The threat of a sea flood differs from other disasters; it’s nearly impossible to prevent. No matter how sturdy Lingzhou’s seawalls are built, they’re only designed to withstand ordinary tidal surges. When a sea flood strikes, all defenses crumble. Throughout history, no one has been able to resist such a catastrophe. The only viable option now is to evacuate the people as quickly as possible to avoid immeasurable casualties.
However, with the Su family in complete control of Lingzhou, progress would be difficult without their cooperation. Yet, governing a nation has never been easy. Even in the face of such challenges, a ruler must press forward.
The next morning, during the early court session, the Chief Astrologer of the Imperial Observatory, prompted by Emperor Chengkang, again brought up the matter of celestial omens. The Left Prime Minister also mentioned the Daoist Yinchuan’s prophecy.
“Yinchuan’s prophecy points to Lingzhou. The emergence of the Sea Dragon King strongly suggests a sea flood. Considering this alongside the celestial signs… This minister believes we should immediately close Lingzhou’s port and arrange for the evacuation of its people to prevent massive loss of life should a sudden flood occur.”
An official aligned with the Su family stepped forward to refute: “How can we fully trust the alarmist words of a mystic? Closing Lingzhou’s port would be tantamount to cutting off our Great Xian’s maritime trade route. This is unacceptable.”
“Is Yinchuan merely an ordinary mystic? Is Lord Liu suggesting that Emperor Gaozong was poor at judging character?” the Left Prime Minister challenged.
As the two were about to argue, another official came forward: “While Master Yinchuan is indeed a reclusive sage, his prophecy might not necessarily refer to Lingzhou. There are eight coastal towns in the south with ‘Ling’ in their names. Lingzhou has never experienced a sea flood before, whereas Linghui County in Yuzhou has.”
“Moreover, it’s uncertain whether ‘the Sea Dragon King emerges’ truly foretells a sea flood. This humble official believes we need more time to deliberate. After all, Lingzhou’s port is crucial. Hastily closing the port and evacuating people could lead to widespread discontent if nothing happens.”
“Lord Xiang speaks wisely,” chorused the Su family faction.
“Wise? Will a sea flood wait for the lords to finish their lengthy deliberations?” Jiang Xu suddenly interjected.
He rarely attended court sessions, but the gravity of this prophecy had brought him to the imperial court today.
There was no other choice. Among all the officials in the Great Xian court, only the Northern King, His Highness, was feared by all. With such a crucial matter at hand and officials in dispute, how could a resolution be reached without someone to take charge? Thus, Emperor Chengkang had specifically instructed him to attend court today.
As expected, Jiang Xu’s words silenced any opposition.
He continued, “All officials who enter the court and soldiers who fight enemies do so for the country and its people. Now that the people may be in danger, we should take precautions without considering the cost. Since His Majesty has this intention, even if the prophecy proves false, history books a hundred years from now will only hold His Majesty responsible, saying he foolishly listened to a mystic’s slander and needlessly evacuated an entire province. How does this concern the rest of you?”
Emperor Chengkang thought to himself, “Don’t worry, the court historians won’t forget about you either, Your Highness the Northern King.”
Jiang Xu coldly swept his gaze across the room: “On the contrary, if you lords obstruct the port closure and evacuation today, and a sea flood strikes in the coming days, leaving thousands dead, will you not then claim it’s Heaven’s punishment for the emperor’s lack of virtue and diligence, forcing His Majesty to issue an edict of self-blame and bear the responsibility for this disaster?”
The court fell silent.
Indeed, that was exactly what the Su family faction had in mind.
Historically, when natural disasters struck, it was always attributed to the ruler’s moral failings and unworthiness of the throne. If Lingzhou’s sea flood was inevitable, they could incite the people, forcing Emperor Chengkang to issue an edict of self-blame, firmly pinning the blame on him while keeping the Su family’s hands clean.
