Chapter 1476: Her Highness the Princess (22)

There was one thing that brought Yun Buxiu some comfort.

The Eldest Princess still had occasional use for him.

For example, she would ask him to predict the weather and determine whether it would rain in the coming days.

As summer approached, Tang Guo recalled that every year brought disasters of some sort—drought in the north and floods in the south. Coincidentally, Yun Buxiu had accompanied the Emperor to visit her.

“Imperial Preceptor,” she called.

“Your Highness, what are your orders?” Yun Buxiu was delighted to be summoned. As long as she made use of him, he felt that his position as Imperial Preceptor had not been in vain.

The system rolled its eyes. Look at that eager expression. Yun Buxiu, what happened to being a lofty recluse? Even your attendant is staring at you speechlessly. Do you have no concern for your image?

“Imperial Preceptor, I would trouble you to calculate whether there will be drought in the north this year and what the rainfall in the south will be like. Will there be floods?”

As soon as Tang Guo finished speaking, the Emperor's expression darkened.

When disasters beyond human control struck, the people not only suffered hunger, but their lives could also be endangered.

Floods, in particular, often came suddenly and without warning.

One of the reasons he had been so pleased to recruit Yun Buxiu to Northern Xia was because of his extraordinary divination skills.

“Very well. I shall perform the divination immediately.”

Truth be told, Yun Buxiu had not conducted a formal divination since arriving in Northern Xia.

He seldom practiced divination, and when he did, it was usually for major matters, as such calculations consumed considerable mental energy.

Since this matter fell within his duties as Imperial Preceptor, he naturally could not neglect it.

However, even before performing the divination, he had vaguely sensed that Northern Xia, which had once shown signs of decline, was gradually growing stronger.

Yun Buxiu’s methods were not as complicated as legends described, but because this involved affairs of great importance, it still required time.

About an hour later, his face had turned pale.

“Yingzhu, pour a cup of tea for the Imperial Preceptor.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Yun Buxiu opened his eyes. At the final moment, the crease between his brows relaxed, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

“Your Majesty, Your Highness, there will be no floods in the south this year, but the drought in the north will be severe.”

The Emperor was puzzled. “If the drought is serious, why are you smiling, Imperial Preceptor?”

“Because even though the drought in the north will be severe, it will not lead to complete crop failure as in previous years. There will be no widespread hunger, nor will people starve to death.”

As he spoke, Yun Buxiu looked at Tang Guo with a smile.

So the improving fortunes of Northern Xia all originated from this Eldest Princess.

Yet this mysterious princess remained beyond his comprehension.

He could not divine her origins. All he could perceive was an overwhelming destiny surrounding her, as though a thick veil of mist concealed her true self.

Though he sensed something unusual, he still could not see through it.

The Emperor was a perceptive man. Seeing Yun Buxiu gazing at Tang Guo, he asked, “Guo’er, do you have some plan in mind?”

“Father Emperor is wise. Several months ago, your daughter sent people throughout the land, and even to other kingdoms, to gather seeds. I had only intended to study them, but unexpectedly, I discovered a treasure. With it, I can guarantee that hunger will no longer be a problem.”

Naturally, the treasure she referred to was the potato.

And the potatoes she had introduced included varieties suited to every kind of environment.

“Where is it?” the Emperor asked excitedly.

“After discovering the remarkable qualities of this crop, your daughter ordered three mu of land to be planted with it. If Father Emperor has the time, we can go and see it today.”