Seeing her pen moving so quickly, Lu Ziyuan asked, "Have you got an idea?"

"Thanks to this necklace, I have a new idea. Lu Ziyuan, you are always surprisingly reliable in unexpected ways!"

Am I unreliable in other places?

"They're all reliable!"

Zhong Muyu quickly finished sketching her idea, picked it up, and asked, "Take a look, what do you think?"

"Hmm...not bad!"

Zhong Muyu looked at Lu Ziyuan with suspicion. Based on her previous observations, Lu Ziyuan had no sense of style when it came to clothing, probably because he had been in the military for many years. So most of his clothes were black, not to appear aloof, but because the color was simple and could highlight his aura as a prince.

Asking is pointless.

Just as Zhong Muyu was about to put the drawing away, a guard rushed in from outside and reported: "Your Highness! There is an urgent report!"

Since it was an urgent report, it must be something serious. Just as Zhong Muyu was about to leave, Lu Ziyuan said, "It's alright, you stay here."

Then he let the guard in, and the guard, covered in cold wind, took out a still-warm letter and handed it to him.

However, after reading the letter, Lu Ziyuan's expression became unusually solemn.

"What's wrong?"

"It was sent from Baijun. There's a large-scale epidemic there, and many refugees have fled. They told us to be extra vigilant."

Baijun is the fiefdom of Prince Rong, Lu Ziqing, as Zhong Muyu had heard Lu Ziyuan mention before. For Lu Ziqing, a carefree young prince, this kind of thing is quite a headache.

Zhong Muyu took the letter and read it. The epidemic had been going on for quite some time now. Communication in ancient times was really weak, which caused a lot of trouble. Perhaps the recent cold in the city was definitely not caused by natural causes.

Lu Ziyuan said, "This matter is of great importance. I need to go and work with them to control the flow of people to prevent refugees from being let in. I can't stay with you now."

Zhong Muyu nodded: "I understand. Be careful, remember not to contact strangers, and take this with you—"

Zhong Muyu handed him a face mask and a disinfectant spray.

"Wear a mask when meeting strangers. You know its purpose. Spray disinfectant in the car, don't spray it on people..."

Zhong Muyu gave a long, detailed instruction, which Lu Ziyuan listened to attentively before taking his things and leaving.

She understood the severity of the plague, but fortunately, in an era of underdeveloped transportation and low population mobility, everything was easy to manage as long as the refugees were contained.

While Lu Ziyuan was dealing with matters within the city, she couldn't be careless about the Prince's Mansion. So she strictly controlled the people entering and leaving the mansion and provided everyone with masks.

Perhaps due to the timely response, in the past two days, there have been no suspicious refugees reported in the reports submitted by officials outside, and only a few people have died of illness, and they are all elderly people.

Zhong Muyu put down the report in her hand and breathed a sigh of relief: "We are far away, so it seems there is no major problem. I just don't know how things are going with Baijun."

"Don't worry, the letter I received the other day said that the Crown Prince has already gone there with his men."

"The Crown Prince? Would the Crown Prince personally handle such a matter?"

"To appease the people, it would be best for the Crown Prince to go in person. Besides, the Crown Prince's political achievements have always been mediocre. He certainly wouldn't let go of such an opportunity to enhance his prestige."

Zhong Muyu nodded. She didn't want to meddle in these matters. She wasn't very capable, and she was already content with managing the area between Lu Ziyuan and Ling Qing.

Just then, Chengfeng entered.

"Your Highness, a urgent report from Bai Jun."

Lu Ziyuan took it and his expression changed drastically: "This is! Ziqing's handwriting!"

He hurriedly opened the letter and saw that Lu Ziqing had only written a few strokes, but the content was full of bitterness.

Zhong Muyu poked her head out: "What did he write?"

"He said that he and Consort Jin had both contracted the plague. The Crown Prince had separated them for management. His condition was milder and he was getting better with medication, but Consort Jin's condition was very serious and the Crown Prince intended to give up on her."

Zhong Muyu read the rest of the letter as well.

Lu Ziqing loved his mother very much, but he couldn't get past the Crown Prince. After thinking it over, he realized that he was closest to Lu Ziyuan, so he tried to write to him for help.

Zhong Muyu hesitated, clutching the letter, and said, "You shouldn't go, right..."

"Yes, I really can't go."

This is something the Emperor arranged for the Crown Prince to do. If he interferes, what will the Crown Prince think?

"How about I go? You know my abilities. I won't do anything else but save Lu Ziqing and Jinfei. I'll leave the medicine and come back without wasting any time."

"no!"

Lu Ziyuan refused outright.

"Don't forget, the spies haven't been caught yet, and Su Zhirou has been rescued by him. They might very well seek revenge on you. Besides, the plague in Baijun is extremely dangerous; how can I be at ease!"

Lu Ziyuan looked anxious. Zhong Muyu was the kind of person who did whatever came to mind, and he was really afraid that Zhong Muyu would suddenly run off to Baijun to save people.

Zhong Muyu looked complicated: "But he's your best friend. He went to so much trouble to ask you for help. You can't just stand by and watch him die, can you?"

"I... but I would never put my wife in danger."

It's clear that Lu Ziyuan is also struggling with this decision.

So Zhong Muyu tried her best to persuade him: "It's okay. Think about where I come from? What do I have on me? I can protect myself."

Lu Ziyuan was determined to disagree: "I will not let you go by yourself. If it really comes down to it, I'm not afraid to lock you in your room. If you want, then blow up the palace and go by yourself."

"You! You knew perfectly well that I wouldn't blow up the Prince's Mansion!"

At this moment, Lu Ziyuan arranged for Chengfeng and Zhiyu to keep a close watch on Xiuyu House and prevent Zhong Muyu from taking a single step out.

Zhong Muyu stormed back to the inner room, but even after drinking a cup of tea, she couldn't shake off her worries.

She remembered that Lu Ziqing had helped her before, and she also felt that she and Lu Ziqing were quite compatible. Now that she had such a dangerous disease, she could die if she wasn't careful.

If Lu Ziqing dies, she will definitely feel guilty, and Lu Ziyuan will also feel guilty.

Lu Ziyuan certainly understood this.

He values ​​loyalty and righteousness; how could he not worry about his brothers?

After much thought, emotions ultimately prevailed.

After finishing his official duties, it was already late. Lu Ziyuan went to the inner room and saw Zhong Muyu asleep on the soft couch.

Actually, she deliberately entered a dream to vent her frustration, where she fought little monsters.

Lu Ziyuan gently pulled the blanket over her and covered her with it, his fingers tracing her cheeks, but he was unwilling to move them away.

Noticing the touch on her face, Zhong Muyu left the dream and saw Lu Ziyuan standing in front of her, looking down at her.

Did I wake you up?

"Not really, have all the official business been taken care of?"

Zhong Muyu rubbed her arm, which wasn't sore. After making a fuss in her dream, she didn't feel so angry anymore.

Lu Ziyuan said, "Everything is done. Perfect timing. Let's pack our things and head to Baijun together tomorrow."

"To Baijun?"

Zhong Muyu could hardly believe her ears.