Free Web NovelChapter 136: Chapter 136: She Scared the Rain Away
Wei Yufu was truly quite reluctant.
After leaving the mansion, she sat in the carriage with an unhappy expression.
Fearing she wouldn’t cooperate, Minister Wei coaxed her, "Yufu, you need to be a clever girl." fгeewebnovёl.com
"As long as we can make the Emperor believe you are the blessed girl, our family will basically have a Death Exemption Token."
Wei Yufu scoffed. "But Father, even if I’m not the blessed girl, our family is still doing great!"
"Auntie is one of the Emperor’s favored consorts, and my cousin is the Sixth Prince. Our family gets a share of all the best things from the palace every year."
"What difference does it make whether I’m the blessed girl or not?" She didn’t understand why her father was always pushing her to fight for the title.
’Summoning clouds and calling for rain is something for immortals. I can’t do it, and I certainly don’t believe anyone else can either!’
’Only a fool of an Emperor would believe it!’
Minister Wei shook his head, sighing inwardly. He had raised his daughter to be too sheltered; she didn’t understand anything about the ways of the world.
"I’ll ask you just one thing: do you or do you not want to become a female official to the Crown Prince?"
At these words, Wei Yufu was left speechless and could only nod silently.
She had known since she was a little girl that if she became a female official to the Crown Prince, she could, at the very least, become a concubine later on.
And once the Crown Prince ascended the throne, her status would become even more distinguished.
Minister Wei said, "Well, there you have it. The Crown Prince and your aunt have enmity between them, but if you are the blessed girl, the Emperor will surely send you to his side."
The Wei Family wasn’t interested in fleeting fortune; they wanted prosperity that would last a lifetime.
That was why they were willing to go to any lengths, to exhaust every method, just to have Wei Yufu secure the title of "blessed girl."
After hearing her father’s explanation, Wei Yufu was finally willing to cooperate, and a look of anxiety even appeared on her face.
She even urged the driver, "Faster! Go to the most crowded place. I want everyone to see that I’m the one who prayed for this rain."
The Wei Mansion’s carriage arrived at the central market.
The torrential downpour couldn’t dampen the sheer joy in the hearts of the Capital City’s people.
Every household brought out basins to catch the rainwater. Children ran through the streets and alleyways, their joyous laughter filling the air.
The moment the carriage stopped, Wei Yufu stepped on the driver’s shoulder to descend.
The ground was a mess of muddy rainwater, and she frowned in disgust.
Outwardly, however, she had to feign delight as she fluently recited the lines Minister Wei had taught her—
"Last night, I dreamed that the Rain Godess blessed me and told me there would be a great rain today. Just as she promised, it has come to pass!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the maids and servants from the Wei Mansion gathered around her.
They responded with a thunderous, rehearsed cheer: "Our Miss is truly blessed! The auspicious sign from your dream came true! This is the Rain Godess showing you her grace and protection!"
Their shouts attracted the attention of the nearby commoners, and curious glances were cast in her direction.
Whispers rippled through the crowd—
"Isn’t that Miss Wei?"
"I’d only heard rumors that she could pray for rain. I never expected to see it for myself, but it seems to be true."
"So, does that mean this downpour is all thanks to her?"
Minister Wei didn’t get out of the carriage. He lifted a corner of the curtain to listen in, extremely satisfied with the result.
He shot Wei Yufu a meaningful look.
’Her praying-for-rain act needs to be more dramatic, enough to move everyone!’ freeweɓnovel.cøm
The Emperor’s eyes and ears were all over the Capital City; they would certainly learn of everything that transpired here.
Wei Yufu understood.
She lifted her skirts and knelt on the ground, pressing her palms together. In a poised and serene voice, she prayed, "If this rain could fall even heavier, this humble devotee vows to perform a good deed every day, asking only for the Rain Godess’s blessing."
With that, she kowtowed heavily.
Wei Yufu’s eyes were filled with absolute confidence.
’A downpour this heavy has already soaked me to the bone. It’s more than enough.’
