Youthful Glory

The calamity of a sea surge is unlike any other—utterly unpredictable and impossible to guard against. No matter how sturdy the dikes of Lingzhou are built, they are only meant to withstand ordinary tidal floods. When a sea surge comes, all defenses crumble, and since ancient times, no one has been able to withstand it. The only solution now is to evacuate the people as quickly as possible to prevent immeasurable casualties.

However, Lingzhou is currently entirely under the control of the Su family. Without their cooperation, this matter cannot proceed. Yet, when it comes to the fate of the nation, nothing is ever easy. Even if it is difficult, a ruler must press forward without hesitation.

The next morning at court, the Chief Astronomer, under Emperor Chengkang’s directive, once again raised the issue of celestial omens. The Left Chancellor also brought up the prophecy of Master Yinchuan.

“Master Yinchuan’s prophecy directly points to Lingzhou—‘the Sea Dragon King emerges,’ which strongly suggests a sea surge. Combined with the celestial omens… I believe we must immediately close Lingzhou Port and arrange for the evacuation of its people to avoid a sudden surge that would leave corpses strewn across the land.”

An official aligned with the Su faction stepped forward to refute: “Fortune-tellers’ alarmist words cannot be taken at face value. Shutting down Lingzhou Port would be tantamount to severing our maritime trade routes—absolutely unacceptable.”

“Master Yinchuan is no ordinary fortune-teller. Are you implying that Emperor Gaozong lacked discernment in recognizing talent?” the Left Chancellor pressed.

As the two were about to argue, another official stepped forward and reported: “Master Yinchuan is indeed a transcendent sage, but this prophecy may not necessarily indicate Lingzhou. Among the coastal towns in the south, there are eight with ‘Ling’ in their names. Lingzhou has never experienced a sea surge before, whereas Ruzhou’s Linghui County once suffered one.

“Moreover, whether ‘the Sea Dragon King emerges’ foretells a sea surge remains uncertain. I believe this matter requires further deliberation. After all, Lingzhou Port is of utmost importance. If we rashly close the port and evacuate the people, and nothing happens, the people of Lingzhou will surely voice their grievances.”

“Minister Xiang speaks wisely.”

The Su faction echoed in agreement.

“‘Wisely’? Since when does a sea surge wait for your ‘further deliberation’?” Jiang Xu suddenly interjected.

He rarely attended court, but for the sake of the prophecy, he had made an exception today.

There was no other reason—throughout the Great Xian court, the only figure feared by all was Prince Dingbei. Given the gravity of the matter and the heated debate among the ministers, if no one took charge, how long would it take to reach a resolution? Thus, Emperor Chengkang had specifically instructed him the night before to attend court today.

As expected, after Jiang Xu spoke, no one dared to refute him for a long moment.

He continued coldly, “Officials attend court, and soldiers fight battles—all for the sake of the nation and its people. Now that the people may face disaster, we must act without hesitation to protect them. Even if this prophecy proves false, a hundred years from now, history will only record His Majesty’s name, condemning him for foolishly heeding a fortune-teller’s words and needlessly evacuating an entire province. What would that have to do with any of you?”

Emperor Chengkang: “…”

Rest assured, the historians won’t spare you either, Prince Dingbei.

Jiang Xu swept his gaze across the assembly. “Conversely, if you obstruct the closure of the port and the evacuation today, and a sea surge strikes soon after, leaving corpses in its wake—will you then claim that such a heavenly disaster is due to the ruler’s lack of virtue and diligence, forcing His Majesty to issue a penitential edict and bear the blame?”

The court fell deathly silent.

Indeed, that was precisely what the Su faction had in mind.

Throughout history, anomalies of heaven and earth were always attributed to the ruler’s moral failings—proof of their unworthiness. If a sea surge in Lingzhou became inevitable, they could then incite public sentiment, forcing Emperor Chengkang to issue a penitential edict and firmly pin the blame on him, absolving the Su family of all responsibility.

As for the Su family and Empress Dowager Su, their considerations ran even deeper.If Lingzhou truly suffered a sea surge, it would be both a crisis and an opportunity for them. An unworthy emperor invites calamity, and replacing him with a virtuous and capable ruler would be a matter of course.

This was also what Jiang Xu and Emperor Chengkang had discussed the previous night. If Lingzhou were lost, the Su family would have nothing to rely on and nothing to fear, making it highly likely they would fight with their backs to the wall. While they were not afraid of the Su family’s desperate resistance, if it truly came to that, public resentment would rise, the people would suffer, and the blame would inevitably fall on the ruler. Emperor Chengkang would have no way to avoid it.

Thus, Jiang Xu had brought the matter to light in court—today, the emperor sought to save the people, but if the officials refused, would they be willing to bear the condemnation of thousands in the future?

The court fell silent.

After a long pause, Emperor Chengkang spoke solemnly, “Issue the decree: Lingzhou’s ports are to be closed immediately. All residents of the thirteen coastal cities must retreat to the western regions of Lingzhou. Yuzhou will keep its gates open for ten days to shelter Lingzhou’s refugees. There must be no delay!”

Emperor Chengkang’s decree was issued, but whether and how it would be executed depended entirely on the Su family. If they did not wish to close the ports or retreat, they could find countless excuses to delay. Thus, Emperor Chengkang and Jiang Xu had devised another plan.

The Northern Army had sent an urgent message overnight, instructing storytellers to spread tales of the divine powers of the "River Guide" throughout Lingzhou and to propagate prophecies of the Dragon King’s emergence. While the Su family was busy suppressing these storytellers for spreading alarmist rumors, several children’s rhymes predicting the sea surge began circulating. Soon, the prophecy became common knowledge, stirring widespread panic.

