Shui Ling and Shui Yun were sleeping soundly outside. Jia Yin didn't want to disturb them, so she went into her space, drank some water, and took a stroll in the orchard and vegetable garden before she could finally calm her wildly beating heart.

After careful consideration, Xindu is relatively safe, and Quanzhou is even further away from the central government. The only place where problems could arise is... Jiangbei!

But in this time and space, communication is extremely inconvenient.

To confirm the information, it would take at least seven or eight days for a round trip.

She once again hated herself for being so brainless; why hadn't she raised an eagle or a pigeon?

Things that fly are always more convenient and faster than things that run on the ground.

But it's too late to say anything now. All we can do is hope that the northern expedition goes smoothly and that our loved ones are safe...

When she woke up early, Shui Ling noticed that her mistress's eyes were a little dark and thought she was worried about the Third Princess.

So she tentatively asked, "Princess, we have nothing to do today, would you like to bake some snacks?"

"I'll send a box to the princess then, and also take a look at what her residence is like. Come to think of it, we've never been there before."

Shuiyun glared at her and scolded, "Don't give me any bad advice. It's so hot. Maybe the pastries weren't baked properly and I fainted."

Shui Ling chuckled foolishly, refusing to admit that she was also craving something sweet.

Jiayin had collected quite a few lychees from her spatial storage last night, so she said, "Baking pastries is really too much work. I chilled some lychees and will send them out this afternoon. Especially to Luo'an, where the brothers love them, so I'll send out more. I'll also check on how their cold noodle business is doing!"

Shui Ling just can't stay still; she doesn't have any particular preference about where she goes when she goes out.

She immediately replied, "Okay, I'll go to Luo'an on behalf of the princess and make sure I find out everything clearly."

Jiayin ate a bowl of porridge, half a salt and pepper steamed bun, and some side dishes. Seeing that Shuiling and Shuiyun were eating with relish, she added another half steamed bun.

Shuiyun was delighted and urged Shuiling to eat more.

After the meal, Jiayin changed into a coarse cloth dress and wanted to take a walk in the medicinal herb field.

Just as they reached the door, they heard the sound of horses' hooves approaching from afar.

A fast horse arrived nearby in the blink of an eye, and the guard on horseback leaped down and knelt on one knee in front of Jiayin.

Jiayin recognized the man as one of Li Dayong's men and her heart skipped a beat, wondering if something serious had happened at the dockside military camp.

The guard took a deep breath and said loudly, "Princess, the old lady and the fourth lady have returned from Quanzhou! Their ship has just arrived at the military camp dock, and General Li specially sent me to inform you."

What? !

Jiayin was overjoyed, but then frowned, a heavy weight hanging over her heart.

The reason we sent Grandma and Mom to the south was because we were afraid something might happen in Xindu, so we wanted to ensure the safety of our family.

Now is a crucial time, why have they come back?

Is it because you miss home, or are you forced to...?

The more she thought about it, the more worried she became. She quickly stepped down the stairs, jumped onto the horse, grabbed the reins, and headed for the dock.

"Princess!" The guards and the village chief and others who rushed over after hearing the commotion were all startled.

Before Jiayin could even say hello, she lashed out with her whip, and the warhorse galloped away.

Fortunately, Shui Ling was quite agile and, after a short run-up, she was able to mount the horse.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and quickly inquired about the guard's identity.

"What happened?"

The guard quickly repeated himself, and everyone else looked on with complicated expressions.

The village chief remained calm and shouted, "Bring the horses from home and hurry into town to send a message to the Earl, Mr. Wen, and Luo'an."

Everyone quickly responded.

The guards were led into the courtyard to rest, and the household servants were perfectly capable of handling the task of delivering the message.

Soon, two more horses galloped out of the village.

Jiayin and Shuiling rode together on one horse, galloping all the way, covering dozens of miles in just a quarter of an hour.

At the military camp dock, Old Lady Li and Tao Hongying were sitting and talking with Li Dayong.

After drifting on the boat for a while, we suddenly landed, and it felt like we were walking on cotton.

Old Mrs. Li was quite old and looked unwell, while Tao Hongying was in relatively good condition.

Li Dayong busied himself, instructing his guards to quickly fetch crushed ice and plum powder, and brewed a pot of plum juice.

"Auntie, sister-in-law, have a couple of sips of plum juice to cool down. This is something the princess specially made because she was worried about me being stuck here and not being able to eat the good things at home. It's sweet and sour, and tastes especially good."

Hearing this, Grandma Li forced herself to drink half a cup, and her spirits improved considerably.

"Fu Niu'er is such a smart child. I was worried that she was suffering at home, but it seems I was just worrying for nothing."

Tao Hongying scolded, "I told you Mother didn't need to worry. Even if this girl were thrown into the desert, she would still eat and drink well."

Li Dayong refilled their cups and then asked, "Auntie, sister-in-law, is there something wrong in the south that you came back so suddenly?"

Before Tao Hongying could respond, there was already movement outside the door.

Li Dayong walked to the door in a few steps, and as soon as he looked out, Jiayin had already led Shuiling over quickly.

Li Dayong smiled and called out, "Princess, come quickly!"

Jiayin lifted her skirt and simply started running.

When Tao Hongying heard that her daughter had arrived, she went to the door to greet her, hugged her daughter tightly, and her eyes welled up with tears.

"Oh dear, you brat, what are you doing here on such a hot day! Your grandma and I are just resting for a bit before heading home!"

Jiayin hugged her mother tightly, wanting to say something but choking up and unable to make a sound, tears streaming down her face.

Grandma Li also struggled to get up, calling out repeatedly, "Fu Niu'er, come here quickly, Grandma wants to see you! Grandma has missed you so much!"

Jiayin quickly released her mother and knelt down in front of her grandmother, "Grandma!"

"Oh, my granddaughter, don't cry, Grandma's back, back!" Grandma Li comforted her granddaughter, but she hugged her granddaughter tightly, tears streaming down her face.

Seeing this, Li Dayong quietly closed the door, then pulled Shui Ling to stand guard not far away.

Inside the house, the three of them, young and old, cried for a while, then wiped away their tears and spoke calmly.

Grandma Li and Tao Hongying flanked Jiayin on either side, touching her hands and patting her back, showing their deep concern.

"We're not home, have you not been eating properly? Or have you been mistreated in the palace?"

"Where's your second uncle? I'll break his legs! I told him to take good care of you, but how did he do it?" Old Mrs. Li scolded her son angrily.

Jiayin quickly pleaded for her second uncle, "Grandma, it's not your fault, Second Uncle. It's just too hot, and I haven't had much of an appetite. Besides, Second Uncle is so busy every day, he's lost a lot of weight!"

Tao Hongying also said, "Mom, don't worry, we're back now. I'll cook delicious meals for Fu Niu every day from now on, and she'll fatten up in a few days."

Jiayin seized the opportunity and quickly asked, "Grandma, Mom, has something happened in the south? Why did you suddenly come back? The timing is terrible!"

Old Mrs. Li glared and scolded, "What do you mean by good or bad timing? If it weren't for your uncle stopping me, I would have wanted to come back long ago! Every time you write a letter, you say that everything is good here. You're all conspiring to deceive this old woman!"

“Your mother and I discussed it and decided that we had to come back no matter what. You are just a young girl, and if you are wronged, you really won’t have any elders to support you.”

Two updates today!