After traveling through time, I became a princess in ancient times

After several days of long journey, Ren Chenxi and Xia Yurou finally arrived at the border town of Beiling County.

From afar, the originally fertile land now looks like cracked skin, with cracks like hideous scars running across the land.

The air was filled with the smell of dry dust, and the occasional breeze was scorching, as if even the land was groaning along.

Xia Yurou looked out the car window at the cracked land outside and held the kettle tightly in her hand, her fingers turning slightly white from the force.

The carriage bumped along the cracked ground, raising a cloud of dust. After travelling for some time, it was suddenly forced to stop.

Ren Chenxi and Xia Yurou looked at each other and lifted the car curtain at the same time, only to see an old man with dry skin kneeling on the side of the road with difficulty.

Her cloudy eyes revealed despair, and her lips were so cracked that she didn't even have the strength to speak.

Seeing this, Xia Yurou hurriedly jumped out of the car, gently helped the old woman up, and put her water bottle to her cracked lips.

The clear water slowly flowed into the old woman's mouth. Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just smiled weakly.

Looking at the old man in front of her, Xia Yurou asked softly with concern: "Old man, are you feeling better?"

The old man raised his head with difficulty and pointed weakly ahead.

Xia Yurou's heart tightened, she understood that the old man's needs were not just this pot of water.

"My Lord, I want to send her home."

Ren Chenxi nodded, and the two of them worked together to help the old man onto the carriage. The coachman drove the carriage in the direction the old man pointed.

But the further they went, the more desolate the surrounding scene became, with only a few withered plants swaying in the wind occasionally.

The carriage was driving along a dried-up riverbed, which had long since cracked, like a scar on the earth exposed under the scorching sun.

Ren Chenxi sat in the car, his eyes scanning the land suffering from drought through the window.

In the distance, a group of ragged villagers gathered beside an abandoned well, waving their worn-out wheels feebly, trying to draw a little precious water from the bottom of the dry well. However, their movements were so desperate that every pull seemed very strenuous, but there was still no water in the well.

His heart seemed to be tightly grasped by a huge hand. Those miserable figures were like dazzling pictures that were deeply imprinted in Ren Chenxi's heart.

Even several meters apart, I could seem to hear their cries, their desire for life and their prayers for rain.

Xia Yurou could feel the heaviness in Ren Chenxi's heart. Looking at the suffering people outside the window, she felt a strong sense of responsibility in her heart.

"Your Majesty, we will definitely bring this land back to life and make the people of Beiling no longer suffer from water shortages."

When she saw the withered yellow fields outside the window, an idea suddenly occurred to her. She turned to Ren Chenxi and said, "Your Majesty, I have a suggestion. We can first grow some food that does not require too much water on this land to solve the problem of food and clothing for the people."

Ren Chenxi frowned slightly and asked doubtfully, "Is there such food?"

"Yes, we can plant sweet potatoes first."

He was stunned when he heard it. It was a new word he had never heard before. He asked in confusion, "What is the sweet potato you are talking about?"

"It is a drought-resistant and barren-resistant crop from my hometown. It can grow on land like this and has a high yield. I happen to have some sweet potato seeds here. Planting them will solve the hunger problem of the people and improve the soil in the future, providing conditions for the growth of other crops."

After hearing what Xia Yurou said, Ren Chenxi was as excited as a child and could hardly hide the joy in his heart.

If sweet potatoes can really grow in such a harsh environment, it will undoubtedly be a timely help for the people of the entire Beiling County.

At this time, the carriage slowly drove into a dilapidated village and finally stopped in front of a dilapidated thatched cottage.

The two men helped the old man get off the carriage and into the house. A thin little girl was sitting in the corner, staring at them curiously with her big eyes.

The little girl's clothes were tattered and her skin looked sallow due to malnutrition, but her eyes were full of desire for life.

Xia Yurou felt a pang in her heart. She gently hugged the little girl into her arms and asked softly, "Little girl, what's your name? How old are you this year?"

The little girl smiled shyly and answered, "My name is Xiaoxiao, and I am five years old."

Her childish voice rang in her ears, and while speaking she stretched out five thin fingers to show Xia Yurou her age.

Looking at this thin little girl, Xia Yurou felt very uncomfortable.

She gently held the small hand, feeling the faint body temperature and rough touch.

Xia Yurou turned to look at Ren Chenxi and said, "Your Majesty, we must act quickly to help the people of Beiling escape these miserable days as soon as possible."

"Yes, it is urgent now. We need to rush to the county town as soon as possible to find local officials to solve this matter together."

Before leaving, Xia Yurou placed two pots of water and a bag of food in front of the old man: "Old man, please accept these."

The old woman's eyes were filled with tears. She took the water and food with trembling hands, pulled Xiao Xiao and knelt in front of Ren Chenxi and Xia Yurou, her forehead pressed against the ground, and said in a choked voice: "Thank you, my lord, thank you, my princess. I have no way to repay you for your kindness. I can only pray that God will bless you with a safe life."

Although Xiaoxiao was young, he was sensible enough to follow his grandmother and kowtow to his brothers and sisters in front of him.

Xia Yurou's eyes were slightly red, and she hurried to help the grandfather and grandson: "Old man, please get up quickly, these are what we should do."

Then she said to Xiao Xiao, "Xiao Xiao, you have to take good care of grandma. I will come back to see you when I finish my work."

Xiao Xiao nodded vigorously: "Sister, I will."

Xia Yurou sat in the galloping carriage, but her heart seemed to be tightly grasped by something and she could not calm down.

She couldn't help but lift a corner of the curtain and looked back in the direction of Xiaoxiao.

I saw the dilapidated village gradually disappearing into the distance. A thin little girl was standing in front of a thatched cottage with her hands clasped together, staring at the receding figure of the carriage.

Xia Yurou gently lowered the curtains, but her heart was in turmoil and she couldn't calm down.

Ren Chenxi looked at the tears flashing in Xia Yurou's eyes, and an indescribable tenderness welled up in his heart. He gently held her hand and said, "Rou'er, you have done very well. Your kindness is my greatest motivation. I will definitely change the current situation here and free the people from suffering."

She slowly raised her head and met Ren Chenxi's affectionate eyes, and the turmoil in her heart gradually calmed down.

The carriage continued to move forward, and the wheels left deep marks on the dry earth.

Xia Yurou leaned lightly on Ren Chenxi's shoulder, her eyes cast at the sad scene outside the window.

The endless expanse of loess, the dried-up rivers are reduced to bare riverbeds, and the once lush trees are now reduced to dead branches and leaves.

The villages in the distance were scattered and the houses were dilapidated, as if a gust of wind could completely destroy them.

Wherever the carriage passed, a cloud of dust would be stirred up, and the cries of children and the sighs of the elderly could be faintly heard in the dust.

Those voices were like a sharp knife, piercing deeply into Ren Chenxi and Xia Yurou's hearts.

He held Xia Yurou's hand tightly, feeling an indescribable sadness in his heart. He hoped that he could face the suffering of the people of Beiling bravely.