Rebirth: Phoenix Riding the Ninth Heaven

Li Ruoyue followed closely behind her uncle, and together they spurred their horses and galloped westward. The clatter of hooves was as rapid as a storm, stirring up clouds of dust. After several days of travel, they were finally nearing the main track to the northwest.

At this moment, a post station appeared ahead. From a distance, flags could be seen flying around the station, indicating that a large number of soldiers were resting there. Li Ruoyue and her uncle slowed down and slowly approached the station.

As luck would have it, just as they arrived outside the post station, they saw a figure emerge. It was Baili Xi, whose face was grave, his brow furrowed, as if burdened with endless worry. It turned out that all along his journey, Baili Xi had witnessed the miserable, helpless eyes of the refugees, and these sights had deeply pierced his heart, leaving him feeling incredibly depressed, as if he were suffocating.

At this moment, Baili Xi walked outside the post station to get some fresh air and relieve the depression in his heart. He raised his head and looked into the distance, suddenly spotting a group of people and horses galloping towards them. At first, due to the distance, he couldn't see clearly, but as the group of people got closer, he took a closer look and saw that the heroic woman sitting on the horse was none other than Li Ruoyue!

Baili Xi saw Li Ruoyue waving at him from afar, and he shouted excitedly at the top of his voice: "Li Ruoyue! I'm here!" He kept jumping while shouting, like a happy little rabbit.

Li Ruoyue looked in the direction of the sound and saw Bailixi dancing and jumping around. She couldn't help but feel amused and muttered to herself, "Why is this guy always so unruly?" But she still smiled and waved at Bailixi, replying, "I'm here, I'll be right over!"

Hearing this, Baili Xi couldn't hold back any longer. He rushed towards Li Ruoyue impatiently and soon arrived in front of her horse. He said anxiously, "Oh, Li Ruoyue, you're finally here! I was so bored all the way here. No one talked to me. It was just that Liu Mei nagging me non-stop. It really annoyed me to death! How about you? How was your journey? Did you encounter any refugees or anything like that?"

Li Ruoyue responded frankly: "I saw it, and I also witnessed those emaciated and haggard refugees." Her voice trembled slightly, as if her heart was full of pity and compassion.

Baili Xi, standing aside, stared silently at Li Ruoyue. She looked solemn, clearly deeply moved by what she had seen and heard. However, he himself was also lacking interest at the moment and really didn't want to discuss the matter any further, so he quickly changed the subject, saying, "Forget it, let's go! I'll take you to see the Fourth Prince. He's been talking about you all the way here, wondering why you haven't caught up yet. He'll definitely be very happy to see you later!" With that, Baili Xi took Li Ruoyue's hand and quickly walked towards the main hall of the post station.

Soon, the two arrived at the main hall of the post station. The Fourth Prince was sitting with a group of his staff, seriously discussing how to address the drought in the northwest. Everyone's brows were furrowed, racking their brains for a solution. Just then, they noticed Li Ruoyue and Baili Xi slowly entering through the main gate.

The Fourth Prince saw Li Ruoye walking in dressed in men's clothes. Everyone understood what was going on and then said, "Mr. Li, please come this way!"

Li Ruo clasped his hands together and bowed slightly to the Fourth Prince, saying, "Fourth Prince, I'm honored to meet you!" The Fourth Prince quickly responded with a smile, "There's no need to be so polite when you're away from home! Brother Li, I'm sure you've been exhausted on this journey. Would you like to rest for a while? We can discuss important matters together later." Li Ruo also replied without pretense, "Then I'll be very grateful to you, Fourth Prince! To be honest, I've been very dusty on this journey, and I really need to wash off the dust."

The fourth prince nodded, turned to look at the servant beside him, and ordered: "Go and arrange two of the best guest rooms for Young Master Li, and tell the kitchen to prepare some hot water and send it to the room so that they can take a comfortable bath. In addition, bring some delicious meals, and do not neglect our distinguished guests." Li Ruoyue was very grateful when he heard this. A hearty smile appeared on his face. He clasped his fists and thanked him again: "Thank you for your hospitality, Fourth Prince!" The Fourth Prince smiled and waved his hand, motioning them to retreat and rest first.

Li Ruoyue walked out of the room briskly and told her uncle, "Uncle, the inn is open now. Let's just go in and rest!" After that, she and her uncle went upstairs to rest. Her uncle's housekeeper was also arranging the food and accommodation for the servants in an orderly manner.

