A life of ups and downs is pure joy

On the way back to Tuyan County, Tao Baiwan was still unconscious. He kept talking nonsense in a daze, and kept muttering "Brother Yi..."

"She has a bad fever and her forehead is burning."

Xiao Qianwen placed her hand on Tao Baiwan's head again.

"What should I do?"

Lin Qinghuan didn't care at this moment whether this woman was competing with her for her husband. She just hoped that she would get better soon, especially since she was unconscious now.

"Hongqi, stop the car!"

Xiao Qianwen knocked on the carriage door and signaled the female driver.

"Chuxia, come with me to get some snow and ice. Sister-in-law, you stay in the carriage." Xiao Qianwen said.

"Miss Xiao, why did you stop?"

The general of Wang Junshou got off the black horse in front, walked quickly to the carriage and asked with a bow.

"General Hong, I need to go over there and shovel some clean snow and ice." Xiao Qianwen said.

"Then let me go and help the girl." General Hong called a few more people to go to the nearby low hill with Xiao Qianwen.

"We need the cleanest snow and ice, so we need to trouble General Hong, who has good legs and feet, to go and find them halfway up the mountain."

Xiao Qianwen rubbed her red, frozen hands and pointed to a place not far away.

"Miss Xiao, don't worry. It's freezing outside. You two girls are too weak to withstand the ice and snow in the north. Just wait in the carriage."

General Hong personally took the cloth bags and jars prepared by Chuxia and climbed up the hill with a few subordinates.

"General Hong, be careful, it's very slippery."

Xiao Qianwen shouted, and she and Chuxia were just standing at the foot of the mountain waiting for them to come back from collecting snow.

Lin Qinghuan looked at Tao Baiwan's feverish face, then lifted her clothes to take a look at the wound on her chest that had not healed.

"You've suffered so much for your husband this time. Don't worry, I will definitely heal you and won't let your life be lost in vain."

After Lin Qinghuan finished talking to himself, he rolled up his sleeves, wet the towel covering Tao Baiwan's forehead again, wrung it out, and gently folded it and placed it on her forehead.

After an incense stick of time, Xiao Qianwen and Chu Xia, who came back shivering from the cold, quickly got into the carriage and took a long time to warm themselves up.

He took out a cloak from the package, opened the carriage door and handed it to Hong Qi.

"It's too cold. Put on this thick robe and take off the thin one." Xiao Qianwen said to Hong Qi.

Hong Qi nodded, changed her clothes obediently, and handed them to Xiao Qianwen.

Chuxia had already put the ice cubes into a cloth bag as Xiao Qianwen had said and applied it on Tao Baiwan's forehead.

"We'll have to keep a close eye on her now, turning her over every once in a while to prevent her from freezing. With resources scarce and the environment limited, this is the only way I can think of to cool her down."

Xiao Qianwen blew on her hands, then continued to roll the pure white and clean snow into small pieces and wiped them on Tao Baiwan's palms.

"I'll help you too." Lin Qinghuan said, stretching out his hand.

"No need, sister-in-law. You have an old illness. Although it has been cured, you are still most afraid of catching a cold. You just need to watch from the side." Xiao Qianwen hurriedly stopped her.

"I'm getting anxious just sitting here." Lin Qinghuan felt like he couldn't help at all and was very anxious.

"The biggest help you can do is to take good care of yourself along the way." Xiao Qianwen said with a smile.

"Normally, I should have repaid this favor on my husband's behalf, but you're the one who suffered the most."

Lin Qinghuan looked at Xiao Qianwen and said with apologetic and touching expression.

"Sister-in-law, please don't forget that I am a member of the Xiao family. She saved my elder brother's life, and I should be the one to repay the favor. How can you be so distant?" Xiao Qianwen said.

"I'm the fool. I'll make the medicine for you. Don't let me just sit there."

Lin Qinghuan picked up the medicine mortar placed beside her and pounded the medicine while smiling.

"Then you better be careful and don't get too tired." After saying that, Xiao Qianwen continued to rub the snow to cool down.

After working for a long time, the three people finally felt that Tao Baiwan's body temperature had dropped a little, and he slept a little more deeply. He was no longer as confused as at the beginning, and no longer talked nonsense.

