The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 240 My Will Soars Above the Clouds and Surpasses the Heavens

The doctor looked around.

It's not impossible that Lord Wu was talking nonsense, but the people around the princess wouldn't joke about her health.

Moreover, the princess's pulse actually matched the cause and effect of the matter.

This is truly unbelievable.

Lu Mengying carefully fed Zheng Xun the medicine, then looked at Wu Zongyu: "Lord Wu, please post a notice to find a doctor for the princess."

She stood up, her expression solemn: "The evacuation of the people cannot be delayed. Lord Wu still needs to oversee the overall situation, so I will take care of the princess. I have already sent a message to the Emperor, and the capital will receive the news soon."

She rarely spoke such long sentences, but since she was the only one by the princess's side, she dared not hesitate or slack off in the slightest.

Wu Zongyu straightened his expression: "Rest assured, my lord, I will certainly not let the princess down!"

He knew he was about to face the greatest crisis and test of his life.

But as his initial fear dissipated, he gradually became more determined.

There were many things outside that awaited his decision, and he had no time to waste.

After leaving Zheng Xun's room, he plunged headlong into official business.

Although many people saw the warning in the sky, many more did not. The difficulty lies in the fact that those who saw the future could not tell outsiders about it.

Wu Zongyu thought for a moment and then made up a story.

The story is simple: the princess summons a miracle, and a celestial being issues a warning that an earthquake will indeed occur in Tingzhou.

Although the content was quite absurd, the fact that those who witnessed the miracle immediately began to evacuate made it all seem more credible.

Things went relatively smoothly, with 70% of the people willing to evacuate, and another 20% who were unwilling to leave but agreed to evacuate to higher ground.

Wu Zongyu knew very well that if the seawater overflowed, even the so-called high ground would not be safe.

He instructed his subordinates to explain the pros and cons of the matter clearly, and then left the decision to them.

Once the number of people who need to be evacuated is estimated, the next thing to worry about is food for the journey.

Although the common people would bring their own food, he couldn't ignore the poorer families.

Although he encouraged everyone to dig pits to store grain, the soil in Tingzhou was prone to collapse when digging pits, and if water seeped in, the grain might not be preserved.

After the sea recedes, houses will need to be rebuilt. The land mixed with sea salt will be difficult to cultivate, and it is foreseeable that Tingzhou will be in a state of food shortage for a long time.

Borrowing food from other states can alleviate the immediate crisis, but it is not a long-term solution.

Therefore, he set his sights on the granaries of Qizhou.

After several years of consecutive disasters, even the emperor was starting to feel the strain. So, he built granaries in various places to store grain in preparation for future disasters.

The granaries should be full by now, right?

Wu Zongyu immediately decided to write a letter to Zhong Kusi, who was in charge of managing the Qizhou granary.

After finishing this matter, many other miscellaneous things awaited him.

If someone gets a headache or fever during the evacuation, doctors and medicine should be provided.

The hardest part of this process is getting people to give up their burdensome possessions.

They didn't have much time, and they had to cross Pingbo Mountain along the way, so traveling light was the best option.

After the chaos of the evacuation, he had to arrange manpower to protect the safety of the people and prevent some scoundrels from taking advantage of the situation.

Moreover, he couldn't stay in the government office indefinitely.

After the princess fainted, the people needed someone to lead them.

Pang Yunyi is arrogant, and Che Zhong'an is taciturn; only he, a civil official, is suitable to step forward and encourage the people.

Since Zheng Xun arrived in Tingzhou and left behind the news of the earthquake, he has had no time to bathe or take a bath, and his beard and hair are a mess that he has no time to groom.

But when he stands before the people, he is still the head of a prefecture.

He stood on the city wall, looking down at the people carrying their belongings and preparing to evacuate: "People, we face many storms behind us, but there is no need to worry. Our Princess Yuanjia, myself and my officials, the soldiers of the Water Scale Guard and the Southern Guard, will stand with you through thick and thin! Today, we stand together, like ten thousand heroes besieging the mountain pass. A thousand difficulties and dangers are nothing to us; our will soars to the heavens! With our hearts united and our minds aligned, we will surely overcome this natural disaster! May you all return safely!"

"My will soars to the heavens!"

"My will soars to the heavens!"

A deafening shout rang out, and the heroism in one's blood responded.

Wu Zongyu was filled with emotion. He bowed deeply, his disheveled white hair dancing in the wind like a tenacious flame, unyielding to the wind and rain.

The city gates opened, and Pang Yunyi led the first wave of people away.

Scattered people continued to gather in Tingzhou Prefecture, while the second wave of evacuation from Sui Chezhong'an took place.

Zheng Xun and Lü Mengying were among those who evacuated.

Wu Zongyu originally wanted to arrange for them to leave in the first wave, but Lü Mengying refused.

Wu Zongyu was so anxious he almost pulled his hair out: "You are the princess's guard, why don't you prioritize the princess's safety?"

Lu Mengying's expression was calm, but her tone was firm: "If the princess leaves first, the people behind will be filled with anxiety. Only when the princess brings up the rear can the people feel at ease. I know the princess's heart; she cares about the people. If she were conscious, she would definitely make this choice. Lord Wu, rest assured, I will protect the princess with my life. If anything happens, the accident will surely step over my corpse first."

Wu Zongyu had no choice but to agree.

As he watched Zheng Xun's carriage fall behind the rest of the procession, he noticed that several men and robust women had not yet left.

They exchanged a few words and then approached Wu Zongyu.

Wu Zongyu frowned slightly as he saw that they were all carrying bundles: "Why aren't you leaving?"

"Sir, when are you leaving?"

Wu Zongyu was stunned.

He's been so busy lately, and his family members left early on. No one reminded him, and this is the first time he's thought about this issue.

"I'll leave once I've finished my business. You all should leave quickly so you don't get separated from the main group."

“Sir, if you don’t leave, we won’t leave either,” a young man scratched the back of his head. “Sir, you don’t have many people under your command right now. We don’t have any other strengths, but we are obedient and hardworking. You can order us around as you please.”

Wu Zongyu was speechless.

Seeing them linger, he even wondered if they wanted to cause trouble, but he never expected that they actually wanted to help.

"No need... Your family will definitely worry, please go."

“Your family must be worried,” a woman smiled. “Don’t worry, sir, I was kicked out by my family a long time ago. No one will cause you any trouble because of me.”

“I have five children, and my family knows about my decision and is very supportive.”

“By the way, sir,” someone took down the bundle from the back, “this is something someone asked me to bring for you, a little snack. I hope you won’t find it offensive.”

"I brought a warm and waterproof leather jacket for the adults!"

……

They stayed behind, prepared to die.

Listening to their laughter and chatter, Wu Zongyu couldn't quite describe his feelings.

His nose felt a little sore, and his heart softened.