The beloved baby has a space

Chapter 756 Investigating the Water Source

【Baby, don't be sad.】

Tuanzi is the one who can best sense Ayu's feelings.

It knew that its child had a knot in her heart, and the identity of her mother was that knot in her heart.

The person named Hanzhi was her first mother in name only, and no matter how others judged her, she loved that mother.

The mother she now considers to be Liu Wan is the one she recognizes as her mother.

Another princess mother appeared, a mother whom Ayu didn't quite agree with, but she tried hard to convince herself to agree.

Because she didn't want to trouble others to comfort her, and she hoped that she could be more sensible, not complain, and even less blame innocent people.

This is a difficult thing for a child who has not yet reached the age of marriage. She did it, but then realized that she was not.

It's like the collapse of a belief built up little by little.

“Elf, I’m not sad, I just feel like I’ve let my mother down a little,” Ayu said to Tuanzi. “I tell myself that I have another mother. Even though she may no longer be alive, she didn’t abandon me, so I can’t abandon her existence.”

She didn't know how to explain her thoughts; only Tuanzi could understand.

I know this isn't your fault.

"This isn't your fault, Ayu." Wang Wulang appeared beside Ayu without her noticing. He hid his worry and forced a big smile. "I was worried before. What if you were some princess's child? I might not be able to protect you. If we went back to our house, Grandma and Fourth Aunt would definitely beat me to death!"

"Pfft—" When Ayu saw Wang Wulang deliberately acting stupid, she couldn't help but laugh.

The others breathed a sigh of relief when they saw her smile.

It's good that you smiled.

After that, the matter became a taboo topic for everyone, and was never mentioned again.

Ouyang Changjing and Shi Zhou were also separated from A Yu, preventing them from staying by her side.

Seeing the royal family of Xifeng Kingdom being driven away in disgrace, City Lord Wan hurriedly declared, "I guarantee with my life that the Holy Envoy's identity is absolutely genuine, there is no doubt about it!"

Even if it's fake, it must be true!

With the underground palace collapsed, his position as city lord was essentially meaningless. He was finally able to resign, so why would he make trouble for himself?

Ayu's emotions came and went quickly. She soon stopped worrying and went to Jiangsai City to discuss the governance of the city with the Protector-General there.

She came to Jiangsai, ostensibly on a mission.

The area around Jiangsai City was rife with bandits, and the wheelchairs that Xiaoyao Wang had ordered from Old Wang finally came in handy, as the endless yellow sand was the perfect place to kill.

We can boldly test the advantages and disadvantages of the wheelchair without fear of being discovered or having our secrets leaked, because all the enemies we discover are dead.

He's a living Yama, he lives while everyone else dies.

Just as he had initially said, Wang Wulang stayed by Xiaoyao Wang's side.

He was once naive, wanting to use a conciliatory approach to make the bandits surrender and accept reform, but in the end, the carefree king was stabbed in the back and his own life hung by a thread.

The bandits even felt insulted and, together with those in the surrounding area, engaged in even more widespread looting.

Among them was a messenger who came to deliver a letter to Ayu. Upon seeing the letter stained with the messenger's blood, Wang Wulang was furious.

It's okay to seriously injure him, but you can't damage Ayu's things!
He roared and charged into the sandy ground, growing rapidly. In less than a month, he became known as the "Little Yama" among the bandits.

When Ayu heard about this, she was in the Protectorate General's office, working with several newly recruited doctors to treat the people in the city.

Tangyuan told Ayu about Wang Wulang's deeds. While bandaging the patient, she said, "Uncle Ashu wants to train Fifth Brother. I just don't know if Fifth Brother will get beaten by Grandma when he goes back."

Wang Wulang used to have some refinement; after all, he was an educated man who had passed the imperial examinations.

As a result, he now spends all his time shouting for violence. He is only sixteen years old, but he is already full of murderous aura. If he doesn't deliberately restrain himself, he could really stop children from crying at night.

After the bandage was finished, the patient looked at his arm, which was wrapped up like a dumpling, and grinned, praising, "Commander Wang is so skillful! I feel like I'm almost cured!"

The other patients listened and laughed in agreement.

"Yes, I feel much better too."

"My wife is dying. If it weren't for Commander Wang, my wife and I would probably only be able to meet again in the afterlife..."

"That's right, that's right. Nobody cared about us poor people before. The current Protectorate is so much better. I really hope you never leave."

"Pah, pah, pah, what are you saying? Commander Wang is a noble person. How can a noble person live in such a place? We just need to remember her kindness at this moment."

Ayu simply listened to what these people were saying.

She knew that some people were deliberately telling her this, just to get more free medicine.

Some people are genuinely grateful.

More than two months have passed, and Ayu has long understood the current situation in Jiangsai City. It's not just a water shortage problem.

Banditry is one problem, but the chaos in Jiangsai City itself is a major issue.

Furthermore, the people here are mostly ignorant and tyrannical, with almost no trust between people. Even close relatives might stab each other in the back for a bite to eat.

Most of the children here do not have complete families; their fathers are unknown, or both parents have died. Beggars and starving corpses can be seen everywhere.

