As ti passed, everyone’s impatience and irritation grew, and there were more and more disputes.
Pei Shu’er saw that the tents had been set up, so she redistributed them for everyone to squeeze in together.
They were all raised in luxury, and squeezing in with others made everyone a bit uncomfortable.
When they entered the tent, they expected to see damp grounds, but to their surprise, the grass on the floor was relatively dry, and stepping on it didn’t cause mud to ooze.
Moreover, the beds were already neatly made and clean.
It was just incomparable to where they had lived before.
So people returned to the tent, whispering, not daring to speak too loudly.
"I don’t know what they’re fussing about in the middle of the night, and they didn’t even accomplish anything."
"Exactly, disturbing our peaceful sleep."
"She’s just the Empress, otherwise, I wouldn’t even bother with her."
"This Empress isn’t really legitimate after all, isn’t she..."
In the middle of the night, when everyone was sleeping soundly, a thunderous noise woke everyone from their dreams.
So people rushed out of the tents to see that the ground where their camp used to be had already been buried by landslides.
Even the relocated site they proposed earlier was thoroughly buried in mud.
At this mont, everyone just felt fortunate. If the Empress hadn’t insisted, they would be...
buried under the mud as corpses.
They looked towards the royal tent, which hadn’t even been opened, indicating that Pei Shu’er had anticipated the landslide.
That’s why she beca so decisive, even seeming sowhat forceful.
The greater their grievances against Pei Shu’er were then, the more gratitude they felt now.
They previously harbored various suspicions about Pei Shu’er, thinking she was making a fuss over nothing.
Now, it’s still raining outside, but they can’t just sit calmly in their tents.
Everyone bowed deeply, their collective gesture grand and their attitude sincere.
"Empress, thank you for saving our lives."
It was only then that the royal tent opened again.
Before them was Pei Shu’er’s gentle and tolerant expression, along with Tang Zan’s aura of authority without anger.
Pei Shu’er smiled and said, "With such heavy rain, everyone, please rise quickly. Xuan Liu, please provide umbrellas for everyone and lead them back to the tents."
Receiving such courteous treatnt, everyone looked ashad, feeling they didn’t deserve such kindness.
It was already a great blessing that the Empress didn’t bla them for not listening to orders.
Throughout history, no Empress, whether virtuous or stunningly beautiful, has been as savior-like as Pei Shu’er.
It seems wherever she is, the mortality rate decreases sowhat.
Pei Shu’er smiled and said, "Everyone doesn’t need to be like this. I am the Empress of Dayan, and I feel honored to protect you."
"It’s so late. Everyone, please rest quickly. You can sleep in a bit tomorrow."
Everyone bowed deeply again, "Thank you, Empress."
"Yinxing, arrange for soone to cook ginger soup and deliver it to each tent to ward off the cold and prevent colds."
"Find so dry clothes and give them to those without dry clothing."
With this series of arrangents completed, everyone’s gaze towards Pei Shu’er changed.
This is the deanor of the Mother of the Nation—Pei Shu’er truly embodies it.
She is broad-minded; even when misunderstood, she didn’t explain much. When thanked, she remained humble, her eyes full of understanding and acceptance.
When the ginger soup was ready, they even tasted a hint of dicinal flavor, ant to dispel the cold.
After everyone left, Xuan Yi reported.
"Reporting to the Emperor and Empress, the road we took has been covered by mud, and we can’t get out now."
Pei Shu’er looked at the rain outside and the collapsed mud, feeling uncertain emotions at the mont.
This part wasn’t in the original novel; otherwise, she could have avoided it entirely.
When it rained yesterday, they couldn’t evacuate, otherwise, the entire army might have been wiped out mid-way.
Not to ntion, there might be ambushes from Yan Huan Yu’s people outside, making death likely even if they escape.
Tang Zan said, "No worries, double the patrols, report any anomalies imdiately."
At these words, everyone nodded together.
Pei Shu’er and Tang Zan rested in the tent, and seeing Tang Zan silent, Pei Shu’er snuggled into his embrace.
"What’s wrong?"
Tang Zan replied, "I am just thinking of finding a way out."
The next morning, Tang Zan inford everyone of the blocked roads. Suddenly, there was so panic among them.
Out of respect for the imperial power, no one voiced it.
However, they were deeply concerned; Pei Yu asked, "Emperor, when can the roads be cleared?"
The Vice Minister of the Ministry of War replied, "It will take approximately two days."
Everyone let out a long sigh of relief—it was better than being trapped for ten days or half a month.
If it’s two days, the food supplies should suffice.
However, they didn’t expect that it would keep raining continuously, and each ti the soldiers tried to clear the road, new mudslides occurred.
Many people got buried just trying to clear the roads.
Fortunately, there were people around, and thanks to tily assistance from everyone, there weren’t many deaths.
In this way, the delay dragged on for ten days.
Tang Zan, anticipating the failure of the first clearance, had already sent people out in search of the safest path to leave the area.
Yet, the dispatched people kept going missing, never to return.
Despite this, in order to find a suitable path, they had to keep sending people out, which were replaced by people from the Heavenly chanism Pavilion’s Xuan Departnt.
The Tian Departnt had the highest combat power, the Earth Departnt was the smartest, and the Xuan Departnt was adept at various strategies, with escape and intelligence-gathering as their specialties.
Once the Xuan Departnt got involved, information began flowing back continuously.
Which areas were dead ends and which were alive were thoroughly investigated, yet a viable escape path was still elusive.
Grain supplies went from abundant to barely enough.
The nobles, in such an environnt, were forced to drink porridge, and even the porridge portions decreased daily.
These once privileged individuals had never suffered such hardship and were imdiately starving, angrily venting at the servants in the camp.
Eventually, they no longer had the energy to be angry.
All they thought about was food, desiring gourt als and at.
Tang Zan organized a gathering and openly said, "Now everyone can form teams to hunt in the dense forest and collect wild vegetables. There’s a river in the forest, and there are fish in it."
In fact, Tang Zan had a reason for speaking only now.
Had he spoken earlier, these proud nobles would have felt offended.
But now the rations were so low, and the actual trapped ti was uncertain.
Starvation was a possibility.
Everyone had no choice but to lower their positions.
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