There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 438 The King's Panic

All eyes instantly focused on the source of the sound.

It was Zoya Savar, who had been standing silently not far behind the old Prince Suleiman!

She had now removed her usual understated headscarf, revealing her full face; her emerald eyes, illuminated by the starlight and firelight, seemed to shimmer with a special glow.

Her face was filled with awe and an indescribable excitement. She pointed southwest, then looked at the old prince, as if seeking confirmation.

Prince Su Suman slowly turned around, his aged face appearing particularly solemn in the light and shadow.

He didn't look at the king, but gazed intently at Zoya, then looked towards the dark night sky to the southwest. After a long while, he spoke slowly in a heavy but clear voice:

"A star falls in the southwest, the Valley of Tears... the shadow of the sandpiper reappears in the sky..." He spoke each word extremely slowly, as if each one weighed a thousand pounds. "Ancient texts record that this is... the lamentation of the earth's veins, a warning from the heavens, the old master's obscurity, and the sign of new shoots breaking through the sand."

"Wow——!"

The old prince's words were like sparks thrown into boiling oil!

His prestige and familiarity with ancient texts made his words carry far more weight than the king's rebuke.

"The former master is tarnished? Could it mean..."

"New shoots breaking through the sand? This..."

"The sand sparrow totem...that's from a deceased western tribe...could it refer to someone with tribal blood..."

The whispers could no longer be suppressed, and countless gazes shifted between the King, Prince Basha, and Princess Zoya with suspicion and uncertainty.

King Ardan's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and Prince Basha was both shocked and furious, glaring fiercely at Zoya.

"What nonsense are you spouting! What miracle? Someone must be playing tricks on you!"

Zoya, however, seemed lost in a profound shock and a sense of enlightenment, completely oblivious to the market's roar.

She took a few steps forward, reaching the edge of the observatory, facing southwest. Suddenly, she clasped her hands together in front of her chest, performing an extremely ancient, almost lost prayer ritual belonging to desert tribes, murmuring in a voice that was not loud but loud enough for those nearby to hear:

"Tear Valley...is it not only the riverbed that has dried up, but also the hopes of the people? Sand Sparrow...Mother...are you reminding me?"

Her voice choked with emotion, revealing genuine feelings; the compassion and the heavy sense of burdening her as if she were bearing some kind of destiny were extremely moving.

Just then, from among the people below the observatory who were originally allowed to pay their respects from afar, an old voice suddenly began to sing something in a hoarse tone.

At first, it was just a few scattered notes, but soon more and more people joined in, their voices growing louder and louder, eventually coalescing into a deep and mournful wave of sound.

It's "The Sand Cries"!

That folk song, composed by Gu Ziying, has quietly spread among the common people!

"The wind cries, the sand howls, the mine is deep and dark, with no end in sight..."

The singing reached the observatory, eliciting various expressions from the nobles, with the king and the bazaar looking particularly grim.

Some lower- and middle-ranking officials and guards, listening to the lyrics of this straightforward lament, witnessing the "miracle" that had just occurred, and recalling the various rumors circulating recently, began to have complex expressions in their eyes.

"It's 'The Cry of the Sand'! The people are all singing it!"

"Could it be that the God of Stars really heard the cries of the sand?"

“Princess Zoya… the greeting she just performed was an ancient one! She remembers her tribe and her traditions!”

"She seems...very sad? Is she grieving for Tear Valley, for the people?"

Whispers from the crowd began to rise, though muffled, words like "Princess Zoya," "miracle," and "compassion" kept floating in.

On the Purple Star delegation's side, Liang Yuying nodded slightly and whispered to Li Shuchen, making sure the Bo Yu Kingdom officials nearby could hear her.

"The stars are warning us, public sentiment is unsettled, your country... seems to have a deeper meaning behind this," the speaker said meaningfully.

Li Shuchen fanned himself, clicking his tongue in amazement.

"Incredible! Incredible! This stargazing night is even more spectacular than our Purple Star's fireworks display! There are shooting stars guiding the way, ancient folk songs, and even a princess's insights... Even a playwright wouldn't dare to write something like this!"

Her words, though seemingly naive, were like a soft knife.

Princess Changning asked with feigned curiosity, "Tears Valley? It sounds so tragic. Why is Princess Zoya so moved? Is there something special about it?"

She successfully steered the conversation back to Zoya's connection with "miracles".

Ye Bingli gently raised her head, looking at the figure by the independent platform of Zoya, and whispered to Gu Ziying beside her.

“Ziying, look at Princess Zoya’s back... doesn’t she resemble those prophets in ancient paintings who are about to shoulder the fate of their people?”

Her voice was soft, yet carried an ethereal certainty, drifting into the ears of several noble ladies nearby.

Gu Ziying sighed softly and spoke gently in the tone of a well-bred young lady discussing the current affairs.

"Although the celestial phenomena are unusual, they are ultimately illusory. However, the princess's compassion for the people at this moment is real and touching. If all rulers had this kind of heart, how could the country not be well governed?"

These words struck a chord with some nobles who were dissatisfied with the status quo.

On the observatory, the situation was already simmering out of control.

King Ardan was in a dilemma; he could neither deny the unusual phenomenon that had been witnessed by so many, especially since the old prince had already endorsed it.

And they absolutely cannot accept that this strange phenomenon be interpreted as detrimental to them.

He forced a smile, trying to salvage the situation: "The movement of the stars has its own profound meaning, which should be interpreted in detail by the priesthood! Today's ceremony is now complete, everyone..."

"Father!"

Zoya suddenly turned around, her face still streaked with tears, but her emerald eyes burning with unwavering determination. She addressed the king, and everyone on the observatory, clearly stating...

"Guided by the stars and driven by the will of the people, all point in one direction—our nation is sick, it is bleeding, it is parched! The parchedness of Tear Valley is merely a symptom! What is truly parched is fairness! It is hope! It is the king's sense of responsibility towards his people!"

Her words were powerful and resounding, like a thunderclap, leaving everyone dizzy and disoriented.

A princess who had never been valued actually spoke such sharp and pointed words at the sacrificial ceremony, in front of the king and all the nobles!

"Zoya! You're insane!"

The market prince was furious and was about to rush over.

Prince Suleiman suddenly stepped forward, blocking Zoya's path. Though he didn't speak, his protective stance made Bazaar stop in his tracks.

King Ardan trembled with rage, pointing at Zoya: "You...you..."

Zoya showed no fear. Her gaze swept over the nobles with their varied expressions, and over the darkness below the stage where the faint strains of "The Sand Cry" could be heard. Her voice suddenly softened, yet carried an even greater power:

“I’m not trying to blame anyone. I just… don’t want to close my eyes and plug my ears anymore. I just want to ask everyone here, every Boyu citizen under this starry sky—do we really want to continue like this? Do we really have the heart to watch ‘Sand Cry’ continue to be sung forever?”

She paused, then spoke each word carefully, as if making a vow:

“If the stars have given me inspiration, if the cries of this land have awakened me, then I, Zoya Saval, hereby swear: I will do everything in my power, even as insignificant as a grain of sand, to moisten an inch of parched land, to illuminate a dark corner, and to find a different path for the Kingdom of Boyu, a path where everyone can live like a human being!”