Returning after a three-year escape from death, the tyrant has turned evil.

Chapter 111 What to Do

Song Yi stared at him in disbelief.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Lanye learned it so quickly and even mastered its essence.

Under Jiang Lanye's repeated instructions, Song Yi reluctantly led Xichun out.

The night wind still carried dampness. Xichun was worried that Song Yi was not fully recovered, and asked in confusion, "Your Majesty, what are we going to do out here? You've just recovered, be careful not to fall ill again."

Song Yi covered his mouth with his hand to prevent air from getting in, and said:
"When I was chatting with the soldiers today, I noticed that several of their shoes were worn out, and the soles were almost flat."

This can't go on. They walk so much every day, on muddy roads and roads full of gravel.

With so many days to go, if things continue like this, they won't have any new shoes to replace, and sooner or later their feet will be worn out.

Xichun exclaimed in surprise, "Your Highness, you want to make shoes for them? But we don't have that much material!"

Song Yi knocked on the door of a house.

The woman inside watched the two warily. Song Yi smiled, handed the prepared hairpin to the lady, and said, "Sister, I'd like to ask if you know how to sew shoes?"

These women lived in poverty, and mending clothes and shoes was a daily routine for them.

She nodded blankly and asked, "Does the young lady need her shoes repaired?"

Song Yi shook her head.

They have to leave early tomorrow morning. There are so many soldiers that even if we give these women money to help with the repairs, they probably won't be able to finish.

Moreover, even if it's repaired, it might wear out again in less than two days.

"I came because I heard there are people in the countryside who specialize in selling straw sandals, and I wanted to ask if you know how to make them?"

The woman nodded, pointed casually, and said, "Look, you can use grass like this from the roadside. Choose the longer, yellowish ones, preferably still a little damp, so they're easy to bend."

"However, those kinds of shoes wear out very easily. People usually wear cloth shoes."

If only we had that much fabric.

Song Yi smiled and said, "That's great! That's exactly what I want to learn. Can you teach me?"

Seeing that Song Yi and Xi Chun were two young girls, and especially since Song Yi had a harmless smile, she let them in.

Half an hour later.

Song Yi smiled and thanked them before leaving. Wearing the straw sandals she had just made herself, and carrying the shoes she had worn when she arrived, she walked back home.

Inside the mansion at this moment.

Jiang Lanye was already standing under the eaves, staring expressionlessly at the empty doorway.

Seeing this, the palace servants wanted to ask Jiang Lanye if he wanted some tea, but seeing his icy expression, they dared not speak again.

A series of light footsteps sounded.

Jiang Lanye's eyes flickered, his pupils reflecting Song Yi's figure, and his gaze finally settled on her.

She guessed that Jiang Lanye would be waiting for her to come back, so she ran up to him and said triumphantly, "Look!"

Jiang Lanye looked intently at her face, gazing into her eyes, which were filled with excitement.

Song Yi raised her hand and waved it in front of him, saying, "It's not about your face, it's about my shoes."

Jiang Lanye then lowered his eyes and asked in surprise, "Where did these straw sandals come from?"

"I did it."

She smiled as she watched Jiang Lanye's reaction.

Jiang Lanye frowned and immediately asked, "Why did you do this?"

Seeing that he was about to get upset again, Song Yi quickly explained, "That's right, I want to learn how. When we set off tomorrow, I'll teach the soldiers when I have time, so they can make their own, and save them from wearing out their shoes along the way without being able to replace them." It was her first time making one, and it wasn't perfect; it was barely wearable.

She muttered, "Don't underestimate these straw sandals just because they're not sturdy. They might fall apart after a day, but they're still better than those people who have to walk on them with their feet aching."

"Moreover, this kind of grass is everywhere, so it can be grown anytime when people are resting."

Jiang Lanye had mixed feelings and said in a low voice, "Song Yi, you didn't really need to do these things."

She was a concubine, so even if she did nothing along the way, no one would dare to say anything against her; they would still treat her with respect.

But she insisted on doing it this way.

Song Yi said, "It's nothing. It's not a difficult job to begin with. The fact that I was able to sculpt your clay figure before shows that my hands are exceptionally skillful, don't you think?"

Seeing that Jiang Lanye was still not happy, she took his arm and acted coquettishly:
"I just wanted to help out, it won't tire me out, it's really okay."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zuo Sheng's voice suddenly came from the side.

He immediately noticed Song Yi clinging to Jiang Lanye and acting coquettishly. He said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, we need to get up early tomorrow. It's getting late, so please stop bothering His Majesty and get some rest."

His gaze fell on Song Yi's hands.

At this moment, Song Yi was still holding Jiang Lanye.

Song Yi chuckled, "Some people have opinions about me, thinking that everything I do is a waste of your time. I'm too lazy to explain."

After saying that, she grabbed Jiang Lanye's hand and said irritably, "Go inside and go to sleep. Your general is angry."

Jiang Lanye let her pull him back into the house. After that, Jiang Lanye immediately said, "Take them off quickly, the straw sandals are prickly."

Song Yi was wearing socks, and was a little puzzled when she heard this: "It's okay, it's not too prickly."

After saying that, she realized something and said, "Jiang Lanye, you're not feeling sorry for me again, are you?"

She found it funny and quickly switched back.

"Oh right, I asked that older sister to teach me, and then I gave her a hairpin. But it wasn't a gift from you; it was given to me by the Imperial Household Department. I brought some jewelry with me on this trip, didn't I?"

After saying that, she deliberately added, "I just couldn't bear to give it to you, so I picked something else for her."

Jiang Lanye's lips curled up slightly, and after a long while, he said seriously, "It's time to sleep."

In fact, Song Yi could sense that Jiang Lanye had been tense the whole way, so she deliberately said these things to cheer him up.

"it is good."

The two knew without saying a word that they would be very tired the next day, so they embraced each other and fell asleep quickly without saying a word.

Song Yi took a nap yesterday afternoon and slept through the night, and is in good spirits.

As soon as someone outside called, Song Yi woke up immediately. Looking at the few stars still faintly hanging in the sky outside the window, she leaned down and whispered, "Jiang Lanye, get up."

They rested here for two days, and everyone seemed to be in pretty good spirits.

The horse had eaten its fill before setting off.

With Jiang Lanye's help, Song Yi boarded the carriage again, and the group set off once more, preparing to leave the small village.

"Jiang Lanye, what lies beyond this village?"

Jiang Lanye said in a low voice, "Mountain."

Song Yi was taken aback. "Mountains? Mountains again? Didn't we just climb over a small mountain to get here?"

He tapped lightly on the wooden frame of the carriage window with his fingers, his voice exceptionally clear in the dim moonlight: "Next, there is an exceptionally high mountain."

(End of this chapter)