Two carriages slowly made their way towards the outer city, almost reaching the edge of the inner city.

Guo Tianyang peered through the carriage window, his brows furrowed.

After several days of heavy rain, all districts had varying degrees of standing water. Even at the edge of the inner city, poor management had allowed water to accumulate to considerable depths.

The situation in the outer city was likely to be even worse.

But before they could enter the outer city, something more troubling occurred – a light drizzle began to fall from the sky.

Guo Tianyang couldn’t help but feel relieved that he had brought several umbrellas.

His Majesty would surely want to get out of the carriage soon, and it wouldn’t do for him to get wet.

Emperor Jing had clearly heard the raindrops hitting the carriage roof. He glanced outside, a flicker of concern crossing his eyes, before closing them and pretending to doze off.

Upon entering the outer city, Guo Tianyang’s fears were realized.

Thunder boomed overhead as the rain intensified.

The severity of the flooding in the outer city far exceeded the understated descriptions in the official reports.

The water had already risen to cover more than half of the carriage wheels.

The outer city, hastily constructed, lacked a well-designed drainage system. Years of neglect had further compromised its functionality, rendering it practically useless in the face of such a downpour.

Even more alarming was the debris floating in the floodwaters – household garbage and even human and animal waste – creating an unbearable stench.

Emperor Jing, roused by the thunder, slowly opened his eyes and stared out of the carriage, stunned.

Before him lay a vast expanse of water, with not only garbage but also wooden stools and other objects floating on the surface.

Emperor Jing squinted into the distance, thinking he saw what looked like a piece of clothing. He instructed, “Go and see what that is.”

An accompanying guard, receiving the order, jumped down from the carriage and waded through the water towards the object.

Soon, he returned cradling the “clothing,” his face crestfallen. “Your Majesty… it’s a child. Probably tripped on something and drowned…”

As thunder continued to rumble overhead, Emperor Jing felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

Whose child was this? By the looks of it, only a year or two younger than Yuanzhao. Just… drowned like that?

Guo Tianyang felt a lump in his throat. No one in the palace knew Emperor Jing better than he did.

Over the years, as His Majesty had aged, his heart had grown softer. Seeing a child about the same age as the Crown Prince drowned like this – it must be tearing him apart inside.

The three Cabinet Elders in the following carriage poked their heads out of the windows, catching sight of the body floating in the water.

They all fell silent. The empire was supposed to be at peace, yet such a tragedy was openly occurring in the capital.

The three men couldn’t help but sigh deeply in the carriage.

“In recent years, I’ve often seen reports of deaths from flooding in the official documents, but I never imagined I’d witness it firsthand… it’s just…” Zhang Dongxiang trailed off, unable to continue.

The words “too horrific to bear” stuck in his throat.

Zheng Qiao sighed, “Natural disasters are beyond human control… life and death are determined by heaven. This must be fate.”

Zhang Dongxiang’s face suddenly reddened, his emotions rising. “This is no natural disaster! It’s clearly the negligence of officials! How can there be no flooding in the palace and nearby outer city, yet it’s allowed to happen here?”

Li Yansong closed his eyes, pretending to doze off while his mind raced.

The tragedy had already occurred. There was no point in arguing about it now. It would be better to think of ways to solve the problem.

There were still some people on the streets – some carrying children, others lugging bundles. Perhaps their homes had collapsed, and they were seeking a way out.

As the carriage ventured further into the outer city, progress became increasingly difficult, slowing to a crawl.

The driver dared not speed up. If they hit a large rock or hole hidden beneath the water, the entire carriage might overturn.

Emperor Jing grew restless. “How far are we from Dengjin District?” he asked.

Guo Tianyang quickly replied, “We’ve arrived, it’s just ahead. Your Majesty, why don’t we find a place to rest once we’re in the district? We can return to the palace when the rain stops. Shall we still visit the Crown Prince today?”

“No, not today. Since we’re already out, let’s take a look at Dengjin District. We’ll visit Banshan District after the water recedes.”

Guo Tianyang poked his head out, surveying the street. Suddenly, he exclaimed excitedly, “Ah! Your Majesty, there’s a pavilion by the street. It’s tall and large, not yet submerged. Why don’t you rest there for a while? I’ll send someone to find Lord Yan.”

Emperor Jing nodded.

The carriage laboriously made its way towards the pavilion. As they finally reached its side, Emperor Jing prepared to disembark. But as he lifted the carriage curtain, he froze.

The pavilion wasn’t crowded at all. Instead, a circle of common folk stood beside it.

There were elderly people, women holding children, the frail shivering from the cold.

Standing on the carriage steps, Emperor Jing called out to the crowd, “Why aren’t you inside the pavilion? There’s plenty of room!”

The simple, honest commoners looked at this richly-dressed man, shaking their heads in unison, then huddled closer together, seeking warmth.

Emperor Jing was at a loss for words. He looked from the pavilion to the people and back again. With one step, he could easily enter the pavilion from the carriage.

Instead, he jumped directly into the water and waded towards the crowd. His guards followed suit.

Guo Tianyang and the three Cabinet Elders watched in alarm, then also jumped into the water, following the Emperor.

Reaching the circle of people, Emperor Jing called out, “Why won’t you go into the pavilion to shelter from the rain? Why are you standing in the water when the wind is strong and the rain is heavy?”

An old man, hearing his loud voice, quickly tugged at his sleeve and said nervously, “Don’t shout! Don’t shout! That pavilion isn’t for the likes of us. Don’t you know there’s a scholar in there?”

“This…” Emperor Jing was momentarily speechless, his mind struggling to comprehend.

What did that mean? Commoners couldn’t enter a pavilion just because a scholar was inside?

A woman standing in the water tried her best to keep her head low, desperately trying to shield the child in her arms from the rain. But it was futile – both she and the child were soaked to the bone.

The child wailed in the woman’s arms, and she could only tearfully whisper words of comfort.

Anger suddenly flared in Emperor Jing’s heart. He turned and strode towards the pavilion.

Guo Tianyang hurriedly ran back to the carriage, grabbed two umbrellas, and brought them to the crowd. The old man accepted an umbrella and held it over the woman.

Emperor Jing, filled with rage, approached the pavilion. Before he could step up, a man dressed as a guard appeared before him.

“You can’t come up. It’s full here.”

Emperor Jing tilted his head to look into the pavilion. Inside sat several young masters in fine silk robes, leisurely sipping tea.

One of them, feeling his gaze, smirked disdainfully and continued drinking.

Emperor Jing, his face expressionless, said, “It’s not full. I see so much space here. If everyone squeezed in, there’d be room for all to stand. How is it full?”

The guard folded his arms and sneered, “Heh, it’s full because I say it’s full! Is this a place for the likes of you? Who do you think you are?”