With the plot as the male lead's armor, the rain calling for the next day naturally beca a huge success. However, even though it took place on the sa mountain, there was sothing a little different with his ceremony. Aside from there were fewer people since not few beca heartbroken due to Duan Wang's failure, the sacrifices to be offered were more than yesterday. Bigger too, and not the usual animals...
Alright. Actually, yesterday, due to the letter of advice he received from the general, Hai Wang gathered his people, rallied the governnt buildings and sacked all those corrupt and trashy officials who either exploited the masses or stole so money from the governnt's treasury. Most people that had been found guilty were Rui Wang's supporters. There were also a few from the other princes' side, so even under the male lead.
Hai Wang disregarded all protests and used the mantle of authority granted to him by the masses to drag those people to the sacrificial altar the next day. Before the ceremony started, Hai Wang had all of them executed before the public. They were the ones who beca the sacrificial offerings. After all, whose blood could appease the anger of the gods more than these corrupt officials?
The rain calling was done per Jiang Li's instruction; find a tall place where clouds heavily gather, set up the sky drums around a raised platform, then slowly shout the rain prayer ninety-nine tis at the top of the lungs, with both hands extended upward in the whole duration of the prayer.
Cough, the last part was just Jiang Li trolling of the male lead. There was no shout with raised hands, and actually... the prayer only had to be recited nine tis, not ninety-nine.
However, because the male lead didn't know that awkward instruction was not part of the original prayer ceremony, he blindly followed everything to a tee, causing the general to turn away from the whole thing, for so ti, to finish laughing.
Anyway, at least the prayer ceremony turned successful.
A heavy downpour started a minute before the male lead finished his recital of the verses, much to the joy of the commoners and low-born people depending on the land and its natural resources to survive.
Seeing this though, the two other princes' turned dark, especially the first prince who not only failed, but was unlike Rui Wang who had their imperial father's endless doting and could get away from failures like this.
Beside Jiang Li, the girl who beca puzzled at everyone's reactions tilted her head to his direction and asked, "Your Highness, there is sothing I don't understand. This is only one raining. Why are the denizens this happy, like all of them just suddenly earn or gain overnight riches? Will this be enough to revive a region that is starting to turn into a desert and a wasteland?"
The two of them were at the spot nearest to the altar. Behind them were rows upon rows of soldiers in standby, all to assist if ever a riot occurred. But two of the soldiers were holding an umbrella for the two of them.
Jiang Li looked at her and answered in a matter-of-fact tone, "No. It's not enough."
Jiang Ying Yue nodded. "Hmm. Thought so too. So it's kind of weird for that they're celebrating so soon when there is yet to be a good result."
The man laughed, "You're right. However, the rain is enough to give hope to these people's hearts which have been wallowing in despair and hopelessness due to the fast-warming climate of this region. There's also that execution of those sinners who had stolen the tax money and exploited many hard laborers. The rain is so the land will be revived. The purge of corrupt officials is so the hearts of the common people would be recaptured."
He saw that the girl seed to be thinking about it, digesting his aning. So he added, "For everyone here, since both hope and justice are given to them by an imperial clan mber, they are starting to believe again in the royal power and having hopes that they could go back to their normal lives , through their help, I an."
Jiang Ying Yue pursed her lips.
It was quite a surprise that even though these people only got showered by a few droplets of rain for so ti, their faith in the royal family was imdiately rekindled.
anwhile, Jiang Li shrugged his shoulders and secretly mused, 'People of this era... are really so superstitious and easy to mislead. In the end, it's because of the current education system. I bet no one will believe even if I explain how this rain cos, that it's not sent down by the heavens, but manipulated to co down by n. The heck, I don't even understand why they believe an emperor is the son of a dragon, that he has a dragon body, even though they could perfectly see that he is a freakin' human.'
The man secretly shook his head at this.
Even if he had knowledge beforehand about their lifestyles and beliefs, the ancient's brains were still really sothing he found quite hard to understand. Was this may be just the difference between the mindset of soone who had grown up in a modern world and sobody in ancient tis?
