Chapter 105 "It's burning, quick, it's going to burn..."

The rumors about Baili Xunzhou's blindness were promptly dealt with by Chu Jingqi, preventing any major disturbance in Yunzhong County. Instead, exaggerated rumors such as "His Highness the Crown Prince can take the enemy's head from a hundred miles away even though he is blind" spread to surrounding towns, putting Baili Xunzhou under considerable pressure in the past two days.

Now he no longer waits for Feng Mian to get up before pestering her to dress him. Instead, he always has Feng Mian pick out his clothes and place them on the chaise longue the night before. As soon as he opens his eyes, he silently gets up, walks along the stone path in the room to the chaise longue, puts on his clothes in the order they were laid out before he went to sleep, and then walks along the stone path to the courtyard to start practicing his martial arts.

His adaptability is truly beyond that of ordinary people. In just a few days, as long as Feng Mian is not watching him, he can walk on the gravel road as if it were flat ground, just like an ordinary person, without the aid of a walking stick. Although he has not yet formally tried to "take the enemy's head from a hundred miles away", relying on his ability to locate by sound, hitting the bullseye of a moving target from a hundred meters away is no problem at all.

When Liu Jixue came to take his pulse for the first time, she said, "If there are no unexpected events, His Highness's eyes will be able to see things again in another week or two."

Hearing the exact recovery time from Liu Jixue for the first time, Feng Mian was overjoyed. Baili Xunzhou, on the other hand, raised his eyebrows at Feng Mian with a hint of pride and said with a beaming smile, "I really am healthy. I've always been stronger than others since I was a child, and I recover very quickly from illnesses. Even a serious problem like blindness will be cured soon."

In his words, it was as if his "quick recovery from illness" was something to be very proud of.

But Feng Mian had to admit that this was something to be very proud of! The hearts that had been hanging in suspense throughout the Prince's mansion could finally be put back into their stomachs.

To celebrate Baili Xunzhou's imminent recovery from his eye ailment, Feng Mian decided to personally prepare a potato and sweet potato feast for him that evening.

The potatoes and sweet potatoes that were planted in a hurry have yielded a bumper harvest two days ago. Although the potatoes and sweet potatoes were not very big and looked rather ugly because there was no time to cultivate superior varieties and many of the lands were still newly reclaimed wasteland, and the quantity was not considered a bumper harvest, the people who were initially skeptical were already very shocked and delighted.

Although they emotionally chose to trust the princess, none of them held a definite hope that they could actually grow something, especially something delicious and filling. The princess had posted dozens of recipes, so they would not only be able to eat their fill this winter, but they would also eat quite well.

As for the people who refused to plant for various reasons, they regretted it deeply. These past two days, smelling the fragrance coming from their neighbors, they were so regretful that they kept slapping their thighs. They started asking around when the next batch of seeds could be planted. They missed the first opportunity, and they must seize the second one.

The officials of the newly established nominal-level Agricultural Bureau were extremely busy, yet overjoyed. The results of the trial planting were truly encouraging, and once they submitted their reports, they would undoubtedly receive commendations. Furthermore, once improved varieties were cultivated and disseminated to other prefectures and towns of the Dayong Dynasty, their names would certainly occupy a place in the history books!

As a result, they admired and appreciated the princess even more. The potatoes and sweet potatoes sent to the prince's mansion were carefully selected, with round and beautiful shapes. After the princess ate them once, she missed them every meal and urged the cooks in the mansion to make new dishes.

However varied the cooking methods, Feng Mian still prefers the simplest ones.

As the evening sun slanted down, the small kitchen was brightly lit, and Feng Mian dragged Baili to occupy the stove.

She really wanted to move the small stove to the courtyard, but it was chilly at night, and Baili Xunzhou wouldn't allow her to fool around, so she had to settle for second best and stay in the small kitchen to tend the stove.

The stove was glowing red, with flames crackling and popping as they flickered over the charcoal. A sweet aroma, mixed with the smell of burning charcoal, gradually wafted out, filling the small kitchen.

Baili Xunzhou, who was a little sensitive to the heat, leaned back slightly to keep away from the scorching heat. But then, lured by the enticing sweet aroma, he leaned forward a little more. "Is it ready?"

Feng Mian used long fire tongs to flip the sweet potato over, then waved away the flying ash. "Almost there, almost there. The skin is already charred. Flip it over and roast it for a little longer."

"I'm so hungry, hurry up!" Baili Xunzhou rubbed his stomach and leaned against Feng Mian's back. He had only eaten a little at noon in preparation for this celebratory meal, and hadn't eaten anything since. He was truly starving.

With the firelight in front and another heat source pressed against her back, even Feng Mian found it hard to bear. She put down the fire tongs, grabbed Baili Xunzhou's chin with her other hand, pinched his cheeks, and pushed him away. "It's so hot, don't press against me, I..."

She glanced back, then suddenly stopped, pursed her lips, and finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Just now, she was fiddling with fire tongs and brushing off charcoal ash, leaving her hands covered in ash. Two black marks were imprinted on Baili Xunzhou's chin and cheek, like a sudden stubble, which was both cute and funny.

Baili Xunzhou looked bewildered, not knowing what had happened.

"Don't move, your face is covered in dust. Let me wipe it off for you." Feng Mian naturally wouldn't tell him that the dust on his face was something he had rubbed himself on. He picked up a corner of his sleeve and started wiping the dust off.

"What's that smell?" Baili Xunzhou's nostrils twitched slightly, then his eyes widened suddenly. "It's burning! Quick, it's going to burn!"

Unfortunately, even though he had mastered shooting at moving targets while blind, he couldn't retrieve the "potato" from the fire. He could only grope around and turn Feng Mian's body towards the stove, urging her to hurry up and get to work.

