"But, Sir—" The woman tried to plead for help once more.
The man, however, had understood the subtle intention behind the official's words. He promptly helped the woman to stand.
The man immediately shook his head and said, "Don't kneel any longer. They won't come to our rescue. Let's go, we will save ourselves."
He dragged the woman away in panic.
They had heard that this county was providing disaster relief, which caused them to endure hunger and come all the way here. Yet, they never expected that the government would ignore the trapped villagers.
The callousness of the government brought utter desolation to the couple.
They both wanted to find their daughter, yet they couldn't cross the torrential floodwater. They could only pin their hopes on the government and the Elder Princess.
The woman was wailing with heart-wrenching cries, all with deep disappointment in the government in her eyes. She couldn't help but scold, "Why is the government being so heartless? They sent so many soldiers here, yet not a single one is saving people."
"Once the people are rescued, then they become the good guys!"
"They speak of the Emperor's bountiful grace in distributing food, but it's just superficial work!"
"The Elder Princess has given so much for our rescue effort. Those peculiar lightweight boats must be so expensive - you couldn't buy those even with a large amount of grain! Not to mention, even women joined her."
"Compared to her, the Elder Princess seems to have a heart of a Bodhisattva. The government is so incompetent and cold-hearted; no wonder the Elder Princess is rebelling. Disgraceful!"
The woman regretted her lack of courage to say these words in front of the officials and had to hide them.
At this, the man's face instantly changed.
He anxiously scanned his surroundings and whispered, "Hush, do you want to lose your life?"
"No matter what, we shouldn't speak carelessly about the government and the Elder Princess. As commoners, we just need to survive."
"We should not get involved with these political matters."
The couple was starving, their stomachs sticking to their backs. The Elder Princess did offer aid, but the number of disaster victims was too large, and the distributed supplies were barely enough to fill their stomachs.
While it was insufficient, they knew the Elder Princess did her best.
They initially thought that the government would offer aid in the disaster, but they never imagined that their plea for their daughter's rescue would enrage the official, causing them to miss out on the disaster-relief food.
When they returned to the outskirts of Liujiang City, stars were spinning in their eyes. This place was teeming with disaster victims waiting for their loved ones.
Everyone was waiting there, hoping to spot their relatives on the lifeboats.
As soon as the couple reached there, they heard a command from the Elder Princess that immediately eased their heart.
The Elder Princess said: "The mountain flood will come tomorrow, you need to leave this place!"
"I assure you, we will do everything in our power to rescue everyone before the flood arrives."
"You can wait for news in the nearby county city. The government has sent people for disaster relief; you can also go there—"
Before she could finish speaking, an angry villager, unaware of the government's attitude, interrupted her. He yelled defiantly, "I lost my son and daughter-in-law. You have to guarantee me that you will find them, and bring me back before you do anything else."
"It's been two days already, and you haven't found them!"
"Are you planning to give up? Is that why you're asking us to leave?"
"Until my son and daughter-in-law come back, I'm not going to leave. I'd rather die here."
The man's words garnered a lot of support.
Indeed, human nature is a complex matter. Some people are thankful, while others always demand more.
Among them, some were shouting loudly: "I am waiting here too for my father to return! Why doesn't the royal court send troops to save us?"
"We will not leave! We want to see our relatives return with our own eyes!"
As they grew increasingly agitated, even showing signs of wanting to clash with the soldiers, Elder Princess was about to speak, but the captain of the female guards intervened before she could.
The captain addressed the crowd, saying: “Are you all blind? Can't you see that everyone, including Elder Princess, is completely worn out?”
"Under the guidance of the Divine Lady, Elder Princess immediately dispatched troops to Liujiang City day and night upon learning of the flooding incident."
"Do you think the lifeboats appeared out of thin air in just these few days?"
"No! They were made by craftsmen commissioned by Elder Princess with a large sum of money."
“Those of you whining here would be better off using your strength to save yourself, or to help save others!”
"In my view, saving dogs would be more fruitful than saving you. At least dogs wag their tails at us. When we save you, all you do is rant and rave."
“Why don't you take your complaints to the royal court! No, you know full well that the royal court would have you executed, while Elder Princess is merciful and tolerates your complaints.”
"You skip towards the court when they distribute relief supplies, yet you choose to turn a blind eye to the soldiers who are here to rescue you."
"Look at the soldiers around you; look at the wounds on their bodies, the blisters on their hands. It’s all because of saving you."
“If you really were capable, you would volunteer to help save others!”
"Knowing full well we’re shorthanded and exhausted, all you do is complain. Why don’t you do something?”
The words of the captain earned the silent applause and cheers in the soldiers' hearts.
As expected from Sister Ge, who is just good at challenging people!
Over these days, the soldiers and the female guards have become familiar with each other. They consider the female guards as equals, as one of their own.
It turns out that women can be as brave as men, like Ge Qing.
She is brave enough to find Elder Princess in front of everyone, speak for others and take the lead. Even the men, they feel dwarfed by her.
The couple, who were recently expelled by the royal court, directly started crying once they heard Ge Qing's words.
Although the words were harsh, compared to the inaction of the royal court, Elder Princess is far superior.
So, when people began to complain about the lack of strict management by Elder Princess and loudly demanded to seek help from the royal court.
This couple quickly stepped out and said: “Everyone, calm down first, let's not pray for the royal court to send troops.”
"We just got kicked out by the royal court, they are not willing to send troops to save people.”
What?
Unwilling?
How can this be?
Isn't the Emperor supposed to be benevolent?
Someone immediately questioned: "Impossible! The royal court has dispatched so many soldiers for relief, they cannot possibly turn a blind eye to us, you two must be Elder Princess's propagandists."
"I can't believe the court would stand idly by and watch people die. Let's all go together and ask the court to send troops for rescue."
As the Elder Princess planned the rescue mission, she heard their intentions to seek aid from the court. A faint smile of indifference graced her lips. Well, let them go.
Some people, they won't listen no matter how others try to persuade them.
They must be humiliated and slapped in the face before they awaken.
But when they do turn back, it's already too late!
The Elder Princess is a person of tolerance, but she is not a person of kindness. She can be magnanimous, but she can't be good. These two words, kindness and goodness, should never appear on those who hold power!