As for the Su family and Empress Dowager Su, they were thinking even further ahead.
If Lingzhou truly experienced a sea flood, it would be both a crisis and an opportunity for them. An emperor unfit for his position who brings calamity naturally leads to the logical succession of a more virtuous ruler.
This was what Jiang Xu and Emperor Chengkang had discussed the previous night. If Lingzhou fell, the Su family would have nothing to rely on and nothing to fear, making it highly likely they would fight with their backs against the wall. While they weren’t afraid of such a desperate move from the Su family, if it came to that point, with widespread discontent and people struggling to survive, the blame would inevitably fall on the emperor, leaving Emperor Chengkang with nowhere to hide.
This was why Jiang Xu had openly addressed this issue in court—today, the emperor wants to save the people, but the officials refuse. Tomorrow, will these same officials be willing to bear the condemnation of thousands?
The court remained silent.
After a long pause, Emperor Chengkang spoke in a deep voice: “Issue the order: Lingzhou’s port is to be closed immediately. All residents of the thirteen coastal cities are to retreat to the western region of Ling. Yuzhou is to keep its gates open for ten days to shelter Lingzhou’s refugees. Let there be no mistakes!”
While Emperor Chengkang had issued the imperial edict, its execution—or lack thereof—lay entirely in the hands of the Su family. If they didn’t want to close the port and evacuate, they could find countless excuses to delay. So Emperor Chengkang and Jiang Xu had devised another plan.
The Northern Army had sent an urgent message overnight, instructing storytellers within Lingzhou to widely spread tales of Master Yinchuan’s supernatural abilities and his prophecy about the Sea Dragon King’s emergence. While the Su family was trying to suppress these storytellers’ alarmist tales, several nursery rhymes predicting a sea flood began circulating. Soon, rumors of the impending flood were on everyone’s lips, causing widespread panic.
Lingzhou was prosperous and peaceful. While some refused to believe the rumors, many were cautious and fearful, especially those without much to lose. For them, evacuating meant simply staying somewhere else temporarily without significant loss. Thus, despite the Su family’s efforts to maintain control in Lingzhou, they couldn’t suppress the people’s growing desire to leave the city.
Two days later, at dusk, Lingzhou’s Quancheng suddenly experienced a violent earthquake! The ground split open, forming crisscrossing ravines accompanied by a thunderous roar. Countless buildings collapsed. In less than a quarter of an hour, the once-prosperous Quancheng became unrecognizable, filled with terrified cries and wails.
But this was only the beginning of the nightmare. That night, Lingzhou port was hit by a sea flood. Fierce winds arose suddenly, bringing torrential rain. Waves rose as high as two zhang, their ferocious surge instantly breaching Lingzhou port’s solid seawalls, sweeping in with unstoppable force.
Of Lingzhou’s thirteen coastal cities, more than half were destroyed overnight. The number of dead and injured was incalculable.
However, this wasn’t the worst possible outcome. Before the sea flood, hundreds of thousands of people had already evacuated to western Ling or fled to Yuzhou, escaping the disaster.
“A sea flood in Lingzhou?” Ming Tan was stunned when she heard the news.
For the past few days, her mind had been entirely focused on Zhou Jingwan’s wedding. Seeing her husband leaving early and returning late each day, she had assumed he was busy planning for Rongzhou’s affairs. She had no idea that Lingzhou had been struck by a sea flood!
It was a place she had visited before, and now it had become a vast wasteland due to an earthquake and flood. She could hardly believe it.
She wasn’t alone in her disbelief. The people of the capital were abuzz with discussions, all finding it inconceivable. Sea floods were rare events, usually recorded in history books as occurring in remote areas. The idea of Lingzhou port experiencing a sea flood was previously unimaginable.
The aftermath of this disaster was far-reaching. With Lingzhou’s port closed, maritime trade came to a halt, depriving the court of significant tax revenue. People were displaced, refugees scattered, and occasional riots broke out, causing numerous problems.
