the Empress…” Du Ruhui had only spoken halfway when Yunyi interrupted, “In this matter, neither Mother nor I can do anything. You should go.”

This response left Du Ruhui stunned. In his impression, Yunyi had always been very concerned about the people’s livelihood – why was she so indifferent this time?

“Your Highness…” Yunyi raised her hand, “I know what you want to say. Even if this time Mother persuades him to open the granaries and distribute grain, what about next time? And the time after that?” She shook her head, with a mocking smile, “As long as he remains on the throne for one day, the people of the realm will not have a single good day.”

Du Ruhui looked at Yunyi with surprise. Everything she said today seemed strange, as if she harbored deep dissatisfaction with Yang Guang. But Yunyi had clearly respected her father-emperor before – why had her attitude suddenly changed so dramatically? Could it be that the father and daughter had had a conflict?

Before he could speak, Yunyi already said, “I’m very tired. Jixiang, escort Master Du out.”

Seeing her say this, Du Ruhui could only bow and take his leave. After exiting Feixiang Hall, he said, “Miss Jixiang, have Her Highness and His Majesty had some trouble?”

Jixiang sighed, “It’s a long story. In any case, Master Du, if you come to Feixiang Hall, please try not to mention His Majesty in front of Her Highness. Her Highness won’t want to hear it.” Saying this, she curtsied and said, “This servant will see you off only this far. Master Du, take care.”

Du Ruhui nodded. After Jixiang entered Feixiang Hall, he suddenly remembered there was another matter he had forgotten to discuss with Yunyi. Since he had married Wang Xianyue and become part of the Wang family, the Cui family had been quite peaceful for a while. But recently, he had discovered that the Cui family was secretly communicating with the Yuwen clan, and their actions were mysterious – they were probably plotting something.

For the Cui family, the people they hated most were him and Yunyi. So as soon as he learned of this, he had rushed to warn Yunyi. Who would have thought that Yunyi’s attitude today was unusually strange, causing him to forget about this matter? However, since Yunyi was in the palace, the Cui family probably wouldn’t dare to act rashly. If he really discovered something, it wouldn’t be too late to warn Yunyi then.