Spring arrives and the land smiles

As expected, Lan Zhen kept his word, and a large group of people escorted grain into the country that very day, as if they had been prepared in advance. Qing Yan couldn't help but think of the word "conspiracy," but the disaster was urgent and she couldn't care less about that now.

But the number of people escorting the grain is too large; isn't the whole army a bit too exaggerated?

So when they arrived at the border, they were naturally stopped. Lan Zhen was very angry and insisted that Qing Yan personally escort the grain convoy before he would stop. Helpless, Qing Yan had no choice but to hurry to the border.

"Princess, you are so beautiful, I am quite worried about you traveling with only a few attendants!" Lan Zhen raised an eyebrow and smiled. "How about I act as your protector?"

Qingyan's eyebrows twitched. She wondered what kind of environment the royal family of Nanxia used to raise such a lecherous man. She was very unhappy, but she did not show it on her face. "No need for Your Highness to worry. If we really encounter a few bandits, we can do a good deed for the people!" Qingyan's eyes narrowed and her gaze was like a sword.

Upon hearing the word "bandits," Lan Zhen's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly. He then suppressed his frivolous smile and replied, "Since the Princess is as capable as any man, then I shall take my leave." Turning to leave, he suddenly turned back, his face beaming with a warm smile. "Princess, don't forget, the thirteen thousand shi of grain in half a month," he paused, his eyes gleaming with laughter, "must also be returned by the Princess herself."

"Your Highness, rest assured, this princess will never break her promise." Qingyan wasn't unaware of the scheming in his eyes, but she simply ignored it. However, the fleeting look in his eyes after hearing about the bandits confirmed some things for Qingyan.

Because Qiongzhou had accumulated too many disaster victims, looting was inevitable. Therefore, Qingyan chose to enter through Tongxi, which is also adjacent to Zhifang.

The relief efforts for small villages and towns along the way cost 300 shi of grain and took a full day to reach Tongxi. Of the nearly 100,000 refugees from outside Qiongzhou, about 40% came from Tongxi and the surrounding villages and towns. Qingyan made this arrangement in order to alleviate the tense situation in Qiongzhou as soon as possible, but fearing that the news of the grain supply would cause a large-scale return of refugees, Qingyan had to split the team.

"Cheng Ming, you will escort two thousand shi of grain to Qiongzhou, ensuring their arrival within one day." Cheng Ming had been sent to Qiongzhou recently, so he should be quite familiar with the area. He had also heard that the Qiongzhou prefect had transferred a small amount of grain from neighboring prefectures and counties, and with the return of disaster victims, and considering that the disaster in Qiongzhou wasn't severe, two thousand shi should be enough. "Cheng Liang, you will stay in Tongxi and distribute the two thousand five hundred shi of grain in full." Cheng Liang, on the other hand, knew Tongxi better. "Song Junqiao," the Tongxi prefect, whose name was called, took a step forward cautiously, bowing his head in agreement, "Assist in distributing the grain and settling the returning people. I want every household in Tongxi that should return to be provided for."

"Yes," Song Junqiao quickly replied.

"Qin Mian," he was a member of the Imperial Guard, and since Ning Yuan was not by his side, he was one of the personal guards that Emperor Longqing had arranged for Qing Yan. "You will escort 2,200 shi of grain to Sizhou and make sure you arrive within two days."

Qin Mian, with his expressionless face, respectfully accepted the order and withdrew, then set off.

"Zhui'er, pass down the order: set off for Qupu immediately."

After giving her instructions, Qingyan got up to leave.

"Princess, rest for the night before you go!" Zhui'er looked at Qingyan's tired appearance and worried that her body couldn't take it.

Qingyan shook her head. "I have already had Chu Huai spread the word that the grain will arrive within three days. If it doesn't, I'm afraid the consequences will be even more serious." Therefore, they had no choice but to rush to Qupu overnight, hoping to arrive by tomorrow morning.

After assigning tasks, they set off immediately. There weren't many people with them to begin with, and now, after the division, there were only two hundred left. They were already short-handed to escort the remaining three thousand shi of grain. If they really encountered those so-called mountain bandits, Qingyan felt a little uneasy and urged his horse to quicken its pace.

The journey to Qupu went relatively smoothly. According to reports, the large number of disaster victims were returning in an orderly manner and were properly accommodated, without any complications. Qingyan and her party finally arrived in Qupu City before noon on the third day.

