Chapter 116

The seventh prince disappeared from the prince's residence.

He knocked out the guard and kidnapped the imperial physician.

He only left behind a concise letter: Dad, I'm going to Xianghe.

It was already late at night when Emperor Chongzhao found out about it. He was still in a meeting with his ministers late into the night. Now he was shaking with anger as he held the note in his hand.

"Asshole! Asshole! How on earth did he get out?!"

Eunuch Yu didn't even dare to breathe loudly, "He should have gone out when the guards at the north city gate changed shifts. Only at that time, a cart loaded with vegetables passed by, and a young eunuch dozed off, so he didn't check. So..."

Emperor Chongzhao: "Chase! Chase him back for me!"

Master Fang: "Your Majesty, it's probably too late to chase him now."

Although the young prince has been ill for many years, his martial arts skills are among the best among the princes. Riding horses and archery are no problem for him. Ordinary people really can't catch up with him.

Emperor Chongzhao paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed so tightly that they could pinch a fly to death.

"He left the city so smoothly, there must be someone helping him, the fourth brother? Or his grandmother? He is so spoiled that he is not only arrogant, but also can get involved in natural disasters? Who knows who will save whom wherever he goes!"

Eunuch Yu advised quietly: "Don't be angry. At least the Seventh Prince knows me well and knows to bring the imperial physician with him. He is sensible..."

Emperor Chongzhao felt heartbroken.

Is this what you call being sensible?

He leaned on the table and took a deep breath. "Minister of Works, you and Minister Xie will set out tomorrow to Xianghe and take charge of the affairs of the three counties. If there is any situation, send someone to report it immediately. Bring a batch of emergency supplies with you first, and after you arrive at the local area, supervise the distribution of grain from the charity granary and make sure to settle the people."

“Investigate the cause of the dam breach to see if it was all caused by the damage to the Nanning dam.”

The Minister of Industry cupped his hands and said, "Yes."

Minister Xie is Xie Jingshan, Concubine Xuan's brother. It would be most appropriate to take him to Xianghe for this matter.

Not long after, the secret sentry handed in a memorial.

It was Yu Ruo who stayed behind.

Emperor Chongzhao opened it and laughed angrily: "Great, they all ran away."

He handed the memorial to Master Fang.

Master Fang: "Although he went to Xianghe, he can't escape. His going there is a good thing for us."

Nanning has no intention of going to war now. It is clear that Prince Yuruo is the unfavored one. He has foreign blood and has no possibility of inheriting the throne. Without the negotiation and agreement between Da Zhou and Nanning, he will be sent back with an excuse if he returns.

Now Yu Ruo has gone to Xianghe. He is a prince to some extent, and he has gone to the disaster area. The Emperor of Nanning has not expressed anything. What do the people in the country think?

In this way, they greatly increase the possibility of asking Nanning to take money for disaster relief.

Unless the Emperor of Nanning is truly shameless and doesn't care about the people's support.

-

When it was almost dawn, Qu Watanabe and Yi Twelve finally found a cave entrance and stopped to rest for a while.

The tired horse was eating grass nearby.

They picked up some firewood, which was wet and took a while to light.

The sky was dark blue with a few sparse stars.

Yi Twelve handed over the water bottle and dry food, "Your Highness."

Qu Watanabe hummed, "You should eat some too, let's eat together."

He warmed the snacks near the fire and ate a few of them. They couldn't stay too long. When the horses had eaten most of the grass, they should leave.

Yi Twelve sat opposite him and ate a few mouthfuls in silence. Suddenly, his ears moved and he said alertly, "Someone is coming."

Qu Dubian suddenly focused.

B12: "The sound of horse hooves, two people."

Qu Watanabe: "It shouldn't be sent by the Emperor."

He walked out of the cave, and soon, Yu Ruo and Gu Xin appeared in his sight.

The two men reined in their horses and stopped. Yu Ruo raised an eyebrow and said, "What a coincidence, we meet again."

Qu Watanabe: “…”

He glanced at Yu Ruo up and down and said, "You must have sneaked out wearing servant clothes."

Yu Ruo turned over and dismounted, "You are the same."

He entered the cave with familiarity, sat by the fire, and warmed his hands.

Although it was summer, it was always cold at dawn. I rode a horse at full speed and was chilled by the wind.

Qu Duanbian: "Even if you go to Xianghe, you can't go back to Nanning."

Yu Ruo: "I'm not going back."

