I, Am a Living Yama, Empress Advises Me to Stay Calm-Chapter 231

Chapter 231

Zhu Biao stood frozen beside the pit on the banks of the Western Water Gate. For a moment, he couldn’t process what he was seeing. Crawling out of the churned-up soil were dozens—no, hundreds—of crayfish.

They had once been a diplomatic gift from Great Zhou, delivered to the Ming Imperial Palace half a year ago. Zhu Biao clearly remembered the fanfare with which they had been received, displayed as exotic delicacies from a distant land.

How could these creatures have ended up here, of all places—beneath a critical dam?

And more baffling still, how had such tiny creatures managed to dig so many tunnels beneath the earth?

He glanced at his father. Zhu Yuanzhang was just as stunned. The two exchanged looks, eyes wide with disbelief, neither of them speaking for several long moments. The silence stretched until Zhu Yuanzhang’s expression darkened, his features twisting with rage.

“I knew it…” he growled. “Those crabs the Zhou sent us—there was never any goodwill behind that gift. These things are pests. It was all intentional.”

Zhu Biao felt an icy chill creep down his spine. So this was the Zhou Dynasty’s scheme—silent, insidious, and completely unexpected. If the dam hadn’t collapsed today, they would never have discovered the infestation hidden beneath their very infrastructure.

His father’s fury continued to rise. Zhu Yuanzhang bared his teeth and barked, “Quick! Have the men bring nets! Catch every last one of these vermin. I won’t allow them to wreak more havoc.”

At once, the guards standing nearby sprang into action. They scrambled down the side of the damaged embankment, nets and tools in hand.

But just as they began clearing the pits, an overwhelming wave of crayfish surged out from the holes. They scattered in all directions like a living tide—dozens upon dozens, perhaps hundreds.

Zhu Yuanzhang’s scalp prickled at the sight. The sheer number of them was staggering. His face twisted in horror.

“How can there be so many? There are more here than in our entire Imperial Garden!”

Beside him, Zhu Biao stared, stupefied. The pit in his stomach deepened as a dreadful possibility occurred to him. Swallowing hard, he turned toward his father.

“Father Emperor… could it be that these creatures reproduce at an astonishing rate? That’s why there are so many?”

Zhu Yuanzhang’s expression turned grave. He had reached the same conclusion.

“If these things breed quickly and undermine our dams, it’s not just today’s flood we have to worry about. It’s a disaster in the making for all of Great Ming.”

His voice sharpened with urgency. “Biao’er, we must immediately issue an imperial edict. Capture them all—every last one of these so-called gifts. If we let this go unchecked, more disasters will follow.”

Zhu Biao nodded grimly, his brow furrowed.

That afternoon, within the solemn halls of Fengtian Palace, Minister Li Shanchang entered with a stack of memorials clutched in his hands and a troubled look on his face.

“Your Majesty, this is the situation report from the flood. Please take a look.”

Zhu Yuanzhang accepted the document, his brows already drawn tight. He read only a few lines before his expression turned thunderous.

“Over ten thousand mu of fertile land destroyed… nearly ten thousand casualties… and more than a dozen villages submerged?” His hand trembled slightly as he gripped the memorial.

The atmosphere in the hall turned suffocating. No one dared to speak.

With a furious slap of his palm on the table, Zhu Yuanzhang exploded, “The Zhou Dynasty—this was a premeditated attack on Great Ming. Despicable!”

Zhu Di, standing a few paces away, instinctively shrank back, drawing his shoulders inward. The knowledge that this plot from the Zhou might be in retaliation for actions involving him weighed heavily on his mind. He drew in a sharp breath, about to speak, when footsteps echoed outside the hall.

An elderly figure entered—a man with graying hair and a scholar’s bearing. It was Song Lian, the Vice Minister of Revenue. His face was pale with concern.

“Your Majesty, troubling news from Hedong. This year’s grain harvest is down again.”

A tense silence fell. Officials glanced at one another, unease creeping into every corner of the room. One calamity after another—it truly was misfortune upon misfortune.

Zhu Yuanzhang’s voice was low and cold. “Why? This year’s weather has been stable. Why the repeated decrease in yield?”

Song Lian gave a wry smile. “The local authorities conducted an investigation. They found that the rice fields are riddled with holes. A great many seedlings were damaged. Reports describe a strange insect—dark green in color, soft-shelled, and armed with pincers. Similar creatures have been found in other regions facing poor harvests.”

Gasps and uneasy murmurs broke out among the officials. Li Shanchang’s face went slack with disbelief. The description—it matched those creatures exactly.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood motionless, his body rigid as stone. His eyes stared blankly at nothing in particular, lips trembling.

“So all of our crop failures these past six months… were because of these things?”

Just then, another figure stepped into the hall. It was the Duke of Cao, Li Wenzhong. He took in the grave expressions on everyone’s faces and felt a twinge of unease, but proceeded with his report nonetheless.

“Your Majesty, there’s been another troubling report. The provinces around Yingtian Prefecture are experiencing a sharp decline in fish production. Aquaculture farms have suffered heavily.”

He hesitated, then added, “They say it’s the same creature—dark green, soft-shelled, with enormous pincers. It multiplies rapidly and is extremely aggressive. Wherever it appears, fish stocks vanish. The ponds become barren.”

A collective breath caught in the hall. Goosebumps ran down their backs.

Once again—crayfish.

Agriculture, fisheries… it was all being destroyed.

Zhu Yuanzhang’s vision swam. His knees buckled slightly, and he had to grip the table to steady himself.

No wonder the Zhou Dynasty had sent them. At the time, he’d thought it was merely a symbolic gesture. He had been utterly mistaken. These creatures were nothing short of a catastrophe. Whoever engaged with them was doomed.

They had destroyed his dam, triggering a catastrophic flood across Great Ming. They had ravaged rice fields, crippled grain production, and now even the fishing industry was collapsing beneath their claws. The people of Great Ming were staring down a year of bitter loss.

Beside him, Zhu Biao felt his scalp go numb.

“The Zhou Dynasty’s scheme is far too insidious and ruthless… This style—could it be the work of the Living Yama?”

Suddenly, understanding dawned on the court.

Of course. Who else but that Living Yama could have conceived such a vicious and underhanded plan?

To unleash a species Great Ming had never before encountered—an invasive plague that was now wreaking havoc across the empire.

Worse yet, the creatures were multiplying at a terrifying pace.

Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes narrowed, a chill piercing straight to his heart. His scalp tingled.

Yes. This had all the markings of Yang Yi’s handiwork.

This wasn’t just a strategy. It was retribution—cold, methodical revenge against Great Ming.