In one corner of his eyes, he saw Sheng Lingxin watching Chen Heng with a complicated expression on her face. She, too, was probably wondering why the heck people were bowing down at scenes like this.
In modern tis, even if a dude really does sothing quite miraculous, for example swallowing a sword yet still have an intact throat upon pulling it out, nobody from there would kneel down to worship that guy. Instead, people would pull up their phones, video-record it, and share it on social dia to gain more followers.
But here... He was sure if that sa person did the sa at this place, he would definitely be mistaken for so god who descended on earth, or a heavenly ssenger from so sacred temple who would bring the common people so prophecies or salvations. People would bow down at his feet and treat him like a prayer statue. He would be worshipped and subjected to an imperial treatnt.
Jiang Li thought, in this world, most likely only the female lead would be able to relate to him. That was if the villainess, this incarnation of Na Yu next to him, had really no way of regaining her mories from other worlds.
"Did you suffer trauma from all the blood you see today?" After so ti, when his eyes settled on the huge puddle of red, a mix of rainwater and blood, on and around the sacrificial platform, he asked the villainess.
"Thank you for worrying about . No, Your Highness. I am fine." Though quite startled and confused, Jiang Ying Yue answered. She was not very much affected since from the beginning, she didn't look at the bloody scene.
Actually, she couldn't even if she wanted to. Because when the execution was still ongoing the man next to her moved forward and blocked her from seeing it. She tilted her head in puzzlent since the man seed to have forgotten about this already even though it only happened less than an hour ago.
Jiang Ying Yue saw him looking at the red puddle and began wondering what made him so lost in thoughts. On the other hand, Jiang Li just instinctively asked the question since he rembered that because of him, because in his later years in the previous world, he kept vomiting blood, Na Yu beca a bit hemophobic.
"The rain should be continuing for a few more hours." She blurted out after looking down at her wet shoes and then checking the thick dark clouds above.
"Yeah." Jiang Li turned around and started leaving the crowded grounds. Jiang Ying Yue's feet automatically moved to follow after him.
When she caught up with him, he glanced at her once and then said, "There will still be quite so ti before we leave, probably a month or two, until one of the crops that the princes would introduce and commission to the masses for planting sprout or yield so produce. Until then, we will have to be here to help. Especially you, since you are a healer. Be careful though, I heard one of the towns nearest to a dead river contracted cholera, and it is one of the mission places."
Jiang Ying Yue nodded. She knew what her role would be in this place.
...
The group that arrived in the eastern region beca quite busy after the ceremony since the three princes had everyone to contribute. Jiang Ying Yue was also contributing.
Many people were amazed that a lady like her knew so much about herbs and dicine. When so asked where she learned her knowledge, she only smiled and said that it was a teacher arranged by Chen Wang. And it was the truth since the old witch agreed to pass down all her knowledge in dicine, gu, and witchery to her due to Jiang Li.
As for Jiang Li, he too, was not truly idle, even if that was what the majority of those around were thinking. The reason was even though officially, he only went with them to escort Jiang Ying Yue, in reality, he was roaming around frequently, especially in the mountains, helping Hai Wang to hunt animals for at, or find crops that could produce yields quite fast. There were two that he discovered, naly the radish and turnips.
In between explorations and escort missions, he was secretly eting or exchanging ssages with the prince and his ssengers. Or if not, he was with the villainess, enjoying so tea with her or watching her paint and write poems.
A whole month passed just like that. Quite a busy but fulfilling one at that, and still a vacation, in Jiang Li's opinion, since they didn't have to deal with barbarians. There was also no need to worry about armies from the neighboring countries sneaking attacks and waging wars against them.
He didn't give much thoughts about the details, but it didn't take that long for the situation at this place to stabilize.
Due to this, when the court summoned half of them back, he didn't hesitate to volunteer his whole army. He, along with the villainess, the leads, and Rui Wang, went back to the capital. Duan Wang was left to deal with the rest which was decided as his self-atonent for the failed rain calling
The group hurrying back to the capital did not encounter any problems along the way. They arrived within a week of traveling and upon setting foot into the capital, were imdiately summoned by the Emperor.
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