Quick Wear: The first person to love the host

It was more than a month later when Su Ziyu's health finally improved. Although she was still more sensitive to cold and wind than the average person, she was able to live a normal life.

Almost the day after he was able to walk again, he put on a heavy fox fur cloak and went out to investigate, amidst Liu Ye's worried and disapproving gaze.

After leaving the palace, he first took a carriage ride around the main streets of the city.

Although a heater was placed in the carriage, the pervasive chill still seeped in through the cracks, turning his breath into frost. He pulled his fox fur coat tighter, lifted a corner of the curtain, and carefully observed this important frontier town.

The city was named "Ding'an City," meaning peace and tranquility. But what Su Ziyu saw was far removed from this name.

Most of the shops along the main road were deserted, their signs tattered and swaying helplessly in the dry, cold wind.

The few shops that were open for business were mostly grain stores and cloth shops, and there were few customers at the door. The shop assistants stood with their hands in their pockets, their necks hunched, leaning against the door, staring blankly at the street.

Goods were scarce; the rice and millet looked rough and yellowish, and the cloth was dull in color and coarse in texture.

There weren't many pedestrians on the street, and everyone was hurrying along, as if their souls would freeze if they stayed outdoors even for a moment longer. Most of them had rough, dark faces, marks etched by years of wind, sand, and bitter cold.

Regardless of age or gender, almost everyone wore bulky and tattered cotton-padded or fur coats, patched upon patched, with gray cotton wadding showing through the cuffs and backs of the knees of many people.

What made Su Ziyu's heart tighten even more was their gaze.

It was a kind of almost numb despair.

An old man squatted in the corner selling firewood, his hands covered with frostbite, his eyes cloudy as he stared at the few bundles of firewood in front of him. He seemed to have no energy to even call out to the occasional passerby.

Several teenagers, dressed in thin, old clothes that clearly didn't fit them, their cheeks red and purple from the cold, huddled around a patch of still-burning embers from the stove, their small, dark hands greedily drawing in the meager warmth.

Their eyes lacked the liveliness and curiosity that children should have; instead, they held only fear of the cold and an instinctive desire for food and warmth.

Occasionally, a horse-drawn carriage would pass by, raising not dust, but fine, scattered ice crystals and snowflakes. Long icicles hung from the eaves of houses along the road, like inverted swords.

"Go check out the alley next door," Su Ziyu whispered to the driver.

The carriage turned into a narrower street, where the scene was even more shocking.

The low, mud-brick houses were crammed together, many windows blocked with rags or dry grass. Sewage was dumped on the roadside, freezing into dirty puddles.

The air was filled with a dull smell, a mixture of coal ash, animal dung, and some kind of decay.

Several women were drawing water from a well. When the buckets were pulled up, a thin layer of ice had already formed on the well rope.

Their hands were also red, swollen, and cracked. They barely spoke to each other, silently sharing the heavy buckets of water, each step a struggle.

Seeing Su Ziyu's magnificent carriage, which clearly didn't belong here, they merely glanced at it numbly before lowering their heads again to continue their daily work, as if nothing outside of this place mattered to them and couldn't stir the slightest ripple in their hearts.

That deathly, resigned silence was more chilling than the biting cold wind.

Su Ziyu lowered the carriage curtain, leaned against the carriage wall, and slowly closed his eyes. The warmth inside the carriage now made him feel a suffocating, dull pain.

Before he came, he knew that life on the frontier was tough, but he didn't know it was this bad. It wasn't just about material deprivation, but also about the erosion of spiritual vitality.

The people living here seem to be struggling to survive by instinct alone. All their hopes and joys have been crushed little by little by the harsh environment and the years of war.

"The frontier is bitterly cold..." he repeated these four words in a low voice, only now truly understanding the heavy weight behind them. This was not just about the climate, but a way of life that had seeped into one's very bones.

No wonder Qi Jinyu has been frowning ever since she returned here.

He was King Xuan, the king of Anding City.

Maintaining stability on the frontier and ensuring the people live in peace and contentment—such a heavy burden rests entirely on his shoulders. He must do something to help Qi Jinyu share the load.

Su Ziyu lowered her eyes for a moment, then suddenly remembered that in her previous life, Qi Jinyu had suffered a crushing defeat this winter, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers being massacred.

The defeat was not due to the enemy's strength, but to the scheming of the capital and a sudden, unprecedented blizzard that arrived early! The opportune time and terrain were lost, food and supplies were cut off, and those who died from frostbite far exceeded the casualties in battle.

He had to plan ahead.

-

A week later, Qi Jinyu led his army to a brilliant victory, fiercely repelling a large-scale harassment by the Xiongnu. When the news reached back, Ding'an City was unusually warmed by a faint warmth.

Upon learning of the good news, Su Ziyu, who was conducting experiments in seclusion, did not hesitate to send hundreds of pigs and sheep that he had previously purchased from nearby villages and towns to the camp to reward the army.

"Our soldiers fight valiantly to protect our homeland, which brings a moment of peace to our rear. This is just a small token of our appreciation, a little something to help the soldiers," he instructed the servant in charge.

Watching the convoy loaded with pigs and sheep rumble towards the military camp, Su Ziyu stood in the courtyard, feeling the still biting cold wind, but the numb and hopeless eyes on the street and the lifeless scene of this city reappeared in her mind.

Rewarding the army is necessary, but that's far from enough.

To truly revitalize this land and rekindle the light in those numb eyes, we need something more fundamental and lasting.

He clenched his fist in his sleeve, feeling the resolve born from his heavy experiences grow even stronger. His wool business might just be a starting point.

in the military camp.

When hundreds of fat pigs and sheep were driven into the camp, it caused a commotion almost more enthusiastic than if a battle had been won. The somber military camp was instantly infused with a lively, even jubilant, atmosphere.

The lingering smells of rust and sweat in the air seemed to be somewhat diluted by the pungent odor of livestock and the rising aroma of meat.

"Your Highness is mighty! Thank you for the reward, Your Highness!"

Someone shouted first, and a deafening cheer immediately erupted on the training ground.

Many young soldiers stared intently at the pigs and sheep, their Adam's apples bobbing up and down. They couldn't remember the last time they had eaten meat to their heart's content.

Qi Jinyu, clad in black iron armor, stood on the command platform, watching the jubilant scene below. A subtle, almost imperceptible curve appeared at the corner of his usually resolute and cold lips.

He raised his hand to silence the commotion and said in a deep voice, "All soldiers have been fighting and bleeding for days, you've worked hard! Today, let's eat our fill!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The cheers erupted once again.