Chapter 141: Misfortune Is What Fortune Leans On

Dragged out of bed early in the morning, Velis was still half-asleep.

She looked at the sweating soldier kneeling below, with newly promoted officers and soldiers standing on both sides—her own picks.

At this moment, their faces were all grim.

Something serious had happened.

“Speak. What is it?”

“Lord, before dawn… the granary at the North Gate… was….”

The soldier stammered in fear.

“Burned!”

“What!?”

Velis shot to her feet, instantly wide awake.

“Wang Defa!?”

“Didn’t I assign people to guard it day and night? How did it get burned!?”

Velis couldn’t help but curse, and it was only thanks to Hill Yu beside her holding her back that she didn’t explode further.

Her chest rose and fell violently.

Velis glanced at her Imperial Sister.

Then turned to the soldier again.

“How much grain was burned?”

Velis tried her best to remain calm.

But when the soldier gave the number, she truly couldn’t stay composed.

“Reporting… Your Highness, the fire is under control now, but the tally….”

“About one hundred fifty thousand jin of grain was burned… almost a third of the North Gate granary.”

At these words, Velis suddenly felt lightheaded.

She staggered backward, only to be caught by Hill Yu and Anne.

“Imperial Younger Sister!”

“Your Highness!”

Falling into their arms, Velis jolted.

Anne, where are you touching!?

“Are you alright, Imperial Younger Sister?”

Hill Yu pulled her up and helped her sit in the main seat.

Velis’s expression shifted rapidly.

A surge of anger made her ears and mind ring with an unbearable roar.

“Your Highness! Please take care of your health!”

The officials below knelt in pleading.

They were anxious but didn’t dare disturb further.

These people had either been promoted from miners or selected from the surrendered City Defense Army.

Now, they were utterly loyal to Velis, eager to see her build the beautiful Ushi City for all.

But just as things were starting, this happened!

“I… I’m fine….”

Velis rubbed her temples and sat upright.

She turned to the trembling soldier, her voice now cold.

“Was the cause of the fire found? Where are last night’s guards?”

“Your Highness, the fire… the cause was a soldier named Ned. Last night, he… he drank with other guards on duty….”

“He got excited and accidentally spilled wine on the table’s oil lamp, instantly igniting the flames….”

“And where is he now?”

Velis asked icily.

“Afraid of punishment, he… he’s already escaped.”

The soldier answered, shaking.

At that moment, Hill Yu leaned in and whispered in Velis’s ear.

“I’ve already ordered the city gates sealed and the search inside the city. He shouldn’t have left—none of the four gates reported seeing him go out.”

Velis nodded.

She trusted her Imperial Sister to handle things.

“And the others who drank with him?”

Velis continued.

“All have been captured and tied up….”

Taking a deep breath, Velis said, “Let’s go. Take me to see.”

When the Lord traveled, all arrangements were made quickly.

Sitting in an ordinary carriage, Velis saw Nidnia and Borden, who were out early giving speeches and maintaining order.

Behind them followed the Terrence brothers.

“Your Highness!”

Nidnia said anxiously.

“We heard what happened. What do we do now?”

“Sorry, Your Highness.”

Borden and Terrence looked ashamed.

“It was our failure to guard properly.”

They were in charge of patrols, never expecting something like this to happen.

After these days of Velis’s leadership, the Terrence brothers—especially Feidi and Andy—had completely cast aside their doubts about her.

Fully devoted to assisting and following her.

“Alright, it’s not your fault. There are bound to be lapses when new officers take charge.”

Velis sighed, then suddenly smiled.

“But perhaps this isn’t entirely a bad thing.”

The girls inside the carriage looked at her in surprise.

One hundred fifty thousand jin of crucial grain burned—how could this not be a bad thing?

Then what counted as a bad thing?

“Nidnia, Borden, Uncle Terrence, there’s something I need you to do.”

Velis beckoned them closer and whispered instructions.

Their faces instantly lit up with confidence.

“Haha, Little Will… ahem, Your Highness, rest assured! If it’s anything else, we wouldn’t dare say, but this is what we do best!”

Nidnia patted her chest in assurance.

“Then I’ll count on you.”

Velis smiled.

Departing from the Castle Lord’s Mansion, it took an hour and a half to reach the North Gate granary near the Ring Road by the city walls.

The journey was delayed by the crowds of fervent civilians.

But the incident had already happened; being anxious wouldn’t help.

So Velis leaned out the window, soothing the people with gentle words along the way.

Approaching the North Gate granary, the scent of scorched grain filled the air.

Voices of alarm rose nearby.

Soldiers were cleaning up the scene, and worried civilians crowded around.

“With the granary burned, won’t food prices in Ushi City skyrocket?”

“Who says they won’t? The small merchants will probably take the chance to hike prices!”

