Return of the Pearl

In the magnificent governor's residence, Altai, with a serious face, solemnly accepted the message that was urgently delivered from the capital like a gust of wind. Every movement he made was extremely careful and meticulous. Then he slowly opened the letter. When his eyes fell on the secret letter from the queen, his heart couldn't help but tremble slightly, and an indescribable wave surged up.

He held his breath, collected his thoughts, and read the contents of the letter carefully with great concentration. He saw that the Queen's words in the letter were sincere and earnest, and every sentence was full of determination and urgency. She asked him to keep Xiao Yun's life in Shandong at all costs no matter what difficulties and obstacles he encountered.

Altai's mind was as clear as a mirror. He knew that he had no choice this time but to fight to the death and burn his boats. Not only Xiao Yun, but even Qianlong's life must be firmly controlled in his hands, otherwise he would fall into the endless dark abyss and there would be no escape.

At this moment, his brows were furrowed, his eyes showed determination and resoluteness, but also a hint of worry and uneasiness. His fingers were trembling slightly, as if he was fighting against his inner struggle. He thought to himself that this was a battle of life and death, and he could not afford to be careless, and he had to go all out.

Altai never imagined that Yan Xishen was so bold as to collude with Zhao Qixian from Hebei and deliberately spread the drought in Shandong to the capital. This news was like a bolt from the blue, shocking Altai.

He had already planned everything carefully in his mind, intending to wait until all the people in Shandong died in the drought, and then find a way to transfer to other places and start a new career. However, he never expected that Yan Xishen was so treacherous and cunning, like a cunning fox, secretly making trouble and completely disrupting his overall plan.

However, Altai's mind was as clear as a mirror. He knew very clearly that the troops he could mobilize were indeed very limited. After all, this was a serious matter related to rebellion.

He only dared to trust those close confidants of his and those gangsters who could still be used. Even if all these people were counted, there were only a few tens of thousands of them. It would inevitably take a lot of time and energy to mobilize troops and generals.

Altai stared closely at the relief grains that were brought back in front of him. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle, staring intently, his eyes full of solemnity and worry. His brows were furrowed, and the wrinkles on his forehead seemed to be able to pinch a fly to death, showing his deep worry in his heart.

He knew very well in his heart that the emperor must be racing against time to deploy his troops. At this moment, both sides were in a tense confrontation, racing against time, each wanting to grab that precious time difference to see whose troops could reach the destination first.

Altai's mind was thinking rapidly, various thoughts flashed through his mind quickly, and his face became increasingly gloomy, like the sky before a storm.

Altai had already planned everything in his mind. He knew the importance of timing, so he acted decisively and made a quick decision. With a firm gaze and a resolute expression, he immediately ordered the bandits to gallop towards the county government office at full speed and launch a surprise attack.

Deep in his heart, he secretly thought: If this surprise attack can successfully capture the woman named Xiao Yun, then Qianlong will definitely have some concerns and fears, and will not dare to act rashly.

When he thought of this, the corners of Altai's mouth involuntarily rose slightly, and a smug smile quietly emerged. That smile was full of strong longing and desire for victory, as if the dawn of victory was just around the corner and within reach. He seemed to have seen the glory and honor that was about to come, and his heart was filled with endless expectations and yearning.

During today's meal, the atmosphere was so gloomy that it seemed to crush everyone. A sense of dejection was evident. Qianlong frowned slightly and sighed softly. His voice was particularly clear in this oppressive atmosphere: "Everyone, you must firmly believe in your hearts! You must know that the people of Shandong are still desperately waiting for our help! The seven or eight water sources we have are really just a drop in the bucket, far from enough! I hope you will take the trouble to explore more carefully."

Upon hearing this, Fu Heng, Er Kang, and Yan Xi exchanged a look of determination, then solemnly accepted the order and left. Then, they whipped their horses and quickly disappeared into the distance.

Qianlong stayed alone in the county government office, quietly waiting for news from all parties. Time seemed to have stopped, and every minute and every second seemed so long. Finally, Fulun galloped back like a gust of wind.

He dismounted quickly, his face covered in sweat, yet his excitement was unbearable. He eagerly reported to Emperor Qianlong, "Your Majesty, I have already arranged the troops! I will return with a quick report. They will be in Jinan Prefecture, Shandong, in less than an hour!"

After hearing these words, Qianlong felt a warm current in his heart and felt a little relieved. However, at this moment, something unexpected happened that caught him off guard.

I saw a large number of disaster victims pouring into the government office like a tide. They were like ants on a hot pan, rushing here, eager to meet Emperor Qianlong and ask for life-saving food. They didn't know from which mysterious channel they learned that the emperor was here and that the relief food had arrived, so the sad begging and crying sounds came one after another.

The soldiers felt pity for the people and were concerned that they were just ordinary civilians, so they did not try to intercept them with great force. This allowed these frantic victims to break through layers of obstacles like a flood.

Soon, many people rushed into the hall like a whirlwind, came to Qianlong, knelt on the ground with a plop, and banged their heads repeatedly, begging: "Your Majesty, please give us food! Please give us food and water! We are almost starving to death!"

When Qianlong heard these words, he naturally understood clearly. How could he not understand that this was Altai's conspiracy? Now that the grain had been robbed by him, what could he use to give to the people?

Although Qianlong tried his best to appease them, the people seemed to have turned a deaf ear and could not hear a word he said. They were very emotional and the scene became like boiling water, noisy and chaotic. People pushed and shoved each other, and the shouting and crying filled the air. The whole government office seemed to be caught in an uncontrollable vortex of chaos.