Due to the countless deaths in Lingzhou and the difficulty in promptly disposing of bodies, as spring arrived and the weather warmed, an epidemic broke out in the disaster-stricken Lingzhou. This epidemic even spread to the capital through fleeing refugees.
In these troubled times, Jiang Xu had to temporarily set aside the affairs of Rongzhou. He was constantly on the move, rarely seen for months on end.
Ming Tan didn’t dare add to his troubles during such a time. She focused on managing the Northern King’s mansion, ensuring there was no possibility of the epidemic reaching their household.
At the same time, without Jiang Xu’s knowledge, she did what little she could to help. She set up medical clinics outside the city, invited doctors to diagnose patients, and provided large quantities of medicinal herbs to aid those in the capital infected by the epidemic.
If there was any benefit from this sea flood, it was that Emperor Chengkang regained control of Lingzhou from the Su family without deploying troops.
However, Lingzhou was now riddled with wounds, requiring extensive reconstruction. With the precedent of a sea flood, the area could no longer engage in maritime trade. The former Lingzhou port would have to be gradually relocated to the newly developing Tonggang.
Amidst his busy schedule, Emperor Chengkang couldn’t help but feel relieved that he had listened to Jiang Xu’s advice earlier and chosen Tonggang for a new port. Otherwise, the revival of Great Xian’s maritime trade would have been indefinitely delayed.
The aftermath of this sea flood, occurring thousands of miles away, stretched from the first month of Chengkang’s seventh year to the late autumn of the same year.
As the epidemic subsided, Lingzhou steadily rebuilt. The court poured all its efforts into developing Tonggang, aiming to transform it into a second port to replace Lingzhou in the shortest possible time. The once-obscure town nestled in rugged terrain gradually revealed a vibrant new appearance.
For most of the year, Emperor Chengkang had been overwhelmed dealing with the Lingzhou situation. During this time, under Jiang Xu’s maneuvering, he had also imperceptibly neutralized the Su family’s desperate counterattack.
The Su family had reached a dead end. Who could have predicted that a sea flood would occur? Their stronghold in Lingzhou was destroyed in an instant, and not by Emperor Chengkang’s hand, which made it even more frustrating.
Without Lingzhou and maritime trade, the Su family became a scattered force, no longer a threat. For Emperor Chengkang to deal with them now would be child’s play.
The Su family was self-aware enough to know they had reached a point of no return. They knew that once Emperor Chengkang resolved the aftermath of the sea flood, he would use them as a sacrifice to appease the souls of Lingzhou’s dead. So, instead of waiting for the axe to fall, they decided to strike first, attempting a palace coup through internal and external collaboration.
To this end, they secretly contacted individuals like the former King of Ping, who had been demoted to a mere commandery prince and sent back to Yuncheng by Emperor Chengkang. They planned to assassinate the emperor during the coup and place the second prince, whose mother was of lowly birth and who was still a child, on the throne. They would then use the prince’s young age as a pretext for the Empress Dowager to rule from behind a curtain, with Prince Kang, born to Empress Dowager Su, serving as the regent. This way, they could firmly grasp imperial power.
Their ambitions were bold, and their plans for the palace coup were meticulously detailed. Upon careful consideration, they could succeed.
However, their downfall came from facing an opponent like Jiang Xu.
Jiang Xu’s strategic maneuvering turned their tense, desperate struggle into a joke that ended almost as soon as it began. It even inadvertently provided Lu Ting with great merit for protecting the emperor. Lu Ting didn’t hesitate to use this achievement to secure an honorary title for his newly wedded wife.
For most of the year, Emperor Chengkang had been preoccupied with the sea flood crisis, unable to attend to other matters. He had endured the scorching summer heat within the palace. By late autumn, he could finally catch his breath. On a whim, he suddenly issued an order for an autumn hunt in the imperial forest on the outskirts of the capital.