The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Upon hearing the voice, Lu Yuandao looked up abruptly, her expression one of shock as she surveyed her surroundings. Finally, her gaze settled on Zheng Xun.

She smiled at Zheng Xun, clearly unaware that she was hearing Zheng Xun's inner thoughts.

The emperor and the crown prince exchanged a glance, both puzzled.

The people who heard these thoughts were of different ages and backgrounds, which was truly baffling.

Lu Yuandao composed himself: "Yang Feng's plan for controlling the flood was stolen from the woman's biological mother."

Not many people believe this statement.

There was no other reason than that the mother she spoke of was merely a concubine.

"Yang Feng knew nothing about water management, so even with the blueprints, he still couldn't do a good job as the chief physician of the Water Conservancy Bureau. At this time, the construction of the Mingshui Weir had already run into problems, and the Emperor would find out as soon as he investigated."

"My mother's surname is Lu. The Lu family has lived by the Ming River for generations. Our ancestor was Lu Xingyao, who built the Ling Canal. The Lu family has an ancestral book called 'Commentary on Water Management.' Each generation adds a few pages to it whenever there is new progress. The book is now in its third volume."

"By the time of my mother's generation, the family had fallen into poverty and all her elders had died. In order to survive, she had to sell herself at a young age and eventually became the concubine of a wealthy man."

"When the Ming River flooded, my mother couldn't sleep at night. She read through the 'Commentary on Flood Control' again and again, and combined it with her own ideas to write down four strategies for controlling the flood. However, Yang Feng presented these strategies in his own name."

Lu Yuandao clenched his fists in grief and indignation: "He got the benefits, but he was afraid of being exposed, so he secretly strangled my mother and told the outside world that she had died suddenly, and hastily buried her."

Zheng Xun sighed softly.

[Lu Yuandao was intelligent and naturally noticed the anomaly, but she was very cautious and investigated secretly for a long time before confirming that the murderer was actually Yang Feng.]

[In her memory, she was surrounded by her mother's guidance and companionship, and on the other hand, her father's indifference and the torment of the inner quarters. Without hesitation, she made a decision—she would avenge her mother.]

Lu Yuandao: That's right, but how do you know so much? Why don't you open your mouth when you speak?

The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review gestured to her, signaling her to calm down.

Lu Yuandao didn't understand.

However, she was intelligent and could roughly guess the situation from everyone's expressions. So, she suppressed her doubts and waited to see how much Zheng Xun knew and what he could say.

However, at this time, Yang Feng was entrusted with an important task by the Emperor. Although she didn't want to admit it, she knew very well that the life of a concubine was insignificant compared to what Yang Feng was about to do.

Besides, where could she find someone to stand up for her? She was so insignificant that no one was willing to stoop down and listen to her.

But she wasn't going to sit idly by and wait for her fate.

If she feels too insignificant, then she will make herself shine; if she must seize the power of discourse to make her voice heard by those in power, then she will do everything in her power to grasp the handle of that power.

Without hesitation, she decided on the path she wanted to take—to replace Yang Feng.

The crowd looked at Lu Yuandao with admiration.

No one could have imagined that such a small and thin body could contain such a resilient and awe-inspiring soul.

Fortunately, she was of the Lu family bloodline, and her mother did not bring the Lu family's life-giving text, "Commentary on Flood Control," into the Yang family.

Lu Yuandao seized an opportunity to escape and took "Commentary on Flood Control" from the Lu family's old residence. Although she had never seen the book before, her mother knew it by heart, and she had learned it from her own experience. This time, it was more like she was taking away an old friend.

She changed her name, dressed in men's clothing, and followed the flood control team to the banks of the Ming River.

She saw the great river that her ancestors had protected for generations. It surged and flowed through valleys and plains, giving hope to the lives on both banks, and bringing them disaster as well. It stood there quietly, unchanging through the ages.

For some reason, this first glance at each other stirred a tear in Lu Yuandao's eye.

Lu Yuandao: You understand me! That's exactly how I feel!

After that, she measured the banks of the Ming River step by step, observed the terrain around the river, and even infiltrated government offices to find opportunities to consult the local county annals.

The hardships and suffering she endured are self-evident. Moreover, she was a young woman who managed to maintain her disguise for many years without being discovered. One can imagine how ruthless she was to herself.

After having some initial ideas about how to manage the Ming River, she resumed her original identity and returned to the Yang residence.

[A daughter who had been missing for over two years suddenly returned, but instead of the joy of a long-awaited reunion, she was met with countless rumors and malicious slander.]

However, Lu Yuandao's mind wasn't on this; she was concerned about Yang Feng's progress in controlling the floods, and how... she could kill him.

With his death, she had a chance to catch the emperor's eye. The plan was far from perfect, but given her circumstances, what other choice did she have?

She was originally going to fail, because the person interrogating her was the former Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

[Then her appeals will be ignored, her demands will be seen as unreasonable, and in the end, she will endure thirteen rounds of torture without confessing, and die on the winter solstice of that year.]

[But the former Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review inexplicably pleaded guilty and inexplicably confessed that he had wrongly judged three cases. By this time, he had already been demoted to the Northwest to suffer hardship.]

Fortunately, Lu Yuandao met the right person this time, and the construction of the Mingshui Dam can continue.

Lu Yuandao: So that's how it is? What do you mean, so her future has changed? Could this young girl, who looks so noble, possibly predict the future?

She was confused.

At this moment, the emperor's gaze towards Lu Yuandao changed instantly.

This isn't some suspect at all! This isn't some insignificant little girl at all! This is clearly a pillar of his family!

He listened patiently to Lu Yuandao's story, then personally helped her to her feet: "Now, tell me, what else do you want?"

Lu Yuandao seized the opportunity to say, "This humble subject has two requests to Your Majesty."

"Tell me?"

"First, Yang Feng's achievements originally belonged to my mother. I beg Your Majesty to clear my mother's name! Second, I wish to enter the court as an official, with dignity and honor, as a woman!"

Her voice was strong and resolute, unwavering and unyielding.

The emperor's brow relaxed slightly: "I agree, but only if you can build the Mingshui Dam properly. Otherwise, I will hold you accountable."

Lu Yuandao was overjoyed and bowed solemnly: "This humble subject will certainly not fail Your Majesty's expectations."

The goal was achieved more smoothly than she had expected, and she was afraid that everything before her was just her imagination or a dream.

Zheng Xun: ? ? ?

"No, you just agreed? I remember there weren't any female officials in the previous Great Yong Dynasty, right? Won't Father get a severe scolding for this? Do you really think those old scholars in the academy and those rigid old men in the court would agree to this?"

Emperor: While they are still frightened, this is the perfect time to put things into practice.