RMWDS -Chapter 247 0% Natural, Purely Artificial, Highly Polluting

Miao Yunyou became even more curious.

“Leave? Oh, you mean taking time off?

“Of course that’s fine.

“But why would everyone suddenly take leave together? Did something happen?”

Mu Ziqi sighed.

“Previously, didn’t Her Highness the Princess announce that a royal prayer temple would be built on Mount Xuanwu for Emperor Wen, to pray for the prosperity of the nation and the health of the emperor?”

Miao Yunyou nodded.

“Oh, right. That thing. I almost forgot about it.”

After all, it had only been a cover story. Miao Yunyou had long since forgotten all about it.

“I heard that a few days ago, a torrential rainstorm suddenly struck the mountain. The rain was fierce and lasted throughout the night. More than half of the temple foundations that had already been built, along with the stacked timber, bricks, and stones, were washed away. Construction came to a complete halt, and all the early efforts were essentially lost.”

Mu Ziqi’s tone was heavy.

“And then, early this morning, news arrived from the capital. Emperor Wen has dispatched a special inspector under imperial orders to examine the progress of the prayer temple. They will arrive at Mount Xuanwu in three days.”

Miao Yunyou looked completely confused.

“Wait, I don’t understand.

“The project was damaged by a rainstorm. That’s a natural disaster—something beyond human control. It’s not as if anyone did it on purpose.

“And it’s not like anyone was cutting corners or embezzling materials.

“Why not just report the truth?”

This was what people called force majeure, wasn’t it?

Looking at her straightforward and open expression, Mu Ziqi shook his head helplessly.

“Cult Leader, you don’t understand the implications.

“When Her Highness strongly advocated building the prayer temple on Mount Xuanwu, her main argument was that this mountain was a blessed land of the realm, a place where spiritual energy gathered and where the nation’s fortunes could be protected while Heaven’s favor could be invoked.

“If it is truly a blessed land, then a torrential rainstorm should not descend and destroy an imperial construction project.”

He paused before continuing.

“If we truthfully report that the project was destroyed by flooding, it would be equivalent to publicly admitting that Mount Xuanwu is not a blessed land.

“It would mean that all of Her Highness’s previous claims were false.

“That would constitute the crime of deceiving the emperor.”

Miao Yunyou: “…”

Wait.

That counts?

Her voice was filled with disbelief.

“That’s completely unreasonable! What does a natural disaster have to do with deceiving the emperor?

“No matter how capable your princess is, she can’t control the weather!”

Mu Ziqi let out a faint chuckle, though there was no amusement in it.

Lowering his voice, he said:

“If Emperor Wen truly trusted and cherished Her Highness, then naturally he wouldn’t concern himself with such details. A simple explanation of ‘natural disaster’ would be enough.

“But…”

At that point, he stopped speaking.

He didn’t continue.

Yet Miao Yunyou understood the unspoken meaning.

The problem was that Emperor Wen did not truly trust his own daughter.

Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that an emperor sitting at the pinnacle of power could never truly trust anyone.

Princess Ningyu appeared honored and favored, but in reality every step she took was fraught with danger.

This sudden inspection was not a routine review at all.

It was Emperor Wen using the opportunity to test her and gather leverage against her.

If there was the slightest flaw in the prayer temple project, she could be charged with crimes such as deceiving the emperor, falsely proclaiming a sacred land, and wasting state funds.

Once it was explained that way, Miao Yunyou finally understood.

“I understand now. So you want to take leave and go back to help? That’s fine. I approve.

“Is there anything I can do to help? What are you lacking the most right now?”

Mu Ziqi hadn’t expected her to offer assistance so readily. A trace of emotion flashed through his eyes.

He quickly cupped his hands in salute and spoke sincerely:

“To be honest, what we’re lacking most right now is manpower. The temple’s doors, windows, beams, pillars, and railings all need to be hand-carved with auspicious cloud patterns and mythical beasts. The craftsmanship is extremely complicated and the standards are very high. There can be no mistakes.”

Miao Yunyou immediately understood.

Ancient craftsmanship relied entirely on manual labor. Delicate carving work like that couldn’t be rushed.

With only three days to complete what normally required more than ten days of work, even if they gathered every person on the mountain capable of holding a carving knife, it would still be impossible.

Miao Yunyou nodded confidently.

“You said that imperial inspector will arrive in three days, right?

“Okay, I get it.

“You stay here and continue doing your work. Don’t worry about this matter anymore. I’ll think of a solution.”

A look of delight instantly appeared on Mu Ziqi’s face.

He repeatedly bowed and saluted her, his expression full of gratitude and trust.

“Many thanks, Cult Leader, for your generous assistance!”

Although he had not been here long, he already understood just how miraculous and seemingly limitless Miao Yunyou’s abilities were.

If Cult Leader Miao said she could handle something, then it would definitely succeed.

“Oh, right,” Miao Yunyou suddenly added. “I have a question.

“Once this temple is finished, what’s it actually going to be used for?

“Will the Princess live there regularly? Or will monks and Taoist priests be invited to chant scriptures and perform rituals?”

Mu Ziqi replied:

“After the temple is completed, a portrait of Emperor Wen will be enshrined within it.

“In a sense, it can be considered an imperial palace of sorts.

“Therefore, ordinary people are not permitted to enter freely. Even those who wish to burn incense or chant scriptures may only do so from outside the courtyard.”

Miao Yunyou’s eyes immediately lit up.

“Alright. Now I completely understand.”

“Go take care of your work.”

As she watched Mu Ziqi leave, a clear and comprehensive plan had already formed in her mind.

If hand-carving couldn’t be finished in time, then they simply wouldn’t use hand-carving.

Modern society excelled at standardized, mass-produced building materials.

Machine-carved decorative panels featured neat patterns, excellent workmanship, and incredibly fast production speeds.

Forget three days—even one day would be enough to gather all the materials they needed.

Without delay, Miao Yunyou called the construction manager over once again.

The moment she saw him, she got straight to the point.

“I need to ask you about something.

“I want to buy some decorative panels. The kind that already have dragons, phoenixes, and all sorts of carvings on them. You know—the really flashy-looking kind.”

The construction manager paused.

“Boss Miao, do you mean the decorative panels we’ve been using in the restaurant and inn interiors?

“Of course we have those. They’re custom-made from the best materials. We just received a shipment.

“Would you like to inspect them? I can take you to the warehouse right now.”

Throughout their partnership, Miao Yunyou had always trusted their work and had never once inspected any deliveries.

Why was she suddenly interested in checking materials now?

Still, he wasn’t worried. Their products were genuine and their craftsmanship was solid.

Miao Yunyou shook her head repeatedly.

“No, no, no. Not that kind.

“I mean the kind that still looks pretty nice on the outside…

“But in reality is 0% natural, 100% artificial additives, highly polluting, packed full of formaldehyde…”

She paused before delivering the final blow:

“The kind of junk so terrible that even a portrait hanging inside would have its luck ruined.”

The construction manager froze completely.

He stared blankly at Miao Yunyou for several long seconds before finally managing to respond:

“…Huh?”