Xuanyuan Han was well aware of the dangers and perils of frequent sandstorms in Northwest China.

Everything was just as described in the book "On Desertification Control" by Yi Shangyun, which was currently open on the table in front of him.

Because these regions have complex terrain, consisting mostly of mountains, deserts, and Gobi, coupled with their high altitude, low temperatures, and scarce rainfall, drought has permeated almost the entire area.

Although rivers do flow through these areas, most of their basins are covered by loess with almost no vegetation, resulting in severe soil erosion and a high sediment content.

Especially in spring, the north receives little rainfall, and strong winds will inevitably cause sandstorms, resulting in the destruction of homes, displacement, and unbearable suffering for the people.

When will this endless yellow sandstorm end?

In fact, the imperial court has made efforts over the years.

However, this was a long-term endeavor, and so far it had only been a waste of resources and manpower with little effect, so Emperor Jing, who had finally lost patience with it, insisted on abandoning it.

Dingxiang continued talking to herself, but suddenly realized that Xuanyuan Han seemed to be lost in thought, so she softly called to him, "Your Highness Prince Qin... Your Highness Prince Qin..."

Upon hearing this, Xuanyuan Han slowly came to his senses. He assumed that Dingxiang had only come to report on Yi Shangyun's itinerary, so he casually replied, "I know."

Dingxiang saw that even at this moment, Xuanyuan Han was still able to sit so calmly and without any urgency.

After much deliberation, for the sake of Yi Shangyun's happiness, she decided to take the plunge and boldly asked, "This servant has a question that I would like to ask Your Highness, the Prince of Qin. I hope Your Highness can resolve this confusion for me!"

Xuanyuan Han asked in a cold voice, "What is it?"

Dingxiang was genuinely blaming him, and said somewhat angrily, "How could Your Highness, Prince Qin, be so heartless these past few days, completely ignoring the Princess Consort? Does Your Highness know how wronged and saddened she is by this!"

Xuan Yuanhan thought for a moment, and before he knew it, he had begun to doubt in his heart that perhaps, in Yi Shangyun's heart, he was not that important at all.

Even so, he was still unwilling to give up.

So he said, “What difference does it make whether I see her or not? Even if I long to see her every moment, she may not want to see me at all. In any case, her health is the most important thing. Rather than angering her, it’s better not to see her. Once she’s calmed down, I will personally bring her back.”

Upon hearing these familiar words, Dingxiang was quite surprised and said, "Your Highness Prince Qin and Princess Consort are truly in sync! Even when they are arguing, their thoughts are so unexpectedly similar!"

After saying that, he took out a paper package, stepped forward and solemnly placed it on the table in front of Xuan Yuanhan.

Xuan Yuanhan was visibly surprised to see the finest jasmine tea, which he had carefully selected from all the jasmine teas Cheng Liang had retrieved, now back in front of him.

He slowly reached out and picked it up, asking Dingxiang with a puzzled look, "This jasmine tea... doesn't she like it?"

Dingxiang shook her head and said, "It's not that she doesn't like this tea..."

Xuanyuan Han pondered to himself, "She already knows that this was found for her by me, which is why she doesn't want it! It seems she's still angry with me!"

Dingxiang pondered for a moment, then sighed, "Your Highness and Her Majesty clearly love each other deeply, so why do they have to hurt each other? Her Majesty said that once she returns from the Northwest, she will go back to the manor to request a divorce from Your Highness. From then on, they will marry and have no further connection."

As expected, upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanhan could no longer contain his emotions and shouted, "What did you say? You're asking for a divorce from me?"

Dingxiang nodded.

Seeing that Xuanyuan Han's emotions had finally stirred, he decided to add fuel to the fire, saying, "However, this trip to the Northwest is likely to be fraught with peril, especially since it's quite inappropriate for Her Highness the Princess to travel alone with the disaster victims. Although Her Highness has done much research on sandstorms at Yanfu Temple these past few days, she hasn't actually experienced them firsthand. Even if Her Highness wants to divorce His Highness, she'll have to return alive first! If Her Highness unfortunately encounters something this time..."

Before Dingxiang could finish speaking, Xuanyuan Han suddenly stood up, strode out the door, and disappeared into the vast night in an instant.

Ignoring the question posed by Cheng Liang behind him, who was completely bewildered, he asked, "Your Highness, where are you going so late?"

Seeing this, Dingxiang finally smiled, watching his figure disappear into the night, and murmured to herself, "That's right, this is the attitude one should have when pursuing a wife..."

As soon as Xuanyuan Han stepped out, he quickly mounted his horse.

"Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up..."

Instantly, the sound of horses' hooves kicked up a shower of fallen flowers, and the crack of whips echoed through the night sky.

Even in the quiet of the night, Yanfu Temple still reveals its magnificent grandeur.

