After returning to the capital to farm, the abandoned concubine made a comeback.

News of the sudden drought around Beijing spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the city.

Upon learning this, Lin Qin was extremely anxious and rushed to the Prince's residence. She grabbed Zhu Ling, who was practicing his sword, and cried out, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened!"

Zhu Ling steadily sheathed his sword, the blade emitting a clear dragon's roar as it returned to its sheath. Only then did he look up at Lin Qin, seeing her covered in sweat and looking anxious, he softened his tone: "Qin'er, what happened that made you so flustered?"

"Drought! Several counties around the capital have suffered complete crop failure, and the people are starving!" Lin Qin stamped her feet anxiously. "We have to think of a solution quickly!"

Zhu Ling's expression hardened, and he abandoned his usual gentleness, instantly exuding an aura of authority.

"Let's go to the capital warehouse and check the situation first."

The capital's warehouses were located on the outskirts of the city, covering a vast area, and were usually heavily guarded.

Today, however, there was a deathly atmosphere. The guards all had solemn expressions, and the oppressive atmosphere made it hard to breathe.

The warehouse door opened, and a musty smell hit us.

Lin Qin and Zhu Ling entered the warehouse, and the scene before them shocked them: the grain sacks that should have been piled up like mountains were now scattered sparsely on the ground, many of them were damaged, the grain was moldy and spoiled, and they were emitting a foul stench.

"How could this be?!" Lin Qin covered her mouth and nose in disbelief, a strong sense of unease welling up inside her.

Zhu Ling's face was ashen. He walked silently to a grain sack, grabbed a handful of grain, and examined it carefully.

The grain had gone moldy and was completely inedible.

"Your Highness, Your Highness." A shrill voice broke the silence.

A fat, oily-faced official with a protruding belly walked over; it was none other than Li, the corrupt official in charge of managing the warehouse.

"Lord Li, what's going on with the grain in this warehouse?!" Zhu Ling's tone was icy, carrying a hint of suppressed anger.

The corrupt official Li's eyes darted around, and he said with a forced smile, "Your Highness, this...this is all because of the lack of rain this year, resulting in a poor harvest. I had no choice."

"A poor harvest? I think you're just lining your own pockets!" Lin Qin angrily retorted. "The people are starving, and you're here hoarding and profiteering, withholding disaster relief supplies. Have you lost your conscience?!"

The corrupt official Li's face changed, and he retorted angrily, "You... what do you know, you woman! How dare you interfere with my actions?!"

"Guards, seize this woman who is spreading heresy!" At Li's command, several guards immediately stepped forward to grab Lin Qin.

Zhu Ling reacted swiftly, shielding Lin Qin behind him, and coldly swept his gaze over the crowd, "Let's see who dares!"

The air froze instantly and the atmosphere became tense.

The corrupt official Li looked at Zhu Ling, a sinister glint in his eyes, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "Your Highness, are you trying to protect her? Do you know that disobeying an imperial edict is a capital offense!"

Zhu Ling's eyes were cold. He didn't speak, but held Lin Qin's hand tightly, their fingers interlocked, silently conveying strength.

Just then, a soldier rushed over and whispered a few words in Zhu Ling's ear.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ling's expression changed slightly, and his gaze toward the corrupt official Li became even colder.

“Lord Li,” Zhu Ling spoke slowly, a hint of chill in his voice, “Are you sure you didn’t embezzle disaster relief supplies?”

The corrupt official, Li, with his protruding belly, said in a fierce but weak voice, "I have acted uprightly and honestly, what is there that I dare not be sure of!"

Zhu Ling sneered, pulled a letter from his pocket, and threw it in front of the corrupt official Li. "Since that's the case, then please explain, Lord Li, what exactly does this letter mean?"

The corrupt official's face turned deathly pale instantly, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word...

With trembling hands, the corrupt official Li opened the letter, which contained clear evidence of his collusion with grain merchants to embezzle disaster relief supplies. The evidence was irrefutable and irrefutable.

He immediately collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat, his face paler than a corpse.

"This...this is impossible! This must be a forgery!" The corrupt official Li tried to argue, but found his voice trembling violently and lacking confidence.

Lin Qin sneered, "Lord Li, this letter was found in your study. The seal and handwriting on it are yours. Do you still want to deny it?"

It turned out that Lin Qin had long anticipated that the corrupt official Li would embezzle supplies, so she sent someone to infiltrate Li's residence in advance and found evidence of his collusion with grain merchants.

The reason she waited until now to reveal it was so that he would have no way to deny it in front of everyone.

"You...you vixen! How dare you frame me!" The corrupt official Li was furious and pointed at Lin Qin, cursing her out.

Lin Qin calmly took out an account book from her sleeve and threw it in front of the corrupt official Li. "This is the account of your embezzlement and bribery over the years. Do you want to take a look at it too?"

When the corrupt official Li saw the account books, he was terrified and knew he was finished.

The onlookers pointed and whispered about the corrupt official Li. They originally thought he was just incompetent, but they never expected him to be so audacious as to embezzle disaster relief supplies. It was simply unforgivable!

Zhu Ling watched Lin Qin outwit the corrupt official, his eyes filled with admiration and affection.

He quietly took Lin Qin's hand, offering her silent support.

Lin Qin felt Zhu Ling's warmth, her cheeks flushed slightly, and her heart beat a little faster.

The air around us seemed to sweeten, filled with an ambiguous atmosphere.

"Men, seize Li the corrupt official!" Zhu Ling gave the order, and the guards immediately stepped forward and tied Li the corrupt official up.

After the corrupt official Li was taken away, Zhu Ling turned to look at Lin Qin and said softly, "Qin'er, you did a good job."

Lin Qin smiled slightly, "This is what I should do."

