Ye Qing, the ninth-rank magistrate of Taiping County, ignored the objections of the crowd and insisted on imposing exorbitant taxes and levies on a large scale. For Ye Qing, a doctor of history, had traveled through time to Taiping County—where a flood was imminent—after reading ancient texts about floods in a modern museum. He immediately organized the construction of a dam, hoping it would be completed before the flood struck. However, this caught the attention of Su Ningzhao, the reigning empress of the Dayu Kingdom. Accompanied by her guard Huaiyun and Xiaoheng, the national protector and imperial advisor, she arrived in Taiping County to thoroughly investigate the matter of the heavy taxes.Unexpectedly, as soon as they reached the city gate, they were stopped by the gate guards. The guards said that the horses in their entourage were large and "not environmentally friendly," leaving the empress and her party at a loss. Later, the empress and her entourage entered the city on foot. Everywhere they went, t