Xiao Qianwen and Chu Xia were so tired that they fell asleep leaning against Lin Qinghuan.

"Miss, if we continue our journey at night, we will be able to return to Tuyan County." Hong Qi leaned against the carriage door and said to Lin Qinghuan.

"Well, are you hungry? I'll get you a hot pancake." Lin Qinghuan took the pancake that had been stuck on the hot water bottle.

Hong Qi opened the carriage door a little to prevent too much cold air from entering the carriage.

"Give some to Ah Ping, General Hong, and others."

Lin Qinghuan thought the gap was too small, so he opened it a little more and handed out a bag of warm sesame cakes.

"Miss, I heard that the Fourth Prince is also on his way back. They will pass through Tuyan County on their way."

After distributing the pancakes, Hongqi returned to the carriage.

"Do you mean we might run into them?" Lin Qinghuan asked with some surprise and joy.

"According to the time, they should arrive in Tuyan County." Hong Qi said.

“It would be great if we could meet them.”

Lin Qinghuan said happily. To be honest, she was still very uneasy when Xiao Yi and Ning Sijue were not around. But after being happy for a while, Lin Qinghuan sighed again.

"What's wrong with the girl?" Hong Qi asked.

"Hongqi, do you think the group of people who assassinated us have any connection with Fourth Brother?" Lin Qinghuan asked.

"You know what kind of person the Fourth Prince is, young lady, so don't worry," said Hong Qi.

"Yes, you are right. I am so stupid. How could I doubt Fourth Brother?" Lin Qinghuan thought about it and patted his head in annoyance and said.

"Girl, why are you hitting yourself?" Chu Xia rubbed her eyes and asked Lin Qinghuan in a daze.

"I... I was chasing away bugs!" Lin Qinghuan said awkwardly. His slap was a bit loud and Xiao Qianwen was also woken up by him.

It was already late at night when they arrived at Tuyan County. County Magistrate Wang had been waiting at the city gate for a long time. Aping rode up and handed Ning Sijue's token to County Magistrate Wang. The elderly county magistrate hurried to the outside of Lin Qinghuan's carriage.

"Princess Changping, you must have had a hard time on the bumpy journey. I have already arranged accommodation for you at the official inn." County Magistrate Wang said outside.

Lin Qinghuan had not seen this person when he came. When he heard the voice, he realized that it was an old man. He quickly pulled open the thick curtain of the carriage and nodded to him. When he was about to lower the curtain, he asked again.

"Sir Wang, I wonder if any distinguished guests have stayed at the official inn in the city recently?"

"Are you talking about the royal family, Princess?" County Magistrate Wang asked in a low voice.

Lin Qinghuan nodded.

"Your Excellency just arrived here this afternoon." County Magistrate Wang said hurriedly.

"One more thing. Have the medicinal herbs and doctors I need been prepared in advance?" Lin Qinghuan asked again.

"Don't worry, Princess. I have already asked the best doctors in the city to wait, and the best medicinal materials are also ready." After County Magistrate Wang finished speaking, Lin Qinghuan nodded and lowered the carriage curtain.

The convoy slowly set out into the city, and when it reached the official post station, it went straight into the backyard.

After settling Tao Baiwan, Xiao Qianwen quickly called all the doctors to come together.

Lin Qinghuan was also very tired, so she went to the room where she had previously lived with Xiao Yi.

"When I smelled the medicinal soup in that room, I felt much more at ease. Tao Baiwan's life must have been saved. I wonder what happened to my husband and the Sixth Prince."

Lin Qinghuan sat at the table, Chuxia brewed the new tea, Hongqi walked around the room and stood by the windowsill looking into the distance.

"Knock knock knock..." There was a knock on the door.

Chuxia walked over and gently opened the door. Two girls dressed as maids were standing at the door.

"Princess Changping is honored. My prince has prepared food for you. Please move over." The maid saluted Lin Qinghuan and said.

"Fourth brother must have known we were coming."

Lin Qinghuan stood up happily and called Chuxia Hongqi to follow him to the appointment.

When they reached the private room on the second floor, Lin Qinghuan vaguely saw a man sitting at a table behind a screen.

