Chapter 12 — Changed the entire Inheritance Lineage to Choose the Wolf King

Three days after the tense court session, a storm suddenly landed on the east coast of the Bach Lang Kingdom, destroying dozens of houses and flooding many rice fields that were about to be harvested. News spread to the capital in panic — this was the biggest storm in ten years, and the area hardest hit was where most of the kingdom's food reserves for the coming winter were concentrated.

The first reports sent in described scenes of devastation — roofs were blown off, dikes burst, causing sea water to flood into fields, turning green rice fields just a few days ago into salty mud puddles that could not be cultivated for many seasons to come if not treated promptly. Thousands of people lost their homes and had to temporarily stay in tents hastily erected on high mounds, and rumors about the risk of epidemics after the flood also began to spread, making worries even more piling up.

During the emergency meeting of the royal court, a tense atmosphere permeated the large hall. Officials debated about relief plans, about the allocation of food reserves, and about the risk of widespread famine if not handled promptly.

"We do not have enough food reserves to both provide relief to the coastal areas and ensure food security for the entire kingdom in the winter," an elderly mandarin said, his voice filled with worry. "If you share too much, other regions will have a shortage. If you keep too much, the coastal people will starve to death before spring comes."

Yen Chi, sitting quietly listening from the beginning of the meeting, finally spoke up. "I have a suggestion, if you will allow it."

The entire meeting hall was silent, many skeptical eyes focused on her - this was the first time she proactively spoke in such an important meeting.

"Please keep talking, Princess," Lang Phong encouraged, his eyes full of confidence.

"In the Storm Wolf Clan, whenever there is a natural disaster, we do not distribute food reserves equally to all regions," Yen Chi began, her voice calm. "Instead, we apply a phased rotation method - the areas with the worst damage are given priority for food in the early stages, when they have not yet had time to restore production, while other areas only need to temporarily reduce their rations, not cut them completely. At the same time, we propose to mobilize a force of healthy young people from unaffected areas to support coastal areas in restoring fields as quickly as possible, so that they can soon be able to provide themselves with part of the food, reducing the long-term burden on warehouses. stored together."

A silence filled the meeting hall as the officials considered the proposal. Chu Dinh Vu, standing in the corner of the room with a still reserved expression, was the first to speak.

"This is a viable option," he admitted, somewhat reluctantly but sincerely. "I can mobilize a part of the army that is not on border defense duty to support the recovery work."

"I also agree," Dich Bach Duong continued, his eyes full of appreciation looking at Yen Chi. "This is a much more balanced solution than the options we discussed previously."

Lang Phong looked around the meeting hall, saw most of the officials nodding in agreement, and decided to conclude. "Then we will follow the proposal of the princess. Dinh Vu, you are in charge of mobilizing the army to support the restoration of production. Mr. Dich, you are in charge of distributing food in stages."

The meeting ended with a specific plan, and in the following days, Yen Chi personally went with a delegation of officials to the damaged coastal area to supervise the implementation, despite warnings about safety from those around him.

"Your Majesty does not need to come here personally," a local official said when he saw her wading through the mud to check on the situation of a heavily flooded village. "This job can be assigned to subordinates to do."

"I want to see with my own eyes what the people need," Yen Chi replied, undeterred by the mud all over her clothes. "Paper reports cannot convey the true suffering of people."

That action quickly spread throughout the coastal region, then gradually reached the capital - not through malicious rumors as before, but through true stories from the people who witnessed with their own eyes the future royal concubine wading through the mud, rolling up her sleeves and helping them rebuild their homes.

"The princess is really different from what people say," an old woman in the village told her daughter, not knowing that the story would soon reach the ears of many people in the court. "I have never seen a noble willing to wade through mud with commoners like that."

Some nights, Yen Chi stayed right in the temporary tent area with the people, eating the same thin porridge they were sharing, sleeping on the same temporary mats on the wet ground. She didn't do this to show off, but simply because she understood that, coming from a small, impoverished clan like the Storm Wolf Clan, the suffering of people losing their homes after natural disasters was nothing new to her — she had witnessed similar scenes during the summer floods of her childhood.

Three weeks later, when the coastal restoration work achieved the first positive results — food production was expected to recover faster than initially estimated, and no serious famine occurred — public opinion in the court began to change markedly.

Even Chu Dinh Vu, who was the most skeptical, had to admit it in front of Lang Phong. "Your Highness, I must admit, the princess has a realistic vision and rare leadership ability. I was wrong to hastily underestimate her."

"You don't have to tell me," Lang Phong replied, smiling. "You should tell her directly."

That evening, Dinh Vu came to Yen Chi and bowed his head in a rare solemnity. "Your Highness, I apologize for my disrespectful attitude when we first met. I misjudged you."

"No need to apologize, general," Yen Chi replied, smiling sincerely. "Your skepticism comes from your responsibility to protect this kingdom, which is something to be respected, not blameworthy."

Dinh Vu stood still for a moment, then bowed his head once more, his voice had a rare sincerity in a person who always kept a serious look. "From now on, the princess can trust me like you trust your highness. If there is anything that requires military strength, please do not hesitate to call me."

That promise, although simple, carried no small weight to Yen Chi - because she knew that once Chu Dinh Vu placed his trust in someone, he would be absolutely, unshakably loyal.

Recognition from those who were once the most skeptical brought Yen Chi great comfort, but she knew that this was just a small step on the long road ahead - because those spreading malicious rumors rarely gave up just because of the opponent's temporary successes, but would often find a way to change tactics, waiting for a more favorable opportunity to strike. The malicious rumors remained, and she sensed, without concrete evidence, that this was not the last battle she would face.

That evening, when she returned to her room, she received her first response from Dinh Thi Le - a short but meaningful letter.

*"Dear, I don't dare write too much detail in this letter for fear of being discovered. But I want you to know, recently I happened to see in Tieu Yen's room an old notebook that she always kept secret. I don't dare look for it because I'm afraid of being discovered, but I believe, if there is any evidence of that strange scent, it could be in that notebook. Please be careful, and don't let anyone at Bach Lang know that I'm helping you investigate this matter — I'm afraid that will put you in more danger."*

Yen Chi read the letter over and over again, her heart beating faster. This is the first concrete clue she has — a notebook that may contain the secret to Huong Du Or. She knew she needed to find a way to access the contents of that notebook, by any means, before Tieu Yen could strike the next decisive blow.

She folded the letter, put it in the small wooden box where she kept all the most important letters since leaving her hometown, then stood up and walked to the window to look out at the starry night sky above the Moonlight City. The road ahead was long, but for the first time in months, she felt like she was no longer groping in the dark — she had a clear direction to pursue.