Shortly after Li Ruoyue returned to her room, she heard a gentle knock on the door. It was the waiter, bringing steaming hot bath water. She quickly stood up, opened the door, and directed the waiter to carry the bucket inside and set it aside. Once everything was in place, Li Ruoyue eagerly shed her pearly green dress and stepped into the tub. The warm water enveloped her body, like a pair of gentle hands gently soothing the fatigue she had accumulated during the journey.

At that moment, Luzhu, beside them, was also immersed in the bliss of a bath. The master and servant thoroughly enjoyed this moment of peace and comfort, washing away the dust and fatigue of travel. After washing, Li Ruoyue called over the waiter, asking him to help pour out the dirty water and bring some simple but hot meals.

Looking at the food on the table, although it was just some ordinary simple food, it was undoubtedly a delicious meal for them who were starving at the moment. Li Ruoyue and Lu Zhu devoured the food in a flash, and they felt their whole bodies were extremely relaxed, and even the cold they had caught on the way seemed to have been greatly alleviated.

The two looked at each other and then burst into laughter at the same time. Lu Zhu said mischievously: "Miss, look at us like starving ghosts reincarnated!" Li Ruoye smiled and replied: "That's right, who told us to go through so much hardship all the way."

As they chatted, Li Ruoyue suddenly felt a strong sense of fatigue sweeping over her. Without caring about anything else, she hurriedly climbed into bed, pulled the quilt over her, and soon fell into a sweet dream, snoring gradually becoming louder. She slept so soundly.

As the sky begins to turn pale and the glimmer of dawn gently shimmers across the earth, you might be immersed in a sweet dream, only to be suddenly disturbed by a sharp knock on the door. In that instant, you'd be jolted awake as if struck by lightning. Drowsily opening your eyes, you'd find the sky outside the window almost bright, and you'd be amazed at how long you'd slept.

At this moment, Lizhu, who was standing beside you, noticed your movements and whispered to you, "Miss, please continue to sleep peacefully. I'll go open the door and see who it is." After that, Lizhu quickly stood up and walked towards the door. When she opened the door, she saw the waiter standing outside. The waiter looked impatient and asked in a bad mood, "Why are you knocking on the door so early? What's going on?"

However, when he saw that it was Lu Zhu, his face immediately filled with an ingratiating smile, and he bowed and said, "Oh, it's an honored guest! I'm so sorry to disturb your rest. The Fourth Prince has sent me to inform you that it's time to set off. I want you to get up quickly, have breakfast, and then get ready. Once everything is ready, we will set off."

After hearing this, Luzhu nodded readily and said, "Okay, I got it. You can go down and do your thing first." Upon hearing this, the waiter bowed hurriedly as if he had been pardoned, and then hurriedly retreated and left.

Thus, the Fourth Prince led his troops on a relentless march westward. After several days of exhausting travel, they finally arrived in the northwest. The scene unfolding before them was truly shocking—the once fertile land had become dry and cracked, like a turtle's back, crisscrossed with cracks. The once lush, vibrant vegetation had now withered and withered, as if devoid of life. The people who lived here were haggard, their eyes hollow and lifeless, looking completely lifeless.

Arriving in the northwest with a heavy heart, the Fourth Prince immediately issued orders, urging his accompanying team to swiftly launch relief efforts. They marched non-stop toward Huaian County, a hundred miles from Li Fuzhi. Upon entering the land, they were struck by a horrifying sight: the earth, cracked and dry like a tortoise shell, was crisscrossed with deep fissures. The people, emaciated and pale, could only sit or lie listlessly under the sparse shade of trees.

The Fourth Prince was heartbroken and immediately ordered the distribution of the precious food he had brought with him to alleviate the urgent needs of the starving people. At the same time, he sent an envoy to urgently inform the magistrate of Huaian County, Qi'antang, to quickly organize local manpower to dig wells and do his utmost to find a reliable water source.

Under the Fourth Prince's methodical leadership and the concerted efforts of everyone involved, the lives of the disaster victims gradually began to improve. Those who had once been starving began to recover, and long-lost smiles gradually appeared on their faces. The people were filled with gratitude and respect for the Fourth Prince, whose heart was filled with compassion for the people, and he was praised endlessly.

However, the unexpected happens. Just when everything seemed to be moving in the right direction, a sudden storm swept across the disaster area without warning. The wind howled like a roaring beast, stirring up clouds of dust and sand that obscured the sky. The already shaky and fragile houses collapsed one after another under the fierce wind. In an instant, cries and cries for help rang out one after another, and the disaster area, which had just ignited the light of hope, was once again plunged into chaos and despair.