Feng Mian hurriedly picked out the four sweet potatoes and threw them on the ground. She used the fire tongs to examine the scalding hot sweet potatoes. The skin was wrinkled, oozing oil, and covered with some ash. There were one or two charred spots, but not too many.

"It seems okay, although it's a little burnt, but it doesn't matter." She used her hand as a fan to fan the sweet potato, and tried to pick it up by pinching the corner, but failed several times because she was burned.

Her fingers were so delicate that they turned red from the burn after a few repetitions.

"Let me do it." Baili Xunzhou, feeling that he was tough and wouldn't be afraid of getting burned, raised his hand to grasp Feng Mian's arm, and reached down along the forearm to the top of the sweet potato. With a large hand, he picked up the sweet potato, and with a gentle squeeze, the crispy shell cracked open, easily breaking it into two pieces.

A sweet, warm steam eagerly wafted out, carrying a rich, caramelized aroma of honey.

The golden, lustrous flesh emerged, looking moist and creamy, gleaming with an alluring amber luster in the firelight.

Baili Xunzhou couldn't help but swallow hard just from the smell. He blew on the meat a few times and then slowly handed it to Feng Mian, saying, "Try it."

Feng Mian carefully took the sweet potato, afraid that if she moved too much, the plump flesh on top would fall to the ground and get covered in charcoal ash, making it inedible. She brought half a sweet potato to her lips, smelling the aroma of the charred skin and the sweetness of the flesh, and carefully took a bite.

The soft, sweet taste instantly filled my mouth, making me forget the heat. I exhaled and chewed haphazardly for a couple of bites, and the smooth, creamy flesh slid down my throat, warming my entire body.

"It smells so good. If it were snowing outside in winter, and I were sitting by the fire in a warm house, roasting sweet potatoes, that would be the life of a god." Feng Mian imagined that this winter would be peaceful and happy.

Baili Xunzhou had already finished the sweet potato in his hand in a few bites. Hearing this, he nodded in agreement, "We planted too little this year. Next year, the granaries will be full of grain, and everyone will have a bumper harvest."

The two of them smiled broadly just thinking about it, and happily shared the remaining sweet potatoes. Their hands were sticky and black from eating, so they had to call someone to bring hot water and wash their fingertips clean little by little.

As night deepened, a flurry of footsteps suddenly sounded outside the courtyard. "Your Highness, people from the palace have arrived!"

Feng Mian was taken aback. Her hands were still dripping wet, but she couldn't wait to dry them before running out of the small kitchen. "Did they say what it was about?"

She had just sent someone over in mid-autumn, only a month or two ago. Why would they send people to the northern frontier so frequently again? A bad feeling suddenly crept into her heart.

A somewhat familiar figure staggered into the courtyard. The bamboo lantern hanging under the gate illuminated his pale face, clearly indicating that he had been busy traveling and had not had time to rest.

Feng Mian paused for a moment, recognizing him as an adopted son of the chief eunuch serving his uncle, whose name seemed to be Qiu Shi, and who was quite favored.

He couldn't even wait a few breaths for Feng Mian to walk from the Hidden Bow Courtyard to the front hall before following him, so there must be some urgent news. Feng Mian raised his hand and gripped the door frame of the small kitchen, his fingertips turning slightly white from the pressure, his eyes fixed on Qiu Shi as he approached.

"Why is Grandpa Qiushi here?" she asked, her voice still calm.

A figure approached from behind. Baili Xunzhou got up and walked behind her, leaning against the wall, which calmed her down a little.

A slight smile appeared on Qiu Shi's thin, pale face. "The princess still remembers her."

"This servant has come because..." He said politely, then paused, his eyebrows furrowing as if he were mourning, "His Majesty is not feeling well and wishes to summon Princess back to the capital for a talk."

The hand gripping the door frame suddenly clenched, the fingernail scratching a mark on the wooden frame.

"What happened? It was just a minor typhoid fever in mid-autumn, how come it's gotten worse now? Explain yourself clearly!" Feng Mian urged urgently, his voice unusually stern.

"This...this imperial physician said..." Qiu Shi knelt down with a thud, her voice choked with sobs, "He said that the cold was just a trigger. His Majesty had been worrying about something, and for the past six months he had been suffering from minor illnesses. Finally, it all came out, and now he is coughing up blood non-stop! His Majesty was worried that he would not be able to see the princess one last time, so he ordered me to come here as fast as I could to deliver the message."

"Don't talk nonsense! What do you mean by 'last time'? It can't be the last time!" Feng Mian scolded, her body trembling with anxiety. An arm pulled her into a hug from behind, constantly comforting her.

"Eunuch Qiu Shi must be tired from your journey. Please go and rest first. The princess will invite you to meet again tomorrow," Baili Xunzhou calmly instructed.

After thanking him, Qiu Shi bowed and left with Wu Liu.

Feng Mian turned and clutched Baili Xunzhou's clothes, tears unconsciously rolling down her cheeks. "How could this be? When I left the capital, my uncle was clearly still in good health! It hasn't even been a year, there's been no war, and nothing..."

She suddenly stopped talking, recalling the epidemic in the northern frontier during the summer. "Was it because of me... because I disobeyed and contracted the epidemic that he worried about me, afraid that I was not doing well in the northern frontier and that this ruined my health?"

"Don't take all the blame on yourself, Mianmian. Calm down. His Majesty is too happy and proud of what you did in the Northern Frontier. Why would he worry and harm himself because of this?" Baili Xunzhou turned Feng Mian's face and gently wiped away the wet tears on her face.

"Think about it first, is this Eunuch Qiu Shi trustworthy? Don't forget, the Luo family's headquarters are in Shengjing. There's still no news from Father and Uncle. Why would someone from the capital suddenly come to pick you up at this time? Could they have some other purpose?"