Lingzhou was prosperous and peaceful, and some dismissed the rumors, remaining unmoved. But there were also many who were timid and fearful, especially those with little to lose. For them, fleeing to avoid disaster merely meant relocating temporarily, with minimal losses. Though the Su family tried to suppress the unrest, they could not stop the growing desire among the people to leave the city.

Two days later, at around 3 p.m., Quan City in Lingzhou was suddenly shaken by a violent earthquake! The ground split into deep fissures, accompanied by thunderous roars. Countless buildings collapsed, and within less than a quarter of an hour, the once-thriving city was left in ruins, filled with terrified screams and cries.

But this was only the beginning of the nightmare. That night, a sea surge struck Lingzhou’s ports. A fierce wind arose, bringing torrential rain and waves as high as two zhang. The violent tides instantly breached the sturdy seawalls and surged forward with unstoppable force, devouring everything in their path.

By dawn, more than half of Lingzhou’s thirteen coastal cities had been destroyed, with countless casualties among the people.

Yet this was not the worst outcome. Before the sea surge, hundreds of thousands had already retreated to western Lingzhou or fled to Yuzhou, escaping the disaster.

“A sea surge in Lingzhou?” Ming Tan was stunned when she heard the news.

For the past few days, her attention had been entirely focused on Zhou Jingwan’s marriage. Seeing her husband leave early and return late each day, she had assumed he was busy strategizing for Rongzhou’s affairs. She had no idea Lingzhou had suffered a sea surge!

That was a place she had visited. Now, reduced to ruins by the earthquake and sea surge, she could hardly believe it.

Not just her—the people of the capital were abuzz with disbelief. Sea surges were rare occurrences, and historical records mostly documented them in remote, insignificant places. A sea surge in Lingzhou’s ports was something unimaginable in the past.

The aftermath was endless. With Lingzhou’s ports closed, maritime trade was suspended, depriving the court of substantial tax revenue. The displaced people wandered aimlessly, and occasional riots broke out, causing numerous incidents.As countless lives were lost in Lingzhou and the bodies could not be promptly dealt with, the warming spring weather brought about an epidemic in the disaster-stricken region. This outbreak even spread to the capital, carried by fleeing refugees.

In these troubled times, Jiang Xu had to set aside matters in Rongzhou, barely touching the ground as he worked tirelessly day and night, disappearing for months on end.

Ming Tan dared not trouble him during such a critical period. She focused on managing Prince Dingbei's Manor, ensuring it remained untouched by the epidemic.

At the same time, unbeknownst to Jiang Xu, she quietly contributed her efforts by setting up a medical clinic outside the city. She hired physicians to provide free consultations and supplied large quantities of medicine to aid those infected in the capital.

If there was any silver lining to the tsunami, it was that Emperor Chengkang regained control of Lingzhou from the Su family without deploying a single soldier.

However, the current Lingzhou lay in ruins, requiring complete reconstruction. Given the precedent of the tsunami, maritime trade could no longer be conducted there. The former Lingzhou Port had to be gradually relocated to the newly developing Tong Port.

Amid his busy schedule, Emperor Chengkang couldn't help but reflect on his fortune in heeding Jiang Qizhi's advice to establish Tong Port as an alternative. Otherwise, the revival of maritime trade for the Great Xian Dynasty would have been delayed indefinitely.

The aftermath of the tsunami, which had struck thousands of miles away, lingered from the beginning of the seventh year of Chengkang's reign until late autumn of the same year.

When the epidemic finally subsided, Lingzhou began steady reconstruction. The court poured all its resources into developing Tong Port, striving to transform the once obscure and rugged town into a thriving second port to replace Lingzhou in the shortest time possible.

For most of that year, Emperor Chengkang was overwhelmed by the Lingzhou crisis. Meanwhile, through Jiang Xu's strategic maneuvering, the Su family's desperate last stand was quietly neutralized.

The Su family had truly reached a dead end. Who could have foreseen that a tsunami would strike out of nowhere? Their stronghold in Lingzhou was destroyed overnight—not by Emperor Chengkang's hand—leaving them utterly aggrieved.

Without Lingzhou and maritime trade, the Su family became a scattered, powerless force. Dealing with them was now as easy as turning one's hand for Emperor Chengkang.

Fully aware of their dire straits, the Su family knew that once the emperor resolved the tsunami's aftermath, they would be sacrificed to appease the souls of Lingzhou's dead. Rather than waiting for the inevitable, they decided to strike first—plotting a palace coup with inside and outside coordination to catch the emperor off guard.

To this end, they secretly contacted the deposed Prince Ping, who had been demoted to the rank of Pingjun Wang and sent back to Yuncheng, among others. Their plan was to assassinate the emperor during the coup and install the young Second Prince—whose mother was of lowly status—on the throne. Using the prince's youth as justification, they would have the Grand Empress Dowager act as regent, with Empress Dowager Su's son, Prince Kang, as a supporting minister, thereby firmly grasping imperial power.

Their ambitions were bold, and their coup plot was meticulously planned. Upon closer examination, it wasn't entirely without a chance of success.

But their downfall lay in facing Jiang Qizhi as their opponent.

Jiang Qizhi's strategy turned their desperate, high-stakes conspiracy into a farce that ended almost as soon as it began. Worse still, they unwittingly handed Lu Ting a major merit for protecting the emperor. Lu Ting didn't hesitate to use this merit to secure an honorary title for his newly wedded wife.For most of the past year, Emperor Chengkang had been preoccupied with the sea flooding incidents and had not attended to any other matters. He endured the scorching heat of midsummer within the palace walls. When late autumn arrived and he could finally catch his breath, he suddenly felt inspired and issued an order for an autumn hunt in the imperial hunting grounds near the capital.