“I just hope it doesn’t affect the An Ding Liang distributed by Her Highness. I haven’t collected today’s share yet!”

Velis, wearing her elegant Imperial Princess attire, accepted Hill Yu’s hand and stepped down from the carriage amidst the astonished gazes.

“It’s the Second Imperial Princess and the Grand Princess! The Lord and her retinue have arrived!”

In an instant, people knelt, bowing low.

“My people, rise!”

Velis called out in a clear voice.

“What happened today, you all see—it’s the evil forces lingering in Ushi City at work!”

“They lurk in darkness, plotting to shatter the peace and happiness we strive to protect!”

“But my people, you need not fear!”

“Follow me! I, the Imperial Princess, will lead you to destroy all darkness and sweep away all evil!”

“Even with the granary burned, you need not worry about An Ding Liang or food prices!”

Velis proclaimed loudly.

Her next words left everyone wide-eyed in disbelief.

Even Hill Yu, Anne, and the other girls.

“From this day forward, all expenses of the Castle Lord’s Mansion are halved, and the Inner Granary is opened to fully guarantee everyone’s An Ding Liang and stable food prices!”

Velis’s words were like a stone thrown into a pond, stirring a thousand ripples.

For a moment, the crowd was stunned, then someone wailed:

“Your Highness, you mustn’t!”

“Lord, this cannot be! We’re mere commoners—if we must die, so be it! How could we let the Lord take out her own food to save us!?”

“We follow and support you, Your Highness. If you fall, who will lead us out of the darkness and restore Ushi City?”

“Your Highness, please reconsider!”

Moved by the outcry, the commoners within sight knelt again, begging Velis to retract her command.

How fortunate were they to have a Lord who loved her people like her own children!?

How fortunate was the Empire to have such a wise and virtuous Imperial Princess!?

She had not only lost her identity, was forced to wander among the people and endure hardships.

Her reputation had been slandered, leaving a mess behind!

Yet even so, at this moment, she still thought of her people and the Ushi City she promised!

For a time, almost all civilians and soldiers knelt in tears, pleading with Velis not to go so far.

“That’s right! Your Highness, we’re just commoners—already used to hunger!”

“Missing a few meals is nothing. But you must never suffer for our sake!”

Among the crowd, Borden and Nidnia disguised themselves as civilians, begging with all their might.

They acted as if they’d rip their own hearts out for Velis.

The surrounding people, moved, also pleaded for Velis not to do it.

“My mind is made up! No one may persuade me further!”

Velis looked at the people before her, her eyes red.

“I, Velis Egbert! Was once stripped of my identity, robbed of everything by traitors!”

“I was lucky to survive!”

“So, I understand your hardship, your pain, your hopes better than anyone!”

“I, too, have begged for a mouthful of grain, gone to bed hungry, woken cold and in pain!”

“I have longed to eat and dress warmly, to sleep without fear of someone breaking in to drag me away, my life at the mercy of others!”

“I have wished for everything you have wished for!”

“And because of your desires and your help, I, Velis, reclaimed all I had lost!”

“You are my benefactors and my most beloved people!”

“Enough words. As long as I am Lord, I will never let my people or my benefactors starve!”

The moment Velis finished, a group of civilians crawled over, wailing.

“Your Highness! You are our benefactor, our true Lord!”

“As long as you are here, we will devote ourselves, generation after generation, to serving you!”

Thunderous cries and steadfast vows erupted.

Velis opened her arms, embracing it all.

Not only her eyes, but those of Ophelia, Hill Yu, and the others behind her, were red with emotion.

No matter the schemes or tricks, only a torrent of true hearts as vast as the Milky Way was truly unstoppable and unmatched!

At the same time, it was the most precious treasure.

They were more valuable than any high-level magic, lost forbidden spells, even cities, wealth, or power.

With them, all things were possible.

And, most importantly, it was the kind of happiness and fulfillment that nothing else could match!

Nidnia, Borden, and the others also worked hard.

Under her direction, they turned the disaster scene into a platform for spreading her message.

As Velis issued the Lord’s Order on the spot, word of the burned granary and the Imperial Princess’s sacrificial kindness spread far and wide.

Though it sounded exaggerated, in this world, for a noble—let alone an Imperial Princess—to offer her own wealth for the people was like cutting out her own flesh.

So it was clear—the fire of loyalty to Velis had ignited throughout Ushi City.

The surging tide could not be stopped!

Hill Yu and Anne rejoiced for her—unexpectedly, Velis had turned the crisis into soaring fame and honor.

Perhaps it truly was not entirely a bad thing!

Ophelia gazed in awe at Velis, who was surrounded by supporters.

In the corner, Becky sobbed, feeling she had brought disaster upon Velis.

She was promptly scolded harshly by Velis.

And dared not think that way again.

“Let’s go. Now that the people are calmed, it’s time to settle accounts.”

Velis resumed her stern expression.