Surrounded by lush forests, it exudes both solemnity and grandeur, while also displaying a friendly and approachable atmosphere.

When Xuanyuan Han arrived at the temple, the gates were already tightly closed. He stopped on his horse, looked at the peaceful and sacred building in front of him, and finally dismounted and stepped onto the stone steps.

Soon, the sound of the metal bolt hitting the wooden door stirred up a calm yet slightly sharp sound, accompanied by the creaking sound of the door opening, and a young monk from the temple asked through the crack in the door.

"Amitabha Buddha, may I ask what brings you to the temple so late at night? If it is to offer incense and fulfill a vow, please come early tomorrow! The monks in the temple are already asleep!"

After saying that, he reached up and prepared to close the door again.

Just as the door was about to close, Xuan Yuanhan reached out and slammed his hand heavily on it.

Immediately afterwards, he took out a gold badge with the words "Qin Prince's Mansion" printed on it in a very conspicuous way.

Upon seeing this, the young monk immediately widened his eyes and perked up, saying, "Sir, you are from the Prince of Qin's residence. Is there anything important you need me to do? I will go and inform the abbot immediately!"

Xuanyuan Han withdrew the gold token and said in a deep voice, "There's no need to announce it. I've come tonight to take my queen back to the manor."

The young monk then realized what was happening and hurriedly bowed respectfully to him again, saying, "So it is His Highness Prince Qin. This humble monk was blind, and I hope His Highness will forgive me!"

Xuanyuan Han instructed him again, saying, "I have only come to take the princess back to the manor. There is no need to disturb the others in the temple. Please trouble Master to take me to the princess's residence."

"Your Highness, please follow this humble monk! This way, please."

Xuanyuan Han finally stepped in and followed his young master into the back courtyard.

Yanfu Temple faces east.

The temple complex consists of three courtyards: the mountain gate, the Great Buddha Hall, the Guanyin Hall, the Mahavira Hall, and the left and right wing rooms. The buildings rise gradually along a central axis, following the contours of the mountain.

The temple houses ancient buildings with distinctive and lifelike carvings and patterns of flying cranes and soaring clouds, displayed under the eaves and between the wooden walls.

The young man walked along, explaining things to them earnestly.

When they arrived at the back of the courtyard, which was backed by the mountain, they said, "Originally, the temple planned to give the most spacious and bright room to the Princess Consort, but she said that she preferred quiet, so she stayed in the corner pavilion. The Princess Consort said that the pavilion was very nice, just like the small pavilion she lived in before she got married, and that she could look out over the lake and gaze at the stars at night."

As Xuanyuan Han listened, he seemed to be deep in thought.

The young monk continued, "Among the worshippers at Yanfu Temple, there are many members of the royal family and nobility. But the Princess Consort is truly without any airs. Her food, clothing, and lodging are no different from ours. When she is with us, she always smiles. She is truly an extremely optimistic person."

As she spoke, the smile gradually faded from her face, and she said with melancholy, "But slowly, we noticed that, without knowing when it started, Her Highness the Princess stopped smiling so much. When there's nothing else going on, she always locks herself in her attic, often going a whole day without eating or drinking, and several times she's almost fainted. When people ask her, she stammers and refuses to say anything, but..."

Xuanyuan Han had been quietly accompanying her every day when she went out, but he was unaware that she was abusing herself so much in the temple. He asked with concern, "But what?"

The young master silently turned his head and glanced at Xuan Yuanhan, seemingly a little timid.

But in the end, he said, "It's just that Her Highness the Princess has been living in the temple for almost a month now, but His Highness the Prince of Qin has never sent anyone to visit her, so..."

After a pause and much hesitation, the young monk finally spoke, "So we all suspect that the Princess Consort's gradual melancholy and loss of her former cheerfulness must be because of Your Highness..."

Xuanyuan Han immediately realized what was happening and admitted, "That's right, all of this was indeed caused by me."

At this moment, the young monk suddenly asked with a hopeful look, "Now that His Highness the Prince of Qin has arrived, will the Princess Consort return to being as happy and cheerful as before? The Princess Consort is an extremely good and kind person, and we all hope that she can live a happy and joyful life."

Xuanyuan Han thought for a moment, then said with absolute certainty and firmness, "Yes, she will. I am here. With me here, she will definitely be happy, she will definitely be joyful again!"

"In that case, everyone can rest assured!"

Upon hearing these words, the young master finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

As the two were talking, they arrived at the foot of the pavilion where Yi Shangyun lived.

The young monk stopped abruptly, pointed to the door of the pavilion, and said to Xuan Yuanhan, "This is the pavilion where the Princess Consort lives!"

Xuanyuan Han looked in the direction it was pointing. The light in the cloud-like room on the upper floor was still on. He then said to it, "Thank you!"

The young monk bowed to him and said "Amitabha!" before turning and leaving.