Not long after, Lu Yucheng came out of the bath and changed into a dark blue brocade robe with a floral pattern. His black hair was wrung out and tucked into his jade crown.

Because he had spent many years in the southern border region, his skin was not very fair, but his facial features were perfect, his features were three-dimensional, and his posture was upright. Because he was not wearing armor, his toughness was tempered with gentleness. His jade-like smile spread across his eyebrows, and under the bright sunset, his eyes looked like black ink.

The sky was gradually darkening.

Lu Yucheng straightened his clothes and asked Luo Wang, the servant behind him, "Have you packed everything for Xiaoyun?"

Luo Wang chuckled: "Your Highness, everything is sorted out and packed into boxes. We'll load it onto the cart and deliver it to the young lady tomorrow."

Lu Yucheng smiled and nodded.

"Young Master, the Duke requests your presence in his study," a servant from the manor announced.

Lu Yucheng shrugged helplessly at Luo Wang. Well, his old man still couldn't let go of the people of Mucheng.

When Lu Yucheng stepped into the study, he indeed saw his father talking to Uncle Qing, the old steward of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

"Uncle Qing." Lu Yucheng greeted the steward, who was over sixty years old and listening attentively to his father's instructions, with a smile on his face.

"This old servant greets Your Highness." Upon hearing the voice, Uncle Qing turned around and hurriedly bowed to Lu Yucheng.

Lu Yucheng hurriedly avoided him. Uncle Qing was his grandfather's most capable subordinate. He had been injured while fighting alongside his grandfather in the past and had a limp when he walked, so he did not go to the southern border with his grandfather.

Later, he became the old steward of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, and stayed in Shengjing City for more than forty years, diligently managing everything in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

He was not married.

Everyone in the Zhenguo Duke's mansion, regardless of seniority, called him that, and even the Zhenguo Duke himself respectfully addressed him as "Uncle Qing."

Uncle Qing smiled as he looked at the handsome and tall Lu Yucheng, tears welling up in his eyes: "Young Master has grown taller and stronger. The old Duke of Zhenguo is watching over us from heaven."

"Uncle Qing, how have you been feeling these past two years?"

"Good, good, good. Apart from my legs being weak, I'm fine. I can still eat at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion for another ten or twenty years."

The three people in the study all laughed.

Zhenguo Gongdao said, "Let's do it this way. Uncle Qing, you should personally go to the accounting office and withdraw 100,000 taels of silver. Use 50,000 taels to buy grain and send it to Mucheng as quickly as possible. Use the other 50,000 taels to repair the people's houses. This matter cannot be delayed for even a moment. Please be sure to act quickly, Uncle Qing."

"Yes, this old servant will take care of it immediately. Last year, the Great Zhou had favorable weather, and the harvests in various places were good, and the price of grain was not high. Now the market price is about five qian per shi, and this fifty thousand taels can buy one hundred thousand shi of grain and send it to Mu City, so that the people can make ends meet for a while."

The Duke of Zhenguo nodded. Spring will begin in a few days. Even if the cold snap is severe, the weather will gradually warm up.

"Father, should I send someone to accompany Uncle Qing's men to Mu City?"

Lu Yucheng was worried that if too many people were affected by the disaster and something happened, his servants wouldn't know what to do.

The Duke of Zhenguo thought for a moment and said, "Well, let Cui Li go. Uncle Qing, send more people with Cui Li to make sure all these things are delivered to the people. You should also have Cui Li personally inspect the purchased grain and other supplies to make sure nothing goes wrong."

Remembering everything they had witnessed in Mucheng, the Duke of Zhenguo was extremely anxious. If the emperor hadn't sent someone to urge him again, he would have made sure to bring the snow disaster in Mucheng under complete control before returning to Shengjing.

The prefect of Mucheng was quite dutiful, going out to patrol every day and gathering the people whose houses had collapsed together so they wouldn't freeze to death.

However, he hesitated about whether to report to the imperial court immediately. After all, it was already the New Year and the weather was gradually getting warmer. Reporting to the imperial court would be his responsibility as the local official.

Therefore, when the emperor sent messengers to urge them to return to Shengjing, he rushed over with Acheng, thinking that he would tell the emperor about the matter so that the court could intervene and provide disaster relief as soon as possible.

But to everyone's surprise, the old emperor didn't take it to heart.

Alas, Mu City has tens of thousands of people.

Uncle Qing nodded and bowed, saying, "We have three hundred guards. Your Excellency, do you think it would be alright for this old servant to send two hundred men?"

After thinking for a moment, the Duke of Zhenguo said, "Send two hundred and eighty men, and leave twenty men in the manor."

“But, this…” How can such a large Zhenguo Duke’s mansion be adequately staffed by only twenty people?

The Duke of Zhenguo waved his hand: "It's nothing. Cheng'er and I are in the manor. Nothing will happen."

After Uncle Qing left, Lu Yucheng sat down opposite the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

“Father, I’m worried that if the Emperor finds out, it will be difficult to explain.” Lu Yucheng paused before saying, “I’m afraid the Emperor will overthink things.”

The emperor was suspicious, a fact well known to both the Duke of Zhenguo and his son.

Whether or not this matter was handled well, if it reached the old emperor's ears, it would be considered that they had overstepped their bounds.

Some even say they are trying to win people over, with ulterior motives.

The Duke of Zhenguo rubbed his fingers and said slowly, "We can't let the people go hungry and cold like this. It's freezing cold, and things could easily go wrong. Cui Li has never been to Shengjing City before. Have him disguise himself as a wealthy merchant who practices medicine and delivers grain. Have the guards in the manor also disguise themselves so that no one recognizes them."

Lu Yucheng paused for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"My lord."

The Duke of Zhenguo frowned slightly upon hearing Fang's voice. He never allowed Fang to set foot in his study, a place of great importance.

But he also knew that in recent years, he and Acheng had been stationed in the southern border region. His mother had gone to Ganlu Temple to pray for blessings five years ago and had rarely returned. The entire Zhenguo Duke's Mansion was managed by Fang and Uncle Qing.

He stood up and went outside, where he saw that Madam Fang had changed into a light green silk dress, with pearl hairpins and jade ornaments in her hair. As she moved, the pearl hairpins made a crisp clinking sound.

Upon seeing him, Madam Fang quickly curtsied and greeted him: "Lord Duke."

The Duke of Zhenguo couldn't help but think of his eldest daughter, Lu Xiaoyun. Every time they returned, they would see her with her hair adorned with a multitude of pearl hairpins, mostly red, green, and yellow.

He wasn't very close to him and Acheng, but he was extremely close to Fang.

This child lost her mother at a young age, and he couldn't take her with him. He never expected that time would pass so quickly. This time when he returned to Shengjing, she had already married someone else.

I wonder how this girl is doing at the Prince An's residence, and whether her injuries have healed.

When Fang saw him staring intently at her, she assumed he had missed her after two years apart. Her face flushed slightly, and she gently touched the hair at her temple, saying softly, "Lord Duke."

The Duke of Zhenguo finally came to his senses: "What is it?"

Fang's voice softened further: "I was thinking that I should pay my respects to my mother-in-law. You have finally returned to Shengjing, and she has been praying alone at Ganlu Temple for many years. Now that she is getting old, it is time to bring her back to the manor to live out her days."

"Before the New Year, I went to Ganlu Temple to visit my mother-in-law. I saw that her health had deteriorated in the past two years, and I was really worried about her."