"General Chu, distribute these three thousand shi of grain to each household," Qingyan instructed. Exhausted from not sleeping all night, she left the rest to Chu Huai and went into the post station with Zhui'er.

The disaster relief efforts were finally under control for the time being, and Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief. However, the horrific scene of cannibalism kept replaying in her mind, leaving her heartbroken. In the moments before her consciousness faded, Qingyan drifted off to sleep, lost in thought.

Lianyang is a quiet and elegant town about 100 miles from Qupu. The winding Lian River flows through the town, and it gets its name from the fact that the main town is located in the north of the Lian River.

As the sun sets and the evening curtain falls, the desolate scene of Lianyang after the disaster becomes even more poignant.

"Young master, there's an inn ahead." The boy, who looked like a pageboy, pointed excitedly to a small shop with the sign "Yongxing Inn" hanging in front of him. His tone was full of eagerness and anticipation. Although the shop looked a bit dilapidated, it was already quite difficult to find a place to rest near the disaster area.

"Well, that's fine. Let's continue our journey after dinner." The man in plain clothes beside the page urged his horse forward a few steps and replied casually.

"We still have a long way to go!" The pageboy lowered his eyes in dejection, all his previous spirit gone, and the horse beneath him seemed to be affected as well, slowing its pace.

After traveling day and night for several days, the master and servant were exhausted and covered in dust. In order to reach their destination as soon as possible, they chose a shorter, rugged path, enduring wind and rain and sleeping in the open along the way. When they finally found an inn to rest, they couldn't get a proper rest. The young servant boy showed all his dissatisfaction on his face and couldn't help but mutter, "We've already arrived in Lianyang, what's the rush!"

"Qingyang, what did you say?" The cold voice of the man in plain clothes drifted into the boy's ears.

"No, it's nothing." Qingyang shrank back, feeling a chill run down his spine.

Before long, the two had arrived in front of the inn, where the waiter came out to greet them with a smile.

The two found a spot along the street to sit down, called the waiter to bring them some side dishes, and instructed him to prepare enough water and dry food. The two began to replenish their energy, which had been depleted over the past few days.

“Young master, Lianyang is only a hundred li from Qipu. If we travel through the night, we should arrive early tomorrow morning.” Qingyang picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. After speaking, he stole a glance at the man in white.

The man in plain clothes lowered his head and ate in silence, his eyebrows twitching slightly, and there seemed to be a warm smile in his eyes.

"It's all thanks to Gale and Flying Steed that you were able to meet Her Highness the Princess ahead of time!" Qingyang picked up another piece of meat and put it in his mouth. "They truly live up to their name as thoroughbreds." He then glanced at the man in white. "They must hold on tonight. They can get a good rest when we reach Qupu tomorrow."

Hearing this, the man in plain clothes stopped smiling, thought for a moment, and said, "We'll stay at the inn tonight and set off early tomorrow morning."

"Okay, I'll go get a room right now." With his scheme succeeding, Qingyang scurried towards the counter, finally able to get a good night's sleep.

Although the winter is getting colder, it has not snowed in the south despite the fact that it is the middle of winter. It seems that the cold has not accumulated enough, otherwise it would have snowed heavily several times like in the north.

However, the winter morning was cold, and Qingyang was urged to set off early in the morning with no other choice.

As they traveled towards Qipu, all they saw was a desolate, pale landscape. Yunxuan felt a mix of emotions, one for the disaster and the other for Qingyan, that seemingly weak but inwardly strong woman. He wondered how she was tormenting herself now. Didn't she feel pain too? He choked back a sob and urged his horse to quicken its pace.

Qingyang, who followed closely behind, shook his head helplessly and sighed softly. The word "love" really does cause great harm.

Ugh, it's so cold! Did I fall into an icebox? There's nothing around! Is anyone there? Ugh, my head hurts, and I'm so cold! Is there anyone who can save me? I'm freezing to death!

Huh, what's this? It's warm, hmm, it feels so comfortable, hmm, so comfortable...

Oh no, don't go, little heater, don't go! Hmm, caught it, that's good, caught it, that's good, that's good.