Qu Duanbian sat down opposite him, picked up the snacks and ate them slowly. After noticing Yu Ruo's gaze, he gave the remaining snacks to Yi Twelve, "Don't let anyone steal them, Liuliu, hide them well."

Yi Twelve glanced at Yu Ruo, nodded, took it outside and put it in the horse's back pocket.

Yu Ruo: "...Who wants to eat?"

Qu Watanabe: "What's the point of you going there? You didn't bring anything, not even food."

Yu Ruo: "Then what's the point of you going? Why don't you wait for your father to send officials, and you stay in the capital to wait for news?"

Qu Dubian said nothing and raised his eyes slightly.

Yu Ruo looked at him and said, "Whatever your reason is, that is my reason."

Qu Watanabe: "You are doing this for the people of Nanning, I am doing this for my own selfish reasons."

Yu Ruo: "If you say so, then so be it."

The two of them were going back and forth in the cave, while Yi Twelve was outside checking the horse's hooves.

After the inspection, Yi Twelve leaned against the big rock at the entrance of the cave and raised his hand to touch the small porcelain bottle on his chest.

After leaving the capital, the secret guards would definitely not send him the antidote for Sanrizui anymore. He took the Qianqian Pill given to him by the old marquis many years ago, which should be able to relieve the effects of the poison.

I hope I can hold on for a few more days until His Highness no longer needs him.

Inside the cave.

Qu Du kicked out the fire and clapped his hands, "We have rested enough, let's go. We won't stop in the middle, we can change horses and ride in turns, and we can reach Xianghe County in just one and a half days."

Yu Ruo quickly stood up and said, "I don't have a horse to ride on."

Qu Watanabe: "What does it have to do with me?"

He jumped on the horse and said, "Liuliu, let's go!"

"Wait for me."

Yu Ruo followed closely behind them.

The four set off again.

-

Noon time.

The Minister of Works, together with Xie Jingshan, set off with the team.

They were already preparing very quickly, but the pace was a little slower because they were carrying supplies for the journey.

Before Xie Jingshan left, his grandfather repeatedly told him to bring his sister Concubine Xuan and the Seventh Prince back safely.

When the convoy set off, Xie Jingshan finished the inventory and went to find his immediate superior, the Minister of Works. He saw a young man standing in front of the Minister of Works and begging for mercy.

Xie Jingshan exclaimed, "Isn't this the young master of Lord Xi's family?"

Xi Zixing bowed quickly: "Thank you, sir."

"No need to be polite." Xie Jingshan looked him up and down. Seeing that he was carrying a package and looked like he was going on a long journey, he wondered, "What are you doing here?"

This young master of the Xi family seems to have a good relationship with the Seventh Prince.

Minister of Industry: "He is pestering me to go to Xianghe. It's really ridiculous. We are going there for work, not for fun. He is just a juren. Even if he is a jieyuan, he doesn't have an official position. He insists on going there. If something happens, who will be held responsible?"

If it weren't for the fact that this kid's father was the Minister of Justice, his old colleague, he would have definitely ordered someone to beat him up.

Xi Zixing: "I am preparing for the next spring exam. Only by going deep into the local areas can I understand the sufferings of the people and write an article that is more in line with the current situation of the Great Zhou."

He handed over a handwritten letter and leaned in to whisper.

"This is also what my father meant. I hope you two will consider that you and my father are both officials in the same dynasty and ask me to go."

Xie Jingshan took a close look at the handwriting, his eyes falling on the personal seal belonging to Xi Shiqiu on the back of the handwriting.

"The seal is real. It's not easy to owe a favor to the Ministry of Justice. It doesn't hurt to bring one more person. The handwritten note also said that if there is an accident, it has nothing to do with us."

After he had spoken, the Minister of Works walked down the stairs and waved his hand.

"Then you watch him."

Xie Jingshan: "Okay."

Xi Zixing bowed and said, "Thank you both for your help!"

He was stuffed into the last carriage.

The carriage was small and cramped, loaded with cargo, and extremely hot.

Xi Zixing wiped the sweat from his head.

With a frown on his face, the Seventh Prince was putting himself in danger.

Didn't he know how bad his health was? He had to go to the disaster area! He knocked out the guards and escaped in the middle of the night. He was so bold.

God knows when he heard the news, he really suspected that there was something wrong with his ears.

Then he immediately packed up his things, wrote a letter in disguised handwriting, stole his father's personal seal and stamped it, then blended into the team.