A minor cold could cost the lives of their entire family.

There have even been instances where people, driven mad by hunger in the middle of the night, ate children, ate the elderly, or killed and cooked their bedmates.

Logically, at this rate, the population here should have decreased sharply.

But no, although Jiangsai City's population is not as large as that of a bustling metropolis, it is larger than that of a typical small city.

Because the government here is practically non-existent, there are no taxes, and the local bullies won't rob those who are destitute and impoverished.

Some unfortunate people who can't make ends meet will choose to come to Jiangsai City to try their luck, hoping that they can struggle to survive for a few more years.

Fugitives and escaped slaves also sought refuge here. The area was a melting pot of people, morally bankrupt, and chaotic—a place rife with riots and despair.

Therefore, Ayu doesn't readily sympathize with anyone here, but she still intends to try to change things.

For example, occasionally treating some wounded people is just a tentative first step, only to barely regain the government's authority among the people.

Fortunately, thanks to the ruthless methods of the Carefree King, and the combined forces of the City Lord Wan and his subordinates, the initial chaos was eventually brought under control.

Her own medical skills were not particularly proficient, and she did not intend to use the spiritual spring water on these people casually for the time being, in order to avoid unnecessary trouble.

At this point, she missed her sister Liang Xue very much. If she were here, she would definitely have handled things better.

After all, there are specialties in the art industry.

She once gave Wang Wulang some concentrated water, instructing him to find an opportunity to pour it into the river in Jiangsai City.

Wang Wulang then returned all the water to her and let her decide what to do with it.

Ayu didn't intend to pour it directly into the river, because she wanted to investigate why the river water was so polluted.

In addition, the clear underground river in the collapsed underground palace also caught Ayu's attention.

However, the collapse was too sudden at the time, so she could only take advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention and have Tuanzi help cover her as she threw two bottles of concentrated purified spiritual spring water inside.

After so much time, it should have been effective by now.

"Miss Ayu." Just as I was thinking this, I heard Akagu's voice.

Ayu noticed that Chigou was carrying a package. After finishing her work, she took Chigou to the back office.

Red Dog opened the package, and Ayu saw that it contained a wooden hairpin.

"what is this?"

"This is a Qixi Festival gift sent by the young master through Phantom, and it just so happens to have arrived today," said Red Dog.

Phantom is the cliff eagle that the Empress Dowager lent to Ayu. Now it is named Phantom and is occasionally used to help transport important things.

Ayu had it deliver detailed information about Jiangsai City to Wanning City and solicit the emperor and empress's opinions.

Maintaining order in Jiangsai and enlightening the people were suggestions given to her by the Emperor and Empress.

But it was only a suggestion, telling her to "prioritize her own safety in everything."

Ayu picked up the wooden hairpin and felt its weight; it didn't seem to be made of wood.

“Young master knows that the Jiangsai region is a mixed bag of people, and if you wear gold and silver jewelry, it might attract the attention of scoundrels. Although we can protect you, it is still annoying to people, so we specially made this imitation wood hairpin. It contains ten poisoned gold needles, which can be activated if necessary.”

Ayu touched it with her hand and indeed felt something abnormal on the petals. She remembered that she and Qin Huai had studied some small mechanisms, and this was also made using the method they had studied.

I couldn't help but sigh.

She was a little homesick.

The feeling of leaving one's hometown is indeed not so wonderful.

But the thought that I am learning to be an adult gives me motivation again.

"Sister Akainu, could you please help me put this on? My hands are dirty."

"it is good."

After putting it on, Akainu took out three more bottles and said to Ayu, "These are the waters I collected from the moat, the Thousand River, and the Willow Creek. Take a look."

These three places are all water sources surrounding Jiangsai City. They seem to come from the same source, but the water quality is different.

In short, they all reeked of a foul stench.

Ayu poured all three bottles of water into a white porcelain cup to observe them. After a while, she frowned.

"The water in Qianjiang isn't as smelly anymore, but the water in Liuxi has become even smellier, while the water in the moat hasn't changed much." Ayu pondered, "Could it be that the water in the underground palace is connected to Qianjiang? Then what's going on with the water in Liuxi?"

It seems she needs to investigate the water quality of these waters carefully.

"Sister Akainu, could you please find some skilled swimmers, preferably people we trust? I need their help to dive into various waterways and take a look."

She hadn't given this order before because she didn't want things to come to this point; the water was corrosive and contained unknown parasites, making it extremely dangerous.

But now, we have no choice but to do it.

"Yes."

After Akainu left, Ayu's voice softened: "Elf~~"

What are you planning to do now?

"Are there any protective gear items that can protect people from danger underwater? The kind that the user won't even feel a thing."

[Is a regular one okay? The ones that don't really appeal to me are super expensive!]

"Elf~ You're the best~"

【…】

Soon, the Source Space, which had been quiet for a long time, suddenly received a message from Tuanzi.

Have you prepared everything my baby needs?

Doing this well is a great deed, remember to give me a discount!

[The kind of comminuted fracture!]