Chills are a precursor to fever. Under the thick quilt, Qingyan curled up, shivering uncontrollably. The large hand she had just been holding tightly to her chest was now her lifeline. The owner of the hand was clearly startled by her sudden movement, causing him to sway and lean against the bedside, supporting himself with his other hand. He was startled; he had only wanted to check her forehead temperature, but now he had ended up in such an awkward situation. His arm, resting in the girl's arms, felt like it was on fire, burning his heart and face. He looked at the girl on the bed guiltily and carefully withdrew his arm, afraid of disturbing her.

The proper etiquette between ruler and subject must not be transgressed, and Chu Huai stood cautiously by the bedside.

"General, the doctor has arrived." Zhui'er led an elderly man who looked like a doctor into the room in a hurry.

The doctor carefully examined Qingyan's pulse.

"The princess has only caught a cold. She'll be fine after a few doses of medicine. Please rest assured, General." The old man, who looked like a doctor, spoke casually, but his heart was pounding and his legs were trembling.

Although this cold is not a difficult or complicated disease, it could be fatal if something goes wrong. Moreover, the patient is of noble status, and his life could be in danger if anything were to happen. Thinking of this, the old doctor broke out in a cold sweat.

"Prescribe the medicine immediately and provide a proper diagnosis. Any delay will be your sole responsibility." The valiant man looked solemnly at the pale-faced girl on the bed, his handsome brows furrowed with worry.

The old doctor immediately wrote a prescription and, with his head in his hands, went to get the medicine for the princess.

For several days, Qingyan was given medicine, induced to sweat, and given extra blankets. She felt like her body wasn't her own, and her consciousness kept fluctuating between being clear and confused as her forehead burned.

"Why hasn't the princess woken up yet?" After several days of tireless care, Chu Huai's face showed obvious signs of fatigue. Normally, this kind of service wouldn't be his responsibility, but the girls, including Zhui'er, were all sick and frail. In these turbulent times, to ensure the princess's safety, he was unwilling to entrust the task to others.

"General, rest assured, the princess's fever has subsided, and she will wake up tomorrow." The old doctor was extremely cautious in his answer, fearing that the slightest mistake would cost him his head. In recent days, General Chu's complexion had been extremely poor, and he seemed to be ready to devour him alive if he couldn't be cured.

Gazing at the still slightly flushed face of the woman on the bed after her fever had subsided, Chu Huai was momentarily stunned. He wasn't a close advisor and rarely had private contact with the princess; this was the first time he'd been so close. It was such a delicate and beautiful face—rosy cheeks, cherry-red lips, a charming nose, and full eyebrows. In her illness, she possessed a quieter serenity than usual, making her all the more pitiful.

"Go down!" Composing himself, Chu Huai waved for the old doctor to leave, and the old doctor, as if granted a pardon, quickly left the room.

He carefully scooped the towel from the basin, wrung it out, and placed it on her forehead. Watching the girl's complexion gradually improve, he felt a sense of relief. Perhaps she was too tired, Chu Huai leaned her head against the edge of the bed and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open abruptly, and a man in plain clothes rushed into the room, his footsteps hurried and disordered. Chu Huai was jolted awake, his hand instinctively gripping the sword beside him. A sharp flash appeared, and the three-foot-long blade was drawn sharply, pointing directly at the man in plain clothes.

"Young master!" The servant behind the man in plain clothes exclaimed in surprise upon seeing this, and made a move to block him.

"Lord Fu?" Upon seeing who it was, Chu Huai's voice rose in surprise, and he sheathed his sword.

He entered Yunxuan without being invited, bowed and apologized: "General Chu, I apologize for my rudeness." Before he finished speaking, he had already walked to the bedside.

"You flatter me, sir," Chu Huai returned the greeting, glanced down at the beautiful woman on the bed, and stepped back a few feet from the bedside. "The princess is fine now, sir, you can rest assured."

Yunxuan sat down near the bed and tenderly stroked Qingyan's cheek. Although the fever had subsided, she was still unconscious.

Chu Huai was quite surprised by Yun Xuan's sudden arrival. His gaze lingered on Yun Xuan, scrutinizing him. The heavy dust and unconcealable haggardness were clearly the result of continuous travel. Judging from the surprised and worried look on his face, he was completely unaware of the princess's illness. It seemed that he had not come to visit her. Thinking of this, Chu Huai's heart tightened and his face darkened.