’So there’s no way her prayer could be wrong.’
However!
To everyone’s utter astonishment, the moment Wei Yufu finished her kowtow, the heavy rain abruptly stopped.
The blazing sunlight quickly broke through the dark clouds, casting its rays upon the drenched earth.
"What’s happening?" Wei Yufu was stunned. The ends of her hair were still dripping, but the sky had already cleared!
The crowd looked up toward the sky.
The dazzling sun slowly emerged, its brilliant rays filling the sky.
In the span of a few gusts of wind, the heatwave swept over them once again.
The children grew fearful at the sight of the sun.
A little boy burst into tears, wailing, "It was her! She scared the rain away!"
Several adults also started pointing at Wei Yufu—
"Everything was going just fine, then she had to rush out and kowtow. Now look what happened. She must have offended the Rain Godess."
"It’s one thing for her to cause offense, but she’s dragged the rest of us down with her! I hadn’t even collected a few basins of water yet. Dammit!"
"Some blessed girl who prays for rain? Hah! Go back to being your precious Miss Wei!"
Listening to the crowd’s accusations, the color drained from Wei Yufu’s face.
She gathered her skirts and stood up, fuming. "You bunch of lowlives—"
Before she could finish her tirade, Minister Wei urgently ordered the servants, "Quick, get the young miss back in the carriage! Her clothes are soaked through."
Wei Yufu was dragged back into the carriage, cursing in a rage. "Father, it’s one thing for those people not to thank me, but how dare they speak so insolently! Send men right now to arrest them all and give them a harsh beating!"
Minister Wei’s expression was grim. "This isn’t the place to make a move. The Emperor’s men are surely watching from the shadows. We’ll leave for now."
As he spoke, he couldn’t help but glance at his daughter.
’It really was uncanny,’ he thought. ’The moment she knelt, such a heavy downpour stopped on a dime.’
’Could it be that impersonating the blessed girl has truly angered a Heavenly God?’
After the Wei Family’s carriage departed, the Emperor’s Hidden Guards among the crowd also hurried back to the Imperial Palace to report the incident.
「Meanwhile, with Shen Ningning.」
Chen Ye had already restrained Ba Deshun and dragged him before the little one.
Shen Ningning sat upright in her carriage. Dressed in a bright yellow dress, with a small, fair, chubby hand resting on her shoulder, she looked absolutely adorable.
"Ba Deshun, where do you think you’re running? Did you pay the silver?" The little one glared, her voice surprisingly imposing.
When Ba Deshun saw her, he wanted to start cursing. But then he remembered she was now the Funing Village Chief, someone he couldn’t afford to offend.
He gnashed his teeth in hatred, but forced a fawning smile onto his face. "Village Chief, what brings you here today?"
Shen Ningning’s little brow furrowed.
Chen Ye immediately shoved Ba Deshun. "Cut the nonsense. Pay the old man his wages now. Double the amount—those were your own words!"
Ba Deshun cried endlessly in his heart.
’How did this little terror manage to spot me?’
"Village Chief, that old man was spouting nonsense. I just said that to get rid of him, you can’t possibly take it seriously, can you? Besides, this is none of your business..."
Shen Ningning pursed her pink, tender lips. "None of my business, is it? Fine. Then I’ll just get someone whose business it is."
With that, she looked to Chen Ye. "Take him to the Capital City Government Office. We’ll act as witnesses for the old man. Let’s see how he tries to deny it then."
The color drained from Ba Deshun’s face.
Going to the government office was a minor issue, but if word of this reached his father-in-law, things would get very difficult.
He hastily changed his tune. "Village Chief, please, don’t! I never said I wouldn’t pay. Lao Si, quick, give him the silver for me."
Ba Deshun’s servant had no choice but to step forward and hand a bag of silver to the old man, who was standing nearby, waiting with hopeful eyes.
Shen Ningning lifted the curtain with a small hand, her voice soft and sweet. "Grandpa, count it and see if it’s double. If it’s short by even a single coin, I won’t let him off the hook."
