Exile at the start? The princess is no ordinary woman.

Under the intimidating presence of the escorts, no one dared to cause any trouble. After all, these escorts weren't going to reason with them, so they could only cower in anger, unable to utter a sound.

"Sir, officer, could you please give me a drink of water? I'm so thirsty!"

However, some people couldn't bear the thirst and whispered to the guards, asking if they could have water. Their attitude was much more humble now; having just been whipped, no one dared to meet the guards' wrath again.

We've walked for so long without food or water and are already exhausted enough. Getting whipped on top of that wouldn't be pleasant.

This time, the escort didn't expect to be whipped on the way here. The escort pointed to the spot where they had just received their meal.

"Want some water? Sure, there are water bags over there, five taels of silver each. If you want water, just buy it; if you don't have money, just stay thirsty."

The price of twenty coins for a steamed bun was already outrageous, but there's something even more outrageous: a water pouch has jumped to five taels of silver!

Everyone looked troubled, while those who had received gifts and water pouches before Jun Yanchen's departure were thankful.

However, many people did not have one, and eventually, unable to bear the thirst, some people pooled their money to buy a water bag.

Meanwhile, Jun Yanchen's six-person team had five water bags and still had twenty-five taels of silver left, so the chaos over there had nothing to do with them.

Steward Li returned with the few dark-colored flatbreads. These were fine for servants, but to give them to their mistress felt like a disservice.

"master"

"Eat what's in the bundle first, it's hot."

Before Butler Li could even utter a word, Jun Yanchen spoke again, his voice calm and indifferent, as if nothing could stir any emotion within him.

But in the eyes of Butler Li and his servants, no matter the tone of their words, they were as authoritative as imperial edicts.

Furthermore, the official Li understood his master's intentions; the bundle contained a considerable amount of food, including steamed buns, dumplings, and flatbreads—things easy to carry—as well as some snacks and pastries.

In this hot weather, it really won't stay out for long before it starts to smell.

"Yes, Master. This old servant will take some food to Madam first."

Jun Yanchen gave no instructions, remaining silent as he sat with his hands casually resting on his lap, his head slightly bowed, appearing somewhat forlorn.

Having received his master's order, Steward Li opened the bundle and inspected its contents. He then took out four steamed buns and a box of osmanthus cake and presented them to Gu Nanzhi.

"Madam, the master sent me to bring you some food. Please have something to eat first, as we still need to continue our journey around 11 PM."

Yes, he said that on purpose. Since his master had already given his mistress a drop of water, he must treat her differently. But his master was so taciturn, so he had to help him.

Gu Nanzhi glanced at the steamed buns and pastries that Butler Li had brought over, then looked up at Jun Yanchen's direction.

"Thank you, Uncle Li. You should go and eat something first, then rest for a while."

She saw what kind of food the inspector had given her, and since there were better options, why should she let her stomach suffer?

She can pay it back slowly; anyway, she has plenty of money in her storage space, so it's not like she can't afford it.

Xia He also noticed the dark-colored flatbreads the escorts had given out, but seeing the food that Steward Li had brought them—both white steamed buns and pastries—she was quite surprised.

They even said it was sent by the prince. Could it be that the prince isn't actually as bad as the rumors suggest?

"Yes, Madam, please eat. If you're not full, just let me know. It's hot now, and these things won't last long, so it's best to eat them sooner rather than later."

"Thank you, Uncle Li. This is enough. You should go back and eat something too; Zhou Cai and the others are waiting."

"Yes, madam, please enjoy your meal."

This lady was indeed different from the other noble ladies of the capital he knew. She was calm and composed in the face of adversity, and not at all delicate or pretentious. Even in this situation, she remained calm and composed, and even showed concern for the servants.

Butler Li returned and shared the food with Zhou Cai and Cang Ling, but they still chose to eat the dark brown pancakes, saving the better food for their mistress.

Gu Nanzhi placed the things that Butler Li had brought over into Xia He's arms. "Xia He, hurry up and eat, don't just stand there."

"Miss, please eat, please eat more."

Xia He still protected her young mistress, wanting her to eat first, even though she herself was hungry.

Gu Nanzhi saw Xia He drooling with longing, yet she still wanted to eat, so she immediately grabbed a steamed bun and stuffed it into Xia He's mouth.

"Well"

"Listen to me, eat what I tell you to eat."

Xia He suddenly had a steamed bun stuffed into her mouth by her mistress, but her eyes were full of gratitude. Her mistress was so kind to her. She reached out and took the bun out of her mouth.

"Miss, you're so kind. Miss, please eat too."

This little girl, it's just a steamed bun, is that all?

Gu Nanzhi smiled at her, then picked up a steamed bun and took a bite.

"Xia He, you sit here and eat slowly. I'm going to go and have a chat with Jun Yanchen."

Upon hearing that her mistress was going to speak with the prince, Xia He suddenly lost her appetite for the steamed buns. Although she was grateful to the prince for the delicious food and even began to believe that he wasn't as fearful as rumored, it was only a slight feeling.

"Miss, you..."

Gu Nanzhi could tell what the little girl wanted to say just by looking at the timidity in her eyes, so she interrupted her directly.

"Don't worry, I just want to have a chat with him. We're going to be a small group from now on, so we can't stay strangers forever. We'll be companions from now on, and he's given us water and food, so we should at least express our gratitude. Okay, stay here and eat."

After speaking, Gu Nanzhi took another bite of her steamed bun, then got up and walked towards Jun Yanchen. Eating as she walked added a touch of carefree ease to her demeanor.

The other exiles nearby saw them take out steamed buns, which appeared to be meat buns, and started eating them. They were all incredibly envious.

Xia He felt these gazes and silently tightened her arms, which were holding the things, to protect her chest.

Faced with these unpalatable dark breads, those who had received gifts from relatives chose not to eat them, but instead took out and ate the gifts their families had given them.

As for those who received no gifts, some still insisted that their families give them money to buy the white flour buns that had increased in price tenfold.

Many people obediently gnawed on the black bread. What did it matter if it was hard to swallow? The only thing to do now was to survive. If they didn't eat, they would starve to death on the road. Those fierce escorts wouldn't care whether you lived or died. They might even give you a beating.

Gu Nanzhi walked over to Jun Yanchen while eating a meat bun. She hadn't finished the bun, but she didn't seem to mind.

Jun Yanchen noticed her approaching, looked up and gazed at her.

"Can I sit here?"

Meeting those eyes, Gu Nanzhi politely pointed to the seat next to him.

Once again, that voice, like a gentle stream of tears, not coquettish, but like a sweet, clear spring, entered Jun Yanchen's ears.