Yun Hao was so stunned he dared not step forward to interrupt.
Wang Shi, pressed down in the cell, looked up at Jiu'er. She was so young, yet understood the bigger picture. She was truly her precious granddaughter.
Lord Wang's whiskers bristled with anger at first. After hearing the debate, his face turned from green to pale.
He scrutinized the little girl again from head to toe.
"Continue," Lord Wang gritted his teeth. If he let this old woman get away with toying with him so easily, where would his dignity go?
A'Jiu swallowed, glanced at her grandmother, and knew her parents' lives depended on her grandmother's rain-making ritual.
"If Heaven bestows timely rain and the earth brings forth grass, the people of Nanzhou County, even if they have to eat grass, will certainly not resort to eating human flesh.
This way, the plague can be halted from spreading. The Prince of Nanming City would then not need to spend a fortune to transport water all the way from Lingnan.
If Lord Wang promises Wang Shi to pray for rain, it would be a virtuous deed. He would be promoted and rewarded by the Prince, gaining titles and status. This would benefit the people, the military, and yourself, with no harm whatsoever."
"Eloquent and clear, you speak with such conviction. Little girl, I can see you are no ordinary child. So, I ask you."
Lord Wang pondered. The girl's analysis was comprehensive, leaving almost no room for error:
"If this old woman fails to bring rain, how should I deal with her?"
A'Jiu took a deep breath and secretly glanced at her grandmother.
Actually, it was her grandmother who was praying for rain, and she truly didn't know if it would work. Her heart sank with a mix of anxiety and hope.
"If the rain fails to come, you will be punished according to the law. Lord Wang will have no harm, only benefit."
As these words left her mouth, A'Jiu's hands trembled. She had to first help her grandmother secure an opportunity to pray for rain before she could know if it was possible.
"Well said, we shall proceed as you suggest. However, I shall add one condition: if the heavens do not cooperate, you shall also be punished."
Lord Wang said calmly. Just as the girl had said, he stood to gain. But to dare to be presumptuous before him, one had to pay a price.
Otherwise, how could he command respect in the future?
A'Jiu's body trembled. She gritted her teeth and stood her ground. "This humble woman is willing to accept punishment."
"Good." Lord Wang gave an order, and people immediately began to rearrange the altar.
He also ordered A'Jiu to be escorted to the back courtyard of the yamen, so she could witness firsthand whether the rain would fall or not.
Lord Wang sat in a pavilion, leisurely sipping cups of fine tea.
In the courtyard, yamen runners who had escorted Wang Shi and the others gathered. This time, they had not informed the city's populace, to avoid them crowding outside the yamen again.
Furthermore, if it did not rain, Lord Wang's reputation would not be tarnished for a second time.
"Sister A'Jiu, will your grandmother really be able to pray for rain?" Yun Hao, who had taken on the task of escorting her, asked.
His thin arms and legs, pressed down so hard, made him fear they might break.
A'Jiu did not reply, as she herself did not know.
She watched as her grandmother bathed and changed, donning a yellow robe embroidered with various black horizontal stripes.
The offering table was prepared, laid with offerings and an incense burner.
Wang Shi looked at the Bagua disk placed on the table. She stood still, gazing at the sky from time to time.
As if waiting for something.
"Grandmother, please bring forth the rain. This time, even your granddaughter has been put on the line. If anything goes wrong again, there will be no one to save us by rushing around."
"Master, your disciple prays for rain today. Please lend me your strength."
Wang Shi first lit three sticks of incense, then picked up the wooden sword from the yellow cloth platform.
She brought her fingers together, closed her eyes slightly, and then began to chant incantations, invoking the thunder god, the lightning goddess, and the decree of the wind. A'Jiu could not make out what she was saying.
"The old woman chanted like this last time as well," Lord Wang said from the pavilion, pouring himself another cup of tea, looking as relaxed as if waiting to watch a show.
"Lord Wang, will it work or not?" his attendant whispered.
"We shall see."
A'Jiu shifted her gaze, staring intently at her grandmother. "Please, it must work."
Just then, Yun Jie came running in from outside the yamen and entered the pavilion. "My Lord, Li Dachang requests an audience."
"What does he want?" Lord Wang wished fewer people knew about this matter at this moment, to avoid losing face.
But then he remembered that the old man had given him five hundred taels of gold. He was indebted. "Let him in."