Upon hearing this, Yi Shuihan's heart sank.

I thought four years was short enough, but I never expected that even these four years would be significantly shorter.

If he can't collect all the Heavenly Pearls as soon as possible, wouldn't he have to watch Xiao Qingyin's life slip away little by little?

No.

He didn't accept it.

They promised to be together for life, and even a moment less than that is not a lifetime.

That night, he held Xiao Qingyin in his arms and didn't sleep a wink.

At daybreak, he made a decision.

"I'll go with you to Xilin to find the dzi bead."

Xiao Qingyin's eyes widened.

What are you talking about in your sleep?

As the emperor, why didn't he stay in the capital? Instead, he went to Xilin. Was he trying to hand over the country to his mortal enemy?

“We can’t wait any longer,” Yi Shuihan replied. “We need to find the Heavenly Pearl as soon as possible.”

Xiao Qingyin shook her head: "No matter how anxious you are, you can't let your mind get the better of you. You stay in the capital, I'll go."

Yi Shuihan refused to budge: "Unless we both go together, I will never agree."

He was still worried about her going out even when she was perfectly fine, let alone now that she was dizzy from time to time.

Xiao Qingyin sighed and said seriously, "Going to Xilin isn't something that can be done in a day or two. You've just implemented new policies, and you have a ton of things to do, so it's not easy for you to get away..."

Yi Shuihan interrupted her, saying, "The government affairs can be handled by the old man. He has handled them once in Nandan, and his experience is more extensive than mine."

Xiao Qingyin: "..."

Marquis Yong'an must have owed this guy something in his past life.

Otherwise, how could I spend my whole life cleaning up his messes?

"What you're doing is too risky, what if..."

Before she could finish speaking, her lips were sealed by a long, slender finger.

"I would rather go through fire and water with you than worry about you from thousands of miles away."

Yi Shuihan said it casually.

Xiao Qingyin's heart skipped a beat.

To say such heartfelt words in such a calm tone is just... unfair.

She turned around and hugged his strong, powerful body tightly.

But I hope you're doing well.

Even if she were gone one day, she would live a peaceful and joyful life, free from illness, until her hair turned white.

Yi Shuihan placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"I can only get better when you're here."

They had known each other for less than two years, but he couldn't remember how he had spent the previous twenty years.

He couldn't imagine how he would live without her.

Just as someone who has seen the sun can no longer bear the darkness, having had her, he can never go back to the way things were before.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qingyin knew that not even eight hundred oxen could pull this person back.

We had no choice but to accept his proposal.

"We need to plan this carefully."

"Um."

Yi Shuihan nodded.

Xilin's repeated mishaps in his minefield had already provoked enough of his anger.

Since they insist on making things difficult for him... he doesn't mind expanding Dae Hee's territory.

After the two reached an agreement, they began preparations.

When Marquis Yong'an learned that he would not only have to take over government affairs again, but also have to wear a mask to impersonate Yi Shuihan and act as his stand-in, he was naturally furious.

"I need to take care of your mother, I don't have time!"

Instead of trying to persuade him, Yi Shuihan went to her mother and told her why she had to go to Xilin.

Princess Zhaoyang immediately agreed when she heard that this matter concerned Xiao Qingyin's life.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of your father."

"Thank you, Mother."

The Marquis of Yong'an, who was then severely reprimanded by his wife, was speechless.

That unfilial son deserves to come back alive and face his death!

Otherwise, he would have his army trample Xilin to the ground and then exhume his corpse and whip it!

After finding a substitute for Marquis Yong'an, Yi Shuihan also found a female bodyguard with a similar build to act as a substitute for Xiao Qingyin.

A double led the little white bird, the little red bird, and a large number of guards to Xilin to rescue people.

He and Xiao Qingyin exchanged faces and found a merchant caravan that regularly traded with other countries. They replaced the caravan members with their own people and used them as the caravan to travel to Xilin.

The climate in the north is very different from that in the capital. When the two arrived at the border, the grasslands were just beginning to turn green, and the sprouting grass was not yet enough for cattle and sheep to graze on.

Xiao Qingyin, riding on her horse, looked at the city under construction not far away and showed a hint of surprise.

"Isn't it said that the border area is sparsely populated? There are quite a lot of workers here."

Yi Shuihan laughed and said, "Most of those workers are refugees who fled from Xilin."

Xiao Qingyin was extremely surprised.

"Refugees from Xilin?"

“Yes,” Yi Shuihan nodded, “Last winter, Xilin experienced several blizzards, and most of the cattle and sheep froze to death. The herders couldn’t even get food, so they all headed south, trying to sneak into the Daxi border…”

If the border really wanted to stop them, it could, but these herders certainly wouldn't survive.

Considering that most of the border cities had been destroyed in the war, and that the people here had long since fled elsewhere, and that few were willing to return due to the harsh winter climate, he ordered the recruitment of refugees to rebuild the cities.

The herders readily agreed to work a day in exchange for three meals a day.

To boost their enthusiasm and prevent them from doing things half-heartedly, he also set up a reward.

Those who work diligently and perform well during the construction process can earn points.

Once you accumulate enough points, you can exchange them for a house in the city and the right to settle there.

These herders are the lowest-ranking people in Xilin, who have always suffered from the exploitation of the upper class. They don't care whether they are from Xilin or Daxi.

As long as they can survive, they don't mind changing their nationality.

After listening to his explanation, Xiao Qingyin couldn't help but look at this person with new respect.

She had only mentioned the concept of points to this person once, but she didn't expect him to apply it to social governance so quickly.

After praising them, she reminded them, "Although settling them down here would increase the border population, there are no large grasslands here that they need for grazing. If we want them to live and work in peace and contentment here, we need to develop new industries."

Yi Shuihan nodded.

“I have considered this, but I haven’t found a suitable business for them yet.”

Looking at the rolling mountains in the distance, Xiao Qingyin thought of the distribution of mineral resources in later generations and said with a smile, "Perhaps you can send someone to explore whether there are any coal mines or the like here."

"good."

Yi Shuihan immediately sent a message back to the capital, asking Marquis Yong'an to make arrangements.

They rested for one night in the border town before crossing the border and entering Xilin territory.

Although Xilin and Daxi have been enemies for many years, they have never severed their trade ties.

After all, Xilin needs Daxi's salt, tea, and medicinal herbs, while Daxi needs Xilin's cattle, horses, and sheep.

Besides them, several other caravans entered the country on the same day.

When people in the same industry meet, they naturally exchange information and share what they have.

After becoming acquainted with several caravan leaders, Yi Shuihan traveled with them.

On the third night after entering Xilin, they camped in the wild, as they always did.

Xiao Qingyin suffered a bout of dizziness and went to bed early.

I was awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of chaotic horse hooves.