Hong Qi looked at the servants at the door, frowned in some surprise, and was about to follow Lin Qinghuan in but was stopped by the maid at the door.

"Your Excellency, please enjoy your meal. We will just wait at the door."

"Si Ge, when did you become so particular about these things? Then you wait here for a while."

Lin Qinghuan muttered in some surprise, and then thought that maybe Fan Yitang was just being picky.

When Lin Qinghuan walked behind the screen, the smile on her face froze instantly.

"Why are you here?" Lin Qinghuan was stunned looking at the man in front of her.

"Why is Princess Changping so surprised?"

The third prince Ning Chengxian closed the fan in his hand.

"You... I thought it was Fourth Brother." Lin Qinghuan was more afraid than surprised to see Ning Chengxian again, especially after experiencing an assassination.

"My fourth brother estimated that it would take a few days for him to arrive here, so I came here to meet up with him," said Ning Chengxian.

"Princess Changping must be hungry after all this journey. Why don't you sit down and have a meal together?"

Ning Chengxian said as he looked at Lin Qinghuan who was still standing behind the screen.

"I... I'm already full from eating sesame cakes all the way, so I can't have dinner with the Third Prince."

Lin Qinghuan's mind began to race, trying to find an excuse to leave quickly.

"I've heard Fourth Brother often say that Princess Changping and General Luo Feng, brother and sister, love nothing more than food, so I had someone set up a table full of your favorite dishes. I never thought it wouldn't even compare to a few sesame cakes."

Ning Chengxian said as he looked at Lin Qinghuan who looked a little uneasy.

"How did you know I...would come here?" Lin Qinghuan asked in panic.

"Princess Changping, don't panic. Sit down and I will explain it to you slowly. My fourth brother treats you as his own sister, and so do I."

Ning Chengxian stood up and moved the stool next to Lin Qinghuan away, then looked at her with a smile.

Lin Qinghuan held onto the table and sat down, then looked uneasily at Ning Chengxian who had returned to his seat.

Ning Chengxian knocked on the table twice, and the maid who had just gone to deliver the message came in from behind the screen. She stepped forward to pick up some dishes for Lin Qinghuan and then stepped aside.

Lin Qinghuan glanced at the girl, then turned to look at Ning Chengxian.

"How do you know I will come back?" Lin Qinghuan asked again.

"I'm afraid the carriage to Cen Yao can't go. Princess Changping is a precious woman, and she can't bear the pain of the bumpy ride."

Ning Chengxian stretched out his arm to pour a cup of hot tea for Lin Qinghuan. Seeing the fear on the beauty's face, he smiled and said.

"Of course, I also heard this from Elder Wang."

"Is... is it really like that?" Lin Qinghuan asked stutteringly.

"What else? I'm not Zhou Lin from the Imperial Observatory, so how can I predict where the road will be blocked by huge rocks and snow on the mountain?" Ning Chengxian said with a smile.

"Well, I was overthinking it." Lin Qinghuan could only smile awkwardly upon seeing this.

"Changping, I remember that back in the palace, your attitude towards me was not as distant as it is now. You also listened to Fourth Brother and called me Third Brother. Why do you look at me like you want to eat you now?"

Ning Chengxian poured another bowl of bird's nest porridge for Lin Qinghuan and handed it to him, his tone sounding complaining.

"At that time, I was young and ignorant, and I didn't know my identity." Lin Qinghuan said.

"Then I still prefer the young Changping, who was bold and cute. Unlike now, you feel uncomfortable even having a meal with your third brother. If your fourth brother comes, he will definitely blame me for bullying you."

Ning Cheng smiled enviously.

"Third...Third brother, you're being overly concerned. I'm just worried about Princess Minghui's injuries, so I'm a little disappointed."

Lin Qinghuan thought that Ning Chengxian knew everything he did, so Tao Baiwan’s injury could not be concealed either.

"Don't worry, I've already asked my medical officer to go and treat Xiao's sister together. She will be fine."

Ning Chengxian said, "Let's eat, the food is getting cold."

Lin Qinghuan was nervous and confused during the meal, and she was even confused about how she and Hongqi Chuxia returned to the room.