The atmosphere in the warehouse immediately relaxed considerably, and everyone looked at Lin Qin with admiration.

However, Lin Qin couldn't feel happy.

She looked at the dwindling amount of food left in the warehouse and felt extremely anxious.

"Your Highness..." Lin Qin's voice trembled slightly, "This grain is simply not enough for disaster relief..."

Zhu Ling's expression also turned serious. "I know..." His gaze fell on Lin Qin's tightly furrowed brows, and his heart sank. "I'll think of a way..."

Lin Qin frowned, staring at the sparse grain sacks in the warehouse, her heart feeling as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer.

Time was of the essence; the plight of the famine victims in the disaster-stricken areas seemed to be right before their eyes: starving children, desperate women, and the wailing of the elderly…

These images made her feel extremely uneasy and anxious.

Zhu Ling's expression also turned serious. He frowned, and his eyes flashed with determination.

“I know…” His gaze fell on Lin Qin’s furrowed brows, and his heart sank. “I’ll think of something…”

Just then, a general in full armor strode into the warehouse, his footsteps echoing in the silent air.

He was General Wu, who was in charge of transporting supplies. He originally thought Lin Qin was just an ordinary woman, but after seeing her courage, he couldn't help but feel admiration for her.

"Your Highness, Your Highness," General Wu bowed respectfully, his voice steady and powerful, "This humble official, Wu Feng, has come to await your orders."

Lin Qin looked up. She hadn't expected General Wu to come on his own initiative, and she was even more surprised that he would cooperate so fully.

"General, this is an urgent matter, we need to act quickly to ensure that supplies can be delivered to the disaster-stricken areas in a timely manner."

General Wu nodded in agreement, "This humble official understands. The disaster situation is urgent, and this humble official has mobilized all available troops and will do everything in his power to cooperate with the Princess and the Prince."

Lin Qin felt a warmth in her heart, and her gratitude was beyond words.

She took a deep breath and regained her resolve.

"Thank you, General. The disaster victims can't wait any longer; we must act quickly."

Seeing this, Zhu Ling nodded. He gently held Lin Qin's hand and said in a voice only she could hear, "With you by my side, I feel more at ease."

Lin Qin felt Zhu Ling's warmth and gained strength from it.

She looked around and immediately began assigning tasks.

"General Wu, you should lead the soldiers to set off immediately and be responsible for transporting the first batch of supplies. The prince and I will stay here to continue to procure more food."

General Wu nodded solemnly and turned to give orders to the soldiers.

The soldiers responded quickly and got to work, creating a tense yet orderly atmosphere.

Lin Qin and Zhu Ling stood at the warehouse entrance, watching General Wu and his troops leave.

A gentle breeze blew by, bringing the fragrance of earth, but their hearts remained heavy.

The famine is not over yet, and more challenges await them ahead.

Zhu Ling held Lin Qin's hand tightly and whispered, "Qin'er, we will definitely be able to overcome this famine."

Lin Qin nodded firmly, her eyes shining with determination.

"Yes, we definitely will." She took a deep breath, turned around and shouted to the soldiers busy in the warehouse, "Brothers, give it your all! For the disaster victims, for our homes, we cannot back down!"

Hearing Lin Qin's shout, the soldiers' morale soared, and they quickened their pace in their work.

Inside the warehouse, a busy yet orderly scene unfolded, like a glimmer of hope amidst the disaster.

Just as Lin Qin and Zhu Ling were about to set off for another place to procure supplies, a soldier rushed over, panting, and said, "Your Highness, Your Highness, good news! The first batch of recovered supplies has arrived!" Lin Qin and Zhu Ling, carrying some of the recovered supplies, quickly organized a convoy to transport them to the disaster-stricken areas.

They drove to the city gate and saw that the streets were crowded with waiting people, each with a face full of anticipation and gratitude.

Children held bouquets of flowers, the elderly had tears in their eyes, and women came forward one after another to hand Lin Qin and Zhu Ling homemade dry food and water bottles.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, you've worked hard!"

"You must come back safely!"

"Please save our loved ones!"

The voices of the people, like a warm spring breeze, touched the hearts of Lin Qin and Zhu Ling, making them feel a great sense of responsibility, but at the same time, they were filled with hope and motivation.

Lin Qin smiled and waved to the people, while Zhu Ling gently patted the riding whip in his hand, his eyes revealing determination.

"Brothers, let's go!" Lin Qin shouted. The convoy slowly started moving, and the sound of horses' hooves echoed in the streets, as if announcing the arrival of hope and victory.

The people at the city gate knelt down, clasped their hands together, and prayed for their well-being.

As the convoy drove out of the city gate, the scenery on both sides of the road gradually became desolate.

The withered farmland and the dried-up riverbed reminded them of the severity of the famine at every step.

Suddenly, the soldier in front stopped and turned around with a serious expression. He reported to Zhu Ling, "Your Highness, news has come from the front that bandits have attacked another relief supply convoy!"

The air tensed instantly. Lin Qin and Zhu Ling exchanged a glance. "General Wu!" Zhu Ling shouted, "Organize a defense immediately! We can't let these bandits succeed!"

General Wu responded immediately and quickly directed his soldiers to form a battle formation.

The soldiers quickly divided up their tasks; some set up bows and arrows, while others gripped their spears tightly, and an atmosphere of battle permeated the air.

Lin Qin gripped the reins tightly, her heart pounding with tension, but she maintained a calm demeanor.

She took a deep breath and said to Zhu Ling in a firm yet gentle voice, "No matter what happens, we will not back down."

Zhu Ling nodded, her eyes shining with determination.

"With you by my side, I feel more at ease."

The convoy continued on its way, the soldiers stood ready, and a tense atmosphere filled the air.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar, and Lin Qin and Zhu Ling's hearts jumped into their throats.