He remained calm when he was stealing stamps, finding excuses to catch up with the team, etc.

It was not until he sat in the carriage that the calmness on his face slowly faded away, revealing a bit of worry and frustration, and gritting his teeth.

"Deduction points! Deduction points!"

All points deducted!

-

A day and a half later.

Qu Dubian and Yu Ruo arrived at their destination before their horses died of exhaustion.

Xianghe County.

The water is vast.

There was still a light drizzle in the sky.

All the crops and fields were destroyed, houses collapsed, and huts floated.

On both sides of the surging river, people knelt by the river and cried. Some cried for food, some cried for houses, some cried for money, and some cried for people.

They were in Le'an County of Xianghe County, where Concubine Zhou's hometown was.

Qu Dubian stopped a commoner and said, "Excuse me, brother, where is the local government office?"

The common people pointed to the right and said, "Over there, in front of the government office. Those who were not drowned and climbed out of the river are all there."

"Thank you very much."

Qu Dubian and Yu Ruo led the horses to the gate of the county government office.

As we walked along, we saw people all wet in the city. Some straw huts had been built on both sides to shelter from the rain, and people were huddled inside.

Crowded and packed.

Mixed with some decay and stench.

There were many injured people and there was a smell of blood.

Qu Dubian held his breath, frowned, and looked around, but he didn't see any doctors, and there wasn't even much smell of medicine.

There was a porridge stall at the gate of the yamen, and a circle of guards surrounded the porridge stall to prevent people from fighting over it.

Many people lined up with their bowls in hand waiting for porridge.

"Sir! Give me one more bowl! Please, even half a bowl is fine!"

Qu Dubian looked in the direction of the sound and saw a woman kneeling on the ground with a baby tied with a cloth in her arms. She kept kowtowing to the officials outside the porridge stall, "Just half a bowl of porridge, half a bowl is enough, please..."

The official said helplessly, "Each person can only have one bowl a day, how can you be an exception? If everyone else is an exception, will others still eat?"

The woman was still kowtowing. Someone couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Sister, go to the side. The official is right. If you eat two bowls, others will have one less bowl to eat."

There was blood on her forehead.

Qu Dubian frowned slightly and walked forward, while Yi Twelve stood by to block the crowd.

He stood outside the porridge stall and took a look into the big pot.

Just some soup.

It's not porridge at all, it's just hot water with a slight rice flavor.

He remembered that Xianghe County had set up a charity granary. Why was the porridge provided to the people so sparse when the natural disaster struck?

Qu Dubian pulled the woman with the baby and handed her half of the dry food in front of her panicked gaze, "I still have some food and water here."

The woman quickly took it, stood up and kept bowing: "Thank you! Thank you!"

The official muttered, "You are such a busybody. Once you run out of food, you will know not to be so kind."

Qu Dubian ignored him and followed the girl to the side. He poured some clean water from the water bag for her and said, "Eat slowly."

The woman said gratefully: "Thank you, little benefactor."

"I have something I want to ask you."

"You say."

Qu Dubian: "How many days has the porridge been distributed at the gate of the county government?"

The woman whispered, "Four days ago, the flood destroyed the dam, and everyone who could escape gathered here. We started distributing porridge the next afternoon, but the officials said that the food was limited, and each person was only given one bowl a day."

Qu Watanabe: "Obviously not enough to eat."

Woman: "At a time like this, it's a good thing to have a bite."

Qu Dubian said nothing and watched the woman finish eating half of the cake.

He didn't give her any extra either. Her husband and family didn't seem to be around, and she was holding a baby, so if he gave her too much, she wouldn't be able to keep the food.

"Thank you, my benefactor. You are as handsome as the young man who came to the county government office this morning." The woman glanced at him secretly, not daring to offend him, and only praised him with this sentence.

"What little prince?"

"Not sure... he should be an important person. Oh, by the way, there was also an unconscious woman who came with him. They are both in the county government office now."

Qu Dubian's heart sank. He stood up suddenly and walked to the gate of the county government office in three or two steps, but was stopped by the guards.

The guard shouted, "My Lord has ordered that ordinary people are not allowed to enter!"

Qu Dubian pulled off the jade ring hanging around his neck. This was Lao Deng's personal ring, which was given to him when he moved to Shunning Palace. The inner wall was engraved with imperial emblems and paintings made with royal craftsmanship. Anyone with eyesight could tell that this was an imperial item.

"Go tell your master that someone is coming from the capital."